Spirit City.
Three days had passed since Yun Chuan resolved the issue with the blood-sucking Evil Spirit Master and returned here.
During these three days, he had made a decision.
To go out and train!
With his current strength, ordinary training methods were no longer effective; he needed to seek other opportunities. Furthermore, since his transmigration and birth, Yun Chuan had rarely left Spirit City in the twelve years that followed.
Each time he went out, it was to specific locations to act as an ambassador, and incidentally, to help the struggling commoners. Afterwards, he would return to Spirit Hall, surrounded by a large retinue of attendants.
He was completely unable to go wherever he pleased.
He was now twelve years old.
From the perspective of this World, his age was no longer young.
Yun Chuan wanted to truly become independent, no longer wishing to hide under the protective wing of the Female Pope. If he continued like this, he would never grow up. Only by truly experiencing the tempering of trials, measuring the land with his own legs, reading ten thousand books, and traveling ten thousand miles, could he grow into a true man!
...
Bathed in the morning sunlight, Yun Chuan, whose appearance and temperament were too perfect to be of the mortal realm, arrived before the Supreme Pontiff Palace.
"Holy Son."
At the entrance of the Supreme Pontiff Palace, two knights in silver armor, guarding the palace, knelt on one knee when they saw the young man, who appeared to be fifteen or sixteen, walking towards them.
"Mm."
Yun Chuan nodded slightly to the two, acknowledging their greeting. Then, familiar with the route, he walked through the main gate and headed towards where the Female Pope was likely to be.
Inside the magnificent office hall.
A noble woman, dressed in a luxurious black robe with gold patterns and wearing a Nine-Curved Purple Gold Crown, sat on a grand throne, her head slightly bowed, diligently reviewing and approving documents.
The sound of footsteps came from the corridor outside the door.
The Female Pope was startled, slowly put down the documents in her hand, and looked towards the doorway. When she saw the young man, who seemed to be walking in with light, her sharp gaze instantly softened.
"Chuan'er, is something wrong?" The Female Pope's stunningly beautiful face revealed a hint of a smile, and she said in a very gentle tone, "Come here quickly."
"Mom, I'm not a child anymore." Looking at the Female Pope waving at him, Yun Chuan couldn't help but show a wry smile. But his body honestly walked forward, knelt beside the Female Pope, and then leaned his upper body onto her soft, jade-like legs, just like a child cuddling with his mother.
Of course, if one only considered his age and not his appearance, Yun Chuan, who was only twelve years old this year, was indeed a child. Even if he was now as tall as a fifteen or sixteen-year-old youth, in Bibi Dong's eyes, he was still an un-grown child.
Looking at the young man resting on her lap, Bibi Dong extended her delicate hand and dotingly stroked his head, saying softly, "Tell me, why did you come to see Mom?"
"Mom, I want to go out and train alone…" Before Yun Chuan could finish his sentence, the Female Pope immediately said without thinking, "No! I don't agree!"
"Mom, why?"
Receiving this unexpected answer, Yun Chuan's face immediately showed a look of confusion.
"Chuan'er, you're still too young. The outside World is very dangerous, and it's too risky for you to go alone…" The Female Pope stroked his head, earnestly saying, "Mom worries that you'll encounter danger."
"But… Mom, I'm already a Spirit Saint. Isn't that strength enough to protect myself?" Yun Chuan immediately showed a look of defiance and argued, "People from other great families and Sects can go out and train when they are only Spirit Ancestor or Spirit King. Why can't I, when I'm already a Spirit Saint?"
"…"
Seeing him present such undeniable facts, the Female Pope was momentarily speechless. She couldn't possibly tell him it was because she couldn't bear to let him go out and train so early.
"Since you insist on going out, then prove to Mom that you have the strength to protect yourself." Bibi Dong's beautiful eyes shifted, and a plan came to mind. Her tone softened slightly, and she said, "As long as you can complete one test, then I will allow you to go out and train."
"What test?" Yun Chuan's eyes showed a cautious expression. He had a feeling that the Female Pope agreeing so easily was definitely not that simple. There must be a trap waiting for him.
"You'll know tomorrow." Bibi Dong did not answer his question. This made Yun Chuan feel even more uneasy, sensing that the so-called test tomorrow would definitely not be simple.
...
The next day.
A desolate wilderness not far from Spirit City.
Looking at Chrysanthemum Douluo standing beside Bibi Dong, Yun Chuan said in a tone that sounded like he was about to cry, "Mom, if you don't want me to leave, just say so directly. Why beat around the bush like this?"
Just now, Bibi Dong had stated the condition for allowing him to go out: to fight Chrysanthemum Douluo!
When he heard this condition, Yun Chuan understood. His mother, the Supreme Pontiff, was clearly determined not to let him go out and train.
This was a Titled Douluo, after all! Although he was an unprecedented Seven-Ring All-Black Spirit Saint, whose spirit power was far more profound than ordinary Spirit Saints, and he possessed many powerful self-created Spirit Abilities, making his actual combat power conservatively estimated to be comparable to a Spirit Douluo.
