First Soul Ring, Bibi Dong's Revenge Falls Apart

"Little Xi, congratulations. What is your first soul skill? Let your master take a look."

Qian Yuxi's gaze swept around before finally settling on a stone fifty meters away, wrapped in green vines.

It was over a meter thick and earth-yellow, with several ordinary birds perched atop it.

"Master, watch closely." Qian Yuxi drew his bow. His six-hundred-year yellow soul ring lit up, and amid flickering golden light, an arrow condensed once more.

"First soul skill, Light Speed!"

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Three Golden Arrows shot forth. In the span of a breath, they struck the three birds with precision, pinning each one to a tree.

Ordinary people might have thought he had fired three arrows at once, but Radiant Feather Douluo could tell that Qian Yuxi had fired three arrows in succession at a speed too fast for the naked eye to distinguish.

"An attack speed enhancement? Not bad."

Qian Yuxi drew another arrow and aimed at a large tree a hundred meters away. Smiling faintly, he said, "Master, that's not all."

Whoosh!

It took only a breath once again. The arrow struck the trunk, and the impact from its tremendous speed made the entire tree shudder, though it did not fall.

This made Radiant Feather Douluo cry out in surprise again. "Attack speed and arrow flight speed... can they both be enhanced at the same time? Or can you only use one at a time?"

"Not yet. But Master, I think that once my Soul Power is high enough in the future, I'll be able to enhance both at once."

Radiant Feather Douluo plucked off a dead leaf, mischievously poked a hole through it, and observed it for a moment. "Mm, not bad, not bad. Let's go, Little Xi. From now on, you're officially a Soul Master. Your master will take you to register. Also... you can report to Spirit Hall's Soul Master Academy next."

"Alright, Master."

Inside a secret chamber of the Pope's Palace.

Qian Xunji had removed his papal crown and sat on a stone chair recuperating. His gaze occasionally flicked toward the half-bowl of medicinal soup that remained, and he felt inexplicably uneasy.

Creak—

The chamber's iron door slowly opened. Bibi Dong, dressed in pale pink sleepwear, stepped inside. With every step she took, the crimson in her eyes deepened.

"Bibi Dong... what are you doing here?" Though he was badly wounded, Qian Xunji still had to maintain the Pope's bearing.

Bibi Dong's eyes were bloodshot, her fists tightly clenched. She coldly spat out five words. "I've come to collect a debt..."

Eight rings rose beneath her feet. Eight slender spider legs covered in poison extended from Bibi Dong's back. At the sight, Qian Xunji immediately prepared to use Martial Soul Possession and counterattack. Even heavily injured, he was still a level ninety-five Titled Douluo. A starved camel was still bigger than a horse.

But he suddenly discovered that his Soul Power was circulating extraordinarily slowly, like a crawling turtle. Qian Xunji panicked at once.

Seeing his panic, Bibi Dong's smile became increasingly unrestrained. Divine Slaughter's Domain spread out, and her fifth soul ring lit up. "Shameless beast, today is the day you die! Fifth soul sk—"

Thunderous Shattering Kill!

Concentrated Break Bullet!

Bang!

A golden spear carrying arcs of electricity pierced through Bibi Dong's abdomen from behind, while a dark green sphere of light shattered both her leg bones.

The madness and triumph in her eyes rapidly faded. Purple-black clotted blood flowed from Bibi Dong's mouth as she struggled to turn her head, her pupils filled with unwillingness and terror.

"You... weren't..."

Squelch!

The Snake Lance withdrew. She Long shook the blood from his martial soul and said indifferently, "Bibi Dong, your cleverness has backfired on you. Did you really think Pufferfish and I were fools? That we would so easily let His Holiness the Pope drink that suspicious medicinal soup of yours?"

"Heh, it's thanks to the Young Master and that little child by her side for warning us. Otherwise, catching you really wouldn't have been easy." Ci Xue stepped forward directly, forced Bibi Dong down, and made her kneel before Qian Xunji.

Qian Xunji had watched Bibi Dong's spider spear about to stab down at him and had even prepared to leave his final words behind. But when She Long and Ci Xue suddenly attacked, he immediately wiped cold sweat from his brow. After all, how many people truly wanted to die?

Bibi Dong's eyes were filled with unwillingness. She had waited so long for this opportunity. Once Qian Xunji went through this and became wary, succeeding again would be almost impossible.

"Seal her Soul Power. Have Demon Bear and Spirit Kite keep watch over her. Take her away."

"Yes."

Ci Xue knocked Bibi Dong unconscious with a chop to the neck, then dragged her away. She Long walked before Qian Xunji, knelt, and saluted. "Forgive me, Your Holiness... Ci Xue and I acted on our own initiative in this matter..."

Qian Xunji weakly waved a hand. "Get up... She Long."

She Long rose, his gaze sweeping over the half-bowl of medicinal soup Qian Xunji had left behind—the only evidence.

"Considering that your intentions were loyal and that you rendered merit in saving me, I am not a petty man. I will not pursue the matter."

"Thank Your Holiness for your magnanimity." She Long was overjoyed. He had thought he would at least receive a whipping or some similar punishment.

Creak—

The secret chamber's doors opened again. This time, Qian Daoliu entered.

"Father! Grand Elder!"

Qian Daoliu extended a hand, releasing surging holy power. The poison in Qian Xunji's body was quickly purged. Then he looked at She Long, a trace of approval appearing in his eyes. "Not bad. When you return, you and Ci Xue will each receive a fifty-thousand-year soul bone."

"Thank you for the reward, Grand Elder!" She Long's heart surged with excitement. He had not expected the Grand Elder to be so generous.

"However, I am curious. Did you and Ci Xue truly come up with this plan yourselves? As far as I know, neither of you has that kind of mind." He had rewarded their actions, but Qian Daoliu was still curious about who had proposed it.

"To be honest with you, Grand Elder, if not for the reminder from the little Young Master and that child Yu Xi, we truly would not have been able to stop Bibi Dong." She Long answered truthfully.

Qian Daoliu's eyes brightened slightly. "Little Xue and Little Xi?"

He had returned this time because of Qian Yuxi's reminder as well. But Qian Daoliu had not placed much importance on the words of a Spirit Douluo and had merely passed them on to his son.

Who would have thought that this fellow would not take them seriously at all? In the end, Qian Yuxi had needed to remind the two guards again for him to narrowly escape with his life.

"I really almost fell for it this time..." Qian Xunji was clearly still shaken.

He had escaped death twice in a row. Once thanks to his father's reputation, and once thanks to the warnings of two children. He was beginning to wonder whether he was simply too weak among the Super Douluo...

"Xunji, how do you plan to deal with Bibi Dong?" Qian Daoliu still intended to hear his son's opinion, since she was his disciple.

His father's question pulled Qian Xunji from his doubts. After a moment of silence, he still shook his head.

To be honest, he naturally wanted to get rid of Bibi Dong as quickly as possible. But she was still Little Xue's mother. When he had returned gravely injured, Little Xue had clung to him and cried so sorrowfully. He did not want to see his daughter grieve over the two of them again. He only hoped Little Xue could grow up happily.

However...

"Father, when Bibi Dong tried to kill me, I sensed an extremely evil aura from her. And at the time, on her forehead..."