Daughters' Birthday, Spirit Hall Pope Bibi Dong

A few days later.

The journey passed without incident.

Lin Qing brought his three daughters safely back to Tian Qing Academy, located near Suotuo City in the Balak Kingdom.

Calling it an academy...

Originally, it had been his ideal place to retire,

but now, it was more like a quiet base where he and his daughters could settle down.

It was backed by Suotuo City.

Resources were easy to obtain.

Yet it was not as noisy as a major city, making it just right.

Everything at the academy was as usual.

He liked this sense of stability, without having to fight and kill all day.

After comfortably taking his daughters for a hot bath, washing away the dust of the journey along with the faint fishy smell of blood and earth they had picked up in the Star Dou Great Forest, Lin Qing felt refreshed from head to toe.

He had just changed into clean everyday clothes.

"Dad?"

A soft, gentle voice called out.

"Come in. The door isn't locked."

Rou Rou pushed the door open and entered.

She had already changed into a light green dress.

Her wet hair draped over her shoulders, and her small face had been steamed rosy red by the hot water, like a delicious peach.

She walked over to Lin Qing and reached out with her little hand to tug at the corner of his clothes.

"Dad, when we came back, I saw that Suotuo City's Commercial Street seemed to have a lot more shops. There were so many pretty lanterns and ribbons hanging up. Can we go look around this afternoon? Just for a little while!"

Rou Rou lifted her small face, her eyes full of anticipation.

She knew that Dad did not like crowded, noisy places, so she kept her voice soft and added a hint of coquettish pleading.

How could Lin Qing bear to refuse his daughter's sparkling eyes?

Come to think of it,

they had either been traveling or hunting soul beasts lately.

After being tense for so long, it was time to relax and spend some time with the children.

"Sure."

Lin Qing smiled and ruffled Rou Rou's half-dry hair.

"Go call Wu'er and Qing Zhu. We'll go take a look together. Whatever tasty food or fun things you want, Dad will buy them for you."

"Yay! Dad is the best!"

Rou Rou immediately jumped up in delight, then turned and ran off to notify her two sisters.

The afternoon sunlight was perfect, and the breeze was gentle.

As one of the Balak Kingdom's important commercial cities, Suotuo City's main Commercial Street was always bustling and prosperous.

People streamed through it like a tide.

Cries of vendors, haggling, and children's laughter mingled together, carrying a rich sense of everyday life.

Shops lined both sides of the street.

From steaming local snacks to delicate, ingenious handicrafts.

From dazzling displays of fabric and ready-made clothing to weapon and armor shops glimmering with the faint light of Soul Tools,

everything could be found there.

Lin Qing held the hand of the bouncing Wu'er in one hand and the ever-curious Rou Rou in the other.

Qing Zhu quietly followed at his side.

Her little hand gently clutched his hem, while her eyes could not help surveying all the novel sights around her.

A tall, handsome young man with three adorable girls so delicately lovely that passersby kept turning to look.

Such a group walking down the street was bound to draw countless glances!

"Dad! I want that! Sugar Painting! That Little Rabbit is so cute!"

"Wow! There are Pinwheels over there that can spin on their own! They're so colorful!"

Wu'er and Rou Rou were quickly completely captivated by all the novel snacks and toys.

Like two happy little butterflies, they broke free of Lin Qing's hands and darted among the stalls.

Lin Qing followed behind with a smile, paying for everything.

The happy smiles on his daughters' faces seemed to satisfy him even more than advancing his cultivation and obtaining Soul Rings himself.

Just as Wu'er held a huge Cotton Candy while Rou Rou played with a newly bought gemstone-studded hairpin.

Qing Zhu, who was usually quiet and reserved, gently tugged on Lin Qing's arm, signaling for him to bend down.

"Hmm?"

Lin Qing obediently leaned over.

Qing Zhu moved close to his ear and spoke softly yet clearly, in a voice only the two of them could hear.

"Dad, the day after tomorrow is Wu'er's birthday. Wu'er might have gotten so caught up playing that she forgot herself."

Lin Qing froze when he heard that.

Wu'er's birthday?

He suddenly recalled that he did not seem to know any of his daughters' birthdates!

A wave of guilt instantly surged into his heart.

He truly was an incompetent dad, not even having asked about his daughters' birthdays.

Looking at Wu'er ahead, standing on tiptoe with Cotton Candy in hand as she watched the Sugar Figure Blower perform, his heart softened—and filled with self-reproach.

He turned around and crouched down, meeting Qing Zhu's clear eyes at eye level.

He gently patted her little head and said warmly and gratefully,

"Qing Zhu, thank you for reminding Dad. Otherwise, Dad really would have missed such an important day for Wu'er."

Qing Zhu seemed a little embarrassed.

Yet the corners of her lips quietly curved into a small, satisfied smile.

Being able to help Dad and remind him made her very happy.

"This is our little secret. Don't tell Wu'er yet. Dad wants to prepare a surprise for her, okay?" Lin Qing winked.

"Mhm, I won't tell her."

Qing Zhu nodded firmly, her eyes carrying a little excitement and anticipation.

Meanwhile.

Thousands of miles away in Spirit City.

At the heart of this majestic city, hailed as the sacred land of Soul Masters, stood the symbol of Spirit Hall's authority—Spirit Hall.

Its towering halls were grand and imposing.

The white stone shone beneath the sunlight with a sacred, dignified radiance.

Inside Spirit Hall's Pope Palace, the space was vast and solemn.

Light filtered through the tall stained-glass windows, casting brilliant yet stately patterns across the floor.

At this moment.

A team led by Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan, along with two Soul Douluo teachers, knelt respectfully on one knee upon the smooth, mirrorlike floor.

High above them, a figure sat upon the Pope Throne.

She wore a luxurious, intricate purple-gold papal robe, a Nine-Curved Purple Gold Crown upon her head, and held a scepter inlaid with countless gemstones.

Her peerlessly beautiful face seemed like heaven's most flawless creation, and her skin was fairer than snow.

But her violet eyes were deep and cold, like a Cold Pool that had remained frozen for ten thousand years.

She radiated an aloof majesty and noble grace that made others afraid to meet her gaze.

She was the current Pope of Spirit Hall—Bibi Dong.

The two Soul Douluo teachers were giving a detailed report on the results of this expedition to the Star Dou Great Forest.

"...In summary, all seven students successfully acquired the Soul Rings best suited to them. Their Soul Skills are of excellent quality, and this soul beast hunting mission was completed perfectly."

Teacher Wang spoke respectfully, his tone meticulous.

But then, his tone shifted, becoming grave and lingering with fear.

"However, we encountered an unexpected incident on the return journey..."

He recounted in detail how they had mistakenly entered the demon spider territory, been pursued and blocked by six Ten-Thousand-Year Man Faced Demon Spiders, and fallen into a desperate situation.

"Just when we believed there was no escape, a Titled Douluo happened to pass by. Your Excellency decisively killed every Man Faced Demon Spider, allowing us to escape."

"Oh?"

From the throne, Bibi Dong's cool, pleasant voice rang out, carrying a precisely measured trace of surprise.

Her slender fingers lightly tapped against her scepter.

"Which title?"

To easily deal with six Ten-Thousand-Year Demon Spiders, including two leaders that were sixty or Seventy-Thousand-Year old, was no small feat.

Teacher Wang and Teacher Li exchanged a glance, both seeing hesitation in the other's eyes.

In the end, Teacher Wang forced himself to answer truthfully. "Reporting to Your Holiness, that Your Excellency... was unfamiliar to us. We had never seen him before."

"And when I asked for his title so that we could repay him in the future, he personally said... that he did not yet have one."