Chapter 359: All Shrek Members are Evil Soul Masters?!
Spirit City, Priest Hall
The heavy gilded doors slowly opened inwards, revealing a solemn and majestic scene within the hall. A gigantic Seraphim statue bathed in Holy Light pouring from the dome, appearing sacred and awe-inspiring.
Immediately after, a figure clad in a golden robe slowly walked from outside the hall into the Holy Light. It was precisely the High Priest Qian Daoliu. His countenance still appeared peaceful, and his eyes were clear, as if the confrontation with the Pope he had just concluded was not a confrontation at all, but merely an ordinary stroll.
"Grandpa!"
Just then, a choked cry rang out.
Qian Renxue, who had been waiting in the hall, seemed to finally shed all her feigned strength and disguise the moment she saw Qian Daoliu. She knelt to the ground with a thud, her shoulders trembling uncontrollably, and tears rolled down like broken pearls.
"I'm sorry, Grandpa... I'm sorry..."
Her voice sounded fragmented, filled with deep self-reproach and a sense of defeat.
"The mission... failed."
"I... I failed to conquer the Heaven Dou Empire, and nearly... implicated several grandpas..."
The shame of failure, the doubt about her own abilities.
And the guilt of implicating the High Priests, now overwhelmed Qian Renxue like a tide.
Qian Daoliu looked at Qian Renxue, a trace of almost imperceptible heartache flashing in his clear eyes.
He offered no reprimand, no disappointment. Instead, he slowly stepped forward, steadily helped Qian Renxue up from the ground, gently stroked her shoulder with his palm, and said in a gentle voice:
"Little Xue, raise your head."
Qian Renxue looked at her grandpa through tear-filled eyes.
"It's alright."
"If it failed, it failed. The authority of the Empire, temporary gains and losses, are not our ultimate pursuit. Your safe return is more important than anything."
Qian Daoliu spoke as if it were the most ordinary trivial matter.
Upon hearing this, Qian Renxue sniffled hard, trying to stop her tears, but her reddened eyes still showed the agitation and unease within her.
Just then, Golden Crocodile Douluo, whose injuries had not yet healed and whose aura was still somewhat unstable, stepped forward. His face was grim as he said, "High Priest, how... how did you deal with Bibi Dong?"
He used the word 'deal with', clearly indicating his anger towards Bibi Dong had not subsided.
Hearing this, Qian Daoliu merely smiled faintly. He glanced at Golden Crocodile Douluo, then seemed to look through the hall doors towards the distant Pope's Palace, and said calmly:
"She is the Pope, nominally the highest arbiter of Spirit Hall. How could I deal with her?"
"But!" Golden Crocodile Douluo couldn't help but raise his voice, instantly aggravating his injuries, causing him to cough twice. A flush appeared on his face as he said in a deep voice, "Are we just going to watch this woman continue to recklessly scheme against her colleagues and disregard the overall interests of Spirit Hall? This Heaven Dou matter, she sat by and watched us suffer losses; her intentions are truly damnable!"
Upon hearing this, Qian Daoliu slowly raised his hand, signaling Golden Crocodile Douluo to calm down.
His gaze once again became profound, as if he saw something more fundamental.
"Gold Crocodile, some matters are not as simple as they appear on the surface."
"Bibi Dong... she has already embarked on that path."
"She is currently undergoing the Legacy of the Rakshasa God Position."
As soon as these words were spoken, not only Golden Crocodile Douluo, but even Qian Renxue, who was beside him, suddenly raised her head, her eyes filled with shock! A God Position Legacy? That was something that touched the Peak of power on the Douluo Continent!
"Rakshasa God..." Golden Crocodile Douluo muttered, his face growing even uglier.
He naturally understood what this meant. Once Bibi Dong successfully inherited the God Position, her power would undergo a qualitative leap. At that time, the Priest Hall's ability to restrain her would be greatly diminished.
"That's right." Qian Daoliu nodded, his tone betraying no emotion, and said earnestly, "With her talent and Heart-Nature, the possibility of successful inheritance... is very high. At that time, she will possess the ability to lead Spirit Hall to unprecedented heights. Considering the overall interests and future of Spirit Hall, moving against her now is not a wise move, and may even... no longer be an easy task."
"Gold Crocodile, I know you are very indignant right now. But what we need to do now is not internal strife, nor a dispute of emotions."
At this point, Qian Daoliu's gaze fell directly on Qian Renxue beside him, his eyes filled with infinite expectation and a nearly sacred entrustment.
"What we need to do now is wait."
"Wait for Little Xue to successfully complete the Angel God's God Position Legacy."
Upon hearing this, Qian Renxue trembled all over, looking at her grandpa in disbelief.
