Douluo's Soul Power increases by two levels every year

Chapter 533 Exhausted Hu Liena

"Why!"

In the Papal Palace of the Spirit Hall, Hu Liena sighed softly. A look of exhaustion flashed across her foxy face, and her fox-like purple eyes held a deep sense of powerlessness and haggardness.

Hu Liena had been unusually exhausted ever since Bibi Dong left without saying goodbye.

I'm exhausted, both physically and mentally!

With Bibi Dong, the Pope of the Spirit Hall, suddenly disappearing, the Spirit Hall can't remain without a Pope forever!

The elder in the Hall of Elders has no interest in managing the Spirit Hall and has even begun to ignore it, acting as if it's none of his business. But a country cannot be without a ruler, and a family cannot be without a head. Even if Qian Renxue and Qian Daoliu don't manage the Spirit Hall, someone has to step up and take charge. The Spirit Hall is such a large system that it won't be paralyzed without the Pope's presence, but all matters, big and small, still need to be decided by the Pope!

So the question is, besides Qian Renxue and Qian Daoliu, who else is qualified to sit in the position of Pope?

The Spirit Hall has many Title Douluos and quite a few Peerless Douluos. Even if the Title Douluos in the Elder Hall dare not disobey Qian Daoliu or covet the Pope's throne, Yue Guan and Gui Mei have no need to worry about Qian Daoliu's wrath.

But they are not qualified.

They are merely elders of the Spirit Hall. To put it bluntly, they are like Dugu Bo to the Heaven Dou Empire—outsiders, not direct descendants of the Spirit Hall, and have absolutely no chance of ascending to the papacy!

In short, it's illegitimate and lacks legitimacy!

But Hu Liena is different. She is a genuine direct descendant of the Spirit Hall, a personal disciple of Bibi Dong, and the Holy Maiden of the Spirit Hall before Qian Renxue's return. According to Bibi Dong's wishes, after Bibi Dong, Hu Liena will be the next Pope of the Spirit Hall—of course, this is only Bibi Dong's wish. Whether Qian Daoliu will agree at that time is another matter.

But that's enough!

If we compare the Spirit Hall to an empire, then Hu Liena is the crown prince appointed by Bibi Dong. Now that Bibi Dong's whereabouts are unknown, Hu Liena, as the crown prince, should rightfully fill the vacancy left by Bibi Dong!

But this is just too unfair to Hu Liena!

Hu Liena was only now realizing that a Soul Saint had broken through to the next level. In the history of the Spirit Hall, when had there ever been a Pope at the Soul Saint level?

Only when you have the ability to handle the big things, Hu Liena only realized how difficult the position was after she actually sat on the throne. Many things that were insignificant to Bibi Dong became extremely difficult for Hu Liena!

Moreover, if Hu Liena were to manage so many Soul Douluos in the Spirit Hall, how could those unruly Soul Masters possibly accept it?

Beset by internal and external troubles, Hu Liena walks on thin ice every day, afraid of doing something wrong and causing trouble for Bibi Dong!

Since Bibi Dong took her place, Hu Liena's cultivation has stagnated!

It's not that Hu Liena has exhausted her talent, it's that she simply hasn't had time to cultivate!

If it weren't for Yue Guan and Gui Mei's help, Hu Liena would have collapsed long ago!

The only thing Hu Liena could be thankful for was that none of the titled Douluo in the Elder Hall protested against her; they all stayed quietly in the Angel Temple, and even the supporters of the Angel Clan didn't jump out. This relieved Hu Liena!

After more than two years of acting as Pope, Hu Liena was no longer the naive girl she once was. Sitting in the position of Pope, everything she saw and heard was completely different—the infighting between major powers, the scheming and betrayal among various soul masters, the unpredictable events on the continent, and all sorts of shocking secrets left Hu Liena exhausted.

Hu Liena had also come to realize that the Elders' Hall and the Papal Palace were not as united as they appeared on the surface.

Hu Liena didn't think she would be a match for Qian Daoliu, but she felt that she had to hold onto the position of Pope until Bibi Dong returned!

Therefore, no matter how hard or tiring it was, Hu Liena was unwilling to give up.

Fortunately, it seems that Qian Daoliu no longer cares about the position of Pope, and for two whole years, there has been no movement at all.

