Douluo Continent: My Martial Soul is the Black Dragon, I am the Lord of the Gods

Chapter 238 A Lingering Dream, A Nightmare
……

"Your Holiness, the organizing committee of the competition is unable to make a ruling on this matter, so they intend to consult you to determine a result."

After all that trouble at the Spirit Temple, Salas finally managed to shift the blame onto Bibi Dong.

This matter is now so complicated that no one can convince anyone else logically. The only way to resolve it is to let someone with absolute authority make the decision.

In the world of Soul Masters, who possesses absolute authority?
Only the Pope!

The Spirit Hall established the rules for Spirit Masters, and the Pope, as the highest leader of the Spirit Hall, holds the power to define many things!

If the Pope says Xuanming is guilty, then he is guilty, and vice versa.

“Bishop Salas certainly knows how to have fun,” Bibi Dong casually flipped through the investigation materials on the table.

"After all that, they finally dumped the trouble on me."

Salas's expression froze, and he quickly lowered his head. "Your Holiness, please calm down. I had no such intention!"

“Absolutely not?” Bibi Dong snorted lightly.

"Alright, since you want to be this non-stick pan, I won't force you."

"They want an answer, so I will give them an answer."

“Xuanming is innocent. This is my intention, and also the intention of the Pope of the Spirit Hall.”

"Is it enough?"

Salas's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly bowed and said, "Your Holiness is wise. I will convey your decree to the competition organizing committee immediately."

"..."

"Any more questions?" Bibi Dong asked.

"Your subordinate takes his leave!" Salas bowed his head and quickly left the hall.

After Salas left, Bibi Dong leaned back in her chair, lost in thought. "Golden Crocodile, is he trying to convict me in this way?"

Now that Xuanming's matter is bound to escalate, and if she's dragged into it, she won't be able to escape responsibility once Xuanming's actions become public. At that point, Jin'e will have a legitimate reason to depose the Pope...

"You've got a pretty good plan, but unfortunately, you're dreaming."

……

Meanwhile, the competition organizing committee was in an uproar after receiving the Pope's decree from Salas. Although they still had doubts, the Pope's authority was unquestionable, and they had no choice but to declare Xuanming innocent and reinstate his eligibility to participate.

The news caused another uproar in Tiandou City. Some cheered, believing the Pope was wise and had cleared Xuanming's name. Others were indignant, feeling the Pope had favored Xuanming and was unjust.

The members of the Royal Fighting Team were overjoyed upon hearing the news.

Even if Xuanming goes on stage, he might not actually make a move, but being able to stand on the field and fight against him is a very enjoyable thing in itself.

"What about Xuanming? He can come with us for tomorrow's match," Dugu Yan said excitedly.

During the period when Xuanming was temporarily suspended, he didn't even go to the Soul Arena. He stayed in the hotel the whole time, supposedly to stabilize his soul power and soul rings.

But when they returned from the competition today, there wasn't a single person in sight.

"I don't know, he didn't say. It's almost lunchtime, maybe he went to get something to eat?" Zhu Zhuqing guessed.

"Eating? Probably not. I think he went to keep the pretty lady company," Ning Rongrong said strangely.

"Pretty sister?" Dugu Yan was taken aback.

"What pretty lady?"

“Uh…” Ning Rongrong was a little embarrassed.

Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling seem unaware of Biji and Ziji's existence. Should she tell them?
If I tell you, what if these two get angry? Will Xuanming think I'm trying to sow discord between them?
Just then, a knock sounded at the door, and Xue Qinghe's voice rang out from outside, "Xuanming, do you have time?"

Ning Rongrong stepped forward and opened the door. "Your Highness, Xuanming is not here."

"Not here?" Xue Qinghe frowned slightly, glanced around the room, and when he saw that Gu Yuena was also there, his frown relaxed.

"Where did he go?"

"I don't know, Rongrong guesses she went to keep the pretty older sister company," Xiaowu said.

"Pretty sister?" Xue Qinghe frowned slightly.

"Rongrong, has he met some pretty ladies again?"

"..." Ning Rongrong.

Why did I have to say anything?
……

Outside Tiandou City, the afterglow of the setting sun spilled onto the winding path, draping the earth in a golden veil.

Xuanming, who had just returned from the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, was walking alone on his way back to Heaven Dou City.

During this time, Biji and the others were watching Gu Yuena's match at the Soul Arena. The Three-Eyed Golden Lion was no exception, and he also asked Ning Fengzhi to help arrange a special box for Biji and the others.

As for him, he continued to stabilize the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger Soul Ring and the evil aura emanating from his body. Although this energy wouldn't harm him, it wasn't so friendly to those around him. During previous team battle training, he had tried to add evil attribute energy to his domain to enhance its suppressive power, almost accidentally injuring Dugu Yan and the others. Luckily, he didn't try it during a match, or it would have been truly embarrassing.

As he walked, Xuanming gradually slowed down. Although the setting sun shone on him, he no longer felt warm. Instead, a cold aura surged from all directions.