Qian Daoliu nodded slightly at her, his eyes filled with absolute trust and encouragement. Then, he looked at Golden Crocodile Douluo and the other High Priests who were deep in thought.
"When the sacred light of the Angel God truly descends upon our Spirit Hall, all problems will cease to be problems. Before that, stabilizing the situation, accumulating strength, and guarding the Foundation of the Legacy is the duty of our Priest Hall."
He said no more, but the meaning in his words was already crystal clear.
The grievances with Bibi Dong, the checks and balances on the Pope's authority, and even the future direction of Spirit Hall, would ultimately depend on whose Divinity Legacy could succeed first.
And... who was more complete, more powerful.
After speaking, Qian Daoliu wasted no more time, turning with a solemn expression towards the towering Seraphim statue in the hall, then commanded Qian Renxue:
"Little Xue, kneel."
Qian Renxue nodded at his words, respectfully kneeling before the statue.
The next second, Qian Daoliu raised his head, gazing at the compassionate and majestic face of the statue, and began to chant an ancient incantation, imbued with a strange rhythm and sacred power.
Every syllable clearly echoed in the vast hall.
As if resonating with the statue itself, and with every brick and stone of the palace.
As the incantation progressed, the golden light, previously restrained, on the massive longsword in the statue's hand began to grow brighter and brighter, like a waking sun.
When the last syllable fell.
"Om—!!!"
A grand and sacred hum resounded through the Priest Hall!
The longsword in the statue's hand blazed with golden flames, and Qian Renxue, kneeling below, simultaneously erupted with a pure and scorching golden radiance. The two golden lights intertwined, illuminating her entire being as if she were forged from gold, appearing sacred and inviolable.
"Little Xue, open your eyes."
Qian Daoliu's voice was calm and distant, as if from eternity.
Immediately after, he pointed two fingers like a sword, gesturing towards Qian Renxue from afar.
In an instant, the golden flames accumulated to their Peak on the statue's longsword descended like an inverted celestial river, then crashed down. It was not an attack, but the purest sacred baptism and guiding light, completely enveloping and swallowing Qian Renxue's body.
Suddenly, Qian Renxue felt an indescribably warm and vast power envelop her, as peaceful as returning to a mother's embrace, yet as minuscule as being at the center of the Universe. Her body, guided by the golden flames, involuntarily floated slowly upwards, suspended in mid-air.
Golden light flowed ceaselessly, yet did not change form.
However, before Qian Renxue, in the Void Realm, nine enormous golden light screens, their edges flowing with sacred runes and exuding infinite majesty and mysterious aura, gradually solidified from illusion, like a scroll unfolding, then arranged themselves one by one!
One, two, three... eight, nine!
A full nine screens!
The moment he saw these nine light screens, Qian Daoliu, who had remained calm, finally burst forth with an uncontrollable excitement. It was a wild joy and solace, a dawn of hope that had been awaited for countless years and spanned generations of Legacy!
"Angel Nine Trials? It's actually nine trials!!" Qian Daoliu's voice carried a trace of imperceptible tremor, saying, "The nine trials awaited by countless generations of Douluo Hall Masters... have finally appeared!"
"Little Xue, I was nearly seventy when I had your father, and your father was fifty when he had you... I never expected that the person awaited by successive Douluo Hall Masters would be you."
"Grandpa, I am proud of you."
...Meanwhile, deep within the Pope's Palace, in a secret chamber shrouded in thick purplish-black evil Qi.
Bibi Dong, who was sitting cross-legged, fully immersed in her Cultivation state, seemed to sense a violent fluctuation of some sacred power in the ethereal realm, and then slowly opened her eyes.
If anyone were before her at this moment, they would be horrified.
Because Bibi Dong's eyes were no longer their usual deep purplish-black, but had turned completely blood-red, looking vividly crimson, like two boiling pools of blood, filled with endless resentment and malevolence, as if viscous fresh blood could flow from them at any moment.
Not just her eyes, but her ten fingers, at some unknown point, had grown sharp nails, five inches long, utterly black like ink, and shimmering with a metallic, icy luster!
"So, the Angel God's Legacy has finally begun..."
Her blood-red eyes rotated slightly. Bibi Dong seemed to penetrate layers of walls, looking towards the Priest Hall, then a cold arc formed at the corner of her lips.
"Then, my Rakshasa God's assessment should also speed up."
Immediately after, two diametrically opposed, destined to be antagonistic divine forces, in the shadows and in the open of Spirit City, simultaneously accelerated their flow.
Taking a deep breath, a black-purple light surged around Bibi Dong. She returned to her original appearance, though her face looked somewhat pale.
"Qian Daoliu, you are very clever. In order not to let me devour the descendants of your Angel clan, you actually chose my daughter."
Floating up, golden light flashed, and the Pope's robe enveloped Bibi Dong's body. She looked as if she had transformed back into the noble and decisive Pope.
