33: Liu Erlong's Choice

At the same time, on the Douluo Continent, in Spirit City.

Spirit City's gates were like a slumbering giant beast, its dark green city walls gleaming with a cold, hard light under the setting sun.

The sky, meanwhile, was overcast with a layer of lead-grey clouds, so heavy they seemed to be soaked with the blood of Spirit Beasts.

Damp, cold rain, imbued with a hint of chill, penetrated everywhere, striking the face like fine ice needles.

As Liu Erlong stepped onto the rain-soaked bluestone path and entered this massive city, which dominated the heart of the continent, the heat and sense of power from acquiring her fourth spirit ring had not yet subsided from her veins.

Her fiery, waist-length hair was simply tied back, with a few unruly strands dampened by the rain, clinging to her smooth, full forehead.

A form-fitting dark red combat suit outlined her breathtaking curves; her full bosom rose and fell slightly from the long journey, and beneath her slender yet explosive waist were two long, straight legs, imbued with the unique power of a dragon Spirit.

Rain slid down her heroic eyebrows and high nose, dripping onto her shoulders, spreading dark watermarks.

She wiped her face, her fingertips touching a hard object tucked close to her chest inside her clothes—this was the devil spider Spirit Bone.

Her fingertips caressed its surface, as if her encounter with that little brat had been nothing but a dream.

After much hesitation, Liu Erlong still chose to come to Spirit City, precisely following Mo Yuhan and Bibi Dong's advice upon their parting.

Liu Erlong shook her head, suppressing the inexplicable ripples of emotion stirred by the memory, and strode towards the most prominent complex of buildings in the city—the magnificent, solemn, and sprawling Spirit Hall, like a prostrate giant beast.

However, before she could even find a place to stay, a strange atmosphere enveloped her, much like the damp, cold air.

In the streets and alleys, Spirit Masters hurried about, their conversations hushed, their eyes flickering with alarm and a cautious fear.

The usually bustling taverns now seemed dull and oppressive.

A few people dressed in Spirit Hall's low-ranking deacon robes gathered in a corner; their voices, though low, pierced Liu Erlong's keen ears like an awl.

"...Have you heard? Her Saintess...and her adopted son..."

"Shh! Keep your voice down, do you want to die? A traitor personally condemned by His Majesty the Pope!"

"But it was too sudden...Her Saintess these past years..."

"Hmph, you can know a person's face but not their heart. It's said they colluded with external enemies and harbored ill intentions. His Majesty the Pope personally intervened, striking them down on the spot when Her Saintess and her adopted son leaked secrets, leaving no corpse behind."

Traitor? Executed?

No corpse left?

Every word was like a red-hot branding iron, searing fiercely into Liu Erlong's nerves.

Her upright body stiffened abruptly, her blood seemingly freezing instantly, then rushing to her head the next second.

Mo Yuhan, that little brat, he actually died?

A wild, blazing aura uncontrollably rose from Liu Erlong's body; the air temperature suddenly soared, and fine rain evaporated into white mist within half a foot of her.

The whispering people around her were like chickens with their necks squeezed, turning their heads in horror to meet her crimson eyes, which seemed almost to spit fire, and were instantly scared out of their wits, scattering in a scramble.

However, very quickly, Liu Erlong forced herself to calm down, her fingernails digging deep into her palms; the pain slightly quelled her boiling emotions.

She had to find out.

She traversed the intricate streets of Spirit City, catching every relevant rumor.

The source of the news ultimately pointed to the central hub of Spirit Hall—just three days prior, His Majesty the Pope Qian Xunji, before the Elder Palace, announced to all red-robed cardinals and high-ranking members of the Temple Knights that the former Saintess Bibi Dong and her adopted son Mo Yuhan had committed acts of impropriety and betrayed Spirit Hall, colluding with external enemies, with conclusive evidence.

His Majesty the Pope had personally carried out the judgment, and the rebels had been executed!

The official notice was cold and authoritative, stamped with the seal symbolizing the Supreme Pontiff's supreme power, and posted on the bulletin boards of all Spirit Hall branch temples. Every word conveyed an undeniable sense of finality.

