The voice that suddenly rang out in the sky shocked Huyan Zhen and the others, and they all looked up.
Yet they saw nothing.
Even with Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo present, they could not detect a single clue.
The voice had appeared abruptly, leaving no trace to follow.
Sword Douluo gazed intently at the sky, the Seven Kill Sword already trembling faintly behind him.
"They mentioned Spirit City. Could it be that mysterious expert from Spirit Hall?"
Bone Douluo looked equally grave. "I can't detect any presence. They might be hiding in the shadows. Their methods are exceptionally sophisticated."
Ning Fengzhi and Huyan Zhen exchanged a glance.
What exactly did Spirit Hall's mysterious expert want with them?
Moreover, knowing they were here meant that the expert already knew what the Clear Sky Sect was planning.
Was this summons meant to settle accounts, or did it serve some other purpose?
"Sect Master Ning, how do you think we should handle this?"
Huyan Zhen asked quietly. The Elephant Armor Sect was one of the Lower Four Sects, but before the Upper Three Sects and Spirit Hall, it still carried no weight whatsoever.
If Spirit Hall harbored ill intentions, they might never leave Spirit City once they went there.
Ning Fengzhi's thoughts raced like lightning. "They probably mean us no harm. Otherwise, had they attacked just now, I doubt any of us could have stopped them."
Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo fell silent.
That was indeed true.
It stung a little, but they had to admit it.
Any casual strike from that mysterious expert could take their lives.
"Since Senior has invited us, we shall head to Spirit City now."
Ning Fengzhi was quite decisive.
The expert had already come knocking at their door. Refusing now would mean denying them face.
They might subsequently be attacked on the road back to Seven Treasure City.
Clever people always knew which choice to make.
"Uncle Jian, Uncle Gu, let's go take a look at Spirit City."
Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo nodded in unison.
Seeing this, Huyan Zhen immediately said, "With Senior extending an invitation, how could this junior dare refuse?"
"I shall accompany Sect Master Ning and the others."
The voice in the sky sounded again.
"Since you've agreed, come over."
As the words fell, the space before them split open.
A spatial passage appeared before them, its entrance glowing faintly blue and white.
"Space... split open?"
"W-what kind of method is this? Tearing space apart so easily?"
Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo both paled.
They had no spatial Soul Skills, but they had seen them before.
Spatial Soul Skills were unquestionably among the most mysterious powers in the Soul Master World.
People with spatial Martial Souls were vanishingly rare.
Could that senior's Martial Soul possess the spatial attribute?
So that was how he could be so mysterious!
But even so, they had never seen a Soul Skill that could tear space apart so easily.
"Fengzhi, that senior from Spirit Hall has unfathomable cultivation."
Sword Douluo spoke quietly. What they had learned now was simply too shocking.
He even had the faint beginnings of a conjecture.
Reaching level one hundred and becoming a god!
The man had already reached level one hundred, attaining the legendary realm of gods.
He had once visited Slaughter City, obtained the Divine Slaughter's Domain, and received the Asura God's inheritance.
But later, owing to certain circumstances, he had ultimately chosen to abandon the Asura God's inheritance.
Thus, he knew that gods truly existed.
It was simply difficult for mortals to come into contact with them.
Unless they possessed tremendous fortune and heaven-defying talent.
"Since this is Senior's Soul Skill, let's go inside and take a look."
Ning Fengzhi walked at the front, his steps steady as he became the first to enter the spatial passage.
Seeing this, Sword Douluo and the others hurried after him.
Once they had all entered, the spatial passage abruptly vanished.
The Soul Master factions that emerged afterward noticed nothing at all, as though that thing had never appeared.
After Ning Fengzhi and the others entered the spatial passage, they emerged in less than a second.
Upon stepping out of the spatial passage, they were shocked by the sight before them.
"The Pope's Palace! This is the Pope's Palace!"
What a familiar palace!
Cold sweat instantly broke out on Ning Fengzhi.
The Clear Sky Sect was extremely far from Spirit City.
Yet coming here from there had apparently taken them only a second.
Crossing such an enormous distance in a single second-was that truly something human power could accomplish?
Everyone looked toward the papal throne at once.
Bibi Dong sat there, exuding profound majesty.
Beside the papal throne stood another throne, where Gu Yuan sat leisurely sipping tea.
Seeing this, Ning Fengzhi immediately bowed in greeting. "Greetings, Your Holiness. Greetings, Senior."
"Oh? It seems you know I was the one who brought you here."
Gu Yuan's hand paused.
Ning Fengzhi truly deserved his place as the most intelligent person in the original story, as well as its most badass angel investor.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect could not have developed to this extent without his wisdom.
Ning Fengzhi smiled. "Only you, Senior, could sit as an equal to His Holiness the Pope-no, I should say, stand above the Pope."
Although Gu Yuan's throne stood on the other side of the papal throne, when had Spirit Hall ever had such a seat?
The throne's presence there did not signify equality, but superiority to the Pope.
It had something of a prince regent's significance.
Within Spirit Hall, the only person capable of such a thing was the mysterious expert who had recently caused such an uproar.
"Brother Gu Yuan, it looks like you've been recognized."
Bibi Dong spoke softly.
Had outsiders not been present, she would never have sat like this.
In any case, Spirit Hall's upper ranks all knew what her relationship with Gu Yuan was, so there was no need to care.
But before outsiders, she still had to maintain some distance.
The Pope's dignity still had to be preserved.
Ning Fengzhi thought to himself, Gu Yuan?
I don't seem to have ever heard that name.
Forget it. It isn't something I should pry into. Better to worry less.
Worry too much, and you won't live long.
Sword Douluo and the others were incredibly tense.
Spirit Hall's strongest expert was right before them and could strike at any moment.
"No need to be so nervous. I have no intention of attacking you."
"If I wished to kill you, no matter where you were or what means you possessed, I could take your lives in an instant."
Gu Yuan's voice was calm. He was merely stating a fact.
Cold sweat beaded on Ning Fengzhi's forehead as he said respectfully, "You are absolutely right, Senior."
Being able to bring them here from the Clear Sky Sect instantly had already proven his capabilities.
Indeed, wherever they hid, they would be found and instantly erased.
This was not the power of a mortal, but the power of a god.
Spirit Hall's strongest expert was no level ninety-nine Titled Douluo, but a god!
Gu Yuan was looking at Ning Fengzhi now, the plot concerning him surfacing in his mind.
After quickly reviewing everything and thinking for a moment, he began examining the man's threads of karma.
And what he saw really was rather interesting.
"Ning Fengzhi, you have a daughter?"
The question made Ning Fengzhi's hair stand on end in fright.
Why was he asking about his daughter?
Could this senior have taken a fancy to my daughter, or has she offended him at some point?
No, no, no. She couldn't possibly have offended him!
Rongrong was only six years old now and had always stayed within the sect, almost never leaving.
Even when she did leave, she always had people accompanying her. She could not possibly have offended an expert like this.
"Senior, may I ask what instructions you have, inquiring about my daughter?"