On the Douluo Continent, within Spirit City, beside a secluded lakeshore, a pair of lovers stood hand in hand, facing the water as they whispered to each other.
"Xiaogang, I've already prepared everything. Tomorrow, I'll leave Spirit City with you!"
"I've already written to my father and asked him to send people to receive us. Once we reach the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, even if your teacher opposes us, there won't be anything he can do."
…
The two whispering by the lake had no idea that on a large tree beside them hung a paper cup, with a nearly invisible thread extending straight out over a hundred meters away.
Their voices were soft, but fortunately there was no wind today. The vibrations traveled along the thread and reached a point a hundred meters away.
Hidden within a small thicket there were three people—two men and one woman. One of them wore a black robe, his entire body concealed within it. Even his head was mostly hidden beneath a large hood, revealing only his chin.
Yet even with his face obscured, it was easy to sense his foul mood—seething with anger.
"Please calm your anger, Your Holiness," Tian Hao hurriedly advised. "This matter should be handled carefully. The Saintess is still just a young girl—her mind isn't fully mature yet. It's normal for her to be deceived.
"And in life, some things must be experienced sooner or later. Rather than letting her be led into a pit at some unknown time and place in the future, it's better that she takes one fall now, while everything is still under our control.
"As long as she gets through this trial, her heart and mind will surely grow tremendously. In the future, she won't be so easily deceived and will devote more of her energy to cultivation, allowing her to achieve Titled Douluo faster and more solidly."
Seeing Qian Xunji's fury about to erupt, Tian Hao quickly spoke up.
Given Bibi Dong's temperament and way of thinking, something like this was bound to happen eventually. Even without Yu Xiaogang, there would be a Wang Xiaogang, a Zhang Xiaogang, or a Li Xiaogang. Better to experience it once now, learn the lesson, and be less easily deceived in the future.
Just look at those older sisters in his previous life who had suffered emotional trauma—every single one of them ended up sharp and perceptive.
"You were right in what you wrote in your letter," Qian Xunji said coldly. "Not only must Dong'er's person remain in Spirit Hall—her heart must remain here as well. We'll proceed according to your plan.
"Bishop Ling Yuan, cooperate with… Deacon Tian Hao on this matter. Afterward, someone will come to examine that trash's memories."
Suppressing his rage, Qian Xunji gave his orders and turned to leave.
Though furious, he knew that the most important thing right now was to keep that unfilial disciple's body and mind within Spirit Hall—and to make her clearly see the true face of that useless man.
He had long since received reports that his disciple had grown close to the son of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's Sect Master. He had originally thought she was attempting to use that connection for some scheme against the sect, so he hadn't interfered and allowed Bibi Dong to act as she pleased.
After all, Bibi Dong's talent was peerless. She was a rare possessor of twin spirits, both of them top-tier. In the future, she could reach Rank 99 Peak Douluo on her own, and might even have a chance at godhood.
When that time came, Spirit Hall would surely unify the continent, with no one able to stop them.
By then, Bibi Dong would inevitably become a figure of authority—perhaps even the Pope, a generation-defining empress. Letting her engage in some early plotting could be considered training.
Who would have thought it would turn out like this? Before she could scheme against the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, she had instead gotten herself entangled.
If Ling Yuan hadn't reported it, he wouldn't have known that his disciple was actually planning to leave Spirit Hall and elope with someone.
If Tian Hao's earlier report hadn't included a complete solution, given his temperament, he would have already seized that unfilial disciple and locked her away.
"Congratulations on finally becoming a Deacon," Ling Yuan said once Qian Xunji had left. Though she spoke politely, there was a trace of disdain in her expression.
Using such methods to rise in rank was truly despicable.
"You think I was wrong?" Tian Hao asked, seeing the disdain in her eyes.
"At the very least, as a woman, I don't agree with what you did," Ling Yuan replied.
She genuinely disliked it. As a woman, even though she had never experienced romance herself, she still held beautiful expectations for it.
Unbothered, Tian Hao countered, "Then what do you think would happen if I hadn't reported it in advance?
"The son of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's Sect Master runs off with our Spirit Hall's Saintess. His Holiness would definitely send people—perhaps even personally lead them—in pursuit. If Yu Xiaogang died in the process, Spirit Hall and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan would very likely go to war. Many people would die, and you might be among them.
"And even if the Saintess were captured and brought back, she wouldn't fare well. Imprisonment would be unavoidable. If she still refused to submit, given His Holiness's domineering nature, he might resort to extreme measures. By then, she would be more or less ruined.
"Is that the ending you want to see?
"Even if they managed to flee into the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, do you really think His Holiness would give up, given how much he values the Saintess?
"Spirit Hall could lose a twin-spirit possessor—but it would absolutely never tolerate the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan gaining one.
"And would the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan really be willing to go to war with Spirit Hall over a single uncertain variable like her?
"So their ending was doomed to be a tragedy. If anyone is to blame, it's that Yu Xiaogang's stupidity. The Saintess can be immature—women tend to think emotionally—but as a man, his lack of sense is inexcusable.
