Ju Douluo was instantly at a loss for words. Though he considered himself somewhat cultured, his expertise lay in herbs, not political maneuvering or power struggles.
Moreover, with Chen Xin's intervention, Ju Douluo had already realized that today's mission was likely doomed to fail.
After all, the continent's strongest offensive weapon-type martial soul wasn't something to be trifled with. Both he and Gui Douluo were level 95 Super Douluos, but they were still outclassed—not only by Chen Xin's superior cultivation but also by Ning Fengzhi, the ultimate support. Winning against them would be nothing short of miraculous.
Ye Wen, on the other hand, rolled his eyes. If he were Ju Douluo, he would've said: 'Who said we were attacking you? This was just a personal grudge. Earlier, I accidentally slipped, and my attack veered slightly off course. You're the ones who started fighting us without understanding the situation.'
Such shameless political tactics were all too familiar to Ye Wen from his past life.
For instance: 'You possess weapons that threaten the world, so I must declare war on you.'
Or: 'My envoy died abroad, so I'll massacre your entire nation as retribution.'
These underhanded methods were far from uncommon.
The current situation had escalated into an overt conflict between the Spirit Hall and the Tian Dou Empire. Qian Renxue, who had remained an invisible observer until now, sighed deeply before stepping forward.
"Chrysanthemum Lord."
With a simple bow, Qian Renxue conveyed volumes—or perhaps nothing at all—leaving Ju Douluo's expression even more strained.
Ju Douluo was somewhat aware of Qian Renxue's identity. Now, not only was the enemy targeting him, but even his own young master seemed indifferent. Ju Douluo's face alternated between red and green. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, he shouted:
"We concede defeat today, but we'll remember this debt. Old Ghost, let's go!"
With that, Ju Douluo tapped his foot lightly and vanished into the horizon as a streak of golden light. Gui Douluo followed without hesitation.
As for the remaining attackers, they exchanged glances but quickly dispersed. With their leaders having fled, there was no reason to stay behind. After all, they weren't fools—what chance did a group of Soul Sages and Soul Douluos, along with a horde of weaker fighters, stand against two Title Douluos? Were they insane?
Seeing the Spirit Hall retreat, the Tian Dou side finally exhaled in relief. As for pursuing them? The big shots hadn't chosen to continue fighting, so why should they throw themselves into the fray?
And so, this farcical skirmish came to an end.
Watching the Tian Dou Royal Knights silently clean up the corpses, and noting that none of the academy members had suffered casualties, Ye Wen sighed softly. Just because of one deranged woman's whim, innocent lives had been lost. Life truly was unpredictable—one misstep could lead to disaster. Thankfully, he had been cautious enough; otherwise, who knew when he might have met an untimely end.
During this time, Ye Wen glanced inadvertently at Qian Renxue. If this naive girl truly became the Tian Dou Emperor, things might turn out differently. But her series of absurd actions had delayed her plans until Tang San's triumphant return, which ultimately shattered her ambitions. Otherwise, with the combined strength of the Spirit Empire and the Tian Dou Empire, the Star Luo Empire wouldn't stand a chance.
Now, with his intervention—having intercepted Dugu Bo—Tang San would lose his usual means of entering the palace. It remained to be seen whether Qian Renxue could still execute her original plan to seize the throne. Otherwise, he'd have to deal with the mess left behind by the Spirit Hall and confront Tang San.
Ye Wen sighed again. Troubled times indeed. He could only focus on growing stronger. Although his current strength was at level 55, his extreme attribute slowed his cultivation speed to half its original rate, making him increasingly anxious. He resolved to reach level 60 as soon as possible and begin his rapid progression.
After tidying up, the group resumed their grand journey toward Spirit City.
As the holy land of soul masters on the Douluo Continent, the endless walls of Spirit City were merely its most unremarkable feature. Its pristine white architecture and immaculate streets far surpassed those of the Tian Dou Imperial City.
Ye Wen also learned that, aside from children, even the lowest-ranking long-term residents of Spirit City were at least Soul Grandmasters. Such a concentration of high-caliber soul masters was unparalleled across the continent.
The title of "Douluo Continent's Number One Power" was not bestowed upon the Spirit Hall without reason.
However, confined to his carriage, Ye Wen couldn't roam freely and could only gaze idly out the window.
Suddenly, he spotted a figure that seemed both familiar and unfamiliar—ragged and disheveled.
"Why is there a beggar in Spirit City?" Ye Wen wondered.
According to intelligence, even the lowest-ranked individuals allowed to stay in Spirit City were Soul Grandmasters, who received a stipend of ten gold spirit coins monthly. How could someone fall so low as to appear like this?
But soon, realization dawned in Ye Wen's eyes.
The ragged figure hurriedly rushed toward the convoy, shouting:
"Why are you stopping me? I'm Yu Xiaogang, the instructor leading Shrek Academy!"
Fortunately, Yu Xiaogang spoke quickly, and his low-level soul power made it clear he posed no threat. Even the weakest member of the Royal Knights was at least a Soul Elder, so they refrained from attacking immediately—after all, this was still the Spirit Hall's territory, and some courtesy was due.
However, the earlier ambush had left the knights on edge. Their reflexive release of killing intent was sensed by Ye Wen, causing Yu Xiaogang—a man accustomed to comfort—to pale slightly.
After confirming his identity, Yu Xiaogang finally reunited with Tang San and the others.
Still, Ye Wen remained puzzled. Given Yu Xiaogang's relationship with Bibi Dong in this world, how could she treat him so harshly, even in her deranged state? According to the novel's depiction, Bibi Dong blushed and became visibly excited upon Yu Xiaogang's visit.
Ye Wen pondered for a while but ultimately gave up, unable to find an answer. At least Yu Xiaogang was alive—he probably learned of Bibi Dong's plans to target Tang San, rushed out, tripped, and somehow ended up looking so disheveled.
What Ye Wen didn't know was that a figure cloaked in black, completely shrouded, stood brazenly atop the highest point of the Spirit Shrine, silently observing the scene. Strangely, all the Spirit Hall's soul masters instinctively ignored the figure's presence.
In the next instant, the black-cloaked figure vanished, reappearing within the Pope's Hall.
Bibi Dong sat regally on the Pope's throne, clad in opulent ceremonial robes.
Sensing the intruder, Bibi Dong slowly opened her eyes and said, "Hun'er, you really didn't need to do that."
The black-cloaked figure stood silently for a long moment before letting out a sigh and replying.
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