Two weeks ago,
Bibi Dong sat upon the grand seat of the Spirit Hall Pope's Palace. Her expression was dark, her cold gaze fixed murderously upon the two figures kneeling below—Ghost Douluo and Chrysanthemum Douluo.
"Give me a believable explanation," she said icily. "A force consisting of five Titled Douluo, more than ten Soul Douluo, and twenty-five Soul Saints… yet only the two of you returned alive after attacking a sect with a single Titled Douluo?"
If looks could kill, the two would have died a thousand times already. Yue Guan swallowed nervously, cold sweat soaking his back as he forced himself to remain calm.
"Our intelligence was wrong," he said quickly.
"Aside from Patriarch Yu Yuanzhen, there was another female Titled Douluo. She possessed fire-attribute dragon Martial Soul that heavily suppressed our martial souls."
Gulp!
Gui Mei nodded frantically, no less shaken. Despite their Super Douluo cultivation, the oppressive pressure radiating from Bibi Dong made breathing difficult.
"He is speaking the truth," Ghost Douluo added. "That women restrained the two of us and still managed to kill the Ninth Elder."
Avoiding the Pope's displeased gaze, he continued, "During that time, Yu Yuanzhen launched a sneak attack that killed Ghost Leopard Douluo—though Sea Turtle Douluo ultimately managed to take him down."
Yue Guan hurriedly added, "Later, that violent woman also killed Patriarch Tuoba Xi and severely injured Sea Turtle Douluo."
Bibi Dong's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Useless," she said coldly. "The two of you couldn't even restrain one woman. What pride do you still have as the elder of Spirit Hall?"
Her voice hardened further as she asked through clenched teeth, "Then who killed Sea Turtle Douluo?"
Gui Mei answered immediately, fear evident in his voice. "We had finally managed to exhaust that female Titled Douluo. But just as we were about to finish her, a mysterious evil soul master appeared. He killed her instantly and stored her corpse inside a storage soul tool."
"An evil soul master?" Bibi Dong raised an eyebrow. "Did you kill him?"
The two Douluo gulped and slowly shook their heads, kneeling in silence as they awaited the Pope's judgment. Silence filled the hall...
Then—
Crack.
The armrest of Bibi Dong's throne shattered under her grip. "An unknown evil soul master capable of fighting two Titled Douluo…" she murmured, her voice calm yet terrifying.
"And you allowed him to leave."
Ghost Douluo and Chrysanthemum Douluo bowed their heads in shame.
"This matter does not end here," Bibi Dong continued coldly. "Issue a decree. I want every intelligence network activated. No matter the cost—find out who that man was."
Her violet eyes glinted with murderous intent. "Anyone capable of interfering with Spirit Hall's plans… must be erased."
---
At the moment,
Bibi Dong sat in the very same seat, yet the frown on her face was far deeper than before. She massaged her pale forehead, a throbbing headache forming as frustration weighed heavily on her mind.
Nothing was going her way.
The force she had dispatched to annihilate the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Sect had yet to return, and no news had reached Spirit Hall in the past two weeks.
Four Titled Douluo, along with Huan Zhen, Patriarch of the Elephant Armored Clan—nearly half of her personal combat strength—had been sent on that mission.
She could not afford to lose them. If she did, even her position as Pope might be shaken. Just then, an elderly bishop hurried into the main hall, requesting an urgent audience.
Bibi Dong composed herself and gave a brief nod, signaling the guards to allow him entry.
The bishop immediately bowed deeply.
"Your Holiness," the bishop said respectfully, "according to our latest intelligence, exactly two weeks ago the main gates of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Clan had been destroyed. Plumes of black smoke were seen rising into the sky, visible even from Tiandou City. But—"
Bibi Dong nodded in faint satisfaction, only for her expression to darken as her instincts sounded a warning.
"We have been unable to establish contact with our forces," the old bishop reported.
"In addition, Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo were later seen escorting Ning Fengzhi to the Tiandou Royal Palace, showing no signs of weakness."
He hesitated briefly before delivering the final blow. "Our conclusion is that the operation has failed… and that our forces may have been completely annihilated."
Bibi Dong staggered back, nearly losing her composure before Hu Liena quickly stepped forward to support her master, worry etched clearly across her face as she struggled to comprehend the magnitude of losses her master had suffered.
Seven of the nine Titled Douluo from Spirit Hall who had supported Bibi Dong were now dead—fallen in the war waged by her against two of the Three Upper Clans.
At present, she was left with only two Titled Douluo under her personal command, along with Four Lower Clans that had sworn loyalty in exchange for her promise to elevate them to Upper Sect status.
Yet even those strategic alliances were now dangerously unstable.
Huan Zhen of the Elephant Armored Clan and Tuoba Xi of the Sacred Dragon Clan had both perished in this disastrous campaign.
With their patriarchs dead, the two clans might very well withdraw their support from Spirit Hall altogether. After all, there was no such thing as endless loyalty—only endless benefits.
As for the remaining Lower Sects supporting her—Wind Sword Sect and Black Tiger Sect—even their loyalty could no longer be taken for granted after this failed venture.
Not to mention the three sects that had only ever supported her in secret: the Hornet Sect, the Fire Leopard Sect, and the Stenbok Sect.
Bibi Dong's expression hardened slightly as she pondered her next move. "It seems we will need to recruit even more free soul masters from across the continent in the coming days."
She let out a deep sigh before fixing her cold gaze on the trembling bishop. "As for you—"
Knock! Knock!
Just as the bishop waited nervously for the Pope to pronounce punishment for this failure, one of the guard soldiers stepped forward and requested an audience.