"If he had any self-awareness, he never should have accepted this love. It could only harm both of them.
"Or perhaps he understood the risks perfectly well, but still chose to gamble on that tiny sliver of possibility—without considering the negative impact or danger it would bring to the Saintess."
Ling Yuan was left speechless. Thinking it over carefully, it really did seem likely to turn out that way.
And if Spirit Hall and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan went to war, as a Bishop-level figure of Spirit Hall, she would very likely be sent to the front lines.
Against Spirit Masters of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, she would have no advantage.
"Then what do we do now?" she asked, glancing at the hand-holding couple a hundred meters away.
For a moment, she couldn't think of a good solution.
Though she was already nearly forty, she had no emotional experience whatsoever and truly didn't know how to handle such matters.
"Later, once the Saintess leaves, all you need to do is take the Recording Soul Tool over there and secretly record him. Just be careful not to let him notice.
"Oh, and remember to wear this mask."
As Tian Hao spoke, he took a mask from his pocket and handed it to Ling Yuan. Next, he would likely have to fight that so-called 'Master,' and this was an essential prop.
Clang!
Tian Hao gently drew the sword at his waist, making his final preparations.
This sword was something he had begun forging after following his parents to Spirit City. Every day, he spent three hours hammering a piece of special tungsten steel. Over the course of three years, he forged it to the thousand-forging level, removing every last impurity.
Unfortunately, he failed to trigger the kind of spiritual resonance described in Soul Land III, but the process still greatly increased the metal's density, making it far harder.
He then spent another year forging it into its current form—a Thousand-Forged Tungsten Steel Sword, crafted from a single piece of tungsten steel from hilt to blade.
The blade followed the eight-faceted Han sword design from his previous life, but on a much larger scale—nearly four fingers wide and weighing ten jin.
This was his strongest weapon at the moment. As for his spirit, in truth, his spirit was powerful in its own way, comparable to Huo Yuhao ten thousand years later—but it couldn't be used in combat. It was an auxiliary-type spirit.
That was why he had trained in swordsmanship all these years, especially the draw strike. One could say he was quite fast.
"I'm clearly your direct superior—so why am I the one listening to you? Even His Holiness accepted the plan you wrote in your letter," Ling Yuan muttered in confusion.
As a Spirit Sage, she was his superior by several ranks, yet now she was being led around by him instead.
What puzzled her most was the Pope's attitude. Why would he listen to this kid's suggestions?
It felt like the two of them had known each other for a long time, and there were several things about Tian Hao that simply didn't add up.
"His Holiness is wise and mighty," Tian Hao replied casually after finishing his checks. "How could he be unable to accept advice from others? As long as it's reasonable, His Holiness will naturally consider it."
He lifted his gaze toward the couple by the lake.
"Can't you two even pick a different place to meet? You come here every time. I went to all that trouble setting things up in so many locations… And don't you know that flaunting your love just gets you killed faster?"
Complaining inwardly, Tian Hao had long since been keeping an eye on Yu Xiaogang—ever since learning he was coming to Spirit City.
As a transmigrator, he naturally knew how much trouble Yu Xiaogang would bring to Spirit Hall. He ruined Spirit Hall's current Saintess—its future female Pope—and the disciples he taught would later ruin two Saintesses as well.
He was one of the chief culprits behind Spirit Hall's and the future Spirit Empire's downfall. Since Tian Hao was already bound to Spirit Hall, he naturally had to consider matters from Spirit Hall's perspective and interests.
If not for the need to obtain solid evidence—catching them red-handed—and for his own schemes, he wouldn't have waited this long. He would have reported it to the Pope long ago.
"How did you come up with something so interesting?" Ling Yuan asked, pressing her ear to the paper cup. "It's not a Soul Tool, yet it can transmit sound from so far away?"
If it were a Soul Tool, she could understand it. But this thing was ridiculously simple—just two paper cups and a thread.
Even a Spirit Master with mental perception wouldn't notice it, since there was no energy fluctuation at all.
"A chance discovery," Tian Hao replied casually, his eyes never leaving the pair in the distance.
His eavesdropping device was a crude telephone from his previous life. The thread he used was especially unique, sourced from a type of silkworm Spirit Beast—extremely fine, yet perfect at transmitting sound vibrations with minimal loss.
As long as there was no wind interference, it could easily transmit sound over several hundred meters.
"By the way," Ling Yuan suddenly asked, "that fallen Spirit Master caught last month has already been sentenced. The families of all the victims have been notified, and the execution will take place in a few days. Will you be attending?"
Her department wasn't specifically responsible for executing fallen Spirit Masters, but this subordinate of hers held a side position in that area. She had no idea how he'd managed to get that assignment.
"Of course," Tian Hao replied righteously. "I, Tian Hao, cannot coexist with evil!"
Executing fallen Spirit Masters was directly tied to a future opportunity. He needed to accumulate as much of it as possible.