Spirit City is an important city on the Douluo Continent.
Compared to the famous city of Heaven Dou, Spirit City is rather small, not even a tenth the size of Heaven Dou City,
but the awe it brings to the world is no less.
Because
it is the holy land of Spirit Masters on the continent.
The teahouses in Spirit City are always lively.
The wealthy go to the private rooms on the second floor; those
with enough money sit on the first floor and share a table with others;
those without money but wanting to get a girlfriend squat at the door, bringing their own handful of roasted soybeans.
The storyteller, with a pot of tea and a fan,
sits on the stage with his eyes closed, resting.
After the apprentices warm up the atmosphere,
the storyteller shakes his long robe, strokes his beard, moistens his throat,
and then strikes the gavel to
begin his story!
"Who is this War Queen? I'm sure everyone here knows her. She's the Goddess of War of Heavenly Dou!
Don't underestimate her just because she's a woman; Heavenly Dou's victories depend on her."
The audience burst into laughter.
A regionally sarcastic joke was born.
"Back then, the War Queen was young, and the most beloved youngest daughter of the Heavenly Dou Emperor.
She was no pushover in Heavenly Dou City.
Heh,
she walked around the streets like a crab, never behaving herself."
The storyteller imitated a crab's waddling, eliciting another round of laughter from the audience.
"But one day, the War Queen went to a tavern for a drink. She overheard someone mocking her arrogance.
How could the War Queen tolerate such an insult?
Everyone was watching—
in Heavenly Dou City, face is everything. How could she lose face in front of others?
So the War Queen stepped inside, and
upon closer inspection , lo and
behold,
it was a handsome and refined gentleman."
Everyone's ears perked up, afraid of missing a single detail.
"Who is that Jade-like Young Master?
Our Spirit Hall's White Knight, of course.
The War Queen had never seen such a handsome man before;
her body went limp, and
her words..."
Yuan Xunlu covered Yuan Ling'er's ears and quickly pulled her out,
scolding as he walked,
"This is an insult to civility."
"But Father, the story isn't finished yet!" Yuan Ling'er shook her head reluctantly.
What respectable person would listen to a War Queen? Of course, she'd listen with the White Knight.
Yuan Xunlu's face darkened: "But I've heard it."
Of course he'd heard it; these melodramatic stories were just something he'd made up after flipping through a few history books. Some idiot (Chrysanthemum Pass: Yes, it was me) spread them around, and
the storyteller, after seeing, hearing, modifying, and retelling,
made them a Spirit Hall specialty,
including the Beijing accent.
"What?"
"I mean, if you want to read the story of the War Queen, go to the Great Library of Wuhun City. There are many precious historical materials there."
Yuan Ling'er said pitifully, "But that's what I want to hear."
She had never been
to Wuhun City in her previous life. When she finally arrived, it was already in ruins. Forget
about local customs;
it was good enough to have tombs to see.
"Daddy~" Yuan Ling'er said cutely.
"Okay, I'll take you there. This time, we'll read something serious."
"Yay!" "
Clap—" The storyteller in this teahouse was young and seemed quite unprofessional. He cupped his hands and said, "Gentlemen, today we'll continue our story from last time, telling the tale of the White Knight helping the Queen break through the Netherworld three times." Yuan Xunlu nodded. He hadn't heard this before; it must have been made up by the young storyteller. It seemed alright.
"Then, when the War Queen led her army into battle, the Grand Duke of Youming of Xingluo, seeing that the Heavenly Dou army of a mere thousand dared to oppose them, immediately laughed and said, 'These fools are utterly reckless.' A
Xingluo general in his command tent spoke up: 'These petty thieves, why doesn't Your Excellency personally annihilate them?' The
Grand Duke of Youming waved his hand, sending out a silver-armored junior general to wipe them out, chuckling, 'The children have already defeated the enemy.'
But who are the White Knights of our Spirit Hall?
Are they children?
They are formidable figures!
Seeing the Grand Duke of Youming so disregard the War Queen's army, the White Knights immediately volunteered to go into battle. Gentlemen
..." Think back, the War Queen was just a little child back then; she'd never seen anything like it.
She watched from afar as the Star Luo army's imposing defenses and banners blotted out the sun, and the silver-armored young general led a troop of elite cavalry straight towards her own lines. She was terrified, breaking out in a cold sweat, completely disoriented
. It was only after the White Knight of our Spirit Hall volunteered to fight again that the War Queen's fear
subsided. The War Queen thought to herself, "They have a full five thousand cavalry, and we only have less than a thousand. Defeat is inevitable
." But the White Knight was no ordinary man; he volunteered again, guaranteeing victory.
The War Queen frowned, and
asked crisply:
"How many men do you need?"
The White Knight, strategizing with composure, calmly replied,
"I alone can defeat the enemy."
