Chapter 50: Strange Status
Shi Nuo nodded and recounted everything without the slightest intention of hiding anything.
"Your Holiness, Beiya, and I originally wanted to stroll around Spirit City to relax from the stress of cultivation these past few days."
"But once night fell, that Soul Emperor with the Mantis Soul led five others to block us in the commercial district. They said someone paid them to take our lives."
"We were already on the brink of death, but at the final moment, Beiya erupted with a burst of golden light and instantly struck down two Soul Kings."
After giving a rough summary of what happened, Shi Nuo quietly waited for the Pope's judgment.
Bibi Dong's eyes flickered with astonishment as she listened. She didn't doubt the truth of his words.
But the fact that her disciple—still only at the rank of a Soul Grandmaster—could instantly kill two Soul Kings… that caught even her off guard.
She herself possessed a twin martial soul and innate full soul power, yet even she could not have accomplished such a feat back in her Soul Grandmaster stage.
She admittedly needed a talented disciple to stabilize her reputation and authority… but this disciple might be just a little too talented.
"I understand. You've also been injured. Go rest."
"Yes, Your Holiness."
Shi Nuo glanced toward his good brother's room one more time before limping out of the Pope's Palace.
Bibi Dong stared at the tightly closed door, her gaze complicated. Although Lin Beiya had explained everything to her, the fact remained—he was once under Qian Daoliu's command. She could never fully trust him. Or rather… ever since that secret room incident, she no longer trusted anyone.
Turning away, she walked toward her residence while beginning to plan how to handle this matter.
Completely ignoring the attack was impossible. If she turned a blind eye now, those harboring malicious intentions would no longer hesitate and would surface one after another to cause trouble. That was something she could not allow.
But Devil Bear Douluo belonged to the Elder Hall. If she wanted to oppose Qian Daoliu in the future, she still needed that faction's support. Punishing him too severely would only harm her already delicate political standing.
'Sigh… another headache. It seems I need to obtain my ninth soul ring as soon as possible. Strength is the foundation of everything.'
...
The next day, the citizens of Spirit City were astonished as squads of Spirit Hall guards swept through the city, searching for fugitives. The sudden commotion left the populace uneasy, fearing the hidden assailants might attack again.
The Soul Ancestor who had been injured by the crystal wall was soon discovered by the guards—but unfortunately, they found only a corpse, providing no help to the investigation.
As for the Soul Emperor who led the attack and the two Soul Ancestors who fled with him, they had vanished without a trace, as if evaporating into thin air.
Logically speaking, after the assassination attempt, Bibi Dong had immediately ordered a citywide lockdown, with strict checks on all who entered or exited Spirit City. None of them should have had the chance to escape.
After thorough, door-to-door searches yielded nothing, the guard captain had no choice but to report to Bibi Dong and await her decision.
"Is that so? I understand. You may leave."
"Yes, Your Holiness."
After dismissing the captain, Bibi Dong ordered someone to summon Yue Guan.
Yue Guan had heard about the attack the previous night and assumed his summons was related. After saluting, he tentatively asked:
"Your Holiness, do you need me to track down those fugitives?"
"No need. Early this morning, the guards found the corpse of one of the Soul Ancestors who participated in the attack. Take the corpse to Devil Bear Douluo."
"...Hm?"
Yue Guan blinked in surprise, then quickly understood. Bibi Dong had already concluded the attack was orchestrated by Devil Bear Douluo. But since she temporarily couldn't afford to break with him—or start a conflict—she planned to use the corpse as a subtle warning.
The message was clear:
"I know it was you. I won't pursue it this time. But if you try again… you'll pay for all of it together."
"Yes, Your Holiness. I understand."
Without offering any unnecessary suggestions, Chrysanthemum Douluo accepted the order and immediately left the Pope's Palace.
Bibi Dong clenched her fingers so tightly that her knuckles turned pale. Although the incident was aimed at her disciple, it also silently undermined her momentum within Spirit Hall.
In the eyes of the Elders' Hall, those old fossils still believed she had risen to power solely because of her status and connections. They feared her, but hardly respected her.
At this moment, her desire to break through to Titled Douluo reached an unimaginable intensity.
——
During the next few days, the citywide searches gradually eased. The citizens of Spirit City quietly breathed a sigh of relief, convinced that the criminals had already fled. Life slowly returned to normal.
The assassination incident had come to an end… but Lin Beiya, who was originally expected to wake up within a few days, remained unconscious with the slightest movement.
Bibi Dong sent healing-type soul masters to conduct several follow-up examinations. The results were always the same:
His injuries had healed, his soul power had recovered, but the reason he remained unconscious was unknown.
The healers' repeated responses only worsened Bibi Dong's irritation. At this stage, she needed Lin Beiya—the disciple capable of overshadowing all of his generation. Hu Liena was talented as well, but she was clearly not enough.
If Lin Beiya truly remained unconscious forever, it would be a devastating blow to her reputation. A teacher who could not even protect her own genius disciple would be marked with shame for life.
Meanwhile, the person at the center of all this… was currently trapped in a mystical and indescribable state.
Lin Beiya felt as though he were drifting within an infinite galaxy. Starlight fragments floated around him as his body drifted like a speck of dust pulled gently along by the gravity of massive celestial bodies.
"This… is this the Cosmo?"
He still vividly remembered the power that surged out of him at the final moment of battle. Everything around him now confirmed that he had stepped into an entirely new realm of strength.
Yet no matter how he struggled, he could neither regain control of his body nor escape this strange realm.
Just when he was at a complete loss, a small pitch-black vortex slowly formed at the center of his spiritual sea. Like a river swallowing tributaries, it began devouring the drifting stardust around him, growing larger and larger.
Lin Beiya had no idea how much time had passed. In this galaxy, it felt as if countless ages had slipped by—so many that even he had forgotten what time meant.
…
Heaven Dou Imperial Palace
A beautifully dressed maid carried a tray of exquisite dishes into a refined study, placing it before a noble-looking young man.
The man's demeanor was gentle and elegant. When he saw the maid, he greeted her with a warm, spring-like smile.
"Just leave it on the table. I'll eat after finishing this section. Thank you, Xiaoxue."
"Yes, Your Highness, the First Prince."
Following his instructions, the maid set the meal on the dining table, bowed, and quietly withdrew.
This maid was none other than Qian Renxue, who had infiltrated the palace under the guise of serving in the First Prince's mansion. After leaving the study, her delicately disguised features were covered with worry.
She returned absentmindedly to her assigned residence in the Prince's Mansion and beckoned toward the shadowed corner of her room.
A slightly plump middle-aged man stepped out from the darkness, cupping his fists respectfully.
"Miss, what are your orders?"
"Return to Spirit Hall. Find out what happened—and most importantly, determine whether Lin Beiya is safe."
"Yes, Miss."
The middle-aged man accepted the order, then instantly vanished, leaving Qian Renxue alone in her anxiety.
Two nights ago, when she attempted to cultivate, she noticed that her hidden Aries Gold Card had vanished. She immediately realized— Lin Beiya had recalled the Gold Cloth.
—
End of Chapter