Douluo Continent: Targeted Thoughts, Winning Over Bibi Dong at the Start

That evening, in a quiet, upscale hotel in Soto.

Qin Heng and the other two had already settled in.

Yue Guan booked the most secluded area on the third floor. He and Gui Mei chose rooms on the left and right, respectively, to protect Qin Heng.

After dinner, Qin Heng leaned against the window, looking at the lights of Soto City in the night, and said calmly, "Elder Yueguan will stay tonight to protect me. Elder Guimei, go to the Soto City Martial Soul Main Hall."

The ghost bowed slightly, his voice low and deep: "Your subordinate obeys."

Qin Heng nodded, then returned to his room to meditate and cultivate, saying no more.

With a flicker of its ghostly form, it transformed into a faint black shadow, darting out of the window and silently disappearing into the night.

With his cultivation level of 96 Super Douluo, there was almost no one in the entire Soto City who could find his whereabouts.

......

The Soto City Martial Soul Main Hall is located in a solemn building complex in the northern part of the city.

It was already late at night, and most of the lights in the main hall had been turned off, making the place seem rather deserted, with only a few Soul Masters on night patrol.

Deep within the main hall, a slightly overweight, greasy-looking middle-aged man sat in the main seat, leisurely sipping tea. He was none other than Nanfeng, the Hall Master of the Soto City Martial Soul Main Hall, a level 77 Soul Saint.

Suddenly, his heart tightened, and an extremely dangerous feeling instantly enveloped his entire body, as if a ferocious beast was watching him from the shadows.

"Who goes there?!"

Nanfeng abruptly stood up, his soul power surging instantly. Seven soul rings appeared around him, a mixture of yellow, purple, and black hues. He shouted fiercely, "Who are you? How dare you trespass into the Spirit Hall? Are you courting death?!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a figure in black robes appeared silently in the center of the hall, as if he had stepped directly out of the shadows; it was none other than Ghost.

Nanfeng's pupils shrank sharply; he hadn't even noticed how the other person had entered! With his level 77 cultivation, this was almost impossible.

Just as he was about to make his move, the ghost casually tossed out a token.

The token traced an arc in the air before landing steadily in Nanfeng's hand.

Nanfeng looked down and his expression instantly changed drastically. His legs went weak, and he immediately knelt on one knee, cold sweat pouring down his forehead. His voice trembled as he respectfully said, "Your subordinate, Nanfeng, the Cardinal and Master of the Soto City Martial Soul Hall, pays respects to the Elder!"

The ghost stood with his hands behind his back, his voice indifferent: "Get up."

"Thank you, Elder." Nanfeng stood up tremblingly, but dared not stand up straight, bowing slightly, his attitude extremely humble.

The ghostly figure glanced at him and cut to the chase: "Lord Nan, is the annual Martial Soul Awakening in your Soto City entirely handled by the Soul Masters within the palace?"

Nanfeng was taken aback at first, then her eyes flickered, and she didn't know how to answer for a moment.

Seeing this, Ghostly snorted coldly, and instantly released the terrifying aura of a level 96 Title Douluo without reservation!

In an instant, the air in the entire hall seemed to freeze, and a terrifying pressure pressed down like a mountain.

"Thump!" Nanfeng fell heavily to his knees, his face as pale as paper, veins bulging on his forehead, cold sweat instantly soaking through his robes. He couldn't even muster a thought of resistance, only feeling his soul trembling.

"You dare to hide something in front of this elder? Confess the truth at once!" The ghostly voice was icy cold, carrying a hint of murderous intent.

Nanfeng was so overwhelmed that he could barely breathe. He dared not have any more hope and said in a trembling voice, "Reporting to the elder... the awakening of martial spirits in the surrounding villages was indeed not all personally conducted by the deacons of the hall."

Because... because some deacons felt that going to remote villages was too troublesome and tiring, and that it was rare for children with innate soul power to awaken in those rural areas, making the cost-effectiveness too low. So they outsourced this part of the work to some idle low-level soul masters in the city...

"Outsourcing?" The ghostly voice suddenly rose, its aura becoming even more menacing, pressing Nanfeng down to the ground.

Nanfeng's voice changed, and he said with a sob, "It was...it was outsourced to those idle soul masters. They only charged a small fee to help us complete the awakening ceremony."

"I...I know this is against the rules, but I figured it wouldn't interfere with anything important, so...I just turned a blind eye..."

Ghostly eyes flashed with a cold light. He immediately thought of Ma Hongjun, the boy with the Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul, whom he had seen at the Soto Grand Arena today, and Oscar, the food-type Soul Master.

