"So, even after everyone joined hands to test him, we didn't really get anywhere. But I must say, I'm rather curious—how is this young man so certain the Spirit Hall faces an imminent crisis?"
"Most believe that only the Three Upper Sects could stand against us, but what do they really know of our Spirit Hall's true foundations~"
After the Golden Crocodile spoke, several other Title Douluo echoed his sentiment.
Clearly, they thought Aether's earlier claim was merely a way to accept the Grand Priest's token with peace of mind.
To them, his words sounded like nothing more than empty talk.
Qian Daoliu's previously kind expression vanished, and his commanding aura—befitting one who stood at the pinnacle—was fully unleashed.
Returning to his high seat atop the platform, he sat in silence for a long moment before finally speaking with measured gravity:
"Remember this well: arrogance leads to defeat."
As the Grand Priest of the Spirit Hall, none knew better than Qian Daoliu the true depth of its hidden strength.
And yet, Aether's visit—his words and demeanor—seemed to imply something else entirely.
Aether had been shown the true number of Title Douluo housed within the Spirit Hall, a number that exceeded the total of all officially registered Title Douluo across the entire continent.
And even after witnessing such a terrifying display of force, he still dared to make that declaration.
Clearly, there was another meaning behind his words.
Could it be that Spirit Hall would truly face a future crisis, one so devastating that even its full might wouldn't be enough?
…..
Elsewhere, Aether and his small group stepped out of the Spirit Hall.
He had toured the legendary place and even laid eyes on the famed Angel Statue.
But having communicated with various divine statues in Teyvat, Aether could immediately tell—the divine power infused in this statue of the Angel God was faint and residual at best.
The real Angel God, if his memory served, had likely been long dead.
Could this very statue become the eventual breach that would lead to Spirit Hall's fall?
He had already made a promise earlier, and inadvertently thrown the fate of this realm into disarray.
The butterfly's wings had begun to flutter in secret—who could predict what the future would hold?
Aether shook his head, too lazy to dwell further. What he needed to focus on now was unlocking the seal on his own power.
Since he hadn't encountered any of his other commissions yet, it only made sense to treat Yu Keke's golden commission as the current main quest.
Her goal was to become stronger—but how strong was strong enough?
All he could do was ensure that her strength steadily increased within the time he had.
"Come on. Let's gather supplies, then go help Keke and Zhuqing hunt their soul rings."
He glanced around. It was his first time in Spirit City, after all—might as well take a stroll and knock out some errands. Besides, Paimon had been begging to stock up on supplies.
"Yay!"
"Thanks, big brother!"
"Much obliged, Your Excellency…"
Everyone responded cheerfully. Paimon, in particular, wore a delighted grin.
Whether in Teyvat or this world, shopping for future supplies alongside the Traveler never failed to lift her spirits.
"Your Excellency, wait for me…"
Just then, a silky voice drifted over from the Spirit Hall, and Yue Guan soon appeared before the group.
He wasn't alone—beside him stood the cloaked figure of Ghost Douluo, silent and still.
"Your Excellnecy, I heard inside that you planned to hunt soul rings. Ghost and I happen to be free—perhaps we could accompany you?"
Yue Guan bowed slightly in deference.
With a powerhouse like this present, what kind of soul beast couldn't they hunt?
But more importantly, he had another reason for volunteering—his earlier request to Aether.
If there was anyone in the world who could help change Ghost's condition, it was this mysterious youth before him.
Aether gave a relaxed nod. "Up to you. We're going to shop for supplies now. You know the city better—might as well lead the way."
"Of course! Leave it to me!"
Yue Guan beamed. "What kind of supplies are we looking for, Your Excellency?"
"Paimon, what do we need?"
Aether turned to the floating girl beside him. She was always the one calling the shots when it came to restocking.
"Uhh~ lots of tasty snacks!"
"Hm? That's it?"
"That's it~!"
Paimon looked puzzled. Isn't that enough?
"…"
Aether twitched slightly, then turned back to Yue Guan.
"Where can we buy snacks and desserts around here?"
"Uh… I know just the place! Follow me!"
Yue Guan blinked, then chuckled as a thought crossed his mind.
He already knew where to take them.
…..
Inside a luxurious hotel, Yue Guan had already arranged accommodations for the party. The rest were off resting.
Meanwhile, Aether and Paimon were in the main lounge. Paimon was cheerfully stuffing platter after platter of desserts into her Serenitea Pot.
"Sister Yue, the plates come with the snacks, right?"
She called over as she worked.
"Yes, our honored guest may keep them."
It wasn't Yue Guan who replied, but the hotel steward, bowing with a polite smile.
In all his years of business, this was the first time he'd seen someone order hundreds of snacks and pastries in one go.
Back in the kitchen, over a dozen chefs were working overtime to meet their guest's bizarre demand.
"Woohoo! Finally done!"
Who knew how long had passed—Aether was almost asleep in his chair—but Paimon was still as energetic as ever.
Hundreds of emergency rations now stocked, with an impressive array of flavors and styles.
At first, they'd order two of each—one for storage, one for taste-testing. But eventually, even Paimon couldn't keep up. She gave up halfway and dumped the rest in the pot.
"Now we'll have enough to eat while traveling for a long time!"
She smiled happily at the thought.
…..
The next morning, when Aether and the others emerged into the lobby, Yue Guan and Ghost were already waiting.
"Your Excellency, Spirit City is quite close to Star Dou Forest. Shall we head there, or would you prefer another forest?"
After breakfast, Yue Guan asked.
"Star Dou's fine. We're familiar with it."
Aether nodded.
He'd visited the forest several times already—it felt oddly familiar by now.
Though of course, he knew full well how vast the Star Dou Forest truly was. The areas they'd explored barely scratched the surface.
Even the furthest point they'd reached, where they'd met the girls from Skywater Academy, was only part of the outer perimeter.
"Let's go!"
Just outside Spirit City's gates, Fire ameow Meow transformed into her battle mount form. The group climbed aboard with practiced ease, while Yue Guan and Ghost followed behind using their soul power.
"One, two, three, four…"
Zhu Zhuqing glanced at the two flying behind them and silently counted in her heart.
Two Title Douluo, a hundred-thousand-year-old soul beast, and their mysterious, god-like leader.
This was the lineup… to hunt third and fourth soul rings?
She couldn't help but recall her time at Shrek Academy—back then, hunting even a third soul ring had been a nerve-wracking, deadly endeavor.
Now?
With this group?
The difference was like night and day. The sense of safety was simply off the charts!
_
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