"Young Master, do you want me to abduct him and take him directly to the Spirit Hall? I am a hundred percent certain that even if Dugu Bo pursues us, it will be useless."
Xue Qinghe shook his head and said. "No need. I want to conquer this youth personally. There is nothing I cannot conquer, and I am also very curious about his second Martial Soul."
The man in black continued. "Then should I inform Her Holiness the Pope? If he becomes an enemy in the future, he might be a formidable opponent for us."
"As you wish. It is said that without motivation, there is no pressure. Under a certain amount of pressure, a person's potential is often forced out. You may leave now; do not let anyone harm him."
After speaking, the man in black nodded slowly and vanished on the spot.
Taking one last look at the place where Jiang Chen had disappeared, Xue Qinghe then walked toward his own residence; today's surprise was truly massive.
On the other side, Jiang Chen took a deep breath as he stepped out of the palace. 'As expected of Qian Renxue, I almost let the cat out of the bag.' Fortunately, he had withdrawn his Martial Soul in time, but he was certain that the woman definitely knew the secret of his Martial Soul. The reason she hadn't spoken was likely due to her own identity.
For now, he wasn't in any danger. Even if the Spirit Hall found out, he wasn't afraid.
Immediately after, Dugu Bo came up behind Jiang Chen and patted his shoulder, grumbling. "You brat, you were gone for so long. That Crown Prince didn't do anything to you, did he?"
Turning to look at Dugu Bo, Jiang Chen said flatly. "It's nothing; Brother Xue was very kind to me. We just chatted for a bit. Grandpa, are you finished with your business too?"
Dugu Bo nodded. "It's all over. Let's go. The next step is the Spirit Temple to evaluate your Soul Power rank. Afterward, I'll take you to the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy. Counting the days, it's been a long time since I've seen Yan Yan. I heard there's a brat from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan lately—some grandson of Yu Yuanzhen—who wants to pursue my Yan Yan. No way, this old man has to go and check him out. Yan Yan is your future..."
Before Dugu Bo could finish those last two words, Jiang Chen hurriedly walked ahead. Dugu Bo said irritably. "You brat, listen to your Grandpa! A wife three years older is like holding a gold brick; you'd be holding two. Don't be ungrateful for your blessings, hey!"
The grandfather and grandson hurried through the palace grounds...
At the same time, a crow flew out from within the palace...
After a period of traveling, the duo finally arrived at the Spirit Temple. As a branch of the Spirit Temple in Heaven Dou City, its status was second only to the Pope's Palace.
Although Dugu Bo had just fought a battle with the Spirit Hall, he was still a Titled Douluo visiting in person. Salas, the person in charge of the Spirit Temple, personally came out to welcome him. After all, a Titled Douluo was not someone ordinary people could compare to; even if one held immense power, they still had to behave when meeting a Titled Douluo.
Seeing Dugu Bo's arrival, Salas said respectfully. "Your Excellency Poison Douluo, you have arrived."
Dugu Bo gave a curt "Mm" and said flatly. "This is my grandson; he's here for a Martial Soul evaluation. Let's start early; I'm busy this afternoon."
Daring not to delay in the slightest, Salas led Jiang Chen and Dugu Bo into the Spirit Temple.
The interior was resplendent with gold and jade, not at all inferior to the palace decorations. As the number one power on the Douluo Continent, the Spirit Hall established branch temples in every corner of the continent. The primary purpose of these temples was to discover geniuses and report them collectively to the Pope's Palace.
Based on the quality of the awakened Martial Soul, the Spirit Hall would take the first step to recruit geniuses for their own use; those with ordinary Martial Souls would naturally be filtered out.
Ultimately, they would be accepted by other factions, which was the main reason the royal family had so few Soul Masters. It was simply that the Spirit Hall's power was overwhelming; even the emperors of the two great empires had to show some reverence when meeting Bibi Dong.
They arrived at a triangular pedestal with a yellow crystal ball in the center—the same type Dugu Bo had brought out that day, only the color was slightly different.
Under Salas's guidance, Jiang Chen released his Martial Soul. The Star Slaying Demon Sword, purple and brilliant like a galaxy, appeared in his hand. A purple Soul Ring slowly rose from beneath his feet. Like Emperor Xue Ye, Salas was frozen in shock.
Salas hurriedly said. "A thou—a thousand-year first Soul Ring! Are you willing to join the..."
"Hmm?" Dugu Bo snorted coldly, his gaze turning icy.
The final words "Spirit Hall" were never uttered. Such a genius was something even the great clans might not possess. Furthermore, with a thousand-year-old first Soul Ring, it was likely that no one on the continent had ever achieved such a feat.
A genius, but unfortunately already intercepted by Dugu Bo. Salas had already made up his mind; as soon as Dugu Bo left, he would write a letter to the Pope's Palace. He believed Her Holiness the Pope would be very interested.
Salas looked at the glowing yellow crystal ball and said. "Jiang Chen, Martial Soul: Star Slaying Demon Sword. Rank 12, Tool Soul Master."
Then, after some processing, he produced a certificate-like document bearing the Spirit Hall's emblem and handed it to Jiang Chen. This proof allowed for passage anywhere on the continent. It was the unique evidence for a Soul Master, certified by the Spirit Hall.
Having obtained the proof, Jiang Chen was immediately led away by Dugu Bo. Dugu Bo naturally detested the Spirit Hall; the grudge from the previous pursuit was still fresh in his mind. However, it was also a blessing in disguise; if not for the pursuit by Yue Guan and Gui Mei, he likely wouldn't have picked up this 'cheap' grandson.
This was also Jiang Chen's good fortune; without Dugu Bo, he likely wouldn't have obtained the second and third Martial Souls or the two million-year soul bones.
After the two departed, Salas's face turned grim. He brushed off his robes and snorted coldly before walking deeper into the temple.
Without a doubt, he was going to file a report.
After leaving, the two boarded a pre-arranged carriage and sped grandly toward the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy outside the city.
Inside the carriage, Dugu Bo was clearly very angry. Someone actually dared to poach his talent right to his face. A mere branch Spirit Temple dared to be so arrogant; if it were the Pope's Palace, they'd probably think they owned the heavens.
Jiang Chen smiled; he guessed that Salas had already sent out the news. Given the Spirit Hall's ways, they would definitely notify the Pope's Palace immediately. After all, a thousand-year-old first Soul Ring was a unique case.
It was expected that before long, the Pope's Palace would certainly take action. Before then, Jiang Chen still needed to stay low-profile. But regarding the people at the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, Jiang Chen really had no praise for them. Although they held a royal title, they often engaged in despicable behavior.
Just as anticipated, Salas sat at his desk, writing furiously. The sound of the pen scratching against the paper was constant. Soon, a black crow flew over; he tied the letter to the crow's leg, and the bird swiftly flew toward the Spirit Hall.
Salas wore a smile; anyone who dared oppose the Spirit Hall would pay. Even if the opponent was a Titled Douluo, geniuses were meant to be recruited.
(End of Chapter)
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