Chapter 83: Disorder in the Soul Master World
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After the departure of the red-robed bishops and Ju Gui Douluo, Qian Renhan turned toward one direction and said flatly, "Xiaoxue, why aren't you practicing properly and came all the way here?"
Qian Renxue walked in from a special passage, her eyes slightly red as she said, "Brother, why did you treat Dad and that woman like that?"
When Qian Renxue first returned, she was unaware of what had happened in the Spirit Hall. She had thought that Qian Xunji was still practicing in the Douluo Hall and that Bibi Dong was still the Pope. She didn't visit either of them. When she found out that Qian Renhan had taken the throne and Bibi Dong had disappeared, she asked her grandfather, Qian Daoliu, and learned about everything that had happened since Qian Renhan's return.
Her father was imprisoned, forced to work a sewing machine, and her mother's cultivation had been destroyed and she was expelled from the Spirit Hall. Their once warm family, now shattered by a single loss, left Qian Renxue struggling to accept it.
"Because I am from the Qian family, because the Spirit Hall raised me, everything I do is only to strengthen the home that raised me, nothing more," Qian Renhan replied indifferently. Since Qian Daoliu had not yet planned to tell Qian Renxue about the hidden chamber incident involving Qian Xunji, he saw no need to explain further.
Qian Daoliu thought to himself, If I tell her about the hidden chamber incident, Qian Renxue will immediately search the whole continent for Bibi Dong. No matter the Angel God test, it would be a nightmare!
"Brother, no matter what that woman did, she is still our mother. You destroyed her cultivation and kicked her out of Spirit City. She has no cultivation and no ability to protect herself. What dangers will she face out there? Please go and bring her back," Qian Renxue's voice quivered with emotion.
"The decision I made cannot be stopped, not even by the old man. Qian Renxue, even if you find Bibi Dong, I will not allow you to bring her back. If you want to change my mind and bring her back, you must have the strength to challenge me. Right now, you are not talking to your brother Qian Renhan, but to the Pope, Qian Renhan."
Qian Renhan's voice was cold and emotionless, a ruler's weight pressing down. With a flick of his finger, a burst of energy struck Qian Renxue, sending her flying out of the Pope's hall.
"Brother!"
The doors of the Pope's hall closed. Qian Renhan shut his eyes, ignoring the tear-streaked face of Qian Renxue. From the moment he decided to be a qualified brother, his focus had been on her—spending time with her during her childhood, being patient with her, allowing her some slack in her cultivation, and even providing her with the best heavenly herbs to boost her Angel Spirit.
But as Pope, Qian Renhan's concerns were now solely with the Spirit Hall. Everyone else had to stand aside.
In the Offering Hall, Qian Daoliu sighed helplessly as he watched the scene. But then, a sense of joy rose within him. This is good. Now, Xiaoxue can focus entirely on the Angel God test. As for Bibi Dong, he had arranged for two trusted subordinates to secretly protect her. She wouldn't die.
When the three new policies of the Spirit Hall were announced, the entire continent was shaken. Soul Master branches across the continent began constructing statues of the Six-Winged Angel Goddess.
Soul Masters like Su Yuntao and Ma Xiunuo were extremely displeased with the new Pope's policies. With these policies, how was the Spirit Hall any different from the other sects across the continent? Could it still be considered the sacred land of all Soul Masters?
The Emperor Xue Ye of the Heaven Dou Royal Family, who had been in a terrible mood after being threatened by Qian Renhan's sword and the attack on his son, Xue Qinghe, burst out laughing when he learned of the new policies. He felt as though he had grown ten years younger.
"This is great, great! The Soul Master subsidy is gone! Now the empire won't need to spend so much on subsidies for Soul Masters who don't belong to the empire!" Xue Ye laughed heartily. The Soul Master subsidy had been a waste of money, providing for Soul Masters who weren't even under the Heaven Dou Empire's control. It had been a huge drain on resources, and now, it was finally over.
More importantly, the free spirit awakening had also been abolished. This meant there wouldn't be so many commoners suddenly becoming geniuses and forming their own families, potentially even rivaling the top three sects, further carving up the empire's resources. The empire's threats were greatly reduced.
"Father!" The Crown Prince, Xue Luochuan, walked in.
Xue Ye asked, "Luochuan, have there been any updates on Qinghe's situation?"
"No, Father. Over the past few days, I've expanded the search to a ten-mile radius, but there's no trace. Whoever attacked Second Brother must have been preparing for a long time," Xue Luochuan responded solemnly. Neither he nor Xue Ye suspected that the Spirit Hall was behind Qinghe's disappearance. After all, it would be illogical for the Titled Douluo who had destroyed the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to target the weakest prince.
