Returning to the Spirit HallThe Spirit Empire, Spirit City.
"I'm back······"
Gazing at this magnificent city that has withstood the test of time for millennia, Dai Yao was overwhelmed with emotion. Long-buried memories suddenly resurfaced, and all the bittersweet experiences of the past rushed back, leaving him speechless.
When he escaped from the Star Luo Empire and left the Heaven Dou Empire, he naively believed that this was his final destination, only to find out in the end that he was still just a passerby.
Arriving in haste, departing in haste, where is home?
Dai Yao lowered the brim of his straw hat, concealing his expression. But it was a blessing in disguise, forcing him to rely on himself and settle in Hanhai City, finally finding a true 'home'.
"Now, it's time to see the woman who drove me away."
Dai Yao raised his head slightly, a cold glint flashing in his golden eyes.
Back then, Bibi Dong wanted to kill him to end it all for various reasons, but he managed to escape. Looking back, he could understand Bibi Dong's choice.
After all, the relationship between himself, Hu Liena, and Bibi Dong was complicated and difficult to define at the time. If he were in Bibi Dong's position, he wouldn't know how to handle it either. Perhaps, like Bibi Dong did, eliminating him would have been easier.
Moreover, he had become entangled with Qian Renxue at that time.
But what could he do at the time?
He was constantly pushed forward by the soul beast forces hidden in the Hall of Worship. Only after he betrayed the Spirit Hall did he finally break free from the control of those soul beasts.
Dai Yao was also puzzled. Before leaving the Spirit Hall, he had told Bibi Dong everything. His motive for leaving was to hide the power of the spirit beasts in the Hall of Worship. But after so many years, why is the Spirit Hall still calm and without any movement?
Could it be that Bibi Dong let those soul beast forces go?
Or perhaps she reached a deal with those soul beasts?
If that's the case, his arrival in Wuhun City is tantamount to walking into a trap, but his current strength gives him the confidence to venture into this dangerous place.
"I want to see what exactly happened at the Spirit Hall! What's going on with this beast tide?!"
Dai Yao thought to himself.
Before coming to the Spirit Empire, Dai Yao rejected Ning Fengzhi's suggestion to come along. He was unsure whether Bibi Dong, that crazy woman, would put Ning Fengzhi under house arrest after meeting him, forcing the Green Lotus Sect and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to join the battle against the Heaven Dou Empire.
Even with Hu Liena's assurance, he couldn't take the risk.
Dai Yao walked slowly toward the massive city gate of Wuhun City.
Before he could take more than a few steps, he was stopped by heavily guarded soldiers.
"Halt! Who goes there? Take off your straw hat!"
A guard sized up the man in front of him, who was wearing a straw hat and whose entire attire was shrouded in a gray robe. He also had a long, cloth-wrapped weapon on his back. The guard shouted sternly to stop him.
The Holy City of Martial Souls will not allow anyone who hides or reveals their true identity to enter.
Dai Yao didn't say much. He flipped his right hand, and a token appeared in his palm.
Papal decree.
It's as if the Pope himself were present.
Bibi Dong had personally presented it to him years ago to signify his esteemed status. Over time, this token had been stored in Dai Yao's soul tool for several years, never seeing the light of day. Now that it had been taken out again, it was truly a poignant moment.
Upon seeing the papal decree, all the guards present were terrified and immediately knelt on one knee, respectfully saying in unison:
"Welcome, Your Holiness!"
Dai Yao curled his lip; it sounded rather ironic.
He, a man who betrayed the Spirit Hall, was treated with such respect by these guards who were loyal to the Spirit Hall.
"Get up, I want to see Bibi Dong."
Dai Yao said calmly.
Although it was extremely disrespectful to address the Pope by his given name, the guards acted as if they hadn't heard it, or rather, dared not hear it, and quickly made way for him to enter the city.
Dai Yao looked up at the three large characters 'Martial Soul City' written on the city gate, waved his robe, and strode into the holy city.
"I, the traitor to the Spirit Hall, have returned!"
······
The news that the holder of the Pope's Decree had returned to the Spirit Hall quickly spread throughout the entire Spirit City.
Only a handful of people in the world possess papal decrees.
The holders of the papal decrees bestowed by the previous Pope, Qian Xunji, have all disappeared—either they have passed away or they have been revoked. The current Pope, Bibi Dong, has only one papal decree.
Therefore, only one person in the world currently possesses the papal decree.
That was Dai Yao, the former 'traitor' of the Spirit Hall.
The story of Dai Yao's betrayal of the Spirit Hall back then is still somewhat shrouded in mystery.
