"Yes!"
Ao Debiao nodded, beaming. With such an outstanding disciple, the Pope must be overjoyed.
Pope Hall suddenly fell silent, and Ao Debiao felt an inexplicable pressure.
He was confused. What was going on?
"Tea... Teacher, aren't you happy that Nana has such an amazing Spirit Ring?"
Su Wen looked puzzled.
Hu Liena also blinked her big, confused eyes.
Bibi Dong looked at Su Wen and Hu Liena, a faint smile appearing on her beautiful face.
"This really is beyond my expectations. Nana is impressive, but..."
Bibi Dong's tone shifted, and she snorted. "Ao Debiao, your negligence nearly cost one of my disciples her life."
"Your Holiness, it was my failure in duty. I am willing to accept punishment."
Ao Debiao knelt in terror, cold sweat pouring down his forehead.
He really had forgotten something important.
If Her Highness Hu Liena had failed to absorb the Spirit Ring, its power would have burst her body apart.
Blue Silver Emperor and the Spirit Bone—I'm Taking Them Both
"Teacher, I was the one who made the decision. This has nothing to do with Ao Debiao."
Su Wen stepped forward, afraid Bibi Dong might kill Ao Debiao on the spot.
Ao Debiao felt a surge of warmth and looked at Su Wen gratefully.
His Highness really was approachable and kind to others.
"Hmph, you were still at fault!"
A look of approval flickered in Bibi Dong's eyes. Seeing that he was willing to take responsibility, she softened her tone a little. "Ao Debiao, you may leave."
"Yes, Your Holiness!"
Ao Debiao didn't dare linger. He bowed once more, then slowly withdrew from the hall.
"Xiao Wen, you were indeed impulsive today..."
"It wasn't Senior Brother's fault. Nana wanted to absorb it."
Before Bibi Dong could finish, Hu Liena had already stepped forward. She clutched the hem of her clothes and lowered her head, her voice timid.
"I haven't finished speaking..." Bibi Dong was at a loss for words. Hu Liena's cheeks immediately flushed, and she lowered her head even farther.
Bibi Dong's voice softened. "A Hundred-Year Soul Ring is still only a Hundred-Year Soul Ring. There's no need to risk yourself for a few hundred years. Soul Power has its limits, and only a select few cases are special. After becoming a Titled Douluo, it's mostly of little use. If your foundation is damaged while you're still a Soul Master, the path to becoming a Titled Douluo will become much harder. Nana was lucky..."
Su Wen was a little surprised. Bibi Dong was somewhat different from the person he remembered.
Meeting Bibi Dong's gaze, he smiled and replied, "Teacher, the path of cultivation is a struggle against heaven and earth. Every bit of extra strength, no matter how small, adds to your potential. The effort we put in today will only make things easier in the future. Aunt Ye said..."
A flicker of surprise crossed Bibi Dong's eyes.
She pursed her lips but said nothing more.
"Forget it. It's enough that you have the desire to grow stronger, but you must also know your limits. Go back and rest for today. We'll continue your lessons tomorrow!"
"Teacher, I'll take Nana back now!"
Su Wen led Hu Liena out of the hall. She could barely hide her delight.
She looked at her senior brother with a newfound fondness and dependence, then asked softly:
"Senior Brother, Nana's hungry. The Fire Fox is so cute—let's eat it, okay?"
Time passed.
Two months went by in the blink of an eye.
Su Wen sat cross-legged on his bed, feeling his body reach a bottleneck.
As one of his meridians broke through, his aura surged.
He let out a comfortable breath.
"I'm level fourteen!"
"One level in two months. I wonder if that's fast or slow!"
Su Wen jumped off the bed and opened the door, just as Hu Liena entered the courtyard.
"Senior Brother, Nana broke through to level thirteen!"
Hu Liena ran up to him, her enchanting eyes shining with delight.
"That's impressive!"
Su Wen reached out and patted her head. Hu Liena rubbed against his hand.
She gently swayed her head, basking in the warmth of his palm.
"I'm heading out for a while. Tell Teacher for me."
"Can Nana come too?"
"Next time."
Su Wen said goodbye to the somewhat dejected Hu Liena and hurried toward Elder Hall.
