Soul Land: Exposing Tang San

Before Su Yun could reply, Bibi Dong had already crossed hundreds of meters in an instant, placing herself directly between him and Qian Daoliu.

Qian Daoliu, exuding a terrifying aura that made one tremble, looked infuriatingly calm, especially in contrast to Bibi Dong, who stood protectively in front of Su Yun like a mother cat guarding her kitten.

Her eyes bore intense hostility towards Qian Daoliu, having realized from what her disciple Hu Liena told her that Qian Daoliu likely knew about Su Yun's ability to pause time.

"Bibi Dong, you should be well aware of my purpose here," Qian Daoliu said, his aura shifting dramatically as he spoke.

Suddenly, his plain clothes seemed to radiate a pure holy light, making him appear as if he had descended from the heavens. He looked down at Bibi Dong and Su Yun behind her, his tone grave, "Pausing time is not something within the powers of soul masters, not even for a moment; it's a feat only gods can achieve! Yet, even in the ancient texts of my angel clan, there is no record of any deity having paused time."

His eyes sparkled with excitement as if he had discovered new land, and he stared intently at Su Yun, asking again, "Su Yun, I ask you once more, have you received the inheritance of a god?"

Gods! On the Douluo Continent, soul masters saw becoming a god as a possibility only after reaching level one hundred, something most considered merely a legend. Only a very few knew that gods truly existed, such as the angel clan within the Spirit Hall or the oceanic priests like Poseidon.

These few who knew held scarce historical records of divine acts, primarily concerning their own deities, with almost no mention of other gods.

Now, having learned through his granddaughter that someone within the Spirit Hall might possess the inheritance of another god, how could Qian Daoliu not be agitated?

Moreover, his inquiry about which god's inheritance Su Yun might have received was also to ascertain if this god was an enemy of his angel clan. Even among gods, not all are allies; some are known to actively undermine others, leading to deadly confrontations. Qian Daoliu certainly did not want Su Yun's godly inheritance to be from a deity antagonistic to the angel god his granddaughter was set to inherit from.

"Enough!" Bibi Dong interjected sharply, her eyebrows furrowed in anger, "Qian Daoliu, Su Yun is my disciple, and it's not your place to interrogate him!"

Qian Daoliu's eyes narrowed, "I am a Grand Worship of the Spirit Hall. Bibi Dong, do not think that just because you are the Pope, you can do whatever you want here. As long as the Priest Hall stands, this Spirit Hall is not solely under your command!" He pointed at Su Yun, emphasizing each word, "If the god whose inheritance he possesses is an enemy of our angel clan, then I must reduce him to ashes today!"

Bibi Dong's eyes widened fiercely, her voice filled with defiance, "You dare!"

"Heh, you can try."

"Don't think that just because you're the Pope, you can command the entire Spirit Hall."

"I might let you manipulate the resources of the Spirit Hall on a normal day."

"But let me tell you, if I ever find anyone whose existence threatens my angel clan."

"Not even you will be able to mobilize a single soldier from the Spirit Hall!"

"You!"

Bibi Dong gritted her teeth in frustration.

If Su Yun were killed, what would happen to her eighth trial of Rakshasa? Besides, Su Yun was her disciple, and it was not Qian Daoliu's place to deal with him.

As the two argued, Su Yun finally spoke up, "Grand Worship, to tell you the truth, I have not received any god's inheritance. However, I can tell you that I do possess something left behind on this continent by a god." He pulled out the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud from his soul device, holding it in his palm.

"What is this..." Qian Daoliu had never seen the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud.

Bibi Dong explained, "This is the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud, a national treasure of the Heaven Dou Empire. It was given to Su Yun as compensation by the Heaven Dou Empire to prevent a war with our Spirit Hall. It can block any attempt to detect its presence, even by you or me."

Oh?

Qian Daoliu was taken aback, somewhat incredulous. He was a leading figure in spiritual power and detection across the continent.

Seeing Qian Daoliu's skeptical expression, Su Yun knew he doubted his teacher's words. He gave Bibi Dong a look and smiled slightly, then activated the first ability of the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud—Vast Sea Protective Shield.

As Su Yun was enveloped by a gentle, semi-transparent blue light, the confident look on Qian Daoliu's face lasted less than a moment before disappearing completely.

With his spiritual powers suddenly finding nothing to grasp as if vanishing into the air, Qian Daoliu was momentarily dumbfounded. It wasn't until Su Yun deactivated the Hanhai Protective Shield that Qian Daoliu realized Su Yun hadn't moved an inch from his original position.

"How do you feel now, Great Priest?" Su Yun asked with a smile.

Qian Daoliu's face flushed with embarrassment. Clearing his throat, he conceded, "This item is indeed peculiar. No wonder it is revered as a national treasure by the Heaven Dou Empire. But what does this have to do with the divine relic you mentioned?"

Su Yun responded cheerfully, "Great Priest, let me explain. Although the Heaven Dou royal family calls this the Hanhai Qiankun Cover, its true name is something else."

"After I bonded with this item through a blood pact, it revealed to me that its true name is the 'Heart of the Sea God'."

The revelation caused a significant stir among the two high-ranking figures of the Douluo Continent.

Bibi Dong, aware of the existence of gods like the Rakshasa God, was naturally familiar with the Sea God.

Qian Daoliu, having perused ancient texts within the Spirit Hall, knew of the earliest recorded deities on the continent—the Angel God and the Sea God, one a savior of terrestrial life and the other a sovereign of the oceans.

"Are you implying that this is something left on the continent by the Sea God...?" Qian Daoliu's voice trembled with excitement.

