In a somber voice, Feng Lao spoke.
"Let's go to the Spirit Hall."
No one objected.
Moments later, all of them moved with haste toward the Spirit Hall branch— It did not take long for them to reach the Spirit Hall.
The plaza before the branch hall was already packed with people.
Perhaps because today was the Sermon of the Angel Goddess and because the bells had rung repeatedly, many believers ranging from ordinary people to Low-level soul masters were still present. A sea of faces filled the square.
At the very center of it all—Yu Yuanzhen stood tall.
Lightning crackled faintly around his body. In one hand, he held Old Bishop Rolin, lifted off the ground as easily as if he weighed nothing.
The old man's crimson robes fluttered weakly, his face pale but composed.
Yu Yuanzhen slowly swept his gaze across the crowd.
As more people gathered, the corner of his mouth curved upward.
'Perfect', he thought.
This was exactly the kind of stage he needed.
A place to establish absolute dominance, before the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan formally swallowed the elemental clans whole.
His voice boomed out, infused with soul power, echoing across the entire plaza.
"I know you are wondering," Yu Yuanzhen said calmly,
"why I am standing here—holding the bishop of your Elemental City."
He lifted Rolin slightly higher, gripping him by the collar at the neck.
"I am Yu Yuanzhen," he declared proudly.
"Clan Leader of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan."
A ripple went through the crowd.
Yu Yuanzhen continued, his tone slow and deliberate, as if lecturing children.
"As per the rules of the soul master world, a lower-level soul master must never disrespect the dignity of a Titled Douluo."
His eyes narrowed.
"Otherwise, they must bear the wrath that follows."
He glanced down at Bishop Rolin, then raised his voice again.
"Your bishop here," Yu Yuanzhen said mockingly,
"claimed that he could blow a dragon away."
A faint chuckle escaped his lips.
"Tell me—what kind of punishment do you think such arrogance deserves?"
The plaza fell into deathly silence. No one dared to answer.
At that moment, by coincidence Yu Yuanzhen unconsciously loosened his grip.
Taking advantage of the moment and using the last of his strength, Bishop Rolin twisted free and staggered back.
He gasped, feet finally touching the ground. The old man straightened himself.
Then—With a cry filled with burning conviction, he possessed his martial soul.
A blazing crimson eagle erupted behind him, wings spreading wide as scorching flames surged outward.
"Martial Soul—Blazing Eagle!"
His voice was hoarse, cracked, but filled with unshakable faith.
"I have already brought you before the Angel Goddess," Bishop Rolin declared, pointing at Yu Yuanzhen with a trembling finger.
"You shall soon answer to her!"
The words rang clearly in the plaza.
Without hesitation, Rolin flapped his blazing wings and flew back into the Spirit Hall, disappearing past its towering doors.
Yu Yuanzhen could have stopped him.
With a single thought, a single bolt of lightning, he could have dragged that frail body back and crushed him..
Instead, Yu Yuanzhen threw his head back and laughed loudly.
"Ha! Ha! Ha!"
The laughter was filled with ridicule, echoing mercilessly across the square.
He pointed at the gathered crowd, his eyes gleaming with contempt.
"Did you all see that? A mere Soul Sage," he sneered, "daring to taunt a Titled Douluo."
Yu Yuanzhen had originally decided that he would merely injure Bishop Rolin.
Break a few bones and leave a scar deep enough to remind the Elemental City who they will serve in the future.
But that final sentence—made him really angry. Someone was trying to make him feel fear relying on some non existent God.
His laugh—was a low, angry laugh that carried a hint of madness.
"God?" Yu Yuanzhen muttered.
"Then let me see what kind of god dares judge me."
He stepped forward and his aura exploded outward.
"Martial Soul—Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon!"
A deafening dragon's roar shook the plaza as massive arcs of lightning wrapped around his body. Blue dragon scales carrying lightning arcs overlapped his skin.
The pressure alone forced countless onlookers to their knees.
His fifth soul ring flared.
"Fifth Soul Skill: Thunder Smash!"
Lightning condensed into his palm, compressed until it screamed.
Then—
He hurled it forward and the thunderbolt slammed into the Spirit Hall.
BOOOOM—!
The front wall of the Spirit Hall was obliterated. Stone shattered. Pillars cracked. Debris flew outward in a storm of dust and fragments, forcing the crowd to retreat in panic.
When the smoke slowly cleared—
What was revealed inside caused almost everyone present to freeze.
Bishop Rolin was kneeling on one knee.
Before him stood a towering cross-shaped monument, carved from pale stone and etched with countless fine golden lines. At its center rested an eye—half-open, half-shut, as if gazing neither fully awake nor fully asleep, yet seeming to see everything.
Behind the cross, twelve sculpted wings, formed from countless metallic swords, spread outward in perfect symmetry—solemn, sharp, and awe-inspiring.
The atmosphere inside was solemn and sacred.
For a brief moment— Yu Yuanzhen stopped instinctively. However his anger made him move forward.
Even Feng Lao, Shui Ning, and Huo Tian—who had already begun pushing through the crowd, prepared to rush forward halted.
Their hearts skipped a beat.
Thump.
Thump.
Yu Yuanzhen's footsteps echoed as he walked forward.