After a long, exhausting night, Yuan Qiqi lay beside Yin Zhang, her expression relaxed as she soon drifted into deep sleep.
At dawn, the two finished dressing. Yin Zhang turned to her and asked quietly,
"Has Bibi Dong made any recent moves?"
Yuan Qiqi thought for a moment before replying,
"The Supreme Pontiff is preparing for a major operation."
A major operation?
Yin Zhang's interest was instantly piqued.
"What kind of operation? Could it be the Soul Hunting Operation?"
Yuan Qiqi glanced at him in surprise. She hadn't expected Yin Zhang to know about it. But considering his identity as a disciple of the Second Consecrator, it quickly made sense. Within Spirit Hall, the two major factions rarely had absolute secrets from each other. Although the Soul Hunting Operation was classified, many of Bibi Dong's trusted aides were certainly aware of it—and among them were undoubtedly people aligned with the Hall of Worship.
Moreover, from Bibi Dong's recent actions, it wasn't difficult to sense that she was planning something massive, even if the exact details remained unclear.
Yuan Qiqi chuckled softly.
"That's right. The Soul Hunting Operation. Recently, the Supreme Pontiff has approached nearly all the sects on the Douluo Continent, except for the Upper Three Sects. Many have already pledged themselves to Spirit Hall."
She continued evenly,
"The Elephant Armored Academy and the Sacred Dragon Sect of the Lower Four Sects have both defected. There are also hidden sects—the Wind Sword Sect, Black Tiger Sect, Fire Leopard Sect, Rock Antelope Sect, Sparrow Bee Sect, and dozens of others. Once the Upper Three Sects and the remaining defiant Lower Four Sects are dealt with, Spirit Hall will turn its blades toward the two empires. When they fall, the entire Douluo Continent will belong to Spirit Hall."
Yin Zhang chuckled after listening, a trace of mockery in his tone.
"What a pity."
"What do you mean?" Yuan Qiqi asked, startled.
"After working so hard for so many years," Yin Zhang said calmly, "Bibi Dong's achievements will end up in my hands instead."
Yuan Qiqi stared at him, then suddenly laughed.
"Hehe. Xiao Zhang, if you become Supreme Pontiff one day… how will you treat me?"
Yin Zhang smiled faintly.
"Then you'll naturally be my Supreme Pontiff's wife—along with Sister Yunying and Nana."
Satisfied, Yuan Qiqi leaned into his embrace. Yin Zhang held her, but his thoughts were already drifting elsewhere—to the Upper Three Sects.
The Clear Sky Sect remained hidden from the world, but with Tang Yuehua acting as their eyes and ears outside, they were hardly blind. When they emerged in the original timeline, they had suddenly gained several additional Titled Douluo. From a reader's perspective, something about that had always felt off.
For now, Yin Zhang set the Clear Sky Sect aside. The truth would reveal itself when he eventually went there in person.
Next was the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, ranked second among the Upper Three Sects.
More than two years ago, Yin Zhang had given Ning Fengzhi the qiluo tulip, allowing his spirit power to break through to Rank 80 and his martial spirit to evolve into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. Since then, relying on his accumulated foundation, Ning Fengzhi had cultivated all the way to Rank 87.
To ensure the continuation of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda bloodline, Ning Fengzhi had taken several wives. He now had two children—one son and one daughter—with another child on the way.
As Ning Fengzhi's strength soared, the amplification he provided to Chen Xin and Gu Rong became increasingly terrifying. Even in the original records, when Ning Fengzhi was only a Spirit Saint, his support allowed the two to rival four Titled Douluo of the same level in combat power.
Now, only a step away from becoming a Titled Douluo himself, his support was even more frightening.
With Ning Fengzhi's amplification, Chen Xin's combat power could rival that of a Rank 98 powerhouse like Golden Crocodile, placing him among the strongest at that level. Gu Rong, whose spirit power had originally been slightly lower, could also reach combat strength comparable to Rank 97.
It was terrifying by any standard.
Yet Yin Zhang wasn't worried. Behind him stood two grandfathers—Golden Crocodile and Qiangu Yunying—and the other Consecrators of the Hall of Worship were all familiar faces. If needed, he could easily call them all into battle.
In fact, Yin Zhang hoped Ning Fengzhi would have even more children. Those children would be perfect leverage to force the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School into Spirit Hall's fold. The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda was the strongest support-type martial spirit on the continent. If the sect joined Spirit Hall, then its future heirs would naturally become Spirit Hall's assets, raised and cultivated from childhood.
As for Ning Fengzhi's lofty words in the original timeline—claiming that Spirit Hall must not unify the continent for the sake of the future—Yin Zhang found them laughable. In truth, it had always been about preserving his own sect's interests.
Resist Spirit Hall, or submit.
Unfortunately for Ning Fengzhi, a transmigrator had arrived on the Douluo Continent seven years before Tang San, rendering all his careful preparations futile.
After spending a little more quiet time with Yuan Qiqi, the two parted ways.
Not long after she left, another presence quietly approached.
Chrysanthemum Douluo, Yue Guan.
Yue Guan had known Yin Zhang for years. When Bibi Dong, Yue Guan, and Ghost Douluo had brought him from Nuoding City to Spirit Hall, Yue Guan had treated him kindly along the way. But as reports of Yin Zhang's meteoric rise reached his ears, Yue Guan found himself increasingly shaken.
Such growth… in only a few short years.
"Tap—tap—"
Yue Guan landed lightly on the ground. Seeing that Yin Zhang had already noticed him, his expression turned complicated.
"Yin Zhang," Yue Guan said slowly, "why did you summon me this time?"
Yin Zhang didn't bother with pleasantries.
"Elder Yue, following Bibi Dong leads nowhere. Abandon the darkness and step into the light. Join my Hall of Worship faction."
Yue Guan sighed and shook his head.
"The Supreme Pontiff hasn't been particularly kind to me, but she hasn't treated me poorly either. I have no reason to betray her."
Yin Zhang sneered.
"If I remember correctly, Elder Yue and Elder Ghost were promoted by the former Supreme Pontiff, Qian Xunji—am I wrong?"
Yue Guan's expression changed.
"That is correct."
Seeing that Yue Guan had already guessed where this was going, Yin Zhang continued coldly,
"Then I won't beat around the bush."
He looked straight at Yue Guan.
"Back then… the former Supreme Pontiff wasn't seriously injured, was he?"