Douluo Continent: Long Live the Spirit Hall

In the following period, the situation on the Douluo Continent stabilized, the chaotic situation within the Douluo Empire was cleared up, and the counterattack of the Star Luo remnants was completely annihilated.

With the empire's situation stabilizing, the establishment and promotion of the Soul Hall proceeded more rapidly. Martial Soul Branch Halls in various regions began to take new actions, collaborating with Soul Master Academies in different areas to conduct new investigations.

As instructed by the higher-ups of the Spirit Hall, starting with the new generation of Spirit Masters, the work of replacing refined Spirit Rings with contracted Spirits will be gradually implemented.

This work is mandatory, which strengthens the foundation of the new generation of Soul Masters while also shrinking the living space of some reclusive Soul Masters and evil Soul Masters.

Imagine a future where, decades from now, all Soul Masters acquire Soul Rings only after forming a contract with a Soul Spirit. In that case, Soul Masters who specialize in hunting Soul Beasts to refine Soul Rings will become extremely conspicuous and easily discovered and investigated by the Spirit Hall.

……

Despite the changing circumstances in the outside world, Yan Du's work within the Star Dou Great Forest has not been affected. He has been spending most of his time in the Soul Spirit Sub-Hall of the Star Dou Great Forest recently, constantly busy with various tasks.

The establishment of the Soul Hall was his plan, and naturally, he needed to personally oversee every aspect. This process wasn't without its twists and turns, mainly concerning the internal power structure of the Soul Hall, where various factions vied for control.

The Soul Spirit Hall, an emerging force, is crucial to the future of Soul Masters and Soul Beasts. Both sides wanted more power, so they naturally engaged in consultations and negotiations.

Of course, Yan wasn't very interested in this matter. The main reason was that the human side had a huge advantage. Even without his intervention, either Bibi Dong or Qian Daoliu could easily suppress Di Tian. Even with Xue Di's support, Di Tian wouldn't have much of an advantage.

In fact, there was nothing wrong with the situation in this regard, but the subsequent developments were the troublesome part. After the humans won the negotiations with the Soul Beasts, internal issues of interest arose, which mainly involved negotiations and consultations between the various Title Douluos and Soul Douluos.

The Spirit Hall is a large entity, which is divided into many factions. Even a titled Douluo, even if he is alone, represents a powerful faction. Everyone wants more benefits, so of course they need to have a good talk.

Yan didn't care too much about these specific issues. In any case, even if they formed some kind of council, they would only have the right to discuss, and the real decision-makers would still be powerful figures like Yan.

During the days that these people were discussing and deliberating, the work of the Soul Spirit Hall proceeded quite smoothly. After the establishment of administrative bodies such as the council, Yan's work became much easier, and he spent his days conducting various researches in the Soul Spirit Tower of the main hall.

This Soul Spirit Tower is probably the most magnificent building still standing in the Star Dou Great Forest. It belongs to Yan and serves as his independent laboratory. The offices of the Soul Spirit Hall are located next to the Soul Spirit Tower, and in addition to a group of human soul masters, powerful soul beasts also reside there.

In the Star Dou Great Forest, Di Tian personally led the charge, bringing with him ferocious beasts such as the Emerald Swan Bi Ji, the Demon Eye Tree Wan Yao Wang, the Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear King Xiong Jun, the Three-Headed Crimson Demon Hound Chi Wang, and the Hell Demon Dragon Zi Ji.

The far north is home to four ferocious beasts: the Snow Emperor, the Ice Emperor, the Titan Snow Demon King, and the Far North Ice Bear King. There are fewer of them than in the Star Dou Great Forest, but they are more united.

The two groups of soul beast representatives had some trouble when they were together. Ice Emperor sensed a familiar aura deep in the Star Dou Great Forest, which came from an ancient soul beast in the far north.

That ancient soul beast was the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm, a peculiar "great medicine". In terms of age, it was much older than both Emperor Tian and Snow Emperor, with a cultivation level approaching one million years, but its strength was not even as good as a 100,000-year-old soul beast.

This day, Meng Bingcan was born into the Ice Silkworm Clan in the far north. His strength and potential were very poor, but he was incredibly lucky to discover a ten-thousand-year-old Xuanbing Cave. After devouring all the ten-thousand-year-old Xuanbing Marrow inside, he cultivated for nearly a million years, reaching a cultivation level of over nine hundred thousand years.

