"Big brother…"
After the others had departed, the elder who had spoken earlier turned to Qian Daoliu.
"Could the shattering of the divine statue be related to that mysterious Titled Douluo Xue'er mentioned?"
"I wonder if Bibi Dong has uncovered any leads…"
Qian Daoliu murmured as if speaking to himself, evading the question entirely.
"Perhaps she's gathered more information on these people than we thought?"
Another consecrated elder voiced his doubt.
"We really should've pressed her to speak more clearly just now."
A third one chimed in, a note of regret in his tone.
"Any recent movements from the Upper Three Sects?"
Qian Daoliu shifted his gaze to those present.
"No signs of abnormal activity from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect,"
Reported one of the seven elders of the Hall of Worship.
"Under the guidance of Sword Douluo, they're still helping commoners escape the oppression of the nobility… Oh, and Sword Douluo has successfully broken through to Rank 98. If we want to keep tabs on him, I'm afraid only Second Brother is up to the task~"
"..."
A hush fell over the group as murmurs of surprise and lament spread.
"I knew they couldn't be acting out of sheer goodwill. That sword probably learned his breakthrough method from that mysterious man!"
"Sigh, pride really is a poison that comes with age. Truth be told, I wish I'd taken the chance to learn a thing or two from him as well…"
Some among them burned with jealousy at Chen Xin's advancement, while others regretted not speaking with the stranger who had stood in the great hall moments before.
"Um… Grand Elder, there's something I'm unsure whether I should say…"
At the very end of the line, Elder She Long exchanged a glance with Ci Xue before finally speaking.
"Speak freely, Elder Snake Lance."
Qian Daoliu clasped his hands behind his back, giving him permission.
"Ci Xue and I had been following the Young Lord closely, and we've spent quite a bit of time around that man.
"Now that he's come to Spirit Hall, perhaps it's a kind of fated opportunity for us…"
As She Long finished, he released his martial soul and soul power, the overwhelming aura of a Rank 94 Titled Douluo spreading throughout the hall.
"She Long has broken through again?"
Though the consecrated elders were all Rank 96 and above, there were also many elders present, and within their ranks, She Long's power was already considered among the top.
"Yes. Thanks to that lord, my cultivation's felt unimpeded lately. Before I realized it, I'd already advanced again~"
He glanced around the room, his unspoken message aligning perfectly with the earlier remarks: if anyone here wanted to improve their strength, they needed to quit posturing. That mysterious lord didn't care for status or face — so why were they still pretending?
"She Long, does that lord have any special hobbies?"
"Yeah, don't forget you still owe me a favor. Come on, spill the secrets — how can I earn his guidance…"
Tempted by the lure of strength, the high-and-mighty elders of Spirit Hall were suddenly all grinning and crowding around She Long and Ci Xue for answers. Only Qian Daoliu remained still, lost in thought.
Since Xue'er had returned, she hadn't stopped talking about that man. Earlier, she'd confidently claimed he could help…
Should he ask her to mediate, perhaps arrange for a discussion between them?
…
Compared to the bustling halls of Spirit Hall, a snow-covered nameless mountain was silent and remote. A party of four followed a small beast through narrow paths blanketed in white, trudging through the bitter cold.
"Grandpa, how much farther do we have to go…"
Dugu Yan wiped away the frost accumulating on her lashes. Staring at the vast, bleak snowscape ahead, she asked with growing weariness.
"Er… Lord Fire Meow Meow, are you still tracking it?"
Trailing behind, Dugu Bo sidestepped to ask the small beast ahead in a loud voice.
"Shh~!"
The fiery little feline whipped around, raising a paw to its mouth in an unmistakably humanlike "quiet!" gesture.
But it was already too late.
As a soul beast, Fire Meow Meow's senses were exceptionally keen. It instantly detected a massive tremor from the mountaintop.
No time to explain. In a flash, it transformed into a towering, adult lion form.
With a swipe of its powerful claws, it scooped up Yu Keke, Zhu Zhuqing, and Dugu Yan, setting them on its back —
Then leapt forward with blinding speed, bolting in the opposite direction.
"Not good!"
Dugu Bo also felt the tremor erupt from above. Just as he opened his mouth, he noticed Fire Meow Meow had already become a tiny red speck in the distance, taking his granddaughter and the others with it.
"My fault, my fault…"
He muttered guiltily under his breath as he channeled his soul power and launched into frantic pursuit.
Only seconds later, the very spot they'd just stood was buried beneath a roaring avalanche of snow and ice.
…
"Elder, what do you want me to say…"
Beside a rocky cliff edge, the group stared in shock at the white torrent crashing into the abyss across from them. Fire Meow Meow's whole body burned with flames, steam rising off its fur as it grumbled under its breath.
"Ahaha~ Yes, yes, my bad… I forgot, I forgot…"
Dugu Bo laughed awkwardly as he brushed snow from his robes.
"Great… Now the path's sealed off. Who knows how long it'll take to circle around…"
Fire Meow Meow scowled at the blocked-off passage, inwardly cursing how ridiculously difficult it was to retrieve their master's lost possession.
"Fire Meow Meow, maybe we should just give up. If Brother and Paimon arrive at Skywater City and can't find us, they'll be worried."
Yu Keke took some firewood from her storage ring, and together with Zhu Zhuqing, lit a fire for warmth.
"She's right. We don't even know where we are anymore. Let it stay lost~"
Dugu Yan gazed at the endless whiteness around them, eyes sore from the glare.
"What should we do then? We've already come this far… I can feel those auras growing stronger — they must be close…"
Fire Meow Meow's voice trembled slightly. It was starting to panic too.
If the master found out it had brought these two little princesses into a snowy deathtrap… wouldn't it get skinned alive?
But still!
The thought of someone stealing the master's possession — how could it just let that slide?!
"It's fine… just treat it as training."
Zhu Zhuqing finally spoke, her tone calm.
"In this kind of extreme environment, it feels like our soul power is growing faster."
"Wait… look up there! There's something in the sky!"
Dugu Yan, tired of staring at white snow, had tilted her head to the sky — and just by chance spotted dark lines snaking through the mist above.
"Hm?"
The others carefully crept to the edge of the cliff and followed her gaze upward.
"Chains? That's strange. Why would there be chains on this mountain?"
Dugu Bo squinted to make it out, but could only discern a vague silhouette. Whatever it was, it was still far away.
"Want me to fly up and take a look?"
Fire Meow Meow offered, curiosity piqued.
If they really were chains, maybe they could use them to cross to the other side.
"No. Let's rest first and go up together."
Dugu Bo thought it over and made his decision.
This snowy peak was far too desolate. He didn't feel safe sending Fire Meow Meow up alone. Besides, the sudden appearance of man-made objects in such a barren place was cause for concern.
Still, as a Titled Douluo himself, and with the mysterious Fire Meow Meow — a soul beast whose strength even he couldn't gauge — at his side…
Whatever lay ahead, they should be able to handle it.
_
(CAUGHT UP WITH THE RAWS IN MY PATREON)
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