At the time, Dai Yao caused such a huge commotion that almost all the bishops knew he had betrayed the Spirit Hall. But for some reason, Pope Bibi Dong did not send anyone to hunt him down. Instead, she used forceful methods to suppress the many bishops who were indignant and protected Dai Yao.
Although many bishops were indignant, they had no choice but to suppress their murderous intent towards Dai Yao due to Bibi Dong's prestige.
With the establishment of the Azure Lotus Sect by Dai Yao, which was then located in a secluded corner of Hanhai City, it gradually faded from everyone's view.
However, during the war between the three great empires, Hanhai City, as the largest power outside of the three great empires, still occasionally appeared in people's ears. But for some reason, Dai Yao, the sect leader of the Qinglian Sect, seemed to have disappeared without a trace.
However, several years later, Dai Yao reappeared, causing the entire continent to take notice.
He single-handedly stormed into the capital of the Heaven Dou Empire and, right under the noses of five Title Douluos of the Clear Sky Sect, killed an elder of the sect. Clearly, this young man's strength has grown to an extremely terrifying level.
Many people recall the legendary story of Dai Yao leading his men into the Star Luo Empire and killing the Star Luo Emperor and Empress in front of everyone.
When this young man makes a move, it will surely be earth-shattering.
Even the Spirit Hall cannot ignore the threat posed by this person now.
Of course, they didn't believe Dai Yao would dare to cause trouble in Wuhun City alone. They were eager to see what kind of person Dai Yao had become and what his purpose was in coming to Wuhun City this time.
Before long, even ordinary people in Wuhun City sensed the unusual atmosphere. The once high and mighty figures were now dressed formally, walking down the long street with solemn expressions, as if they were welcoming someone.
The road leading to Papal Hill gradually became crowded.
Soldiers maintained order, keeping ordinary people on both sides of the street. The various black-robed bishops, lined up on both sides, made the wide street look somewhat crowded.
A casual glance reveals no fewer than several thousand people.
Such a grand occasion could only be compared to the time when Saint Bibidon ascended to the papacy.
Standing at the head of all the bishops were two people. One was Xie Yue, a member of the Spirit Hall's golden generation, whose cultivation had now reached near-Soul Douluo level.
Yan, dressed in red, stood quietly, expressionless.
He once regarded Dai Yao as a friend, but this friend stole the heart of the person he loved most.
Xie Yue glanced at Yan out of the corner of his eye and said with a hint of emotion:
"It's unbelievable that in just a few years, Dai Yao's strength has increased to such a terrifying level. Even the five titled Douluo of the Haotian Sect couldn't do anything to him."
"When Dai Yao first joined the Spirit Hall, he was stronger than us, but only by a limited margin. Now, we can't even see his back. He has reached the top of the continent and is no longer on the same level as us."
Upon hearing this, Yan clenched his fists, his burning eyes, like magma, flashing with intense resentment and helplessness.
He was well aware of the gap between himself and Dai Yao.
He already knew when Hu Liena chose Dai Yao. Therefore, even though Dai Yao already had several female confidantes, he chose to respect Hu Liena's choice, quietly withdrew, and wished the two of them well.
However, with Dai Yao's betrayal of the Spirit Hall, a glimmer of hope suddenly rose in Yan's despairing heart.
After Nana and Dai Yao separated, it seems there's no chance they'll get back together. Maybe... just what if... he might take advantage of the situation and win Nana's heart?
That's what he thought, and that's what he did.
However, he did not directly express his feelings. Instead, he approached Hu Liena as a friend. But for some reason, after Hu Liena and Dai Yao were separated, she was not sad. Instead, she would often be absent-minded and would show a slightly shy smile that she had never shown in front of him before.
That's when he realized that he couldn't change Hu Liena's mind no matter what he did.
"Xie Yue, I know what you want to say."
"I'm indeed no match for him, and Nana made the right choice in selecting him. I'm standing here now just to see what that guy looks like. I want to know if the news that he single-handedly stormed into Heaven Dou City is true!"
Yan remained silent for a long time before speaking in a deep voice.
Hearing this, Xie Yue nodded in relief.
Today is the day Dai Yao returns to the Spirit Hall to meet the Pope. If Yan acts recklessly, it will be a devastating blow to his future.
Just then, several whooshing sounds suddenly rang out from Pope Hill, and two red lights flew over and hovered above the long street.
Upon recognizing the two individuals, gasps of surprise erupted from both sides of the street. Many ordinary people knelt on one knee, and the black-robed bishops bowed in unison, saying:
"Greetings, Elder Ghost, Elder Chrysanthemum."
No need for formalities.
Chrysanthemum Douluo's soft, feminine voice rang out. Ghost Douluo, his figure as ghostly as a shadow, stood beside Chrysanthemum Douluo.
