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"Your Holiness, are we truly going to hand over all of Su Wen's files to him?" Chrysanthemum Douluo asked cautiously.
As one of the people who had remained by Bibi Dong's side since before she had fully come into her power—acting as her protector in her younger years—Chrysanthemum Douluo was well-aware of the complicated history between Bibi Dong and Yu Xiaogang.
Bibi Dong cast a cold, sharp gaze his way. "You only need to provide him with Su Wen's current rank, the origins of his four spirit rings, and his specific spirit skills. Nothing more."
"As you wish," Chrysanthemum Douluo replied, though he sighed inwardly.
As expected, the Supreme Pontiff still harbored a lingering sense of care for that man. Spirit skills were a Spirit Master's most guarded secrets; aside from those voluntarily shared or those roughly guessed through common usage, they were rarely known in detail. Yet, Bibi Dong intended to hand over the official data Su Wen had registered with Spirit Hall to Yu Xiaogang.
If a genius like Su Wen—who was currently working undercover within the Heaven Dou Empire for Spirit Hall—ever found out about this, it might very well create another rift in his loyalty.
Then again, Su Wen seems to be part of the Young Lady's faction now, Chrysanthemum Douluo mused. The Young Lady and Her Holiness are already at odds, so perhaps it doesn't matter as much...
Between pushing Su Wen toward Qian Renxue and handing his secrets to Yu Xiaogang, on top of all the other plans she had set in motion, Chrysanthemum Douluo found it increasingly difficult to decipher Bibi Dong's true intentions. To an outsider, her actions appeared methodical and aimed at the prosperity of Spirit Hall, yet in private, she permitted things that directly contradicted those very goals.
Shaking his head internally, he ceased his ruminations. Regardless of her reasons, they were bound to the Supreme Pontiff's faction; their only choice was to support her to the best of their abilities.
Yu Xiaogang stared at the documents in his hands detailing Su Wen's four spirit rings and skills, falling into deep thought.
"His first spirit ring came from a Starry Fruit Tree? What incredible luck. To think he encountered such a rare ring in the Notting City Hunting Forest, and at such a high age limit for a first ring."
"Second ring: a thousand-year Phantom Spirit Fox? Skill: Wind and Fire Elemental Control..."
"Third ring: a three-thousand-year Stone Monster? Skill: Great Stone Array. This ring also triggered a mutation in his second skill, granting him Earth Elemental Control as well?"
"Fourth ring: a seven-thousand-year Light Flower? Skill: Healing Light?"
The combination of the first three spirit rings was enough to make Yu Xiaogang's head spin. He felt a sharp pang of jealousy toward Su Wen's fortune, while simultaneously feeling a deep sense of confusion regarding the efficacy of such a build.
With just these three skills, Su Wen had somehow mastered so many different ways to manipulate wind and fire? Did that mean everything Su Wen showcased was actually a self-created spirit skill? This realization made Yu Xiaogang even more uncomfortable.
When he reached the fourth spirit ring, his face was practically a mask of disbelief.
What kind of nonsensical combination is this? he thought. He worked so hard to develop his Book Martial Soul into a combat-oriented type, so why on earth would he add 'Healing Light' now?
While it was normal for a Spirit Master with a well-rounded combat kit to add a supplementary healing skill, Yu Xiaogang felt this flew in the face of both the "Balanced Flow" and "Extreme Flow" theories he knew. It was complete chaos. Even if his combat techniques were perfected, he could have sought out more specialized rings. For instance, a powerful Water-attribute ring might have even gambled on a second mutation for his multi-elemental skill.
Though he envied Su Wen's luck in obtaining such high-quality rings—and the sheer fluke of the third ring triggering a mutation—he had to admit Su Wen's initial logic had been sound. So why veer off-course with the fourth ring?
"Or perhaps... he's hoping to use this Sunflower to gain the even rarer Life-attribute along with the healing?" Yu Xiaogang speculated.
If that was the case, the boy was truly being too greedy. It was lucky enough to gamble on a new element, but to aim for the attribute of Life itself? After convincing himself he had deciphered Su Wen's logic, Yu Xiaogang set the files aside.
"The method for cultivating Twin Martial Souls is the real priority here. Bibi Dong claimed one just needs to absorb the rings directly, but the risk of that is far too high. There must be a specific technique involved."
Now that he had Su Wen's data, Yu Xiaogang felt he would have plenty of time to study it later. He was confident he could eventually extract some "profound truths" from it. For now, his focus remained on the mysteries of Twin Martial Souls.
"Bibi Dong is the only one to have successfully cultivated Twin Martial Souls, but if she won't talk, where else can I find the information..."
Stepping into Spirit City for the first time, Su Wen couldn't help but marvel at its scale. It was far more magnificent than even Heaven Dou City.
What was most striking was the inexplicable radiance that seemed to cling to the city itself. In the very center, the towering Statue of the Angel God rose high into the sky, visible from far outside the city walls, shimmering with a constant golden glow.
Chrysanthemum Douluo, Ghost Douluo... I don't know why you were part of the group that hunted Tang Hao, Su Wen thought coldly, but since you contributed to the aftermath of that battle, you are both on my list of people to kill.
As for Bibi Dong... she's just a love-addled, crazy woman. It's best to keep my distance and avoid contact if possible.
At Rank 59, Su Wen now had the capital to harbor such thoughts.
"Brother Wen, that Angel Statue is really special," Ning Rongrong whispered softly.
Su Wen nodded, following her gaze toward the massive monument at the heart of the city. It was more than just "special." It was the ultimate symbol of Spirit Hall, the representation of the Angel God. He wondered how much of the continent's "Power of Faith" had converged there.
Even if the vast majority of that faith was absorbed by the God herself, the sheer density of belief swirling around that statue as a symbol was immense. Originally, Su Wen hadn't planned on researching the Power of Faith so early. He didn't think he would have the capacity to study it until he reached the rank of a Limit Douluo. His only preparation had been building his Academy as a foundation to gather faith in the future.
However, standing here today, Su Wen realized to his surprise that he could actually sense that peculiar energy.
Is it because of the Spirit Fusion with Rongrong? he wondered.
His Heavenly Book had already evolved into a top-tier Martial Soul of extremely high caliber. But that wasn't the whole story. No matter how high the quality, there were other Spirit Masters on the continent with souls of similar grade. Su Wen's strength lay more in his unique development than the raw quality of the book itself.
Ning Rongrong's Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, however, while not a God-level soul, possessed "heaven-defying" traits that bordered on the laws of reality. When performing a Spirit Fusion with his Heavenly Book, they likely touched upon a higher level of existence, allowing them to resonate with the Angelic Statue.
Though the sensation is vague, it's a good start.
Sensing the Power of Faith was much like sensing the elements; it was the first step toward mastery. As long as the method was correct and one's talent was sufficient, one could eventually learn to harness its techniques. Although the Power of Faith was far more advanced than elemental energy, the underlying principles remained the same.
Author's Note: Regarding a point I mentioned in passing earlier that seemed to confuse some readers: Five years after the current Continental Spirit Master Tournament, Spirit Hall will launch its "Spirit Extermination" action against the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. This effectively postponed the next tournament.
Spirit Hall then announced that the Clear Sky Sect was in seclusion and the other two Great Sects had been "attacked." While condemning the violence, they proposed a re-selection of the Seven Great Sects a year later through a trial of martial strength. I forget if Tang San and the others represented the Tang Sect in that specific competition, but there is indeed such a tournament—it's a clash between sects.
(End of Chapter)