Chapter 484: Return to the Wuhun Hall
Wuhun Empire, Wuhun City.
"I'm back..." Dai Yao murmured as he gazed at the ancient, formidable city before him. Memories that he had long pushed aside flooded back with a force that left him momentarily speechless. After escaping from the Star Luo Empire and then the Heaven Dou Empire, he had once thought that this place would be his final refuge. But in the end, he discovered that he was still just a passerby. Coming in haste, leaving just as quickly—where did he truly belong?
Pulling his hat down to shadow his expression, Dai Yao let a hint of irony curl his lips. After all, his exile had brought him something invaluable: it forced him to rely on himself and settle down in Hanhai City, where he finally found a true "home."
"Now, it's time to confront the woman who drove me out," he muttered, a steely glint in his golden eyes.
Back then, Bibi Dong had nearly killed him. She had her reasons, and in hindsight, he could understand her decision. Their complicated relationships—with Hu Liena, Bibi Dong, and even Qian Renxue—were tangled beyond repair, and killing him would have been the simplest solution. If he were in her shoes, he might have made the same choice.
He wondered, though: if he had succeeded in escaping the control of the soul beasts hidden in the Hall of Consecration sooner, would he have made different choices? To this day, he still didn't know why Bibi Dong hadn't purged those soul beasts from the Hall of Consecration after he told her of their presence. Had she come to an agreement with them? Or had she simply chosen not to act?
The answers waited for him in the Wuhun Hall. And if nothing else, he needed answers about the beast tide that threatened the entire continent.
Before leaving for the Wuhun Empire, Dai Yao had declined Ning Fengzhi's offer to accompany him. There was no way he could be sure that Bibi Dong wouldn't imprison Ning Fengzhi and use him to pressure the Qinglian Sect and Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect to join her war against the Heaven Dou Empire. Even with Hu Liena's assurances, he couldn't risk it.
As Dai Yao approached Wuhun City's massive gates, guards stopped him.
"Halt! State your business and remove your hat!" demanded one of the guards, eyeing the stranger suspiciously. Dai Yao's long gray cloak covered his body, and a cloth-wrapped weapon hung on his back.
Without a word, Dai Yao flipped his hand to reveal an insignia—the Pope's Token.
It was a token that granted him authority as if the Pope herself were present.
Bibi Dong had personally given him the token, a symbol of his once-respected status. Now, it had lain in his storage soul device for years. He almost laughed at the irony as he displayed it.
The guards gaped at the sight, falling to their knees. "Welcome, honored bearer of the Pope's Token!"
Dai Yao suppressed the urge to smirk. It was absurd to see Wuhun Hall's loyal guards treating a so-called "traitor" with such respect.
"Rise," he said calmly. "I am here to see Bibi Dong."
Addressing the Pope by her name was usually a great offense, but none of the guards dared object; instead, they parted to allow him passage.
Glancing up at the words Wuhun City inscribed above the gate, Dai Yao brushed off his cloak and strode into the city.
"Once a traitor to Wuhun Hall, and now I return."
News of the Pope's Token bearer's return swept through Wuhun City like wildfire.
In the present day, only one person held such a token—a token granted by Bibi Dong herself. And everyone knew who it belonged to: Dai Yao, the infamous "traitor" who had left Wuhun Hall years ago under a cloud of mystery.
Although many elders had pushed for his execution back then, Bibi Dong had unexpectedly shielded Dai Yao from punishment, forbidding any pursuit or retaliation. Though many still resented him, Bibi Dong's authority had been absolute, silencing all opposition.
Now, Dai Yao was no longer the young man who had fled in haste. His return had brought whispers of a single, audacious feat: he had single-handedly infiltrated Heaven Dou City, evaded five Titled Douluo from the Clear Sky Clan, and even managed to kill one of them. It seemed that his power had reached terrifying new heights.
The main streets leading up to the Pope's Mountain quickly filled with people. Black-clad bishops and soldiers lined the streets, holding back civilians as high-ranking figures stood in solemn anticipation.
Only once before had such a gathering occurred, when Bibi Dong had been crowned Pope.
