Who was Golden Crocodile Douluo?
The name felt distant; many present could no longer clearly remember it. But veteran Spirit Masters still knew exactly what it represented. Especially the Titled Douluo and the heads of the major sects—each of them had a deep impression of it.
"Senior… thank you for your praise, Senior."
Looking to be in his seventies with graying hair, Chen Xin suppressed the bitterness at the corner of his mouth as he cupped his hands toward Golden Crocodile Douluo, who appeared to be only in his early forties, with jet-black hair and a robust build.
Whether in terms of strength or seniority, it was perfectly natural for Chen Xin to address Golden Crocodile Douluo as "Senior." To put it bluntly, if Chen Xin's father were still alive today, he too would have to call him "Senior."
And precisely because of that, seeing Golden Crocodile Douluo—more vigorous and sturdier than himself—made the bitterness in Chen Xin's heart grow even stronger.
Golden Crocodile Douluo nodded and swept his gaze across the surrounding Spirit Masters. Those weaker in strength, even if they only brushed against his gaze for a moment, felt as though they had been locked onto by a predator, a chill instantly running down their spines.
Even among Titled Douluo, very few could meet his eyes.
As the leader of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, widely regarded as the strongest beast Martial Soul Spirit Master on the continent, Yu Yuanzhen met Golden Crocodile Douluo's gaze with pride. After a brief moment, however, he let out a muffled grunt and was forced to lower his eyes.
Although Yu Yuanzhen's strength perfectly matched the pride of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and his Martial Soul's purity was extremely high—making him one of the most powerful among Titled Douluo—when facing Golden Crocodile Douluo, he still couldn't help but feel that he was inferior.
"Good." Golden Crocodile Douluo nodded, then turned and returned to the high platform, standing behind Qian Daoliu.
At this moment, the Spirit Masters across the continent looked at Qian Daoliu and the Worship Elders with deep respect—and an unconscious trace of fear.
Such a powerful Spirit Master was actually a Worship Elder of the Spirit Hall. Especially one who had lived for two hundred years and yet remained at the peak of his strength—he was practically inhuman.
And such a being was only ranked second among the Worship elders. Then just how powerful was the First Elder, Qian Daoliu?
As for the other elders of the Consecration Hall—even if they were not as strong as Golden Crocodile Douluo, how much weaker could they be? Did each of them possess strength surpassing even the strongest members of the Upper Three Sects?
"I would very much like to have a grandson as gifted as Xiao Ming. Unfortunately, Xiao Ming is not my grandson."
Seeing the atmosphere grow stiff, Qian Daoliu gave a light laugh, trying to ease the tension. Though his words weren't particularly brilliant, with the step he provided, everyone tactfully put aside the previous "little incident."
"In consideration of Chen Ming's contributions to Spirit Masters across the world, I, Qian Daoliu, in my capacity as the Great Worship of the Spirit Hall, will confer upon Chen Ming the title of Lifetime Honorary Elder of the Spirit Hall. Does anyone object?"
"No objection!" Yu Yuanzhen spoke in a muffled tone, his voice slightly different from before, clearly having suffered a minor internal injury from the clash of auras.
"A young genius willing to contribute a new cultivation method for all Spirit Masters naturally deserves heavy rewards!"
"Benevolence, righteousness, morality, wisdom—possessing even one of these is common in the world; possessing two is rare; but possessing all three has been exceedingly scarce throughout history. With such character, such talent, such wisdom, and such contributions, he is naturally worthy of the position of Honorary Elder of the Spirit Hall."
Ning Fengzhi spoke respectfully to Qian Daoliu. The small schemes he once held against the Spirit Hall were completely erased from his mind.
Dammit, if I had known the Consecration Hall was nesting a group of people whose individual combat power rivals or even exceeds the strongest of the Upper Three Sects, I wouldn't have dared think about forming a coalition against Spirit Hall even if I had ten times the courage!
In Ning Fengzhi's view, the fact that the Spirit Hall had not outright demanded that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect merge into it—seizing its wealth and turning the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda into a hereditary Martial Soul of the Spirit Hall—was already extremely polite.
"We support the young genius! We support the Spirit Hall!"
There were already many factions inclined toward the Spirit Hall. At this point, representatives from countless sects and forces, large and small, voiced their agreement.
"Good." Qian Daoliu nodded, then glanced at Bibi Dong, giving this Pope a bit of face.
With a gentle expression, Bibi Dong took a Pope's Decree from a servant's tray and held it high for all to see, then placed it into Chen Ming's hands.
"In the name of the Pope, in the name of the Spirit Hall, and in the name of the Angel God, I, Bibi Dong, the current Pope of the Spirit Hall, hereby confer coronation and investiture upon Chen Ming."
A golden robe was lifted from the tray and draped over Chen Ming by Bibi Dong.
