After bringing back the spoils of war from the Clear Sky Sect to Grand Martial City, Chen Yi headed straight to the council hall to ask about recent developments.
The Second Elder stroked his beard and said with a smile, "It's been peaceful lately. The downfall of the top three sects is, to some extent, directly or indirectly related to our Body Sect. Now there's nobody dumb enough to target us on the continent. Everyone avoids us like the plague! Hahaha!"
Chen Yi chuckled at that. The stability of the sect was a crucial foundation, allowing him greater freedom to act elsewhere.
After some banter, Chen Yi turned to the Second Elder with a serious look.
"Second Elder, it's likely time for us to go to Sea God Island."
"At that time, we'll need the sect's elite experts ready to mobilize at a moment's notice."
"Sea God Island?!" The Second Elder's eyes sparkled, his tone full of excitement and fighting spirit. "We…are we going alone?" He rubbed his hands, clearly hoping to have all the glory to themselves.
Chen Yi shook his head and explained with a wry smile, "Unfortunately, that's not likely. After all, Sea God Island absolutely dominates the sea beyond our borders, and its roots run deep with the inheritance of the gods. They are by no means easy opponents. This time, we'll likely need to coordinate with the Spirit Hall to avoid trouble."
"I see…" Ye Cien clicked his tongue in mild disappointment but soon perked up. "Well, even if we can't take it all for ourselves, just participating is enough to make life worthwhile!"
Standing beside him, Hong Yue, eyes alight, couldn't help but interject, "Sea God Island! The lord of the seas, the very place where the gods bequeathed their legacy! Ahh, there must be countless treasures, ancient tomes, rare materials, soul tool inheritances, even gifts from the gods… Just imagining it makes my mouth water. There's so much, I doubt anyone could ever use it all up!"
The other elders also revealed looks of expectation and excitement upon hearing this. With its long history, Sea God Island's accumulated wealth, knowledge, and especially treasures possibly tied to the gods, held infinite allure for the rapidly advancing Body Sect.
Hope flickered in Chen Yi's eyes. He glanced around and said in a low voice, "For now, this matter must remain secret, but preparations must start immediately. Select elites, ready supplies—we must be ready to act at any moment. Any action we take must be a sure success!"
"The exact timing and details will be decided after discussions with the Spirit Hall."
"Yes!" the crowd responded in unison, morale high.
Nodding gently, Chen Yi turned to the Second Elder again. "Sorry for the trouble, Second Elder. I need to hurry back to Spirit City and discuss the coming arrangements—there may be other things to arrange."
The Second Elder patted his chest confidently, "Don't worry! Leave it to me. I'll lead the team perfectly, never holding you back!"
He looked at Chen Yi, emotions churning in his gaze. Not long ago, this young man had needed the protection and guidance of his elders, and now he was the leader of a sect, capable of standing on his own. Their rapid growth was both gratifying and awe-inspiring.
Chen Yi nodded to everyone, then, without saying more, unfurled his thunder wings and, with a swoosh, leapt into the sky—transforming into a bolt of lightning that streaked toward Spirit City.
The Second Elder and the others watched the direction Chen Yi had gone, keeping their gaze there until the lightning had completely disappeared from view, then finally exchanged resolute glances with fierce fighting spirit in their eyes.
"Pass down the orders!" Ye Cien turned and called out loud enough for the entire hall to hear, "The entire sect is to enter the first stage of combat readiness! Both inner and outer sects are to prepare for war at the highest level!"
"The target is Sea God Island!"
"Yes, understood!"
…
After flying at full speed, Chen Yi soon arrived at Spirit City. Freshly rebuilt and reorganized after the recent grand battle, Spirit City had mostly regained its earlier order and grandeur, but the Spirit Hall at its heart was not yet fully complete.
Landing in the square before the Spirit Hall, he folded his thunder wings. He'd barely caught his breath before, as if teleporting, three powerful auras appeared right in front of him.
It was Chu Shanhe, Elder Yuan Hua, and the Grand Worship of the Spirit Hall, Qian Daoliu.