It wasn't the Spirit Hall. Both of them thought the culprits might be from the Star Luo Empire, as that was the only current enemy of the Heaven Dou Empire.
Putting aside Qinghe's matter, Xue Luochuan continued, "Father, I have a suggestion regarding the Soul Master subsidy."
"What is it?" Xue Ye asked.
"Since the Spirit Hall no longer provides subsidies, we can continue them. But this time, the recipients will be students from the empire's formal advanced Soul Master academies."
Xue Luochuan spoke seriously. The students who qualify to attend the empire's formal advanced academies are guaranteed to break through to at least the Soul King level. This is worth recruiting for the Heaven Dou Empire to strengthen its power.
The formal advanced Soul Master academies in the empire were the Godwind Academy, Chihuo Academy, Tianshui Academy, and Canghui Academy—institutions that had the qualifications to compete in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Competition.
As for the intermediate academies and less reputable ones, Xue Ye and Xue Hai Luo didn't consider them. If anyone is foolish enough to attend those, they wouldn't have real talent anyway. It would be a waste of resources, even if we paid them.
Xue Ye nodded slightly. "Luochuan, how much do you think the Soul Master subsidy should be?"
Xue Luochuan thought for a moment and said, "One Gold Soul Coin. Whether a Soul Master, Great Soul Master, or Soul Emperor, one Gold Soul Coin is enough. For an ordinary family, that's enough to feed them for several months. For a Soul Master, it's more than enough to live on."
"Agreed," Xue Ye said, fully supporting the idea. Minimizing costs while maximizing benefits for the empire. My son truly has a sharp mind. As for free spirit awakening, they didn't even bother discussing it. Do the commoners deserve that? Pay up!
Star Luo Empire.
Emperor Dai Tianfeng of the Star Luo Empire sat on his throne, smiling broadly. "Not bad, not bad. The Spirit Hall, the new Pope Qian Renhan, very good!"
Dai Tianfeng wasn't concerned with the Soul Master subsidies or the abolition of free spirit awakening. He was confident in the strength of the Star Luo Empire. What he valued was that the Spirit Hall was now charging for the suppression of rebellious Soul Masters.
After the three policies of the Spirit Hall were announced, the entire continent was thrown into turmoil. Soul hunting teams began ruthlessly hunting soul beasts for their bones, while the population influx into the Slaughter City decreased, and the number of rogue soul masters on the continent skyrocketed.
---
"So, this means the Spirit Hall is no longer the so-called organization that maintained peace across the continent, but has turned into a sect-like power similar to the top three sects. Does this mean the Star Luo Empire can now destroy the Heaven Dou Empire and unify the entire continent?"
"Your Majesty." The Crown Prince of the Star Luo Empire, Dai Weisi, entered.
Dai Tianfeng nodded and asked, "Viss, how is your cultivation?"
Dai Weisi respectfully replied, "Father, I recently broke through to the 45th rank."
"Not bad, not bad. My son is qualified for a titled Douluo," Dai Tianfeng said with a hint of satisfaction. He continued, "Viss, right now your focus should be on the Continental Advance Soul Master Academy Competition. Once this competition is over, the opportunity for the Star Luo Empire to unify the continent will arrive. After the competition, go and ask the new Pope of the Spirit Hall about their stance. If possible, try to bring them over to our side."
The Star Luo and Heaven Dou Empires had not been at war. Aside from the Spirit Hall, which positioned itself as a righteous organization seeking to mediate, the two empires were also wary of the Spirit Hall profiting from the chaos. Neither of them believed that the Spirit Hall's claims of maintaining peace were genuine; no organization would be so altruistic. Are there really "good" people in the soul master world?
"I understand, Father," Dai Weisi replied.
Dai Tianfeng did not mention his third son, Dai Mubai. After Dai Mubai had abandoned his fiancée and run away, Dai Tianfeng had completely lost faith in him.
---
After the announcement of the three policies, many major factions on the continent began to view the Spirit Hall more favorably. The most positive response came from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. Initially, the Spirit Hall wanted all soul masters across the continent to follow their leadership, but as a dragon clan, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragons refused to submit. After all, how could a dragon serve under others? They resisted the Spirit Hall completely.
However, once the Spirit Hall started charging for suppressing rogue soul masters, it was clear the Hall wasn't about managing soul masters across the continent anymore—they were looking to profit from the chaos. Who would turn down money?
The factions that still held a negative view of the Spirit Hall were the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School and the Clear Sky Clan. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School had been extorted by Qian Renxue for twenty billion gold soul coins, and their sect leader had been slapped in the face, with Ancient Rong's limbs severed and Sword Douluo's Sword Heart destroyed. Ning Fengzhi could never forgive the Spirit Hall, let alone view them positively.
