The great Supreme Pontiff of Spirit Hall was about to arrive in his loyal Heaven Dou.
This was the version of events Qian Renxue had spread earlier when announcing Heaven Dou's surrender to Spirit Hall, and it was what most people in Heaven Dou City believed.
As for anything beyond that, it was no longer something they could influence.
A portion of the Spirit Hall army, personally led by Yin Zhang's trusted subordinates, entered Heaven Dou City first and swiftly took control of the four city gates, replacing all the stationed troops.
Soon after, Qian Renxue, Yin Zhang, and Qiangu Yunying sat together inside a carriage. The moment she sat down, Qian Renxue removed the disguise on her face, revealing her true appearance.
"Xiao Zhang—Supreme Pontiff," Qian Renxue said with a smile, glancing briefly at Qiangu Yunying, who clearly harbored some hostility toward her. "May I call you that now?"
Yin Zhang noticed Qiangu Yunying's reaction but said nothing about it. He simply nodded gently.
"Sister Xue, you've been undercover in Heaven Dou for so many years. That must have been exhausting," Yin Zhang said calmly. "Once you return to Spirit Hall, do you plan to focus on cultivation under the High Priest? Playing the role of a crown prince for so long and handling endless state affairs must have taken up a great deal of your time."
Qian Renxue nodded, a hint of emotion surfacing in her eyes.
"That's exactly my plan. These years in Heaven Dou drained far too much of my energy. My cultivation speed couldn't keep up at all. And our Seraphim lineage already cultivates slowly to begin with," she said with a soft sigh. "After returning this time, I'm afraid it will take many years before I can catch up to your current Realm."
She looked deeply at Yin Zhang.
The more time passed, the less she could understand him.
She could not sense his strength at all anymore. What unsettled her even more was the astonishing rate at which his spirit power had grown year after year since he first entered Spirit Hall.
The first year or two had been acceptable—impressive compared to ordinary Spirit Masters, but nothing extraordinary. Compared to what came afterward, however, it was completely unremarkable.
Moreover, with Yin Zhang's arrival, Spirit Hall itself had undergone changes so drastic they bordered on incomprehensible.
Not to mention the young geniuses he had recruited, the arrival of Titled Douluo powerhouses like Dugu Bo, or the absorption of outside forces such as the Breaking Clan's Yang Family and even the second-ranked Upper Three Sect, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.
Every single development filled Qian Renxue with a deep sense of mystery surrounding Yin Zhang.
Qiangu Yunying coughed lightly. "Alright. We've arrived at the imperial palace. We can talk about the rest after we get off."
Qian Renxue glanced out the window and saw that they had indeed arrived.
She let out a soft sigh, touched her face, and transformed back into the appearance of Xue Qinghe before stepping down from the carriage.
Yin Zhang and Qiangu Yunying followed her as she spoke again.
"I don't even know what to say anymore. After being emperor for so long, it's still hard to let go," she admitted. "Come inside. I've already organized the royal treasury. The Heaven Dou Empire has a foundation built over thousands—perhaps even ten thousand—years. These assets should also be able to further strengthen Spirit Hall."
Yin Zhang smiled faintly. This was the very place where he had once obtained the Fire Phoenix Pill formula and that Spirit Bone. Returning to familiar ground, he found himself oddly curious about what he might gain this time.
The three of them entered the Heaven Dou imperial treasury together.
Looking at the gold-adorned interior, even Qiangu Yunying couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.
"As expected of a great empire with millennia of heritage. Just this treasury alone is as large as several basketball courts. Everything here is dazzling—pure gold everywhere," she said, clicking her tongue.
Qian Renxue nodded.
"And this is precisely why the two great empires were doomed to decline and eventually lose to our Spirit Empire," she said calmly. "They focused too much on indulgence. Corrupt nobles emerged one after another. If Spirit Hall hadn't insisted on Awakening Spirits for commoners, they would never have allowed ordinary people to Awaken at all—so they could monopolize benefits and exploit them endlessly."
"Yes," Yin Zhang said quietly, sharing her sentiment. "I was originally an orphan, taken in and raised by the old village chief. If it weren't for Spirit Hall, I wouldn't even have had the chance to Awaken my Spirit. At best, I would have had to beg my way into a major sect just to borrow their Spirit Awakening Stones."
On the Douluo Continent, aside from Spirit Hall, the major families and great sects all possessed Spirit Awakening Stones and spirit power testing crystals.
Take the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School as an example. As a sect centered around the auxiliary Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Spirit, they regularly sought out orphans and commoner children every year to Awaken their Spirits. Those with decent Aptitude would be taken in, nurtured, and cultivated—eventually becoming pillars of the sect.
Qiangu Yunying felt the same way.
Having grown up in Spirit City and influenced by her father, Qiangu Yuan, she had long understood how vital Spirit Hall's existence was to the continent.
At the very least, for commoners with talent who wished to rise in status—to achieve a true "carp leaping over the dragon gate"—Spirit Hall offered the fairest path available.
If such children fell into the hands of nobles instead, they would either become disposable pawns or be sold outright.
For instance, in Heaven Dou City's great auction house, girls whose bodies had partially mutated due to Beast Spirits during Awakening were often directly placed on the auction block.
"These are the most valuable items I gathered during the few months I served as emperor," Qian Renxue said, gesturing toward the gold-rimmed shelves before them. "They may not be of much use to you now, but they should still be extremely valuable to the people around you."
Following her gaze, Yin Zhang saw that the shelves indeed held treasures among treasures—rare items among the rare.
There were even two ten-thousand-year Spirit Bones.
However, for Yin Zhang in his current state, such Spirit Bones would not be a boon, but a burden.
He was already fully capable of hunting hundred-thousand-year—and even several-hundred-thousand-year—Spirit Beasts on his own.
Wouldn't it be far better to absorb Spirit Bones from those beasts instead?
If he were to occupy his Spirit Bone slots with ten-thousand-year Spirit Bones now, it would be nothing short of foolish.
After all, he couldn't guarantee that he would obtain enough year-limit enhancement cards in the future to compensate.
Yin Zhang nodded and smiled.
"Although I can't make use of these myself, they'll be extremely helpful to others," he said calmly. "I'll select a portion to take with me. The rest will be transported back to Spirit Hall and distributed as rewards to those who have rendered meritorious service."
A new order was already taking shape—one that would sweep away the old aristocracy and reshape the continent from its very foundation.
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