Near noon, the Saintess Investiture Ceremony concluded.
According to the original plan, there were supposed to be exciting events afterward.
For example, the newly invested Saintess of Spirit Hall, Hu Liena, would challenge young talents from powers across the continent and defeat them decisively, to display the strength of Spirit Hall's younger generation.
With her top-tier mutated martial soul, the Star–Moon Nine-Tailed Fox; a sixty-thousand-year Wisdom-type skull spirit bone that condensed spiritual power; the Slaughter God Domain that boosts herself and suppresses opponents; plus the natural dominance of a spiritual-control soul master, Hu Liena at six rings, a Soul Emperor, already had strength on par with an ordinary level-80 Soul Douluo.
With such strength, not only when facing peers, even against opponents ten or twenty years older, few could defeat her.
Unfortunately, Heaven Dou and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had produced a monster named Chu Chengzhou.
Challenging the continent's geniuses was meant to show Spirit Hall's might and build momentum for the new Saintess.
But the challenge could only be won, not lost. Otherwise the stage would be handed to others, and the Saintess—freshly invested—would be beaten by an outsider. Would Spirit Hall not lose face?
Knowing her disciple Hu Liena absolutely was not Chu Chengzhou's match, Bibi Dong naturally dismissed the idea.
As for having Chu Chengzhou throw a fixed match?
He might well have agreed, but Bibi Dong would not lower herself that way.
Night. Hu Liena's small courtyard.
By rank, as Spirit Hall's Saintess, she should have been living in the Saintess Hall near the Pope's Palace on Pope Hill, but for certain reasons there was no need to move yet.
Inside, a fierce "battle" was underway.
With the ceremony over and the Heaven Dou delegation leaving tomorrow, Chu Chengzhou was reluctant to part and wanted to love his girl a few more times tonight.
After a long while, the clouds dispersed and the rain ceased. One bout ended.
"Nana, I have to leave tomorrow."
Looking down at the girl snuggled in his arms, Chu Chengzhou spoke, a little depressed.
"It's better if you go. Saves me from being bullied by you so miserably!"
Limbs weak, Hu Liena pinched him, annoyed.
"Bullied? How can that be bullying? I followed your instructions."
As he spoke, his roguish hands began to wander again.
Hu Liena's body trembled. She slapped his mischievous hand away. The stamina for the next round hadn't even recovered yet!
"Right, I'll give you a big surprise in a while!"
Thinking of how her teacher Bibi Dong planned to transfer her to the Heaven Dou Spirit Temple, Hu Liena said to Chu Chengzhou.
Though as the Saintess of Spirit Hall it might look like a demotion to be reassigned to Heaven Dou, Hu Liena was secretly delighted.
The highest post at the Heaven Dou Temple was Platinum Bishop, and whether in status or position that was beneath the Saintess. In other words, once she went to the Heaven Dou Temple, Hu Liena would be the big boss.
If she was the biggest at Heaven Dou Temple, she could do as she pleased.
Of course, she had no rebellious bone, but with her teacher not around, who would stop her from meeting her lover?
"A big surprise? What surprise?"
Chu Chengzhou blinked and asked.
"Not telling. You'll know soon enough!"
Smiling, Hu Liena didn't elaborate.
"Mysterious. Fine. I hope it's a surprise and not a shock."
He clicked his tongue.
"All right, little rogue, this Saintess has rested. Get moving."
"As you command, my Saintess!"
At dawn the next day, the delegations that attended the investiture left Spirit City.
Before departing, Chu Chengzhou noticed the malice in the eyes of Davis and Dai Feng.
He did not care. Star Luo was a graveyard of future bones.
In the original story, had Tang San not defied the heavens and crushed Spirit Hall, in less than ten years the Star Luo Empire would have ceased to exist.
And Star Luo's strength was just so-so. They had many Title Douluo, but lacked apex experts.
Back in their first clash, if the Dai clan had drawn on a portion of its foundation, they could indeed have eliminated him.
Now his wings were fuller. If the Dai clan brought out the entire foundation of the royal house and the empire, they still might manage to kill him.
But would Star Luo dare? Or rather, were they willing to bear the cost?
They would not, and they were unwilling to bear too great a price, because Star Luo's enemies on the continent were not limited to him alone. If they lost more Title Douluo, Spirit Hall, always watching like a tiger, might swallow them in one bite.
Invest too little and you just keep sending heads. Invest heavily and you might have a chance to kill Chu Chengzhou, but you cannot afford the losses.
In short, regarding Chu Chengzhou, Star Luo was now riding a tiger.
As for Star Luo's bounty?
Those whose reason could be drowned by profit would at best be She Long–type characters, and most likely not even at the Title Douluo level.