As he passed Chrysanthemum Douluo's courtyard, he saw no one inside and felt a little disappointed.
Chrysanthemum Douluo had promised him the Immortal Herb Catalog, but there'd been no sign of it yet.
Su Wen casually plucked a few flowers and turned to leave.
"Aunt Ye!"
When he reached Ye Yuan'er's courtyard, Su Wen pushed open the door and went inside.
He saw Ye Yuan'er sitting quietly on her bed. He went to the vase and casually put the flowers he'd picked into it.
"Aunt Ye, did you break through?"
"Mm. I reached level ninety-four last night!"
Ye Yuan'er opened her fiery eyes and looked at the flowers in the vase, embarrassed. "Did you pick these from Elder Ju's courtyard again?"
"He planted so many, there's no way he can take care of them all. I'm just helping him out a little. Aunt Ye, come with me somewhere. I heard there's a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone there!"
Su Wen was thrilled. It was time to retrieve the Blue Silver Emperor.
"You heard this? And there's a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone?"
Ye Yuan'er gave him a look that said, "You really expect me to believe that?"
Su Wen folded his arms. "Are you coming or not?"
"Of course I am. But if we don't find anything, don't you dare cry!"
Ye Yuan'er climbed down from the bed and walked over to him, teasing him with an exasperated look.
Su Wen took out a black robe and a mask. "Put these on. Once we're out, you'll be Phoenix Douluo, with no connection at all to Lingyuan Douluo!"
Ye Yuan'er accepted them, looking confused. "Why all the secrecy? You little rascal, you're not planning to do something bad, are you?"
"Heh heh heh!"
Half an hour later, Ye Yuan'er and Su Wen were dressed in black robes, wrapped up from head to toe, and wearing red masks as they left Spirit City.
The streets of Nuoding City were crowded, and Su Wen and Ye Yuan'er drew no attention when they appeared.
There were plenty of people wearing black robes and concealing themselves in the shadows.
"Xiao Wen, why did we come all the way to this remote place?"
"Aunt Ye, according to what I heard, there's a village called Holy Soul Village among the villages outside the city. A Titled Douluo lives there. Just pretend you're passing through and lure him away. The Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone I mentioned is there."
"Your information? A Titled Douluo? Which one?"
"It might be Clear Sky Douluo!"
As Su Wen and Ye Yuan'er headed to a hotel to rest,
he took the opportunity to tell Ye Yuan'er the general details.
Ye Yuan'er looked somewhat stunned.
Clear Sky Douluo was an enemy of Spirit Hall, the man who had killed the previous Pope.
He was the youngest Titled Douluo known to the continent. He had only just become one when he escaped the pursuit of three Titled Douluos and dozens of red-robed cardinals.
He had even gravely wounded the Pope, leading to his death, while the cardinals had also suffered heavy losses. Su Wen's parents had died in that battle.
"Xiao Wen, how did you find out about this... Forget it, I'll go back and call for reinforcements first. Whether the information's true or not, we should surround him before anything else."
As she spoke, Ye Yuan'er started to get up. Although she wondered whether the information was true, deep down she already believed Xiao Wen completely.
Su Wen stopped her. "Aunt Ye, Tang Hao has a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone hidden in a cave. If you call everyone from Spirit Hall, we won't be able to get our hands on it."
"Besides, if a Titled Douluo with his back to the wall fights back, I doubt anyone from Elder Hall would dare risk their life. In the end, Tang Hao would probably just escape."
Ye Yuan'er fell silent. The temptation of a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone was indeed powerful.
Even if they did bring that many people, setting aside whether they could kill Tang Hao, there was no way Xiao Wen would get the Soul Bone.
"But it's too dangerous. I'll draw him away, and you'll go get the Soul Bone. Even if you can find it, what if he comes back..."
"Aunt Ye, you wouldn't be unable to hold him off, would you?"
"Hah! Forget holding him off—if it really came down to a fight, I might not even lose."
Ye Yuan'er shot him an irritated look. Su Wen chuckled. "Then let's get moving. Don't fight him to the death. Use your speed to lure him away. I'm taking the Soul Bone, and the Blue Silver Emperor won't get away either. Heh heh heh, I'm really awful..."
Before you continue