Since the Angel Martial Soul evolved into the Twelve-Winged Angel God King, Qian Renxue's infiltration mission in the Heaven Dou Empire had come to an end.
With her potential to become a God King, Qian Daoliu could not bear to waste her talent on meaningless endeavors. Once Qian Renxue achieved godhood, the Heaven Dou and Star Luo Empires would be insignificant.
Moreover, Bibi Dong's madness had been gradually waning, leading to a significant shift in her perception of the world and the Spirit Hall. Consequently, she no longer enforced Qian Renxue's infiltration mission.
Without her mission, Qian Renxue remained within the Spirit Hall, diligently cultivating. Meanwhile, a scandal erupted in the Heaven Dou Empire several years prior: Prince Xue Beng poisoned his elder brother, Xue Qinghe!
This incident shook the entire Heaven Dou Empire. Ning Fengzhi, who had already accepted Xue Qinghe as his disciple, was enraged. He nearly instigated a fight with the Heaven Dou royal family. Although Emperor Xue Ye eventually protected Xue Beng by claiming him as his sole heir, a rift had formed between the Heaven Dou Empire and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, shattering their once harmonious relationship.
While the speed brought by the six angelic wings was not as fast as Wang Zhong's Asura God Wings, it took only a few breaths to traverse the entirety of Spirit City.
The angel stood in the sky, her wings pure white and divine. She hovered high above the city walls, her gaze fixed on Wang Zhong's figure. Her exquisite face was filled with longing and tenderness.
"Sister Xue, long time no see!" Wang Zhong's smile was as gentle as ever.
Qian Renxue lightly pursed her red lips, a thousand words wanting to be spoken. She longed to leap into Wang Zhong's arms, to revel in his warmth and passion. However, Zhu Zhuqing, embraced by Wang Zhong, stopped her impulse.
Her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly. Qian Renxue cast a casual glance at Zhu Zhuqing, then shifted her gaze back to Wang Zhong, her smile radiant. "Welcome back!"
Zhu Zhuqing observed the unspoken exchange between them, their interaction, and felt a helpless sense of loss and bitterness.
"And who is this?" Qian Renxue inquired about Zhu Zhuqing's identity.
Wang Zhong gently stroked Zhu Zhuqing's head, his voice filled with a hint of tenderness and indulgence. "A little sister I get along very well with."
"Is that so!" Qian Renxue examined Zhu Zhuqing, her gaze peculiar. Little sister? She hardly looked like one!
However, despite the indulgence in Wang Zhong's words, Qian Renxue clearly sensed that it was not romantic.
The appearance of the angel naturally drew attention. Soon, a large crowd gathered below, gazing upwards, eager to know what was happening.
"This isn't a suitable place for conversation. Let's go inside!"
With a beat of her wings, Qian Renxue flew before Wang Zhong and, taking his hand, led him towards the heart of Spirit City.
"Wait a moment, Sister Xue!"
"Flying is forbidden in Spirit City!" Wang Zhong, his hand still held by Qian Renxue, reminded her as they flew inward.
"So what!"
"I don't care!" Qian Renxue declared with a hint of pride, completely disregarding the rules. All she wanted now was to find a secluded spot to talk with Wang Zhong, and everything else could be ignored.
At worst, she would be confined for a period afterward!
Qian Renxue might dare to defy Spirit Hall's rules, but Wang Zhong could not. He stopped in mid-air, pulling Qian Renxue down towards the ground.
The three landed, and Wang Zhong released their hands, shaking his head. "Sister Xue, this won't do."
"The prohibition of flying in the sky represents the Pope's inviolable majesty. As a disciple of the Pope, I cannot act in such a manner!"
"A pointless rule. What is the point of being an angel if one cannot freely soar through the skies?" Qian Renxue scoffed. She had been displeased with this rule since she began living in Spirit City.
Qian Renxue's complaint left Wang Zhong with no recourse. What she said was true; if angels could not stand in the sky to guide humanity with light, they would indeed lose their symbolic meaning.
"Alright, I won't argue with you anymore."
"Since you've returned now, the first person you should see is her, right?"
"Go ahead. I'll take care of this little one."
Qian Renxue walked up to Zhu Zhuqing, her expression natural and calm. "Little sister, though I don't know your name, you must come with me now."
"Wang Zhong has someone he must see!"
"My name is Zhu Zhuqing," Zhu Zhuqing replied, her lips pursed and her tone cool. "Alright, I understand."
"So, you are from the Nether Cat clan of the Zhu family in the Star Luo Empire." Simply by hearing her surname, Qian Renxue deduced Zhu Zhuqing's origin. After all, the cat-ear-like hair ornaments were too obvious.