At this time, the appearance of Qian Daoliu had changed greatly from before: his once dazzling golden hair was now streaked with white and gray, and the tips looked a little dry, with a few fine wrinkles visible on his face. This was the price he'd paid for invoking the sacrificial secret art, burning part of his own life energy.
However, in stark contrast to his slightly aged appearance, his golden eyes shone even more brilliantly—almost as if all worldly impurity had been washed away. Though his breath was weak, depleted from massive energy expenditure, his spirit was even stronger than before.
The biggest change, however, was the Grand Elder. He now made no effort to conceal his aura. Standing there in simple gray robes, his face remained peaceful and refined, yet an unfathomable aura naturally radiated from his frame.
Chen Yi only had to sense it briefly to be shocked. "Grand Elder! Have you reached Rank 99?!"
Clearly, the Grand Elder's aura was now resolutely within the legendary domain, and not by a narrow margin—his foundation was rock-solid and stronger than ever before. Evidently, the absorption and fusion of the Blood Red Nine-Headed Bat King's soul ring, and the following soul bone, had brought him unimaginable power, allowing him to soar past the boundary of Rank 98 straight into this unparalleled realm!
"Hehe, just fortunate is all, mere luck!" the Grand Elder beamed, stroking an imaginary beard. Obviously, he was extremely pleased by this breakthrough, barely able to contain his delight.
Beside him, Chu Shanhe squinted with a broad smile, saying nothing, but his pride was obvious to all. For the Body Sect to gain another limit Douluo—one with the mental power to reach the Divine Origin stage—was immensely significant.
"Fortunate indeed! In fact, I ought to thank Xiao Yi for this. That Blood Red Nine-Headed Bat King's soul ring far exceeded my expectations! What's more, just after absorbing it, the Bat King's soul bone dropped—a head soul bone with over three hundred thousand years of cultivation! The rise in soul power was incredible."
He paused, his eyes showing a hint of smug satisfaction. "And that's not all! Old Tang Chen actually possessed a hundred-thousand-year-old torso soul bone! To absorb two soul bones of such quality at once—what a feeling, tsk tsk, it was truly marvelous!"
Qian Daoliu shook his head, his face solemn as he said, "Brother Yuan, you're too modest. Soul rings and soul bones may be rare opportunities, but if you hadn't already reached the peak of training in both brain martial spirits and spiritual cultivation, how could you have broken through the final barrier so easily? Outside help is only supplementary—the real key lies, always, within yourself."
The Grand Elder's spiritual attainment was already unmatched beneath the sky, and his mastery and understanding of his power had reached unimaginable heights. The three-hundred-thousand-year soul ring and two ultimate soul bones served only as catalysts to finally awaken the might he'd accumulated, naturally guiding him to stand among peers.
Chu Shanhe kept nodding in agreement, understanding better than anyone his brother's talent and experience.
After a round of greetings and shared reflections—and a rather cheerful atmosphere—Qian Daoliu suddenly recalled something and said, "By the way, Chen Yi, Xue'er asked me to tell you: If you return, go to her in the Pope's Palace immediately. Judging from her expression, it seems there's something urgent she wants to speak to you about."
"The Pope's Palace?" Chen Yi was startled. Qian Renxue had sent for him there? That palace now served as Bibi Dong's prison, though in name it remained the residence and office of the Pope. As a Judgement Elder, Qian Renxue was supposed to be on duty at the Worship Hall. Why was she at the Pope's Palace, and why had she specifically marked it as urgent?
At that moment, Chu Shanhe chimed in at just the right moment, "Yes, that girl came to greet me earlier—she seemed rather serious. Best go look for yourself. Maybe it's exactly as it seems."
"What could be so urgent…?" Chen Yi pondered briefly, then nodded. "I'll head there now."
Though he was uneasy, Chen Yi believed Xue'er's seriousness must have a reason. He nodded lightly to the three, then quickly transformed into a streak of light, shooting off at high speed toward the nearby Pope's Palace.
…
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