Later, the Ice Silkworm was discovered and chased by the Ice Emperor. It escaped from the far north and headed south. Finally, it was captured again in the Star Dou Great Forest and became a "power bank".

Many Star Dou Soul Beasts fought fiercely for the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm, and Xiao Wu's father died in that chaotic battle. That battle also caused the slumber of ferocious beasts such as Di Tian, ​​marking a turning point in Star Dou history.

After the Ice Emperor discovered the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm, chaos broke out among the soul beasts. In the end, the Snow Emperor and Emperor Tian restrained themselves and resolved the conflict privately.

For a period of time afterward, while humans were busy, the soul beasts were not idle either. Powerful figures such as Di Tian and Xue Di personally took action to gradually unify the gathering places of soul beasts on the Douluo Continent.

The full promotion of the Soul Spirit system requires the complete acceptance of both the human and soul beast worlds. Humans have already achieved the unification of the continent, so the soul beast world also needs to catch up.

In this respect, the Star Dou Great Forest has a clear advantage. Located in the center of the continent, its distances to all four directions are not much different. Apart from the far north, there are no other gathering places of soul beasts that can rival them, and everything is progressing very smoothly.

While Di Tian was personally contacting various soul beasts, Yan was working at the Soul Spirit Tower while also building relationships with the girls from different soul beast clans.

"Elder Biji, please be careful during the next period of time."

At the top floor of the Soul Tower, Yan was preparing to conduct a brand new experiment. Standing beside him was a beautiful woman in a green dress, who was none other than the most talented ferocious beast in the Star Dou Great Forest, the Emerald Swan, Bi Ji.

Having spent more time with humans these past few days, Brigitte had learned to be polite. She had a very good impression of Yan, so she naturally responded politely, "Saintly Son Yan, you flatter me. It is my honor to be able to help you."

A ray of soul power shone from Yan's palm. After channeling his soul power to the target, he nodded to Bi Ji, and the two of them kept a close eye on the target's condition.

Before long, the target Yan was studying was in a bad situation. Bi Ji quickly stepped in and solved the problem, and the two gradually grew closer through this cooperation.

Chapter 480 Return to Wuhun City

"Qiu'er, what do you think Di Tian meant!" In the Star Dou Great Forest, at the top of the Soul Spirit Tower, Yan, who had been busy all day, took a short break and lay down on a chair. The three-eyed golden lion Qiu'er obediently came to his side. Yan stroked Qiu'er's soft fur with one hand while thinking about what Di Tian had talked to him about today.

Qiu'er nuzzled Yan's palm with her fluffy golden fur and whispered, "Yan, I feel that Di Tian doesn't seem to have any ill intentions, but his request for me and Jia Lin to stay in the Star Dou Great Forest does seem a bit unusual."

“These past few days, Di Tian and the others should have gained a direct understanding of soul spirits, and should know how close you and I are.” Yan gently stroked the golden-haired creature beneath his palm, recalling the details of his previous meeting with Di Tian.

“Now, most of the spirit beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest are willing to accept spirit contracts. Di Tian should be careful not to do anything that could be misunderstood. Moreover, he came to discuss this with me secretly by himself, and I even tested Bi Ji afterwards. Bi Ji was clearly unaware of the situation, and most of the other ferocious beasts probably didn't know either. This shows that Di Tian has his own agenda, or rather, this matter is very important to him. It's probably related to the one at the bottom of the Lake of Life.” Qiu’er thought for a moment and then said, “The bottom of the Lake of Life? I heard from the Ice Emperor that the Dream Ice Silkworm was trapped inside that day.”

“Beneath the Lake of Life, that being is no ordinary being. However, she shouldn't have fully recovered from her injuries yet, so for now, it's not a big problem.” Yan Yao gazed in the direction of the Lake of Life, not entirely confident, but he continued, “However, if it's that being's intention, then she shouldn't have any ill will towards you and Jia Lin, so you can stay. But just in case, it's best to be cautious. I'll be leaving in a few days. After that, you and Jia Lin can interact more with Bi Ji and Zi Ji, and be vigilant towards Di Tian. If you encounter any danger, try to leave the Star Dou Great Forest. If you really can't break through, reveal Jia Lin's birthplace first. That place is very important to the Dragon Clan, and it should buy me time to think of a solution…”

"I understand, don't worry." Qiu'er nodded obediently, her big tiger gently rubbing against Yan's palm.

