Chapter 27: The Argument
"I still insist on appointing Hu Liena as Holy Maiden of Spirit Hall."
Inside the Elders' Hall of Spirit City, a woman of striking beauty stood before the assembled elders and Hall Guardians. Clad in a resplendent golden gown and crowned with a Nine-Curved Purple-Gold Diadem, she radiated authority.
She was Bi Bi Dong—the current Pope of Spirit Hall.
Her flawless face, usually serene, was now etched with icy fury. The source of her barely contained rage stood directly before her: an old man with silver-streaked hair.
Tian E.
Upon hearing her declaration once more, Tian E sneered. "On what grounds? Is she even worthy?"
"Hu Liena's talent and intellect are unmatched among Spirit Hall's youth. Why wouldn't she be worthy?"
"Has the Pope grown so busy she's forgotten her own house?" Tian E shot back. "Talent? We have better. Intellect? Forgive this old man's poor eyes—I see none."
The gathered elders exchanged weary glances. *Here we go again.* For over three years, every council meeting devolved into this same quarrel between the Second Hall Guardian and the Pope.
Same lines, same rhythm—Bi Bi Dong extolling Hu Liena's virtues, Tian E tearing them down. Their ears had long since calloused over.
"Old Ghost," Ju Douluo Yue Guan whispered to Ghost Douluo beside him, "how long this time? I bet a cup of tea."
"I'll take a full incense stick," Ghost Douluo replied—but before he could finish, Mo Xiong leaned in.
"Ah, count me in too!"
"Shoo! This is between me and Old Ghost!" Yue Guan waved him off, though Mo Xiong just grinned and stayed put.
Several other Hall Guardians watched the side bet with mild exasperation—but said nothing. They understood. After years of the same stale argument, even the usually stoic Qing Yu Douluo had dozed off mid-meeting.
Perhaps sensing the room's boredom—or simply tired of their own loop—the two combatants escalated.
"It's been three years," Bi Bi Dong said coldly. "Every time I propose a Holy Maiden, you block it. Speak plainly—what do you truly want?"
"Hmph. Nothing grand. Just an old man bored out of his mind."
Tian E crossed his arms, smirking.
"You—!"
Bi Bi Dong unleashed her 98th-level Super Douluo aura, jolting the dozing elders awake.
"Dare you flaunt your 98 levels before me?!"
Tian E retaliated instantly—his 99th-level Limit Douluo pressure flooding the hall like a tidal wave.
"Enough!" Yin Long Douluo, the Third Hall Guardian, stepped between them. "We're all of Spirit Hall! Don't give outsiders a show!"
A fight between a Limit Douluo and a Super Douluo wouldn't just be messy—it would level half of Spirit City.
Bi Bi Dong studied Tian E with narrowed eyes. *He was 98 like me just months ago… how did he break through at his age?*
"For my Third Brother's sake," Tian E finally relented, withdrawing his aura. He shot Bi Bi Dong one last icy glare.
"I oppose your Holy Maiden not out of spite—but to remind you, Pope, that Spirit Hall is not your personal fiefdom. Restrain yourself. We old men are still watching."
"I'm not blind. Before you took the Papacy, what was Spirit Hall's reputation among Spirit Masters? And now?"
"Don't treat me like Grandmaster Qian DaoLiu, who turns a blind eye for old loyalties. I have no such patience. Threaten Spirit Hall's survival or growth, and I won't hesitate to be the villain."
"Think on that, Your Holiness."
With that warning, Tian E turned to leave. At the hall's threshold, he paused.
"One last thing—tell Hu Liena to come to the training grounds tomorrow. If she truly dominates her generation… I'll grant her the title myself."
Once Tian E vanished, Ju Douluo—Bi Bi Dong's staunchest ally—approached her cautiously. Her knuckles were white around her scepter.
"What now, Your Majesty?"
Bi Bi Dong took a slow, steadying breath, quelling the murder in her heart. "Bring Na Na to the Papal Palace."
"At once, Your Majesty."
As Yue Guan disappeared through the doors, Bi Bi Dong exhaled once more—and strode out herself.
"Sigh…"
Yin Long Douluo rubbed his temples. After three years of deadlock, the Holy Maiden seat would finally be decided. Yet he felt no relief.
Ever since Tian E returned from Star Dou Great Forest three years ago, the Hall of Offerings had abandoned its traditional neutrality, aggressively intervening in Spirit Hall's affairs.
Where once the Papal Palace and Hall of Offerings politely ignored each other, now they clashed daily—sabotaging, obstructing, but never quite drawing swords.
"Third Brother, stop looking so grim," Sixteenth Hall Guardian Qian Jun Douluo said cheerfully. "Once Xue'er and Shuang'er come of age, all this will sort itself out."
"You don't understand," Yin Long replied with a bitter smile. Knowing the Qian sisters' methods, "sorting it out" likely meant *eliminating the problem physically.*
As a lifelong Spirit Hall loyalist, he stood with the Hall of Offerings—but he dreaded the bloodshed among their own.
"Instead of worrying," Qing Yu Douluo clapped him on the shoulder, "why not meditate? Ever since Second Brother broke through, I've been green with envy."
With Qian Ningshuang's guidance and Qian Chongling's return, even aging Hall Guardians were finding second winds—breakthroughs once thought impossible now within reach.
"…You're right." Yin Long sighed again. "Let's return to Douluo Hall."
As the Hall Guardians departed, the remaining elders exchanged uneasy glances. The Guardians' words had dropped heavy hints.
Most didn't know of Qian Ningshuang's martial soul or Qian Chongling's existence—only the Hall Guardian faction had that knowledge. Neutral and Papal-aligned elders were left in the dark.
*Perhaps… it's time to switch sides?* several thought. *What good are external alliances when power itself is within reach? If these old men can break through again… why not us?*