"So long as you are willing to become my disciple, your future Spirit Rings will be fully arranged by Spirit Hall. I guarantee you will receive the best, the most suitable, and the most optimal Spirit Rings possible. As for Spirit Bones, you will not lack them either—if not a hundred-thousand-year Spirit Bone, then at the very least I will ensure you are equipped with a full set of high-quality ten-thousand-year Spirit Bones."
"As long as I can mobilize the resources, I will spare nothing for you. While my personal insights may not suit you perfectly, they will at least offer you some guidance."
Golden Crocodile Douluo had never originally intended to leave behind the hundred-thousand-year Spirit Bone in his possession for his descendants.
After all, extracting a Spirit Bone would only happen upon his death, and among his bloodline descendants, none currently possessed outstanding talent. In the future, even producing a Titled Douluo would be difficult. Leaving behind such a treasure would bring more disaster than benefit—it might even ignite internal strife within the family.
Rather than letting others covet it, it would be better to place it within Spirit Hall in exchange for several high-quality ten-thousand-year Spirit Bones and additional support, ensuring that at least one promising Titled Douluo could emerge among his descendants.
But now, for Chen Ming, Golden Crocodile Douluo was truly going all out. He was determined to take him as his disciple.
Faced with such sincerity, Chen Ming found himself genuinely tempted.
For one, Golden Crocodile Douluo's personal strength was undeniable. For another, the Worship elders within the Consecration Hall shared a genuinely close bond—it was no mere façade. As far as Chen Ming knew, none of them had suitable successors. If he were to become Golden Crocodile Douluo's disciple, he would, in effect, gain the support of the others as well.
This era bore the name of Spirit Hall.
Even if it would one day fall, no one could deny the sheer magnitude of its power.
In the face of Spirit Hall, even a dragon (Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon) must coil, and even a tiger (White Tiger) must crouch. The Seven Great Sects rose and fell, with newcomers frequently displacing the old, and often faced periods where talent was thin. The two Great Empires also had periods of strength and weakness, with imperial power being sometimes stable and sometimes wavering.
But Spirit Hall had endured for tens of thousands of years, unshaken. More than half of the world's top experts belonged to it, and its number of Titled Douluo alone exceeded twenty.
The reasons for Spirit Hall's failure could be attributed to Bibi Dong and Qian Renxue's lack of judgment, strategic errors, internal "moles" like Hu Liena, Tang San's status as a Child of Destiny being too heaven-defying, or the Slaughter God and Sea God being unable to accept defeat...
But among the many reasons, a lack of power was never one of them.
As long as Spirit Hall did not openly declare its intent to unify the continent, even the emperors of the two great empires could only interact with its Platinum Bishops as equals, while subtly yielding in status before the Pope and the Worship elders.
Moreover, Spirit Hall's collection of knowledge was undoubtedly the most vast and complete in the entire world. The very fact that it bore the name "Spirit Hall" spoke volumes of its authority and dominance.
Any Spirit Master who reached the level of Titled Douluo—regardless of their relationship with Spirit Hall, so long as they were not evil Spirit Masters—would receive its official recognition. And to be buried in the Douluo Hall after death was considered a great honor.
Even Titled Douluo from the two great empires, and in some eras even emperors of equivalent strength, chose to be interred within the Douluo Hall rather than their own nations.
Many unaffiliated Titled Douluo were also drawn into Spirit Hall, becoming part of its ranks. Their cultivation experiences, insights, fortuitous encounters, combat styles, and records of their Martial Souls would, over time, be preserved within Spirit Hall as a lasting legacy.
In terms of depth, breadth, and comprehensiveness, Spirit Hall stood unquestionably at the pinnacle in this era. It would not be an exaggeration to say: Spirit Hall was unshakable, while the Seven Great Sects rose and fell like flowing water.
Status, strength, resources, knowledge—no matter the aspect, what Spirit Hall could offer was among the very best in the world, without equal.
That said, becoming the disciple of Golden Crocodile Douluo was not without its drawbacks.
The first issue lay in internal divisions. Though all belonged to Spirit Hall, the Consecration Hall and the Pope Hall were effectively two separate factions.
Bibi Dong harbored deep hostility toward Qian Daoliu and the seven Worship elders. Choosing Golden Crocodile Douluo as his master would mean aligning himself with the Consecration Hall—placing him squarely in Bibi Dong's line of sight, as someone she might dislike or even target.
While the Consecration Hall was undeniably powerful, it tended to remain detached, almost indifferent to worldly affairs. When it came to stirring upheaval or wielding influence, it was far less aggressive than Bibi Dong, who stood in her prime as Pope. She was not only formidable in strength but also reckless in thought, decisive in action, and terrifyingly destructive once she set her mind on something.
The second concern involved Tang San and the Clear Sky Sect.
In the first part of the Soul Land story, Tang San's deus ex machina moments were a bit too obvious. Furthermore, the strength of the Clear Sky Sect was indeed a bit suspicious.
They had sealed themselves away for less than twenty years, yet elders who had reached 80 or 90 years of age without ever breaking through to the Titled Douluo level somehow managed to achieve that very breakthrough—despite lacking resources during their seclusion.
That alone was enough to raise serious doubts.
Whether Tang San was truly a Child of Destiny, or merely a piece chosen by higher powers, was something Chen Ming still couldn't fully determine. After all, that question touched upon the realm of the Divine Realm—far beyond the scope of what he could currently analyze.
But regardless of the truth, one thing was certain:
To stand with Spirit Hall was to stand in absolute opposition to Tang San—an enmity that could not be reconciled.
Chen Ming's mind raced, spinning through possibilities so rapidly that even his face began to flush red. Watching this, the Worship elders couldn't help but feel astonished—it was the first time in their lives they had seen someone think so intensely that their face visibly changed color.
After a long moment of silence, Chen Ming reached his conclusion.
No matter how he weighed it, the benefits of standing against Tang San outweighed those of avoiding conflict. Besides, his relationship with Tang San had never been good to begin with. Rather than clinging to some illusion of neutrality, it was better to make a clear choice.
In this world, relying on others was always uncertain.
Relying on himself—that was the only certainty.
Tang San might show restraint when taking revenge—but if one truly drew his attention, the outcome was far harder to predict.
After carefully analyzing every angle, Chen Ming finally made his decision.
"Disciple greets Master."
Dropping to one knee, he cupped his fists toward Golden Crocodile Douluo.
The latter's face instantly lit up with joy as he hurried forward to help Chen Ming to his feet.
"Good, good, good!" he exclaimed, repeating the word three times, his excitement impossible to conceal.
At last—his lifelong legacy would have a worthy successor.
"In a few days' time, high-level Spirit Masters from across the entire continent will be invited to Spirit Hall. Before all those gathered, I will formally accept you as my disciple in full ceremony."
As he spoke, Golden Crocodile Douluo reached into his robes and took out a token. Judging by its design, it was clearly an emblem of high authority within Spirit Hall—similar to the Pope's Token, yet bearing a distinct and different insignia.