After discussing it with her for a while, Yan closed his eyes and rested for a bit before resuming his work.

...Wuhun City, Papal Palace. The vast council hall, spanning over a thousand square meters, was dazzlingly magnificent.

This side hall holds a special position within the Papal Palace, serving as Pope Bibi Dong's daily office. In the past, the esteemed Pope would receive the elders or powerful figures of the Spirit Hall here.

However, today, after the Son of God returned for an audience, the two talked late into the night, and did not leave until the moon was high in the sky.

On the magnificent papal throne, two figures were entwined, a tattered black robe with gold patterns had slipped to the side, a nine-curved purple-gold crown was carelessly thrown on the ground, and a scepter inlaid with countless gems was also tilted to one side.

Such a chaotic scene easily leads one to imagine that some great battle had broken out here, but if the camera is moved to the papal throne, it becomes clear that a 'great battle' had indeed just broken out.

Pope Bibidon was clinging to His Highness the Holy Son. Her fair skin was flushed, and her near-perfect face was radiant, making her look dazzling.

She nestled in Yan's arms like a little bird, and the intangible nobility and holiness she exuded added to her charm.

"You little brat, all you do is cause trouble as soon as you get back. Don't you even respect your teacher?" Bibi Dong's soft and melodious voice was full of coquettish charm, which easily aroused people's imaginations. In fact, in her current state, it was hard for others not to have the wrong idea.

Just as Yan was about to speak, Bibi Dong's jade-like hand covered his mouth again. She raised her head, her delicate face turned towards Yan, and the drooping blue ribbons, carrying a faint fragrance, brushed against Yan's nose, tickling him and making him feel refreshed.

"Little brat, you acted on your own back in the Star Dou Great Forest, and your teacher didn't punish you then." Bibi Dong breathed softly, easily suppressing the treacherous disciple who wanted to 'betray his master and ancestors'. Yan originally wanted to change his 'way of life,' after all, a true man shouldn't live under someone else's thumb for long. However, his teacher was too good at playing games, and he felt that it was best for him to remain unchanged in the face of all changes.

The red candles flickered, and another romantic scene unfolded. Bibi Dong and Yan had not seen each other for a long time, and someone's 'betrayal of his master and ancestors' intentions were obvious. However, His Holiness the Pope was well-prepared, and the battle continued until dawn without a clear winner.

...At dawn, Yan opened his eyes precisely on time. Warm sunlight streamed through the window cracks onto the bedding, and the air was filled with the scent of sunshine.

He slowly sat up, carefully took Bibi Dong's arm, gently cradled her head with his right hand, and ran his fingertips through her smooth, dark hair.

"Hmm!" Although Yan's movements were very subtle, Bibi Dong still noticed them and came to her senses. She slid her body into Yan's arms again, wrapping her jade arms around his neck.

"Why don't you sleep a little longer?" Yan's hands unconsciously grabbed his conscience. His Holiness the Pope was magnanimous and didn't mind, even changing his sleeping position to let His Highness do as he pleased.

Bibi Dong snuggled into Yan's arms, rubbed her face against his chest, and slid up to him, whispering in his ear, "You little pervert, thinking about bullying people so early in the morning. Wasn't last night enough?"

“Not enough? How could it be enough? I’m serious about betraying my master and ancestors.” Yan deliberately pronounced the word ‘betray’ in the second tone. Bibi Dong didn’t understand at first, but after realizing what he meant, she couldn’t help but spit out a curse.

"When are you going to see Xue'er and Nana?" Bibi Dong was very indulgent towards Yan's restless hands, but she was still a little guilty. After all, she was not young, and there was her relationship with Yan on the surface... as well as the reasons related to Qian Renxue and Hu Liena. Every time she was intimate with Yan, it felt like she was cheating on him, and she couldn't help but worry about her own daughter and goddaughter.

“Nana and Xue’er are busy with important matters, and their cultivation levels are not yet very high. They need to improve their cultivation, so I won’t disturb them.” When Yan heard Bibi Dong mention Hu Liena and Qian Renxue, his straight back swayed slightly, and then he said something that sounded quite reasonable.

