Your Holiness, Is the Disciple You Want to Take Tuoba Yan?

Tuoba Yan slowly descended to the ground.

As a Title Douluo, Yue Guan's eyes were filled with envy, jealousy, and resentment.

"Your Holiness, why are Tuoba Yan's soul rings so unique?"

"I heard that some time ago, Tuoba Xi spent a fortune to purchase a seventy-thousand-year soul bone. Tuoba Yan's second soul ring is five thousand years old. After advancing to Soul Master, he must have absorbed that seventy-thousand-year soul bone!"

Soul bones could strengthen a Soul Master's physique.

Besides increasing a Soul Master's rank and allowing them to use more soul skills, they could also enable Soul Masters to absorb soul rings of higher age limits when adding soul rings.

Thinking of Bibi Dong's purpose for coming here, Yue Guan deliberately asked, "Your Holiness, is Tuoba Yan the disciple you intend to take?"

Bibi Dong smiled. "Just wait and see!"

After Tuoba Yan had "proven his innocence," no one questioned his abilities anymore.

"Tuoba Yan, for clearing Soul Hunting Valley, you are awarded ten Crystal Peaches and an All-Forms Earthcore Lotus. You may enter Spirit Hall's Sacred Hall directly. You are also awarded thirty million Gold Soul Coins, or one soul bone of your choice no older than seventy thousand years, as well as 1,000 Merit Points."

Tuoba Yan walked over to the hostess and collected the many rewards he had earned.

After the award ceremony ended, the hostess's voice rang out again.

"Next comes an important part of this trial."

"I believe everyone present has already heard the rumors."

"That's right. Her Holiness the Pontiff will select a student she finds satisfactory from among this batch of outstanding graduates and accept that person as her disciple! Please welcome Her Holiness the Pontiff!"

Applause erupted once more.

Everyone's eyes fell upon Tuoba Yan, the champion of this trial and the one who had created a miracle.

No one was more outstanding than Tuoba Yan.

Countless people believed that the Pontiff would certainly accept Tuoba Yan as her disciple.

However, when Bibi Dong walked before the twenty students ranked highest in the trial, standing in a single row, she called out, "Hu Liena, step forward!"

Hu Liena's heart jolted.

Like everyone else, Hu Liena had believed that the Pontiff would certainly accept Tuoba Yan as her disciple.

There were two reasons for this.

First, Tuoba Yan was in his second year this year, yet he was already a three-ringed Soul Elder. His talent was exceptional.

Second, Tuoba Yan's mother was Qian Dao Liu's grandniece. Looking through every generation of Spirit Hall's Saint Sons and Saintesses, each of them either already had or would have inseparable ties to the Qian Clan.

No one had expected Bibi Dong to call forward Hu Liena, who was a level below him, instead of Tuoba Yan, the trial's champion.

Standing quietly beside Hu Liena, Xie Yue softly urged, "Little sister, hurry up and go!"

Hu Liena abruptly came to her senses and walked over to Bibi Dong.

Bibi Dong said solemnly, "Hu Liena, you are outstanding—more outstanding than I imagined. I wish to take you as my disciple. Will you accept?"

Hu Liena was ecstatic.

Any disciple of the Pontiff would, barring unforeseen circumstances, be named a Saint Son or Saintess once the time was right and become an heir in the Pontiff's line of succession.

"I am willing. Master, please accept this bow from your disciple!"

Overwhelmed with excitement, Hu Liena bent deeply before Bibi Dong.

With a flip of her hand, Bibi Dong took out a red crystal and handed it to Hu Liena.

Yellow Springs Crystal: A crystal said to originate from the City of Slaughter.

The City of Slaughter had existed for a thousand years. At the bottom of the Yellow Springs within Hell Road, a crystalline substance had formed.

This item could be directly absorbed by Soul Masters. Consuming a small amount would not have much effect on a Soul Master.

Spirit Hall and the City of Slaughter had an agreement. Spirit Hall supplied the City of Slaughter with living resources, and in return, the City of Slaughter purchased a certain amount of Yellow Springs Crystals and handed them over to Spirit Hall.

