The Heaven Dou Imperial Family, needless to say, would definitely be unaware of this!
Chapter 236: The Pope Made You Do It
"Investigation?"
The Martial Soul Holy Temple.
After the tournament organizing committee decided to investigate Xuan Ming, Salas, representing the Spirit Hall, rushed back immediately.
Others might not know the relationship between Xuan Ming and the Pope, but he knew it all too well!
That's the kind of person who can sneak into the Pope's bedroom in the middle of the night and leave through the main gate the next day as if nothing happened!
He already had a bad impression on the Pope because of what happened in Sunset Forest. If he were to actually investigate Xuan Ming now, the Pope would surely kill him!
" Your His Holiness the Pope, the organizing committee is now strongly demanding an investigation into Xuan Ming and seeking justice for the Canghui Academy. I... don't know what to do," Salas said nervously.
Bibi Dong put down the information about the competition organizing committee's investigation order, saying, "Investigate however you see fit."
"Huh?" Salas was taken aback.
" Your His Holiness the Pope, this..."
"Investigate however you need to, understand?" Bibi Dong asked.
Salas was slightly taken aback. "Understood!"
"This Soul Master Tournament is getting more and more chaotic. With so many people watching, they can't even tell if there's anything wrong with the participants." Bibi Dong paused, then looked at Yue Guan beside her.
" Yue Guan, go join in the fun, lest you cause trouble every few days."
Yue Guan bowed slightly. "Understood."
After leaving the council hall, Salas began to summon the Holy Knights of the Martial Soul Holy Temple and the Cardinals. Since it was an investigation, it had to be done formally.
However, just as Salas was about to set off, Qian Jun Douluo suddenly appeared before him.
"Elder Qian Jun." Salas quickly bowed in greeting.
Qian Jun Douluo, a level 96 Peak Douluo, along with Demon Subduing Douluo, was the teacher of the previous Pope Qian Xunji. However, not long after Qian Xunji became Pope, the two elders, Qian Jun Jiang Mo, also broke through to level 96 and entered the Worship Hall. They have not appeared in public for decades.
" The Second Worship looking for you," Qian Jun Douluo said calmly.
Salas was taken aback, but dared not ask any more questions. He told his men to wait where they were, while he followed Qian Jun Douluo toward the palace where the Second Worship, Golden Crocodile Douluo, was located.
Salas was filled with unease as he followed Qian Jun Douluo through the intricate corridors of the Martial Soul Holy Temple.
The Second Worship, Golden Crocodile Douluo, was a terrifying figure in the Spirit Hall, second only to the Great Enshrined, Qian Daoliu. His strength was unfathomable, and his personality was even more unpredictable. Half a year ago, the Sunset Forest incident was orchestrated by Golden Crocodile Douluo. However, after that day, these elders left Heaven Dou City and returned to Spirit City, while the Pope remained in Heaven Dou City, leaving him with all the awkwardness!
Soon, the two arrived at a palace deep within the Martial Soul Holy Temple.
Sitting by the stone table in the center of the courtyard was an old man in a golden robe, who was none other than the Second Worship, Golden Crocodile Douluo.
"Elder Golden Crocodile." Salas quickly bowed in greeting.
"I heard there were some problems with the competition? It was that brat Xuan Ming." Golden Crocodile Douluo said calmly.
Salas paused slightly, "There is a problem, but..."
"What did the Pope say?" Golden Crocodile Douluo asked.
Salas dared not conceal anything and respectfully replied, " His Holiness the Pope said that the investigation should proceed as required."
Golden Crocodile Douluo snorted coldly, "Protection is protection, why be so tactful?"
Salas lowered his head even further, barely daring to breathe.
"Since she wants to protect him, then let her protect him," said Golden Crocodile Douluo calmly.
"However, you need to let everyone know that it is the Pope who is protecting Xuan Ming, understand?"
Salas was slightly taken aback. "Elder Golden Crocodile, this Pope protection... isn't that...?"
" The Pope's abuse of power is Pope business," said Golden Crocodile Douluo calmly.
Salas was deeply shocked by Golden Crocodile Douluo's words, completely unable to fathom what the Second Worship intended to do.
The Pope's protection of Xuan Ming is already a sensitive matter, and Elder Golden Crocodile not only spoke frankly about it but also wanted him to publicize it. Wasn't this putting the Pope in the spotlight?
Could the news from Spirit City be true? Is the Elder Hall really planning to depose the Pope?
"Elder Golden Crocodile, this... wouldn't this cause turmoil within the Spirit Hall and damage His Holiness the Pope's prestige...?" Salas cautiously probed, his voice trembling slightly.
"It was the Pope who ordered you to do it," Golden Crocodile Douluo said in a slightly somber tone.
"Do you understand?"