Two extremely talented geniuses, one with innate soul power of at least level eight, and the other possibly with innate full soul power!

As a result, due to the laziness and desire for comfort of these parasites, they were completely overlooked by the Spirit Hall's intelligence system!

"You bastard!" With a flick of his sleeve, the ghost's powerful soul force sent Nanfeng flying, crashing heavily into a pillar in the main hall and spitting out a mouthful of blood.

Nanfeng clutched his chest and knelt on the ground, terrified out of his wits: "Elder, spare me! Elder, spare me! I know I was wrong..."

The ghostly figure's gaze was icy as he said in a deep voice, "Starting tomorrow, the awakening of martial spirits in all villages and towns surrounding Soto City will be personally overseen by your main hall's stewards. Not a single village is to be missed. If any of these are outsourced, this elder will take your head!"

"Yes! Yes! Your subordinate obeys!"

The ghost said no more, and with a flash, it disappeared from the spot, leaving only a cold voice echoing in the hall: "Report today's events to the Papal Palace in detail."

Nanfeng collapsed to the ground, unable to get up for a long time, his eyes filled with lingering fear and despair.

He knew that the Spirit Hall of Soto City was likely about to undergo a major purge.

......

Inside Qin Heng's room on the third floor of the hotel.

The ghost quietly returned and gave a detailed account of what had happened at the Martial Soul Main Hall.

After listening, Qin Heng's eyes flashed with a cold light, and he nodded slightly, saying, "As expected, it seems that the Spirit Hall has nurtured quite a few parasites over the years. Elder Ghost, continue to follow up on this matter, and compile a list of those responsible and hand it over to Salas for processing."

"Yes, Your Highness," Ghostly replied respectfully.

Yue Guan smiled gently and said, "Your Highness need not be angry. These are trivial matters, and your subordinates will take care of them. You only need to focus on promoting your martial arts and winning people's hearts."

Qin Heng smiled slightly, looked out the window at the night sky of Soto City, and said softly, "Tomorrow, let's take care of the sale of the cultivation technique first. As for those two little guys, let them 'grow freely' for a while longer."

......

The next morning, the main hall of the Soto City Martial Soul was already packed with people.

After the intimidating words of the Ghost Elder last night, everyone in the main hall was on high alert. The plaza in front of the hall had been cleaned up, and thousands of soul masters and civilians had already arrived, crowding the entire plaza.

Qin Heng, still dressed in a black robe, looked exceptionally handsome. Accompanied by the two Super Douluo, Yue Guan and Gui Mei, he slowly walked up to the temporary platform in front of the main hall.

Bishop Nanfeng had been waiting for a long time, and now his face showed unprecedented eagerness and nervousness as he personally led the way for Qin Heng.

When Qin Heng appeared on the platform, the entire audience fell silent instantly, followed by bursts of suppressed murmurs.

Qin Heng ignored the discussions, his gaze calmly sweeping over the dark mass of people below. He slightly circulated his soul power, and his clear and penetrating voice resounded throughout the square: "Fellow soul masters of Soto City, I am Qin Heng of the Spirit Hall, and also the creator of 'Basic General Version of Meridian Cultivation Method'."

He paused, his voice gradually becoming gentle yet firm: "Not long ago in Heaven Dou City and Barak City, I publicly announced that this cultivation technique would be made available to all Soul Masters across the continent who have awakened innate Soul Power at an extremely low price. Today, I have come to Soto City to fulfill this promise."

Qin Heng raised his right hand and announced loudly: "Starting today, the 'Basic General Version of Meridian Cultivation Method' will be officially sold at the Martial Soul Main Hall in Soto City!"

Any Soul Master who awakens innate Soul Power can purchase a complete cultivation technique for just one Silver Soul Coin! The content is completely identical to the version practiced by all the deacons within the Spirit Hall, with absolutely no concealment!

These words caused an instant uproar in the entire square!

Countless low-level Soul Masters were so excited that their faces turned red, and some even burst into tears on the spot.

Those who were independent cultivators or commoners were especially excited and almost jumped for joy.

Standing in the crowd, a middle-aged man with a rather unique appearance was struck dumb, frozen in place as if by lightning.

This person was none other than Flander, the Dean of Shrek Academy.

He had a typical long, narrow face, with broad cheekbones, a protruding chin, a flat face, a slightly hooked nose, and shrewd eyes that revealed a hint of shrewdness and cunning.

At that moment, his mouth was wide open and his eyes were almost bulging out, looking as if he had been greatly shocked.

