Spirit Hall, a secluded garden.
Although it was midsummer, there was little warmth in the garden. Tall trees cast wide, cool shadows. Various rare flowers and plants flourished, exuding a refreshing fragrance. Every plant and tree here was meticulously tended to; clearly, the handiwork of a flower lover.
Beside a cluster of blooming ink chrysanthemums stood a small white jade table. Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan lounged lazily against a cushion, slender fingers pinching a crystal glass of amber wine. He took a sip of his homemade Hundred Flowers brew. The unique wine, seeming to blend the essence of a hundred kinds of nectar, burst forth in his mouth with layered, elegant flavors, bringing a captivating smile to his feminine and alluring face.
Yet his gaze did not linger on the flowers. Instead, he stared into a shadowy corner of the garden, where dense vines shrouded everything. There, Ghost Douluo Gui Mei seemed to melt into the darkness, standing silently. Breath and shadow fused perfectly—unless deliberately sought, his presence was almost undetectable. He was motionless, like a lifeless statue, save for the occasional ripple on his black robe betraying inner unrest.
Yue Guan watched him for a long time, sighed softly, then picked up another glass of wine and walked over. Reaching the ghostly figure, he handed over the glass, his voice sharp as ever.
"Hey, old ghost, what's wrong? Ever since you came back from Martial City, you've been like this. Still thinking about… the matter with Wisdom Brain Douluo?"
Ghost Douluo didn't answer immediately. His face, shrouded in shadow, was unreadable. He silently reached out, took the fragrant cup, and, unlike Yue Guan's delicate savoring, tilted his head back and drained it in one go. The complex, spicy flavors swept down his throat, but the fog in his heart did not lift.
After a long silence, a hoarse voice finally emerged from the shadows, tinged with indescribable complexity.
"It's just… suddenly, I felt something… unfamiliar."
He paused, searching for words.
"In this world… there are actually people who regard a 'monster' like me… as 'family'."
His voice was soft, but the confusion and alienation buried deep in his heart were clear. With a ghostly martial soul and a strange appearance, always accompanied by the shadow of death, many saw him as nothing less than a 'monster'. Even in Spirit Hall, most feared his power, but very few truly regarded him as one of their own.
Hearing this, Yue Guan's charming smile faded a bit. Bitter sympathy emerged instead, and he naturally understood the old ghost's feelings. The two of them could become the closest of partners, not just due to martial soul fusion, but because of their shared plight. Yue Guan was often whispered about behind his back for his odd Chrysanthemum martial soul and his feminine temperament—seen as an outcast.
Now, seeing his old friend finally find a place that might truly accept him, Yue Guan felt a bittersweet joy from the heart. He gently shook the wine jug in his hand and lowered his voice.
"With your current strength and status, who could stop you from going if you wanted to? Don't forget, Wisdom Brain Douluo personally claimed 'All Body Under Heaven Are One Family.' As long as you have a body martial soul, you're acknowledged by their sect."
"Why not go back to the sect and see for yourself what's so strange?"
There was a movement under the shadows, but Ghost Douluo shook his head, his voice low and firm.
"No. My home is in Spirit Hall. Here, I was adopted, raised, given power and status. Without Spirit Hall, I would have quietly died somewhere, with not even a bone left."
This loyalty and sense of belonging to Spirit Hall had been his support for years and could not be easily shaken.
Yue Guan saw his stubbornness and could only shake his head. After checking his surroundings to ensure no one was eavesdropping, he lowered his voice and switched to soul power transmission.
"Actually, old ghost… there's something I haven't told you before."
Gui Mei's body shuddered slightly, replying via transmission.
"What is it?"
A strange light flashed in Yue Guan's eyes.
"In Martial City, among the Body Sect… I sensed the aura of an 'Immortal Treasure'!"
"Immortal Treasure?" Gui Mei was stunned. He knew his friend loved rare plants but not the details.
"The very thing you've been searching for… those exceptionally rare flowers and herbs?"
Hearing his friend call Immortal Treasures mere "flowers and herbs," Yue Guan grew indignant, his transmission sharpening.
