Lu Fan obediently followed behind Yue Guan and Gui Mei.
The moment they entered the hall,
they saw a woman seated upon the papal throne. She held a scepter representing the Pope's authority, with long wavy pinkish-purple hair, skin as fair as snow, exquisite features, a purple-gold crown upon her head, and a gemstone gown draped over her body. Her bearing was noble and sacred, while her expression was cold, beautiful, and imposing.
"Your Holiness, the Pope."
Yue Guan and Gui Mei both bowed to her.
Lu Fan hurriedly followed suit. "Your Holiness, the Pope."
Bibi Dong, seated upon the throne, nodded. "Rise."
Her usual etiquette and conduct made it clear enough
that Bibi Dong had long intended to proclaim herself Emperor.
She shifted the scepter in her hand.
Yue Guan and Gui Mei immediately understood.
The two stepped aside in opposite directions, fully revealing Lu Fan behind them.
Lu Fan raised his eyes and met the gaze of the most powerful woman on the continent.
A chill instantly ran through his entire body.
He hurriedly lowered his head, not daring to look at her again.
Just now, Lu Fan had felt as though he were being watched by a savage beast, cold sweat breaking out all over him.
What an overwhelming presence... No, that feeling... Could she really be releasing her Martial Soul and the aura of a Super Douluo just to intimidate me?
Countless thoughts raced through Lu Fan's mind.
Bibi Dong wants to become Emperor, so learning some imperial tactics is perfectly normal. Those emperors love scaring people like this. Maybe she's doing the same thing.
Seeing Lu Fan lower his head, though unable to hide the fear on his face, Bibi Dong's lips curled into a faint smile.
"Yesterday, Elder Chrysanthemum introduced this talented youngster to me. He praised you to the heavens, so I was quite curious."
"He said your Martial Soul has mutated even more completely than his own. Let me see your Martial Soul."
Bibi Dong's tone was exceedingly calm,
yet those calm words carried an air of command that could not be defied.
Lu Fan obediently summoned his Martial Soul.
A large, gorgeous flower appeared, with purple petals and golden stamens. Its petals were fuzzy, scentless, and tasteless, while its tall stamens glittered with golden light at their tips.
Its stem was straight, purple streaked with gold, and the flower rested quietly in Lu Fan's hand.
Seeing that Bibi Dong wanted to inspect Lu Fan's Spirit Rings,
Yue Guan, standing nearby, was already tense to the extreme.
Although he had prepared what to say if their secret was exposed yesterday,
he had not been ready for it to be exposed so soon.
Gui Mei, who understood the severity of the situation, was equally nervous.
Fortunately, Lu Fan was not foolish and did not reveal his Spirit Rings.
Bibi Dong did not find anything amiss and said nothing.
Bibi Dong commented, "There are indeed some differences."
A faint dark gleam flashed in Bibi Dong's hand, and a bracelet appeared in her palm.
She tossed the bracelet toward Lu Fan.
Lu Fan hurriedly caught it.
Then he looked at Bibi Dong in confusion.
Bibi Dong smiled faintly. "Lu Fan, you are one of the most talented disciples of this generation of Spirit Hall. Consider these a gift from me upon our first meeting."
Yue Guan quickly reminded him, "Hurry and thank His Holiness."
Lu Fan hurriedly said, "Thank you, Your Holiness."
Bibi Dong nodded, then looked at Yue Guan. "How does Elder Chrysanthemum intend to nurture him from now on?"
Without hesitation, Yue Guan replied, "It would be best for him to remain by my side, but I have official duties and cannot teach him every day. He can attend Martial Soul Academy during the day."
Bibi Dong nodded. "Then let him join Nana and the others directly. With his talent, I believe it will not take long for him to catch up."
"Although Nana and the others are a few years older than Lu Fan, they can still be considered peers. They are all the future of Spirit Hall, so they should spend more time together in private."
Bibi Dong added.
Yue Guan promptly replied, "Your Holiness is right. I will take him to meet them shortly."
Satisfied with Yue Guan's attitude, Bibi Dong nodded. "Very good. I am at ease when you handle matters. You may leave."
"This subordinate takes his leave."
The three bowed and withdrew.
After leaving Pope Palace, Yue Guan said to Lu Fan, "Come. I'll take you to meet the other geniuses."
Lu Fan nodded and followed.
Along the way, Yue Guan reminded Lu Fan, "The Pope wants you to get close to them, likely because she hopes you can assist the child she mentioned, Nana."
"Her name is Hu Liena. She is the Pope's disciple and six years older than you, yet she is only a level twenty-nine Soul Grandmaster."
"As the Pope's disciple, she has long been designated as Spirit Hall's Saintess. However, inheriting the position of the next Pope will be far from easy for her. That is why the Pope hopes you will have more contact with her."
Lu Fan nodded. He listened attentively as Yue Guan spoke.
He also compared himself with the other geniuses of his generation.
There was no doubt about it.
Lu Fan's talent was absolutely among the very best.
Looking at the current Douluo Continent, no one besides Qian Renxue could surpass her.
Yet that sole exception had actually neglected her cultivation, giving Lu Fan a chance to overtake her.
Take Great God King Tang as an example.
Great God King Tang had only reached level twenty-nine at the age of twelve.
Lu Fan had a chance to achieve that before even turning ten.
After all, much of what he could learn at times like this had not existed in the original work.
"Besides Nana, there are also two other promising geniuses in this group. Both are seven years older than you. You can introduce yourselves properly when you meet them later."
The two Titled Douluo, Yue Guan and Gui Mei, personally escorted Lu Fan to Martial Soul Academy.
They strode openly down the streets, making no attempt to hide themselves.
This was also a way of building Lu Fan's reputation.
This boy is under our protection. Watch yourselves when you see him in the future, and do not entertain any crooked thoughts.
Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo were two of Spirit Hall's most recognizable figures.
In Spirit City, it could be said that almost no one failed to recognize them.
News of this quickly spread throughout Spirit City.
For a time, speculation ran rampant.
Everyone guessed at Lu Fan's identity.
"There have long been rumors that Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan and Ghost Douluo Gui Mei are inseparable, just like Dragon Duke and Snake Granny."
"Especially since Chrysanthemum Douluo is... Perhaps this boy is the adopted son they raised together."
"How fortunate, to be adopted by two Titled Douluo."
Unofficial histories might not be wild enough, but they were certainly history.
When the three arrived at Martial Soul Academy,
the academy had received word early that two Titled Douluo were bringing a child there.
The Education Committee of Martial Soul Academy, its nine Soul Douluo, and a group of teachers had been waiting outside the gates for some time.
And upon learning that Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo were coming,
the three members of the Golden Generation, who were close to the two of them, naturally waited outside as well.
When Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo arrived,
the nine Soul Douluo immediately led the teachers in respectfully calling out, "Welcome, Elders Chrysanthemum and Ghost, to the academy to guide our work."
Gui Mei said nothing, unwilling to acknowledge them and maintaining his cold demeanor.
Yue Guan, however, stepped forward and waved a hand. "We came this time to enroll my newly accepted disciple, Lu Fan, at the academy."
At those words, everyone was stunned.
They turned their eyes toward Lu Fan standing behind Yue Guan and Gui Mei.
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