At that moment, as Hu Liena let out a weary sigh, a figure emerged from the shadows behind the papal throne. The figure was ghostly, eerie, and cold. However, upon seeing this figure, Hu Liena did not show the slightest panic. Instead, she rubbed her face and tried to force a small smile.

This ghost-like figure could only be a phantom!

Ghostly Approached Hu Liena, and seeing the forced smile on her face, a flicker of heartache crossed his cold expression. He couldn't help but say, "Little Na, take a rest! The Spirit Hall isn't that fragile!"

At this point, Ghost turned around and glanced at the papal throne not far away.

Although Hu Liena was already the acting pope, she never actually held that position because she felt that she was only the acting pope, and the real pope had always been Bibi Dong. Out of respect for her master, she would not covet Bibi Dong's position.

It may seem a bit old-fashioned, but doing so is indeed very effective in reducing the resistance of the followers.

Hulena really went to great lengths to be a good acting pope!

Ghostly Spirit, who accompanied Hu Liena daily, naturally knew that Hu Liena had stopped cultivating and spent her days handling various teaching affairs and conducting propaganda to minimize the impact of Bibi Dong's disappearance on the Spirit Hall. She barely got a few hours of rest in a month. At this rate, even with Hu Liena's Soul Saint body, she would eventually break down!

Hearing the ghostly advice, a flicker of interest flashed in Hu Liena's eyes, but she quickly shook her head firmly and said, "I'm not tired!"

"Master has too many enemies! The divine prince of the Star Luo Empire, the soul beasts of the Star Dou Great Forest, the soul masters of the three upper sects, the Elder Hall..." At this point, Hu Liena's voice suddenly stopped. Realizing that such things shouldn't be said lightly, she skipped over that and continued, "Before Master returns, I cannot let the papacy fall into the hands of others!"

Upon hearing this, the ghost shook its head helplessly.

Even if Hu Liena hadn't said it, Gui Mei could have guessed that she would answer that way. Gui Mei and Yue Guan had advised Hu Liena too many times. If Hu Liena had listened even once, she wouldn't be so exhausted!

"Xiao Na! Your heart is good, but have you ever thought about who will carry the Pope's banner once you fall?!" Just when the ghost was at a loss, Yue Guan's androgynous voice rang out: "The Pope's return date is uncertain, but in your current state, you can only hold on for a few more months at most before you fall ill and become the first Soul Saint to collapse!"

"By then, who will be able to secure the papacy for His Holiness the Pope while he is away?"

As Yue Guan's voice fell, a hint of hesitation appeared on Hu Liena's stubborn face!

Seeing this, the ghost secretly praised, "As expected, Yue Guan knows how to talk!"

"The elder is right..." Hu Liena pondered for a moment, agreeing with Yue Guan's statement, and then prepared to put aside her work and rest for a while.

But at that moment, to the utter surprise of Gui Mei and Yue Guan, Yan's furious shout suddenly rang out from outside the hall: "Who goes there?! How dare you trespass into the Spirit Hall?!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Hu Liena tensed up!

Ghost and Moon cursed under their breath as they probed with their spiritual power and, sure enough, detected an intrusive aura!

But to the surprise of Ghost and Moon, this aura was exceptionally powerful, even stronger than theirs!

"Old ghost!" Yue Guan screamed immediately!

With eyes flashing like lightning, the ghostly figure shielded Hu Liena from the shadows before Yue Guan could react, and for a moment, ghostly howls echoed!

The reason why Ghost and Moon Gate stayed by Hu Liena's side was to protect her!

There are many people who want to kill the Pope of the Spirit Hall!

If it were Bibi Dong, there would be no need to protect her. Anyone capable of assassinating Bibi Dong would be easy prey for Gui Mei and Yue Guan. But Hu Liena is different. She is merely a Soul Saint, which might be considered a strong person on the entire continent, but as the acting Pope of the Spirit Hall, she is still far from being able to protect herself!

Seeing that the ghost had protected Hu Liena, Yue Guan did not hesitate and flew out of the hall!

boom--

To their surprise, the intruder was incredibly audacious. After being spotted by Yan, instead of trying to escape before the Spirit Hall experts arrived, he slapped Yan away and smashed open the Papal Palace door!

Under Yue Guan's horrified gaze, a familiar figure descended from the sky, towering over Yan's mangled body, and sneered displeasedly, "Isn't it better to just live a normal life?! Why do you have to try and make your presence known?!"

(End of this chapter)