"Immortal Treasures! These are celestial herbs born of heaven and earth, not ordinary flowers and plants!"
Gui Mei paused, pondering his words before replying,
"You mean that grass jelly thing… isn't it just a herb?"
Yue Guan was momentarily speechless, glaring at the shadow in anger.
"I'm serious, old ghost. Among the Body Sect, I sensed more than one immortal aura!"
This time, Gui Mei was truly surprised. Though not versed in immortal herbs, he'd often heard Yue Guan describe their rarity and power. These were things that existed only in legend or ancient texts—yet the Body Sect possessed several?
Yue Guan's excitement grew, his transmission trembling,
"The most important thing… among them, I sensed the aura of a 'Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum'—the same as my own martial soul!"
"Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum?!" Gui Mei's eyes in the shadows shone with a frightening light. He knew what this meant: if Yue Guan acquired and absorbed an immortal herb of the same origin as his martial soul, it could help him break through the bottleneck at Rank 95 and step into the Douluo Peak—perhaps even further in the future!
Forcing down his excitement, Yue Guan continued,
"Wisdom Brain Douluo said directly that there's a 'chance' waiting at the sect. It must be related to these Immortal Treasures."
"Think about it—why does the Body Sect, previously unknown, suddenly have so many powerful figures? Why is that great elder's spirit power so terrifying? Why are there so many mysterious Douluo? They must have found a treasure trove of Immortal Herbs, bringing about this transformation."
Yue Guan stared at Gui Mei, his tone solemn.
"Old ghost, if you can obtain an Immortal Treasure suitable for you from the Body Sect this time… your strength will soar! Our status in Spirit Hall would improve too—you won't have to do thankless tasks and be used as we are now."
Hearing this, Gui Mei fell silent. Yue Guan's words were like a stone cast into his already turbulent heart. After they failed to hunt the hundred-thousand-year soul beast for the former Pope Qian Xunji, and he died from his wounds, both of them bore the heavy guilt of "failing to protect their master." Their status in the Elder Hall plummeted, forcing them to rely on the new Pope, Bibi Dong. Though they remained elders, Bibi Dong used them for every difficult task, never showing true trust or respect.
Now, their most urgent need was to grow stronger.
Seeing Gui Mei's visible hesitation, Yue Guan pressed on.
"Of course, this all depends on the Pope's approval…"
To Yue Guan's surprise, Gui Mei replied hoarsely, with a hint of complexity,
"She… already agreed."
"What? She agreed?" Yue Guan's eyes widened in shock, suspecting he'd misheard. Since when was Bibi Dong so easy to persuade?
Gui Mei nodded, voice low.
"After the last high council, Her Holiness called me alone. She said… if I want to go to the Body Sect, I can go."
Yue Guan's brows furrowed, feeling something amiss.
"There must be conditions."
Gui Mei's reply was heavy with gloom.
"She wants me to find out about the current young sect master of the Body Sect—Chen Yi—specifically, if he has any abilities or traits related to lightning."
Yue Guan immediately understood, a trace of mockery flickering in his eyes.
"Ah, so she's still fixated on that lightning prodigy. She suspects the Body Sect's young sect master is the one she's searching for… What a scheme."
Not only did the Pope want to spy on the Body Sect's secrets, she also wanted to confirm if Chen Yi was her target. It was killing two birds with one stone, and using them to test the waters.
Yue Guan looked at Gui Mei, a wry smile forming.
"If she's 'approved' your trip, then go. Whether you can find exactly what she wants… that depends on how well the Body Sect keeps their secrets, right?"
The meaning was clear—if you can't find anything, you can't be blamed.
Gui Mei remained silent. Deep down, as a martial soul master with an body martial soul, he felt both uncontrollable curiosity and a faint longing for that sacred place.
Yue Guan sensed his shifting thoughts and asked,
"So, when are you leaving?"
Gui Mei steadied himself. His shadow-wrapped figure seemed to relax a little, and his hoarse voice replied,
"Don't worry. I'll tell you once I've finished the tasks assigned by Her Holiness."
…
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