Hearing this, Ling Chang′e showed a surprised expression.
"What difference does it make?"
Her obsidian eyes met Guangling Douluo's as she asked, "Aren't they all just places to live?"
Guangling Douluo replied, "You will have to live in the dormitory at the Spirit Hall Academy for now. I'll arrange a palace for you in the Spirit Hall later. There are many unused palaces in the Worship Hall, though they might not suit your taste. For now, live in the dormitory at the Academy, and I'll find time to arrange a proper residence for you."
Glancing at Ling Chang′e for her opinion, Guangling Douluo still respected her decision on small matters. Even though, in his eyes, there wasn't much difference between the two options aside from distance. It was ultimately up to her choice.
"Really?"
Ling Chang′e was suddenly shocked. Her wide, dark eyes brimmed with disbelief. Once again, she realized the vast wealth and power of the Spirit Hall! As expected, soul masters are the most honorable figures on the Douluo Continent and control most of the economy.
As the most powerful soul master organization on the Douluo Continent, Spirit Hall is extremely wealthy. That is why high-level soul masters choose it: the treatment is excellent, and all training resources are provided. In short, Spirit Hall is masterful at winning people's hearts.
Ling Chang′e was especially surprised by the idea of having her very own palace. Now, after coming to Douluo Continent, she would have a palace in the Spirit Hall as her bedroom. This overwhelming wealth had finally fallen into her lap!
Sure enough, the benefits offered by the Spirit Hall were extraordinary. She felt so moved that she vowed to be loyal to the Spirit Hall for her whole life. In her heart, she knew her choice had been right!
"Of course I can!" she answered.
Seeing her shocked expression, Guangling Douluo chuckled warmly. "The Spirit Hall doesn't care about these trivialities it cares only about talent. As long as you prove yourself, wealth, status, power… these things will all be within your reach."
His voice then softened and grew a bit breathless, mixed with tenderness: "This palace is only a small one it's nothing for you. Don't be so surprised by praise or criticism. You are my disciple, a saint of the Worship Hall; every move you make reflects on the Worship Hall. These matters are insignificant compared to your cultivation."
Guangling Douluo did not chide Ling Chang′e harshly—after all, she was only six years old. He would teach her gradually to remain calm in the face of both praise and criticism. No one is born noble, and no one is born poor.
Then, with a sparkle in her eyes and a soft tone, Ling Chang′e said, "I want a palace closer to my master!"
Her eyes lit up with anticipation as she looked up at Guangling Douluo. To him, it sounded as if his little disciple were playfully teasing. He immediately waved his hand, replying, "Of course, no problem."
His uncovered right eye once cold as ice sparkled with joy. It was rare for his disciple to act coquettishly, so he was more than happy to accommodate her request.
"The palace near me…"
Before Guangling Douluo could finish, Qingluan Douluo interjected with a complicated expression. Guangling Douluo, sensitive to such looks, turned his head to regard Qingluan Douluo with doubtful eyes.
"Guangling, don't mess around. The palace closest to you is the young master's palace—it is her property, and no one can change that. Your apprentice must be assigned a residence farther away," Qingluan Douluo stated.
The palaces in the Worship Hall are arranged in a crisscross pattern for easy identification and convenience. In Wuhun City—the only independent city on the Douluo Continent (not belonging to the Tiandou or Xingluo Empires but solely to the Wuhun Palace)—there is ample land. Wuhun City is built around Spirit Hall; its core buildings are the Pope's Hall and the Worship Hall.
The Pope's Hall and the Worship Hall are decorated in an extremely ornate manner because they represent the face of the Spirit Hall. Holy Angel Mountain occupies one-third of Spirit City's area, with the remaining two-thirds dedicated to the Spirit Hall Academy and other buildings. Moreover, the Spirit Hall's buildings are built vertically: the higher your status, the higher the place you live. The Pope's Hall sits in the middle of Holy Angel Mountain, whereas the Worship Hall's palaces are near the top of the mountain—almost touching the sky. This lofty position reflects the belief derived from the angel god Qian Yuhan: those who worship angel gods naturally want to be closer to the heavens and feel the gaze of the divine.
For example, the palace of Qian Renxue, the young master of the Spirit Hall, is naturally located near the Worship Hall. Because she is young, Qian Daoliu deliberately arranged her bedroom close to the palaces of Guangling Douluo and Qingluan Douluo for her protection. One could say that Qian Daoliu is a very caring grandfather.
"Right," Guangling Douluo suddenly realized. "It doesn't matter if it's farther away. Besides the young master's palace, I recall there is another palace to the north of hers, which is also close to me."
This time, Qingluan Douluo did not object to Guangling Douluo's decision. Their eyes met, conveying complex emotions known only to them.
Ling Chang′e, oblivious to the internal exchanges between her masters, was filled with joy. She had her very own palace—even if it was a bit far, she didn't mind. After all, she wasn't fussy about free things. Moreover, this palace was very near Qian Renxue's bedroom.
Recalling Qian Renxue from the anime made Ling Chang′e's heart ache with sympathy; she felt so sorry for Qian Renxue that she naturally did not want her to get hurt. Being able to sleep near Qian Renxue's palace was a delightful bonus—a huge surprise for Ling Chang′e!
At that moment, her thoughts were filled with Qian Renxue. As for her masters, Guangling Douluo and Qingluan Douluo, they faded into the background. How could one compare a master with a mischievous streak to the sweet, gentle Qian Renxue? Ling Chang′e's heart rejoiced—she felt she had truly earned it!
Guangling Douluo's expression suddenly turned subtle as he frowned when he saw Ling Chang′e's dazed look. Was it his imagination?
