Douluo: My Clone Is Groudon

Welcome our new Patron: Iolani Martin

------------------------------------------------------

On the second floor of the Spirit Hall

After some formalities, Gu La's clone, wearing a mask, successfully verified his identity and received the royalties—a total of five thousand gold spirit coins.

Just as the clone was about to leave, a purple-robed bishop of the Spirit Hall stopped him:

"Wait a moment. Her Holiness the Pope greatly admires clever individuals like yourself and has generously bestowed an additional ten thousand gold coins."

The fifty-year-old purple-robed bishop took out an anonymous gold card, placed it on the table, and slid it toward Gu La's clone.

"Please convey my gratitude to Her Holiness the Pope."

Gu La wasn't one to stand on ceremony. He picked up the gold card and placed it with the others, casually adding:

"In the future, I will send new papers via different methods. Simply convert the royalties into anonymous gold cards and hold them for me. I'll come to collect them when I have time."

Anonymous gold cards, backed by the two great empires and issued jointly by major merchant guilds, could be used or cashed at any merchant guild across the continent—far more convenient than carrying heavy gold coins.

"Your request is simple enough. On behalf of the Spirit Hall, I can agree." The purple-robed bishop nodded in assent, but then shifted the conversation:

"Why don't you join the Spirit Hall? Someone with your talents, staying outside without proper resources and books, won't be able to make meaningful progress in martial soul research. Only within the Spirit Hall can we help you fully realize your potential."

The purple-robed bishop extended the invitation, though he suspected that Gu La's tightly sealed attire meant their mission had likely failed.

As expected, Gu La outright rejected him and turned to leave.

Before departing, he left behind a parting remark: "Do not attempt to investigate me. Otherwise, future papers will only be sent to the top three sects."

Once the clone exited the room, the purple-robed bishop sneered: "Just because he managed to write one paper and earned the Pope's praise, he thinks he's somebody important."

He picked up the paper Gu La had left behind and slammed it onto the table to vent his frustration.

"What audacity, threatening the Spirit Hall like that! From this alone, I know you're no good. Pretending to be mysterious… let me see what nonsense you've written this time."

The purple-robed bishop held the highest rank below the black-robed bishops in main cities. Accustomed to having the final say in smaller towns, he couldn't tolerate Gu La's refusal.

He flipped open the paper and skimmed through the introduction. When he reached the section detailing the effects of the Bone-Fortifying Ointment, he suddenly fell silent.

He wanted to mock the author for lying, but the data was clearly written in the paper, leaving no room for fabrication. If it were false, it would be easily exposed.

He continued flipping through, his hands beginning to tremble, the pace of turning pages growing slower. By the time he reached the middle, he couldn't continue.

Abruptly standing up, he shouted:

"Someone come! I must personally go to Spirit City. In my absence, Bishop Gao Jielun of the yellow robes will manage the affairs of the hall."

Carefully tucking away the paper, he left the room, gave instructions for various matters, mounted a horse, and galloped toward Spirit City.

Strictly speaking, the purple-robed bishop's superior was the black-robed bishop of the main city, above whom were the red-robed and platinum bishops. He didn't have the authority to report directly to Spirit City.

But fearing the paper might leak, he knew he'd lose his head if that happened. In his urgency, he disregarded protocol and decisively chose to report upward.

Moreover, this was also his opportunity. Reporting beyond his rank was a mistake, but if the paper proved genuine, it would significantly enhance the Spirit Hall's strength, making him a hero of the organization!

---

On the streets

The Double Team clone left the Spirit Hall, zigzagging through alleys until it reached a secluded spot. Dropping the gold card, it vanished without a trace.

Not long after, an arm emerged from the moss-covered corner, grabbed the gold card, and disappeared in the blink of an eye. The alley remained eerily quiet, as if nothing had happened.

"The person's gone!"

Two Spirit Hall soul masters entered the alley, looking around but failing to find how Gu La had disappeared. After a thorough search, they found no hidden passages nearby and reluctantly returned to the Spirit Hall.

Of course, by the time they got back, they'd learn that their own bishop had fled—that was another matter entirely.

---

Meanwhile, Gu La arrived at the bustling commercial district of Xin Ya City. Surrounding the area were large warehouses storing goods destined for nearby cities.

Using his psychic powers to sense the surroundings, Gu La quickly located Tang San and Xiao Wu. Following their direction, he found them in front of a warehouse.

The street was dusty, with carriages coming and going, creating a lively and busy scene.

Tang San was conversing with a portly merchant. Upon seeing Gu La, his eyes lit up, and he said: "Boss, our elder has arrived. You can discuss with him."

Gu La had changed his attire, wearing a gray robe and a silver mask, revealing no skin. His voice was icy: "You haven't settled yet?"

Tang San feigned an indignant expression: "These people think I'm young and inflate their prices. This Boss Sun here is at least somewhat sincere."

Boss Sun clasped his hands and smiled warmly: "May I ask what you need Bone Jade Bamboo for? It's hardly considered medicinal material, nor can it become a spirit beast. Its hard texture makes it suitable as building material. Without further clarification, we can't just supply it arbitrarily."

Gu La immediately saw through the lie. The nearby warehouse was just a few steps away, and the scent of herbs lingered in the air. There was no need to fetch supplies from elsewhere.

"Is this your first time doing business? You don't even understand the rules."

Gu La's voice grew colder, and with the aid of psychic pressure, he forced Boss Sun, an ordinary man, to take a step back.

The two soul master guards behind him stepped forward—both two-ring Soul Grandmasters, each with one white and one yellow soul ring.

Gu La sneered and increased gravity to three times its normal level. The two soul masters bent involuntarily, struggling to stay upright.

Just as Gu La was about to intensify the gravity further, Boss Sun spoke up from behind: "Soul Master, please forgive me. It was my overreach. Please, for the sake of the Seven Treasures Merchant Guild, spare me this once."

Boss Sun forced a bitter smile, realizing he had underestimated his opponent.

Earlier, he had seen Tang San haggling with other herb merchants and thought to toy with the two children. However, he quickly realized they were seeking something related to a formula, which piqued his curiosity.

After pretending to agree, he tried to stall for time, hoping to uncover the specifics of the formula and its effects.

Regardless of whether the formula was useful or not, he figured he could still make a profit by supplying materials.

What he hadn't anticipated was that the soul master behind these two children was so powerful. Though he hadn't seen any soul rings, the sheer pressure alone was enough to suppress Soul Grandmasters. At the very least, this person had to be a five-ring Soul King. The only mystery was why such a figure would personally come to purchase herbs.

"Are you part of the Seven Treasures Merchant Guild?"

Gu La asked in surprise, glancing at Tang San. What luck—wasn't this typical of the protagonist? A random outing led to an unexpected twist.

Boss Sun bowed deeply: "I wouldn't dare claim such honor. I merely hold a nominal position in the guild. Without a backing, one cannot survive long in business."

"I am willing to apologize for the earlier misunderstanding. I will gift you one hundred portions of the herbs for free, clarify the misunderstanding, and supply the herbs at cost price. Let's maintain harmony and mutual benefit."

------------------------------------------------------

Double Chapters Ahead: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow

There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)