In a side hall of the Spirit Hall, an elderly man in black robes slightly bowed. "Your Holiness, have you heard about the recent uproar caused by the Spider God Church?"
"Hmm," Bibi Dong replied lazily.
She was reclining in a large chair, her hands resting on the armrests, her head tilted to one side as if deep in thought. She didn't bother to give the old man a friendly look.
"You..." The old man's eyes darkened, and his tone turned sharp. "External affairs are the responsibility of the Pope's Hall. Don't you plan to deal with them?"
"They're just a bunch of kids. Why should the elders trouble themselves with such matters?" Bibi Dong turned her gaze to him, her tone lazy yet commanding. "Or do the elders want to be known for bullying children?"
The term "bullying children" was quite literal, as the Spider God Church's most fervent followers were often children who loved listening to stories.
Moreover, the tales of the Spider God Church had already spread far and wide. Trying to suppress them now would be extremely difficult.
The old man knew he couldn't win the argument. After exchanging a few more polite words, he left the side hall with a grim expression.
Shortly after he left, a middle-aged man sneaked in. After ensuring no one was around, he closed the door and approached Bibi Dong.
"Your Holiness, everything you ordered has been taken care of."
"Oh?" A rare look of interest appeared on Bibi Dong's face. "Go on."
"That hundred-thousand-year soul beast in human form should have returned to the Star Dou Great Forest. However, pinpointing its exact location will take some time, given the vastness of the forest..."
"Next," Bibi Dong waved her hand, uninterested in his excuses.
"Ah, yes. Tang Hao and his son are still missing, and the major sects haven't made any significant moves."
"Lastly, as per your instructions, our people have been posing as members of the Spider God Church and causing trouble. This has already begun to yield results. Both empires are now wary of them, and the Elder Hall hasn't caught on yet."
"Hmm." Bibi Dong smiled faintly and gestured for the man to leave.
By having her people impersonate members of the Spider God Church and stir up trouble, she appeared to be tarnishing the church's reputation. In reality, she had other plans.
Thanks to her manipulations, the Spider God Church not only remained largely unaffected but also gained significant fame within a year.
In a way, this was similar to how celebrities in Fang Chang's previous world used scandals to boost their popularity. Having managed the Pope's Hall for many years, Bibi Dong was well-versed in such tactics.
To her, the Spirit Hall was merely a tool to achieve her goals.
Once her goals were accomplished, she didn't care whether the Spirit Hall continued to exist. In fact, she would be pleased to see it destroyed sooner rather than later.
Meanwhile, Fang Chang cautiously approached the border between the Star Dou Great Forest and Whitewater City as night fell.
Two guards lazily stood watch at the entrance. At this hour, fewer people were entering the forest, giving them a rare chance to slack off.
Just as Fang Chang was about to leap past them, he noticed a large spider emblem painted on the chests of their armor. A sense of foreboding washed over him.
About ten minutes later, when he reached the city gates of Whitewater City, he noticed further changes.
The words "Whitewater City" were still clearly visible on the city wall, but above them hung a sign that read "Spider City."
The characters on this sign were larger and painted in red, with a large spider emblem beside them, clearly visible even from a distance.
What the... Although Fang Chang couldn't read the words, the spider emblem was unmistakable.
Fang Chang began to panic. What on earth had happened during the half year he was gone?
Entering White... no, Spider City, he quickly made his way to the southern district.
The Whitewater City branch of the Spider God Church had been renovated and expanded several times over. The area was now brightly lit, with even street vendors setting up their stalls nearby for the night market.
The excessive brightness made Fang Chang hesitant to approach, so he observed from a distance. The temple was bustling with people, including many high-level Soul Masters, who came to pay their respects.
In the square in front of the temple, a routine ceremony seemed to be taking place. Hundreds of people swayed their heads, chanting, "Spider is spider, yet not spider..."
Fang Chang swallowed hard and quickly turned away. This place was no longer safe. Time to leave!
It wasn't until late at night, when the crowds had dispersed and the lights dimmed, that Fang Chang dared to approach and sneak into the temple.
"Wake up, little one," Fang Chang transmitted his thoughts to Tang Lin'er, sensing her presence behind a wall.
"Who is it? It's the middle of the night," Tang Lin'er grumbled as she sat up, looking around but seeing no one.
"It's me. I have some questions for you."
Hearing the voice again, she immediately stood up and bowed respectfully. "Teacher, is that you? You've returned!"
"Yes, it's me. I want to know what's happened in the city while I was away. Why is it..." Fang Chang struggled to find the right words to describe what he had seen.
"Oh," Tang Lin'er quickly understood. "Do you remember the last time you bestowed blessings here? One of the recipients was the city lord of Whitewater City. Later, he renamed the city 'Spider City.'"
"Of course, this name is only used internally. Externally, it's still called Whitewater City. As the fame of the Spider God Church grew, Soul Masters from all over the continent began coming here to pay homage, hoping to see you."
Hmph, wanting to see him was just an excuse. What they really wanted were the blessings!
Fang Chang wasn't too concerned about this. The faster the Spider God Church grew, the more pressure it would put on the Spirit Hall. However, he worried that moving too quickly might draw their attention, leading to the church's premature demise.
Next, he asked Tang Lin'er about the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament. The answer surprised him.
The team from Shrek Academy in Heaven Dou City, with one Soul Ancestor and six Soul Grandmasters, had nearly defeated the Spirit Hall team led by three Soul Kings.
Moreover, before the tournament, two of their main team members had been ambushed and severely injured in a brothel. Otherwise, the outcome might have been different.
Even so, in the eyes of many, Shrek had already won. After all, for Soul Grandmasters to challenge Soul Kings was nearly impossible. Achieving what they did was astonishing enough.
During the award ceremony, an even bigger scandal erupted. It was revealed that one of Shrek Academy's team members was a hundred-thousand-year soul beast in human form!
This revelation led to the reappearance of the long-retired Title Douluo, Haotian. He stormed the Spirit Hall and forcibly rescued the soul beast and a boy named Tang San.
By the time Tang Lin'er finished explaining, Fang Chang had a rough understanding of what had happened. His presence had caused significant changes in this world, but some events were destined to occur regardless.
He glanced at Tang Lin'er. Her soul power had now reached level 39, just one step away from becoming a Soul Ancestor. The legacy left by the old man had clearly been a great help to her.
Her Earth Spider Martial Soul had one white, one yellow, and one purple soul ring, while her Holy Sword Martial Soul had two white and one yellow...
Given that the Holy Sword Martial Soul was a top-tier soul no less powerful than the Clear Sky Hammer, Fang Chang wondered what the old man who left the legacy would think if he saw this.
Fortunately, she also had two spirit bones, which she had mastered quite well. She was likely among the top-tier Soul Grandmasters of her level.
"Focus on your cultivation. Once you reach Soul Ancestor, I'll take you to a place. There, you'll find a man with the number 9528 and beat him up."
Tang Lin'er's reckless and fearless personality made her a good fit for a place like Slaughter City. Fang Chang wondered if she could cause some trouble for Tang San.
"Teacher, are you finally going to train me?" Tang Lin'er exclaimed with joy.
"Yes," Fang Chang nodded. As a soul beast, he couldn't enter Slaughter City, but Tang Lin'er could. If she could delay Tang San there and prevent him from obtaining the Slaughter Domain, it would be a significant blow to him.
As for himself, Fang Chang had a new plan. He intended to visit Sea God Island as soon as possible.