Tap... tap... tap...
Crisp footsteps echoed through the corridor. Bibi Dong, dressed in the robes of the Pope, walked toward the conference room with Wu Ling following behind her.
It was ten in the morning. A full week had passed since the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament. During that week, Wu Ling had prepared many things, and the plan had finally begun yesterday afternoon.
Even after a night had passed, Bibi Dong still found it difficult to calm down whenever she thought of the plan Wu Ling had described to her.
Listening to Wu Ling's footsteps behind her, Bibi Dong sighed inwardly. What kind of genius did I take as my disciple?
Soon, Bibi Dong and Wu Ling arrived before the conference room. The two guards outside saluted Bibi Dong, then opened the door and respectfully allowed them inside.
When Wu Ling passed those two guards, he sensed extremely dense Spirit Power from them.
Spirit Daoists? No. The pressure they give me is already close to Zao Wou-Ki and Flender. So they are two Spirit Kings.
Spirit Kings guarding the door. Even in Spirit City, Spirit Hall is not normally this extravagant. That means this conference room must be the highest-level one.
But that makes sense. Based on what I told Teacher yesterday, the people coming this time probably are not only Elders.
The moment Bibi Dong and Wu Ling entered, even Wu Ling, who was already used to the Pope's Palace, was surprised by the luxurious conference room. It was the kind of situation where the meeting room was more magnificent than the boss's office. Then again, when every shareholder, including the largest shareholder, held meetings here, it suddenly felt reasonable.
At the center of the room stood a twenty-meter table. Ten seats lined each side, for a total of twenty, and a larger jade seat stood at either end.
One jade seat was marked with a crown, representing the Pope. The other bore the image of a beautiful young woman with three pairs of pure white wings behind her. Wu Ling recognized it immediately as Spirit Hall's Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul.
When Bibi Dong entered, every gaze in the room turned to her, the Pope. Only one person looked at Wu Ling instead. Following that gaze, Wu Ling found Lucius Cross seated beneath the Six-Winged Angel jade seat.
Wu Ling quickly lowered his head and continued following Bibi Dong toward her seat.
Once Bibi Dong sat down, everyone had arrived.
Standing beside Bibi Dong, Wu Ling quietly raised his head and swept his gaze across the room. Excluding himself, who remained standing, fifteen people sat there. Anyone qualified to sit here was a peak Spirit Master of this continent: a Titled Sage.
Six men sat to Lucius Cross's left and right. They were the current Grand Elders of Spirit Hall. From their seating, Wu Ling could identify Golden Crocodile Sage and the brothers Thousand-Ton Sage and Demon-Subduing Sage. He had heard the names of the others, but his strongest impression came from Jialing Pass, where three of them had been held back by Tang Xiao alone before later reinforcements killed them.
On Bibi Dong's side, the first seats belonged to Chrysanthemum Sage and Ghost Sage. Behind them were Demon Bear Sage, Ghost Leopard Sage, Snake Spear Sage, Porcupinefish Sage, and the current Seventh Elder.
Theron Albion is still only a Spirit Emperor right now, and Ethan Drake is not an honorary Elder yet. So this Seventh Elder should be the future Ninth Elder who dies together with Torin Drake.
Thinking about it, the four men from the manhua who got beaten four against one by Torin Drake do not seem to be here. With that combat power, Erasmus Graves might even be able to take two of them at once.
Wu Ling felt the atmosphere in the conference room and quietly observed the fifteen Titled Sages. His thoughts began to run wild despite himself.
Fifteen Titled Sages. So this is Spirit Hall's foundation.
Only four years have passed. It is still uncertain whether the elders of Clear Sky Sect have broken through to Titled Sage. Seven Treasure Glazed Tile has two. Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan has one. Even if Erasmus Graves is added, Polaris Empire is still at less than half of Spirit Hall's high-end combat power.
Since there are still almost ten years before the plot begins, everyone's Spirit Power level is still lower than in the original story, but that applies to both sides. The overall balance does not change much.
In other words, even if Lucius Cross does not act, Spirit Hall can still destroy Polaris Empire through sheer advantage.
Of course, after Polaris Empire falls, Star Stripe Empire, which is evenly matched with Polaris and even superior militarily, would definitely attack Spirit Hall. But Lucius Cross would never sit by and watch Spirit Hall be destroyed. Under the overwhelming strength of a level-ninety-nine Ruler, Star Stripe Empire would also fall without an equal powerhouse to oppose him.
To put it simply, as long as Tang Chen, possessed by the Blood-Red Nine-Headed Bat King, does not regain his senses, Spirit Hall can unify the entire continent at the cost of heavy damage to itself.
Of course, Wu Ling was only thinking this to himself. The people of Spirit Hall did not have his god's-eye view. They would never agree to risk their lives for continental unification. If all of them died in the process, what would unification even mean to them?
Even so, Wu Ling felt a surge of ambition. With a force like this pressing straight onto the enemy's face, if not for Tang San, what could the Spirit Empire possibly lose to at the end?
In the original story, Spirit Empire's defeat came down to one reason: Tang San. Now that I am here to help, forget Tang San. Even if the Tang Sect's eighteen generations of ancestors all came together, I would still not be afraid.
Everyone seated here was a top-tier powerhouse. To their eyes, Wu Ling's discreet glances were no different from openly staring.
The Elders on Bibi Dong's side had known Wu Ling for years, so they did not mind. Among the Grand Elders on the other side, one man had almost spoken up, but before opening his mouth, he glanced at Lucius Cross. Seeing Lucius looking at Wu Ling with smiling eyes, he thought it over and decided to be generous. He ignored Wu Ling's staring.
Bibi Dong said, "All right, Ling'er. Stop sneaking looks. Everyone present is a Titled Sage. As my disciple, you may look openly."
"Understood, Teacher." Wu Ling immediately straightened up, then looked around openly and honestly.
Watching Wu Ling remain completely unafraid even after learning everyone present was a Titled Sage, even the Grand Elders praised him inwardly. Excellent temperament.
As long as Bibi Dong, the Pope, and Lucius Cross, the Grand Elder, did not speak, no one else dared to open first.
Only after Wu Ling seemed to have looked enough did Lucius Cross nod faintly and speak.
"All right, Bibi Dong. You suddenly called a meeting at this level. Speak plainly. What is this about?"
End of Volume 1: Awakening