Douluo Continent: Long Live the Spirit Hall

Chapter 129 Ceremony of Light

"That's a simplistic idea. Simply giving away the White Sun Rice as a blessing from the gods might earn the common people's gratitude for a while. But those nobles will be quite cunning. They have many armies under their command, so it's hard to say who will ultimately benefit."

Inside the Spirit Hall council chamber, Yan shook his head after hearing Bibi Dong's words, and then quickly revealed his plan before the Pope could get angry: "I plan to organize a Light Ceremony to worship the great Angel God."

On the day of the Light Festival, steadfast believers receive divine blessings and awaken their Holy Light Soul Power—this is the true miracle. Afterwards, the Spirit Halls throughout the continent are ordered to send deacons each month to use the White Sun Rice bestowed by the miracle to nurture children who have not yet awakened their Spirit Souls…

With this multi-pronged approach, the believers of Douluo Continent witnessed miracles, came to believe in the existence of the Angel God, and their faith became even more devout. Meanwhile, some nobles, driven by self-interest, would gravitate further towards us, and the power of the two great empires would gradually crumble…”

Bibi Dong hesitated before speaking, "Well, Xiao Yan, your idea is good. But there's no precedent for this kind of divine blessing awakening of soul power."

Yan didn't try to explain or refute, but instead asked, "What is the essence of a Soul Master's innate Soul Power? Is it really impossible for someone who hasn't awakened Soul Power to cultivate?"

Qian Daoliu, Qian Renxue, Hu Liena, Bibi Dong, and the others were all somewhat bewildered. Yan's question had truly touched upon their blind spot, because in their understanding, the question was meaningless.

Soul Masters are those who have awakened innate soul power. Without innate soul power, one cannot become a Soul Master, let alone cultivate. This has been a long-standing consensus in the Douluo Continent, but no one has ever considered the nature of innate soul power, nor has anyone thought about whether ordinary people really cannot cultivate.

"Innate soul power is a catalyst, a catalyst that guides people to the foundation of the extraordinary. The original cultivation meditation method in Douluo Continent was somewhat flawed. Without this catalyst, one cannot get started, let alone cultivate."

Yan didn't mince words and provided an answer when the others were confused: "However, nothing is absolute. If someone is fortunate enough to obtain some herbs and spiritual objects containing extremely pure energy and consume them, being reborn is secondary; the more crucial thing is that they can obtain soul power."

This kind of soul power obtained through external means can also be used for cultivation, but how far one can go depends on their own abilities.

The situation Yan described is the same as the one Tang San took in on Seagod Island in the original novel, who had zero innate soul power. He gave Jixiang a spiritual herb that transformed him, allowing him to gain external soul power and making cultivation possible.

"I have studied the power of faith within the angel statue. The power of faith after being tainted by divinity is a very magical energy. Through special means of baptism and blessing, it may be possible to leave a trace of soul power seed in the body of a person without soul power."

Yan continued, explaining his entire plan. Qian Daoliu hesitated; using divine items within the angel statue to bestow blessings, while potentially gaining more faith, was a risky undertaking. However, Qian Renxue was quite interested and began discussing it with Yan.

“Grandpa, I think Yan’s idea is worth trying. Those who can generate soul power through the baptism of angels and the resonance of light must be devout believers of our Spirit Hall. Such people are indeed qualified to receive blessings.”

In the end, it was Qian Renxue who persuaded Qian Daoliu. With the Grand Elder nodding, Pope Bibi Dong decided to issue the relevant orders after deliberation. The orders were relayed level by level to every city on the continent, and even the lowest-level Martial Soul Branch Hall received direct orders from the Pope.

The Spirit Halls in various regions took action simultaneously, a rare occurrence. Countless Spirit Hall deacons issued orders to villages and towns, reading out commands from the Papal Palace. This event naturally caused a great stir across the continent and made countless people look forward to this Light Festival.

……

The southwestern province of Fasno of the Heaven Dou Empire is located at the border between the two countries, and Notting City is less than two hundred miles away from the Star Luo Empire. Notting City is not a large city, but because it is very close to the border of the Heaven Dou Empire, its city walls are quite thick.

Perhaps due to its proximity to the border between the two countries, Nottingham City has a large number of merchants, with many caravans traveling between the two countries and making huge profits through some unspeakable transactions.

The soldiers guarding the city mostly turned a blind eye to these merchant caravans, since those who could conduct such transactions were not ordinary merchants, and were not people like them who could afford to offend them.

