Chapter 7: Reigning Over the World
Papal Palace.
Pope Bibi Dong sat high upon her throne, sifting through a stack of documents. Having recently ascended to the papacy, she had to personally handle many matters to consolidate her authority.
To speak truthfully, Bibi Dong's rise to power had not been smooth. Traditionally, the papacy had always been held by members of the Angelic Clan; she was the first outsider. The Hall of Elders still looked down on her, and resistance simmered beneath the surface.
The previous Pope, Qian Xunji, had died by Bibi Dong's own hand. Grand Elder Qian Daoliu had initially intended to execute her in revenge, but refrained for Qian Renxue's sake—he did not want the child to lose both her parents. So he begrudgingly supported Bibi Dong's succession, with the intention that Qian Renxue would reclaim the position in the future.
What Qian Daoliu never anticipated was how quickly Bibi Dong would slip from his control. Nor did he expect that his granddaughter would stray from the path laid before her—abandoning her cultivation and divine inheritance to impersonate a prince and infiltrate a kingdom. In doing so, she rendered all of his plans meaningless.
For now, Bibi Dong's priority was to stabilize her position and raise her strength. As long as the Hall of Elders did not openly oppose her, she was satisfied.
"Your Holiness," Ghost Douluo reported as he knelt respectfully, "this subordinate traveled to Majia Village intending to retrieve the child directly. However, by the time I arrived, someone had already taken him away."
Without lifting her gaze, Bibi Dong asked flatly, "Who took him?"
Ghost Douluo answered with calm composure, "Based on intelligence from our Heaven Dou City branch and scouts near the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest, the child was taken in as a disciple by Dugu Bo and is now residing at his estate."
As the most influential force on the continent, Spirit Hall had eyes and ears everywhere. While they could not uncover every secret, they monitored the movements of titled individuals like Dugu Bo closely—especially since he had made no effort to conceal the adoption.
"Understood. You may leave."
Bibi Dong's tone remained cold and indifferent, as if this development was beneath her concern.
In her vision, there was no place for so-called prodigies. Only true powerhouses mattered.
Once Ghost Douluo withdrew, the woman cloaked in regal gold robes continued reading documents. The golden brilliance of the Papal Palace reflected her elegance and dominance. Her presence alone was ethereal, and she seemed like the incarnation of divine might.
---
The sky gradually brightened as dawn broke across the horizon.
Dugu Chen, seated cross-legged in the courtyard, slowly opened his eyes. Everything around him seemed to glow with renewed life.
This was the dawn—a beginning. A brand new start.
In the past few days, Dugu Chen had been in seclusion, digesting the benefits of his first spirit ring and refining his elemental control. He had also been consciously avoiding any further conflict with Dugu Bo. As for Dugu Yan, she had also immersed herself in cultivation, and the two had not interacted since their previous encounter.
After cooling down, Dugu Yan quickly realized that Dugu Chen had gone easy on her. Despite their sparring, he hadn't used even a single spirit ability—everything he displayed had been raw physical strength and elemental control.
This awakened a sense of crisis within her.
Previously, she had always been praised as a genius by her grandfather and those around her. But now, a younger and even more talented cultivator had appeared. With her pride on the line, Dugu Yan immediately put aside any lingering emotions and threw herself into focused training.
Behind every genius lies not just talent, but also relentless effort. Without diligence, even the brightest spark fades.
Dugu Chen, however, aimed far higher than most. He didn't want to simply be called a genius—he wanted to stand at the pinnacle. And to do that, he had to work harder than anyone else.
This morning, he chose not to meditate on the rooftop. Instead, he sat on the open ground of the courtyard, unbothered by the dirt beneath him, facing the sunrise as he began his cultivation.
Since awakening his martial soul, he discovered that meditating directly on the earth greatly accelerated his spirit power absorption. He suspected this was due to the earth-element affinity of his martial soul.
As he activated his meditation technique, his thoughts cleared. The purple qi of dawn flowed into the spirit mark on his forehead. At the same time, a stream of energy surged from the earth, nourishing his body and reinforcing his cultivation base. The progress was clear and tangible.
Once his morning session ended, Dugu Chen devoured a breakfast fit for five. The servants whispered and exchanged glances behind his back, making his face flush in embarrassment despite his usual thick skin.
Ever since awakening his martial soul, his appetite had grown tremendously. At this rate, he feared he might one day eat Dugu Bo into poverty.
After breakfast, he returned to the courtyard to train his elemental control over earth and fire.
At present, he had only one spirit ability, an amplification-type. He lacked ranged offensive techniques and feared he would be too vulnerable to long-distance attacks.
