The news of Golden Crocodile's spirit power breaking through to level ninety-nine was known to only a very small number of people within Spirit Hall.
However, some elders of the Supreme Pontiff Palace faction who caught wind of it had already begun to consider whether they should change sides.
Compared to the Hall of Worship, the Supreme Pontiff Palace was clearly at a disadvantage. Fortunately, the Palace had recently gained a new female Titled Douluo, which allowed the situation to remain stable for the time being.
"Lingyuan, now that you are a Titled Douluo, do you have any plans for your future?"
Bibi Dong looked at the cold yet beautiful woman before her. Lingyuan's short, ear-length hair framed her face neatly, and her slender figure was accentuated by her close-fitting attire. Bibi Dong appeared quite satisfied.
As both a woman and a female Titled Douluo herself, Bibi Dong held Lingyuan in high regard.
Lingyuan shook her head slightly, looking a little lost. Her vermilion lips parted as she said softly,
"Your Majesty, Supreme Pontiff, I don't know what I should do in the future. I will follow Your Majesty's arrangements."
Bibi Dong nodded in approval and said gently,
"There are no immediate plans. However, the future of Spirit Hall may require your participation. When the time comes, I may need you to lead a team on missions. For now, Lingyuan, stay in Spirit City with peace of mind. Cultivate diligently, or take time to rest. I only hope you continue to work hard and grow stronger."
Lingyuan smiled and nodded.
"Understood, Your Majesty, Supreme Pontiff."
—
A month had passed since Yin Zhang and Qiangu Yunying returned from Xuanwu City.
Yin Zhang had also successfully turned twelve. On the Douluo Continent, twelve was considered true adulthood, while among ordinary people, adulthood often came even earlier.
Little Dragon was being kept by Yin Zhang in a Soul Hunting Forest outside Spirit City.
To facilitate Spirit Masters hunting spirit beasts, Spirit Hall—like the two great empires—had enclosed several Spirit Beast forests. The strongest spirit beasts in this particular forest had only reached the ten-thousand-year level.
Little Dragon was stationed there. Yin Zhang had specifically asked Qiangu Yuan and Spirit Hall to notify those entering the forest not to provoke it. At the same time, he also warned Little Dragon not to take the initiative to attack others.
Early in the morning, warm and gentle sunlight streamed through the glass windows into the room.
Qiangu Yunying, exhausted from the night before, lay curled on her side, sleeping deeply. Yin Zhang sat cross-legged nearby, cultivating. If he had not sensed the fluctuation in his spirit power last night—on the verge of a breakthrough—he would have already fallen asleep beside her as usual.
"My spirit power finally broke through another level… level fifty-five."
Yin Zhang exhaled deeply.
Over the past month, he had not slackened in his cultivation at all. He cultivated every night before sleeping. If he spent the night with Qiangu Yunying, he made up for it during the day, ensuring his cultivation time never decreased.
Under such circumstances, advancing one level in a month was already extremely fast—especially since this progress also included accumulation from earlier cultivation.
"Xiao Zhang… is it morning already?"
Qiangu Yunying raised a hand to shield her eyes from the sunlight and spoke lazily.
Yin Zhang stretched, stood up, and helped her sit upright.
"Yes, Sister Yunying. It's already morning. Let's get up for breakfast. After that, we can stroll around Spirit City. In the afternoon, we should also go to the Soul Hunting Forest to see Little Dragon. It's getting more accustomed to the wild, but it still relies on us a lot. We agreed to visit once a week—if we skip today, tomorrow's plans will be affected."
As he spoke, Yin Zhang helped Qiangu Yunying get dressed and pulled her along to wash up. Only then did she finally become fully awake.
The two chatted and laughed along the way. After breakfast, they visited an auction house in Spirit City, casually auctioned off a few items, and then returned to Spirit Hall.
These days, in order to avoid unnecessary attention from both the Supreme Pontiff Palace and Spirit Hall, they usually stayed at inns scattered throughout Spirit City.
Golden Crocodile, Qian Jun, and the others were well aware that the two young people were deeply attached to one another, and that their fondness for freedom was only natural.
As for matters of descendants, most powerhouses were not in a hurry. At their level of strength, having children had little to do with their cultivation realms, but giving birth would inevitably affect cultivation and other matters. As such, many chose to delay or avoid it entirely.
Many experts on the Douluo Continent were not particularly interested in leaving descendants. If they encountered someone they cared about, they might have children; if not, they simply followed their own wishes. Among the seven elders of the Hall of Worship, only Qian Daoliu and Demon-Subduing Douluo had left behind offspring. The rest felt they scarcely had enough time for their own cultivation, let alone raising descendants.
This was also one of the reasons many top-tier martial spirits on the continent had gradually disappeared—unless a great clan was deliberately maintaining a legacy, most people acted without concern for inheritance.
Meanwhile, Qian Gu Lifan's wife, Wei Min, had already been pregnant for over nine months and was close to giving birth. However, no one knew exactly when that day would come.
—
Yin Zhang and Qiangu Yunying arrived outside the Supreme Pontiff Palace, where Hu Liena had already been waiting.
Over the past month, Hu Liena had frequently stayed close to Yin Zhang, following the two like a younger sister. As she grew older, however, her beauty and natural charm became increasingly noticeable, often drawing glances from passersby when she walked beside him.
Seeing Yin Zhang arrive, Hu Liena immediately ran over.
"Brother Zhang, you're finally back! Was it fun outside last night?"
Her large, bright eyes were fixed on him.
Yin Zhang clearly sensed the hint of jealousy in her tone.
Qiangu Yunying covered her mouth and laughed lightly.
"It was fine. We were both tired after playing for a long time. If Nana wants to go out, you can come with us tonight."
Yin Zhang immediately felt a sense of unease.
Over the past month, as Hu Liena persistently tried to edge closer to Yin Zhang, Qiangu Yunying's attitude toward her had quietly changed—from treating her purely as a little sister to firmly guarding her own position.
"Tired of playing."
"Come out with us tonight."
These words echoed repeatedly in Hu Liena's mind.
Her lips pressed together slightly. A flicker of determination appeared in her eyes.
Her cheeks reddened faintly, and she put on an innocent yet playful smile. With a hint of challenge in her expression, she said,
"Okay! I'll go out with you tonight! Whoever goes back on their word is a puppy!"
"Sister Yunying, you won't regret it, right?"
At this moment, Hu Liena no longer cared about anything else.
Even if her teacher disapproved—so what?
She wanted to stay close to Brother Zhang.
Yin Zhang's heart skipped a beat.
Hu Liena… was only ten years old.
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