It wasn't that Yan was suffering from back pain or anything like that; it was just that too many of these kinds of things were not good. If it was just one or two, he could still maintain the upper hand, but if it happened in a row, even the strongest ox couldn't afford to pay so much "public grain."

Yan figured he could enjoy having a pope as a teacher, and with Sister Liya, he could even have a class. But if Sister Xue'er came along, and Nana came too, then there were all the little cats from Wuhun City, the little witch Rongrong, and the begonia he had suppressed... Just thinking about it made him feel a bit... Yan felt he should focus on his business first. This kind of enjoyment was only good occasionally, and too much of it wouldn't be good. It's not that he couldn't do it.

After all, he had accomplished many things in Heaven Dou City, such as arranging flowers, playing with jade, and assassinating the emperor. As long as that's the case, there are many girls in Wuhun City at this time. If they are together, it will be easy to feel lonely. It's better to pretend that he hasn't come back yet and go to take care of business in a couple of days.

"Hehe...you little pervert, you've got some fear now!" Bibi Dong saw Yan's guilty conscience, hooked his chin with one hand and mocked him, while using the other hand to provoke him and play with fire.

"Well, teacher, I'm planning to go to the Five Elements Continent, and if possible, take a long trip..." Yan brought up serious business at this moment, subtly taking the Pope teacher's hands. He dared to say with his conscience that it was definitely not because his back was sore and he wanted to temporarily suspend the battle.

"You're leaving again? You always do this. Wuhun City is your home, but you always come and go so quickly. How long has it been since you went back to your home in Wuhun City?" When Bibi Dong heard that Yan was going to run errands again, her smile turned cold, and she turned away without giving him a friendly look.

Yan could tell that Bibi Dong was upset, so he quickly put his arm around her shoulder and said some nice things.

"Teacher, I'm doing this for important business, not just running around aimlessly."

“Whenever you leave, it’s always because you have important business to attend to. Xiao Yan, I don’t mean to stop you from doing your work. But I think you really don’t need to be so busy.” Bibi Dong wasn’t too angry with Yan. After he pulled her into his arms, she turned and spoke softly. Her delicate hand stroked Yan’s brow, trying to smooth it out.

"Xiao Yan, I know you've always had your own plans and ideas. I didn't quite understand them before, but I've learned a bit more now. The City of Slaughter, Seagod Island, Tang Chen, Poseidon, Haotian Sect, Star Dou Great Forest, the Far North, the New Continent's Demon Forest, Beast God Di Tian, ​​and a host of ferocious beasts... all of these could potentially harm us, but thanks to your arrangements, everything has gone smoothly. We now have an absolute advantage, and I can become the Rakshasa God at any time. There's no one in the entire Douluo Continent who can pose a threat to us anymore, so why do you keep making yourself so tired? It's time for you to take a break." Yan stroked Bibi Dong's shoulder with one hand, listening to her sincere words. He did have an impulse to immediately put everything down and enjoy life, but in the end, he didn't really give in to that impulse.

"Teacher, I understand that the current situation is very good, very good, and everything is developing in the right direction. But I still don't want to stop like this, or rather, I've gotten used to being busy." Countless messages flashed through Yan's mind. He had to admit that Bibi Dong's words were indeed very reasonable. According to the current situation in Douluo Continent, as long as he didn't make any mistakes, he could cultivate step by step and inherit the position of the Asura God.

The Asura God is one of the three great law enforcement gods in the divine realm and has the potential to become a god-king. As long as he follows Tang's path, success seems to be within his grasp.

But after much deliberation, Yan had no intention of stopping there.

Chapter 481 Artificial Souls

"Teacher, our current success depends on the support of the divine realm, but I don't want to place all my hopes on that support." Yan spoke again after thinking for a moment, this time revealing a bit of his true feelings, which was unusual for him.

“I want to have everything under my own control, which is why I made a pact with the God of Asura. Even if it means doing this, I won’t stop now.” After hearing Yan’s words, Bibi Dong sighed, then lowered her head and said softly, “Fine, since you’re so heartless and determined to do it, I can’t stop you…”

"Thank you, teacher." Yan hugged Bibi Dong's delicate body and leaned against the headboard, but he felt a little guilty. There were some things he could tell Qiu'er and Jia Lin, but he couldn't tell Bibi Dong too much.