Thanks to these traveling caravans, commerce in Nottingham was quite prosperous, especially hotels and inns, which were often fully booked. Merchants from both countries gathered in taverns to drink and make merry, and naturally, a lot of news circulated.

"Hey! Have you heard? The Pope has personally ordered that the Light Festival be held in Wuhun City three months from now. All believers on the continent are welcome to attend, and the Wuhun Hall will provide all assistance."

“I’ve heard that believers in many places have already set off, most of whom are ordinary people without any spiritual cultivation. They actually want the blessings of God?”

"Hehe! I've heard some news that both the Empire and the other side seem to be trying to obstruct this matter. Don't you think there are many more checkpoints along the roads these days?"

"Shut up! Shut up! This involves those powerful figures with connections everywhere; it's not something we can talk about carelessly."

"However, since the Clear Sky Sect closed down and went into seclusion more than a year ago, the Spirit Hall has indeed been making more moves. It is normal for the bigwigs of the empire to take action."

"Let's not discuss these things anymore, let's drink, let's drink..."

In the noisy tavern, a group of merchants, emboldened by the alcohol, said a few more words before falling silent. However, throughout the tavern, and even in various corners of the city and the continent, countless people were discussing the Light Festival.

On a window sill in the restaurant, a middle-aged man, roughly in his thirties or forties, sat alone at a table. He possessed a peculiar air about him, and his eyes held a hint of laziness and decadence as they opened and closed.

When the middle-aged man heard the discussion about the Light Ritual, he couldn't help but look towards the distant direction of Martial Soul City, and subconsciously whispered, "Coerce the Clear Sky Sect, win over the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, suppress the Blue Lightning Tyrant Sect, and subdue the four lower sects and the four single-attribute families."

In just a few years, the Spirit Hall's power has expanded to its limit, subtly controlling and influencing 70% of the Spirit Masters in the world, and now it is even launching an attack on the rule of the two great empires.

Bibi Dong, you weren't like this before. What happened to you? The Light Festival, Martial Soul City—a storm is brewing.

Chapter 130 The Road to Pilgrimage

Douluo Continent, Spirit City. This is the only city located between two great empires, nominally not under the rule of either, because it is the headquarters of the Spirit Hall, the strongest force in the Douluo Continent's spirit master world, and a sacred place in the hearts of countless people.

As news of the Light Festival spread, countless believers of the Spirit Hall's Angel God spontaneously embarked on a pilgrimage across the kingdoms and duchies of the two great empires. They chose to uphold their faith and travel to Spirit City for the pilgrimage.

Believers in the God of Angels across the Douluo Continent embarked on a pilgrimage, and the Spirit Hall, as the initiator of this event, naturally wouldn't remain inactive.

Spirit Hall branches across the land dispatched deacons to promote the Light Ritual and guide believers in their prayers. Each Spirit Hall offered assistance to believers traveling to Spirit City.

If one were to look down upon the Douluo Continent from the sky, a peculiar sight would be revealed: vast processions from all corners of the continent were converging on the central location of Martial Spirit City. These were believers embarking on a pilgrimage to Martial Spirit City to participate in the Light Festival.

The two great empires naturally reacted to the Spirit Hall's grand event. While they did not openly object, the cities around them were more heavily guarded, and checkpoints were set up one after another, clearly an attempt to sabotage the event in secret.

In this situation, the various Spirit Halls naturally responded to each move with countermeasures. The Papal Palace had issued a strict order: the success of the Light Ritual must be guaranteed. Amidst this covert struggle, more and more believers embarked on the pilgrimage, and the Light Ritual attracted immense attention.

……

Old Jack was an ordinary believer of the Angel God of the Spirit Hall. He came from Holy Soul Village outside Notting City in the Fasno Province. He had wandered around when he was young, and returned to Holy Soul Village in his old age to become the village chief.

Holy Soul Village is quite famous in Notting City because it is said that a Soul Saint once emerged from this village.

When he was young, Old Jack had dreamed of becoming a noble Soul Master, but unfortunately, his martial soul awakening at the age of six shattered his fantasy.

After that, he went out to explore the world and heard some strange and wonderful stories, but the protagonists of these stories were all Soul Masters with innate Soul Power, and there were no ordinary people among them.

He originally thought that this would be his life forever: returning to Holy Soul Village to succeed his father as village chief. He held this position for decades, and now that he is over fifty, he thinks that his life will basically remain the same.

