Douluo Continent: The Time-Stopping Evil Dragon, They All Want to Tame Me

Chapter 20 Dare to slander my Spirit Hall? Cede territory and pay reparations!

Fifty miles outside of Wuhun City!

A plain covered with blue silver grass.

Thousands of laborers, like engineer ants, spread out in an orderly fashion, sprinkling lime and realgar on a pre-designated plot of land to drive away snakes, rats, insects, and ants hiding there.

After removing the stones and leveling the ground, the laborers laid planks of wood flat on the ground.

Before long, a huge camp rose from the ground.

The group was led by Prince Xuexing and Goron, along with other prominent figures and powerful Soul Masters from the Heaven Dou Empire, including Ning Fengzhi, the sect leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, Sword Douluo Chen Xin, Yu Yuanzhen of the Blue Dot Tyrannosaurus Clan, and Poison Douluo Dugu Bo.

Besides these renowned figures, there were also many representatives from duchies and kingdoms in various armor and official robes, as well as an envoy from the Dai clan of the Star Luo Empire!

Such a spectacle is usually only seen when a powerful Title Douluo falls into evil and wreaks havoc, or when a sudden beast tide occurs in the Star Dou Great Forest.

And today,

They gathered together because Xue Qinghe, the crown prince of the Heavenly Dou Empire, had been kidnapped by an evil dragon!

"Is the abduction of Crown Prince Xue Qinghe by the evil dragon truly related to the Spirit Hall?" The Star Luo Empire, a nation founded on military might, had an envoy who spoke frankly: "Prince Xue Xing, this matter directly concerns the future peace and stability of the Douluo Continent!"

War has always been a central theme of human civilization.

Although Douluo Continent is only a bottom-tier fantasy world, the bloody events in its history are actually no less than those in other worlds.

The apparent peace today is because Di Tian is asleep beneath Star Dou Lake, the Sun and Moon Continent is still adrift on the back of Douluo Star, and the Azure Bull Python and Titan Giant Ape, the two nominal overlords of the Star Dou Great Forest, are hiding deep in the forest, swallowing their anger and acting like cowards because of the hunt launched by the Spirit Hall decades ago.

The three strongest forces—the Spirit Hall, the Heaven Dou Empire, and the Star Luo Empire—have entered a relatively peaceful phase due to various reasons.

However, this peace is only superficial.

Behind the scenes, various factions are engaged in numerous open and covert struggles over land, resources, and talent!

For example, the territory of the Spirit Hall has expanded from the original Spirit City to a vast area of ​​hundreds of miles centered on Spirit City, and numerous branch halls have been established in the two great empires!

These extra territories, besides annexing many small countries and sects, also included much of the land that originally belonged to the two great empires.

However, due to their fear of the Spirit Hall's immense power, both the Heaven Dou Swan Dynasty and the Star Luo Dai Clan regime pretended to be blind.

There was no other way. In addition to its own formidable strength, the Spirit Hall also represented a large number of commoner spirit masters. Although the two empires had profound foundations and vast territories, their high-end spirit master combat power was simply inferior to that of the other side!

Although we are all adults, we understand the principle of "today we cede five cities, tomorrow we cede ten cities, and then we can have a peaceful night's sleep."

But it's really unnecessary to fall out with the Spirit Hall and go to war over such a small amount of land!

It was precisely this mindset of the rulers of the two great empires that brought about the relative peace of the Douluo Continent in recent decades.

And now,

The Star Luo Empire's envoy questioned the Heaven Dou Empire's stance, precisely because they feared that the arrival of their troops at Wuhun City today would lead to a state of war between the Spirit Hall and the two great empires.

After all, they had experienced firsthand the methods of the current Pope, Bibidon.

She played an indispensable role in the Spirit Hall's rapid development in recent decades.

The series of events that occurred five years ago during the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament further revealed her ambition to the world!

The Star Luo Empire's envoy's words resonated with the leaders of other smaller factions:

"Envoy Zhu is right, we must treat this matter with utmost care!"

"So many people witnessed Crown Prince Xue Qinghe being kidnapped by the evil dragon, so why is he being linked to the Spirit Hall?"

"How could a creature as powerful as a dragon obey human commands!"

"Prince Xuexing, do you have any evidence? We can't just rely on our numbers to pin this absurd charge on the Spirit Hall, can we?"

"..."

Prince Xuexing felt rather helpless in the face of the noisy crowd below.

If he could, he wouldn't want to get involved in this mess!

As a descendant of the Fourth Prince Xue Beng, he wished Xue Qinghe would disappear without a trace, forcing Emperor Xue Ye to appoint Xue Beng as the Crown Prince!

"Please be quiet, everyone. I, Ning, assure you all that the Heavenly Dou Royal Family has not brought you all together for no reason." Ning Fengzhi suddenly stood up.

The Star Luo envoys and representatives from other duchies and kingdoms all fell silent after seeing that the speaker was the sect leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.

In their eyes, Ning Fengzhi has always been a fair and friendly gentleman.

