"Who dares trespass in Heaven Dou City!"
As the imperial capital of the Heaven Dou Empire, Heaven Dou City naturally had considerable strength to draw upon.
The presence of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast ran rampant, terrifying countless people and instantly alerting the army guarding the city.
Powerful presences soared out one after another. Hundreds of experts at the Soul King rank and above, clad in battle armor, formed a special military formation.
Beneath the sky screen, Emperor Xue Ye looked on with satisfaction. Good. So what if Qian Xunji was a Titled Douluo?
Even he would have to avoid confronting the empire's military formation head-on!
But in the next instant, Emperor Xue Ye's face fell.
In the sky screen's timeline.
Before the hundreds of Soul Masters could activate their formation, the phantom of a White Armored Earth Dragon several zhang long shot into the sky.
"Stand down, all of you!"
Yi Long had only recently advanced to Soul Douluo and was the commander of the imperial city's guards.
As soon as he appeared, he shouted for them to stand down. Then he landed atop a building and knelt on one knee. "Yi Long, commander of the Heaven Dou Empire's imperial guards, pays his respects to His Holiness the Pope.
"What orders does Your Holiness have for us, gracing us with your presence?"
How servile!
A general of a nation was showing such great deference to another power in broad daylight.
After all, the Douluo Continent was ostensibly dominated by the two great empires.
Although Spirit Hall was the place where Soul Masters placed their faith, it did not stand above the two great empires.
By kneeling, Yi Long had all but admitted that the Heaven Dou Empire's status was inferior to Spirit Hall's.
Yue Guan stepped forward. "His Holiness the Pope has come in person.
"Ye Cangshui and Ye Qingxian of the Nine Heart Begonia, please come and meet him.
"All those uninvolved may withdraw."
"Yes!"
Yi Long immediately waved his hand, and the hundreds of imperial guards withdrew.
But just then, several figures swept out of the imperial palace. The one at their head wore a dragon crown and ceremonial robes. With his Swan Martial Soul manifested, he flew low in the air.
"I did not know Your Holiness would come in person, and failed to come out to welcome you.
"Please forgive me, Your Holiness."
Xue Ye's appearance instantly stirred up a storm.
Beneath the sky screen.
Countless spectators erupted in an uproar. Was Emperor Xue Ye really this servile too?
"No way. Did the former Pope really possess such terrifying might?
"He even made the emperor of an empire bow his head."
"Watch what you say. Besides, the Pope in the sky screen and our former Pope are two different things.
"The Pope in the sky screen is a Peerless Douluo."
Emperor Xue Ye watched the sky screen and furiously kicked over his imperial desk. "Useless Xue Ye!
"The emperor of a nation bowing his head to a hostile power-what a disgrace!"
"Even Emperor Xue Ye bowed his head. His Holiness the Pope is unbelievably mighty.
"Mom is so lucky."
In the Ye Clan's little courtyard, Ye Lingling still did not know that Ye Qingxian was trapped in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, her life or death hanging on a single thought from Qian Daoliu.
In the sky screen's timeline.
Ye Cangshui's complexion was dark and dull, and he was at death's door.
Supported by a young woman, she came out through the courtyard gate and onto the street, looking up at Qian Xunji in midair.
"This old one, Ye Cangshui, pays his respects to Your Holiness the Pope."
"This humble woman, Ye Qingxian, pays her respects to Your Holiness the Pope."
Ye Cangshui and Ye Qingxian tried to kneel, but a sacred force held them up.
"There is no need for such formalities. I came here to take Ye Qingxian as my wife, the Pope's consort.
"Are you willing?"
Qian Xunji spoke directly, without beating around the bush.
Heaven Dou City fell silent, as though no one could believe what Qian Xunji had said.
Qian Xunji, who had dominated the entire Douluo Continent for forty years, had suddenly sought out the Nine Heart Begonia's inheritor and asked to marry her?
The Pope should be in his fifties now and indeed had yet to marry, but he was a Peerless Douluo.
For a Peerless Douluo, a person in his fifties was still in his youth.
"I... I didn't hear that wrong, did I?"
Ye Cangshui was excited, yet he could not believe his ears.
Ye Qingxian, meanwhile, blushed and lowered her head, trying to look at her toes. Unfortunately, her ample assets blocked her view.