However, between a Spirit Douluo and a Titled Douluo, even though it was only one major rank difference, that one rank difference was a World apart. How could he, a mere Spirit Saint, possibly defeat a Titled Douluo? Even activating the Plant Domain would be useless; the strength gap was too enormous. No matter what kind of plants he created, no matter how many plants, they could all be easily torn apart by a Titled Douluo. They simply couldn't harm a Titled Douluo.
Although a Titled Douluo also couldn't harm him when he was within his Domain. But Bibi Dong's requirement was for him to defeat a Titled Douluo, not to remain unharmed under a Titled Douluo's attack. These were completely different concepts.
Looking at Yun Chuan's crestfallen face, the Female Pope chuckled softly, then comforted him, "Alright, I'm not asking you to defeat Elder Yue Guan. You only need to withstand Elder Yue Guan's attacks for half an hour without being defeated. If you do that, you pass the test."
"Withstand for half an hour without defeat!" Yun Chuan's expression brightened upon hearing this; this was much simpler. He only needed to activate his Plant Domain, a Plant Domain covering a hundred-mile radius, and his entire aura would merge with the plants. Even Chrysanthemum Douluo, a Titled Douluo, wouldn't be able to find his true body. At that point, let alone half an hour, he could last half a year without a problem.
However, as if seeing through his thoughts, the Female Pope immediately added, "However, during this period, you cannot use the Plant Domain to cheat. You must face him head-on."
"Ah? Face a Titled Douluo head-on and last for half an hour without defeat?" Yun Chuan's previously joyful expression immediately fell, and he said with a forehead full of black lines, "Mom, how is this different from asking me to defeat Elder Yue Guan?"
This was a Titled Douluo! If he were to confront a Titled Douluo head-on, with his mere Spirit Saint strength, he probably wouldn't even last a few moves. After all, the strength gap between the two was simply too enormous. His attacks couldn't break through the opponent's defense, but if the opponent's attack hit him once, he might be severely injured. How could such a battle be fought?
"Hehe, don't worry. Mom isn't that unreasonable." The Female Pope looked at his pained little face and chuckled softly, "When fighting you, Elder Yue Guan will only use his first six Spirit Abilities. If you can force him to use any one of his last three Spirit Abilities, then you also pass the test. How about it, do you dare to challenge?"
"Only use the first six Spirit Abilities…" Yun Chuan's expression eased upon hearing this. He thought for a moment, analyzing the situation of both sides. He felt that he might not be without a chance to pass the test. After all, a Spirit Master's strength mostly came from Spirit Abilities. Even for a Titled Douluo, if the last three Spirit Abilities were restricted from use, their strength would definitely be greatly reduced.
In such a situation, his battle against him would definitely not result in being easily defeated in a few moves. Lasting for half an hour, or forcing him to use any one of his last three Spirit Abilities, might not be impossible to achieve.
"Good!"
After carefully analyzing the situation, Yun Chuan raised his head and said decisively, "I agree to take the test!"
"Heh, very good."
A faint smile immediately appeared on the Female Pope's beautiful face. She clearly wasn't optimistic about Yun Chuan passing the test. After all, even if a Titled Douluo was restricted from using their last three Spirit Abilities, a Spirit Master who had reached this rank—a dignified Titled Douluo—even if they could only use their first six Spirit Abilities…
Their battle experience, honed through countless trials, their years of refined power application techniques, and the profoundness and purity of the spirit power within their body, were all undiminished.
In such a situation, when a Titled Douluo-level Spirit Master faced a Spirit Saint-level Spirit Master, even if the last three Spirit Abilities couldn't be used, their actual combat power didn't decrease much. After all, just the spirit power and the power of the Spirit Abilities, under the enhancement of the Titled Douluo rank, were all at the Titled Douluo level.
And facing the attack of a Titled Douluo, what could a Spirit Saint use to resist?
Especially Elder Yue Guan, this one was the famous Chrysanthemum Douluo, an Elder whose Spirit could be used as a symbol on the Supreme Pontiff Token. A dignified Level 95 Titled Douluo, his strength far surpassed that of an ordinary Titled Douluo.
One must know that no Titled Douluo was simple.
Once strength reached the Titled Douluo stage, theoretically, one would have a basic lifespan of three hundred years, and for every level increase in spirit power thereafter, lifespan would increase by one hundred years. This meant that if one could reach Level 99 Limit Douluo, their lifespan would reach over a thousand years!
Of course, this was only the theoretical limit.
In reality, after a Spirit Master upgrades to the Titled Douluo realm, the rate of decline in their bodily functions will be greatly slowed. Therefore, the earlier one upgrades to Titled Douluo, the longer the Spirit Master can live, and the more likely they are to live to the theoretical limit of their lifespan.
But if one only becomes a Titled Douluo at seventy or eighty years old, then at that time, the aging of the Spirit Master's body is already inevitable, so even if they become a Titled Douluo, their actual lifespan will not increase much. Living to one hundred and twenty or thirty years old would already be considered long-lived.