Spirit City
Pope Bibi Dong sat at her desk, eyes narrowing at the weighty bundle of parchment in her hand.
"This is… so thick?"
She flipped the document over. Dozens of pages, neatly bound. Word count—close to 200,000.
A theoretical report? Submitted through the Spirit Newspaper?
Usually, research reports submitted for her attention ran no longer than ten thousand words. This one was different. Someone had poured immense effort into it. And judging by the seal, it had been passed directly to her for personal review.
Out of curiosity—and due to her relatively open schedule outside of cultivation and court management—Bibi Dong began reading.
An hour passed.
Her expression shifted from mild curiosity to thoughtful intensity.
"This author… truly understands spirit master theory."
Case by case, example by example, the writer drew on verifiable historical records—all preserved within the Spirit Hall's archives. The logic was airtight. The analysis was meticulous. There were no flaws she could find.
"This is a talent on par with Xiao Gang."
She mentally bookmarked several passages. One argument particularly stood out:
"The greatest utility of the agility-type system lies not in assassination, but in reconnaissance."
"Why has no one thought of this before?"
Perhaps… the Spirit Master world had been too obsessed with power.
Her mind jumped to the Min Clan—the Speed Clan abandoned by the Haotian Sect. Their patriarch, despite being only a Spirit Douluo, possessed such speed that even she, a Super Douluo, couldn't confidently keep up.
That clan was suffering, left in obscurity and hardship.
"If we sponsored them… could we make them ours?"
Speed was precious—especially in war. If Spirit Hall was to unify the continent, scouts like that could be invaluable.
And the Haotian Sect's grudge? She considered blaming it on the former Pope, distancing current leadership from past aggression.
Then her eyes drifted to the signature at the bottom of the report.
"Tang San."
She furrowed her brows. That name… not in any of the known scholar registries.
She rang a bell.
A Spirit Newspaper officer arrived swiftly.
"Where did this theory come from?" she asked coolly.
"Reporting to Your Majesty the Pope—it came from Nuoding City. The branch hall master there, Matthew Nuo, submitted the author's full report and a sealed letter. He said Your Majesty must read it personally."
The officer presented the envelope.
Bibi Dong lifted her hand. The letter flew into her grasp as if summoned.
She broke the seal and read.
Name: Tang San
Origin: Holy Spirit Village
Status: Adopted grandson of Village Chief Jack
Martial Soul: Mutated Blue Silver Grass
Innate Soul Power: Level six—but in areas with Blue Silver Grass, cultivation speed is comparable to innate full soul power.
Progress: Reached level 10 in three months.
First Soul Ring: With assistance from Spirit Hall, hunted a 500-year strangler fig. Gained the soul skill: Endless Life.
Bibi Dong arched an eyebrow, her voice a murmur.
"Interesting. Mutated Blue Silver Grass? That spirit is usually seen as trash, but… a 500-year ring as the first?"
She continued reading:
"After obtaining the soul ring, Tang San's spirit power directly rose to level 17. Additionally, his spirit mutated again, even causing physical changes."
Two portraits were attached. One pre-awakening—plain, ordinary. The second—noticeably more delicate and striking.
"A benign physical mutation... rare, but not unheard of," Bibi Dong mused. "Still—seventeen levels of spirit power after the first soul ring? Ridiculous."
She knew well that spirit mutations could affect the body, sometimes permanently—beast features, elemental affinities. Nobles often snatched such children away to serve their own ends.
But this was something else.
"Tang San noted that the strangler fig's soul ring was highly compatible with his mutated Blue Silver Grass. Absorption was smooth, with no wasted energy. He also reported external energy entering his body during the process. We believe this to be a rare case of heaven and earth energy infusion."
That confirmed her suspicion.
"An encounter of fate. A once-in-a-century event."
She read further—Tang San had declined Spirit Hall recruitment, citing concerns over intellectual restriction. He preferred experimenting with his own martial soul theories while young, using himself as a subject.
Ma Xiunuo personally vouched for him, praising Tang San for helping both Su Yuntao and Si Si select optimal soul rings. They'd each experienced minor spirit evolution and obtained ideal soul skills.
Bibi Dong tapped the parchment thoughtfully.
"What an insightful child. He's already altering others' soul paths. I daresay, even I might not teach him better."
For a moment, she considered summoning Chrysanthemum Douluo or Ghost Douluo to escort Tang San to Spirit City.
But she dismissed the idea.
Spirit Academy, after all, had strict instruction and an arrogant faculty. Most instructors were Spirit Masters who wouldn't tolerate correction—certainly not from a seven-year-old child, no matter how brilliant.
And she couldn't just grant him library access and research authority. That would spark resentment among those who had earned their rank through years of service.
No—she would let Tang San continue to grow on his own.
If he turned out mediocre, it would save her the trouble.
If he continued to shine?
Well, then she could approach him when the time was right.
For now, he deserved a reward.
She passed the theory and Tang San's file to the Titled Douluos of Spirit Hall and also to Hu Liena, Xie Yue, Yan.
Their reactions came quickly.
"This is… unbelievable!"
"Only seven years old?!"
"Ma Xiunuo should have forced him to join the Hall!"
"Your Majesty, let us bring him to Spirit City. Even as an auxiliary type, his cultivation speed rivals innate full soul power!"
Bibi Dong raised a hand.
"I've decided to let Tang San develop on his own for now."
Her voice cut clean through the chatter.
"Instead, tell me—how much do you think this theory is worth?"