"Finally here. Heaven Dou City isn't even as big as my own Himeji City."
Xingbu Ji panted slightly as she looked up at the towering city walls. Although Heaven Dou City was luxurious, it still paled in comparison to her Himeji City. The entrance to the city was crowded with people. Xiao Qi had said that currently, the Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire were the two strongest nations on the Douluo Continent. Although the Spirit Hall had the most powerful Titled Douluo, it wasn't a country—merely a gathering place for a few powerful soul masters. Without some fortuitous opportunity, it was bound to be crushed by the two great empires.
"There are too many people. Let's release our martial spirits. Soul Saints are allowed direct entry into Heaven Dou City."
After standing in line for ten minutes and barely moving a few meters under the blazing sun, Lin Xuan couldn't take it anymore. He pulled out a small booklet and spoke to Xingbu Ji. The booklet had been made for him by Aunt Semiramis. Other than Nero, it was the Empress who doted on the siblings the most. The booklet contained notes on the Douluo Continent's current power structure and important things to watch for, painstakingly compiled overnight after questioning Lanqiu.
"Ah! A Soul Saint!"
As soon as Xingbu Ji released her soul rings, the nearby civilians and rogue soul masters respectfully stepped aside. Everyone knew they were here to register, and the crowd parted to make way. The gate guards also respectfully saluted and allowed them through without hindrance. The belief that "strength is paramount" was deeply ingrained in the minds of everyone on the Douluo Continent.
Even after entering the city, it was still incredibly crowded. The smells from roadside stalls made Xingbu Ji's mouth water, but Lin Xuan had to pull her back before she went off to eat. Right now, registration is the priority. Once that was done, she could eat all she wanted back in Chaldea.
After half an hour of squeezing through the throngs of people, they finally arrived at the gate of the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy. Just one look at the crowd almost made Lin Xuan lose his temper. There were at least seventy thousand people gathered here to register, but the Royal Soul Master Academy only accepted a thousand students. More than half of the crowd were clearly over sixteen—opportunists hoping to slip through the cracks. Unfortunately, the only option was to wait in line—cutting wasn't allowed.
"Hey, pretty girl. Want to take a shortcut with Big Brother? I guarantee your admission."
While the two of them were waiting in line, a boy and an old man silently appeared behind them. Xingbu Ji was shocked. She hadn't even sensed them approaching. The old man's aura was powerful—probably a Titled Douluo. As a Soul Saint, she could feel an instinctive aversion and unease.
"Hey, why don't you piss off?"
Lin Xuan didn't hold back and coldly snapped at the young man. The boy smirked dismissively, not even bothering to look at Lin Xuan. But while the boy didn't care, the old man certainly did. He glared at Lin Xuan and shouted angrily:
"You dare insult His Highness the Sixth Prince? Kneel!"
As the old man roared, he also released his martial spirit. His soul ring configuration wasn't particularly extravagant—three yellow, one purple, and five black—but even at just Rank 92, the pressure of a Titled Douluo was enough to force everyone around to their knees. The crowd was terrified, unable to flee or even stand—they could only kneel and slowly retreat. Incidents of commoners suffering when experts fought were all too common.
Only Lin Xuan and Xingbu Ji remained unaffected. Xingbu Ji, being a Heroic Spirit, was immune to such pressure unless her spiritual foundation was fully manifested. As for Lin Xuan, raised under Nero's imperial training, he had an innate royal presence. As a prince, he would never kneel to another's servant. The oppressive aura of the Titled Douluo didn't faze him in the slightest.
"How interesting. Kill the guy. Knock out the Soul Saint girl and bring her to me. I want her for myself."
Even Xingbu Ji's face darkened upon hearing that. She considered ways to kill the arrogant brat while the old man was distracted—but after thinking it through, she realized she lacked sufficient offensive abilities. All she could do was figure out how to escape and hope Xiao Qi would arrive in time to save them—he was surely watching all this unfold.
"Your Highness, please don't cause trouble at the academy gates. Let us handle this."
At that moment, the commotion had drawn the attention of the principal and vice principals of the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy. Smiling nervously, they tried to calm the Sixth Prince. If word got out that female applicants were being harassed, especially beautiful ones, who would dare come register?
"Hmm? Are you questioning me?"
A cold gleam flashed in the Sixth Prince's eyes. The principals immediately panicked and bowed apologetically. Though they were Soul Douluos, none of them dared oppose the Emperor's most pampered son, especially with a Titled Douluo beside him. They might curse him in private, but never to his face.
"That prince is snatching women in broad daylight again, isn't he? Headache-inducing. Why do all the talents still prefer to join the empire rather than Spirit Hall?"
Meanwhile, in the Heaven Dou City branch of the Spirit Hall, a Platinum Archbishop sighed helplessly. One of the six Platinum Archbishops and a Rank 95 Super Douluo, he wasn't highly respected here. The Heaven Dou Empire had far more Titled Douluo, and even if he were killed, the Pope might not be able to avenge him. So he usually avoided meddling in affairs.