Su Yun nodded affirmatively, "Indeed, I suspect this is one of the tools left by the Sea God for those deemed worthy of inheriting his divine mantle."

He then added with a shake of his head, "Unfortunately, though I know its name, I have never actually met the Sea God."

This last statement was true. Su Yun had indeed never encountered the Sea God, and he half-joked about whether the deity had gone offline, referencing how in the original story, Tang San had met the Sea God during a state of unconsciousness.

Bibi Dong was taken aback by the revelation. She was surprised not just that her disciple had acquired an item used in the Sea God's trials from the Heaven Dou royal family, but also that he hadn't been chosen as a successor by the Sea God herself. This seemed unfair to her.

After Su Yun's explanation, Qian Daoliu took the Hanhai Qiankun Cover into his hand and carefully explored it with his spiritual power, eventually detecting a faint divine aura hidden within.

"It really is something left by the Sea God..." Qian Daoliu's expression was complex.

If Su Yun had indeed received an inheritance from the Sea God, Qian Daoliu thought his granddaughter and Su Yun would make a perfect match.

But halfway through his thoughts, Qian Daoliu paused, suddenly looking intently at Su Yun, "If you haven't received a divine inheritance, then where did you acquire the soul skill to pause time?"

Bibi Dong's expression also shifted subtly.

Indeed, where had her disciple acquired such a formidable ability?

Su Yun, always quick to improvise, replied smoothly, "After the blood pact, I fainted, and when I awoke, I found myself with this soul skill. However, I dare not use it often as its effects are too powerful, and I fear it might have hidden costs."

"I have only used it twice to date. Once was to escape from the pursuit of Clear Sky Douluo Tang Hao and Dragon Duke Meng Shu, and the other time was during an attack by the chief of the Min clan, Bai He. Other than those instances, I absolutely refrain from using this skill."

Bibi Dong nodded slightly, understanding his caution. Such a potent ability to pause time could indeed surpass any soul skill she possessed. If it came with a hidden cost like draining life force, the consequences could be dire.

Qian Daoliu listened to Su Yun's explanation with a calm expression, pondering the implications. If Su Yun had indeed received a divine inheritance, it would undoubtedly be beneficial for the future of the Spirit Hall and the Qian family.

However, Qian Daoliu's primary concern had been whether Su Yun's divine inheritance might pose a threat to his granddaughter. But now, it seemed there was no need for deception between them.

"Given this, I will believe you this once," Qian Daoliu stated, his demeanor returning to normal. He spoke evenly, "But, Su Yun, don't let me see you become a threat to my granddaughter. Otherwise, even if you truly are a god's heir, I will not hesitate to end you!"

Su Yun replied with a light smile, "Rest assured, Great Priest, that day will never come."

Despite his cheerful facade, Su Yun was inwardly cursing. The old man was clearly overprotective of his granddaughter. If Su Yun ever got romantically involved with Qian Renxue, he'd likely be hunted down mercilessly by Qian Daoliu.

The priority, then, was clear—strengthening his own powers was crucial.

With a snort, Qian Daoliu handed back the Hanhai Qiankun Cover to Su Yun and disappeared from the scene.

"Teacher, thank you for arriving when you did," Su Yun said, turning to Bibi Dong and bowing slightly in gratitude.

"It was nothing, Nana alerted me in time, otherwise I wouldn't have known that the Great Priest was specifically coming for you," Bibi Dong huffed, "For his granddaughter, he truly acts above the law within the Spirit Hall."

Su Yun remained silent.

Wasn't she also doing all this for her daughter?

"Don't worry about today's events; with me here, you have nothing to fear," Bibi Dong reassured him, "For now, focus solely on your cultivation. When you reach my level, perhaps then you'll be worthy of receiving the Sea God's inheritance."

Su Yun nodded, understanding that Bibi Dong was just trying to comfort him.

After a brief conversation, Bibi Dong returned to her own chambers.

Standing before her mirror, the figure that looked just like her reappeared.

"You should know by now, Su Yun did not receive the inheritance of a god," Bibi Dong said through clenched teeth, "That so-called eighth trial of Rakshasa, change it immediately."

The reflection in the mirror, 'Bibi Dong,' exhibited a somewhat helpless expression, "I'm sorry, but the divine trials of the God's position cannot be revoked."

"What did you say!"

"Why are you upset?" the mirror's 'Bibi Dong' chuckled, "Although your disciple Su Yun stated he did not receive the inheritance of the Sea God, he did not deny receiving the inheritance of other gods."

"The Sea God, although strong in the realm of gods, does not have the authority to control time."

"How can you be so sure that Su Yun isn't currently undergoing a trial sent by a god in secret?"

Bibi Dong furiously responded, "I said I refuse the content of the eighth trial!"

"I would rather you have me kill someone than accept this task!"

"Do you want me to act like that beast?!"

In the mirror, 'Bibi Dong' sneered, "Bibi Dong, you don't have a choice in this."

"From the moment you accepted the Rakshasa God's trial, every trial you face is meant to lead you towards becoming the Rakshasa God."

"The Rakshasa God governs the absolute evil thoughts of the world; what's so bad about committing a few evil acts?"

"You're still thinking about refusing, perhaps because you're concerned about your personal connection with that young man."

"Even now, as strong as you are, you're still not worthy of being called a god."

"If you're not planning to continue with the eighth trial of Rakshasa, then be content with being the Pope of the Spirit Hall for the rest of your life."

"The position of Rakshasa God will never be yours."

With that, the image of 'Bibi Dong' disappeared from the mirror again.

Left alone, Bibi Dong sat before her vanity, staring at her own reflection in the mirror.

(End of Chapter)

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