Chapter 17: His Holiness the Pope~

Chapter 17: His Holiness the Pope

Wu Hun City’s walls soared eighty meters high, imposing and majestic from the outside. Their thickness exceeded thirty meters, constructed entirely from granite.

What made Wu Hun City most remarkable was its shape—it was not a typical quadrilateral city but a hexagon, surrounded by six massive walls.

Patrolling these walls were exclusively Soul Masters, clad in the distinctive uniforms of the Martial Soul Hall. Each of the six walls bore a colossal bas-relief, identical to the emblem on the Martial Soul Hall’s token, symbolizing six powerful martial souls.

The hexagonal city was built around a central hill. Upon this hill stood two striking buildings.

The more magnificent one was halfway up the slope. Even from a great distance, its grandeur was unmistakable. Its structure was classical with pillars and a dome, its exterior clad in gold that shimmered brilliantly under the sunlight. Zhong Yan knew this was the newly constructed Papal Palace.

There, reigning supreme, was the unparalleled Pope—Bibi Dong—whose beauty, strength, and influence were unmatched throughout the world.

Undoubtedly, she was among the absolute elite of this realm.

The other building, smaller in scale—about one-third the size of the Papal Palace—rested atop the hill. It gleamed white like jade. This was the Douluo Hall.

Though it served as the mausoleum for deceased title Douluos, Zhong Yan understood that this place had once been the true core of the Martial Soul Hall, the sanctuary of the Angel God.

Yet now, supreme authority rested entirely in the hands of the Pope.

Before the grand entrance of the Papal Palace stood two rows of Palace Guard Knights clad in silver armor, each gripping a spear, standing in perfect formation. Together, they numbered around a hundred. Their upright spears glistened coldly in the sunlight, radiating imposing power and undeniable deterrence.

Each of these Palace Guard Knights possessed at least the soul power of a six-ring Soul Emperor, the minimum qualification to stand at the Martial Soul Hall’s highest honor as a guardian.

A guard led Zhong Yan to a gate.

“Enter. His Holiness the Pope awaits inside.”

The doors swung open, and Zhong Yan stepped forward on the carpet.

At the end of the corridor stood two women. One wore a black robe with golden patterns, a nine-curved purple-gold crown atop her head, and wielded a two-meter-long scepter encrusted with countless jewels. Her pale skin and near-perfect face were breathtaking.

This was none other than Bibi Dong herself, the current Pope of the Martial Soul Hall.

The other was a young girl in a red-and-white robe, delicate features, standing just behind Bibi Dong’s right shoulder.

Before the girl stood two figures: one clad in golden armor with a bewitching appearance, the other shrouded in black from head to toe, hood casting a shadow so deep only darkness was visible beneath. These two were Bibi Dong’s trusted Douluo companions, known as the Chrysanthemum Ghosts.

Zhong Yan bowed slightly. “Greetings, Your Holiness.”

The Chrysanthemum Douluo spoke sharply, “Why do you not kneel in reverence before His Holiness?”

Zhong Yan remained silent, instead subtly stimulating his Divine Heart with soul power, causing a faint glow to emanate from it.

Bibi Dong’s expression shifted in surprise. Inwardly, she thought, “This child carries the aura of a god. Could it be that some deity favors him, intending to pass down divine inheritance when his strength is sufficient?”

She said aloud, “Very well, you may rise.”

“Understood.” The Chrysanthemum Douluo bowed slightly and stepped back.

Bibi Dong fixed her gaze on Zhong Yan. “You wish to join the Martial Soul Hall?”

“Yes.”

“And your reasons?”

Zhong Yan met her eyes, resolute yet calm, and began his story.

“When I was nine, my friends and I ventured into the Martial Soul Hall’s hunting forest to obtain our second soul rings.

We encountered a minor beast tide within the forest, but having already acquired soul rings, we fled swiftly and escaped. However, we found ourselves lost.

We traveled together and came upon a ruined mountain village. There, we saw only one gravely injured girl. She was badly wounded and would not survive long.

I asked her what happened.

Weakly, she propped herself up and told me it was the Empire’s army.

I saw hatred and helplessness in her eyes. She didn’t expect me to avenge her—after all, it was the Tian Dou Empire.

