Bibi Dong's Malice

Meanwhile, at the Pope's Palace.

Bibi Dong sat high upon the Pope's throne. Her stunning oval face was frosty with anger, the knuckles of the hand clutching her scepter white from exertion as she stared fixedly at Chrysanthemum Douluo kneeling below.

"Yue Guan, what task did I give you?!"

Chrysanthemum Douluo lowered his head even further, his voice trembling slightly. "In reply to Your Holiness, it was... to protect Hu Liena."

"And this is how you protected her?!"

Bibi Dong rose to her feet in fury, slamming the Pope's scepter heavily against the floor.

Chrysanthemum Douluo shuddered. "Please forgive me, Your Holiness."

A black vortex gathered beside Yue Guan, and Ghost Douluo's figure slowly condensed from within it. He too knelt and said, "Please forgive us, Your Holiness. Spare Yue Guan this once."

Bibi Dong tightly gripped her scepter. Thinking of her current circumstances, with only these two Titled Douluo at her disposal, she finally sighed softly and closed her eyes.

"Forget it. Get up."

Bibi Dong sat back down in the Pope's throne somewhat weakly, pressing a hand to her forehead. She simply could not understand it. She had clearly paved the road for Hu Liena—how could she still fail to walk it properly? And Yue Guan, too.

It would have been one thing if a Soul Elder could not handle the task, but how could a Titled Douluo like him mess it up as well?!

As she thought this, a flash of inspiration suddenly struck her. Remembering a crucial detail from Chrysanthemum Douluo's earlier report, she hurriedly stopped Yue Guan, who was about to leave.

"Wait!"

"Your Holiness."

Bibi Dong straightened in her seat and looked down at Chrysanthemum Douluo. "Yue Guan, you said that boy had two thousand-year Soul Rings?"

Yue Guan bowed lower. "Yes, Your Holiness. That boy also has a Right Arm Spirit Bone of at least ten thousand years, as well as an External Soul Bone."

A thoughtful look appeared in Bibi Dong's eyes. Her fingertips tapped rhythmically against the throne's armrest. Only after a long while did she open her eyes again, her gaze turning sharp.

"Investigate him at any cost. I want to know how he absorbed Soul Rings beyond his level. Focus on what he did while he was at the academy. Investigate every last detail. Find out what he ate and drank as well!"

"Yes!"

The two Douluo, Chrysanthemum and Ghost, withdrew. The expression on Bibi Dong's face had only just softened when it abruptly darkened again.

"Second Worship, are you really that impatient?"

"Leaving two Soul Bones in the Pope's possession does make me uneasy."

Before the voice had finished echoing through the hall, Golden Crocodile was already standing within it.

"Second Worship, you truly have a fine grandson. His talent surpasses even Tang Hao of the Clear Sky Sect."

Golden Crocodile replied evenly, "Thank you for the Pope's praise. I came to collect the Soul Bone that the Pope lost."

"Humph!"

Bibi Dong was furious. She had wanted to exchange a few pleasantries with Golden Crocodile, but this old man was utterly impervious. She immediately lost all interest in talking. With a sweep of her robes, she tossed out a Soul Bone glowing with purple light.

Golden Crocodile paid no heed to her expression and caught it with a cheerful smile.

"This is a Thirty-Thousand-Year Amethyst Poison Python Left Leg Bone. It may not suit Jin Yan, so I hope Second Worship will excuse it. As for the remaining Head Spirit Bone, Second Worship can retrieve it himself. I am tired."

Golden Crocodile did not care in the slightest about her veiled mockery after gaining what he wanted. He cupped his hands and said, "Then I will not trouble the Pope further. If there is nothing else, I shall take my leave."

With that, Golden Crocodile vanished from the hall.

Only Bibi Dong remained, seated upon the Pope's throne.

A flash of purple light appeared, and a book materialized in her hand.

Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul

Her fingertips stroked the cover, and Bibi Dong's gaze softened, a trace of reminiscence appearing on her face.

But when she thought of Jin Yan's astonishing Soul Ring configuration, a vicious gleam flashed through her eyes. Her expression twisted, purple patterns slowly emerging across her face before quickly receding.

"Xiao Gang... I will not allow your theory to be proven wrong..."

She murmured, an evil light flickering in her eyes.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and the graduation assessment came to a successful conclusion.

After bidding farewell to Xu Yu and the others, Jin Yan headed alone toward the Worship Hall.

Without Golden Crocodile to lead him, he obediently reported to the guarding Spirit Saint at the foot of the mountain before climbing step by step to the summit.

The hall doors opened on their own, and Qian Daoliu's voice came from inside.

"Come in."

Jin Yan entered the hall with a smile and immediately saw the seven Worships.

Guangling Douluo flashed directly before Jin Yan and said mischievously, "Kid, you're really strong. Bibi Dong paid a huge price this time."

As he spoke, he raised a hand and gave Jin Yan's shoulder a heavy pat.

Jin Yan had now grown to over 1.7 meters tall, even taller than him. He was no longer a tiny fellow Guangling Douluo could casually pick up.

The other Worships also came forward at this time, looking at him with warm smiles.

With a flick of his hand, Golden Crocodile produced three Soul Bones from his palm.

He held them out before Jin Yan.

"Three Soul Bones. One is the sixty-thousand-year Wisdom of Spirit Convergence, one is the Thirty-Thousand-Year Amethyst Poison Python Left Leg Bone, and the last is the ten-thousand-year Dark Ghost Python left leg Soul Bone dropped by that Spirit Douluo from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect in the Star Dou Great Forest last time."

Knowing that his grandfather already possessed a full set of Soul Bones, Jin Yan did not stand on ceremony and accepted all three.

He took out the seventy-thousand-year Head Spirit Bone and handed it to Guangling Douluo. "Grandpa Guangling, of these Soul Bones, this one suits you best. You should absorb it."

This was, of course, Jin Yan's sincere intention. Guangling Douluo had given him nearly a century's worth of nurturing experience. A Soul Bone was nothing in comparison.

If the remaining two had suited the other grandpas, he would have offered those as well.

Among the seven Worships, aside from Qian Daoliu and Golden Crocodile, the others all still had vacant Soul Bone slots.

"Don't worry, Grandpas. When the chance arises, I'll find Soul Bones of even better quality for you."

Jin Yan smiled. He would still need the connections of these Worships to deal with the Titled Douluo in the Elder Hall later, so naturally he had to make a good impression.

The Worships all smiled in gratification at his words.

They had always treated Jin Yan as their own grandson. Now it seemed they had not spoiled him for nothing.

Even Qian Daoliu, who was usually sparing with words and smiles, could not help but grin.

Jin Yan knew how to repay kindness and was filial. Those were the qualities Qian Daoliu valued most. After all, no one wanted to expend great effort and vast resources only to raise an ungrateful wretch. By now, he found Jin Yan increasingly pleasing to the eye.

"Xiao Yan, I have already absorbed a ten-thousand-year Head Spirit Bone, so I must disappoint your kind intentions." Guangling Douluo said with a smile.

Guangling Douluo's Guangling Divine Bow Martial Soul had certain demands on spiritual power, so he had long ago equipped himself with a ten-thousand-year Soul Bone.

"Is that so? All right."

Jin Yan put the three Soul Bones back into his Soul Tool.

Perfect. Not only had he earned a wave of goodwill from the Worships, he had not lost a single Soul Bone. What a profit!