"If there's nothing else, you may leave," Qian Xun Ji waved his hand dismissively.
"Your Holiness, there is one more matter," Liu Feng, an attendant of the Spirit Hall who had been waiting nearby, quickly stepped forward as the Pope turned to leave.
"Hmm? What else?"
Liu Feng hurriedly presented a document and said, "A small city on the border of the Heaven Dou Empire was attacked by Spirit Beasts. The city was destroyed with heavy casualties, and even the surrounding villages were wiped out by the beasts. Our Spirit Hall branch there was also destroyed, and all the Soul Masters stationed there were killed."
"The main branch sent Soul Masters for rescue, but they too were attacked by Spirit Beasts. We suspect a powerful fifty-thousand-year Spirit Beast was behind this disaster, so we request reinforcements."
Liu Feng spoke tearfully, his words brief but undoubtedly describing a major catastrophe. After all, Soul Masters and Spirit Beasts have always been natural enemies. While Soul Masters hunt Spirit Beasts, the beasts can also launch attacks on human villages and cities.
A fifty-thousand-year Spirit Beast is equivalent in strength to a Soul Douluo. Moreover, a Spirit Beast of that level would never act alone—it would surely have its own forces. Not to mention ordinary Spirit Hall branches, even main branches in large cities rarely have Soul Douluos to spare.
Historically, the reason the royal families of the Star Luo Empire and the Heaven Dou Empire could establish their vast empires was because their ancestors exterminated the Spirit Beasts in certain regions, killing the most powerful beasts and dismantling entire Spirit Beast tribes, thereby intimidating the surrounding beasts from attacking. Only then could they build their mighty empires.
The same was true for the Clear Sky Sect. The Clear Sky Sect defended its land, which is why it has the Clear Sky Sect and Clear Sky City today. Clear Sky City has no city lord because it belongs to the Clear Sky Sect's territory. Protecting the city is the sect's own responsibility, beyond the jurisdiction of even the Spirit Hall and the Heaven Dou royal family.
Thus, the Clear Sky Sect possesses inherited Spirit Bones, as their ancestors slew countless Spirit Beasts, inevitably acquiring Spirit Bones that have been passed down through generations.
Hearing the attendant's report, Qian Xun Ji's eyes turned icy, his gaze sharp enough to kill as he stared at the attendant. "You dare trouble me with such trivial matters?"
!!!!
The look terrified the attendant, causing his legs to buckle as he collapsed to the ground. He couldn't understand what he had said wrong!
Wasn't the Spirit Hall, as the sacred land of Soul Masters, supposed to deal with Spirit Beasts?
"Hmph." Qian Xun Ji snorted coldly and turned to leave, heading toward the Elder Hall, where his daughter Qian Renxue currently was.
What did some rural villages being attacked by Spirit Beasts have to do with him? That was the Heaven Dou royal family's responsibility. A bunch of ordinary people who weren't even Soul Masters couldn't compare to visiting his daughter.
Seeing Qian Xun Ji depart, the red-robed elders also turned and left without a second glance at the attendant still sitting on the ground. To them, even deciding what to eat for lunch was more important.
The weakest among them were Soul Douluos, but asking them to spend significant time traveling to the border was out of the question. This matter naturally fell under the Heaven Dou royal family's jurisdiction. To the noble Soul Masters of the Spirit Hall, ordinary people were nothing more than statistics.
"I heard the Spirit Hall Academy has a few talented students this year."
"Esteemed elders!"
"Oh? If the talent is decent, I might consider taking them as a disciple."
"Please proceed."
"Hey, Ghost, my hair's been a bit dry lately."
"Help me out."
"You'd be better off practicing the Martial Soul Fusion Technique than worrying about your hair."
"Those people—"
Liu Feng's voice was drowned out by the elders' chatter. It wasn't that they hadn't heard him—with their cultivation, they could discern words even in the noisiest environments—they simply chose to ignore him.
Watching the retreating figures, Liu Feng felt utterly hopeless. He was the main hall master sent to investigate. By the time he arrived, corpses littered the ground, and countless Spirit Beasts were feasting on the remains. It was a scene straight out of hell. Even if he had wanted to rescue anyone, it was impossible. The powerful Spirit Beast was beyond his capabilities, which was why he had come to seek the elders' assistance.
Click, click, click. Just as all the elders had left, the sound of high heels suddenly echoed from the shadows of the Papal Hall.
"You said a city was attacked by Spirit Beasts?"
Hearing the voice, Liu Feng jolted and quickly looked up. A graceful figure emerged from the darkness—a place he was certain had been empty moments ago.
Upon seeing the woman, Liu Feng froze momentarily. She appeared to be in her early twenties, exuding elegance and nobility. Her goose-yellow robes accentuated her regal bearing, with a forehead like the moon and eyes like stars. But what captivated him most were her brows—sharp as swords, adding a commanding, imperial aura to her dignified presence.
As the woman approached, Liu Feng snapped out of his daze and stood up abruptly. "Who are you? Why are you in the Papal Hall? Are you from the Spirit Hall?"
His suspicion was warranted. Members of the Spirit Hall, regardless of gender, wore distinct robes to signify their rank—even the Pope had her own papal attire. Yet, this woman wore none of the Spirit Hall's garments.
Logically, no one without the Spirit Hall's robes should be here. But if she wasn't from the Spirit Hall, how had she entered the Papal Hall?
The woman glanced at him coldly. "Bibi Dong."
Liu Feng was momentarily stunned. The name felt vaguely familiar, but he couldn't place it—until it suddenly clicked. "Former Saintess Bibi Dong! But... you disappeared. How—"
His words were cut short as Bibi Dong's slender hand clamped around his throat. Despite being a Soul King—a formidable rank—Liu Feng found himself powerless against her. She hadn't even summoned her Martial Soul; her sheer Soul Power alone completely suppressed him.
"Don't call me by that title," Bibi Dong's voice was icy, dripping with venomous hatred.
In the next instant, a black spider the size of an egg—resembling a black widow—crawled out from Bibi Dong's sleeve and sank its fangs into Liu Feng's neck.
Gurgle— Agonizing pain wracked Liu Feng's body as he struggled futilely against her grip. Black threads spread from the wound, snaking through his veins toward his head. Soon, his eyes turned pitch-black—though the darkness faded as quickly as it had appeared, leaving no trace behind.
With a snap, Bibi Dong released her grip, but Liu Feng now stood motionless as if controlled, no different from usual except for a black spider mark on his neck.
"Lead the way."
"Yes, Lady Bibi Dong." Liu Feng nodded and turned to leave the Papal Hall. Meanwhile, Bibi Dong glanced in the direction where Qian Xun Ji had vanished, her face twisting into a snarl as she muttered, "One day, I will pluck every single feather from you Six-Winged Angels!"
With that, she disappeared like a ghost.