Bibi Dong the Pope

"Your Holiness the Pope, I have brought them."

After walking to the center of the hall and coming to a stop, Yue Guan placed his right hand over his chest, bowed slightly, and saluted Bibi Dong on the dais.

"Greetings, Your Holiness the Pope."

Behind him, Yan, Xie Yue, and Hu Liena hurriedly saluted as well. They did not dare bow slightly like Yue Guan; instead, they respectfully knelt on one knee.

The Pope of Spirit Hall held an exalted status across the continent. In the hearts of Soul Masters, the position even faintly surpassed that of the emperors of the two great empires, so the formalities were naturally solemn.

Yan felt helpless as well. Fortunately, it was only a single-knee kneel, which he could barely accept.

"Rise."

A clear, authoritative voice rang through the hall.

It was not loud, yet every word seemed to fall beside their ears, incomparably distinct.

The three rose to their feet but kept their heads lowered.

Yan stared at the mirror-polished floor beneath his feet, recalling the information about Bibi Dong from the original work.

Although Bibi Dong, as the Pope of Spirit Hall, was far from qualified in many respects, her immense strength had never been in doubt.

With Twin Martial Souls and the inheritance of the Rakshasa God's divine position, Bibi Dong's strength within Spirit Hall was perhaps surpassed only by Qian Daoliu and Golden Crocodile Douluo.

"Elder Yue Guan, you have worked hard." Bibi Dong spoke again, this time addressing Chrysanthemum Douluo.

"It is my duty to serve Your Holiness the Pope."

Yue Guan nodded slightly. As he spoke, he turned sideways and revealed the three children behind him, introducing them one by one.

"These are the three children. Xie Yue, six years old, with the top-tier tool Martial Soul, Moon Blade, and innate soul power rank nine.

Hu Liena, six years old, with the top-tier beast Martial Soul, Demon Fox, and innate soul power rank nine.

Yan, six years old, with the top-tier beast Martial Soul, Flame Overlord..."

At this point, Yue Guan could not help glancing at the red-haired boy. "Innate Full Soul Power."

Following Yue Guan's introduction, Bibi Dong looked over the three children below one by one.

Yet even though Yan had awakened with the talent of Innate Full Soul Power, he still could not hold Bibi Dong's gaze for long.

Instead, her eyes lingered more often on Hu Liena.

To Bibi Dong, who had undergone the Rakshasa God trials and was destined to stand at the pinnacle of the Soul Master world, there was not much difference between innate soul power rank nine and Innate Full Soul Power.

More importantly, she saw a reflection of her former self in Hu Liena—also an orphan, also extraordinarily gifted, also possessing spiritual power far beyond that of her peers.

For a Soul Master who wished to become a Title Douluo, powerful talent was essential.

But to cross the threshold of rank ninety-five and advance into a Super Douluo at rank ninety-six or above, powerful spiritual strength was equally indispensable.

Seeing Hu Liena lower her head with a timid appearance, Bibi Dong could not help feeling a trace of pity. Even her usually cold, hard expression softened considerably for an instant.

"Hu Liena." Bibi Dong's crimson lips parted slightly. Her voice remained cool and clear, but it carried less distance and a nearly imperceptible warmth.

"Yes." Hu Liena's delicate body trembled lightly. She instinctively raised her head, her brilliant golden eyes reflecting Bibi Dong's breathtakingly beautiful face.

As though she had been scorched, she was just about to lower her head again when she heard the voice continue.

"Your talent is excellent, and your spiritual power is particularly outstanding. Would you be willing..."

Bibi Dong paused, her gaze sweeping over the two people beside Hu Liena.

Xie Yue's body was tense, so nervous that he scarcely dared breathe, while Yan remained calm as ever.

"To become this Pope's registered disciple?"

As those words fell, even the sound of breathing in the hall nearly vanished.

A registered disciple of the Pope!

Everyone present understood what that meant. It was a stairway leading directly to the core of Spirit Hall's power and authority, the starting point that almost every Soul Master in the Soul Master world dreamed of.

Even Yue Guan was briefly astonished upon hearing Bibi Dong's words. As the Pope's right-hand man, he knew that Her Holiness valued the child named Hu Liena, but he had not expected that this regard had reached the point of taking her as a disciple.

Hu Liena was completely stunned as well. Her small mouth hung slightly open, her mind blank, and she had long since forgotten what she ought to say.

Xie Yue, on the other hand, suddenly clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. Looking at Hu Liena, his heart was filled with anticipation and excitement.

Yan's expression remained as still as an ancient well. As expected, it was still Hu Liena. He was not particularly surprised by this outcome.

In the original work, Hu Liena had been noticed by Bibi Dong, accepted as her disciple, and raised as the future heir.

His title of Innate Full Soul Power might have seemed dazzling to others.

But in the eyes of a Pope who had already begun undergoing divine trials and whose ambitions had long surpassed mortal limits, it was probably only fairly good.

Talent in spiritual power, coupled with the resonance of their similar fates, was what truly moved Bibi Dong.

"What? Are you unwilling?"

Seeing that Hu Liena had not recovered for so long, a faint smile curled at Bibi Dong's lips.

"No!"

Hu Liena cried out, then immediately realized her discourtesy.

He hurriedly lowered his head and dropped to one knee in the hall. "I... I am willing, Master!"

A trace of satisfaction appeared on Bibi Dong's face as she raised one hand slightly. "Rise. As my nominal disciple, you will cultivate under me from this day onward.

"Your talent is excellent. If you can break through to the Soul Elder realm within five years, the word 'nominal' will be removed, and you will become my direct disciple."

For an ordinary person, going from initial awakening as a Soul Master to breaking through to the Soul Elder realm within five years might have been as difficult as scaling the heavens.

But for Hu Liena, whose talent was extraordinary and whose future resources would never be lacking, it could only be considered a moderately difficult test.

"Yes, Teacher."

Hu Liena rose from the ground, unable to suppress her excitement. Her body even trembled faintly beyond her control.

"Yue Guan," Bibi Dong spoke again.

"Your subordinate is here."

"Yan and Xie Yue are also among the most gifted. Their talents must not be wasted.

"You will arrange for them to enter the Core Class of Martial Soul Hall Academy. All resource allocations will be provided at the highest standard."

Bibi Dong's voice returned to its usual majesty as her gaze swept over Xie Yue and Yan. "I hope you two will cultivate diligently, live up to your talents, and serve Martial Soul Hall in the future."

"Yes, we shall heed Your Holiness the Pope's teachings!" Xie Yue immediately dropped to one knee, his voice filled with excitement.

Part of that excitement came from his sister being valued by the Pope and accepted as her disciple, while the other part came from the joy of entering Martial Soul Hall's Core Class and receiving the highest level of resources.

Yan also bowed again alongside Xie Yue. "We shall heed Your Holiness the Pope's teachings."

Such treatment had been within his expectations, so he was not as excited as Xie Yue appeared to be. Still, a hint of delight surfaced on his face.

What he cared about more was the Yan God Body Refining Technique. He wondered just how far this so-called highest-standard resource allocation would raise his strength.