The pope massaged her forehead before giving a brief nod of permission. Hu Liena looked at her master with undisguised worry.
"Master… you should rest," she said softly.
Bibi Dong shook her head, touched by her concern, and offered a reassuring smile. "At my cultivation level, something like this can't shake me," she replied calmly.
The guard soldier bowed deeply before the Pope. "Your Holiness, a man named Tang Yin has just entered the city and claims to be the Saintess'… boyfriend."
"Tang Yin?!..."
Hu Liena yelped, quickly covering her mouth in surprise. She was eager to meet him, nearly leaping forward, but remembering her master's condition, she forced herself to hold back.
Bibi Dong noticed her reaction but shook her head and chuckled. "You don't have to worry about me. Just go—and make sure to bring him to meet me later."
Hu Liena stammered briefly, then regained her composure. She bowed gratefully and hurried the guard ahead of her to lead the way.
You finally came to meet me after two years… Thinking this, Hu Liena quickened her pace, and before long, she had overtaken the soldier, who looked at her bewildered.
---
Meanwhile, in Spirit City,
Tang Yin faced off against Yan, whose mind had already plunged into chaos, his thoughts twisted and unstable.
The soldiers who had been guarding him like his personal guards were sprawled around him, broken and unconscious.
"Oh my god! Isn't that Yan, one of the Golden Generation? Why is he attacking the guards?" one exclaimed, while the others watched in stunned silence.
Is this guy even sane? Tang Yin thought, watching the red-haired man grunt and snarl like a wild beast. Trying to commit murder in Spirit City for no reason?
Yan had already recognized Tang Yin.
One may forget their father, but never their arch-enemy—even under a different face. Memories of how his goddess's heart had been stolen by this man fueled his rage.
He was certain Tang Yin had engineered everything—forcing Yan's attack to strike Hu Liena during the finale of the Continental Elite Young Soul Master Tournament five years ago, destroying his only chance with her.
That must be it!
The more he thought, the wilder he became. With a roar like a beast, Yan lunged at him.
I'll kill you… then everyone she ever cares for…
Then I'll be the only one left!
"Yes! That's it! Hahaha! Die!!!"
Tang Yin shook his head, a flicker of regret crossing his eyes. It seems Spirit Hall is about to lose one of its finest talents today.
Without even releasing his Martial Soul, he met Yan's Flame Lord Possession strike head-on—calm, almost boredly.
Boom!
Yan's eyes widened in disbelief—his attack hadn't even scratched Tang Yin. But rage drowned all reason, and he refused to relent. His sixth soul ring glowed ominously,
"Sixth Soul Skill—Sky Piercing Strike!"
A massive ball of fire and earth surged toward Tang Yin, crackling with destructive energy. It slammed into him—but then, to everyone's shock, it froze in midair.
Crackle—!
Tang Yin effortlessly pushed the fiery earth ball aside, completely unharmed. He stared at Yan and mocked, "Is that all? Then it's my turn to return the favor."
When Hu Liena and the guards arrived, they saw Tang Yin land a solid punch to Yan's gut, sending him flying like a broken kite.
Bammm!
Pain seared through Yan's entire body.
He even tanked my strongest Soul Skill. No... I can't defeat this monster. The thought crossed his mind, and for an instant, the urge to flee took hold.
But the moment Yan saw Hu Liena arrive, humiliation overwhelmed him. He gritted his teeth, hatred burning in his eyes as he shot Tang Yin a venomous glare—then suddenly lunged toward her.
"If I can't have you, then no one can!" With a deranged shout, Yan unleashed his most powerful attack once more.
"Sky Piercing Strike!"
Hu Liena's eyes widened in disbelief. She couldn't recognize the friend she once knew—someone capable of turning his blade on her.
"You dare!!!" Tang Yin's fury erupted.
In an instant, an invisible force coiled around Yan, freezing him mid‑air. His eyes widened in horror as his body refused to obey. It was as if he had slammed into an unseen wall.
Telekinesis held him immobile as Tang Yin, unconsciously activated Energy Conversion, channeling a massive surge of soul power into his bare fist.
Then, with no restraint whatsoever, he swung.
Despair flashed across his face as the fist rushed toward his chest.
Boooom!
Yan's mind reeled as he struggled to breathe through punctured lungs and broken bones—but no air would come. He gagged on his own blood and collapsed, unconscious, barely clinging to life.
Without immediate treatment, the injury to his lungs could easily kill him.
Yet Hu Liena didn't spare him a single glance. Her attention was fixed entirely on Tang Yin as she rushed into his arms.
She clutched him tightly, relief flooding her face. "You… finally came!" she whispered, her voice trembling with joy and longing.
Tang Yin held her gently, his calmness starkly contrasting the chaos surrounding him. "Yes. I'm here," he replied softly, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "I missed you."
Around them, Spirit City was in uproar.
Burned pavement and scorched earth marked Yan's rampage, and furious residents cursed and spat on him as he lay unconscious, blood staining the ground beneath him.
But for a brief moment, all of that faded away. There was only Hu Liena. Only this reunion.
Tang Yin glanced at him briefly before looking back at Hu Liena. "Should I finish him?" he asked, his voice calm but firm.
Hu Liena nodded instinctively—then shook her head. Her hands tightened around Tang Yin. "I'll let Teacher decide his punishment," she said quietly.
"He attacked the guards… and tried to kill both of us. At the very least, his cultivation may be finished. How about we go meet my teacher first? She wanted to meet you," Hu Liena proposed.
Tang Yin immediately nodded and agreed without hesitation—after all, who wouldn't be eager to meet someone as captivating as her?