Spirit Hall.
Pope Bibi Dong put down her tea and listened silently to the red-clad bishop's report.
But the bishop's legs trembled as he spoke, clearly bearing bad news.
"In the battle with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, we sent 8,000 soul masters. They were prepared and we failed. The Blue Lightning lost about 500, we lost 3,000 and withdrew. Elder Mad Lion was killed by Yu Yuanzhen on the spot."
"In the battle with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, we sent 10,000 soul masters, including 1,000 from the lower four clans. We didn't break their defenses. As soon as we entered, we were counterattacked and suffered heavy losses. After fighting all night, nearly all 10,000 were wiped out. Only Elders Spirit Kite and Snake Lance Douluo, and Wind Sword Sect Master Feng Tianlei, made it back alive."
"Elephant Armored Sect Master Hu Yanzhen, Bear Elder, and Porcupine Elder were all slain by Sword Douluo. The Seventh and Second Worships were captured by Bone and Sword Douluo!"
"The Seven Treasure Sect lost less than a hundred!"
Bang!
Bibi Dong's teacup shattered in her hand.
"Useless! Eighteen thousand soul masters, two super Douluo, and eight regular Titled Douluo—even with a surprise attack, we achieved nothing but massive losses. Are the upper three sects really that strong?!"
Everyone fell silent, not daring to anger her further.
Only Spirit Kite Douluo, a Titled Douluo who had just returned and understood the situation, dared to explain, "Your Holiness, we underestimated them. They seemed to know all about our Soul Hunting operation. Every move hit our weak points."
"And Ning Fengzhi—not only did he break the limits of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, evolving it into the Nine Treasure Pagoda, but he became a Titled Douluo with a 100,000-year ninth ring. Sword and Bone Douluo aren't just level 96 and 95—Bone Douluo is 96, and Sword Douluo is 98. With Ning Fengzhi's support, they suppressed and captured both Worships."
"Ninety-eight? Impossible!" Bibi Dong was shocked. With her current Rakshasa God trial powers, she was only 98. Even if she went herself, she might not defeat them.
"Fine, seems the upper three clans' rankings need revising. Ning Fengzhi is patient—he surpassed Clear Sky Sect long ago, but stayed at number two, and caught us off guard. Continue. What about that Sword Prince? He was just a high-level Soul Emperor, yet he killed two of our Titled Douluo?"
Spirit Kite Douluo's eyes filled with fear. "No, Your Holiness. He's now a Soul Sage and has two soul rings over 100,000 years. His seventh ring is 460,000 years, and he has twin martial souls. Using his first martial soul, he fights at the Titled Douluo level. With his second, he can summon a terrifying giant, stronger than himself, able to suppress Worship Jiang Mo. Worship Jiang Mo was badly injured by Jun Tianlin, then ambushed by Bone Douluo, and fell quickly."
The hall was dead silent. If not for Tianlin's feats, no one would believe Spirit Kite Douluo.
A twin martial soul, a 460,000-year ring, a Soul Sage who could suppress Titled Douluo, and summon a giant rivaling Super Douluo.
Was he even human? More like a monster.
Platinum Bishop Salas was sweating. He'd written the report saying Jun Tianlin was no threat and Tang San was the real enemy. He remembered when Tang San revealed his twin martial soul, both Jun Tianlin and Ning Fengzhi had looked horrified, jealous, and afraid.
Ning Fengzhi even said that aside from the Pope, he'd never seen another twin martial soul user.
Turns out both were faking—it was all a ploy!
"Jun Tianlin!"
Bibi Dong gripped her scepter tightly. She truly regretted not killing Tianlin when she had the chance. Now, with his growth and the sect's protection, it was too late.
And with such heavy losses, Spirit Hall wouldn't be able to do anything to the upper three sects for a while.
"Your Holiness, Jun Tianlin had a message for you and the Grand Worship, which She Long was supposed to deliver, but he had to protect the young mistress, so he entrusted it to me."
"Speak!" Bibi Dong said coldly.
"He said to tell you and the Grand Worship: if you want the Second and Seventh Worships back, the Grand Worship should go in person within three days, and bring a servant—because if he dies, they won't collect the body!" Spirit Kite Douluo finished, trembling with fear. She hated She Long for pushing this message onto her.
"Arrogant!" a majestic male voice echoed in the hall.
Everyone except Bibi Dong instinctively knelt, including the Titled Douluo elders.
"Greetings, Grand Worship!"
"I haven't left the Worship Hall in decades. The world must have forgotten the name of the Twin Peaks of the soul master world. Very well, I'll personally visit the Seven Treasure Sect." The voice receded, but Qian Daoliu's figure never appeared—he was already flying thousands of miles away.
One of the three contemporary Ultimate Douluo, the so-called King of the Sky, was finally on the move.
…
On the other side, outside Heaven Dou City, Qian Renxue had already left the palace.
After all, from Tianlin's letter, she knew Ning Fengzhi had discovered her true identity and would soon come after her. With the Soul Hunting operation failed, she would be in danger if she stayed.
After hearing all about the operation from She Long, Qian Renxue shed a single tear onto her Yearning Heartbroken Red, whispering, "Why, Xiao Tian, do you have twin martial souls and such power? Have you always been lying to me, or did you never trust me?"
For this lovestruck girl, the two major failures—the Soul Hunting operation and her plan to take over Heaven Dou—were nothing compared to Tianlin's deception.