At the head of the gathered officials stood two men from Dai Yao's past: Xie Yue and Yan. Xie Yue, now a Soul Douluo, maintained a calm demeanor, while Yan's fiery eyes betrayed an inner turmoil.
"Honestly, it's hard to believe," Xie Yue said. "Dai Yao's power has grown so monstrous that even the five Clear Sky Titled Douluo couldn't bring him down."
Yan clenched his fists, his burning gaze flickering with resentment and resignation. He knew the truth—he could never match Dai Yao. When Hu Liena had chosen Dai Yao over him, Yan had swallowed his pride and respected her decision, backing away. But when Dai Yao had left Wuhun Hall, he had dared to hope once more, lingering around Hu Liena in the hopes that he might somehow win her heart.
Yet even after Dai Yao's departure, Hu Liena's heart had remained unshaken. Her occasional daydreaming and soft smiles told him all he needed to know: her heart was still with Dai Yao.
After a long pause, Yan spoke in a low voice, "I don't stand a chance, Xie Yue. I know that now. I'm here today just to see him for myself. I want to know if the stories are true—if he really stormed Heaven Dou City alone."
Xie Yue gave him an understanding nod, relieved that Yan's pride wouldn't lead to a reckless confrontation.
At that moment, two figures descended swiftly from the Pope's Mountain. When they drew near, murmurs of awe rippled through the crowd as they recognized the two figures: Ju Douluo and Ghost Douluo.
"Greetings to Elder Ghost, Elder Chrysanthemum!" the officials chorused, bowing as they acknowledged the two high-ranking elders.
"You may rise," Ju Douluo replied in his usual languid tone.
As the murmurs quieted, another powerful presence surged from the mountain: Qingluan Douluo, also known as the Third Consecration, floated down to join them.
Ju Douluo's eyes narrowed as he regarded the newcomer with a hint of disdain. "Third Consecration, your hall rarely involves itself in outside matters. What brings you out for Dai Yao's return?"
Qingluan Douluo replied nonchalantly, "Bai Wu Tong is, in name, still my disciple, and I have an interest in her husband's progress. Am I not allowed to greet him?"
Ju Douluo sneered but said nothing, as Ghost Douluo held him back with a gentle nudge.
Despite the tension, everyone fell silent as they turned their gaze toward the city gates. A heavy, stifling stillness settled over the street, broken only by the sound of footsteps echoing from the distance.
All eyes fixed on the bridge, where a figure emerged, the brim of his straw hat obscuring his face, a long weapon wrapped in cloth slung across his back. As he slowly ascended the bridge, he reached up to remove the hat, revealing brilliant golden hair and a face both familiar and strangely transformed.
Dai Yao scanned the crowd impassively, his gaze settling on the Pope's Palace. Then, after a pause, he turned to face those gathered below, a slight smile crossing his lips.
"It's been a while, everyone."
The aura of power radiating from Dai Yao was nearly suffocating, even to the three Titled Douluo who had come to greet him. Yan and Xie Yue found themselves unable to meet his gaze, an instinctive dread coursing through them.
"It's not just a rumor," Yan thought, shaken. He, a prominent figure in Wuhun Hall, couldn't even withstand Dai Yao's gaze. Faced with such overwhelming strength, his resentment melted away.
Ju Douluo and Ghost Douluo felt an acute sense of danger from Dai Yao as well, while Qingluan Douluo, now at Rank 98, was particularly wary of the weapon Dai Yao carried on his back. Only Qian Daoliu, the Great Consecration, and Bibi Dong herself had ever unsettled him this way.
"Long time no see, Dai Yao," Ju Douluo greeted, a complicated expression in his eyes. The young man who had once fled the hall now stood before them, a force that even the strongest among them would think twice about challenging.
Dai Yao nodded and offered a polite bow. "Greetings, Elder Qingluan, Elder Ju, Elder Ghost."
Ghost Douluo acknowledged him with a slight nod, then gestured forward. "Dai Yao, come with us. Her Holiness has been expecting you."
Dai Yao glanced up at the Pope's Palace, his expression unreadable as he followed them up the mountain.
As they began their ascent, the black-robed bishops dispersed, and a flood of murmurs filled the streets below, breaking the tense silence at last.
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