After Five Steps?

"Your Excellency the Pope, I heard Elder Gui brought back a talented young boy, so I brought Nana and the others to take a look."

Hearing the voice, Wang Xiao turned around and saw a tall, thin middle-aged man enter with three little children.

Two were boys and one was a girl. She had golden hair and was already a budding beauty, looking only eleven or twelve years old.

That tall man has to be Ju Hua Guan.

And those three children must be Xie Yue, Yan, and Hu Liena.

Interesting!

He had not expected to run into the three seed students of the Papal Palace's "Golden Generation" on his very first day at the Papal Palace.

When Xie Yue, Yan, and Hu Liena saw the only young face in the hall, they all turned their eyes toward him.

It had to be said that Wang Xiao was a stranger to the three of them.

Ju Hua Guan led the three children in a salute toward Bibi Dong on the raised seat, then immediately stepped aside and stood properly, not daring to make another sound.

Yan, meanwhile, trembled all over, nervous beyond measure.

When it came to facing Bibi Dong, Xie Yue and his sister were much calmer.

They waited for Bibi Dong's answer.

"Mm. Elder Ju, this Wang Xiao is the talented young boy Elder Mei brought from the Spirit Hall in Nuoding City."

"So that's how it is!" Ju Hua Guan smiled and immediately shifted his attention to Wang Xiao.

Wang Xiao immediately felt the fluctuations of Soul Power radiating from Ju Hua Guan and bearing down on him.

As expected of a Titled Douluo. This kind of pressure was not something an ordinary Soul Master possessed.

"Alright, Xiao Xiao. You may now reveal your true strength and let everyone see whether you are worthy of joining our Spirit Hall as a seed student worthy of focused cultivation," Bibi Dong said bluntly.

Her patience was clearly limited.

She did not want to waste even a minute on someone unnecessary.

The sooner she finished looking, the sooner she could send him away.

If his results were good, she would take him in.

If not, he would be driven out immediately.

After all, Spirit City lacked nothing more than Soul Masters.

Not to mention that this was a place where geniuses gathered.

As the head of Spirit Hall, the only ones who could catch her eye were geniuses among geniuses.

She would not even bat an eye at ordinary geniuses.

How could Wang Xiao not understand that Spirit Hall did not keep idlers, much less waste time and resources on an ordinary Soul Master?

Ju Hua Guan and the others exchanged glances, then all looked toward Wang Xiao. Whether he truly was a talented young boy would soon be clear.

Only Gui Mei at the side remained calm and composed. Having already seen Wang Xiao's true abilities, he naturally had no need to watch a second time. His strength was absolutely genuine. Instead, he glanced at Ju Hua Guan and the three children, looking as though he were waiting to enjoy the show.

Wang Xiao's lips curled into a faint cold smile.

Buzz—

Wang Xiao immediately stepped forward. Spiritual Power surged through his body, and his First Soul Ring lit up beneath him.

A White Soul Ring.

"Hahaha—"

When Ju Hua Guan and the others saw Wang Xiao's first White Soul Ring, they immediately burst out laughing.

"And this is supposed to be a talented young boy? I'd say he's a worthless cripple instead!"

Ju Hua Guan immediately mocked him. "His First Soul Ring is only a Ten Year Soul Ring, yet he dares call himself a talented young boy? Your Excellency the Pope, could Elder Gui be going blind with age? He brings every piece of trash he finds into our Spirit Hall!"

Gui Mei was not angry when he heard that. Instead, several traces of pity appeared on his face as he looked at his old friend. Little Ju, enjoy yourself while you can. You'll have plenty of time to cry later.

Bibi Dong immediately shot Ju Hua Guan a glare. She raised the scepter in her hand and struck it against the floor. A wave of Soul Power spread from her body and filled the entire hall.

She snapped, "Insolence! Before the results are out, shut your mouth."

Ju Hua Guan shuddered and took a step back, not daring to speak again.

To be honest, when Bibi Dong saw that Wang Xiao's First Soul Ring was merely a Ten Year Soul Ring, her heart had also gone cold. She did not think highly of him.

Gui Mei kept staring at Ju Hua Guan. Watching him make a fool of himself filled him with delight.

Buzz—

Wang Xiao said nothing. He had no time to bother with Ju Hua Guan's and the three children's disdain as he took his second step forward.

Another Yellow Soul Ring rose beneath his feet.

"A... a Hundred Year Soul Ring?" Ju Hua Guan had not expected the boy before him to possess a Hundred Year Soul Ring as well.

"Yes, and it is a Nine Hundred Year Mandala Snake Soul Ring," Gui Mei added.

