Skywater Academy
Shui Yue'er complained, "Mother, why are we sitting so far away from Brother Lin Chen? Aren't there still a few seats over there?"
Shui Bing'er sighed softly. "Yue'er, don't blame Mother. Our Skywater Academy is weak, at the very bottom of the third-rate powers here. Those seats are for second- and first-rate powers."
"But no one's sitting there right now. If no one's sitting there, why can't we?"
Shui Ningrou said softly, "Without the strength to back it up, sitting in a place that doesn't belong to us could bring trouble."
"All right." Shui Yue'er was only fourteen this year, and some of her ideas were still very naive, but her older sister, Shui Bing'er, understood something of how hard things had been for their mother.
Tap... tap...
"You three, the Emperor invites you in."
Shui Yue'er's lovely eyes lit up. "Is Brother Lin Chen calling for us?"
Shui Ningrou scolded her in a low voice. "Girl, don't talk nonsense. What do you mean, Brother Lin Chen? You must call him Emperor!"
"Oh... Brother Emperor..."
Ling Yuan Douluo smiled faintly. "Please come in."
Shui Ningrou said respectfully, "All right. Thank you for the effort, Ling Yuan Douluo!"
"It was no trouble. The Emperor gave the order, so it was only right that I carry it out." Ling Yuan Douluo asked casually, "By the way, you're Dean Shui, aren't you? How did you meet the Emperor?"
Shui Ningrou was slightly taken aback, then told her how they had met Lin Chen.
"Oh..."
When the assembled powers saw the three women sitting in the first-rate seats beside Lin Chen, they couldn't help looking shocked.
Who were these three women? That beautiful married woman was only a Soul Saint, so how had she been invited to the first-rate seats by the Emperor?
Could it be... these three women were the Emperor's exclusive possessions?
That would explain it!
Among the second-rate seats, Yang Qingwu, the Antelope Sect's master, frowned slightly, her sword-shaped brows drawing together as she looked at the three women's graceful figures. This Shui Ningrou certainly has a fine figure, and her two daughters to help her along. No wonder she caught the Emperor's eye.
A few breaths later...
The three women arrived at the first-rate seats beside Lin Chen. Apart from Shui Yue'er, who was pleasantly surprised, the other two were somewhat reserved.
"Brother Lin Chen!" Shui Yue'er called out happily as she sat down.
"Yue'er, don't be naughty." Shui Ningrou hurriedly pleaded, "Emperor, Yue'er doesn't know any better. Please don't take offense."
Lin Chen smiled faintly. "It's fine. I like Yue'er and Bing'er just the way they are."
"From now on, you can call me whatever you like. That's my word!"
"Hee-hee..." Shui Yue'er took Shui Bing'er's hand, and the two sisters began whispering to each other.
Lin Chen's words made Shui Ningrou's heart skip a beat. You? What did the Emperor mean? Did he include me too?
After Yue'er was born, her husband had died in an accident. She had raised two daughters alone in this world where the weak were prey to the strong, all while keeping an advanced academy afloat. Heaven only knew how much she had suffered.
"Welcome, Your Holiness the Pope!"
"Welcome, Your Holiness the Pope!"
While she was still lost in her thoughts, the guards outside the hall called out, and the heads of the assembled powers rose almost simultaneously, looking respectfully toward the graceful figure at the entrance.
Tap... tap...
As their voices fell, Bibi Dong walked slowly in with a catlike gait, wearing a form-fitting purple dress and a crown, a scepter in her hand. Her bearing was noble, cold, and stunning.
"We pay our respects to Your Holiness the Pope!"
"We pay our respects to Your Holiness the Pope!"
Bibi Dong walked along the golden carpet in the center of the hall. Wherever she passed, everyone bowed their heads and professed their allegiance, save for one young man, who stood with his head held high and chest out.
She reached the papal dais, slowly turned, and sat down on the papal throne. Beside her, Lin Chen smoothed out the wrinkles in his Pope wife's long skirt.
Although Lin Chen did as he pleased with her when no one else was around, he still showed his wife great respect in public.
Only in this way could he preserve Bibi Dong's authority as Pope, and only with his wife's status secure could he do as he pleased.
This was a man and woman working together, complementing each other!
To tell the truth, Lin Chen liked that quality in Bibi Dong. Especially when the two of them were loving each other, her papal authority only heightened his sense of conquest.
"Everyone, rise."
"Thank you, Your Holiness the Pope!"
Bibi Dong sat upright on the papal throne, her cool voice carrying throughout the hall. "You must all have some idea why I invited you here today!"
"In the Soul Master World of the Douluo Continent today, Soul Masters face Soul Beasts as external foes, while Evil Soul Masters oppress the common people and commit every manner of evil within!"
"Therefore, I wish to establish an alliance, primarily to safeguard the security and interests of the major powers. What do you all think?"
As her words fell, the expressions of the assembled leaders changed. They had actually already understood Bibi Dong's purpose today: the alliance was a pretext; her real aim was to bring them under her command.
As for her purpose, it went without saying...
As soon as Bibi Dong finished speaking, Huyan Zhen of the Elephant Armor Sect, seated among the first-rate powers, immediately declared, "I, Huyan Zhen, represent the Elephant Armor Sect in joining the Soul Master Alliance. In all things, we shall follow Spirit Hall's lead."
Yang Qingwu of the Antelope Sect said, "I, Yang Qingwu, represent the Antelope Sect in joining the alliance. In all things, we shall follow His Holiness the Pope."
"I, Huo Yanbao of the Fire Leopard Sect, am willing to join the alliance!"
"My Balak Kingdom!"
"My Plant Academy..."
"The Wan Clan of the Star Luo Empire..."
"The Li Clan of Heaven Dou..."
Skywater Academy
Shui Yue'er's lovely eyes were full of anticipation as she said, "Mother, can we join the alliance too? Then we can see Brother Lin Chen often from now on."
Shui Ningrou's slender brows furrowed slightly. Shui Yue'er's idea was naive, but she and Shui Bing'er had a great deal to consider. Joining Spirit Hall had both advantages and disadvantages.
The disadvantage was that she would immediately lose control of Skywater Academy, and its students would very likely be drafted by Spirit Hall and sent onto the battlefield in the future. The advantage was equally obvious: with Spirit Hall as their backer, they would no longer have to worry about being bullied by the other Soul Master powers in Skywater City.
After a long moment's thought, Shui Ningrou finally made up her mind.
"My Skywater Academy is willing to join the alliance."
As her voice fell, Lin Chen smiled at them from beside her.
Shui Ningrou's anxious heart immediately settled. For some reason, with that sign from him, she no longer worried about Skywater Academy's future.
"My Blazing Fire Academy is willing to join the alliance!"
As one power after another declared its position, the leaders who had yet to do so were dumbfounded. They hadn't realized that the old friends they had just been chatting with had joined Spirit Hall long ago...
And so the White Tiger Sect and the Wind Sword Sect of the Lower Four Sects hurriedly declared their positions as well. With these top second-rate powers bowing their heads, none of the other leaders, apart from the first-rate powers, dared go against the wishes of Bibi Dong of Spirit Hall. They all said they were willing to join.
Everyone else had joined, so what did it mean if you alone refused? Were you denying Spirit Hall face? Or Bibi Dong?
Just then, Dai Weisi, the Star Luo Empire's imperial prince, said respectfully, "Your Holiness the Pope, this matter is of great importance. I have no authority to decide; I must return to the capital and report, leaving the decision to the Great Emperor."
Bibi Dong said coolly, "Mm."
At this point, among the first-rate seats, every power except the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had declared its position.