However, a message brought by Master Su Yuntao from the Notting City Martial Soul Branch Hall a few days ago completely changed his mind.

The Spirit Hall called on all devout believers to go to Spirit City to hold the Light Festival. When he heard this news, he was touched. After thinking about it all night and arranging things in the village, he embarked on the pilgrimage with some volunteer villagers.

Along the way, he saw, experienced, and gained a lot. His inner faith and perseverance underwent a unique baptism, which made him more certain of his decision.

"Reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles," that's probably the idea. He learned this from a Spirit Hall deacon on the road, and it was supposedly a famous saying of a big shot in the Spirit Hall.

They set off from Notting City in the Fasno Province, and after nearly three months, they finally arrived outside Spirit City today, bathed in the rising sun. Under the sunlight, this holy city of the Spirit Hall shone with dazzling brilliance and beauty.

With the Light Festival approaching, Wuhun City is under heavy guard to prevent any unscrupulous individuals from causing trouble. Tens of thousands of elite Wuhun Hall soul masters, gathered from various places, are wearing heavy armor, riding magnificent steeds, and patrolling the area with vigilant expressions.

Outside Wuhun City, on a vast plain, stands a newly constructed, towering sacrificial altar. This is the location where the Light Festival will soon be held, and security here is extremely tight. Flying Soul Masters patrol the sky from time to time, their hawk-like eyes sweeping over every corner.

The Spirit Hall's Light Festival was so grand that naturally, all the nations and states would show their respect. Envoys from the two great empires, various kingdoms, duchies, sects, and major families all came. There were even rumors that the two most powerful emperors on the continent would make an appearance on the day of the festival.

More than 100,000 believers had already gathered outside Wuhun City. Tens of thousands of people are boundless, let alone more than 100,000, which is an even larger sea of ​​people.

Yet, outside Spirit City, despite the large number of people gathered together, everything appeared remarkably orderly. Countless people were praying outside Spirit City; although there were some noisy whispers, they constituted only a small portion of the conversation. The majority of the people were reciting new prayers along with the deacons of the Spirit Hall.

“Our loving angelic God! You are the true God who created the universe! Thank you and praise you, because of your great power and love, and by your will, we have completed another year of our earthly journey…”

"Dear Angel God, thank you and praise you. A new day, a new grace. Thank you for your nurturing and blessings. I come to the table to receive the food you have given me. I ask you to bless me with purity and holiness, and to grant me the benefit of what I eat, so that I may have a grateful heart..."

“Great Angel God, thank you for bringing light. You deserve our worship. My God, we will worship you. You are the most high, the greatest, the most holy, and the most sacred God…”

The various prayers intertwined, but instead of creating a noisy or chaotic atmosphere, they possessed an extremely sacred rhythm that drew believers to join the prayer procession.

At the end of the pilgrimage routes in various parts of Wuhun City, support-type soul masters waited for a long time. Together with water-attribute soul masters, they stirred up a gentle drizzle with healing light. The fine rain curtain shimmered with light, and the rising rain mist enveloped Wuhun City inside and out.

One by one, believers who had endured countless hardships to reach Wuhun City on their pilgrimage entered the rain. The fine rain falling from the sky soaked their clothes, but instead of getting wet, they felt their spirits lifted, as if they had undergone a baptism and were full of energy.

After being baptized by the radiant rain and mist, they arrived outside the City of Martial Souls, filled with the sounds of prayer. Faced with such a miraculous scene, the believers knelt down in excitement, praising the great angel god incessantly.

Old Jack, from Holy Soul Village in Nottingham, was one of these many believers. Having gone through the pilgrimage, his faith in the gods had become even more devout.

At this moment, guided by the deacons of the Spirit Hall, they arrived at a group of people and sat cross-legged. Together with the deacons, they recited words of praise and joined the prayer procession, contributing their efforts to the angel god they believed in.

Chapter 131 Before the Ceremony

"Sect Leader Ning, it's been a long time."

At the special reception area in Wuhun City, Yan met the group of powerful figures from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, who had traveled a long way. Ning Fengzhi had personally led the group, and Bone Douluo Gu Rong and Sword Douluo Chen Xin had also accompanied them.

Moreover, it's not just the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School; the four lower sects and numerous forces in the Soul Master world have already arrived. The envoys from the two great empires have already made preparations ahead of time. Emperor Xueye and Emperor Xingluo will also be present on the day of the Light Festival. This grand event will surely be recorded in history.

