The three Red-robed Archbishops stared at Li Chang'an in stunned silence, their eyes soon burning with fervor—like a trio of lecherous old men who had stumbled upon a priceless treasure.
"Would you like to join the Spirit Hall Academy?"
"Would you consider entering the Elder Hall?"
"Would you come with me to meet the Pope?"
All three spoke at once, yet each offered something entirely different—an open display of their conflicting allegiances.
One was a representative of the Spirit Hall Academy, another belonged to the Elder Hall, and the third was a close aide to the Pope herself.
Truth be told, Li Chang'an hadn't expected such a strong reaction just from revealing his twin martial spirits. But clearly, the effect was significant—twin spirits were indeed a massive advantage.
The three Red-robed Archbishops exchanged glances briefly. Then, the one in the lead turned to the white-robed steward and said, "Go ahead and test this young man's soul power first."
The steward didn't say much. He obediently took out a crystal orb used for testing soul power and gestured for Li Chang'an to place his hand on it.
As the crystal ball burst into radiant light, Li Chang'an's soul power was revealed for all to see—no doubt about it: Level 10, Innate Full Soul Power!
Twin martial spirits with innate full soul power—these two titles combined were so overwhelming that everyone present, even the three Archbishops, felt as if they were being crushed under invisible pressure.
Just as the Archbishops were about to fight over him, a breeze swept through the hall—and suddenly, a shadowy figure appeared in the center of the room.
It was a tall man dressed entirely in dark robes, his aura eerie and fluctuating, like a ghost.
"His Holiness the Pope wishes to see this twin martial spirit child. I'll be taking him. You may continue with the awakening ceremony."
As soon as the words were spoken, Li Chang'an felt himself lifted into the air. The scenery around him blurred and shifted rapidly. In the blink of an eye, he found himself in a far grander, far more sacred hall.
This hall wasn't much larger than the previous one, but everything—from the ornate decor and the plush red carpet underfoot, to the towering ten-meter-tall door behind him—spoke of status and authority.
"Don't be nervous. Her Holiness heard you have twin spirits and was quite intrigued," the ghost-like man who brought Li Chang'an over reminded him in a low voice.
Others may have been merely shocked at the appearance of twin martial spirits, but those at this level—like Ghost—understood far more. Twin spirits were not just a matter of quantity; they represented potential, secrets, and power.
This was the benefit of awakening your martial spirit in Spirit City: as long as your talent was great enough, you would immediately attract the attention of the most powerful figures.
Of course, attracting the attention of the Pope and receiving an immediate summons—Li Chang'an was the first to ever accomplish that.
Li Chang'an was mentally mature enough not to panic, but excitement still surged through his heart. Who would've thought he'd meet the legendary woman this quickly?
Just as his thoughts began to wander, the sound of soft, measured footsteps echoed through the hall. Li Chang'an looked up—to see a woman walking in from the far end, holding a staff.
The moment he saw her, only one thought crossed Li Chang'an's mind:
'To hell with Shrek Academy—Long live Spirit Hall!'
What kind of woman was this? The dignified and luxurious purple Pope's robe only enhanced her noble aura. Her features were exquisitely defined—so perfect they felt almost unreal.
She had the youthful face of someone in their early twenties, the allure of a woman in her thirties, and the elegance of someone in her forties. Her skin was flawless—so smooth it was almost as if there weren't any pores at all. She exuded a natural aura of supremacy, and with her slightly curled locks framing her face, the scene was nothing short of divine.
Possessing the soul of someone in his twenties, Li Chang'an freely admitted—he had fallen for her in that moment. Completely and utterly.
The woman walked calmly to the Pope's throne and seated herself. Her gem-like eyes locked with Li Chang'an's, and she gave him a slight, approving nod.
Anyone who encountered beauty would be moved by it—even someone like Bibi Dong. She had to admit, Li Chang'an's looks were indeed impressive.
"What's your name?"
Her voice rang out, ethereal yet commanding.
Li Chang'an immediately bowed with proper respect and replied with calm poise and a touch of nervousness,
"Your Holiness, my name is Li Chang'an—Chang'an, as in 'Eternal Peace.'"
It was the first time Bibi Dong had ever heard someone introduce themselves in such a poetic way. She found it amusing and softened her tone,
"I heard you possess twin martial spirits. Would you be willing to show me?"
Li Chang'an nodded obediently. He extended his right hand—where a pitch-black battle axe slowly materialized: the Pangu Axe.
Then, his left hand opened, and a bronze, ancient bell emerged in the air—the Donghuang Bell.
To be honest, even Li Chang'an hadn't expected his martial spirits to be this powerful. The Pangu Axe and Donghuang Bell were legendary artifacts in Chinese mythology—famous across the world.
He never would've guessed that these two divine relics would become his martial spirits. Even though the system had labeled them as "Defective Version," a divine artifact was still a divine artifact—nothing could change that fact.
As the Pangu Axe and Donghuang Bell appeared, an intense pressure radiated from them. Though Bibi Dong and Ghost were both Titled Douluo and wouldn't be affected much, they were clearly astonished.
[Ding! You just showed off your martial spirits in front of Bibi Dong and Ghost. Points +33.]
As expected of two Titled Douluo—one move, and the points were adding up in double digits. Earlier in the awakening hall, he'd barely gotten single digits from the crowd.
"Twin spirits, and both of exceptional quality… and of different types too. Very impressive,"
Bibi Dong stood from her throne, nodding in satisfaction.
Her own spirits were of similar nature, but Li Chang'an's offered far more versatility and long-term potential.
"Can you tell me what your spirits can do?" she asked, clearly more intrigued now, her tone tinged with genuine excitement.
"Your Holiness, this axe is called the Pangu Axe—it's an offensive-type spirit. The bell is the Donghuang Bell—it specializes in defense,"
Li Chang'an replied smoothly, based on the information the system had fed him—truth mixed with a dash of misdirection.
In reality, while the Pangu Axe was purely for offense, the Donghuang Bell had another terrifying hidden ability—Voidbreaker.
But Li Chang'an had no intention of revealing that just yet. He planned to keep that power as a hidden trump card.
Bibi Dong nodded approvingly,
"One for attack and one for defense. Even without other functions, mastering those to the extreme makes for a terrifying combination. So tell me..."
She paused, her eyes fixed on him.
"Would you be willing to become my disciple?"