When Gu Chen opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the figure of Gu Yue Na.
At this moment, Gu Yue Na was gently wiping his forehead with a wet white towel, her beautiful large eyes covered with a faint mist.
The place he was in was no longer the carriage from before; instead, it seemed like a room in an inn.
Seeing Gu Chen open his eyes, Gu Yue Na joyfully said, "You're awake?"
Seeing her so concerned, Gu Chen knew he must have been unconscious for quite some time. "Na'er, where are we?"
"Chen Ge, you've been unconscious for seven whole days. What happened to you? Why did you suddenly fall unconscious?" Gu Yue Na asked, a bit anxiously.
Seeing how worried she was for him, Gu Chen couldn't help but gently touch her face. "I received a legacy. To inherit this legacy, my soul went to another place, so my body fell into a deep slumber."
Hearing this, Gu Yue Na calmed down and said, "A legacy? It can't be a divine inheritance; it must be the legacy of a powerful being from another lower plane. I got too anxious and didn't check your soul, otherwise, I might have noticed earlier."
In just a few sentences, Gu Yue Na had roughly deduced what had happened, and Gu Chen was secretly surprised by her sharpness.
At that moment, the door to the room opened, and in came Qianjun Douluo. Upon seeing Gu Chen awake, he frowned and said, "Although I don't know why you were unconscious, since you've woken up, come with me to meet the Pope. Remember, don't speak ill of the Pope behind his back!"
"What?" Gu Chen was taken aback. "Where are we?"
"We're in Spirit City. This is an inn within the city. Gu Yue Na has already met the Pope and has pledged her allegiance to him," Qian Jun Dou Luo replied.
Gu Chen was somewhat surprised. In the plane where he inherited the legacy, he had lived through Yuan Ge's life, which felt like countless years had passed. Yet, only seven days had passed here, and they had already arrived at Wuhun City.
Gu Yue Na's allegiance to the Pope was a wise choice for Gu Chen. She had inherited the wisdom of the Dragon God, and this choice was beneficial to them.
Gu Chen followed Qian Jun Dou Luo out of the inn, and they walked all the way to the Pope's Hall.
Outside the Pope's Hall, Qian Jun Dou Luo stopped and loudly called into the hall, "This is Qian Jun Douluo, bringing Gu Chen to see the Pope!"
"Come in," an eerie voice responded, and the door to the Pope's Hall opened on its own.
Gu Chen followed Qian Jun Douluo into the Pope's Hall. True to its name, the Pope's Hall was a place all soul masters of Spirit Hall aspired to. The walls were made of gold, intricately engraved with beautiful patterns.
The top of the hall was adorned with a seven-colored glass chandelier, sparkling in the light.
The ground was covered by a red carpet over a hundred meters long, and upon closer inspection, Gu Chen could see that this carpet was made from the fur of soul beasts!
Inside the hall, at the far end, there was a throne-like seat, where a man dressed in a black and gold embroidered Pope robe sat. He wore a nine-curved purple-gold crown and held a scepter encrusted with countless soul power gemstones. He sat quietly, exuding an almost devilish aura.
The man's face was somewhat sickly, with a smile on his lips that looked somewhat sinister. The purple-gold crown did not highlight his grandeur, but rather made him seem more like a demon.
"Your Holiness!" Qian Jun Douluo respectfully addressed him.
The man, Qian Xunji, nodded slightly, his face pale due to his prolonged illness. Though he was the Pope of Wuhun Hall, Qian Jun Douluo, who had the same title as Douluo, still received his necessary respect.
It was known that after his battle with Tang Hao, Qian Xun Ji's power had greatly diminished, leaving him at level 91, no better than the "weakest titled Dou Luo," the Poison Dou Luo Dugu Bo.
Qian Xun Ji was able to maintain his position as the Pope due to his father, Qian Daoliu, a 99th-level extreme Douluo, who supported him.
"You must be Gu Chen, right? I've seen your sister's soul ring. Truly a rare genius. Now, release your soul ring for me to see," Qian Xun Ji said as he looked at Gu Chen.
Gu Chen nodded, and with the Dragon King's spirit possession, four soul rings—one purple and three black—slowly rose, giving off a powerful aura.
"Truly monstrous," Qian Xunji marveled. "If I'm not mistaken, you're only twelve, right? At twelve years old, you already possess the power of a Soul Master, and the soul ring configuration is beyond the normal limits."
"But," Qian Xun Ji paused, his gaze turning sharp. His Six-Winged Angel spirit took form, and nine soul rings rose, exuding the powerful aura of a Title Dou Luo. "Are you willing to pledge allegiance to Spirit Hall, or more specifically, to me?"
"Ding!"
"Detecting the host's current situation, a plot choice is triggered:
A. Pledge allegiance to Qian Xun Ji and secretly win over powerful figures in Spirit Hall.
Bonus: Five original puppets from Yuan Ge (from the third-level mythological plane "King of Glory"), 500 system points.
B. Pledge allegiance to Bibi Dong and gain the support of Spirit Hall's rebellious faction.
Bonus: Secret skill: End (from the third-level mythological plane "King of Glory"), 500 system points."
"I choose A," Gu Chen silently thought.
"Ding!"
"Choice successful! Yuan Ge's original puppets and system points have been added to the system's backpack. Please check."
Gu Chen looked up at Qian Xun Ji's sharp gaze, knelt on one knee, and slightly lowered his head in respect. "I am willing to pledge allegiance to His Holiness the Pope!"
Qian Xun Ji, seeing this, laughed, "Haha, I've gained two unprecedented geniuses, the future of Wuhun Hall looks promising!"
"Good. Six Elders, take him and the previously arrived Gu Yue Na to handle the procedures for joining Wuhun Academy, and arrange training resources for them. The training resources will be provided at three-quarters of the Holy Son's standard," Qian Xun Ji said as he turned to Qian Jun Dou Luo.
Qian Jun Dou Luo nodded and led Gu Chen away.
Once they left the Pope's Hall, they saw an elderly man waiting. This man was the Demon Slayer Dou Luo.
"Now, you're a member of Spirit Hall. Back at the inn, I'll tell you about the important matters related to Spirit Hall," Demon Slayer Dou Luo said as he led the way back.
Back at the inn, Demon Slayer Douluo called Gu Yue Na and said to both of them, "Spirit Hall is complex, and I need to tell you about its internal factions."
"Under Pope Qian Xun Ji, the Qian family's faction is in power. This includes the Great Elders, the second elder Golden Crocodile Douluo, the third elder White Armor Douluo, Ghost Leopard Douluo, me, and the Demon Slayer Douluo. Since both of you have pledged allegiance to Qian Xun Ji, we are allies."
"On the other hand, there's the faction led by former Saintess Bibi Dong. They are loyal to Ghost Douluo, Chrysanthemum Douluo, Serpent Spear Douluo, Thorn Porcupine Douluo, and Demon Bear Douluo. They are in an enemy relationship with our faction, so be sure to remember not to get close to them. Otherwise, the suspicious Pope will doubt you."
Gu Chen and Gu Yue Na listened attentively, nodding occasionally.
After all, their goal was to control Spirit Hall, and it was crucial to understand these necessary relationships.
(End of Chapter)