Douluo Continent: Martial Soul Young Gilas, Sandstorm King!

Chapter 46 The Ghost Arrives!

The master and apprentice would often sit for half a day at a time, their brows furrowed, arguing endlessly, staring at the preliminary armor framework diagram and the several pieces of special metal piled up next to it for testing soul power transmission.

"No, ordinary metal cannot withstand the continuous impact of soul power; it will disintegrate..."

"This energy node is in the wrong location; if soul power flows here, it will cause a blockage..."

"The linkage mechanism that drives the joints is too complex, which affects flexibility and consumes a lot of soul power..."

"The core! The key is the energy core! We need a medium that can stably store and release soul power, similar to... a soul bone? But how do we combine it with metal, and how do we control the output..."

After more than ten days of intensive research, the two of them had lost a lot of hair, and had only made a pitiful little progress in the basic combination of soul power and metal materials, as well as the initial realization of a few simple energy nodes.

That grand concept of soul-guided mechs remains as illusory as a mirage.

That evening, the master and apprentice, unusually setting aside their daunting research on soul tools, enjoyed dinner with Siddy and several of his senior brothers, as well as Young Gilas, at a stone table in the backyard.

The table was laden with dishes carefully prepared by the association's canteen, their aroma filling the air. Young Gilas was happily munching on its own purple electric iron ore, creating a rare relaxed and harmonious atmosphere.

Lin Xia was picking up a piece of meat, preparing to put it in her mouth.

suddenly!

Without any warning or footsteps, the light on the open ground beside the stone table suddenly distorted and dimmed, as if it had been soaked in invisible ink.

A chilling, deep, and seemingly soul-piercing aura instantly filled the entire backyard!
"cough!!"

Lou Gao was holding a bowl of hot soup when he sensed the aroma. His pupils suddenly contracted to pinpoints, and the bowl of soup in his hand fell to the stone table with a clatter, splashing scalding soup all over him without him even noticing.

Lou Gao stood up abruptly.

Lou Gao's face was filled with extreme shock and awe, even a hint of disbelief.

He stared intently at the figure that slowly solidified in the distorted light—a figure shrouded in a wide black robe with an indistinct face—and bowed without hesitation, performing an extremely solemn salute, his voice trembling slightly.

"Greetings...Greetings to Your Majesty Ghost Douluo!"

Sisi and the others reacted instantly, their faces turning pale. They hurriedly put down their bowls and chopsticks, followed their master in bowing deeply, not daring to breathe.

Titled Douluo!

Moreover, he is the Ghost Douluo of the Spirit Hall, whose strength is unfathomable and whose whereabouts are mysterious!
How did you suddenly appear here?!
Lin Xia's heart sank suddenly, and her chopsticks froze in mid-air.

I quickly put down my chopsticks, suppressing the turmoil in my heart.

Ghost Douluo!
Elder of the Spirit Hall, a super strong person at the Title Douluo level!
Bibi Dong's absolute confidant!

What's he doing here? Is it about Miles?

Or... did Senior Brother Silong fail?
Lin Xia forced herself to calm down, quickly stood up, and mimicked Lou Gao's posture, giving the shadowy figure a standard junior's bow.

"Junior Lin Xia greets Your Majesty Ghost Douluo."

Seeing everyone's reaction, the ghost said directly:
"No need to be polite."

The ghost waved its hand casually.

His deep gaze, almost tangible, swept over the disheveled Lou Gao and the respectful Lin Xia, finally settling on Lou Gao, and getting straight to the point.

"President Lou Gao, the purpose of my trip is to resolve the matter you mentioned in your letter—that Bishop Miles Garcia of the Martial Spirit Temple in Gengjin City and his cronies have been oppressing the good, extorting money, and severely tarnishing the reputation of my Martial Spirit Temple."

The ghostly voice was calm and still, yet it carried an undeniable majesty and a chilling aura.

"His Holiness the Pope is extremely furious about this matter." The ghostly voice deepened, and the invisible pressure seemed to freeze the air.

"I am here on behalf of the Pope. Rest assured, President, this investigation will be carried out rigorously and thoroughly. Whoever is involved, anyone with a history of misconduct or who has damaged the reputation of the Spirit Hall, will be severely punished without exception!"

The resounding words, like cold iron law, finally brought a heavy weight to my heart, which had been hanging in suspense for so long. My face instantly welled up with immense excitement and gratitude, and my lips moved a few times, but for a moment I didn't know how to express my thanks.

"Thank you so much, Your Holiness the Pope! Thank you, Elder Ghost!"

Ghost nodded slightly, accepting Lou Gao's gratitude.

Then, that gaze, which seemed to penetrate one's soul, slowly turned to Lin Xia.

The shadow beneath the hood seemed to outline an extremely subtle arc, like a smile, but that smile conveyed no warmth whatsoever.

"Lin Xia!"

The ghost called out his name directly, its voice still ethereal.

"Back in the Spirit Hall branch in Notting City, the deacon who helped you awaken your spirit invited you to join the Spirit Hall, but you declined, saying you would consider it?"

Lin Xia felt a sudden chill, and a cold sweat instantly broke out on her back.

For a moment, she didn't know what to say. Lin Xia thought everything was fine, but she didn't expect to be investigated. But thinking about it carefully, it seemed normal.

After all, his innate soul power and his separated martial soul both belong to the category of geniuses!
If Yu Xiaogang could see his own talent, there's no reason why the Spirit Hall couldn't.

However, he refused at the time because he wanted to find the Blacksmith Association, a path more suitable for him to eat ore to become stronger, and to get closer to the height of the building.

Being exposed to his face like this, even with his strong will, he couldn't help but feel embarrassed and nervous, as if his little scheme had been seen through in an instant.

A perfectly timed look of embarrassment appeared on Lin Xia's face as she lowered her head, her voice tinged with apology.

"Your Majesty, this is indeed true. At that time, I was young and ignorant, with a narrow perspective. I did not know the vastness of the Spirit Hall, and I only thought about... about learning a skill..."

Lin Xia glanced quickly at Lou Gao and attributed her decision to stand up the Spirit Hall and join the Blacksmith Association to a naive choice made when she was young.

The ghost watched him silently, its invisible gaze seemingly able to penetrate all of Lin Xia's pretenses.

The atmosphere in the backyard became oppressive again. Only Young Gilas seemed to sense the threat, stopping his munching on the ore. His scarlet eyes were fixed warily on the ghostly figure, and he let out a low, warning "yoji".

Just as Lin Xia felt the pressure mounting and her heart pounding like a drum, the ghostly voice rang out again, breaking the silence.

"There is no need to be afraid, nor is there any need to explain."

The ghostly tone seemed to soften slightly, though it remained icy.

"The choices we made in the past had their reasons. I am not here to interrogate you."

The ghost paused slightly, its gaze sweeping over Lou Gao and Lin Xia.

"Now that the Blacksmiths' Association has decided to submit to the Spirit Hall, Bishop Salas is working hard to eliminate long-standing problems in Gengjin City and will officially announce this matter soon."

The ghostly gaze finally settled on Lin Xia, the shadow beneath the hood seeming to carry an elusive meaning.

"As President Lou Gao's personal disciple, you are naturally a member of my Spirit Hall. There's no need to bring up the past. From now on, just be loyal to the Spirit Hall."

"A member of the Spirit Hall..."

(End of this chapter)