Yellow Springs Crystals were extremely scarce. Only elders, the Pontiff, and people of similar standing were qualified to use them.

Tuoba Xi had rendered outstanding service and held the esteemed position of Platinum Bishop, yet even he was not qualified to receive Yellow Springs Crystals.

"Then, I hereby announce the successful conclusion of this trial!"

Bibi Dong turned to leave. Tuoba Xi quickly stepped to her side and whispered something to her.

Then, Tuoba Yan noticed Bibi Dong staring at him in surprise.

After that, without saying a word, Bibi Dong left beneath Tuoba Xi's disappointed gaze.

After the closing ceremony, Tuoba Yan and Tuoba Xi rode in the same carriage toward Spirit City.

Inside the carriage, Tuoba Yan asked curiously, "Grandfather, what did you say to the Pontiff at the end? Why did she look at me with such shock?"

Tuoba Xi answered truthfully, "I told the Pontiff that you had actually awakened Twin Martial Souls."

"You actually revealed my secret to the Pontiff?"

"Yan'er, listen to Grandfather's explanation. In the past hundred years, only two people have possessed Twin Martial Souls. The first Soul Master exploded and died while attaching soul rings to his second martial soul. The Pontiff was the first Soul Master to solve the problem of soul ring backlash. If she takes you as her disciple, she can solve the problem of adding soul rings to your Twin Martial Souls."

Tuoba Xi had only Tuoba Yan's best interests at heart. Tuoba Yan stared at him, unable to bring himself to be angry with him.

Tuoba Xi muttered to himself, "Your talent is greater than Hu Liena's. You possess Innate Full Soul Power. You won the trial and created a miracle. Especially since you also possess Twin Martial Souls... I cannot understand why Bibi Dong is still unwilling to accept you as her disciple!"

Two years ago, Bibi Dong had refused to take Tuoba Yan as her disciple and had not even wanted to see him because of a misunderstanding.

Bibi Dong had mistaken Tuoba Yan for a lecherous, filthy scoundrel.

The misunderstanding had already been cleared up.

Tuoba Yan used Whale Rubber not to arouse lust or enhance virility, but to broaden his meridians for cultivation.

Since the misunderstanding had been resolved, Tuoba Xi could not understand why Bibi Dong was still unwilling to accept Tuoba Yan as her disciple.

Tuoba Yan reminded him, "Have you forgotten what the previous Pontiff did to her?"

Tuoba Xi immediately understood. His eyes narrowed slightly, and a sharp glint flashed within them as he said in a low voice, "You mean the Seclusion Chamber Douluo incident?"

Tuoba Yan nodded. "Ever since the previous Pontiff confined her in that chamber, Bibi Dong has been left unable to live or die. She was no longer the Saintess who cared for the world and wholeheartedly wished to make Spirit Hall flourish!"

"Yan'er, you are going too far. The one who confined her in the chamber was the previous Pontiff. It had nothing to do with our Tuoba family."

"Have you forgotten that both the previous Pontiff and I are men?" Tuoba Yan continued to enlighten Tuoba Xi.

Hearing Tuoba Yan's words, Tuoba Xi secretly clicked his tongue. "Just because of that, she hates even you?"

Tuoba Yan nodded. "Grandfather, that is also why I have always been unwilling to accept their favors. Forgive my bluntness, but none of you understand Bibi Dong. She may appear to devote herself wholeheartedly to Spirit Hall, but her true purpose is revenge. She wants to uproot the Qian Clan's foundation completely."

Since things had come to this, Tuoba Yan did not intend to hide it from Tuoba Xi any longer.

"Yan'er, you are going too far!"

"Grandfather, one can never truly know another person's heart. Just imagine it—if it were you, locked away in a sunless chamber, forcibly made to have children, with the lives of others used to threaten you and force you to do things you did not want to do, would you truly bear no resentment? Ever since Bibi Dong gave birth, she has neither cried nor made a fuss. That is far too abnormal! If you still do not believe me, then look at this corpse."