Jialin and Qiu'er are Yan's soul spirits and will never betray him. Bibi Dong might not abandon him either, but she still carries the inheritance of two main gods, which Yan is wary of, and this is one of the reasons why he has always been unwilling to accept a divine position.

Yan already had a plan for his future. The position of God King in the God Realm was an unattainable goal for others, but for him it was just a backup plan that was within easy reach.

If he really wanted to become the God King, he only needed to follow the original trajectory of the pure and innocent Tang Sanshao, whom he had killed, smoothly inherit the two god positions and become the God King, and then wait for the God Realm to undergo changes and take advantage of the situation to get rid of the Destruction God King and the Life God King.

In this way, everything returned to the original main storyline, except that the beneficiary changed from Tang San to Yan.

According to his calculations, the plan had a high success rate, but he would never have implemented it if there were no other way.

The key to this alternative plan is to go with the flow, mainly by drawing inspiration from the original plot to make Yan replace Tang San as the biggest beneficiary.

However, the flaw in this plan lies in the butterfly effect. Yan's success in killing Tang San and changing everything beyond recognition demonstrates that the plot is not irreversible. To blindly believe in those plots is to gamble with one's life and is also a denial of Yan himself.

If everything is predetermined, then no matter how hard Yan tries, he can't defeat Tang San, so what's the point of everything he's doing now?

Of course, besides the reasons mentioned above, another reason why Yan was unwilling to inherit the divine position was that he wanted to completely change some things according to his own ideas, and the divine realm at that time might become a stumbling block for him.

The current God Realm consists of the victors of the Dragon God Rebellion, and is itself a group of beneficiaries and rulers. Although the two God Kings and the Asura God have considered abdicating and changing things, the other Enforcement God, Destruction, has no intention of abdicating.

Yan is somewhat dissatisfied with the current system of becoming a god in the God Realm and wants to explore a new path. This will inevitably affect the interests of some gods, and no one can predict what will happen then.

Therefore, Yan has been wary of the God Realm from the very beginning, and he hasn't let his guard down yet. On the surface, he is an agent of the God Realm's interests in the lower realm, but in reality, he has always been hiding a secret. It's not that he has any rebellious intentions, but he just wants to try to forge his own path.

"I'm leaving today. Teacher Ma is helping me with some things." Yan hugged Bibi Dong and thought for a long time before finally making up his mind. Although everything was going well, he was not willing to just coast along and wait to become a god. Moreover, that kind of godhood method would result in death. Although it was only the physical body that died, death was death.

Yan was unwilling to simply follow the path laid out by others. Although the road ahead was still somewhat uncertain, he believed that with his cheat-like abilities, he could succeed. He had an AI and countless worlds as resources for advancement, so he was sure he would achieve his goal. He had to believe in himself.

"You heartless brat, don't come back after you leave." Bibi Dong was dissatisfied with Yan, and she certainly didn't hold back her words. But what kind of person was the Holy Son Yan? How could a man remain subservient to others for long? Yesterday he was passively enjoying himself, but today it was his turn to take control.

The brocade quilt was turned over again, from night to morning, and from morning to night... The blue light of the portal to time and space flickered, the familiar red light came into view, and the scorching sulfur smell rushed into the nostrils. Once again in this familiar inner world, Yan felt much more relaxed.

A fiery red subterranean world, where the surrounding air is completely distorted by the intense heat, and terrifying temperatures exist everywhere.

Above this inner world, a screen of light suddenly flickered and distorted, and the master of the inner world, upon seeing this, had a smile spread across her beautiful face.

"Blazing Flame." After Yan appeared in the Earth's core world, he instantly arrived beside Blazing Flame. The surrounding high temperature posed no threat to him at all.

He then pulled the goddess above the lava lake into his arms, and the two shared a passionate kiss in the hazy red light.

"Hey! What are you doing?" The little voice was full of confusion. After returning to the Five Elements Continent, Little Phoenix Fire had been flying happily for a while before noticing Yan and the Flame Queen being affectionate. The little guy had never seen such an exciting scene before, so he immediately came very close.

"Fire, go back to the Earth Spirit Mountain Range to see your mother. She must miss you terribly." Yan didn't intend to explain to the little phoenix. She simply patted the little one's head and tossed it aside. The little phoenix was then teleported through the purple space-time tunnel to the Earth Spirit Mountain Range, right outside her mother Vermilion Bird's cave.