"You've finally arrived." Xuanming stopped in his tracks.

"What do you mean? You know me?"

An old man in white robes slowly emerged from the void.

“You’ve been watching me for so many days, how could I not know?” Xuanming said.

"At that time".

Shi Nian's lips curled up slightly, revealing a sinister smile. "It seems the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School has already received the news. However, since you knew someone would attack you, why did you come out alone?"

"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School is also quite something, not even sending a few people to secretly follow you. It seems they don't value you that much."

"Don't worry about whether they value me or not. If you're going to make a move, then hurry up," Xuanming said.

Shi Nian frowned slightly. "Did you deliberately lure me out?"

“Otherwise?” Xuanming said.

"Why?" Shi Nian asked, puzzled.

"Are you crazy?"

“I’ve heard that your Martial Soul Remnant Dream can make people see their greatest fears. I’m very curious, what exactly are I afraid of?” Xuan Ming said.

“Your students are too weak, and they’re unlucky. Now, let me see what you can do.”

Shi Nian's eyes narrowed; he hadn't expected Xuan Ming to approach him with such a mindset. However, his seventh soul skill, Nightmare, had already been successfully activated, and Xuan Ming was trapped in his lingering dream. There was no one else nearby; this kid couldn't possibly resist him!

"Since you're so eager to experience despair, then I'll grant your wish." Shi Nian uttered a low shout, his figure gradually blurring, and everything around him became hazy.

Xuanming stood motionless, neither gathering his soul power nor offering any resistance, anticipating the effects of the lingering dream.

It's not that he's lost his mind, but even if he gets lost in the illusion, the Ice Dragon King will pull him out, and Ah Yin has enough power to protect him.

Illusion was something he had never experienced before. After all, spiritual soul masters were extremely rare, and not every spiritual soul master possessed such abilities.

Everything around him began to change. Xuanming suddenly felt his body become incredibly heavy. The next moment, he felt as if he had lost weight and was falling continuously in the air. He subconsciously tried to fly up, but he couldn't muster any strength at all.

The surrounding environment changed drastically. The originally hazy and indistinct scene quickly dissipated like a thin mist swept away by a gale, and was replaced by a blinding white.

Xuanming felt a flash of white light before his eyes, and when he could see his surroundings clearly, he found himself in a hospital room.

The walls were a monotonous white, gleaming with a cold light, as if devoid of any warmth.

The sheets on the hospital bed were also white, wrinkled and looking somewhat old.

Various medical instruments were placed beside the bed, making a ticking sound that seemed particularly jarring in the quiet ward, like the tolling of a clock signaling the end of life.

"A dream?" Xuanming felt weak all over, and his eyelids felt so heavy.

Without soul power, without martial spirit, I can't sense anything, only the quiet ward and the cold ticking of electronic lights.

The ward was filled with the pungent smell of disinfectant, a smell that went straight into the nostrils and made people wrinkle their noses.

"It was just a dream..."

……

Shi Nian leaned against a big tree, his seventh soul ring constantly releasing a dazzling black light. Ten meters away from him, Xuan Ming lay quietly on the ground, without making a sound.

There was no fear, no pain, no anger, only emptiness.

Shi Nian frowned deeply. He had used nightmares to torture and kill dozens of people, but he had never seen anything like this before.

His nightmare has taken effect! The young man has indeed seen what he fears most, but why is he reacting this way?

"What exactly did you see?"

Seeing that Xuanming remained unchanged, Shi Nian began to lose patience.

The fact that the seven great families entrusted him with this task was extremely dangerous. If he were discovered, the Heavenly Dou Royal Family and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School might not be sure, but Dugu Bo, that vengeful old poisoner, would definitely launch an endless hunt for him!

If the seven major families hadn't offered him enough benefits and revealed to him that Xuanming possessed an extremely precious, high-quality ten-thousand-year-old soul bone, promising that the soul bone would be his once he completed the transaction and that news of Xuanming's affairs would be kept secret, how could he possibly have taken such a risk?
Upon realizing this, Shi Nian stepped forward, intending to forcibly kill Xuan Ming. However, as soon as he approached within five meters of Xuan Ming, blue-gold vines burst forth from Xuan Ming's wrists, instantly forming a huge cage that tightly enveloped Xuan Ming.

Shi Nian tried to forcefully break through, but the vine cage was extremely sturdy; as soon as one layer was destroyed, the next layer would grow out.

"A ten-thousand-year-old soul beast?" Shi Nian looked surprised.

This kid actually carries around a ten-thousand-year-old soul beast?

"Hmph, so what if you have a ten-thousand-year-old soul beast protecting you? I'd like to see how long these vines can protect you." Shi Nian snorted coldly and began destroying the Blue Silver Cage again.

Although he is not a power-attack type Soul Master, even if Blue Silver Grass grows to ten thousand years old, it cannot stop a Soul Saint like him!
(End of this chapter)