Knock knock knock!
"Come in."
As he was sighing, someone knocked on the door. Curious, he waved to the Spirit Hall elder outside. The Pope hadn't contacted him in half a year. Supposedly, the Pope was in seclusion, trying to break through to Rank 99. Why the sudden message?
He opened the letter in front of the elder, not bothering with secrecy—everyone here was family.
Before he could finish reading, the Archbishop vanished from his seat, leaving only a single sentence behind:
"Gather everyone above Soul Saint level—go to Heaven Dou Imperial Academy immediately!"
His voice echoed throughout the branch. All the elders were stunned. Realizing something big was happening, they immediately geared up and rushed to the academy.
The letter from the Pope had contained only one order: protect a Soul Saint woman and a young Grandmaster boy. Their description matched the two the Archbishop had sensed outside the academy gate.
"Martial Soul True Form! Lin Xuan, run!"
Xingbu Ji attacked first—her first, third, fifth, and seventh soul rings lit up as she transformed into a giant fox and lunged at the Titled Douluo. Her first skill, Paperfold, summoned countless origami cranes. Her third and fifth skills, Lost and Allure, were control abilities. But the Titled Douluo didn't take her seriously—such a power gap couldn't be bridged with mere soul skills. The battle, now taking place in a crowded area, threw the crowd into chaos. People fled in all directions, panic spreading rapidly.
"Hmph!"
Lin Xuan released his martial spirit—the Zhuxian Sword—and charged at the Sixth Prince. In his view, escape was impossible; the only chance was to take the prince hostage.
When Lin Xuan released his martial spirit, the principals were shocked, not by the number of rings, but by how strange the configuration was: one yellow, one purple. It stunned them into inaction. That gave Lin Xuan the opening he needed. The Sixth Prince, although also a Grandmaster, was no match for Lin Xuan.
"Ahhh!"
Lin Xuan's sword broke through the prince's second soul skill, sending him fleeing in panic. Lin Xuan hadn't expected the prince's martial spirit to be a crown—a support-type for team enhancement, with little self-defense capability. No wonder he needed a Titled Douluo bodyguard—any strong Grandmaster could crush him.
"Stop!"
"How dare you!"
The principals finally reacted and unleashed a barrage of control skills on Lin Xuan. Though they appeared aggressive, they were all non-lethal abilities. They had developed an appreciation for Lin Xuan's talent, so much so that they were willing to offend the prince to protect him. If Lin Xuan could be recruited into the Heaven Dou Empire, he could become the next great figure like the Pope.
Lin Xuan didn't know their intentions. His first soul ring lit up, negating all the control effects. He lunged again and this time, successfully seized the Sixth Prince, holding his sword to his throat. The prince trembled, too scared to speak.
"Young man, calm down!"
"Let him go, quickly!"
"Sigh... what a mess."
The principals were now truly panicking. The situation had escalated. Even if they wanted to protect Lin Xuan, they couldn't. Lin Xuan realized what they were thinking, but there was no time to care. Above him, Xingbu Ji was on the verge of collapse.
Though he had the prince hostage, Xingbu Ji had been severely beaten. Her martial soul form dissipated, and she fled toward Lin Xuan, badly injured. Lin Xuan wanted to help, but the Titled Douluo had him locked in. If he lost focus, he'd be killed instantly. He began considering whether to use his trump card.
"Release His Highness, or you'll wish you were dead."
The old man said darkly. Just as he was about to strike, the Platinum Archbishop, having confirmed Lin Xuan's identity, suddenly appeared, seized the prince, and tossed him back to the old man.
The old man hurriedly caught the prince and began checking his injuries. The prince was still shaken—he'd thought he was dead for sure. Once he recovered, shame turned to fury. He glared at Lin Xuan and screamed:
"Grandpa Long, kill him!"
"Sixth Prince, that's enough. He is the Pope's disciple."
The Archbishop spoke gently, but the words hit like thunder. Everyone was stunned—civilians, soul masters, even the Sixth Prince and the old man. The old man immediately abandoned any thought of attacking. Even if he could win (which was doubtful), he'd be dead once the Pope got involved. The Pope had once defeated all living Titled Douluo. He may be old now, but no one dared provoke him.
"I don't care! Make him leave that woman behind, or all three of them die here!"
The prince had lost his mind. Even in the Heaven Dou Empire, killing a Super Douluo would have dire consequences. Both the old man and the Archbishop looked grim. Lin Xuan gave the prince a "you're an idiot" look. He glanced at the sky, silently blaming Xiao Qi for not stepping in, then turned to treat Xingbu Ji's wounds. He didn't know why the Titled Douluo was helping him, but for now, at least, he was safe.
"Click."
The Archbishop's heart sank. Two more Titled Douluo were approaching fast. Even though they had reinforcements, they couldn't risk further escalation—once Titled Douluo clashed, the outcome could be disastrous.
(End of Chapter)