MTL NOVEL Chapter 42: Chapter 42: The Fall of Spirit Hall
[Douluo Calendar, February 14, 2025: Xu Jiayin of the Ideal Nation annexed over half the territory of the former Heaven Dou Empire. He died suddenly of an unexplained illness, and the Ideal Nation split. Three individuals claimed to inherit the will of the Grand Sage Master, calling themselves the original followers. The Ideal Nation was divided into three factions, and war resumed.]
[Douluo Calendar, March 10, 2025: You requested the Worship Hall to take action. Golden Crocodile Douluo infiltrated the Huai Sacred Nation's military camp but was beheaded and publicly displayed. Spirit Hall's army fell into disarray.]
[Qian Daoliu pressured you to release Zhou Sheng'an. You adamantly refused.]
[You clashed with Qian Daoliu. The battle ended inconclusively. Qian Daoliu retreated to Pope Mountain and entered seclusion.]
[Food shortages plagued Spirit City. One night, a Platinum Archbishop guarding the city gates opened them and fled with his followers…]
[Civilians in Spirit City gathered outside the Pope's Palace, sitting in silent protest, demanding the release of the Grand Sage Master.]
"!!!" Bibi Dong's eyes turned bloodshot. She couldn't believe it—how could merely capturing Zhou Sheng'an lead to such a chain of events?
Even if Zhou Sheng'an was more capable than Xiao Gang, things had gone completely out of control!
What she didn't realize was that Zhou Sheng'an was like a spark that ignited the fury of ordinary people across the continent—resentment that had been building for years under oppression.
That flame now burned violently, threatening to reduce the old order and the old world to ashes.
Spirit Hall should have been the guiding wind behind that power, but due to its suspected involvement in Zhou Sheng'an's abduction, it was swept into the storm instead. Now, it had become the eye of chaos!
"Damn it! Qian Renxue must be laughing now! Zhou Sheng'an… it's all Zhou Sheng'an's fault!" Bibi Dong growled in anger.
[Douluo Calendar, April 13, 2025: Chrysanthemum Douluo opened the city gates, letting the Huai Sacred Nation's army enter.]
[Nearly all soldiers in Spirit City abandoned resistance.]
[Clear Sky Sect's Titled Douluos stormed the Pope's Palace and killed the last two Titled Douluos willing to fight for Spirit Hall. They then moved on to Pope Mountain.]
[The Pope's Palace was on the verge of collapse, with only around 300 soul masters holding out in desperate resistance.]
...
As the sounds of battle gradually faded, Bibi Dong entered the underground chambers. Her face, surprisingly, was calm. Like a walking corpse, she made her way to the secret chamber.
The fall of Spirit Hall had become inevitable—something she had never imagined.
Spirit Hall perished because of her. And the reason? She had captured Zhou Sheng'an.
At this moment, the only thought on her mind was to execute Zhou Sheng'an.
The idea that he would once again walk in the light, become revered as the Grand Sage Master by the world—she couldn't accept it.
Why? Why was there someone who could outshine even Yu Xiaogang in her heart?
Dark purple mist emanated from Bibi Dong, corroding the corridor walls.
"Zzzzzz…"
She finally arrived at the entrance to the chamber.
In the past, whenever she came here, she'd always hear the woman's moans from inside. But now—it was dead silent.
Silent like an abyss.
Her spiritual sea suddenly boiled, warning her with intensity—there was something inside that could threaten her life!
But…
How could that be? Zhou Sheng'an was her only enemy, and his body had already been wrung dry.
Bibi Dong didn't want to think anymore. She pushed the door open directly.
Inside the chamber, Zhou Sheng'an sat cross-legged. His once-perfectly sculpted body, hailed as the pinnacle of creation, was now thin and worn, faint muscle lines barely visible.
Around his waist, a skirt woven from Blue Silver Grass hung.
"You've come. Spirit Hall… is probably finished, right?"