"Nine Hundred Year!"

This time, everyone, including Ju Hua Guan and Xie Yue's group, was stunned.

Nine Hundred Year? Isn't that practically a Thousand Year Soul Ring? Ju Hua Guan thought.

At that moment, even Bibi Dong, seated on the steps, showed a flicker of emotion in her eyes.

They could believe that a teenager could absorb a Nine Hundred Year Soul Ring. But Wang Xiao was a child not yet seven years old who had only recently awakened. Even with Innate Full Soul Power, it should have been impossible for him to absorb a Nine Hundred Year Soul Ring without suffering any harm.

Even Bibi Dong, who had possessed Innate Full Soul Power back then, had been far from capable of it.

How could they not be moved?

A single Nine Hundred Year Soul Ring had already frightened them. How would they react to the Thousand Year and Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings that came after?

Wang Xiao smiled and took his third step. A Purple Soul Ring immediately lit up beneath his feet.

Heh.

Ju Hua Guan's face turned green. He had never expected a mere child to possess a Thousand Year Soul Ring.

"Your Excellency the Pope, this is an Eight Thousand Year Soul Ring," Gui Mei explained, then turned his gaze toward Ju Hua Guan again. Seeing his awkward expression filled him with pleasure.

Little Ju, weren't you feeling so smug just now? Go ahead, act smug again. There's another surprise waiting for you.

The mocking expressions on Hu Liena and the other two children's faces had completely vanished. All that remained was shock—shock, and more shock.

Even Bibi Dong nodded approvingly from her seat.

Wang Xiao did not stop. He stepped forward a fourth time, and a Black Soul Ring lit up beneath his feet.

"A... a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring!" After seeing Wang Xiao's fourth Soul Ring, Ju Hua Guan could barely speak properly.

"Your Excellency the Pope, this is Wang Xiao's fourth Soul Ring—a Thirty Thousand Year Inverse Scale Armored Boa Soul Beast Soul Ring," Gui Mei explained again.

Upon hearing "Thirty Thousand Year," the entire hall fell silent. Ju Hua Guan and Xie Yue's group were so shocked they could not speak.

Even Bibi Dong on the raised seat was stunned.

Buzz, buzz, buzz—

Before anyone could react, thinking that this was the end, Wang Xiao suddenly took a fifth step forward. A Red Soul Ring lit up beneath him, illuminating the entire hall.

"Th-that... is... a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring???" Ju Hua Guan suddenly stammered, unable to speak properly. He could not believe it. Was this child a genius or a monster? A Thirty Thousand Year Soul Ring would have been one thing, but he had actually absorbed a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring as well.

Gui Mei and I are both Level 95 Titled Douluo, yet even the Soul Rings we absorbed are only black rings of several tens of thousands of years.

But this child, not even seven years old, had somehow absorbed a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring.

Was he even a Soul Master, or some kind of freak?

It was not only Ju Hua Guan. Even Gui Mei was stunned. He had only known that Wang Xiao possessed a Thirty Thousand Year Soul Ring, never expecting that he had held back and possessed a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring too.

He wanted to say something, but the words caught in his throat. Even I was fooled by this brat. He clearly had a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring, yet he never showed it to me at the Spirit Hall in Nuoding City. He only reveals it now. Isn't he slapping my face too?

This brat... I truly underestimated him!

He even dared fool a dignified Spirit Hall elder. He has some nerve.

But before Bibi Dong, he did not dare rebuke Wang Xiao and could only swallow his anger.

After her initial shock, Bibi Dong immediately glared at Gui Mei. "Elder Mei, didn't you say Wang Xiao only had four Soul Rings? Why does he have a fifth?"

"This..." Gui Mei was momentarily speechless.

Wang Xiao immediately said, "Your Excellency the Pope, this is not Elder Mei's fault. I was afraid it would cause too much of a stir at the time, so I did not reveal my fifth Soul Ring. That is why Elder Mei did not know I had five Soul Rings."

Gui Mei immediately nodded. "Your Excellency, every word Wang Xiao said is true. I did not lie either."

"Enough! Wang Xiao will stay. The rest of you may withdraw for now." After considering it for a moment, Bibi Dong addressed them.

"Yes, Your Excellency!"

Gui Mei and the others did not dare linger and immediately left the hall.

Bang!

As Ju Hua Guan and the others departed, the hall doors shut tightly behind them.

Now, only Wang Xiao and Bibi Dong remained in the entire hall.

The air seemed to freeze, and the silence returned to its earlier deathly stillness.

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