Having escaped safely, Fire Phoenix Douluo asked with concern. Just now, his teacher had publicly declared in front of the entire Heaven Dou City that he had accepted Lin Xuan as his final disciple. That made Lin Xuan his junior martial brother from now on. Fire Phoenix Douluo had always been the youngest among the Pope's six disciples, and every time they met, the other senior brothers would call him "Little Junior Brother" — even though they were all already in their sixties.
But now, finally, he wouldn't be the youngest anymore. Just thinking about it made Fire Phoenix Douluo grin from ear to ear. And soon they'd be returning to Spirit Hall, no longer having to bow to the whims of the Heaven Dou Empire — that was what truly made him happiest. Of course, he had no idea what Lin Xuan thought.
"Who said I'm your junior brother? Did I ever agree to be his disciple? Ridiculous."
Lin Xuan frowned as he spoke. His words left everyone around stunned. Several elders stared at him as if he were an idiot. Being accepted as the Pope's disciple was a dream come true for many. Although Spirit Hall didn't reward its Soul Kings with titles or land like the Heaven Dou Empire, the Pope was still the number one expert on the continent. Just look at Fire Phoenix Douluo — receiving guidance from the Pope meant that, at the very least, one would become a Soul Douluo. For a moment, no one knew what to say.
"Hahaha! Just as your father said — you're like your mother: proud and unyielding!"
The Pope, who had arrived behind them, overheard Lin Xuan's words. Rather than getting angry, he became even more pleased. Originally, his agreement with Xiao Qi was purely transactional: as long as he protected Lin Xuan and allowed him to cultivate in peace, Xiao Qi would grant him the inheritance of the Angel God. The Pope's Martial Spirit was the Six-Winged Angel, and he had been searching for the Angel God's divine inheritance for twenty years. With it, he could break through the nine-ring limit and become a Rank 100 deity-level expert, allowing him to protect Spirit Hall for eternity.
The Pope had met Lin Xuan's mother, Nero, and had once sparred with her. He had lost badly. Even though Nero had neither spirit rings nor spirit bones, he still couldn't defeat her and had been crushed by what she called her "Noble Phantasm." But thanks to Nero, he realized how vast the outside world was and how small the Douluo Continent truly was. Now, all he wanted was to properly train this foreign genius — to see how far someone from another world could go in Douluo.
"He's not my father. His surname is Xiao, mine is Lin. You've got the wrong person."
Lin Xuan instantly bristled at being called Xiao Qi's son — even Nero wasn't allowed to bring that up around him. So much so that she always referred to Xiao Qi as "that bastard." The Pope simply laughed heartily. He wasn't bothered at all. Xiao Qi had explained the situation regarding Lin Xuan's surname, and the Pope admired Xiao Qi's devotion. Compared to himself, who couldn't remain loyal even after his wife's death, Xiao Qi's dedication was truly impressive. After receiving Lin Xuan from Fire Phoenix Douluo, the Pope immediately picked up speed and left Heaven Dou territory.
"Looks like Spirit Hall might have a real future now. Come on, let's get back and have a drink!"
After handing over Xing Bu Ji to a female elder, Fire Phoenix Douluo shouted excitedly and accelerated. This was the first time he'd ever seen the Pope show such favor toward a young boy. Even the six of them — his senior disciples — had barely met the Pope's expectations. If the Pope valued Lin Xuan this much, that likely meant Lin Xuan could represent Spirit Hall in the upcoming Continental Elite Soul Master Tournament alongside the Pope's son. With that, they might finally avenge their loss in the last tournament.
The Pope flew extremely fast, so fast that Lin Xuan couldn't even make out the scenery below. Even using his secondary Martial Spirit, Eagle Eye, didn't help. After flying at top speed for fifteen minutes, the Pope finally slowed down to let Lin Xuan catch his breath — the boy was on the verge of throwing up, though he forced himself to keep a straight face.
"So? What do you think of Spirit Hall's territory?"
Once Lin Xuan recovered, the Pope stopped flying and gently levitated him in midair with soul power so he could sit and look down. They had officially entered Spirit Hall's domain.
Now that they were safe, there was no rush to return. The Pope wanted Lin Xuan to enjoy the scenery and have a heart-to-heart talk. If Lin Xuan liked it here, he might choose to stay.
Spirit Hall's territory was rather isolated, filled only with small villages and tribal settlements. The indigenous people here lived simple lives, smiling even as they worked under the blazing sun, seemingly content despite the hard labor.
"Mm… It's way behind where I come from. Ordinary people here don't enjoy much. Only you, powerful soul masters, get to feel any real pleasure."
Lin Xuan noted that while everyone looked happy, he knew that a single soul master with poor morals could destroy all that joy. In such a society, the weak could only suffer in silence — such was the law of the jungle.
"You're right. But having everyone behave perfectly is impossible. That's why we need enforcement — soul masters must be supervised. With proper structure and rules, those who commit crimes are executed immediately. Doesn't that already change things significantly?"
The Pope was quite pleased with Lin Xuan's answer. If he hadn't known better, he wouldn't believe this came from a ten-year-old. There was no flattery, only sincerity and candor.
"You mean Spirit Hall, right? Talk about giving yourself a pat on the back. Can you guarantee your enforcers are all upright? And what if you die — will your successors follow your rules? A powerful organization like Spirit Hall is bound to fall to corruption. Besides, didn't you have selfish reasons when you founded it?"