At this moment, Bibi Dong paused slightly, then continued to loudly recount Chen Ming's achievements to those around them. Finally, she asked if anyone had objections while slowly raising a specially made crown.
The hotheaded Tai Tan had already been dealt with, and no one spoke to oppose. The procedure continued smoothly.
Chen Ming slightly lowered his head. Under the gaze of the multitude, Bibi Dong gently placed the crown—symbolizing status, contribution, and honor—upon his head, announcing the completion of the investiture.
This was the true investiture process for an Honorary Elder of the Spirit Hall. The exclusive robe and crown were both indispensable, and a select few with especially close ties to the Spirit Hall would also be granted the Pope's Decree, symbolizing the authority of both the Spirit Hall and the Pope.
Although an Honorary Elder was not formally a member of the Spirit Hall, such recognition was still regarded as an official endorsement by it.
Only those who received the investiture before a vast assembly could be recorded in the Spirit Hall's history, becoming Honorary Elders in the truest sense.
Aside from this, any "Honorary Elders" privately recognized by Elders, Worship Elders, or even the Pope were not in accordance with Spirit Hall's formal regulations.
Chen Ming accepted the three items and was then given an opportunity to speak.
Clad in a golden robe, wearing a golden crown, and holding the Pope's Decree, no one dared to look down on Chen Ming standing atop the high platform.
Facing the most powerful figures of the Douluo Continent, Chen Ming voiced his thoughts:
"Ten thousand years—enough time for humanity to pass through hundreds of generations, for glaciers to melt, for wastelands to become cities, for bones to turn to dust. The peerless Titled Douluo who once suppressed the world have, generation after generation, become nothing more than ashes of time. Ancient structures have collapsed into ruins. Settlements have grown into towns, and towns into nations."
"Ever since the first Spirit Master awakened among humanity and humans began to absorb Spirit Rings according to their own designs for the first time, humanity's manifest destiny became an inevitability."
"It was the Angel God, and countless unnamed predecessors, who nailed the foundation of human survival onto this continent. After that, it was through the efforts of countless Titled Douluo, countless ordinary Spirit Masters, and ordinary people, generation after generation, that the human world of today came to be."
"When I face the ocean, I wonder what lies beyond it. When I gaze at the stars, I wonder whether there are beings like us somewhere in the distant cosmos."
"Conventional evolution is like a glacier—slow, yet enduring. But we, who possess will, are like raging flames. Even glaciers will melt before us. Everything that has already happened will become fuel for our journey into the future. Every thought, every insight, is an exploration of what lies ahead."
"Though I stand here today, I do not believe I represent only myself, but rather a projection—a possible future of Spirit Masters. Just as the Angel God created the original meditation method, and I have refined it, there will inevitably be others in the future who surpass their predecessors and push the power of Spirit Masters to even greater heights."
"I am pleased by my honor, but I will never be satisfied. My greed for the future, my greed for possibilities, ensures that I will never be satisfied. The Douluo Heart Method is only a beginning—it is not my end. In the days to come, I will continue my research throughout my life, for that possible tomorrow."
"Just as humans, driven by hunger, became greedy—hunting other life as food—and through their desire to eat learned to use fire. Greed has never been the original sin. Only greed directed toward the future, toward knowledge, toward both the known and the unknown, is the true source of all progress."
"Life is short, yet it is precisely because it is short that it is brilliant. Even within this limited span, I will burn myself to the very end. I will never be satisfied; I will always advance. What already exists will never truly satisfy me—only the unknown, filled with infinite possibilities, is my direction."
"Even if one day I must die, I still greedily wish for my name to become a monument in history—so that a thousand, even ten thousand years from now, when people speak of Spirit Masters or certain techniques, they will think of my name."
"I will never stop. I will always move forward."
Chen Ming's words did not merely focus on himself and his contributions; instead, he tied himself to the future—to the transformation of Spirit Masters as a whole.
In a normal world, some might have thought Chen Ming arrogant or unworthy of such grand rhetoric. But in the Douluo world, where everything developed as slowly as a crawling snail, this speech was enough to shock and deeply move everyone present.
As Chen Ming's voice fell and the crowd applauded his ambition and drive, Golden Crocodile Douluo stepped forward. Walking to Chen Ming's side, he raised Chen Ming's free hand.
"I, Golden Crocodile Douluo, hereby announce to my colleagues and to the Spirit Masters of the continent: I shall take Chen Ming as my final disciple, passing on my legacy to him. Upon my death and burial in the Douluo Hall a hundred years from now, he shall inherit all my property and Spirit Bones."
Having said this, Golden Crocodile Douluo displayed his own Pope's Decree before the crowd, then placed it into Chen Ming's hand.
This had all been arranged beforehand. Golden Crocodile Douluo had specifically retrieved the Pope's Decree earlier—precisely to present it as a symbol to Chen Ming on this occasion.