"Haha... Patriarch Ye is truly cautious, or perhaps one could say exceptionally open-minded, having long been prepared to face death. Even at a time like this, you're still thinking about costs unrelated to life itself."
Dugu Bo couldn't help but laugh as he spoke.
Without further ado, he stood up, shook his sleeves, and gestured for Ye Renxin to observe him carefully.
"Patriarch Ye, take a look at me now. Do I appear the least bit troubled? Since you know my character, you should understand that I, Dugu Bo, would never allow myself to be manipulated or exploited by others. Even if forced into a corner, I would never push Patriarch Ye into a pit of fire. Unless I am willing, my resolve to fight to the death is no less than Patriarch Ye's determination to face death!"
Seeing Dugu Bo's forthright demeanor, Ye Renxin could only lift the wine jar and apologize, "Patriarch Dugu's words are quite reasonable. It seems I, Ye, have been narrow-minded. I shall punish myself with three large gulps!"
With that,
Ye Renxin began rewarding himself under the guise of self-punishment.
Gulp, gulp, gulp! He downed three large mouthfuls of strong liquor!
Though gentle by nature, he drank with remarkable boldness, even wetting the front of his robe.
"That's more like it. Why would I ever harm you?"
Dugu Bo laughed heartily.
A flush of wine rose on Ye Renxin's face as he held the strong liquor, yet doubts still lingered. He respectfully said, "I, of course, believe that Patriarch Dugu harbors no ill intentions toward my Ye Family. However, if I don't clarify this matter, I fear I won't be able to explain it properly to my daughter upon returning. Who is this distinguished person? How should my Ye Family conduct itself?"
"Ah! That was indeed my oversight!"
Upon hearing this, Dugu Bo suddenly understood and shook his head with a smile, stating plainly, "This distinguished person's background is indeed extraordinary. He is the disciple taken in by the Spirit Hall Saintess three years ago—that unprecedented Innate Full Spirit Power Food-type Soul Master... Young Friend Ye Tian."
As he spoke, Dugu Bo glanced around and lowered his voice to continue:
"According to rumors, the next Pope and the next Holy Son have already been decided internally. They are none other than the Spirit Hall Saintess, Rakshasa Douluo Bi Bi Dong, and her disciple... the Innate Full Spirit Power Food-type Soul Master, thirty-eighth level Soul Venerable, His Highness Ye Tian!"
"!!!"
Dugu Bo's series of statements stirred up a storm of shock in Ye Renxin's heart.
The slight intoxication he had just felt vanished instantly.
Before he could regain his composure, Dugu Bo continued his barrage.
"Not only that, His Highness Ye Tian has already awakened a Talent Domain. His Soul Ring Configuration has reached the terrifying level of Two Purple, One Black! Among them, that Black Soul Ring was personally captured by me—it came from a Magma Ape King with twenty-seven thousand years of cultivation! Even my granddaughter, Yan Yan, with the resources provided by His Highness, obtained a purple Thousand-Year Spirit Ring. With the aid of Pills and Martial Soul Evolution, Yan Yan, at less than a year after awakening her Martial Soul, leaped to become a seventeenth-level Soul Master!"
"And the price my Dugu Family paid was simply to wait for the right moment to manage the upcoming pill business for His Highness here in Heaven Dou City!"
"Master Ye, I believe that with your Ye family joining forces with us, we can swiftly promote His Highness's pills throughout the entire Heaven Dou Empire. Until these pills become indispensable treasures in the Soul Master Realm and even across the entire Pan Continent."
"..."
The open-air teahouse fell into dead silence.
Apart from the gentle breeze, no other sound remained.
Dugu Bo approached Ye Renxin, patted his shoulder, and said with a smile, "So, Master Ye, there's no need to worry. The cost isn't significant, and it will bring immense benefits to both our families."
"Wait, Master Dugu! My mind is in chaos right now. I need to think, let me sort this out properly..."
Dugu Bo laughed heartily and waved his hand.
"Haha, no rush, no rush!"
"Let me catch my breath..."
Ye Renxin raised his hand, signaling Dugu Bo to give him some space to calm down. Staggering slightly, he sat back down in a daze, unable to regain his composure for a long time.
He had, of course, heard of Ye Tian's name, being a fellow support-type Soul Master.
He just never expected that this low-profile junior, who had only made a name for himself and revealed his Martial Soul, would turn out to be such a terrifying prodigy?!
In less than three years!
He had become a level 38 Soul Venerable, awakened a Talent Domain, and possessed a Soul Ring configuration that was unimaginable—two purple and one black.
Moreover, with his miraculous pills, he had resolved the Soul Martial Defect of the Dugu family's Green Scale Snake Martial Soul, allowing the family's young princess to undergo Spirit Evolution and obtain a thousand-year first Spirit Ring!
All of this was beyond anything Ye Renxin could have ever imagined.
Could a support-type Soul Master truly achieve such feats?
had been distributed to all prominent forces across the Pan Continent.
Those from distant places had already set out early.
Today.
In Spirit Hall City, the sun shone brightly.
Tomorrow would be the day of Qian Xunji's funeral, as well as the Succession Ceremony for Bi Bi Dong and Ye Tian. Many forces had already arrived ahead of time.