Top experts all hail from great powers. Setting aside whether they could swallow their pride to be bounty hunters, even if willing, they had to consider the impact.
An eighty-thousand-year spirit bone was rich payment, but provoking Heaven Dou and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect for it was not cost-effective.
Even if the strike were clean, if you truly went to claim the reward, Star Luo would not hesitate to sell your information to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Let others beat each other's brains out while you sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight. That is the sweetest game.
Send someone else to collect the reward?
Star Luo is not a charity. You might obtain the bone, but the moment you walk out of Star Luo City, both the bone and your life would be taken back.
The reward carried huge hidden dangers, even the possibility of getting nothing at all. Naturally apex experts would not take the job.
As for the rumor that Chu Chengzhou carried a hundred-thousand-year spirit bone?
The ordinarily greedy might believe it, but true powerhouses would not.
Every hundred-thousand-year spirit bone means a hundred-thousand-year beast slain by soul masters.
Unless luck was outrageous and you encountered a beast whose strength had not recovered after taking human form, the strength of a hundred-thousand-year beast is at least equivalent to a level-95 Title Douluo; the stronger ones match level-96 and above.
With Chu Chengzhou's background, could he possess a hundred-thousand-year bone?
Yes, he was Ning Fengzhi's prospective son-in-law, but Ning Fengzhi was not so extravagant as to equip his future son-in-law with a hundred-thousand-year bone.
Moreover, if he truly had one, that would be even more reason not to provoke him.
Because it would mean that besides the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, someone stood behind Chu Chengzhou who could kill hundred-thousand-year beasts!
As when they came, the envoy and royal knights slowly took the roads back to Heaven Dou City, while Chu Chengzhou's group of four went on ahead by air.
Three days later, yet another team left Spirit City.
Hu Liena, Spirit Hall's new Saintess, was reassigned to serve at the Heaven Dou Spirit Temple. Along with her went a Platinum Bishop loyal to the Angel Clan, to replace Salas as the new Temple Master.
Half a month later, core region of Star Dou Great Forest.
"Ah—Sister Xiao Wu is back again!"
On the Fire Phoenix summon's back, Xiao Wu spread her arms as if to hug the entire Star Dou Great Forest.
Xiao Wu was a hundred-thousand-year soul beast in human form and had consumed the immortal herb, Acacia Heartbroken Red. Her cultivation talent was high, and before level 90 there were no bottlenecks.
Recently, Xiao Wu's soul power had broken through level 70.
Because she had entered the mature period, Xiao Wu, like ordinary human soul masters, could no longer condense rings by herself. So Chu Chengzhou brought her to Star Dou to attach a seventh ring and advance to Soul Sage.
"Xiao Wu, I remember you have two little brothers. Want to visit them this time?"
Chu Chengzhou asked.
"Not going."
After a moment's hesitation, Xiao Wu shook her head.
It was not that she did not miss her two little brothers, but it was not suitable to bring Chu Chengzhou along.
As soul beasts, Da Ming and Er Ming quite disliked human soul masters, since humans often came to Star Dou to hunt soul beasts.
If she brought Chu Chengzhou along, wouldn't the simple-minded Er Ming rough up little Chu?
Especially since little Chu's sixth summon, Dahei, was a Titan Giant Ape of the same species as Er Ming. Meeting would be awkward.
After thinking, Chu Chengzhou said, "Pope Bibi Dong is very strong. She has twin martial souls. During the tournament, her second martial soul lacked two rings. The reason she left them vacant was most likely that she's aiming for two hundred-thousand-year rings.
I think you need to go back and tell them to hide deep in the forest.
Spirit Hall has many experts. Star Dou is vast, but without prior precautions, finding those two isn't impossible."
In the original storyline, Bibi Dong had targeted Da Ming and Er Ming, planning to use the pair as the eighth and ninth rings for her second martial soul, the Devouring Spider Emperor.
Although by that timeline this was still years away, Chu Chengzhou could not be careless.
Da Ming and Er Ming were Xiao Wu's little brothers. He would not let them become Bibi Dong's rings and bones.
Hearing this, Xiao Wu's heart tightened and she began to worry for her two little brothers.
"Relax. I'm only saying this as a precaution. Nothing should happen in the short term."
Seeing Xiao Wu tense up, Chu Chengzhou comforted her.
Hearing that, Xiao Wu exhaled, though she was still a bit worried.
"Brother, what should Da Ming and Er Ming do in the future? Even if it's not Bibi Dong, some day some soul master will set their sights on them."
Xiao Wu fretted.
"I don't have a great solution. But if someday my Xiao Wu becomes a god, then you can shelter them!"
As he spoke, Chu Chengzhou ruffled the rabbit ears on Xiao Wu's head.