"Understood, sir!" Salas quickly replied.
"Your subordinate will obey Elder Golden Crocodile's... the Pope's orders! I will do my utmost!"
Upon leaving the Martial Soul Holy Temple, Salas's complexion was so terrible that words could not describe it.
The Golden Crocodile Douluo and Bibi Dong were vying for power, but it was he who suffered the consequences!
What the hell is this?!
He couldn't afford to offend the Pope, much less the Golden Crocodile Douluo!
Near the Heaven Dou Royal Grand Hotel, the Spirit Hall team led by Salas and the royal team led by Ning Fengzhi met up.
During the competition, the Imperial Fighting Team stayed here. Among the teams that came from all over the Empire, some teams that had achieved good results in previous competitions were also arranged to stay here and enjoy the best treatment, including the Five Elements Academy.
"What's wrong with Bishop Salas? Is he feeling unwell?" Ning Fengzhi asked with concern.
Salas said coldly, "I am unharmed, no need for Sect Master Ning to worry."
Ning Fengzhi smiled slightly, unconcerned by Salas's cold attitude. His gaze swept over the Spirit Hall members behind Salas, and he said softly, "I wonder how the Spirit Hall plans to investigate?"
Salas cursed inwardly, thinking that Ning Fengzhi was deliberately bringing up the most sensitive topic, but he dared not show it on his face, and simply said coldly, " Sect Master Ning, rest assured, the Spirit Hall will handle this matter impartially."
"Handle it impartially?" Ning Fengzhi. "That's good. Although Xuan Ming's actions are somewhat unexpected, he's not a bad person at heart and probably won't do anything to harm the competition. However, the fact that those students from the Canghui Academy have become idiots is indeed a bit strange. I hope Bishop Salas can investigate thoroughly."
Salas snorted, "Of course, no Sect Master Ning to trouble himself."
At this moment, Xue Qinghe also came out of the hotel. Seeing the scene of the two groups facing each other, he secretly found it amusing, but on the surface he pretended to be serious and stepped forward, saying, "Bishop Salas, Sect Master Ning, now that everyone is here, let's go in together. Xuan Ming and the others are still waiting."
Salas and Ning Fengzhi exchanged a glance, nodded, and followed Xue Qinghe into the hotel.
Inside the hotel lobby, Xuan Ming and the others waited quietly, while some academy members who had finished their competitions watched the commotion from various parts of the hotel.
In this year's Soul Master Tournament, the most attention-grabbing figure is undoubtedly Xuan Ming, the star of the Great Soul Arena.
However, many people suspect that Xuan Ming's performance in the Great Soul Arena is just hype. After all, to be able to get the Great Soul Arena, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and the Heaven Dou Imperial Family to join forces to elevate him to that position, strength is no longer the most important factor.
Those who watched Xuan Ming's last "exhibition match" at the Heaven Dou Great Soul Arena, in particular, scoffed at some of Xuan Ming's titles.
Their current status is solely due to the deliberate hype and manipulation by the Great Soul Arena. In the upcoming Soul Master Tournament, as long as they defeat Xuan Ming, this glory will naturally be transferred to them.
On the second floor of the hotel, the group from the Five Elements Academy leaned against the railing, watching with great interest the "grand show" about to unfold below.
If we had to pinpoint the opponent they were most looking forward to and most worried about in this competition, it would undoubtedly be the Imperial Fighting Team, who should have been guaranteed a spot but chose to participate in the qualifiers instead.
Although everyone had some doubts about the rumors about the Great Soul Arena, to have reached that level, Xuan Ming's strength, even if not as exaggerated as the rumors suggested, was definitely extremely strong, not to mention the terrifying lineup of the Imperial Fighting Team they had witnessed today.
One Soul King, three Soul Ancestor, one Soul Elder, Xuan Ming, and the girl standing beside him who never uttered a word and never revealed her Martial Soul or Soul Ring.
Even excluding Xuan Ming, the Imperial Fighting Team is still extremely strong!
Driven by personal motives, they naturally hoped that the tournament organizing committee would kick the Imperial Fighting Team out. However, there were also quite a few people who looked forward to playing against this team and winning the match.
" Xuan Ming, the organizing committee of this competition has decided to investigate you, mainly regarding the mental breakdown of a student from the Canghui Academy," Xue Qinghe said, his gaze sweeping across everyone's faces. "Do you have anything to say?"
"It's none of my business, they brought this on themselves," Xuan Ming said.
Although the Evil God's Protection was triggered passively, it only protected him and did not retaliate. The group from the Canghui Academy became idiots because the mental impact of that attack was too strong. After being blocked by the Evil God's Protection, it was like a person with weak Divine Power using a mental control skill on a person with strong Divine Power and suffering a backlash.