"Your Highness, may we have a talk?"

Ning Fengzhi arranged for his subordinates to first settle the luggage in the hotel specially arranged by the Spirit Hall, and then came to Yan alone and spoke.

Yan nodded calmly, and then he and Ning Fengzhi went to a pavilion inside the hotel. After the two sat down, Ning Fengzhi couldn't help but say, "Your Highness, don't you think the Spirit Hall is acting a bit too hastily?"

Yan seemed not to understand what Ning Fengzhi was talking about, and asked indifferently, "Sect Master Ning, what are you referring to?"

"I don't need to explain these things so clearly, do I? Don't you think the Spirit Hall has been doing too much these past few years?"

Ning Fengzhi looked at Yan with considerable dissatisfaction, “First, you forced the Haotian Sect to close its doors and go into seclusion, and then you tried to win over and divide the seven major sects. The Thunder Academy, supported by the Blue Lightning Tyrant Sect, is now rife with internal conflicts among its students. Don’t think that no one has noticed these things.”

Upon hearing Ning Fengzhi's words, Yan couldn't help but say, "Hold on a minute. Sect Leader Ning, I really haven't paid attention to this matter, but I do know about it."

Besides supporting Thunder Academy, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan also helped establish another Blue Tyrant Academy in Heaven Dou City. This naturally led some people to speculate, and conflicts are to be expected.

"Hehe, this conflict came at the perfect time, and it's been going on for far too long."

Ning Fengzhi stared at Yan with a cold smile for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Forget it, there's nothing to say about this matter. But this time, you were a bit too hasty."

"While the Spirit Hall wields considerable influence within the two great empires, there are certainly discerning individuals among the empire's leadership. Do you think they're fools, rushing to hold such a grand ceremony?"

Yan smiled and replied, "Sect Leader Ning, you seem to have misunderstood. This time, the Spirit Hall is holding the Light Festival, which is a divine decree from the God of Angels."

"A divine oracle? Who would believe that?"

Ning Fengzhi clearly didn't believe Yan's words. With the passage of time, the deeds of the gods on the Douluo Continent had long become myths and legends. Apart from a few devout believers and commoners with limited education, there were very few truly devout followers among the nobles and Soul Masters.

This is actually related to the development model of the Spirit Hall. After Yan took over the affairs of the Spirit Hall, he discovered that this force was more like a sect than a religion. It did not really promote its faith, which led to many people in the Spirit Hall doubting the existence of the Angel God.

According to Yan's understanding of the development of religions in his previous life, miracles that occur from time to time are essential for a sect to develop in the long term and gain a firm belief.

While faith should not rely on miracles and wonders, if no miracles occur for a long time, coupled with the instigation of those with ulterior motives, it can easily shake people's faith.

The Spirit Hall is in this situation: the Angel God clearly exists, but he's too much of a recluse, and his presence is too weak. The Sea God also occasionally performs miracles on Seagod Island, while this main god last issued a divine decree countless years ago.

The lack of miracles and wonders over such a long period has undermined people's faith, which explains why some believers have questioned the existence of the gods. It is precisely for this reason that the foundation upon which the Spirit Hall rules the world of spirit masters has been shaken.

What Yan is preparing to do now is simply to transform the originally passive acceptance of divine pronouncements into an active sacrificial ceremony, so that miracles and wonders can be deeply ingrained in people's hearts, strengthen and harvest faith. Although this behavior is wrong in the new century, there really is a god in this world.

"Whether Sect Leader Ning believes it or not, I cannot convince you. You will understand everything on the day of the Light Festival."

Yan did not try to persuade Ning Fengzhi. People's inherent beliefs are hard to change, especially for a strong person like Ning Fengzhi, who has his own firm beliefs and will not be easily swayed by the words of others.

"You're serious."

Ning Fengzhi stared at Yan. In his mind, although the Holy Son of the Spirit Hall was young, he always acted with impeccable skill. His confidence made him wonder if he was wrong. He thought the Spirit Hall was not too eager to make a move, but was truly confident in suppressing the two great empires in one fell swoop.

"After Sect Leader Ning returns, he can consider how to further cooperate with my Spirit Hall."

Yan smiled, stood up, bowed slightly to Ning Fengzhi, and left the pavilion. Just as he was about to leave the hotel, he suddenly saw two rather familiar figures walking towards him.