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Ten days later, outside the Spirit City
A carriage, elegant yet opulent, slowly approached the Spirit City.
"Is this the Spirit City?"
Inside the carriage, Dai Chengfeng peered curiously through the window at the most renowned city on the Douluo Continent.
The Spirit City was vastly different from ordinary cities. Built around the Six-Winged Mountain, it formed a perfectly hexagonal shape.
Its towering walls, about forty meters high, encircled the city like a mighty dragon, exuding majesty.
On each wall, a massive bas-relief sculpture depicted one of six incredibly powerful martial souls, matching the patterns on the Spirit Hall's tokens. These images were awe-inspiring and lifelike.
Instead of soldiers, soul masters patrolled atop the walls, clad in uniforms unique to the Spirit Hall, their expressions stern.
"Prince Dai Chengfeng, is the Spirit City impressive?"
Yue Guan, sitting inside the carriage, heard Dai Chengfeng's admiration and smiled faintly, his voice soft as he asked.
Dai Chengfeng nodded. "Impressive!"
"No wonder it's the most prosperous and populous city on the Douluo Continent, a haven for merchants that far surpasses Tian Dou City or Star Luo City."
Hearing Dai Chengfeng's praise, Yue Guan nodded in satisfaction.
But after a moment, curiosity flickered in his eyes, and he couldn't help but ask:
"But why did you come to the Spirit City so obediently?"
"What else could I do?"
Dai Chengfeng, who had been admiring the scenery of the Spirit City, lowered the carriage curtain upon hearing Yue Guan's question and turned to look at him.
"I thought you'd try something tricky on the way here—at least attempt an escape?"
Yue Guan twirled the chrysanthemum in his hand. "But your cooperation makes Gui Mei and me feel so unaccomplished~"
"How can you be so sure nothing will happen to you in the Spirit City?"
At this moment, Gui Mei's slightly low voice came from outside, also curious about what Dai Chengfeng was thinking.
"You should know that you disrupted the Pope's plans in Wu'an City. Aren't you afraid she'll take her anger out on you?"
"Afraid? Of course I'm afraid…"
Dai Chengfeng still wore a faint smile, but his gaze turned back outside the carriage as he murmured:
"Almost everyone passing by is a soul master. No wonder this is the stronghold of the Spirit Hall!"
"You little brat…"
Seeing Dai Chengfeng's seemingly fearful words but relaxed demeanor, as if utterly unconcerned about being punished by the Pope, both Gui Mei and Yue Guan felt somewhat helpless.
"We can't figure out where you get the confidence to act so nonchalant…"
My confidence?
Dai Chengfeng smiled inwardly. His confidence stemmed from his knowledge of the original story—his deep understanding of Bibi Dong.
On the Douluo Continent, perhaps no one understood Bibi Dong better than Dai Chengfeng—not even Yu Xiaogang, Hu Liena, or Qian Renxue.
After all, they only saw Bibi Dong's most radiant and polished side.
As for the hidden, paid-content secrets… they knew nothing.
But Dai Chengfeng did!
"And even if my guess is wrong, I have a backup plan…"
"Little Angel, Qian Renxue!"
Dai Chengfeng didn't believe Qian Renxue would remain indifferent upon hearing he was taken to the Spirit Hall. After all, Qian Renxue held him in high regard and had always wanted to recruit him.
Not to mention her incredibly complicated feelings toward Bibi Dong…
"Unfortunately, Little Angel is far away in Tian Dou and can't return in time. But I hope she'll write a letter asking Qian Daoliu to step in and protect me."
"The next time we meet, I'll thank you properly!"
Soon, the carriage slowly entered through the city gates.
The streets of Spirit City were wide and clean, lined with buildings of various architectural styles, all exuding an aura of dignity and luxury.
Shops along the streets were packed tightly together, offering a dazzling array of goods needed by soul masters…
From priceless soul-guiding artifacts to rare treasures of heaven and earth, everything was available, leaving one's eyes overwhelmed.
"The Spirit City is already so prosperous. I wonder what the Pope's Palace looks like?"
Yue Guan glanced at Dai Chengfeng and chuckled softly. "The Pope's Palace is the sacred site of the Spirit Hall. Its grandeur and magnificence cannot be described in just a few words."
"When you see it with your own eyes, you'll understand."
"But what you should worry about now is how to… stay alive in front of the Pope."
As they spoke, the carriage had already traversed most of the city.
Until…
"Whoa!"
Gui Mei suddenly pulled the reins, and the carriage came to a steady stop in the square outside the Pope's Palace.
"Are we here?"
Dai Chengfeng instinctively asked.
Yue Guan nodded slightly, his lips curling into a proud smile. "Yes!"
"Prince Dai Chengfeng, you are about to enter the heart of power and glory on the Douluo Continent—the Spirit Hall."
With that, Yue Guan stepped out of the carriage first.
Then, Dai Chengfeng took a deep breath and slowly descended from the carriage.
What greeted his eyes first was a broad and lengthy staircase made of "white jade," resembling a path leading to the pinnacle of power.
At its end stood the majestic Six-Winged Mountain and two magnificent structures.
The building halfway up the mountain was the most imposing.
It featured a grand columnar structure, its dome covered with dazzling golden material that shimmered brilliantly under the sunlight, as if radiating divine light, inspiring reverence.
The structure atop the hill was relatively smaller, about a third the size of the former.
Its facade was as smooth and gentle as jade, not as eye-catching as the larger hall below, but it exuded an otherworldly elegance.
"Dai Chengfeng, wait here with Old Ghost while I report to the Pope."
With that, Yue Guan vanished instantly.
...
Meanwhile, inside the Pope's Palace
A voluptuous woman with wine-purple hair, wearing a purple silk robe, sat lazily in front of a vanity.
Her reflection revealed a face of unparalleled beauty—her skin as white as snow, her eyes like tranquil pools, emanating an air of coldness and mystery.
Beside her, a blonde-haired woman gently combed her hair, her movements practiced and careful, her voice filled with flattery:
"Teacher, you're truly beautiful. No one on the Douluo Continent can match your elegance. I envy you so much~"
"Beautiful, am I?"
Upon hearing this, Bibi Dong's eyes flickered with a distant look, her thoughts involuntarily drifting back to the middle-aged man she had met months ago.
His figure, his voice—it was as if they still lingered in her ears…
"Pity…"
She murmured softly, her voice tinged with an almost imperceptible melancholy.
And at that moment—
"Your Holiness, Dai Chengfeng has arrived! When would you like to see him?"
The voice of Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan echoed from outside the door.
"Dai Chengfeng?!"
Instantly, Bibi Dong snapped out of her reverie, a flicker of anger flashing in her eyes. But she quickly suppressed it, resuming her usual aloof and commanding demeanor as the Pope.
"I see. Have him wait for me in the main hall!"
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