Throw in Some Hard Evidence

Inside the Pope's Hall, Xiao Chen did not agree outright, because he wanted to negotiate terms with Bibidong.

"Your Holiness the Pope, may I make a request?" Xiao Chen looked at Bibidong as he spoke.

Bibidong's gaze shifted slightly at his words. She studied Xiao Chen with keen interest. As the Pope, it was already exceedingly rare for her to take the initiative to accept a disciple, yet she had not expected Xiao Chen to dare to propose conditions.

"This youth shows no trace of fear toward me at all," Bibidong mused inwardly.

She knew that even Hu Liena, who had followed her since childhood, could not hide a deep-seated reverence when standing before her; even Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo, both Titled Douluo, carried a hint of dread in her presence.

Yet Xiao Chen, though respectful, met her gaze with clear, steady eyes—free of panic, free of fear, as calm as if he were merely looking at an ordinary person.

Bibidong understood well that those who could maintain such composure before her were either her equals in strength or possessed the purest of hearts.

Clearly, Xiao Chen fit the latter.

"Is this also one of the reasons this youth can wield Spirit Fusion Skills and Spirit Skill Fusion so freely?" Bibidong thought to herself.

Delight stirred deep within Bibidong, but she let no ripple show on her face.

She suppressed her admiration, maintaining the Pope's lofty dignity, and spoke in a measured tone: "Speak, then. What is your condition?"

Bibidong was genuinely curious about what kind of condition Xiao Chen would propose.

"When I obtain spirit rings in the future, the decision must be mine alone—no one else may interfere!" Xiao Chen said.

At these words, Bibidong immediately recalled the intelligence Chrysanthemum Douluo had reported.

One point was clearly stated—Xiao Chen had a particular fondness for Ten-Year Spirit Rings, refusing even a century ring when others offered to help him obtain one.

With that in mind, Bibidong knew exactly what Xiao Chen intended with this condition.

"Xiao Chen, for your future spirit ring hunts, do you still intend to hunt ten-year ones?" Bibidong asked.

"Mm!" Xiao Chen nodded earnestly.

Bibidong did not grow angry at this. Instead, she began to ponder how to persuade Xiao Chen without affecting his state of mind.

Seeing Bibidong lost in thought, Xiao Chen sensed an opportunity. He had feared she would outright reject his request, making negotiation difficult.

After a moment, Bibidong spoke: "Can you tell me the reason?"

Xiao Chen answered without hesitation: "Your Holiness the Pope, I feel that cultivation ultimately depends on oneself. Advancing in power and strength can rely on spirit rings, but spirit rings must never become a rigid necessity for breaking through realms!"

Xiao Chen knew well that the upper echelons of Spirit Hall were aware of the flaws in the Douluo Continent's cultivation system, so he took this chance to discuss the system's insights on Douluo with Bibidong.

The moment Xiao Chen said this, Bibidong's expression shifted.

Xiao Chen continued slowly: "I firmly believe that even without hunting soul beasts, humans can condense spirit rings on their own."

Bibidong's heart jolted violently. She had never imagined that Xiao Chen's ambition was so vast!

Seeing Bibidong's reaction, Xiao Chen knew his words had struck home, so he pressed on: "The strong preying on the weak is the law of nature. Humans may hunt soul beasts for meat, for cultivation resources, or to boost their strength—none of this would upset the ecological balance of the Douluo Continent."

"However, if spirit rings become a mandatory requirement for human advancement, then in the near future, soul beasts will inevitably face extinction, and with them, Soul Masters will vanish too!"

Bibidong was all too aware of the truth in Xiao Chen's words, yet she knew this was the rule of this world, unchangeable by anyone.

"Perhaps the gods of the Divine Realm could, but it would certainly be difficult!" Bibidong added silently to herself.

Xiao Chen went on: "Humans must hunt soul beasts to obtain spirit rings to advance their realms, yet soul beasts need nothing from humans to improve their cultivation."

"Every living being has its limits—soul beasts are no exception. If soul beasts realize that their kind will be exterminated by humans in the future, they might retaliate against the human world without restraint. When that happens, the Douluo Continent will be plunged into misery!"

Bibidong nodded in strong agreement. She knew Xiao Chen's words were no exaggeration.

"Moreover, no one knows whether soul beasts harbor ancient beings that have lived for hundreds of thousands of years, or even close to a million years. If such soul beasts are provoked, even a Titled Douluo would struggle to survive!" Xiao Chen dropped another bombshell.

In Bibidong's understanding, a hundred-thousand-year soul beast was the ceiling.

Now, hearing Xiao Chen's words, she suddenly realized that when she went to the Star Dou Forest, she had indeed sensed some faint, hidden fluctuations of energy deep within its core.

Thinking it over, the Douluo Continent had existed for an extremely long time. Since there were hundred-thousand-year soul beasts, why should she assume there were none that had lived for hundreds of thousands, or even nearly a million years?

"Xiao Chen's concern is not unfounded. As the number of high-level human Soul Masters grows, the living space for soul beasts will inevitably shrink. If a soul beast of hundreds of thousands of years is truly provoked, it would deal a devastating blow to the human world!"

Bibidong pondered. She knew the gods watched over the Douluo Continent, but she could not guarantee they would always be vigilant or descend in time. If soul beasts rioted, the human world would suffer the greatest losses.

"I never expected this child to have such foresight. Yet he is still too naive—changing all this requires power! With his talent, if he could become a god, he would surely go further than I. But the prerequisite is that he must attach high-year spirit rings to both his martial souls. Only then, after becoming a god, can he have a voice in the Divine Realm!" Bibidong thought to herself.

With that in mind, Bibidong patted Xiao Chen on the shoulder and said, "I support your idea. But to change the cultivation system of the Douluo world, you need immense power to back it up. Do you agree?"

Xiao Chen nodded. He naturally agreed with that.

So Bibidong continued, "To be honest, above the Douluo Continent lies the Divine Realm, with many gods. Even they could not accomplish this, so you can imagine how difficult it is."

Xiao Chen wanted to say that it wasn't that they couldn't do it—it was that no one had tried.

Bibidong pressed on, "You are gifted and blessed by heaven. Ten-Year Spirit Rings might not slow your cultivation progress, but they will certainly shackle your true strength."

"If you ascend to godhood bearing eighteen White Spirit Rings, even as a god, you would be among the lowest ranks. How could you then shake or rewrite the cultivation system of the Douluo Continent?"

"Thus, hunting high-year spirit rings now is all for your future ambitions and the long road ahead. To achieve great things, there must be choices and sacrifices. As long as your original heart remains unchanged and your conscience is clear, that is enough!"

Bibidong's words were indeed persuasive, leaving Xiao Chen with little room to argue.

But the system's restrictions were set in stone, and Xiao Chen had no way around them, so he had to drop something heavier.

So Xiao Chen said directly, "I have always believed that there are no useless spirit rings—only useless Soul Masters who don't know how to develop their spirit skills!"