Zhou Sheng'an spoke with a smile, like he was greeting an old friend.
Bibi Dong stood at the doorway, unmoving.
Hearing his words, her pupils shrank. She coldly asked, "How do you know that?!"
Zhou Sheng'an rested his hands calmly as a sprout of Blue Silver Grass swayed lightly in front of him.
He smiled and said, "Resonance. A power I developed. In this chamber, I can perceive the movements of the entire continent. Or rather, the entire Douluo Star."
"I don't understand what you're saying. I locked you up in this chamber and drained you. You didn't obtain any soul rings. You should still be just a Soul Sect, right? What are you hiding that's making me feel threatened?"
Bibi Dong chuckled lightly, crossing her arms. She looked relaxed as well.
By now, both of them were at the end of their ropes.
"Just a threat?" Zhou Sheng'an sighed, a hint of disappointment appearing on his face. "Then I'm still far from enough."
Bibi Dong pressed her lips together, a serious glint flashing in her eyes.
'Could Zhou Sheng'an… still be hiding a hope for reversal, even in this state?'
She knew he had barely more than an hour of quiet time to think or cultivate each day—unless he gave up sleep, he was otherwise drowning in lust day and night.
She asked coldly, "What exactly is it?!"
"You really want to know that badly?"
Zhou Sheng'an raised an eyebrow, smiling. "Then why don't you answer me one question first? How is Spirit Kite Douluo?"
Bibi Dong also smiled, her tone mocking. "Didn't you say you could resonate? How could you not know she exists? Oh, right—maybe she died before you awakened that ability? She dared betray us and tried to help you escape, after all."
"..." Zhou Sheng'an fell silent.
"You're angry now, aren't you? I can feel it—your emotions changed… Hahaha! Zhou Sheng'an, oh Zhou Sheng'an, you finally got angry!"
Bibi Dong laughed like she had discovered a new world.
The purple mist around her grew thicker, like the claws of a devil, surging into the chamber.
Zhou Sheng'an said nothing. He quietly watched Bibi Dong.
His eyes were void of light.
Suddenly, he smiled and muttered to himself, "To escape this predicament, I sacrificed my future lifespan, pushed my limits, embraced corruption, forged a dark persona… Now, I have only one day left to live. I thought I'd regret it, that I'd be unwilling to die."
"But now that I know Ling Yuan is dead—I don't have the will to live anymore."
"Bibi Dong, what are you most afraid of?"
Zhou Sheng'an slowly looked up and asked in a calm voice.
"Afraid?" Bibi Dong was stunned.
Seeing Zhou Sheng'an surrounded by purple mist yet still so serene, she trembled inwardly, her madness briefly fading. She regained a sliver of clarity.
In that moment—she felt fear.
Why?
Zhou Sheng'an gave her the exact same feeling he had on the eve of his imprisonment!
"I fear nothing!" Bibi Dong snapped coldly.
Zhou Sheng'an shook his head and said seriously, "No, you're afraid. What you fear most—is Yu Xiaogang finding out that you're a filthy woman."
"..." Looking at Zhou Sheng'an's calm expression, Bibi Dong instinctively took a step back.
Zhou Sheng'an continued, "If Yu Xiaogang knew you were defiled by Qian Xunji, it would break him. And you fear that scene the most. In your heart, you've built a perfect image of him—and hope he sees you the same way."
"Shut up!" Bibi Dong screamed.
Zhou Sheng'an curled his lips into a faint smile. "The pain you inflicted on me—it's time for you to taste it too. Unfortunately, we don't have much time left. I won't be able to make you repay it a hundredfold…"
The next second, darkness erupted behind Zhou Sheng'an. Massive black tentacles, as thick as serpents and woven from Blue Silver Grass, surged outward like writhing octopus limbs.
"Chichi chichi…"
Bibi Dong froze as if she had met her natural enemy. A chill swept through her entire body.