Lin Xuan's words were ruthless, so much so that they left the Pope speechless. But as the saying goes, "honest advice jars the ears." Harsh as it sounded, it was the truth.
"Mm, I had my reasons — I wanted to give my disciples a haven, and ensure my descendants had better resources for cultivation. That's why I created Spirit Hall. But once it grew, I started thinking about the bigger picture — about the soul masters oppressed by power. But what about you? What would you do?"
The Pope didn't hide anything and wasn't angry at Lin Xuan's harsh words. He found himself smiling even more. His gaze toward Lin Xuan softened. No one had dared to question him in thirty years, and now this ten-year-old had spoken the very words he most wanted to hear. But Lin Xuan's next words shocked him to his core.
"If it were me? I'd do nothing. What do those peasants have to do with me? In my eyes, they're just pawns — tools for me to rise. If I'm in a good mood, I might meet their petty needs. But if I'm in danger, they will be my human shields."
The Pope's eyes widened in shock. Lin Xuan's way of thinking wasn't just ruthless — it was dangerous. If left unchecked, this boy could easily become a Dark Soul Master or the next tyrant. He was only ten, yet had thoughts like these. When the Pope was ten, he'd barely understood the world.
"Silence! Kneel!"
The Pope stood and shouted. A powerful pressure burst forth — the aura of a Super Douluo. Lin Xuan was immediately crushed to his knees mid-air. He clenched his fists, veins bulging, trying to resist — but he couldn't even summon his Martial Spirit, let alone activate his first soul skill.
The sword spirit of the Zhu Xian Sword awakened and forcefully shattered the Pope's pressure. Lin Xuan's Martial Spirit emerged, and his first soul ring lit up. Using its power, Lin Xuan broke free. But without the Pope's soul power holding him aloft, he plummeted toward the ground.
"Not good!"
The Pope panicked. He hadn't expected Lin Xuan's Martial Spirit to have its own will, nor that it could break his control. But now wasn't the time to dwell on it — if Lin Xuan fell, he'd be seriously injured or worse.
As he fell, Lin Xuan's mind became strangely clear. He didn't fear death, but his survival instinct kicked in. He swung the Zhu Xian Sword beneath his feet to stabilize himself in midair. There was only one plan now: jump just before landing. At worst, he'd break both legs.
Driven by that survival instinct and focused will, Lin Xuan suddenly broke through the bottleneck of Level 29 and reached the Soul Elder rank.
"Sigh… Why must it come to this… So troublesome…"
Just as Lin Xuan was about to leap to minimize impact, the Pope caught him midair, using his body as a cushion. He couldn't let Lin Xuan shatter his legs. That would ruin everything. And even if he fell, he wouldn't get hurt.
In that moment, he also realized something: Lin Xuan would never abandon this line of thinking. He was a born schemer — a future ruler. That kind of mindset couldn't be changed. The best they could do was slowly guide him — keep him from straying too far while preserving his edge.
"Willing to study at Spirit Hall Academy?"
The Pope, lying on the ground with Lin Xuan atop him, gently nudged him off and asked with a grin. Lin Xuan dusted himself off, didn't answer right away, then shrugged:
"Nowhere else to go anyway. Might as well stay here — at least I've got you as a bodyguard."
Though Lin Xuan acted tough, he knew full well he needed Spirit Hall. Unlike the empire's academies, Spirit Hall didn't prioritize nobles, saving him a lot of trouble. Plus, he had no real combat experience. He still couldn't understand why Xiao Qi sent him to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy first.
The two resumed their journey. Along the way, they talked about Earth — things the Pope found novel and fascinating. But time flew, and before long, Spirit City appeared in the distance.
Spirit City wasn't large, nestled in a mountain range. Its towering walls radiated an intimidating pressure. Even if the empires attacked, Spirit Hall could hold firm thanks to its terrain and fortifications — it was practically an impenetrable fortress.
The Spirit Hall Academy sat at the city's center. Its Western-style architecture, castle-like in form, impressed Lin Xuan. But there were hardly any people around. Even the admissions office was empty — the entire city felt like a ghost town.
Spirit Hall's position was precarious. Unlike the empires, it couldn't grant nobles titles or land. It only offered the title of Elder. Spirit Hall was essentially a powerful sect, and since it was built in unclaimed territory, it had no population to draw from. Few were willing to travel so far to study or settle here.
After a quick tour, the Pope brought Lin Xuan into the academy itself.
"Xiao Hai! Quit sleeping! Get up and assign him to a class. He's ten — and already a Soul Elder."
The Pope landed at the admissions office and barked at a man slumped at the desk. The man jolted awake, swallowing a mouthful of drool in panic. Lin Xuan was disgusted. This was a standard square-jawed, buzz-cut brute — the kind you could find five copies of in any crowd.
"Ah, Teacher, I was just tired — you know how my Martial Spirit is. This little guy, right? No problem. I'll put him in the third-year freshman class."
Still groggy, the brute slapped himself a few times, grinned at the Pope, and dragged Lin Xuan away. The Pope stayed behind, grimacing. But after considering his disciple's Martial Spirit, he could only sigh helplessly.
As soon as Lin Xuan arrived at Spirit Hall, the events in Heaven Dou City spread like wildfire across the continent. What happened at the royal academy shocked everyone, not only because it had drawn seven Title Douluo to the scene, but also because of Lin Xuan's soul ring configuration: one yellow, one purple, and reaching Soul Elder rank at only ten years old. Every major power was now deeply interested in this boy who defied all conventional logic.
(End of Chapter