He thought, "This little disciple is so strange…"
A cough interrupted Guangling Douluo, and Qingluan Douluo followed his gaze to see Ling Chang′e's expression, which reminded him of the shadow of Guangling Douluo in her eyes—just as it had been in his younger days when someone attempted to pull a prank. Such behavior was enough; there was no need for the younger generation to know every detail.
Glancing resentfully at the others, Guangling Douluo's glare caused Xiongshi Douluo to shrink behind Qingluan Douluo in shame. He didn't dare meet Guangling Douluo's eyes.
When Qingluan Douluo appeared, Ling Chang′e finally reacted.
"Today, we're going to Angel Village to awaken the martial spirits of the angel children," she announced.
Ling Chang′e scanned the area until she saw Qian Daoliu appearing before her.
Arriving a bit late, Qian Daoliu's tall, straight figure came into view, his handsome face set in solemnity. Today he wore a golden robe; the collar's ends were embroidered with golden feather patterns in silk, lending him an air of high status and splendor. His limbs were sheathed in golden armor, and a golden disk supported him from behind, with three pairs of golden wings unfurled.
The sacred aura emanating from his body spread to the surroundings. Even from a distance, one could feel this aura and be moved to worship.
Ling Chang′e suddenly sensed that something was wrong with her emotions and quickly used her soul power to resist the influence. She suppressed her feelings while observing the crowd; noticing that their expressions remained unchanged, she realized the sacred aura affected only her—she was too weak to resist the power of a high-level strong man.
The sacred aura made her want to kneel on the spot, and her legs began to tremble. Had she not been supported in Guangling Douluo's arms, she might have collapsed from weakness. The overwhelming pressure from such power left her deeply unsettled.
Yet, feeling the terror of the strong only stoked Ling Chang′e's determination. If she did not want to be trampled by others, she would have to become stronger.
Quite a few people were going to Angel Village this time. All seven great priests of the Spirit Hall were headed there to awaken the martial spirits of the appropriately aged angel children. Ling Chang′e suddenly understood from their conversation that the trip to Angel Village had originally been intended only for Qian Daoliu, Qingluan Douluo, Xiongshi Douluo, Guangling Douluo, a few cardinals from the Spirit Hall, and five Soul Saints. However, Guangling Douluo—ever the talkative one—had let the news slip, prompting the other priests to express their desire to see what Angel Village looked like and to observe the potential of
the next generation of the Angel Clan. Qian Daoliu did not stop them; he followed their wishes. The seven great priests shared such a good relationship that they called each other brothers. Witnessing their harmonious atmosphere, Ling Chang′e's eyes shone with envy—such pure sentiments are rare these days. When interests determine relationships, pure feelings are often abandoned.
Half an hour later, a group arrived at Angel Village in the eastern part of Wuhun City.
Wuhun City is the only independent city on the Douluo Continent; it belongs solely to the Wuhun Palace rather than the Tiandou or Xingluo Empires. This city was built by the Spirit Hall itself. In Douluo Continent, the East is highly respected—and the Spirit Hall is no exception. To underscore the importance of Angel Village, the Spirit Hall was built in the East. Of course, outsiders are forbidden to enter Angel Village because it houses the secrets of the Angel Clan.
Wuhun City is vast—three times the size of the capitals of the two empires. It took them half an hour to travel from Angel Holy Mountain to Angel Village—an interval traversed at the speed of a Titled Douluo.
Angel Village is the only village in Wuhun City, covering an area of 300 square kilometers—a size that would overwhelm any typical village on the Douluo Continent. Three hundred square kilometers is equivalent to a small city, yet Wuhun City, it is labeled only as a village.
When Ling Chang′e heard about Angel Village, she was astonished. "This village is enormous!"
She couldn't even imagine a village covering 300 square kilometers. All she could think was that her vision was too limited. She had never imagined a village could be so vast.
At the entrance to Angel Village, a red plaque displays three characters: "Angel Village." Behind it stands a red wall that separates the village from the outside world. Sharp, triangular iron pillars—each three meters high—are fixed along the wall, making the total height ten meters. The combination of the seven-meter wall and three-meter pillars serves as a defense; some soul masters possess martial spirits that allow them to fly, so this barrier is meant to thwart intruders.
The purity of the angel martial spirits in Angel Village may not match that of the six-winged angel martial spirits, but they are closely related. Since soul masters with angel martial souls can fly, the wall's height is trivial for them—it's primarily to block outsiders.
The resources of the Spirit Hall are first provided to the inhabitants of Angel Village for cultivation since the Spirit Hall's foundation comes from the Angel Legion.
Below the plaque, a sign in large golden characters warns: "No outsiders allowed—entry will be met with death."
Only Angel Village would dare such arrogance. Ling Chang′e thought to herself that if other places were so arrogant, the entire village would have been massacred long ago. Angel Village dares to act so because it is backed by the Spirit Hall and shielded by Titled Douluo.
At the entrance, more than a dozen armored figures stood with weapons in hand, their eyes cold and watchful.
As soon as Qian Daoliu appeared, they knelt and intoned in unison, "Greetings, Chief."
Qian Daoliu is the chief priest of the Spirit Hall and the patriarch of the Angel Clan, whose glory derives from direct lineage. With a wave of his hand, Qian Daoliu signaled them to rise and then led the group into the village.
Upon entering Angel Village, Ling Chang′e was stunned—it was not merely a village but a city! Gone were the low-rise wooden buildings of her imagination; instead, there were single-family villas, most three stories tall, all decorated in a uniform style.