"You're a Soul Saint already. Surely you can't be hearing things? Congratulations, old fellow."
Yue Guan was acquainted with Ye Cangshui and immediately offered his congratulations.
Ye Cangshui was too excited to speak. He had been injured in his youth, and his Martial Soul had suffered damage. He had clung to life until now, but was almost at his limit.
Now, his only hope was for his daughter to marry into a good family and pass down the Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul.
But he had never dared imagine that this good family would be quite so good.
The current Pope, Qian Xunji, was, without exaggeration, the true god of this age.
He had become a Titled Douluo at nineteen and a Peerless Douluo at thirty. The younger generation of Soul Masters had all grown up listening to legends of Qian Xunji.
Ye Qingxian was naturally no exception. She had once wished that she would one day marry someone as extraordinary as His Holiness the Pope.
"Miss Ye, what are you waiting for?"
Chrysanthemum Douluo's reminder roused Ye Qingxian from her daze and daydreams.
"I... I... I'm willing!"
Of course Ye Qingxian was willing. It was better than hastily choosing a scion of some power for a marriage alliance to fulfill her father's wish.
Now her father's wish had been fulfilled, and her own beautiful dream had come true.
Heavens, I'm so happy!
Ye Qingxian clutched her skirt tightly, afraid that if she moved too much, she would suddenly wake from this beautiful dream.
Atop the Azure Plume Eagle Emperor's back, Qian Xunji slowly nodded and raised a hand. Two jade boxes appeared and floated toward Ye Cangshui and Ye Qingxian.
One of the jade boxes opened in midair. Its dazzling radiance took everyone's breath away, and its divine glow filled them with longing.
"His Holiness the Pope's betrothal gift: one Twelve-Grade Holy Light Lotus. It can help Miss Ye's Martial Soul evolve and free her from the shackles of the Nine Heart Begonia's inheritance."
Yue Guan spoke at once, his voice carrying far and wide. Countless people were envious, wishing they could take Ye Qingxian's place.
"Thank you, Your Holiness."
Ye Cangshui grew even more excited, and some color returned to his dark, dull complexion.
Immediately afterward, the second jade box opened.
A Soul Bone floated out, crimson and translucent, without the slightest blemish.
A presence unique to a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast spread out, and its surging Soul Power shook everyone to the core.
"His Holiness the Pope's betrothal gift: one Two-Hundred-Thousand-Year Yin Yang Fish Torso Bone."
The crowd erupted!
The people of Heaven Dou City could no longer contain their astonishment and burst into an uproar.
A Two Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone? He was just giving it away as a betrothal gift?
Beneath the sky screen, countless spectators reacted even more strongly.
"Heavens, an Immortal Herb that can help a Martial Soul evolve is one thing.
"But he just gives away a Two Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone?"
"As expected of His Holiness the Pope. He's so rich he's inhuman."
"Not every Pope is so rich he's inhuman.
"The Pope in the sky screen is a Peerless Douluo, an existence without equal under heaven.
"Hunting a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast is easy for him, so he can bring out a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone as a betrothal gift...
"Ah!!!! Your Holiness, if it really won't work out, I'll give myself to you too."
They were jealous.
The moment the Two Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone appeared, everyone both inside and outside the sky screen was jealous.
He was too rich.
"Your Holiness the Pope, actually, Mom would marry you even without a betrothal gift."
Ye Lingling cupped her cheeks in her hands. Honestly, she was jealous too. She wished she could travel through time and space and take this tribulation in her mother's place.
"Boo-hoo, Mom, where did you run off to celebrate in secret?"
In the sky screen's timeline.
Ye Qingxian caught the jade box with both hands, feeling as though she were dreaming.
Ye Qingxian, oh, Ye Qingxian, you really dare to dream big.
Forget it, forget it. It's a dream anyway. Don't get excited, don't get excited. Whatever you do, don't wake up.
The good news: she had not woken up.
The bad news: her fiancé was ignoring her.
Ye Qingxian was not smiling. She stole a glance into the air, only to find Qian Xunji looking at Xue Ye. "Your Majesty Xue Ye, I have heard that Heaven Dou possesses a national treasure called the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud."