Chapter 312: Legacy of Life and Rise of the Pope
The Goddess of Life nodded slowly.
"In that era, when the God Kings had grown immensely powerful, I burned the last of my strength in search of a special soul… and luckily, I found you."
"So my soul power at the beginning, and everything I did afterward… was all your doing?"
Xiao Qiang asked with narrowed eyes. Still, he didn't quite believe she had that kind of overwhelming control.
The Goddess of Life shook her head.
"No. Xiao Zi did his best to save me, but even then, my condition remained far from my prime. I could never interfere with matters of time and space—that's not my domain. I simply encountered a strange anomaly… one I still can't explain. The last of my power was only enough to protect your soul."
She gazed at him warmly.
"Your Martial Soul was originally your eyes. It was only due to the strength of your soul that you even awakened soul power at all."
"I see… thank you," Xiao Qiang said sincerely.
He had two reasons to offer thanks. First, she was the one who brought his soul to the Douluo World—allowing him to become a superior existence in this universe. Second, she protected his spiritual foundation from prying eyes.
Back when Tianmeng first examined Huo Yuhao's soul, he had commented on how incomplete his memories were. Xiao Qiang had once experienced something similar. His memories of the original story were vague and fragmented at first. But as his soul power grew, he was gradually able to recall every single word he'd ever read. It had frightened him.
He once believed it was because his spiritual sea was his own domain. Now, it was obvious—it was the Goddess of Life who kept Tianmeng and the others from uncovering his true nature.
That protection alone had been a priceless gift.
Moreover, with Huo Yuhao fated to become a god in the original timeline, Xiao Qiang knew Tianmeng would eventually switch allegiance if it benefited him. But the Goddess of Life had chosen him—not Huo Yuhao. She'd given him the chance to be something more.
"No need to thank me," the goddess said gently. "I only wished to add one more variable to this world. If one day, you truly become a god… please, help Xiao Zi, the former God of Destruction, if you can."
As she spoke her final words, the goddess' form began to fade, dissolving into radiant specks of light.
She was an incomplete God King, doing something beyond her divine right—tampering with fate, reaching across time and space. She had truly exhausted the last of her essence.
All she could do was place her hope in a new variable. Whether Xiao Qiang would choose to honor her wish was not something she could control.
Her fading eyes met his one last time.
Then—she vanished.
Xiao Qiang exhaled softly.
"…I didn't want to fight Tang San," he muttered.
People in his past life had cursed Tang San's character, but regardless of his flaws, Tang San was no ordinary enemy. Here, in the real Douluo World, he wasn't someone Xiao Qiang could afford to take lightly.
He had no direct conflict with Tang San. Shrek Academy was nothing more than a symbol now. The real Shrek from Tang San's era no longer existed.
Even though Tang San had destroyed Spirit Hall and cut off civilian funding for non-Shrek Spirit Masters, that wasn't Xiao Qiang's problem. He was from the Sun and Moon Empire—not one of the original Three Kingdoms. He owed them nothing.
But the Goddess of Life had helped him. And that debt mattered.
"…Sometimes, I really envy those bastards who don't have a conscience," Xiao Qiang muttered.
He slowly came out of his seclusion, eyes opening after more than two and a half years of deep meditation.
Without even brushing off the dust from his body, he directly activated the first soul skill of his replica angel martial soul: Light of Purification.
A radiant holy light washed over him. The dirt and dust were instantly cleansed. Still, out of habit, Xiao Qiang decided to take a shower later.
"Brother, you're finally out!"
Xiao Sheng smiled as he stood up, collecting the bones he had laid around as a protective array—a defense-type Title Douluo's personal soul skill.
"How long was I in seclusion? How's the Soul Palace doing?" Xiao Qiang asked casually.
"It's been two and a half years," Xiao Sheng reported. "The Soul Palace is thriving. Xiaolan reached Level 98, and others have broken through as well—Nana, Ling Luochen, Yu Mengdi, Ye Guyi, and even Uncle Bai are all Title Douluo now."
He continued, "Also, Nan Shuishui joined us. With the help of our resources and soul drugs, she too became a Title Douluo. Her ninth ring was compressed from a 60,000-year Earth Dragon Golden Melon, forming a top-tier ring configuration: two yellow, two purple, four black, one red. She has real potential to become a Super Douluo in the future."
Hearing this, Xiao Qiang finally relaxed.
The Soul Palace's mid- and high-level combat force had matured. He no longer needed to carry the entire weight himself.
Xiao Sheng hesitated, then said, "Brother… there's more."
Xiao Qiang raised an eyebrow. "Go on. The Soul Palace is doing well, so what's there to hide?"
"It's about the Soul Palace's leadership."
Xiao Qiang nodded. "I remember. I made Xiaolan the acting Palace Master before going into seclusion. We couldn't afford a leadership vacuum."
"Exactly. But over the last two years, many factions have joined us. The number of Title Douluo in our ranks has surpassed twenty, making us the strongest force on the continent."
"That's good news."
Xiao Qiang smiled—until his brother continued.
"Well… with the Soul Palace becoming this powerful, many people thought the title 'Hall Master' was too low. They proposed abolishing the term altogether and—uh—replacing it with 'Pope,' just like Spirit Hall once did."
"…So you're telling me…"
"Xiaolan is now the Pope of the Soul Palace," Xiao Sheng finished awkwardly.
Xiao Qiang stared blankly.
"…Pope?"