In Chu Chengzhou's view, the path for Douluo soul beasts to face tribulation and become ferocious beasts had no future. Of the countless soul beasts in Douluo, since ancient times there had not been a single case of becoming a god as a soul beast.
In contrast, soul masters had. Besides the Angel God and Sea God twenty thousand years ago, according to the original track, in a few years the continent would see as many as ten people ascend, and in later eras even more above level 100.
It could be said that the way out for soul beasts was to take human form and then ascend to the divine as humans.
Chu Chengzhou did not know whether the gods of the God Realm could accept a transformed soul beast as a successor to a god position, but ascension via faith does not distinguish between human soul master and transformed soul beast.
Moreover, even if the gods had difficulty accepting a transformed soul beast as their successor, if someone held a knife to their throats, they might accept after all.
Those who can become gods should rarely be blind to the situation, right?
"When I am a God-King in the future, I will grant you divine fate for a lifetime!"
Perhaps Tang the God-King did many things that were dishonorable, but turning the Douluo God Realm into the Tang Clan's God Realm was not a mistake.
After all, people are selfish. If you don't keep good things for your own, would you give them to outsiders?
"Become a god? Mm-hmm, Sister Xiao Wu will definitely become a god!"
Xiao Wu nodded, eyes flashing with expectation.
If she reached the legendary divine realm, surely no one would covet her little brothers again.
"Then you must cultivate hard!"
"Tch, little Chu, your level isn't even as high as Sister Xiao Wu's! You're the one who needs to work hard!"
Hearing Chu Chengzhou's lecturing tone, Xiao Wu pouted, then spoke like an old elder.
Chu Chengzhou: "…"
He glared at Xiao Wu, then turned his gaze to the forest below, searching for a soul beast suitable for Xiao Wu's seventh ring.
While Chu Chengzhou and Xiao Wu were hunting in Star Dou Great Forest, Hu Liena's party, transferred to the Heaven Dou Spirit Temple and traveling half a month, finally arrived in Heaven Dou City.
That night, the Chu residence.
In the dining room, Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing were eating when a maid walked over.
"Ladies, here is a letter for the master."
The maid bowed and handed over the letter.
The master was out on business and not at home, so naturally the letter should be given to the two ladies.
Yes, ladies.
Although they had not yet married, and were rather young, the title was only called a bit early. You can't call the master's girlfriends "miss," or the relationships get messy.
"Who sent it?"
Glancing at the envelope, which bore no words on the outside, only a small abstract cat-like drawing in the corner (a fox), Ning Rongrong asked.
"I do not know. The courier only said it was for the master."
The maid shook her head.
Hearing this, Ning Rongrong waved her hand to show she understood.
"Rongrong, Brother Zhou and Xiao Wu just went out to hunt. They probably won't be back soon. Open it and see, lest it's something urgent."
Zhu Zhuqing said.
"Right, can't delay matters!"
Hearing her sister say so, Ning Rongrong nodded, opened the letter, and read.
"I've arrived in Heaven Dou City. Tomorrow night, Heaven Dou Grand Hotel, Room 506. See you. Love you, muah~"
There weren't many words on the letter. Ning Rongrong read them one by one.
Then the two looked at each other.
"Bang—"
After a moment, Ning Rongrong slammed the table, anger on her pretty face, and snapped, "What a scumbag. The three of us at home aren't enough, and he still has someone outside? Despicable. I'm furious!"
"Zhuqing, tomorrow we're going to see who this vixen is!"
Ning Rongrong said angrily.
"Mm!"
Zhu Zhuqing didn't speak, only nodded.
Silence didn't mean she wasn't angry.
The three sisters guarded against it in every way, but they still hadn't prevented it. A certain vixen had still slipped through.
She even wrote "Love you, muah," and it was at night in a hotel room. If that wasn't a vixen, Zhu Zhuqing wouldn't believe it even if she were beaten to death!
At this moment, in Star Dou Great Forest, Chu Chengzhou had no idea that his good deed was about to be exposed.
At dusk the next day, a carriage stopped not far from the entrance of the Heaven Dou Grand Hotel.
Without getting out, Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing sat in the carriage, staking out through the window.
The two sisters wanted to see which vixen Chu Chengzhou had hooked up with outside.
They didn't go straight to wait at the door of Room 506. They were afraid the vixen might have scouts. If they saw the sisters waiting to catch someone, they might not come.
"Zhuqing, when the scumbag comes back, how should we sisters punish him?"
Ning Rongrong asked Zhu Zhuqing beside her.
After thinking, Zhu Zhuqing made a scissor gesture.
"T-that seems a bit much…"
Ning Rongrong hesitated.
That punishment would be thorough, very thorough. But without that thing, not only Chu Chengzhou would suffer. They would also suffer!
"Then what do you suggest?"
