She appeared to only be in her twenties, and it was truly remarkable that she had already attained her current level of power.

"Greetings, Vice-chairman Zhang," Gu Yuena greeted as she extended a slight bow.

The most high-ranked members of the Spirit Pagoda were the chairman, the two vice-chairmen, and the four spirit envoys. Gu Yuena was already part of that exclusive group, but her status still ranked slightly below that of Zhang Geyang.

At this point, Zhang Geyang had managed to force a smile on his own face, and he said, "No need for formalities, Spirit Envoy; I hope you had a smooth journey. Are there any instructions from the chairman?"

Gu Yuena shook her head in response. "The chairman has no instructions; I'm just here as part of my customary visit to the Dou Spirit Continent and Star Luo Continent following my induction as a spirit envoy."

Zhang Geyang knew that the headquarters would periodically send someone to visit the Spirit Pagoda branches on the other two continents, and the fact that she had been entrusted with this duty on this occasion meant that she was most likely going to climb even higher up the ranks in the future.

With Qiangu Dongfeng's personality, he was most likely going to occupy the position of chairman until the day he died, so it was very likely that she would take over Leng Yaozhu's position.

"I heard that you're Vice-chairwoman Leng's disciple?" Zhang Geyang asked.

"That's right, it's all thanks to my teacher that I've made it to where I am today," Gu Yuena replied while appraising Zhang Geyang.

Even though he had already disguised his emotions very well, with her spiritual power, she was still able to sense that he was full of rage and resentment.

Was it because of the Trial of Five Gods?

Gu Yuena had heard about the Trial of Five Gods as soon as she arrived in the Star Luo Empire, and she had been quite surprised that Tang Wulin was participating in this trial. There was no way that he would've publicized his presence in the Star Luo Empire by proposing something like this, so it was most likely the case that the empire had set him up. The Trial of Five Gods truly was a high-pressure event! But then again, Tang Wulin had always flourished in the face of adversity and excelled at making the impossible possible.

On the way here, she had watched Zhang Geyang and Tang Wulin's battle on the soul television in the car. As such, she was already aware that he had secured two consecutive victories in the Trial of Five Gods. He had developed even further, and he was improving at a rate that exceeded her lofty projections. He was truly different now!

Na'er's heart was filled with elation for him, but that elation was also tinged with a hint of bitterness. The more powerful he became, the greater the likelihood that he would become her enemy in the future. She was currently controlling Gu Yuena's body, so everything was fine, but once Gu Yue reawakened, she would be forced to shoulder her heavy burden again.

You have to develop even faster, Big Brother!

At the very least, he had to become powerful enough to be able to ensure self-preservation in the future.

"You mentioned that you're visiting the Dou Spirit Empire on your trip as well; have you already been there?" Zhang Geyang suddenly asked.

Gu Yuena nodded in response. "I have, but by the time I got there, the Tang Sect had already declared war on us, and the situation is far from positive. Our Spirit Pagoda is currently under immense pressure on the Dou Spirit Continent, and many of our disciples are being restricted and monitored, which is why I arrived here a little later than I had planned."

Zhang Geyang harrumphed coldly, "It's downright laughable that a pathetic little empire like theirs dares to oppose our Spirit Pagoda! Let's see if they can keep this up once the federal army arrives on their shores. The Dou Spirit Empire and Star Luo Empire should've ceased to exist long ago."

The Spirit Pagoda was currently at the height of its powers in the federation, so if the Dou Spirit Empire and Star Luo Empire were to be destroyed, then the Spirit Pagoda would undoubtedly be a major beneficiary.

"Indeed, Vice-chairman Zhang," Gu Yuena affirmed in an indifferent manner.

Zhang Geyang was currently in a very foul mood, so he didn't want to speak with Gu Yuena any longer. "I'm sure you must be weary from your travels, Spirit Envoy; I'll get someone to organize a place for you to rest, and I'll set up a feast to welcome your arrival later."

"Sure, thank you for your hospitality, Vice-chairman Zhang." Gu Yuena rose to her feet and extended another slight bow toward Zhang Geyang before departing with two of his subordinates.

For some reason, Zhang Geyang was suddenly struck by a sense of familiarity at the sight of her departing figure. She seemed to be giving off an aura that was rather familiar to him.

......

"Two consecutive victories! The Tang Sect Master is amazing! I can't believe he managed to get back-to-back wins in the Trial of Five Gods. His soul spirits were so powerful; my favorite one is that golden dragon. It was so cool, and I've never seen a dragon with two horns and five-clawed before. It didn't have any wings, but it was fast enough to keep up with even that Infernal Flame Beast."

"I prefer the giant soul spirit that appeared at the end. It was so badass! And it looked like it was over 100 meters tall. I don't know much about soul spirits, but surely no other soul spirit can compare to its enormous mass."

"Tch, you guys don't know anything; the most powerful soul spirit is that humanoid one. All soul beasts that can adopt human forms are Great Beasts, and didn't you see the orange-golden soul rings that Sect Master Tang had? Those had most likely been provided by that soul spirit. It looked like that soul spirit didn't participate directly in the battle, but it definitely played a pivotal role in the final outcome. At the very least, it was most likely the one that tamed the Infernal Lightning Vine."

"Haha, speaking of the Infernal Lightning Vine, that was hilarious! That Spirit Pagoda chairman instantly lost the battle after his soul spirit betrayed him; I bet he's coughing up blood right now!"

"Indeed, I wonder if he's going to require therapy after this."

"You two are so mean! Didn't you see how enraged poor Chairman Zhang was at the end? He even broke the rules to attack Sect Master Tang. Having said that, Sect Master Tang really is amazing; he managed to force back Chairman Zhang with ease!"

"I don't care about all that; I'm just swooning over his looks! He's so handsome it's downright unfair! I want to bear his children!"

"You're a vulgar pervert! I only wish for a loving and emotionally fulfilling relationship with Sect Master Tang."

"Suuuuure, an emotionally fulfilling relationship is definitely all you want."

Virtually the entire Star Luo Empire was discussing Tang Wulin, and there were all types of rumors and stories being spread about him. For example, the words of gratitude that he had extended toward everyone prior to entering the sports stadium had been heavily romanticized, to the point that people were proclaiming that just his voice alone was an all-curing panacea.

His exceptional looks, his lofty status, and his incredible powers quickly made him a household name in the entire empire, and everyone became even more eager to see the third match.

Tickets were completely sold out, and even some high-ranking societal figures were searching for tickets through all types of avenues. The prices of tickets on the black market had been bid up to astronomical sums, and that was a clear indication of just how alluring the Trial of Five Gods was.

In this current climate, Tang Wulin seemed to be more like a celebrity than a Soul Master. At the very least, his popularity would only continue to increase until he suffered a defeat, and many people were counting down the hours to the next match.

The third soul skill battle was going to be a traditional Soul Master battle, and everyone was already making guesses about who would represent the Star Luo Empire.

Huang Zhengyang and Zhang Geyang had both been defeated, so the field of candidates that could represent the empire in the soul skill battle was very small.

It had to be someone of the Hyper Douluo level or above, and on top of that, they had to possess soul skills that were sufficiently powerful to defeat Tang Wulin.