69novels Chapter 360 Shrek Academy is full of evil soul masters?!
Chapter 360 Shrek Academy is full of evil soul masters?!
Martial Soul City, Hall of Offering
The heavy, gilded doors slowly opened inward, revealing the solemn and majestic scene inside the hall. The enormous six-winged angel statue was bathed in holy light streaming down from the dome, looking sacred and awe-inspiring.
Immediately afterwards, a figure dressed in a golden robe slowly walked from outside the hall into the holy light. It was none other than the High Priest Qian Daoliu. He looked as calm as ever, with clear eyes, as if what had just ended was not a confrontation with the Pope, but just an ordinary stroll.
"grandfather!"
Just then, a voice, choked with sobs, called out.
Qian Renxue, who had been waiting in the hall, seemed to finally shed all her pretense of strength and pretense the moment she saw Qian Daoliu's figure. She knelt down with a thud, her shoulders trembling uncontrollably, and tears rolled down her cheeks like broken pearls.
"I'm sorry, Grandpa... I'm so sorry..."
Her voice sounded broken, filled with deep self-blame and frustration.
"The mission... failed."
"I...I failed to conquer the Heaven Dou Empire, and I almost...imposed harm on my grandfathers..."
The shame of failure, and the doubt about one's own abilities.
And the guilt towards those who were implicated overwhelmed Qianrenxue like a tidal wave.
Qian Daoliu looked at Qian Renxue, a barely perceptible hint of heartache flashing in his clear eyes.
He didn't scold her, nor did he show disappointment. He simply stepped forward slowly and steadily helped Qian Renxue up from the ground, gently stroking her shoulder with his hand, and said in a gentle voice:
"Xiaoxue, lift your head."
Qian Renxue looked at her grandfather through teary eyes.
"It's fine."
"If we fail, we fail. The power of the empire, temporary gains and losses, are not our ultimate goal. Your safe return is more important than anything else."
Qian Daoliu seemed to be talking about something extremely ordinary.
Upon hearing this, Qian Renxue sniffed hard, trying to stop her tears, but her red eyes still revealed the turmoil and unease in her heart.
Just then, Golden Crocodile Douluo, whose injuries had not yet healed and whose aura was still somewhat weak, stepped forward and said with a gloomy face, "Grand Elder, how...how did you deal with Bibi Dong?"
He used the word "deal with," clearly indicating that his anger towards Bibi Dong was not yet appeased.
Upon hearing this, Qian Daoliu merely smiled faintly. He glanced at Golden Crocodile Douluo, then seemed to look through the palace gates towards the distant Papal Palace, and calmly said:
"She's the Pope, nominally the highest arbiter of the Spirit Hall. What can I do about her?"
"But!" Golden Crocodile Douluo couldn't help but raise his voice, instantly aggravating his injuries. He coughed twice, his face flushing an unnatural red, and said in a deep voice, "Are we just going to stand by and watch this woman continue to scheme against her colleagues with impunity, disregarding the overall interests of the Spirit Hall? In this Heavenly Battle, she watched us suffer losses; her intentions are despicable!"
Upon hearing this, Qian Daoliu slowly raised his hand, signaling Golden Crocodile Douluo to calm down.
His gaze deepened again, as if he had seen something more essential.
"Golden Crocodile, some things are not as simple as they seem."
"Bibi Dong...she has already embarked on that path."
"She is receiving the divine succession of the Rakshasa god."
Upon hearing this, not only Golden Crocodile Douluo, but even Qian Renxue standing beside him abruptly raised her head, her eyes filled with shock! Divine inheritance? That's something that touches upon the pinnacle of power on the Douluo Continent!
"Rakshasa God..." Golden Crocodile Douluo murmured repeatedly, his expression becoming even more grim.
He certainly understood what this meant. Once Bibi Dong successfully inherited the divine position, her power would undergo a qualitative leap, and the restraining power of the Temple of Worship would be greatly reduced.
"That's right." Qian Daoliu nodded, his tone unreadable, and said solemnly, "With her talent and temperament, the possibility of her successfully inheriting the throne is... very high. At that time, she will have the ability to lead the Spirit Hall to unprecedented heights. Considering the overall interests and future of the Spirit Hall, it is not a wise move to take action against her now, and it may even be... no easy task."
"Golden Crocodile, I know you're very resentful right now. But what we need to do now is not infighting or a fight of pride."
At this point, Qian Daoliu's gaze fell directly on Qian Renxue beside him, his eyes filled with boundless expectation and an almost sacred entrustment.
"What we need to do now is wait."
"Waiting for Xiaoxue to successfully complete the succession of the Angel God's divine position."
Upon hearing this, Qian Renxue was shocked and looked at her grandfather in disbelief.
