Bibi Dong walked toward Ling Xiao one step at a time.
She looked down at the six-year-old boy before her.
Her breathtakingly beautiful face held a trace of fervor and admiration.
The genius she had long awaited had finally appeared before her.
What was more, the child was steady and composed, neither proud nor impatient.
"Your name is Ling Xiao?"
Bibi Dong spoke, her voice cool and clear.
"Yes."
Ling Xiao gave a slight nod, neither servile nor presumptuous.
"Are your parents the couple, Ling Yuan and Ling Xiao?"
Bibi Dong asked again.
"In answer to Your Holiness, they are."
Ling Xiao replied.
Bibi Dong gazed into his dark, tranquil eyes and made up her mind.
"Ling Xiao, would you be willing to take me as your master, enter the Pope Palace, and become my second direct disciple?"
As soon as the words fell,
everyone was stunned.
His Holiness the Pope was going to personally take this child as her direct disciple?
It was well known that since ascending to the throne, Her Holiness had taken only one direct disciple: Saintess Hu Liena!
Ling Xiao looked up at the peerlessly elegant woman before him.
He bowed slightly and performed a proper disciple's salute.
"Your disciple, Ling Xiao, is willing to take Your Holiness as his master."
A direct disciple of His Holiness the Pope!
The children in the courtyard looked at Ling Xiao with awe and envy instead of the disdainful pointing from before.
Ling Xiao, however, wasn't especially excited.
He gave the red-robed bishop a slight nod, thanking him for presiding over the Awakening ceremony.
Then he turned and quietly stood beside Bibi Dong.
His composure in the face of sudden change deepened Bibi Dong's admiration for him.
With a gentle smile in her eyes, she looked first at Ling Xiao beside her, then at the girl next to him.
"Ling Xiao, this is your senior sister, Hu Liena."
"My eldest disciple, and the Saintess of Spirit Hall."
"From now on, you'll both study in the Pope Palace. You should respect and help one another. Understand?"
Only then did Ling Xiao take a proper look at the girl beside Bibi Dong.
Hu Liena had just turned ten that year.
She wore a white Saintess's dress. Her skin was fair as snow, and her lively, charming eyes seemed to sparkle wherever she looked. Her chestnut hair was loosely pinned up, its ends falling over her shoulders. Her foxlike almond eyes were fixed on him without blinking.
They were full of curiosity.
At her master's words, Hu Liena smiled sweetly at Bibi Dong, then turned to Ling Xiao.
She reached out and ruffled his hair, her tone light and affectionate.
"Hello, little junior brother! I'm Hu Liena."
"From now on, your senior sister will look after you in the Pope Palace!"
Ling Xiao's body stiffened.
Inside him lived the soul of an adult.
Having a ten-year-old girl treat him like a child and ruffle his hair felt terribly awkward.
He shifted slightly, dodging Hu Liena's hand without making a fuss.
Then he bowed a little.
"Greetings, Senior Sister."
"I'll be counting on your guidance from now on."
His earnest manner only made Hu Liena's smile grow wider.
This little junior brother was way too good-looking.
His features were delicate, his skin as fair as jade.
He was clearly only six, yet he put on the air of a little adult.
It made her want to tease him.
Hu Liena assured Bibi Dong,
"Don't worry, Master!"
"I'll take good care of little junior brother. If anyone dares bully him, they'll have to answer to me!"
Looking at her two disciples, one quiet and one lively, Bibi Dong rarely felt a trace of comfort in her eyes.
In her life, fate had left her battered and bruised.
Apart from the cold power she wielded, she had almost nothing.
Now, with two exceptionally gifted disciples at her side,
she finally had something to comfort her.
"Let's go. We're returning to the Pope Palace."
Bibi Dong turned first and boarded the Pope Carriage.
Ling Xiao and Hu Liena followed close behind, sitting on either side of her.
The carriage began to roll slowly.
Thick carpets covered the carriage floor, and Moonlight Gems were set into its walls.
Warm light filled the carriage, quiet and soft.
Hu Liena sneakily glanced at Ling Xiao beside her.
Ever since he'd boarded, he'd sat there quietly.
His gaze rested on the streets passing outside the window, and he hadn't said a word.
The more she watched him, the more interesting she found him. Unable to resist, she leaned over and asked in a low voice,
"Little junior brother, did you spend every day reading at the Orphanage?"
"What did you read? Soul Master theory? Or a Soul Beast compendium?"
At her question, Ling Xiao turned to glance at her and answered mildly,
"I read a bit of everything. Just laying a foundation."
"Then is your awakened Fruit Tree Martial Soul an incredibly powerful one?"
Hu Liena blinked and pressed on, curiosity filling her voice.
"I awakened a Demon Fox Martial Soul. I'm already a level twenty-five Soul Grandmaster!"
"Once you get your First Soul Ring, your senior sister will take you to the Soul Hunting Forest to hunt Soul Beasts!"
"Thank you for your kindness, Senior Sister."
Ling Xiao remained as nonchalant as ever.
Hu Liena wasn't discouraged.
They chatted on and off along the way, and the carriage soon entered Spirit Hall.
The grand and imposing Spirit Hall stood at the very center of Spirit City.
White jade formed its steps, and golden tiles covered its roof.
Angel Statues stood everywhere, solemn and stately.
Everywhere exuded supreme majesty and opulence.
Bibi Dong led her two disciples out of the carriage.
They passed straight through the main hall and headed for the residential area in the rear palace.
"Ling Xiao, from now on, you'll live in Qinghui Hall."
Bibi Dong stopped before an elegant palace and spoke to Ling Xiao.
"It's close to my main hall and next to your senior sister's Lanyue Hall."
"If you have any questions about your studies, you can come ask me or find your senior sister."
Qinghui Hall wasn't large, but it was elegant and serene.
He bowed.
"Thank you, Master."
"You've only just awakened your Martial Soul. Rest well for today."
Bibi Dong gave him a few instructions, then turned to Hu Liena beside her.
Her expression grew slightly stern, taking on some of the Pope's authority.
"Nana, you're the senior sister. You need to take good care of your junior brother."
"Don't use your higher cultivation to bully him. Understood?"
Hu Liena immediately stood at attention and raised her hand in a promise.
"Don't worry, Master! I'll be very kind to little junior brother. I absolutely won't bully him!"
She spoke with great conviction.
But a trace of mischief lurked in her eyes.
How could Bibi Dong fail to see through her little schemes?
She could only shake her head helplessly and say no more.
Then she turned and returned to the main hall to deal with the mountain of Spirit Hall affairs.
Only Ling Xiao and Hu Liena remained in the rear palace of the Pope Palace.
The obedient look on Hu Liena's face soon vanished without a trace.
She stepped up to Ling Xiao, circled him twice, and smiled at him.
"Little junior brother, come on! Your senior sister will show you around your new home!"
With that, she took Ling Xiao by the wrist and led him into Qinghui Hall.
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