That wasn't his style.
He intended to develop his control over elemental attributes to lay the foundation for self-created spirit abilities in the future. Dugu Bo had once commented that the elemental energies he wielded were extremely pure—likely bordering on the "extreme" threshold.
Dugu Chen's cultivation plan was simple: amplify early, burst later. Strike hard and fast. His recovery speed would ensure that even if the enemy survived the first wave, he could hit them again before they caught their breath.
He already had ideas brewing: Mu En's "Reigning Over the World" from ten thousand years in the future, and techniques like Dragon Emperor's Evil-Shattering Crack and Dragon Emperor's Domain Shock.
Was it plagiarism? Perhaps. But as a Spirit Master, drawing inspiration was fair game—and in this lifetime, he was the elder.
Mu En had been a true genius. Before twenty, he reached Spirit Emperor—surpassing even Shrek's original monster team. Without relying on immortal herbs, his talent alone had carried him to the peak. He could've become a god.
Reigning Over the World was a terrifying technique. It unified essence, qi, and spirit into a singular overwhelming pressure. Once the technique crushed an enemy's confidence, they would forever fear the user, unable to fight back even if they grew stronger.
Dragon Emperor's Evil-Shattering Crack and Domain Shock were combat skills Mu En had created himself. Evil-Shattering was especially potent against evil spirit masters.
These techniques integrated soul power, spirit abilities, combat tactics, and spiritual might into one devastating package. Originating from the Holy Light Dragon, they evolved with the user's cultivation and were formidable even against Super and Limit Douluo.
Though Dugu Chen did not possess a spiritual-type martial soul, his spiritual power had always been abnormal. Even before awakening, he had instinctively begun fusing spiritual and spirit power during meditation.
In this era, spirit-type techniques were almost extinct outside of spiritual attribute users. If he could master "Reigning Over the World," he could become a true nightmare among his peers.
Already, he could feel results taking shape.
---
Evening fell. Crimson light spread across the sky like flames.
"Junior Brother, are you there?"
A melodious voice called from around the corner.
Dugu Chen opened his eyes and saw Dugu Yan peeking in shyly. She wore a similar outfit to last time, but with a headband, her delicate face slightly red.
"Is something wrong, Senior Sister?"
Dugu Chen stood, rubbing his sore arms as he approached.
Looking at him now—handsome, with sword-like brows, glowing eyes, and steady spirit—Dugu Yan felt her heart skip. He was even more radiant than when he first arrived.
A faint blush crept onto her cheeks. Dugu Chen noticed but didn't tease her.
Instead, she grabbed his wrist and pulled him along toward the main hall.
"Grandpa returned today. He wants us to join him for dinner."
Dugu Chen blinked. He hadn't seen Dugu Bo since their sparring match. It seemed he had been away on important business.
Inside the main hall, Dugu Bo sat leisurely, sipping tea, smiling at them.
"Chen'er, are you settling in well?" he asked gently.
Dugu Chen looked up at the man in the green robe. His sharp eyes had softened, and his usually stern face held warmth.
Family affection—something Dugu Chen rarely experienced—melted into his heart. He treasured it deeply.
Looking at his teacher, Dugu Chen made a silent vow. When the time was right, he would reveal the secret method to detoxify the Jade Phosphor Serpent poison—and change the fate of the Dugu Clan forever.
---
After dinner, Dugu Chen shared his plan to walk the path of the extreme style. Dugu Bo nodded slowly after a moment of silence.
"I'm no extreme-style cultivator," Dugu Bo said. "But I've fought many in my day. I should be able to guide you. In fact, while I was out, I managed to acquire some of their cultivation notes."
Dugu Chen's brows lifted in shock. He instantly realized what had happened—Dugu Bo had visited the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and obtained their inheritance.
He must've paid a steep price for it.
Dugu Bo was a control-type Spirit Master, while the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan specialized in overwhelming offense. Outside of Spirit Hall, no one understood explosive power better.
Seeing Dugu Chen's expression, Dugu Bo patted his shoulder and laughed softly.
"No need for formalities between us, master and disciple."
Dugu Chen grinned and began massaging Dugu Bo's legs playfully. "Then your disciple will gratefully accept, Teacher."
Dugu Yan chimed in from the side, "Then Grandpa, what style should I cultivate?"
Dugu Bo laughed heartily and scooped her into his arms.
"No matter what style Yan Yan chooses, she'll still be the strongest."
With that, he held Dugu Chen's hand and led both children toward the dining hall, bathed in the warm light of familial affection.