Liu Erlong stood in a dimly lit room of an inn, outside the window was the continuous rain curtain of Spirit City and the blurred outline of the distant Holy Mountain.

The air was filled with the musty smell of damp wood and the un-dispersed hot aura of her Fire Dragon Spirit.

With her back to the door, her tall figure seemed a bit constrained in the small space, her fiery hair tips drooping listlessly onto her full-curved back.

On the table lay the Spirit Bone, its gentle luster appearing especially soft in the dim light.

Mo Yuhan's small face, always taut, with a calmness and stubbornness beyond his age, clearly appeared before her eyes.

He just died so silently, "judged" by that so-called Supreme Pontiff?

A complex emotion, mixed with a sharp sting, surged wildly in her chest. Liu Erlong irritably ran her fingers through her hair, tightly clutching the Spirit Bone in her hand; its icy touch could not quell the fire in her heart.

So, the woman by his side was Bibi Dong, the Saintess of Spirit Hall...that mysterious and powerful woman, and those words she had said to her.

Liu Erlong could never believe that such a woman would have that kind of relationship with that little brat, and even betray Spirit Hall.

But Qian Xunji was the Supreme Pontiff; his declaration was the will of Spirit Hall, an unyielding iron rule hanging over billions of believers.

To question it was to become an enemy of the entire Spirit Hall.

"I don't believe it."

Liu Erlong murmured to herself, a hint of defiance flashing in her eyes.

The blood of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan surged within her, bestowing upon her a fierce and unyielding nature.

"I want to know the truth. I want to join Spirit Hall."

She needed to enter that austere fortress, get close to the core of power, to see with her own eyes and hear with her own ears.

Spirit Hall's enrollment office was located in a magnificent stone building.

"Name?" The deacon in charge of registration didn't even lift his head.

"Liu Erlong."

"Spirit, Soul Power level."

"...Fire Dragon, forty-first level attack system Spirit Ancestor."

Liu Erlong was not afraid of revealing her Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan identity; after all, anyone could find out that she was just an abandoned illegitimate daughter.

The deacon finally looked up at her. He didn't ask further, noted the information in the roster, and handed her a black token: "Go test your potential and get rated. With your strength, you should be ranked as a White Robe, or you can choose to join the Martial Soul Hall Academy Outer Courtyard."

Liu Erlong took the token, which meant she had officially joined Spirit Hall.

Ultimately, she chose to join the Martial Soul Hall Academy and, in the potential assessment, joined the Silver Reserve.

After joining Spirit Hall, she changed into the standard silver-gray light armor. Her fiery long hair was tied back, losing some of its wildness and gaining a touch of heroism.

But even in this armor, her proud figure and the fiery aura emanating from within her could not be concealed. Among the uniformly dressed, cold-tempered Temple Knights, she stood out like a crane among chickens, exceptionally striking.

Liu Erlong quickly discovered that the entire Spirit Hall was like a deep pool into which a huge stone had been thrown; its surface maintained absolute solemnity and order, but beneath the water, undercurrents surged, filled with a suppressed tension.

Suppressed discussions were rampant. After Bibi Dong's incident, Spirit Hall was divided into two factions: one consisted of Qian Xunji's confidants, who vehemently exaggerated Bibi Dong's "betrayal" and advocated for a thorough cleansing of all forces related to her;

The other faction comprised Spirit Masters who had once received Bibi Dong's favor and had been greatly promoted by her. Although they dared not openly oppose, they secretly passed on messages, questioning the truth of the matter.

As for Ghost Douluo and Chrysanthemum Douluo, these two Titled Douluo who had once been Bibi Dong's strongest supporters, their current situation was the most awkward.

Ghost Douluo was sent to guard the extreme north prison, ostensibly for training, but truly as an exile; although Chrysanthemum Douluo was not stripped of his position as a Spirit Hall Consecrator, he could only be an idler in the Elder Palace, not even qualified to participate in discussions.

Liu Erlong also didn't understand why she would go to such lengths.

She thought to herself that she just didn't want to owe anyone favors.

That was all.