Then, on the battlefield,
the White Knight unleashed his martial spirit, his nine spirit rings flashing alternately. He slammed his fist into the ground,
causing the earth to crumble and the mountain to split. The silver-armored young general was buried alive in the sand and stones, and the elite cavalry, terrified, scattered their weapons and armor . The Duke of the Underworld, seeing this, was
so frightened he wet himself. Yuan Xunlu finally couldn't help but grimace. " People actually listen to this? The White Knight was at most a level 50 Soul King at that time. Where did he get nine spirit rings? The Duke of the Underworld was a Soul Douluo at the time. Tell me, how did he scare the Duke of the Underworld so much? Because of the Spirit Hall's reputation? Back then, the Spirit Hall had to send out Title Douluos to stop the war from escalating. " "This is... pure fabrication." Yuan Xunlu felt that before Yuan Ling'er had systematically studied history, she absolutely shouldn't listen to too many of these storytelling tales; it would lower her intelligence. "You can't say things like that." A sharp-looking man smiled and cupped his hands towards Yuan Xunlu, saying, "Young brother, you've brought your daughter out for a stroll, haven't you?" "Yes." Yuan Xunlu returned the gesture, and even Yuan Ling'er returned the gesture. "When you're out having fun, the important thing is to have a pleasant experience. It doesn't matter what's being told, as long as there are listeners and people willing to listen, that's enough . " The man poured himself a pot of wine. "Only Soul Masters can enter Wuhun City, which means the people here aren't some unruly mountain folk. At the very least, they can read and write, and they should know some history." "That's right." "They know the story is made up, and this young storyteller isn't as eloquent as the old man, but people are still willing to listen and reward him." The man tossed a few copper soul coins into the servant's basket, and after a while, the young storyteller on the stage called out to the man, "Thank you for the reward, sir!" The man smiled confidently: "This is what they mean by 'a thousand pieces of gold can't buy a gentleman's happiness.' " "..." Yuan Xunlu. You call that a thousand pieces of gold? A few copper soul coins. "Oh, then I've gained some insight." Yuan Xunlu thought to himself, "Trying to appear profound, huh? Anyone can do that. " "I hope you can enlighten me, brother." Yuan Xunlu also took a sip of tea and looked at the young storyteller on the stage. "The reward should be worthwhile. A storyteller's skill lies entirely in his words. If you can't make a living this way, then you shouldn't be doing it. Stories must adhere to logic. Listeners can be carefree, but storytellers cannot." Yuan Xunlu continued, "Stories are three parts truth and seven parts fiction. It's inevitable that there's a mix of fact and fiction, but the logic remains constant. For example, this story he told, 'The White Knight Helps the Queen Break Through the Netherworld Three Times,' if it were me, I would first suppress it, talk about how the Netherworld Duke looked down on the Queen, how afraid the Queen was of war, and how incompetent the Heavenly Fighting Army was." "Wouldn't that infuriate many impatient listeners? They're here to hear something pleasant, and you're telling them this?" the man quickly asked. Yuan Xunlu scoffed, waving his hand dismissively: "Hey, without suppression, where does the praise come from? However, it's important to strike the right balance . A newcomer, after a few tries and being criticized by the audience, will understand the proper measure." "That makes sense," the man nodded, shaking his head.
Yuan Xunlu slammed his hand on the table and
said,
"Then let's rise again!
The more the Duke of Youming underestimated us back then, the more miserable our defeat will be later.
The more useless the War Queen was back then, the more capable she will be in battle later.
The Heavenly Dou Army
was probably hopeless back then;
they've always been useless."
"Hahahaha!" The man raised his head and laughed loudly.
Yuan Xunlu took another sip of water, then slowly and deliberately kept everyone in suspense: "The story will unfold gradually, and naturally someone will be willing to reward you. But there's a limit to asking for rewards."
"What do you mean?"
Yuan Xunlu smacked his lips: "The audience here is a mixed bag, all sorts of people.
If you encounter someone easy to talk to,
that's fine;
a shout of 'Greetings, sir!' is considered making a good connection. But
if you encounter someone difficult, they'll directly berate you, and you can only smile and brush it off, hoping they won't retaliate."
"Then what can you do?"
"What can you do? This is your livelihood; these people are your bread and butter.
Some 'sirs' will give you money, that's a favor
; those who won't, at least they sat down and listened for a while, that's
their
duty.
If they're willing to give, you should thank them;
if they're not, don't linger, lest you embarrass them."
The man listened with great interest. His job was to stand guard, and usually no one would speak to him like this, so he decided to befriend him.
"Brother, you are absolutely right. Judging from your noble attire, you must be no ordinary person."
"Heh,
in this Spirit City, even a falling brick could kill several Soul Masters.
Who's easy to deal with?
Ling'er,
let's go."
Yuan Xunlu called out, leading Yuan Ling'er away from the teahouse.
He didn't know what kind of person that man was.
Although a Title Douluo wasn't afraid of ordinary people, it was still best to be polite.
The man caught up with Yuan Xunlu, cupped his fists, and asked, "May I ask your honorable surname, brother?" "My
surname is Yuan." Yuan Xunlu stopped and returned the greeting, "Yuan Xunlu."
"My name is Xia Tianlai."
The man cupped his fists again to Yuan Xunlu and Yuan Ling'er:
"I am a Guardian Knight of the Spirit Hall.
Brother Yuan should have heard that three generations of Guardian Knights must be from Spirit City.