"Even if Little Xue inherits the Angel God Position, what then?"
"One day, I will completely destroy Spirit Hall. Otherwise, why would I deliberately provoke that brat named Tang Chuan? I want to use his hands to destroy Spirit Hall!"
"Your son destroyed me, so I will destroy everything of your Angel clan."
...Meanwhile, in the northwest of the Star Luo Empire, an unnamed port.
The salty sea breeze billowed the rough sails, as a medium-sized seaship slowly departed from the crude, reef-strewn dock, heading towards the turbulent, deep blue waters.
On the deck stood four figures, each with a different expression, facing the sea breeze.
It was precisely Tang San, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Tai Long, who had just boarded and set sail.
Dai Mubai withdrew his gaze from the gradually shrinking coastline. That place had been his bloody and cruel imperial battlefield, and also the cage from which he nearly suffered eternal damnation.
Exhaling heavily, he turned and patted Tang San's shoulder forcefully, with such strength that Tang San swayed slightly. On the Star Luo Prince's face, there was both the relief of escaping death and a settled ruthlessness and malevolence.
"Little San, this time, I really owe it to you for arriving in time. If you had been a few days later, I might have truly died in that dark dungeon, or succumbed to illness directly, never to see the light of day again." Dai Mubai's voice carried the roughness of the sea breeze and a trace of imperceptible lingering fear.
He spoke lightly, but the danger contained within was understood by everyone present. The internal competition of the Star Luo Imperial Family had always been a matter of life and death; for the losers, even a lingering existence was a luxury.
Tang San shook his head, the sea breeze ruffling his blue hair, and said, "Mubai, we are brothers. When a brother is in trouble, it is only right to assist with all one's might. Why speak of thanks?"
He paused, then subtly shifted the topic, his tone becoming serious and somewhat probing.
"By the way, Mubai, that... new Cultivation method I mentioned to you before, how do you feel about it? After trying it, are you satisfied with the speed of your Soul Power increase?"
At the mention of this, a sharp, blade-like glint suddenly flashed in Dai Mubai's eyes. That glint was mixed with a thirst for power, a recollection of past bloodshed, and a subtle, almost imperceptible malevolence that even he might not have fully noticed.
"Fast, very fast." Dai Mubai nodded affirmatively, his voice deep as he said, "Ever since... devouring Dai Weisi, I can clearly feel that not only has my Soul Power Rank increased significantly, but my Martial Soul itself also seems to have become more ferocious and aggressive. Some explosive powers that were difficult to control before are now much smoother to use."
He spoke of devouring, not simply defeating or killing.
This word made Ma Hongjun shrink his neck involuntarily, and Tai Long's eyes narrowed.
Tang San, however, showed a look of expectation. His gaze swept over Dai Mubai, then landed on Ma Hongjun, who was listening with pricked ears, eager yet somewhat apprehensive.
"That's natural." Tang San calmly analyzed, as if stating a simple truth: "Your Martial Soul is the Evil Eyed White Tiger. The White Tiger is the king of beasts, a natural predator; its nature lies in eating meat and drinking blood. By devouring the life essence and Soul Power Origin of opponents to Cultivate, you can not only quickly replenish yourself but also stimulate the Martial Soul's evolution, unleashing more primitive, more powerful forces deep within the Bloodline. This is the Cultivation method most compatible with your Martial Soul's innate nature."
At this point, his gaze turned to Ma Hongjun, and he continued.
"It's not just you, Fatty is the same."
Hearing this, Ma Hongjun was stunned, pointing at his own nose:
"Me? Third Brother, my Martial Soul is the Evil Fire Phoenix. Although it has 'Evil' in its name, it doesn't seem quite the same as Mubai's White Tiger eating people... oh no, devouring... right?"
He recalled Dai Mubai's expression when he mentioned devouring Dai Weisi, and still felt a little unnerved.
Tang San looked at him, his eyes profound, and said, "The Phoenix is a divine bird of fire; Rebirth through fire is its talent. But the words 'Evil Fire' already highlight the peculiar nature of your Martial Soul. It is not purely sacred fire, but flames fused with ferocity, desire, and destruction. This kind of flame also craves fuel, desiring to devour other fire energies, and even life essence, to strengthen itself and complete its transformation. It's just that its method of devouring might be closer to incineration and absorption."
He patted Ma Hongjun's shoulder, his tone encouraging and with an undeniable hint of guidance.
"When we reach Sea God Island, facing those powerful Sea Spirit Beasts or special energy bodies, both you and Mubai can try to accelerate your growth in this way."
"In extraordinary times, extraordinary methods must be used. To gain enough power to contend with Tang Chuan and Spirit Hall in a short period, conventional arduous Cultivation is too slow."
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