Cutting it off was out of the question, but Zhu Zhuqing couldn't think of a better method.
"Tie him up and hang him for three days and nights?"
"No. That guy has thick skin. Ten days wouldn't matter."
Zhu Zhuqing shook her head.
Suddenly, Ning Rongrong's eyes lit up with an idea. "How about this. We feed him medicine, but don't give him anything! Make him stew for a few days—half a month—no, a month. Let him explode!"
Chu Chengzhou: Did you hear that?
"No. You'll defect."
Zhu Zhuqing shook her head again.
The plan sounded good, but she was sure Ning Rongrong would betray the revolution in less than three days.
And without question, Chu Chengzhou was stronger than the three sisters. Once he cast his illusion arts and got handsy, they might not be able to refuse.
Besides, what if he couldn't hold it and went out to find a vixen? Wouldn't that be losing the chicken and the rice?
"If not this and not that, then what should we do?"
Ning Rongrong pulled a bitter face.
"I don't know. How about we wait for Xiao Wu to come back and discuss it together?"
"Fine. First we'll catch the vixen. When Xiao Wu returns, we'll plan how to punish the scumbag!"
Ning Rongrong huffed.
Time passed. Night fell. An hour later.
In that hour, many carriages and pedestrians came to the hotel, but none fit the target in their minds.
What was the target?
First, a beautiful woman, because if she wasn't a beauty, Chu Chengzhou would not be moved.
Second, the vixen must either have outstanding poise or be a genius soul master.
Looks alone weren't enough. There were many beautiful women on the continent. Chu Chengzhou wouldn't fall for just any pretty face, much less hook up.
"Zhuqing, Zhuqing, another carriage came."
Seeing another carriage arrive at the hotel entrance, Ning Rongrong tugged Zhu Zhuqing.
"Eh? That carriage belongs to Spirit Hall?"
Sharp-eyed, Zhu Zhuqing saw the angel badge hanging on the carriage.
On the continent, only Spirit Hall used the angel badge.
"Huh? It really is! Wait, is that Hu Liena?"
Originally, seeing the angel badge, Ning Rongrong hadn't cared.
This was Heaven Dou City, not Spirit Hall's base. Given their opposing stances, it was unlikely Chu Chengzhou would hook up with a female soul master from the Heaven Dou Spirit Temple.
But Ning Rongrong never expected that the one getting off the carriage would be Hu Liena, the newly invested Saintess of Spirit Hall and their former opponent at the tournament!
In that moment, Ning Rongrong was certain—the vixen they would catch tonight was Hu Liena!
No wonder the letter said, "I've arrived in Heaven Dou City"!
Hu Liena had originally been in Spirit City. Now she was in Heaven Dou. "I've arrived in Heaven Dou City," indeed.
"Waa—It's that fox vixen Hu Liena. Zhuqing, what should I do!"
Nose stinging, Ning Rongrong hugged Zhu Zhuqing, tears welling up.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and Spirit Hall did not get along. They were potential rivals.
Chu Chengzhou being hooked by Hu Liena, that vixen—wasn't that defecting to the enemy?
As the young miss of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, how was she to handle herself in the future?
Against ordinary vixens, Ning Rongrong had one hundred percent confidence she could drive them off. But Hu Liena was the new Saintess and so beautiful. She had no assurance she could drive her off.
What if the vixen whispered in his ear and had Chu Chengzhou drive Ning Rongrong away instead?
"Don't panic. Maybe this Hu Liena isn't the vixen. Let's go up and see first."
Seeing her sister's tears, Zhu Zhuqing quickly comforted her.
"Right, right. Maybe the vixen isn't Hu Liena!"
Hearing this, Ning Rongrong clung to a life-saving straw, comforting herself.
After all, Hu Liena was Spirit Hall's Saintess, not a casual woman.
Moreover, Chu Chengzhou had little contact with her. Back at the Soul Master Tournament, they hadn't seemed especially close. Maybe she was overthinking it.
Even so, both Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing had a premonition that the unknown vixen was eight or nine times out of ten Hu Liena.
After waiting over ten minutes, if the vixen really was Hu Liena, she should be in Room 506 by now. So the sisters stepped down from the carriage and entered the Heaven Dou Grand Hotel.
"Welcome. How may I help you, young ladies?"
As soon as they entered, a smiling attendant greeted them.
"Take us to Room 506. Someone booked it earlier!"
They had never stayed at the Heaven Dou Grand Hotel before, so Ning Rongrong didn't know where Room 506 was. But that didn't matter—someone would lead the way.
"Young ladies, Room 506 is on the fifth floor. Please follow me!"
The attendant bowed and led them up the stairs toward the fifth floor.
T/N: For up to 30 chapters ahead on most of my translations, become a p@tron at [email protected]/LordHipposApostle