"But that doesn't matter. Come with me!" Qian Renxue beckoned to Zhu Zhuqing and walked away.
Watching them leave, Wang Zhong turned to face the Pope's Palace ahead, his heart turbulent.
The reason Wang Zhong had pulled Qian Renxue down was that they had flown directly above the Pope's Palace.
He ascended the steps, walked up the long staircase, and arrived before a towering, magnificent hall. Under the watchful eyes of the guards on either side, Wang Zhong pushed open the doors and entered.
The dimly lit hall remained as resplendent as ever. At the highest point, symbolizing the Pope's throne, a stunning woman stood there, a smile on her lips as she watched him enter.
Six years later, seeing that figure again, Wang Zhong felt a surge of joy at their reunion.
Bibi Dong descended from the platform in a flash and approached Wang Zhong. Her jade hand gently caressed his cheek, her touch warm and soft.
"You're back."
Feeling the cool touch on his cheek, Wang Zhong replied equally gently, "Yes, Mother! I'm back!"
The word "Mother" finally broke through Bibi Dong's suppressed emotions. She embraced Wang Zhong tightly, holding him, this being who was not her child but felt more like one, her heart filled with this warmth.
Wang Zhong returned her embrace, experiencing that care and affection that came not from a mother, but felt even stronger than a mother's.
After a long embrace, Bibi Dong released Wang Zhong, her face beaming. "How was it? Your experiences and trials on your journey."
"It was alright. I feel like I've been through a lot, yet also like it wasn't much."
"I once thought people on the continent harbored all sorts of powerful individuals. But in the end, I realized those incredible people all came from the same place."
"Except for the Holy Spirit Cult, everyone else was just so-so!"
Wang Zhong recounted his experiences over the years with a sigh.
His talent and strength truly crushed everyone on the continent except for the Holy Spirit Cult! He had once believed himself to be a frog in a well, unable to see the vast and wondrous world outside, but the outcome was that only a select few possessed extraordinary strength, while everyone else was separated from him by a chasm.
"Oh, your insights and travels amount to this?" Bibi Dong's delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly at Wang Zhong's almost arrogant declaration.
She had expected that his travels over the years would help Wang Zhong understand his own position. While his talent was unparalleled, it was all in vain until it was converted into strength.
But the result seemed to be different from what she had imagined.
"What is your current level?" Bibi Dong did not dwell on his arrogant words. As her disciple, the future Saint Son of the Spirit Hall, with his talent, he could afford to be proud and even arrogant before her.
"Level ninety-nine."
Wang Zhong tilted his head, a childlike mischievous grin on his face as he looked at Bibi Dong.
As expected, he saw astonishment and disbelief on her beautiful face.
"What did you say? What level?" Bibi Dong doubted her own ears and repeated the question.
"Level ninety-nine, my teacher!" Wang Zhong, with a childlike smile of pride, repeated himself.
"Level ninety-nine!!!"
This time, Bibi Dong was truly shocked. Even with her formidable talent, she was only level ninety-nine. And how old was Wang Zhong now?
Eighteen years old!
An eighteen-year-old peak ninety-ninth-level Douluo was akin to a joke.
Bibi Dong cast a shocked, wine-red gaze at Wang Zhong, searching his face for any hint of jest. But she knew that this child, who genuinely regarded her as his mother, would not deceive her.
"An eighteen-year-old peak Douluo!"
Bibi Dong rubbed her temples, feeling a sense of surreal disbelief, as if she were dreaming.
Such a thing sounded too terrifying, too bizarre.
"It's true, teacher."
Wang Zhong nodded affirmatively. To prove his claim, he unfurled his spirit rings.
Nine pristine white-gold spirit rings shone brilliantly beneath his feet!
Since his tree martial soul could generate spirit rings independently, Wang Zhong had discovered another miraculous thing: when he advanced, he could guide the spontaneously generated spirit power into his previously acquired spirit rings!
Using this method, he had elevated the years of all his nine spirit rings to an extreme, terrifying level. His spirit rings were no longer merely quantifiable by their years!
"Nine spirit rings!"
Bibi Dong did not pay too much attention to the color of the spirit rings. The color of spirit rings could be changed. The important thing was that Wang Zhong possessed nine spirit rings, proving he was a true Titled Douluo!
From this perspective, it was not impossible for Wang Zhong to be a ninety-ninth-level peak Douluo. The power of twin martial souls, combined with Wang Zhong's incredible capacity to withstand spirit ring years, meant that after reaching level ninety, he began adding spirit rings to his second martial soul, the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox. Each spirit ring being over eighty thousand years old would absolutely allow him to reach his peak within an extremely short period.
Bibi Dong had done the same, which was why she became the youngest peak Douluo. But now, that title of "youngest" belonged to Wang Zhong.