Flanked on both sides by solemn guards clad in pristine armor, Tang Yin and Hu Leina approached the grand entrance of Spirit Hall.
"Huh? …Nana, who's this?" Xie Yue, who was just returning from training his dual blade, froze when he saw his sister clinging affectionately to an exceptionally striking man.
Tang Yin's calm bearing and subtle, regal aura—born of the Blue Silver Emperor bloodline—made him stand out immediately.
"Oh! Brother Xie," Hu Leina said brightly. "Meet your brother-in-law."
Her blunt declaration left Xie Yue momentarily stunned. His sharp gaze shifted to Tang Yin, scrutinizing him carefully. Something about this man felt familiar—unsettlingly so.
Then it clicked.
Memories of his defeat at the Continental Elite Young Soul Master Tournament surged, and realization dawned in his eyes.
"So it's you…" Xie Yue said quietly.
He calmly extended his hand, his expression composed yet respectful. "You can call me Xie Yue. Let's spar sometime."
Tang Yin accepted the handshake with an appreciative smile, nodding in return. Despite their past as opponents, there was no hostility—only mutual acknowledgment.
With that, the two of them proceeded towards the majestic entrance of the Spirit Hall, while Xie Yue returned to his own affairs.
"Your Holiness, this disciple requests an audience," Hu Leina said. Despite her status as the official Saintess, she still maintained a formal demeanor in the presence of others.
Tang Yin raised a brow, clearly impressed.
Following her lead, he added cheekily, "Your Holiness, this one is delighted to accept your invitation and humbly requests an audience."
Seated high upon the grand throne, Bibi Dong remained poised and elegant. A faint smile curved her lips as she sensed Hu Leina's and Tang Yin's arrival.
With a subtle gesture, she granted her consent and instructed the guards to withdraw. The guards moved past the two with quiet respect, their discipline firm and unwavering.
Acting mode online—
Through his telepathy, Tang Yin immediately suppressed his impulsive thoughts, ensuring he appeared both sincere and composed.
As he entered the hall, a flicker of admiration crossed his striking face. His gaze lingered on the intricate golden designs and the grand murals that adorned the walls, as though he were genuinely captivated by the artistry.
When his gaze shifted toward Bibi Dong, there was not a hint of impropriety—only serene respect. With practiced grace, he bowed.
"Your Highness. It's good to see you again." This was the demeanor he always displayed: unwavering respect for her status as the Pope of the Spirit Hall.
Seeing Tang Yin act articulate and poised like a refined gentleman, Hu Leina rolled her eyes secretly. Didn't she already know what kind of man he was by now? Still, she didn't expose him and simply watched his performance.
Bibi Dong appreciated him deeply. Every man she had met before had been drawn only to her beauty, but this one was vastly different—his regard was honest and genuine.
Warm and welcoming, she used her spiritual power to secretly sense his cultivation. To her astonishment, she discovered he was already a Soul Saint. Five years ago he had been only Level 49, yet now he had broken through to 71.
(Tang Yin had restrained his cultivation using Energy Conversion and dispersed the excess Soul Power reserves to maintain his disguise)
Such talent and capability were rare indeed.
"You are an honest and talented young man," Bibi Dong said, nodding with a warm smile. "I'm glad that Nana found you. But don't let her bully you—she can be very willful and reckless sometimes," she added with concern.
"What? Me? Bullying? These are baseless allegations!" Hu Leina protested, crossing her arms, which made Tang Yin laugh.
The Pope gave her disciple a quiet, silencing look and continued, "I hope you can forgive her for her childish outbursts and the mistakes she commits unintentionally..."
Bibi Dong offered her blessings, and Tang Yin accepted them gratefully. At this moment, he restrained any thoughts toward her because he knew better than to push his luck.
For now, courting her was simply impossible—but when the opportune moment arrived, he would not hesitate to claim this beauty.
"By the way, would you like to join the Spirit Hall, by any chance?" she probed, but he swiftly steered the conversation elsewhere.
The Pope understood his decision and didn't press the matter. Seeing her boyfriend caught in an awkward situation, Hu Leina took the opportunity and acted coquettishly.
"Oh! I almost forgot. Master, that Yan tried to kill your disciple just now because he found out Tang Yin is my lover. Please punish him!" she said, feigning a frightened look.
Bibi Dong's gaze turned icy at the news that her disciple had nearly been murdered and without hesitation, she ordered the execution of Yan to be commenced as fast as possible.
Frowning, she shot a disapproving glance at Hu Leina. "If you had already absorbed a soul ring, you wouldn't be facing such a dangerous predicament. I won't accept any excuses."
Tang Yin immediately volunteered:
"If you don't mind, may I assist her with the hunt? With my strength, finding a suitable soul beast for her shouldn't be difficult."
Bibi Dong frowned—after all, Hu Leina was her disciple—but she knew of Tang Yin's prowess. She nodded in approval and provided her own research on Spiritual and Charm-type Soul beast suitable for Hu Leina's cultivation path.
"You'd better hurry and don't let me hear any more excuse." she advised, recalling that her disciple had already delayed for over a year.