"One hundred gold soul coins... I just spent one hundred gold soul coins the day before yesterday!!!" Flander felt a sharp pain in his chest, and his heart was bleeding.

To buy this cultivation technique for those little monsters from Shrek Academy, he gritted his teeth and stomped his feet, spending a full one hundred gold soul coins! That was his life savings, his last penny for his funeral!

Just two days later, the Spirit Hall slashed the price to a bargain price of one silver soul coin!

"This...this is worse than death!!!" Flander roared inwardly, his facial muscles twitching.

Just as he was about to vomit blood, a sudden inspiration struck him.

Wait a minute! I'm a flying-type Soul Master!

Upon realizing this, Flander's pained expression vanished instantly, replaced by excitement and agitation. He rubbed his hands together, his eyes filled with greed.

"Let's do it! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

Without further hesitation, relying on his physical prowess as a Soul Saint, he darted forward through the crowd like a nimble eel.

Excuse me! Please let me through!

"Hey, don't push me!"

With his physique far surpassing that of ordinary Soul Masters, Flander forced his way through the crowd and quickly arrived at the purchase window.

He tossed out a gold soul coin and gruffly said, "Give me ten! Hurry up!"

The deacon in charge of sales worked quickly and soon handed him ten brand-new copies of "Basic General Edition of Meridian Cultivation Method".

Flanders took the book, his eyes crinkling into slits with laughter. He turned and squeezed his way out, moving even faster than when he came, as if afraid of being watched.

Standing on the high platform, Qin Heng had a clear view of the scene.

When he saw Flander's classic long, narrow face and his expression of excitement that made him almost fly, a playful smile involuntarily crept onto his lips.

"This Flander is really greedy for money," Qin Heng chuckled inwardly, but made no attempt to stop him.

Following his gaze, Yue Guan asked with her delicate fingers raised, "Your Highness, that must be Flander, the Dean of Shrek Academy, right? Just as described in the intelligence, he's incredibly greedy."

The ghostly figure said calmly, "Your Highness, would you like me to send someone to keep an eye on him?"

Qin Heng waved his hand and said with interest, "No need. Let him earn this little bit of money. It'll help spread this technique more widely among the people and save us from having to make several more trips."

After speaking, Qin Heng's gaze swept over the cheering crowd below again, a meaningful glint in his eyes.

The public sale of Soto City also achieved a sensational effect.

That afternoon, long queues formed in front of the Martial Soul Main Hall to buy calligraphy books, with many Soul Masters even waiting overnight, fearing they wouldn't be able to buy any.

Meanwhile, Flander had already unfurled his twin-winged martial spirit and transformed into a streak of light, flying towards the outskirts of Soto City. He tightly clutched the ten precious cultivation manuals in his arms, his face beaming with the joy of making a fortune.

......

Inside the hotel room.

Qin Heng sat at the table, took a sip of tea, and smiled at the two elders beside him, saying, "Soto City is settled. Those lazy bums should be dealt with by the Papal Palace."

Yue Guan asked softly, "What are Your Highness's plans for dealing with Shrek Academy next?"

Qin Heng smiled slightly, his gaze deep: "Don't worry about them. I'll go to Shrek Academy myself in a while."

Yue Guan and Gui Mei exchanged a glance, bowed, and agreed.

"So, Your Highness, are we leaving Soto City tomorrow?"

"Yes, we'll leave tomorrow. This time, we'll go to the Fasno Province south of the Barak Kingdom! We'll go to Fasno City first, and then I have some personal business to take care of, so I'll also visit Notting City while I'm at it!"

As Bibi Dong's confidants, Yue Guan and Gui Mei were extremely familiar with Notting City. Upon hearing that Qin Heng was going to Notting City, the two exchanged a glance, and Yue Guan tentatively asked, "What brings Your Highness to Notting City?"

"I heard that there is a Blue Silver Grass Soul Master in Notting City with innate full soul power, and he was taken in as a disciple by that useless Master Yu Xiaogang who broke through to level 29 at the age of 50."

I'm very curious how a martial soul like Blue Silver Grass can possess innate full soul power. Aren't the two elders curious too?

Upon hearing Qin Heng's words, Yue Guan and Gui Mei immediately realized that His Holiness the Pope had deliberately intercepted information that His Highness Qin Heng had learned of.

Tang San was born with full soul power, and even if his martial soul was Blue Silver Grass, his subordinates would definitely report it. The reason there was no information was simply because Bibi Dong had deliberately hidden the information beforehand.

Bibi Dong's romantic mind has now cleared up, but she has long forgotten about this little matter, so naturally she won't send anyone to investigate it anymore.