"Since Sect Leader Ning has said so, let's rest assured and watch how Prince Xue Xing proves that Crown Prince Xue Qinghe's abduction by the evil dragon is related to the Spirit Hall!"

……

"Wow, quite a big operation."

"Have you all gathered together to start a war against my Spirit Hall?"

The person arrived before the voice did!

Bibi Dong's majestic and resonant voice entered the large tent.

The next second, most of the seated people stood up and leaned forward, saying in unison:

"Welcome, Your Holiness the Pope."

"Stop pretending!" Bibi Dong landed in front of the tent from the sky, while dozens of cardinals of Soul Saint rank or above rushed over from behind.

With a displeased expression and her teeth slightly clenched, she slowly surveyed the various factions within the camp.

"Do you really think that just because Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo are injured, you can wage war against the Spirit Hall?"

Go to war?

Prince Xuexing was somewhat bewildered.

He came here on the orders of Emperor Xueye to find His Highness the Crown Prince. How did it become, in the Pope's mouth, that he wanted to start a war with the Spirit Hall?

Could it be that the evil dragon is truly related to the Spirit Hall?

Otherwise, why would the Pope not ask him his purpose but directly resort to force?

"The Spirit Hall's contributions to all spirit masters on the continent are evident to all. How could we possibly think of starting a war with the Spirit Hall?" Ning Fengzhi, a member of the Crown Prince's faction, couldn't help but speak up when he saw Prince Xue Xing standing there dumbfounded.

"A few days ago, Crown Prince Xue Qinghe was kidnapped by an evil dragon. We have come here only to inquire about the Crown Prince's whereabouts from the Pope."

Bibi Dong's expression changed when she heard Ning Fengzhi mention the Crown Prince.

Did they find out that Xue'er was impersonating Xue Qinghe?

wrong!

If the Heaven Dou royal family knew that Xue'er was impersonating Xue Qinghe, they would either secretly eliminate Xue'er or expose the matter to the entire continent, thus isolating the Spirit Hall.

There's no reason for them to come to the Spirit Hall to inquire about Xue'er's whereabouts after she was kidnapped by the evil dragon.

The Heavenly Dou Empire should be unaware of this secret.

But just to be on the safe side, Bibi Dong still spoke tentatively with a blank expression:

"That's kind of funny!"

"What is my relationship with your Crown Prince Xue Qinghe?"

"Is she my son?"

"Why did you all come all the way to my Martial Soul City to inquire about Xue Qinghe's whereabouts after she was kidnapped by the evil dragon?"

"Is His Holiness the Pope truly unaware, or is he feigning ignorance?" Ning Fengzhi asked again, a glint of smugness flashing in his eyes.

"I really don't know."

Bibi Dong said somewhat irritably, "I don't have the patience to waste words with you. What exactly do you want? If you're asking about Xue Qinghe's whereabouts, I suggest you go directly to the evil dragon."

"Your Holiness, please don't be in such a hurry."

Prince Xuexing took out a large, perfectly round pearl of excellent quality, which shimmered with a greenish light when held up to the light.

Bibi Dong's pupils contracted.

This precious pearl is exactly the same as the one she used as a prop in her ovulation game not long ago!

She subconsciously used her mental power to probe her spatial storage device.

Still.

But why would Prince Xuexing possess a pearl that is exactly the same as the one that the evil dragon Ao Xing inserted into his body?

Bibi Dong was puzzled, while Prince Xuexing said leisurely:

"This precious pearl was one of the many birthday gifts presented by King Bairassi of the Kingdom of Häagen-Dazs on the sixtieth birthday of Emperor Snow Night. It is called the Twin Azure Pearls."

"They were produced by a giant clam that has been in existence for 10,000 to 20,000 years, and there are two of them in total, a pair."

"Besides its effects of brightening the eyes, calming the mind, and relieving dryness and heat, this precious pearl has another interesting feature: no matter how far away it is, the end that is closer to it will always shimmer with a bit of green light."

"Therefore, even if one of them is lost, as long as you have the other pearl, you will surely be able to find it."

After Prince Xuexing finished introducing the pearls in his hand, the envoy from the Häagen-Dazs Kingdom immediately echoed, "Indeed, I was responsible for delivering the Twin Azure Pearls to Emperor Xueye back then!"

"What do you mean?" Bibi Dong squinted, seemingly lost in thought.

Prince Xuexing declared firmly:

"The evil dragon Ao Xing attacked Yue Xuan at night and abducted Princess Xue Ke."

"As for Crown Prince Xue Qinghe, he was kidnapped by the evil dragon when he tried to exchange jewels for Princess Xue Ke."

"And among the jewels used in the exchange was another Azure Pearl!"

"We were trying to find the evil dragon and rescue the prince using the Azure Pearl, but we discovered that the Azure Pearl was actually inside Wuhun City!"

"Your Holiness, what exactly is the relationship between the Spirit Hall and the evil dragon?"

"Was the abduction of Crown Prince Xue Qinghe orchestrated by the Spirit Hall?"

