With doubt, Wang Zhong scratched his head and walked out of the room.
The sun was warm, the river clear, the forest lush, and the distant waterfall still roared.
Stretching lazily, Wang Zhong felt exceptionally energetic. He walked to the river, washed his face, and the slightly cool water made him feel inexplicably refreshed.
"It seems like after falling asleep yesterday afternoon, I slept the entire day."
"This won't do! Without punishment, even my training has slackened. From today on, my cultivation must be doubled! This is my self-inflicted punishment!"
"My goal is to become the strongest Titled Douluo in the world!"
Wang Zhong clenched his small fists and set a small goal for himself with full vigor.
"To become the strongest Titled Douluo in the world, little fellow, your goal is truly astonishing."
A pleasant voice suddenly chimed in, and the familiar scent startled Wang Zhong, causing him to spin around abruptly.
Indeed, it was that figure again.
This time, her attire had changed color, from pale yellow to pale pink. Her wine-red hair was unbound, cascading behind her head like a waterfall, adorned with flower-like metal hairpins.
Bibi Dong stood beneath a tree, her slender jade fingers resting on her smooth chin. She tilted her head slightly, her bright wine-red eyes filled with a hint of contemplation, gazing steadily at Wang Zhong.
A gentle breeze stirred, lifting her long hair and her pale pink dress, making her appear resplendent and beautiful.
The Pope before him was unlike any Wang Zhong had ever seen her.
When she sat on the throne of the arena, she was majestic and noble, her presence too formidable to look at directly. During their last chance encounter, she stood by the river, appearing worried and lonely. But now, Bibi Dong before him had transformed into an elegant and graceful young lady.
Wang Zhong dared to swear that this scene was as impactful as when Qian Renxue transformed into an angel amidst endless snow, perhaps even more profound.
After all, the person before him was the supremely noble and supreme Pope. The drastic shift between two completely opposite temperaments was truly striking.
"Your Eminence, the Pope!"
Wang Zhong, regaining his composure, quickly stood up, placed one hand on his chest, and bowed respectfully.
Bibi Dong chuckled at Wang Zhong's deference, walked briskly to his side, ruffled his soft hair, and said cheerfully, "When we're alone, you don't need to be so formal."
"I've taken off my Pope's crown and scepter now. I just want to rest well, understand?"
Looking at Bibi Dong, who was smiling like a blooming flower, Wang Zhong blinked, inexplicably reminded of Qian Renxue.
This kind of sneaking off to relax, it seemed Qian Renxue had done something similar before.
They were quite alike!
Wang Zhong couldn't help but think this.
"However, little fellow, your goal truly shocked me."
"To become the number one Titled Douluo in the world, do you know what kind of earthquake those words would cause?"
"Looking at the current world, there are only a handful of named Titled Douluos."
"Clear Sky School, Tang Hao, Tang Xiao, the two brothers, the renowned Clear Sky Douluo and Sky Splitting Douluo."
"Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, Chen Xin, Gu Rong, Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo."
"Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, Yu Yuanzhen, Thunder Douluo."
"Dugu Family, Dugu Bo, the infamous Poison Douluo."
"And within the Spirit Hall, Gui Mei and Yue Guan, Ghost Douluo and Chrysanthemum Douluo."
"These powerhouses, these Titled Douluos, only dare to say they are peerless in certain aspects, but none of them ever dare to claim they are the strongest. Do you know why?"
Bibi Dong leaned down, blew the dust off a large, smooth stone beside her, and sat down casually. She crossed her arms, looking at Wang Zhong, and explained seriously.
To this, Wang Zhong could only shake his head stiffly. Being caught in his boastful personal goal felt rather embarrassing for someone his age.
"Because of the mutual restraint of spirit beasts!"
"Take Chen Xin of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School as an example. His Seven Killing Sword spirit is renowned as the spirit with the strongest attack power among weapon spirits, but if he encounters Tang Hao's Clear Sky Hammer from the Clear Sky School, he can only be at a disadvantage."
"Although the Clear Sky Hammer is powerful, if it encounters Dugu Bo, the Poison Douluo, it would be difficult to exert its strength. If Dugu Bo doesn't confront it head-on, but instead entangles it with his poison skills, no matter how strong you are, you will eventually be poisoned to death. Of course, this is assuming he can evade the might of the Clear Sky Hammer."
"Gui Mei and Gu Rong, their spirit attack methods are extremely similar, known for their strangeness and unpredictability. They have a natural restraint against direct offensive weapon spirits like the Clear Sky Hammer and Seven Killing Sword. Unfortunately, the problem is the same as with the Poison Douluo; one must evade the immense power of the Clear Sky Hammer and Seven Killing Sword, otherwise, it's all in vain."
"Although Dugu Bo's poison is potent, Yue Guan's spirit, the Jade Qilin Immortal Grass, has a significant restraint against it, giving him an innate advantage. However, if Yue Guan were to encounter the Clear Sky Hammer, he would also be utterly defeated."
Bibi Dong spoke calmly, summarizing the strengths and weaknesses of the continent's top Titled Douluos in just a few words.
"Moreover, how can there only be these few Titled Douluos in this world?"
"Taking the Spirit Hall alone, including myself, there are sixteen of us. If you add those from the Holy Spirit Cult, Sea God Island, the Slaughter City, and those who remain hidden, this number will at least double."
"And the most important point, there are at least four Limit Douluos on the entire continent: Qian Daoliu, Bo Saixi, Tang Chen, and the leader of the Holy Spirit Cult!"
"The existence of these four makes anyone who desires to be the strongest Titled Douluo a complete joke."
Bibi Dong's gaze was fixed on Wang Zhong. She wanted him to understand that he was not the only one aware of these individuals; there were countless powerful beings hidden in the shadows.
Without a clear understanding of the world, no matter how talented Wang Zhong was, he would only be a frog in a well. What was the point of dominating the well?
If he couldn't jump out of this well, then the so-called strongest would be nothing more than self-aggrandizing drivel.
Wang Zhong's expression flickered as Bibi Dong uttered her last two sentences. It wasn't because of the blunt and cruel reality presented.
It was because the leader of the Holy Spirit Cult was actually a Limit Douluo!
This news was a true bombshell for him.
Wasn't it said that while evil spirit masters advanced rapidly in the early stages due to their wicked cultivation methods, this advancement came at the cost of depleting their potential and lifespan, or through unconventional means, leading to unstable foundations and extreme difficulty in further progress later on?
How could someone cultivate to level ninety-nine, a Limit Douluo, as an evil spirit master?
This was unscientific and made no sense!
If it were truly possible, many people in the world would willingly become evil spirit masters, and they wouldn't have been suppressed by the Spirit Hall.
Was it solely due to the Angel spirit?
But the allure of power, who could resist it? The speed at which you eradicate them might not be as fast as the speed at which others fall.