Qian Daoliu nodded slightly to her, his eyes filled with absolute trust and encouragement. Then, he looked at Golden Crocodile Douluo and the other worshippers who were deep in thought.
"When the holy light of angels truly descends upon my Spirit Hall, all problems will cease to be problems. Until then, stabilizing the situation, accumulating strength, and safeguarding the foundation of our heritage are the responsibilities of our Hall of Worship."
He said no more, but the meaning behind his words was crystal clear.
The feud with Bibi Dong, the checks and balances on the Pope's authority, and even the future direction of the Spirit Hall will ultimately depend on whose divine inheritance can succeed first.
And... who is more complete, who is more powerful.
Having said that, Qian Daoliu didn't delay for a moment. With a solemn expression, he turned to the majestic six-winged angel statue inside the hall and then shouted at Qian Renxue:
"Xiaoxue, kneel down."
Upon hearing this, Qian Renxue nodded and knelt respectfully before the statue.
The next second, Qian Daoliu raised his head and looked up at the compassionate and majestic face of the statue, and began to chant a string of ancient incantations that contained strange rhythms and sacred power.
Every syllable echoed clearly in the empty hall.
It was as if there was a resonance between the statue itself and every brick and stone of the temple.
As the incantation continued, the golden light emanating from the massive sword in the statue's hand, which had been restrained, began to shine brighter and brighter, like the awakening sun.
When the last syllable falls.
"Buzz—!!!"
A grand and sacred humming sound resounded throughout the hall!
The long sword in the statue's hand was engulfed in golden flames, while Qian Renxue, kneeling below, also emitted a pure and intense golden light. The two golden lights complemented each other, making her appear as if she were cast in gold, looking sacred and inviolable.
"Xiaoxue, open your eyes."
Qian Daoliu's voice was calm and distant, as if it came from ancient times.
Immediately afterwards, he pointed his fingers like a sword towards Qian Renxue.
In an instant, the golden flames that had gathered to their peak on the divine sword descended like an inverted celestial river, and then crashed down. It was not an attack, but the purest divine baptism and guiding light, which completely enveloped and engulfed Qian Renxue's body.
Instantly, Qian Renxue felt a warm and indescribable power envelop her, as peaceful as returning to the womb, yet as insignificant as being at the center of the universe. Under the pull of the golden flames, her body involuntarily floated up slowly and hovered in mid-air.
The golden light flowed continuously, yet its form remained unchanged.
However, in front of Qian Renxue, in the void, nine enormous golden light screens, with sacred runes flowing along their edges and exuding boundless majesty and mystery, gradually solidified from illusion like a scroll, and then unfolded in sequence!
One, two, three... eight, nine!
Nine pieces in total!
Upon seeing these nine light screens, Qian Daoliu, who had remained calm throughout, finally let out an uncontrollable burst of excitement in his eyes. It was a kind of ecstasy and relief that came after waiting for countless years and spanning several generations of inheritance!
"The Nine Trials of the Angels? It's actually the Nine Trials!!" Qian Daoliu's voice trembled slightly, "The Nine Trials that countless generations of Douluo Hall Masters have waited for... have finally arrived!"
"Xiaoxue, I was about seventy years old when your father was born, and your father was fifty when you were born... I never thought that the person the successive Douluo Hall Masters had been waiting for was you."
"Grandpa, I'm so proud of you."
…………
Meanwhile, deep within the Papal Palace, in a secret chamber shrouded in a thick, dark purple aura.
Bibi Dong, who was sitting cross-legged and completely immersed in cultivation, seemed to sense a violent fluctuation of some kind of divine power in the dark, and then slowly opened her eyes.
Anyone standing in front of her right now would be horrified.
Because Bibi Dong's eyes were no longer the deep purple-black of the past, but had turned into a completely blood red, looking vivid and dripping, like two boiling pools of blood, filled with endless resentment and evil, as if thick blood would flow out from them at any moment.
Not only her eyes, but also her ten fingers had grown sharp nails that were five inches long, jet black, and gleaming with a cold, metallic sheen!
"The inheritance of the Angel God, has finally begun...?"
With a slight turn of her blood-red eyes, Bibi Dong seemed to pierce through layers of walls, gazing towards the direction of the Hall of Worship. Then, a cold smile curled at the corner of her lips.
"Then, it's time to speed up my test as the God of Rakshasa."
Immediately afterwards, two completely opposite and destined-to-be-opposed divine forces accelerated their flow simultaneously in the shadows and in the light of Wuhun City.
Taking a deep breath, Bibi Dong's body surged with a dark purple light, and she regained her original appearance, though she looked somewhat pale.
"Qian Daoliu, you are very clever. In order to prevent me from devouring the descendants of your angel race, you actually chose my daughter."