At that time, those people converted all their Soul Power into Divine Power through special Soul Skill. In addition, the so-called Seven Asura Illusion Realm was only offensive and not defensive. After the mental impact was blocked by the Evil God's Protection, it exploded directly.
Those guys from the Canghui Academy are simply reaping what they sowed; they were driven mad by their own techniques.
"Even if the Canghui Academy team members became like that because of their own moves, how do you explain the aura emanating from you?" Salas asked.
" Soul Ring," Xuan Ming said.
"I just absorbed a special Soul Ring. The aura you saw was from that Soul Ring."
" Soul Ring?" Salas frowned slightly.
"What kind of Soul Ring would carry that kind of aura? Don't try to fool us with some random excuse."
" Dark Demon Evil God Tiger," Xuan Ming said calmly.
" Dark Demon Evil God Tiger?" Salas frowned.
"What is that?"
"Go check it yourself. Doesn't the Spirit Hall claim to have all the information in the entire Soul Master World?" Xuan Ming said.
The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger is indeed just a legendary Soul Beast to humans; very few people have even heard of it.
After all, the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger is extremely difficult to develop in the world of Soul Beast. Once it appears, it will be besieged by the entire Soul Beast clan, and they will never let it live.
For a Dark Demon Evil God Tiger to grow to a hundred years old, it needs to devour at least a hundred Ten-Year Soul Beast. To grow to a thousand years old, it needs to devour nearly a hundred hundred Hundred-Year Soul Beast. As for a ten-thousand-year-old soul beast, it needs to devour another hundred thousand -Thousand-Year Soul Beast.
The 60,000-year-old Dark Demon Evil God Tiger that he absorbed had already devoured at least dozens of Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.
"Since you put it that way, I will go back and investigate," Salas said calmly.
"However, for the safety of the other participating teams, you cannot continue to compete until the results are in."
Regardless of whether the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger exists or not, since Xuan Ming has given this excuse, he will just use it as is. As for whether others believe it or not, that is their business.
If it's true, then he was acting impartially; if it's false, then that's something the Pope should worry about.
If the Pope ordered him to compile a document, he would be doing it under orders and would not offend either side.
Goodbye.
After receiving Xuan Ming's reply, Salas didn't ask any more questions and left with the Spirit Hall members.
Upon seeing this, the teachers and students from various colleges who were watching the play upstairs were all dumbfounded.
Asking a couple of questions and then leaving? Is that what you call an investigation?
Could you be any more perfunctory?
Chapter 237 Having Concerns
Salas led the Spirit Hall members away hastily, their hurried departures seeming as if they were afraid of being overtaken.
Inside the hotel lobby, the atmosphere became somewhat awkward. Everyone looked at each other, filled with doubt and confusion.
Ning Fengzhi narrowed his eyes slightly, secretly pondering the complex situation behind it all. The competition organizing committee had reacted strongly to this matter, yet Salas was so hasty, unwilling to even do the bare minimum, practically making his reservations about the matter public.
But what benefit would this bring to the Spirit Hall? Does it mean the Spirit Hall is also planning to take action against Xuan Ming?
The students at the Five Elements Academy were in an uproar upstairs.
"What kind of investigation is this? They just left like that?"
" Xuan Ming made up a reason, and the Spirit Hall believed it?"
There's definitely something fishy going on here!
"..."
Various opinions arose one after another. They were clearly extremely dissatisfied with the result. The "good show" they had been looking forward to ended so hastily, and the disappointment they felt was unimaginable.
Lei Dong from the Thunder Academy stared wide-eyed, his face filled with disbelief. "How come the Spirit Hall, which usually acts so arrogantly, cowers when it comes to Xuan Ming?"
Feng Xiaotian of the Godwind Academy crossed his arms, a mocking smile playing on his lips. "That Dark Demon Evil God Tiger? Never even heard of it. Who knows if he made it up? Even if such Soul Beast really existed, how could he have encountered it so easily and absorbed its Soul Ring?"
Anger flashed in Lei Dong's eyes. "Perhaps there's some shady deal between the Spirit Hall and Xuan Ming, otherwise why would they let him go so easily? Have all those students from the Canghui Academy just been turned into idiots for nothing?"
"I don't think so." Shui Bing'er gently shook her head, her delicate brows slightly furrowed, and calmly analyzed, "Although the Spirit Hall acts domineeringly, it wouldn't be so foolish. As the Spirit Hall's Platinum Bishop in Heaven Dou City, Salas couldn't just let things end so hastily without any reason. Perhaps he really has some concerns and doesn't dare to be too forceful towards Xuan Ming."
"Concerns? What concerns could there be?" Shui Yue'er frowned, her face full of doubt. "Even if Xuan Ming is strong, he's just a contestant. Would the Spirit Hall be afraid of him?"