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Upon hearing Dai Chengfeng's words, he smiled and pointed to his mother, introducing her to Hu Liena. "This is my mother, the Empress of the Star Luo Empire."
He then gestured toward Zhu Hongye. "And this is the High Priest of the Star Luo Empire, Zhu Hongye."
When Hu Liena heard Dai Chengfeng's introduction and looked at Zhu Hongxiu, a flicker of surprise instantly crossed her eyes.
She hadn't expected that the person before her would be Dai Chengfeng's mother.
In an instant, Hu Liena's face took on an expression of respect. With a graceful swish of her skirt, she bowed elegantly and greeted them. "I am Hu Liena of the Spirit Hall. Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress, and greetings, High Priest."
In response to Hu Liena's greeting, Zhu Hongxiu and Zhu Hongye gave simple acknowledgments, but soon…
Their eyes were once again filled with astonishment.
After all, as high-ranking members of the Star Luo Empire, they were naturally familiar with the name Hu Liena.
The Golden Generation of the Spirit Hall was considered the most promising group to inherit the position of Pope in the future…
However, all the intelligence they had gathered depicted Hu Liena as a proud woman.
Even when facing the Emperor of Star Luo, it was unlikely that Hu Liena would show such a respectful demeanor.
But now, this proud genius was showing such deep respect and gratitude to their son (their prince). How could this not stir up waves of shock in their hearts?
For a moment, for the first time, the two began to doubt: Could it be that we were wrong?
Dai Chengfeng, unaware of what his mother and the High Priest were thinking, turned to Hu Liena and said, "Hu Liena, I'm going to see Master now, so I'll take my leave. I'll look at your gift later."
"Mm."
Hu Liena nodded. "Then you go ahead and take care of your business. I'll find you later to talk more."
She gently bit her lip and added, "By the way, I still have a lot to discuss with you about our experiences in Death Canyon."
"Alright…"
Dai Chengfeng waved his hand, and the four of them continued walking toward the Pope's Palace.
Along the way, as more and more guards greeted Dai Chengfeng with natural respect, Zhu Hongxiu's doubts grew deeper.
"Chengfeng, is everything you said earlier true?"
"Have you really become Bibi Dong's disciple?"
Dai Chengfeng chuckled helplessly and gently patted his mother's hand. "Mom, why would I lie to you?"
"You'll understand when you meet Master."
Soon, the four of them arrived at the entrance of the Pope's Palace.
The guards at the gate immediately straightened their posture and greeted Dai Chengfeng respectfully. "Prince Chengfeng!"
Dai Chengfeng nodded. "Is Master inside?"
"Your Highness, the Pope has been expecting you for some time. Please, come in!"
The guard bowed slightly.
Seeing this, Dai Chengfeng directly led his mother, the High Priest, and Ling Yuan Douluo into the Pope's Palace.
---
As they stepped into the Pope's Palace, a solemn and majestic atmosphere enveloped them.
At this moment, within the Pope's Palace, Bibi Dong, the Pope of the Spirit Hall, sat regally upon her opulent throne.
She wore a long black-purple dress embroidered with the exquisite emblem of the Spirit Hall. Her hair was elegantly styled with the Pope's crown, and her deep, beautiful eyes quietly observed everyone.
"You're here?"
Dai Chengfeng nodded and stepped forward, bowing respectfully. "Master!"
Bibi Dong looked at Dai Chengfeng with gentle eyes. "No need for formalities."
"How was your journey in Death Canyon? I heard you had quite the harvest?"
Her voice was cold yet carried a hint of subtle concern.
Dai Chengfeng replied, "Master, I gained much during this trip. Not only did my soul power increase…"
Before Dai Chengfeng could finish, Bibi Dong lightly waved her hand. "We'll discuss this in detail later. I'm very curious."
She then turned her gaze to Zhu Hongye and Zhu Hongxiu, speaking in a tone that was calm but polite. "High Priest and Empress of the Star Luo Empire, you've traveled far. My apologies for not welcoming you sooner."
"Now you should understand…"
"I didn't see you earlier because the timing wasn't right. But now that Dai Chengfeng is here, you should know that I haven't mistreated him, and you can rest assured."
On the way, Zhu Hongye and Zhu Hongxiu had already begun to believe Dai Chengfeng's words.
After all, the guards they had encountered along the way showed immense respect toward Dai Chengfeng. If these were all actors arranged by Bibi Dong in advance, it would be hard to believe.
Soul masters weren't professional actors—how could every single one of them possess such flawless acting skills?
Still, doubts lingered in their minds. How had Dai Chengfeng managed to undergo such a dramatic transformation in such a short time…
From a prisoner to a member of the Spirit Hall's upper echelons.
Yes, the upper echelons!
After all, he was the direct disciple of the Pope herself. Even the elders of the Spirit Hall wouldn't dare disrespect the disciple of the Pope.
And in the future…
The Pope's disciple would at the very least hold the position of an elder within the Spirit Hall—a powerful elder with real authority.
Perhaps even… a consecrated elder!
But now, seeing Bibi Dong's attitude toward Dai Chengfeng, their doubts vanished completely.
In the strength-based world of Douluo Continent, the Spirit Hall was the most powerful force. And as the Pope of the Spirit Hall, Bibi Dong held a status even higher than Emperor Dai An of the Star Luo Empire…
She had no reason to pretend in front of them.
Oh no, could my son really be a succubus?
Thinking this, Zhu Hongxiu looked at Dai Chengfeng with a strange expression. She quickly took a deep breath and asked Bibi Dong, "Your Holiness, I must ask—why did you take Chengfeng as your disciple?"
"He's just a prince of the Star Luo Empire, and he even offended you in the past. What could possibly be the reason?"
Zhu Hongxiu leaned forward slightly, eager to know what her son had done to earn the Pope's favor.
After all, her son, though born with full innate soul power and possessing one of the top-tier animal-type spirit weapons—the White Tiger…
There was still…
A conflict between his spirit rings and spirit weapon, which would inevitably drain his potential. Zhu Hongxiu refused to believe that Bibi Dong couldn't see this!
Upon hearing this, Bibi Dong unexpectedly let out a faint smile, her lips curling into an amused grin as she countered, "Why?"
"Dai Chengfeng hasn't returned to the Star Luo Empire for five years, has he?"
Zhu Hongye and Zhu Hongxiu exchanged glances and slowly nodded.
"Yes, it's been over five years…"
Seeing this, Bibi Dong redirected her gaze to Dai Chengfeng, her eyes filled with admiration and pride. "It's no wonder you don't know!"
"The reason I accepted Chengfeng as my disciple is because…"
"He is an absolute genius, and I adore geniuses!"
With that, Bibi Dong lightly waved her hand. "Chengfeng, show them your soul power."
"Yes, Master."
Dai Chengfeng nodded slightly. Instantly, his soul power surged around him—Level 37!
One by one, the soul rings beneath his feet lit up: first yellow, followed by two purple ones, radiating dazzling brilliance.
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