Before long, the Pope excused them both and returned to her affairs. The Spirit Hall's reach stretched across the continent, and the sheer number of reports was far too great for her to leave unattanded for long.
Under her master's ultimatum, Hu Leina and Tang Yin swiftly boarded a royal carriage bound for the Star Duo Forest.
As soon as they left Spirit City, Hu Leina leapt forward, hugging Tang Yin excitedly and showering him with kisses.
"You're simply amazing!" she exclaimed.
She had been worried that her master wouldn't allow him to assist with her soul ring hunt, but who would have thought her master could be so understanding?
Tang Yin, however, knew better. More than six Soul Douluo had been assigned to guard them ever since they left the Spirit Hall.
Thankfully, there were no Titled Douluo among them—only two remained from Bibi Dong's personal force after the disastrous hunt earlier.
---
Tiandou Royal Palace
Qian Renxue stared at her twin uncles, who had been sent by her grandfather due to the deaths of She Long and Ci Xue.
'Your vision is too limited. My goal is not only to unite this continent into a single empire but to rule the entire Divine Realm.' Tang Yin's declaration still buzzed in her mind.
After a tense moment of silence, she spoke, her violet eyes blazing with resolve and her voice calm yet unwavering:
"I've decided to drop this mission."
Fifteen-Ton Douluo and Falling Devil Douluo froze in shock, their expressions betraying their disbelief. "But, Young Miss… wouldn't all your efforts be for naught?"
They asked in unison, barely able to mask their bewilderment. For over a decade, their young master had concealed herself from the world, all to ensure she could one day ascend as the Emperor of the Tianduo Empire. But now?
Qian Renxue shook her head gently, a faint smile playing on her lips. "No," she said softly. "Before we leave, let's give them a headache." She spoke calmly, but the edge in her words was impossible to ignore.
Without another word, she leapt toward the Emperor's resting chamber, where the ruler lay weakened. The twin Titled Douluo had no choice but to follow, their eyes widening in shock at the sight of the poisoned Xue Ye.
In a single, fluid motion, she struck, ending his life in one fell swoop. His final, futile struggles rang through the grand hall, bouncing off the marble floors and gilded walls, before fading into an oppressive silence.
Ting! Ting! Ting!
Chaos erupted. The guards scrambled, while the two Titled Douluo exchanged exasperated glances, disbelief written across their faces.
Qian Renxue's heart pounded, but her mind remained razor-sharp. I can't fall behind him… That thought burned fiercely in her mind.
She leaped across the palace courtyard with uncanny speed. Silent arrows whizzed past, clanging against the walls, and the shouts of pursuing soldiers grew louder.
Yet she moved like a fleeting angel, graceful and ethereal, each step flowing effortlessly, as if dancing—impossible to catch.
"Young Miss, please be careful!" Fifteen-Ton Douluo shouted, his martial soul manifesting in a fierce glow. His third soul ring flared brilliantly as he commanded,
"Coiling Dragon Staff—Enlarge!"
As the staff doubled in size, he hurled it toward the guards, deftly controlling its trajectory midair. Countless soldiers were struck without a chance to resist, sent flying with such force that many perished on impact.
Boom!
Similarly, Falling Devil Douluo used his third soul skill to enlarge his Coiling Dragon Staff, wreaking havoc without difficulty.
Blast!
At level 96, opponents capable of defeating him on this continent could be counted on one hand. But there were none to stop these two at the moment.
Bang! Blast! Booooom—!
---
After an hour,
Tian Dou City was chaotic. Smoke and dust hung in the air, mingling with the cries of wounded soldiers and panicked citizens.
At the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Sect, Chen Xin and Gu Rong were alerted by the turmoil. Without hesitation, they, along with Sect Master Ning Fenzhi, raced to the palace.
As they arrived, chaos reigned: soldiers lay scattered across, some wounded, others unmoving, and broken weapons littered the ground. The citizens stood frozen, their faces pale, staring in disbelief at the devastation of the Royal Palace.
"Sect Master Ning!" Xue Xing, the brother of the late emperor, ran forward, his voice strained with panic and fury.
"Emperor Xue Ye is dead, and Crown Prince Qinhe has been abducted! It must be that damned Spirit Hall!" He paused, shaking his head in disbelief. "I think they feared Poison Douluo could cure him, so they killed him."
Dugu Bo, who had just arrived from Lanba Academy, nodded in agreement—he indeed possessed the means to cure the poison.
"As for the crown prince… they must want to shatter our morale and destabilize the empire before the next ruler can even take the throne!"
Fenzhi's face tightened, his eyes scanning the carnage, the weight of the situation settling heavily on his shoulders.
Chen Xin and Gu Rong exchanged grim glances, fully grasping the audacity of the Spirit Hall. "Damn Spirit Hall! They're growing bolder by the day!"
Xue Xing's fists clenched tightly.
"We can't let them get away with this," he spat through gritted teeth. "The Emperor is dead, the Crown Prince taken… if we don't choose the next Emperor soon, the Tian Dou Empire could descend into chaos."
Sect Master Ning Fenzhi inhaled sharply, his mind racing through possible strategies. The Spirit Hall had made their declaration for war. Now it was up to them to act swiftly, or risk their empire fracturing under fear and chaos.