Among them, those aligned with the Spirit Hall were naturally the most eager to curry favor under the eyes of the new Pope and the Holy Son. They had already gathered with representatives of other early arrivals at the city gates, undergoing inspections one by one before entering Spirit Hall City.
They were properly accommodated by the Red Cardinals.
Surprisingly,
the delegation from the Heaven Dou Empire, one of the two great empires, had also arrived early.
With no crown prince established in the Heaven Dou Empire, Emperor Xue Ye had not sent one of his sons as a representative but rather his younger brother, Xue Xing Qinwang.
According to Emperor Xue Ye's intentions, the imperial delegation was supposed to depart together with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's delegation. However, due to Dugu Bo's interference, Xue Xing Qinwang had advised Emperor Xue Ye to decide to arrive ahead of schedule!
Accompanying Xue Xing Qinwang was not Dugu Bo himself but the green-haired troublemaker Dugu Xin, who had come with the task of delivering a message.
As the delegation made its way step by step into the city, Dugu Xin's green eyes began to discreetly scan the surroundings, searching for the Saint Soul Winery that Ye Tian had mentioned. Fortunately, the winery's facade was not small, and Dugu Xin soon spotted the towering structure.
Ye Tian frequented the Saint Soul Winery regularly. Not only was he already familiar with the Soul Masters there, but he had also become acquainted with the winery's owner—a Red Cardinal in charge of financial affairs.
Dugu Xin had no trouble delivering the letter in his possession through the Saint Soul Winery.
Using the excuse of a personal emergency, Dugu Xin quickly separated from the empire's delegation and headed straight for the Saint Soul Winery. Arriving at the front desk, he wasted no time with pleasantries. Leaning close to the receptionist, he whispered, "Miss, I've been sent by my family elders with an urgent letter that must be delivered to Bishop Luoluo. Could you please do me the favor of notifying her?"
"..."
Upon hearing the name "Bishop Luoluo," the Soul Master receptionist didn't hesitate. She nodded immediately and hurried up the stairs to deliver the message.
Soon after,
having received the notification,
Bishop Luoluo, who was seated in a small room on the top floor of the Saint Soul Winery, adjusted the red coat that had slipped from her shoulders. Beside her were two tall crystal glasses. Wearing round gold-rimmed glasses, she had been bent over an abacus, but now she looked up and instructed, "Bring him up."
"Yes, Bishop!"
The receptionist acknowledged the order and retraced her steps.
"Sigh~ Staying in this dim place day after day, working the abacus, is truly exhausting. And with these two burdens, my shoulders really can't take it," Bishop Luoluo murmured, her youthful face showing signs of fatigue. She took a sip of the red wine beside her and couldn't help but stretch. The lively "white rabbits" made one wonder if she could even see the entire abacus when she leaned over it.
In short, Bishop Luoluo had the face of a young girl and the figure of a devil.
"Ah~ A good stretch feels much better."
"I wonder if the Holy Son might someday create a pill that could reduce excess flesh? It would be a blessing for everyone..."
Luoluo muttered to herself.
Of the two glasses beside her, one held red wine, while the other contained Ye Tian's Second Soul Skill—the Bright Soul Nourishing Pill—which she used daily to stay alert.
Ye Tian's Soul Skills had already spread among the upper echelons of the Spirit Hall, which was precisely why they hadn't opposed his appointment as Holy Son.
As for the future position of Pope,
whether it was appropriate for a Food-type Soul Master to become Pope, they didn't dwell on it. Who said that having a Holy Son meant there couldn't also be a Saintess? The new Pope wouldn't have just one disciple!
Besides,
perhaps the Holy Son would once again shatter everyone's perceptions of Food-type Soul Masters.
Soon, Dugu Xin reached the top floor.
————
Coincidentally,
if Dugu Xin had arrived half an hour earlier, he might have run directly into Ye Tian, who was leaving the Saint Soul Winery with Hu Liena.
At that moment,
Ye Tian had just crossed the square at the foot of the mountain and ascended the Central Divine Mountain, heading toward the Wisteria Residence halfway up the slope.
Meanwhile, Qian Renxue and Jin Yue'er, along with Xie Yue, his sister, and Yan, had just left through the back door of the Saint Soul Winery. Qian Renxue and the others were returning to the Hall of Worship, while Xie Yue and his group planned to visit the orphanage first. Under Ye Tian's guidance, they naturally hadn't forgotten their roots.
Ye Tian had originally intended to go as well,
but Bi Bi Dong had specifically instructed him to return early, saying she wanted to introduce him to his Titled Douluo guard.
With Bi Bi Dong putting it that way, how could Ye Tian refuse?
Of course, he agreed happily!
Beneath the afternoon sun.
Ye Tian finally felt that his cheeks, which had been dampened by Qian Renxue and Jin Yue'er, had dried completely, allowing him to walk into the Wisteria Residence with a clear conscience.
As soon as he entered the courtyard of the Wisteria Residence,
a look of surprise appeared in Ye Tian's eyes.
Faintly, he could hear an unfamiliar woman's voice coming from upstairs, occasionally accompanied by clear and pleasant laughter.
Could it be...
that the Titled Douluo-level guard Bi Bi Dong had introduced to him was a rare female Titled Douluo powerhouse? Surely it couldn't be a second Chrysanthemum Douluo, could it?
With this doubt in mind,
Ye Tian eagerly stepped onto the stairs and hurried toward the second floor.