I have lived in Spirit City for almost thirty years. If Brother Yuan has any place he would like to visit, I can do my best to be a good host."
Upon hearing this, Yuan Xunlu
was delighted.
Wow,
a true angel of the old Spirit City.
"I really do have a place I want to go."
"Oh, where?"
Yuan Xunlu pointed to the Papal Palace on the hillside in the city. "I want to go there."
Xia Tianlai chuckled. "So you're on a pilgrimage. Actually, Brother Yuan, the Papal Palace isn't anything special. It can't compare to the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace in terms of historical weight, nor to the Star Luo Imperial Palace in terms of exquisite decoration."
"But I absolutely have to go. It's the focus of the entire city."
"You really want to see it?"
"I really want to see it."
"Alright, let's go." Xia Tianlai laughed heartily, not being coy at all, and led Yuan Xunlu through several streets before climbing the hill to the Papal Palace.
"Daddy, are we really going to the Papal Palace?" Yuan Ling'er was full of nervousness.
She had never seen the Papal Palace before. The flames of war had engulfed this magnificent city of the Spirit Hall.
All the gold and silver treasures had been looted by the imperial army, and all the treasures of art and culture had been burned to ashes.
Even the Douluo Hall, where the deceased Title Douluos were buried, was not at peace.
So
when she saw this famous city, which only existed in her memory, appear before her, she felt a mix of nervousness and joy.
What a wonderful city!
Those fascinating storytellers—if only they could keep telling their tales forever
!
Yuan Xunlu stepped onto the stairs. "Don't rush, I've returned."
"Halt!"
Two silver-armored palace guards blocked Yuan Xunlu and his group. A total of one hundred silver-armored knights simultaneously raised their longswords: "This is forbidden ground! Take another step forward, and you will be killed without mercy!"
Xia Tianlai smiled sheepishly: "It's a job requirement. I do the same when I'm on guard duty."
"Yes, I know."
Yuan Xunlu responded to Xia Tianlai's explanation, then patted Yuan Ling'er's head. "This is my home. Although your father seems to have done nothing all these years,
still a mediocre Title Douluo
, at least
I can show you a king's return at this moment."
After saying that,
Yuan Xunlu stepped onto the steps and
laughed loudly:
"I,
Yuan Xunlu, have returned to my loyal Spirit City today!
Hahahahahaha!"
He was happy,
he laughed wildly,
he was excited.
Finally,
finally , he
was back.
He was no longer that useless Title Douluo.
He had a daughter with the potential to become a god,
he had a daughter who could beat Tang San.
Yuan Xunlu stepped onto the steps, taking his first step towards the Papal Palace
amidst Yuan Ling'er's adoring gaze and
Xia Tianlai's astonishment . Then, he was met with the resounding shouts of a hundred knights: "Dare to step forward again, and you will be killed without mercy!" "..." Yuan Xunlu thought. " The child is here, can't you give me some face?" "..." Yuan Ling'er thought. " What happened to the promised return of the king? " "..." Xia Tianlai thought. " What a tiger. " Yuan Xunlu ignored them and stepped onto the next step. "Dare to step forward again, and you will be killed without mercy!" The hundred silver-armored knights released their martial spirits, all level 50 Soul Kings, and none older than forty. Five hundred soul rings lit up before the Papal Palace, a magnificent scene that even startled the entire Martial Soul City. "It seems that I, Yuan Xunlu, have returned to my not-so-loyal Martial Soul City today." Yuan Xunlu turned back, extending his hand to Yuan Ling'er. Yuan Ling'er grasped her father's hand, and Yuan Xunlu smiled and nodded, leading his daughter onto the next step. "Roar—" Yuan Xunlu released his Martial Soul, the Holy Dragon of Light roared. As Yuan Xunlu and Yuan Ling'er took another step forward, Yuan Xunlu's first spirit ring, a hundred -year-old ring, appeared. A few more steps, and his second spirit ring, a thousand-year-old ring, appeared. After that, every dozen steps, a spirit ring would appear beneath Yuan Xunlu's feet . When Yuan Xunlu and Yuan Ling'er successfully reached the summit, nine spirit rings—one yellow, two purple, four black, and two red—appeared beneath his feet. These simple nine spirit rings instantly overshadowed the brilliance of the five hundred spirit rings. The hundred knights watched helplessly as this Title Douluo man led the little girl up to the Papal Palace. "My dad is a Title Douluo!" Yuan Ling'er suddenly exclaimed proudly in the Papal Palace. Yuan Xunlu nodded subtly, glancing at the streaks of light flying through the sky, each one possessing the combat power of a Soul Saint. Perhaps Yuan Xunlu had truly been gone for too long. Six years was enough time for people to forget a Title Douluo, yet a Soul Saint had actually asked, "May I ask who you are?" "Dad," Yuan Ling'er hugged Yuan Xunlu tightly. Yuan Xunlu patted Yuan Ling'er's shoulder and said:
"Your father is a Title Douluo."
With that,
Yuan Xunlu's level 96 soul power shot straight up from the ground,
forcefully pressing all the Soul Saints back to the ground.
His voice boomed like thunder:
"My title: Dragon Emperor