Similarly, Tang Xiao from the Clear Sky Clan could never forget the injustice the Spirit Hall had caused to Ah Yin. His hatred ran deep.
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At the Godwind Academy square, a beautiful figure in fiery red was chasing after a young man with short silver hair and a somewhat handsome face—these two were Huo Wu and Feng Xiaotian.
"Xiaotian, why won't you accept me?" Huo Wu stood in front of Feng Xiaotian, blocking his way, her face full of grievance. "Qian Renxue has been dead for over two years. You fell for her when you were six, but even after all this time, you still won't accept me. Haven't you seen all the effort and love I've put into this over the years?"
Feng Xiaotian, who had once been enamored with Huo Wu, had fallen in love with the even more beautiful and charming Qian Renxue after the young generation competition fifteen years ago. After learning about Qian Renxue's terrifying talent and martial soul, he devoted himself to intense cultivation, never slacking off.
At just 22 years old, Feng Xiaotian had reached rank 54, recognized as the greatest talent in the Heaven Dou Empire. He easily dominated the younger generation, crushing Huo Wu, who had a cultivation of only rank 41, though he always maintained his gentlemanly demeanor and refrained from seriously hurting her.
It was Feng Xiaotian's absolute strength, gentlemanly demeanor, and handsome appearance that made Huo Wu fall deeply for him, leading her to pursue him relentlessly. However, given Feng Xiaotian's formidable strength and the fact that he had no romantic feelings for her, she could only act like a "love-struck dog" in his eyes.
Despite all of Huo Wu's attempts, Feng Xiaotian continuously rejected her. She didn't mind and pressed on, as the only other people in the younger generation who could compete with her were Yu Tianheng and Yu Tianxin, whose talents were on par with hers. She could never look down on them.
Feng Xiaotian stopped walking and sighed, "Huo Wu, feelings can't be forced."
"I don't care. Xiaotian, the person you like is already gone. The one who can be with you, the one who's worthy to be with you, is me. Can't you give me one chance?"
"I will keep following you until you accept me," Huo Wu said, stamping her foot in frustration, using her feminine charms.
Feng Xiaotian sighed helplessly, watching Huo Wu's antics. As they say, "A girl chasing a boy is like a layer of gauze." Huo Wu had been pursuing him for so many years, how could he not be touched by her efforts?
"Huo Wu, can you give me some time? After the Continental Advance Soul Master Academy Competition, I'll give you an answer."
"Call me Huo Wu, little sister!"
Just as Huo Wu was about to smile, a student from Godwind Academy rushed over, shouting, "Senior Feng, good news, good news!"
"Good news? What is it?" Feng Xiaotian asked with a smile. As a social butterfly with immense talent and a prestigious family in Godwind Academy, his status there was comparable to Shui Bing'er's in the Heaven Dou Academy.
The student said, "The two young masters of the Spirit Hall—they're both still alive."
Before Feng Xiaotian could speak, Huo Wu exclaimed in disbelief, "Impossible! They've been declared dead! The Spirit Hall issued a public statement, and this is widely accepted in the soul master world!"
The student explained, "No, it's true. The current Pope is Qian Renxue, the eldest young master of the Spirit Hall. And Qian Renxue has regained her status as the Saintess of the Spirit Hall."
"This is impossible!" Huo Wu staggered back as if struck by a massive blow. She knew how deeply Feng Xiaotian had been infatuated with Qian Renxue.
"The Pope, Qian Renxue!" Feng Xiaotian was shocked. Qian Renxue, who was younger than him by a year, had already become the Pope. What level of power did that imply?
The student lowered his voice, "Senior Feng, I'm not trying to rain on your parade, but becoming the Spirit Hall's son-in-law might be more difficult than you think. The current Pope was seen in Heaven Dou City a few days ago. Even Sword Bone Douluo from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School couldn't defeat him, and even the Heaven Dou Royal Family's direct intervention ended in failure. His power has reached a level beyond our imagination."
After a moment of silence, Feng Xiaotian suddenly looked up with determination in his eyes. "I, Feng Xiaotian, will strive harder. I'll train in the Gale Canyon!"
His eyes were filled with fighting spirit. After adjusting his mask, he rushed off toward the Gale Canyon, leaving Huo Wu frozen in place.
"Feng! Xiaotian——!"
Looking at the figure of Feng Xiaotian disappearing in the distance, Huo Wu felt her heart burn with anger and jealousy. She wanted to beat up the meddling Godwind Academy student, but the student had already run away with the wind.
(End of Chapter)