She rose into the air, golden light shimmering, and the papal robes had already enveloped Bibi Dong's body. She appeared to have transformed back into the noble and decisive Pope.
"So what if Xiaoxue inherits the position of angel?"
"One day, I will completely destroy the Spirit Hall. Otherwise, why would I deliberately provoke that kid named Tang Chuan? I'm going to use him to destroy the Spirit Hall!"
"Your son ruined me, so I will ruin everything of your angelic race."
………………
In the northwest of the Star Luo Empire, there is an unnamed port.
The salty sea breeze billowed the rough sails as a medium-sized ship slowly left the simple, rocky dock and headed into the turbulent blue depths.
On the deck stood four figures, each with a different expression, facing the sea breeze.
It was Tang San, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Tailong who had just boarded the ship and set sail.
Dai Mubai withdrew his gaze from the gradually shrinking coastline, which had once been his bloody and cruel royal battlefield, and also the prison where he almost met his demise.
He exhaled a heavy breath, turned around and patted Tang San's shoulder hard. The force was so great that Tang San swayed slightly. On the face of this Star Luo prince, there was both relief at escaping death and a ruthless and sinister look that had settled down.
"Little San, this time, I'm really grateful that you arrived in time. A few days later, I'm afraid I would have really died in that dark and sunless dungeon, or died of illness, and never be able to get out again." Dai Mubai's voice was rough with the sea breeze and a hint of barely perceptible fear.
He spoke casually, but the danger he implied was palpable to everyone present. The competition within the Star Luo Royal Family was always a life-or-death struggle; for the losers, even surviving was a luxury.
Tang San shook his head, the sea breeze ruffling his blue hair, and said, "Mu Bai, we are brothers. When a brother is in trouble, one should naturally help with all one's might. There's no need for thanks."
He paused, then subtly changed the subject, his tone becoming serious and inquisitive.
"By the way, Mu Bai, what do you think of that new cultivation method I mentioned to you before? Are you satisfied with the speed at which your soul power has increased after trying it?"
When this was mentioned, a sharp, blade-like light flashed in Dai Mubai's eyes. That light was mixed with a thirst for power, a reminiscence of past bloodshed, and a faint, sinister feeling that even he himself might not have fully noticed.
"Fast, very fast." Dai Mubai nodded firmly, his voice deep, "Since... devouring Davis, I can clearly feel that not only has my soul power level increased significantly, but my martial soul itself seems to have become more ferocious and aggressive. Some explosive powers that were difficult to control before are now much easier to use."
He was referring to devouring, not simply defeating or killing.
This word made Ma Hongjun, who was standing next to him, shrink back involuntarily, while Tailong's eyes sharpened.
Tang San's face showed a hint of expectation. His gaze swept over Dai Mubai and then landed on Ma Hongjun, who was listening intently with a mixture of eagerness and trepidation in his eyes.
"That's natural," Tang San calmly analyzed, as if stating a simple truth: "Your martial soul is the Evil-Eyed White Tiger. The White Tiger is the king of beasts, a natural predator whose nature is to eat meat and drink blood. By absorbing the life essence and soul power of your opponents to cultivate, you can not only quickly replenish yourself, but also stimulate the evolution of your martial soul, unleashing a more primal and powerful force deep within your bloodline. This is the cultivation method that best suits the nature of your martial soul."
At this point, he turned his gaze to Ma Hongjun and continued.
"It's not just you, the fat guy is the same."
Upon hearing this, Ma Hongjun was taken aback and pointed to his own nose:
"Me? Third Brother, my martial soul is the Evil Fire Phoenix. Although it has the word 'evil' in it, it seems quite different from Mu Bai's White Tiger that eats people... oh no, devours... right?"
He recalled Dai Mubai's expression when he mentioned devouring Davis, and he still felt a chill run down his spine.
Tang San looked at him, his eyes deep, and said, "The phoenix is a divine bird of fire, and being reborn from the ashes is its innate ability. However, the words 'evil fire' already point to the unique nature of your martial soul. It is not a pure sacred fire, but a raging flame that combines violence, desire, and destruction. This kind of flame also craves fuel, and it also craves to devour the energy of other flames, and even the essence of life, to strengthen itself and complete its transformation. However, its method of devouring may be closer to incineration and absorption."
He patted Ma Hongjun on the shoulder, his tone encouraging and with an unquestionable guidance.
"When we arrive at Seagod Island, you and Mubai can try using this method to accelerate your growth when facing those powerful sea spirit beasts or special energy entities."
"Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. If we want to gain enough power to fight against Tang Chuan and the Spirit Hall in a short period of time, the usual hard training is too slow."
P.S.: This is a combined two-part chapter, totaling 4,000 words! (End of Chapter)