Spirit City.
Yu Xiaogang reined in his horse, coming to a steady stop at the city gates.
He swung down from his horse and clasped his hands behind his back, his flat-topped head tilted up at a forty-five-degree angle as he looked disdainfully at Spirit City, a sacred land in the eyes of countless Soul Masters.
"Heh, Spirit City. I, Grandmaster Yu, have returned!"
Over a decade ago, he had developed the "Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul" here, hailed as a truth that could save the world.
Back then, he had been driven out of Spirit City simply because its master at the time had been that damned Qian Xunji.
But now, the master of this city was his old lover, Bibi Dong.
In other words, given Bibi Dong's infatuation with him, it would hardly be an exaggeration to say that he, Yu Xiaogang, was the master of Spirit City!
Yu Xiaogang stepped toward Spirit City, his eyes brimming with pride.
It was as though he were making his usual inspection of his own domain, but the next second-
"Halt!"
"Soul Masters below rank twenty are forbidden from entering Spirit City!"
Sensing the rank-eleven Soul Power fluctuations coming from Yu Xiaogang, the guards on either side of the gates immediately rebuked him.
Yu Xiaogang's expression shifted at their words.
"How dare you!"
"You lowly dog! Open those dog eyes of yours and take a good look at this Grandmaster's cultivation!"
Damn it, damn it all! He, Yu Xiaogang, was a rank-twenty-nine Soul Grandmaster!
But the next second-
Yu Xiaogang abruptly remembered the changes to his Martial Soul and Soul Power after absorbing the Ginseng King.
His expression instantly froze, while the guard he had insulted also stood rooted to the spot.
Where did this guy come from? Was he really this bold?
The guard was utterly bewildered. He had been stationed here for over a decade, and this was the first time-no, wait.
This was the first time anything like this had ever happened at these gates.
The commotion soon drew the attention of some passersby.
"Mommy, who's that man? Everyone knows Soul Masters below rank twenty aren't allowed into Spirit City. How come he doesn't know?"
A little girl tugged at her mother's hand and asked in confusion.
She was far from the only one saying such things. Dozens of voices expressed much the same thing as the little girl.
Hearing the whispers around him, Yu Xiaogang's aging face suddenly flushed red.
But then he suddenly remembered: who was he?
The Continent's Number One Theoretical Grandmaster, the current Pope's old lover!
"This Grandmaster's cultivation is indeed insufficient, but that does not mean this Grandmaster cannot enter Spirit City."
With that, Yu Xiaogang flicked a token gleaming with cold light out of his sleeve.
The guard caught it securely, but once he took a close look and recognized the token's exact appearance, his expression instantly changed.
"This subordinate pays his respects to the esteemed elder!"
At those words, the passersby watching the spectacle and all the other guards froze, then bowed slightly along with that guard and said:
"Our respects, esteemed elder."
Cold sweat had already covered the guard's forehead and face.
Who could have imagined that this piece of trash would actually produce a Pope Token?
As Yu Xiaogang watched everyone bowing to him, the corners of his mouth rose uncontrollably.
That's right, that's right. Now that's more like it.
This was the treatment he, Yu Xiaogang-Grandmaster Yu-deserved!
"Hmph, rise. This elder is kindhearted and will pardon your grave disrespect this once."
Pardon him?
Absolutely impossible! This lowborn wretch had actually dared to insult him, Yu Xiaogang. If he didn't hack the man before him into eight pieces, his surname wasn't Yu!
It was just that he was weaker than this man. Once he saw Bibi Dong and embellished the story for her, she would surely avenge him!
After entering the city, Yu Xiaogang felt as though he were walking on air, a broad smile on his face, as though the road to the Papal Hall were his path to the throne.
The reason was simple: he had hung the Pope Token Tang Hao had given him at his waist.
Upon seeing the Pope Token, passersby cupped their hands and respectfully addressed Yu Xiaogang as "esteemed elder."
Just as Yu Xiaogang continued basking in the endless vanity this single Pope Token brought him, a sharp female shout suddenly came from behind him.
"Hey, you Soul Master up ahead! How did you get into Spirit City?"
Yu Xiaogang immediately grew displeased. Hadn't she seen what was hanging at his waist?
He slowly turned around. He wanted to see just who was blind enough to dare stop Elder Yu!
Three figures came into view: two young men and a young woman.
The young woman resembled one of the young men; a single glance was enough to tell they were fraternal twins.
The other young man had red hair and stood with his arms folded, a trace of arrogance radiating from his entire bearing.
Seeing that they were three youngsters, Yu Xiaogang immediately glared at them.
"What are your names, you three, and which faction do you belong to?"
"Didn't you see the Pope Token at this elder's waist?"
The three paused at his words, then all looked toward Yu Xiaogang's waist.
That look left them even more bewildered.
The three suddenly huddled together and spoke cautiously.
"Nana, we've met all the elders of our Spirit Hall, so how come I've never seen this one?"
"Me neither. Nana, you're always with Her Holiness. Could he be an elder Her Holiness sent out in secret?"
Hearing the two young men beside her, the young woman in the middle furrowed her brow.
"No, I've never seen this elder either. Besides, even if he were an elder Teacher sent away, the academy would have records of him. There's no way he would've never been mentioned."
These three were none other than Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan, hailed as the Spirit Hall Golden Generation.
"Then where did the Pope Token at his waist come from?"
Yan scratched his head, genuinely unable to make sense of it.
"Actually, what we should be wondering most is why a rank-eleven Soul Master like him would have a Pope Token."
After all, only Spirit Hall's Titled Douluo elders, the sect masters of the Upper Three Sects, or those who had made immense contributions to Spirit Hall would possess a Pope Token.
Yet this flat-top before them met none of those three requirements.
"Brother, are you saying his Pope Token is a fake?!"
Hu Liena abruptly turned to Xie Yue, looking utterly astonished. Everyone knew what a Pope Token looked like.
But no one dared to forge one, because what stood behind the Pope Token was Spirit Hall.
That was also why Hu Liena was so shocked.
Forging a Pope Token was no small matter!
It was an act that showed utter disregard for Spirit Hall!
"It's possible, but we have no evidence, so we can't draw a firm conclusion."
Just then, Yan flexed his wrist and said with a savage grin, "Simple. We'll find out if we interrogate him."
"If he really is an elder of our Spirit Hall, given who the three of us are, the worst that'll happen is being dumped somewhere so remote even birds don't shit there. But if he isn't an elder of our Spirit Hall, this will be a major achievement for us!"
Exposing someone who had forged a Pope Token and handing him over to Spirit Hall would be a major achievement.
Not only would they receive a reward from the Papal Hall, they could even enter Spirit Hall directly, with a squad leader's position at the very least!