Perfect Thousand-Year Five-Element Beast! Liang Hao's First Soul Ring!

Bibi Dong thought to herself, If... if only Liang Hao were a little older.

Whenever she compared him to Yu Xiaogang, Bibi Dong couldn't help wondering why, when they were both men, there was such a vast difference between them.

But Bibi Dong said nothing, simply taking Liang Hao to look for a suitable Soul Ring first.

Liang Hao didn't pursue the subject either, turning his thoughts to the Soul Ring.

What the two of them had said earlier seemed to pass like clouds before their eyes as they pressed deeper into the Star Dou Great Forest.

With a top expert like Bibi Dong protecting him, Liang Hao had never worried about failing to obtain a Soul Ring.

His only concern was that choosing a good Soul Ring might take too long and delay Bibi Dong's important affairs.

After all, she was still the Pope.

But Bibi Dong took the initiative to explain:

"Xiao Hao, you don't need to worry about time."

"I brought plenty of dry rations and water, as well as some everyday necessities."

"I've also made it clear to the council of elders that, for the Soul Ring I hunt for you this time, I'll find the very best. It doesn't matter how long it takes."

"Rest assured, I'll definitely raise you into a perfect Soul Master!"

Hearing that put Liang Hao much more at ease.

Whatever Bibi Dong's purpose, whether she simply wanted her disciple to be formidable or was expressing her genuine feelings, didn't matter.

All that mattered was that he could grow stronger.

And so, the two began their long search through the Star Dou Great Forest.

Bibi Dong even thought it would be better still if she could find Liang Hao a Soul Beast with some Qilin bloodline.

Such Soul Beasts were extremely rare, but she possessed spiritual power at the Titled Douluo level and was willing to spend the time, so it was possible she could find one.

And so time passed bit by bit.

On the first day, the two found a fairly decent canine Soul Beast that had just reached a thousand years and had a combination of attributes.

But Bibi Dong dismissed its bloodline as ordinary, so they gave up on it outright.

On the second day, the two failed to find even a single suitable Soul Beast and spent the time in vain.

On the third day, they found another Soul Beast with a trace of Qilin bloodline, but it was only a little over five hundred years old, so Bibi Dong rejected it too.

On the fourth day, they found a thousand-year Soul Beast with Qilin bloodline, but it had only one attribute. Liang Hao was already willing to absorb it, but Bibi Dong wanted something better.

Then, on the fifth and sixth days, they went a full two days without a single target.

Before they knew it, their time in the Star Dou Great Forest had almost turned into a wilderness survival expedition.

Fortunately, Bibi Dong had prepared supplies beforehand, or Liang Hao would have starved himself to death.

On the morning of the seventh day, Liang Hao brushed his teeth numbly, and the two toasted some dry rations to eat.

Then Liang Hao asked, "Teacher, if we really can't find anything, why don't we go back for that thousand-year Soul Beast with Qilin bloodline from a couple of days ago? It only has one attribute, but I can make up for that later."

"After six or seven days out here, is everything really all right at Spirit Hall?"

Bibi Dong explained, "What problem could there be?"

"Xiao Hao, do you really think my word alone rules Spirit Hall?"

"When I inherited the position of Pope, it was partly because of my strength, but on the other hand, it was actually because of the former Pope Qian Xunji and my..."

"In any case, every Pope through the generations has been a member of the Qian Family, and each of those elders places more trust in the Qian Family as well."

"Even if I dropped dead on the spot, Spirit Hall wouldn't be affected in the slightest."

"In all of Spirit Hall, apart from Nana, there's almost no one connected to me..."

Having touched on these matters without realizing it, Bibi Dong truly felt a little melancholy.

But Liang Hao's eyes turned, and he quickly said, "No, Teacher, you still have me."

"When I grow up, I'll protect you!"

"Protect me?" Bibi Dong shook her head and chuckled softly, finding Liang Hao adorable.

But the word "protect" reminded her of Yu Xiaogang. He had said the same thing back then.

Unfortunately, Yu Xiaogang had no strength at all, so he couldn't possibly have done it.

Perhaps this child might be able to once he grew up, but did she need his protection?

Could she really be protected by someone?

It seemed that, from childhood to adulthood, Bibi Dong had never truly found that so-called sense of security in any man.

All the way here, Bibi Dong had relied on herself.

The men around her were either beasts like Qian Xunji or trash like Yu Xiaogang.

Perhaps the child Liang Hao was different.

What Bibi Dong didn't know was that, after these days of such close living between teacher and disciple, coupled with her gradual disillusionment with Yu Xiaogang earlier, Liang Hao had now said something like this.

As a result, what Bibi Dong felt for Liang Hao was no longer merely the affection between teacher and disciple.

A different kind of attitude and sentiment, one that should never have arisen yet had strangely begun to sprout, was quietly growing...

Afterward, Bibi Dong returned to the matter at hand and brought it up herself:

"All right, let's finish eating and continue looking for a Soul Ring."

"Perhaps we'll find a suitable target today."

Liang Hao nodded and finished every last crumb of the warmed rations, and the two continued on their way.

Whether it was a coincidence or Bibi Dong's words had been prophetic, neither knew.

Unexpectedly, that afternoon, toward the forest's outskirts in the direction of the Star Luo Empire, the two did indeed find a Soul Beast around twelve hundred years old, with a combination of attributes and Qilin bloodline.

"A Five-Element Beast?"

Bibi Dong had brought Liang Hao to a stretch of desert, where they saw a sleeping creature that resembled no known animal.

Bibi Dong explained, "The Five-Element Beast is an extremely rare Soul Beast that possesses all five elements."

"It can wield the five elements because a portion of ancient Qilin blood flows through its veins."

"Even I have only heard of this kind of Soul Beast in rumors. It's very good at protecting and concealing itself, and only becomes easy to find on the one day each month when it must sleep to recover."

"Xiao Hao, our seven days of searching haven't been in vain. We've finally found one!"

"This Soul Beast is perfectly suited to you!"

As Liang Hao listened to Bibi Dong's explanation, understanding dawned on him, and he was even a little delighted.

This was more than suitable. It was simply perfect.

Five elemental attributes and Qilin bloodline-wasn't this a budget version of a Qilin?

Once he absorbed it, he could also strengthen his Martial Soul and bloodline, raising his upper limit to a whole new level.

Liang Hao nodded and remarked, "This really shows the value of lying in wait. Back then, Yao Lao waited for years before obtaining the Bone Chilling Flame."

"We waited seven days to find this beast. That's not bad either."

"Who's Yao Lao?" Bibi Dong asked.

Liang Hao was embarrassed. Realizing he had let something slip, he hurriedly explained, "Oh, a former fire-attribute Soul Master. It's nothing."

"Teacher, let's do it!"

Bibi Dong gave a soft hum. "Wait here. I'll capture it."

As a Titled Douluo, she had personally brought Liang Hao to hunt a Soul Beast precisely to keep him out of danger.

Bibi Dong swiftly charged forward, and in less than a moment, she had subdued the Five-Element Beast.

She even controlled her strength perfectly, beating it until it was near death and disoriented.

Liang Hao understood and quickly raised his dagger, stabbing it in with a single thrust.

The next second, a deep-purple Soul Ring appeared, and Liang Hao sat down cross-legged and began absorbing it.

Bibi Dong watched from the side, a little worried but even more curious.

She murmured, "Xiao Hao's body has been tempered with Whale Rubber, so he's naturally strong."

"But a Thousand-Year Soul Ring is something one only gets as a third ring. Can he really absorb it?"

"Why is it that I care so much about him?"

"Perhaps it's because he's my disciple..."