I asked why. She said, ‘Who knows? They were chasing a fugitive. They trampled my family, killed my friends, stole our food, and burned everything in defense. Yet they watched our suffering indifferently and said—this was the work of evil soul masters.’

“In this world, for ordinary people, surviving is already a struggle with every ounce of strength. So I come to the Martial Soul Hall—to see what answers it holds.”

Zhong Yan’s gaze did not waver from Bibi Dong’s stern eyes.

“Some join the Martial Soul Hall for resources, cultivation, power, or ambition. Others seek sanctuary. But you are different—you have seen the brutal truth of this world. So you come to ask what the Martial Soul Hall thinks, how it will act?”

Bibi Dong had never seen a child so young with such profound thoughts. Setting aside divine matters, this boy alone piqued her interest.

Yet Zhong Yan’s reply was even more intriguing.

“No. I believe the Martial Soul Hall cannot give me answers. I have my own ideas. But the Martial Soul Hall can provide everything I need to turn those ideas into reality.”

A transmigrant’s greatest advantage was knowledge beyond his era.

Bibi Dong smiled brightly, “Good! You have courage and talent. I wish to take you as my disciple. But if you want to use the Martial Soul Hall’s power, you must not only convince me—you must convince all living beings.”

Zhong Yan knelt on one knee, performing the disciple’s ritual. “I pay respects to my teacher!”

In a world where power is unchecked, the flames will burn away this filthy world.

Seeing this, Bibi Dong smiled faintly. The air around her body subtly warped. Zhong Yan felt the air stiffen as a massive wave of soul power surged forth, freezing his body in place.

He understood: the Pope was testing his strength.

He remained silent, quietly circulating his soul power to resist the invading force.

The pressure was balanced yet dense, like a rigorous entrance exam.

Huliena glanced at her teacher. Though she felt no pressure, she knew this was a test for her junior disciple.

This demonstrated Bibi Dong’s mastery over her soul power—Huliena felt nothing despite being so close.

“Hmm.” Bibi Dong’s calm gaze shifted to surprise.

Knowing Zhong Yan was linked to the divine, she had never regarded him as an ordinary talent, hence releasing soul power at the level of forty-plus immediately.

Though Zhong Yan’s soul power was far weaker, Bibi Dong sensed a weighty, all-encompassing presence.

His body’s endurance far surpassed that of beast soul masters of similar rank. He showed no pain under her pressure.

Her symbol-bearing robe fluttered as if stirred by an invisible wind. Though seated, Zhong Yan clearly felt the pressure around him increasing steadily.

Though she began with the soul pressure of a level forty soul master, she gradually increased it with precise control to avoid overwhelming him.

As the pressure rose, Bibi Dong’s surprise grew. Despite his complicated identity, he was only a twelve-year-old child.

Yet even now, he had not released his martial soul.

Zhong Yan’s prowess far exceeded her expectations.

Curious about the boy’s limits, Bibi Dong pressed on.

The two Chrysanthemum Douluos knew exactly the extent of the Pope’s soul pressure. They too had grown interested in Zhong Yan.

Suddenly, astonishment flashed in their eyes.

Zhong Yan stood firm like a mountain. Though the pressure intensified, he did not budge, only his expression tensed.

Impossible!

Bibi Dong’s heart trembled slightly.

She knew her soul power output well; her pressure had risen from level forty-five to forty-six, then forty-seven, forty-eight, forty-nine.

When her pressure finally approached level fifty, Zhong Yan could no longer maintain his composure. His face slightly strained as he struggled to raise his right hand. The Spear of Rainbow appeared, supporting his weight.

“You’re only level thirty, and I just released pressure at level fifty. Quite impressive,” Bibi Dong praised warmly.

Huliena looked at Zhong Yan in disbelief. If she were level thirty, she might not withstand even level forty pressure from the teacher.

Only Zhong Yan felt a tinge of regret—he had not yet obtained his third soul ring; his cultivation was only half complete. Ah.

Jade Shield: Rest and heal, my child!

Occasionally reviewing what I’ve written, I always find a few typos or unclear expressions causing contradictions. It’s not ideal for the brothers reading my novel promptly. I’ll try to prepare some drafts so I can revise and polish before releasing them, which will be kinder to those following the updates.

(End of chapter)