As the Pope's most capable lieutenant, even when the battle was raging on the front lines, Chrysanthemum Ghost Douluo remained by the Pope's side in Wuhun City.
Of course, this is also because the Spirit Hall has produced several more Title Douluos in recent years, so there is no shortage of high-end combat power.
Now that Dai Yao has reappeared and recently achieved such an unbelievable feat, whether out of old friendship or respect for the strong, they must come out to greet him.
Suddenly, Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo turned around in unison. A slight ripple came from the back mountain of the Papal Palace. The next instant, a green figure appeared in front of the two titled Douluo.
Chrysanthemum Douluo narrowed his eyes slightly and said coldly:
"Third Master, your Hall of Offerings has always been detached from worldly affairs. Why did Dai Yao's return alarm you so much?"
"Although Dai Yao has left, Wutong is still my disciple in name only. Now that my disciple's husband has returned, am I not allowed to see him?"
Qingluan Douluo glanced at Ju Gui and the other person indifferently and said casually.
"you······"
Chrysanthemum Douluo angrily pointed at Azure Phoenix Douluo, wanting to say something, but was stopped by Ghost Douluo.
Although Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo were indignant at Azure Phoenix Douluo's attitude, the difference in strength was too great, and they couldn't be forceful. Back then, after Dai Yao left, due to the long-term influence of Phoenix Wutong's Vermilion Bird Martial Soul, Azure Phoenix Douluo seized that opportunity and officially broke through to level ninety-eight.
Chrysanthemum Douluo snorted coldly and stopped talking, looking towards the end of the long street, towards the city gate.
Seeing this, everyone, though with different thoughts, fell silent without prior agreement.
The once bustling street is now eerily silent.
In the midst of this deathly silence, a series of crisp footsteps suddenly echoed from afar.
Following the sound, everyone looked and saw a brown conical hat slowly rising on the stone bridge in their field of vision. The hat just happened to cover the person's face. Then, broad shoulders covered with a gray robe rose up, along with a mysterious long weapon wrapped in cloth.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the man slowly stepped onto the stone bridge, his clothes and appearance completely exposed to everyone.
While everyone was still wondering about the man's attire, they saw him take off his straw hat, revealing dazzling golden hair.
That familiar yet unfamiliar face swept across the crowd without expression, paused briefly on the magnificent papal palace halfway up the mountain, then looked at the group, and after a moment, grinned and said:
"Gentlemen, it's been a long time."
······
The aura formed by thousands of Soul Saint level and above experts, plus three top Title Douluo, was extremely solemn and powerful, but it seemed as if it did not exist for Dai Yao.
Yan and Xie Yue felt as if they were staring at a ferocious beast the moment they met Dai Yao's domineering gaze. They dared not breathe, fearing they would be targeted.
"That's not a rumor!"
Yan was deeply shaken.
Even within the Spirit Hall, his strength was considered that of a powerful figure. Yet, he couldn't even meet Dai Yao's gaze, which showed just how terrifying Dai Yao's strength truly was. The lingering resentment in his heart gradually dissipated in the face of absolute power…
The three titled Douluo were even more alarmed.
Chrysanthemum Demon Douluo could sense the deadly danger emanating from Dai Yao, as if this seemingly ordinary body concealed a power capable of threatening their lives.
The Azure Phoenix Douluo, who had already reached level 98, felt this even more deeply than the Chrysanthemum Ghost Douluo.
The weapon wrapped in cloth on Dai Yao's back, in particular, gave him a chilling feeling. In this world, only the High Priest Qian Xunji and Pope Bibi Dong could give him this feeling. How did Dai Yao manage to do it?!
"Long time no see, Dai Yao."
Chrysanthemum Douluo gave Dai Yao a complicated look and said slowly.
The little guy who betrayed the Spirit Hall back then has grown to the point that they all fear him in just a few years; it's truly terrifying.
Dai Yao nodded and bowed respectfully, saying:
"I have met Azure Phoenix Douluo, Chrysanthemum Douluo, and Ghost Douluo."
Upon hearing this, Ghost Douluo revealed himself, nodded slightly, and, standing to the left and right of Chrysanthemum Douluo, gestured with his hands, saying:
"Dai Yao, come with me. His Holiness the Pope has been waiting for a long time."
Dai Yao glanced at the Papal Palace on Papal Mountain from afar, a strange light flashing in his eyes. He nodded and followed.
Led by the two Title Douluos, the bishops who had been crowding the long street disappeared and followed Dai Yao and the others, stopping at the foot of Papal Mountain. Immediately, the ordinary people, who had been silent for so long due to the oppressive atmosphere, burst into enthusiastic discussion. (End of Chapter)