The journey from Soto City to Spirit Hall was long and required traveling around the entire Star Dou Forest.
On the way, Thousand Jun Douluo looked at Gu Chen and asked, "Gu Chen, right? Can I take a look at your spirit rings?"
Although he trusted the old man's words, seeing was believing! Besides, he was quite curious about Gu Chen's spirit rings.
The exclusive Spirit Hall carriage was quite spacious, about the size of a small living room inside, providing ample space for Gu Chen and Gu Yue Na to activate their martial souls.
Gu Chen nodded, stood up, and walked to the center of the carriage. As his Golden Dragon martial soul possessed him, golden scales layered over his body, and four spirit rings slowly rose—one purple and three black.
Seeing this, Thousand Jun Douluo's eyes widened in shock. "You're already a Soul Ancestor?! No, wait… that fourth spirit ring…!"
Demon Subduing Douluo couldn't help but interrupt, "Black with a hint of red—only a 90,000-year-old spirit ring would look like this. Gu Chen, how did you manage this?!"
Gu Chen had already anticipated that these two Titled Douluo would be shocked, so he smiled and explained, "Honored elders, my martial soul is the Golden Dragon, granting me an exceptionally strong physique. That's why my body is capable of absorbing a 90,000-year-old spirit ring."
"Incredible! A genius unseen in a hundred years!" Thousand Jun Douluo praised before turning to Gu Yue Na. "Gu Yue Na, let us see your spirit rings as well."
Gu Yue Na complied, activating her Silver Dragon martial soul. Two purple and two black spirit rings rose around her.
"You're also a Soul Ancestor! The Spirit Hall is truly fortunate to have you both!" Demon Subduing Douluo praised.
Boom!
Suddenly, the carriage shook violently and crashed heavily onto the ground.
"What happened?" The two Titled Douluo thought they were under attack and immediately flew out of the carriage.
Ahead, the four white horses pulling the carriage had collapsed on the ground, their bodies trembling and eyes filled with fear.
"Masters, I don't know what happened. The horses just collapsed and stopped moving," the coachman, who had fallen but quickly scrambled up, explained nervously to Thousand Jun Douluo.
"If you can't even control the horses properly, what use are you?" Thousand Jun Douluo prepared to strike the coachman down.
"Honored elder!" Gu Chen hurriedly intervened. "The horses collapsed because of the martial soul aura that Yue Na and I released. My Golden Dragon and her Seven-Colored Dragon are among the most supreme existences in the spirit beast world. It's natural that the horses couldn't withstand the pressure. This is not the coachman's fault."
Thousand Jun Douluo suddenly realized the reason and nodded. "I see. In that case, I'll spare him."
Gu Chen and Gu Yue Na withdrew their martial soul auras. Under the coachman's fearful gaze, they returned to the carriage alongside the two Titled Douluo.
As expected, once their martial souls were deactivated, the four white horses recovered, and the carriage resumed its journey.
"Brother, when we return, we must request more cultivation resources for them from the Pope. Otherwise, with that incompetent fool in charge, these two children won't receive proper training!" Demon Subduing Douluo remarked.
Thousand Jun Douluo shook his head and sighed. "Ah, if only the Grand Worshiper had given the Pope position to the former Holy Maiden instead… She would've been far more capable than the current Pope!"
Hearing this conversation, Gu Chen felt a sudden jolt in his heart. "Holy Maiden? Incompetent Pope?" These words puzzled him deeply.
If he remembered correctly, in the original storyline, shouldn't the Pope of the Spirit Hall be Bibi Dong? She was known as an extremely capable leader, so how could she be called incompetent? Furthermore, if the timeline was right, wasn't Bibi Dong the Holy Maiden being referred to? Could it be that due to his arrival and the resulting butterfly effect, she never became Pope?!
"Um, honored elders, may I ask who the current Pope is?" Gu Chen couldn't help but ask.
Demon Subduing Douluo snorted coldly. "Who else? The Pope of the Spirit Hall is Qian Xunji! If only the former Holy Maiden, Bibi Dong, had become Pope instead, the Spirit Hall would have been much stronger! But alas, she was defiled by that scum."
Thousand Jun Douluo quickly pulled his brother's arm and warned, "Brother, we mustn't speak recklessly about the Pope! The events of the past must never be mentioned, or else the Pope will silence us. Do you two understand?!" He turned to Gu Chen and Gu Yue Na with a serious warning.
Gu Chen nodded on the surface, but inwardly, his mind was in turmoil.
He immediately questioned the system, "System, did I travel to a fake version of Douluo Continent? Why is Qian Xunji still alive? Wasn't he supposed to be severely injured by Tang Hao and later killed by Bibi Dong years ago?"
Ding!
"This is a result of the butterfly effect caused by the host's arrival. When the host broke free from the encirclement of the Divine Realm, the gods, in order to prevent the lower planes from being affected by the Golden and Silver Dragon Kings, ordered the divine inheritors to be alerted. The Angel God's inheritor, Grand Worshiper Qian Daoliu, received the warning and took extra measures to protect his descendants. Although he was heavily injured, he managed to ensure Qian Xunji's survival with the help of multiple Titled Douluo, preventing Bibi Dong from succeeding in her revenge. Additionally, while Qian Renxue is still undercover in the Heaven Dou Empire, she now has the Four Banner Guardians—four Titled Douluo—as her protectors."
The system explained.
"This… So it's because of me that Qian Xunji, that despicable scum, managed to live peacefully," Gu Chen felt a sense of guilt.
Ding!
"Given the Spirit Hall's philosophy of 'those not of our kind must have different intentions,' it would be extremely difficult for you to gain full control over the organization as a dragon. A power struggle is your only option. In a way, this development isn't so bad—it will make it easier for you to kill Qian Xunji in the future."
The system reassured him.
Gu Chen could only nod. After all, what was done was done. He couldn't possibly have abandoned his escape from the Divine Realm just to ensure Qian Xunji died, right?
"Gu Chen," Thousand Jun Douluo suddenly called out.
"Hmm?" Gu Chen looked at him in confusion.
"Would you be willing to become my disciple?" Thousand Jun Douluo asked.
If this were any ordinary soul master, being accepted as a disciple by a Titled Douluo—especially a powerhouse like Thousand Jun Douluo—would be an overwhelming honor. They would surely accept with gratitude.
But was Gu Chen an ordinary soul master? Not only was he the reincarnation of the Golden Dragon King with divine-level power, but if anyone had the qualifications to be his teacher, it would be the Dragon God himself!
The same applied to Gu Yue Na.
"Apologies, but Yue Na and I already have a master," Gu Chen politely declined.
If it is said that Gu Chen has a master, then this only master is the dragon god!
The same goes for Gu Yuena.
"I see… Well, if you ever have questions about cultivation, feel free to ask us," Thousand Jun Douluo said with some disappointment, but he still valued the opportunity to form a good relationship with such an extraordinary talent.
"Thank you, I appreciate it," Gu Chen replied.
The long journey continued, and with nothing else to do, the four of them focused on their cultivation inside the carriage.