Chapter 18 – A Gift from the Pope
"Where is His Holiness Qin Chuan?"
As the cardinal descended steadily from the sky, the armored royal guards who had been on high alert sprang into action.
The clash of metal echoed through the air, accompanied by the whistling of blades slicing through the wind. From all directions, the sharp tips of swords closed in on the cardinal like a deadly storm.
But before any blade could reach him—
A wave of soul power rippled outward. Eight soul rings gleamed brilliantly in succession, bathing the cardinal in dazzling golden light. In an instant, a radiant golden bell formed around his body like divine armor descending from the heavens.
"Buzz—"
A resonant hum shook the ground as a golden shockwave burst out from the bell, expanding like a tidal wave.
The armored soldiers were repelled instantly, groaning in pain as they crashed to the ground. Their formation shattered.
This was the power of a high-ranking defensive Soul Master from Spirit Hall—a soul fighter whose defense was impervious to the strikes of ordinary men. A single counter was enough to send nearly a hundred elite soldiers flying.
The cardinal stood tall and unyielding, his eight soul rings revolving around him like celestial bodies. Wrapped in gold, he was like a divine war god. In his hands, he carried a long wooden box, about one meter in length.
He swept his gaze across the surroundings until his sharp eyes finally rested on the royal carriage.
Inside, Qian Renxue sat calmly, her expression unreadable.
Behind her, the curtain of the carriage was pulled aside—and a young man stepped out slowly, his presence causing a subtle stir.
It was Qin Chuan.
He didn't look at the cardinal immediately. Instead, his eyes roamed the area, taking stock of the situation.
The earlier commotion had drawn the attention of everyone nearby. The Royal Knights had drawn their swords, ready for battle. Members of the fifteen participating teams began arriving as well, their expressions solemn and cautious.
Behind the royal carriage trailed a black carriage that had been following closely for days.
Qin Chuan frowned slightly.
He knew who was inside.
Right then, the curtain of that black carriage was lifted, and two slender silhouettes stepped out gracefully.
It was Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing.
The two girls had rejoined the royal entourage just two days prior after leaving the Shrek Academy's tournament team. They had asked—no, insisted—on meeting Qin Chuan again.
Considering the immense power behind Ning Rongrong, Qian Renxue couldn't forcefully deny their request. She reluctantly allowed them to tag along.
Unexpectedly, they became like stubborn clinging vines.
Ning Rongrong was firm and decisive—already showing the sharpness of a future matriarch of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. She declared that she wanted to follow Qin Chuan and personally attend to his daily life.
Whether to win him over or for other reasons, the young heiress had gone to great lengths.
Zhu Zhuqing, however, had only one request:
She wanted Qin Chuan to accompany her to the Star Luo Empire—to sever ties with her clan once and for all.
It was only then that Qian Renxue and Ning Rongrong learned of Zhu Zhuqing's tragic identity. Despite her quiet demeanor at Shrek, she carried a heavy past.
In return, she was willing to give everything—her loyalty, her strength, even her body.
All for the chance to live her life freely and break away from the cruel fate that bound her like a cursed chain.
Qin Chuan, of course, refused.
He didn't have the time or energy for such entanglements.
Right now, he had only two goals:
First, eliminate Tang San—to remove the hidden threat once and for all.
Second, return to the Tiandou Empire with Qian Renxue, retrieve the Vast Sea Universe Cover, and proceed to Sea God Island.
He had already made the plan with Qian Renxue. Once the All-Continent Soul Master Tournament concluded, they would act quickly and avoid unnecessary complications.
But the two women were relentless.
After being rejected, Ning Rongrong simply arranged her own carriage to trail the royal convoy, refusing to give up.
Qian Renxue was left with no choice but to allow it.
Now, after hearing the explosion and chaos earlier, the two women had come out to investigate.
"People from the Spirit Hall?" Ning Rongrong's brows knitted as she saw the cardinal in his bright red robes. "What business do they have with His Majesty Qin Chuan?"
Qin Chuan said nothing.
He was staring at the man in red robes, deep in thought.
He recognized him. A well-known cardinal from Spirit Hall, possessing one of the strongest defensive martial souls—the Golden Bell.
But why was he here?
Could this be Bibi Dong's doing?
That woman still hadn't given up?
The cardinal, despite the tension, showed no signs of anger. Instead, he smiled faintly and raised the long wooden box high above his head.
"The Pope of the Holy Temple heard that His Majesty Qin Chuan was participating in the tournament," he said respectfully. "She has sent me to deliver a gift on her behalf."
Ning Rongrong exchanged a glance with Zhu Zhuqing, both of them stepping down from the carriage.
"What's in the box?" Ning Rongrong asked, voicing what everyone was wondering.
What kind of item would Pope Bibi Dong personally send?
And why would she send it to Qin Chuan of all people?
What exactly was Qin Chuan's identity?
Why would someone as powerful as Bibi Dong personally acknowledge him?
"The Pope said," the cardinal replied with a light laugh, "that once His Majesty sees it, he will understand her intentions."
Ning Rongrong turned and looked at Qin Chuan, who was still standing atop the royal carriage's shaft, his expression unreadable.
She smiled mischievously and asked, "Your Majesty, will you accept it?"
The familiarity in her tone was noticed immediately.
At that moment, the Shrek team had just arrived.
Oscar's heart sank as he saw the scene.
"Rongrong… So you really are here…"
Dai Mubai turned to Zhu Zhuqing, his expression conflicted and pained.
"Zhuqing," he called softly. "Is this really your decision?"
"You still don't believe in me? Are you really giving up?"
Zhu Zhuqing turned her head, her gaze calm, her voice devoid of emotion.
"What do you want me to believe in?"
"Dai Mubai, I came all the way from Star Luo because I wanted to fight fate with you. But you never gave me any hope. I saw no future with you."
"I don't want to die—I just want to live."
"Must I tie myself to you and perish with a man who can't protect anything?"
"I don't want to die!"
Her words were cutting and raw.
When Zhu Zhuqing first came to the Tiandou Empire, she held hope. She wanted to believe that her fiancé could help her fight against her destiny.
But after joining Shrek and hearing the way Dai Mubai spoke—his arrogance, his irresponsibility—her hopes slowly crumbled.
She had once resolved to leave.
But she gave him another chance, returning to watch, to see if he would change.
He didn't.
Without Tang San's help, without the immortal herbs he brought, the entire team would've been helpless.
That was not the kind of man Zhu Zhuqing wanted.
It wasn't until she met Qin Chuan that she realized what she truly sought.
A real man.
A strong man.
A man who didn't need to rely on anyone else.
Qin Chuan was everything Dai Mubai was not.
So, she followed Ning Rongrong without hesitation.
Not just to escape fate—but because, deep in her heart, she admired the strong.
It was instinct. A natural attraction embedded in her very bones.
————-
Pump up the power stone