"If our Heavenly Dou Empire doesn't invite representatives from other countries and sects today, will there be similar incidents in the future, such as the Star Luo Empire's crown prince being kidnapped by an evil dragon, or Ning Rongrong, the successor of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, being kidnapped by an evil dragon?"

Surrounded by several titled Douluo and representatives from various countries and sects, he stood out remarkably firmly against Bibi Dong's questioning.

Apart from Ning Fengzhi, Chen Xin, Dugu Bo, Yu Yuanzhen, and others who knew this information in advance, the representatives of the other major forces immediately began to discuss among themselves and looked at Bibi Dong with great emotion.

Just as Prince Xuexing questioned, they also felt worried about the Spirit Hall.

After all, in recent years, the Spirit Hall has secretly promised benefits to the vassal states and kingdoms of the Heaven Dou Empire and has also won over some weaker sects.

If the evil dragon truly has connections with the Spirit Hall, and if they continue to refuse the Spirit Hall's attempts to win them over, the prince and his companions might end up like Crown Prince Xue Qinghe, captured by the evil dragon and left to fend for themselves!

Hahaha, hahaha

Just as everyone was waiting for Bibi Dong's response, she suddenly burst into laughter.

Then, conjuring up a pearl exactly like the one in Prince Xuexing's hand, he said with a mocking expression:

"I said."

"Could this be the other Azure Ripple Pearl?"

"hehe."

"Your Heavenly Dou Empire is truly heartless and ungrateful!"

"A few days ago, Elder Yue Guan Gui Mei and I were in the core area of ​​the Star Dou Great Forest searching for a precious soul beast to hunt down as a soul ring for my Spirit Hall Saintess. Just as we found its trail, we suddenly learned that your Heaven Dou Empire's Crown Prince had been kidnapped by an evil dragon."

"Without saying a word, the two elders and I abandoned the hunt for soul beasts and instead decided to rescue Prince Xue Qinghe from the evil dragon."

"It turns out that the evil dragon was actually a gem dragon, capable of detonating gems. Using the jewels given to it by your Heavenly Dou Empire, it managed to injure the two elders!"

"Now look what's happened! Not only does your Heaven Dou Empire not appreciate our kindness, but you also dare to slander my Spirit Hall with baseless accusations!"

"This is outrageous!"

Bibi Dong's furious roar, imbued with soul power, startled everyone present.

Prince Xuexing stared wide-eyed at the other Azure Pearl in Bibi Dong's hand.

They really do look exactly the same.

Could it be that the Spirit Hall was truly wronged and that a huge misunderstanding was made?

Just then, Ning Fengzhi spoke:

"Your Majesty, I have a question."

"Since you say that the evil dragon Ao Xing is a gem dragon capable of detonating gems, why is this Azure Pearl with you?"

"Shouldn't it have been blasted into pieces like the other gems?"

"Sect Leader Ning, are you truly foolish, or are you feigning it?" Bibi Dong retorted. "Is a pearl a gemstone? You, the richest sect leader in the world, surely know the difference between gemstones and pearls?"

this.

Ning Fengzhi looked somewhat embarrassed.

Gemstones are naturally produced, while pearls are produced by oysters; there is indeed a fundamental difference between the two.

But considering the idea of ​​gathering people from other forces to interrogate him about whether the Spirit Hall was the one who devised the plan for Emperor Xue Ye, Ning Fengzhi continued to ask:

"The evil dragon Ao Xing is just a young dragon; its strength is definitely inferior to His Holiness the Pope and the two elders. Why did the Crown Prince and the evil dragon suddenly disappear into thin air?"

"Did the Spirit Hall bring in the evil dragon and the prince?"

"Ning Fengzhi, are you doubting me, the Pope?" Bibi Dong suddenly shouted sternly, "Both elders were seriously injured while saving Crown Prince Xue Qinghe. They are the backbone of my Spirit Hall, so of course I have to save them first!"

"As for the dragon, I might as well tell you, it fled westward!"

"Go and save your own crown prince, the Crown Prince of the Heavenly Dou Empire!"

"Our Spirit Hall will absolutely not provide any assistance from now on!"

"From this moment forward, I give you one hour to withdraw from outside the borders of Spirit City, or you will be considered to have declared war on my Spirit Hall!"

"Furthermore, in order to help your Heaven Dou Empire rescue its Crown Prince, Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo were seriously injured by the evil dragon. As compensation, my Spirit Hall will extend its border ten kilometers toward the Heaven Dou Empire."

Bibi Dong, without anyone noticing, snatched the other Azure Pearl from Prince Xue Xing's hand. "Since these pearls have 'twin' in their names, they naturally cannot be separated. Consider it interest on your slander of the Spirit Hall."

He finished speaking.

Bibi Dong didn't linger and left the camp directly, flying back to Wuhun City.

Ning Fengzhi and Prince Xuexing stood there dumbfounded.

This was clearly a good opportunity to weaken the prestige of the Spirit Hall, so why did it turn into them ceding territory and paying reparations?

When Prince Xuexing saw the Star Luo Empire envoy smirking ahead, his face turned ashen, as if he had eaten shit.

(End of this chapter)