Father and Son Discuss Matters

Bibi Dong blinked at the tempting cake before her and did not think much of it.

"Mm, Teacher is right."

The two sat facing each other.

Bibi Dong picked up a small spoon, scooped up a corner of soft cake along with half a strawberry, and put it into her mouth.

In an instant, the fluffy, moist cake, silky sweet cream, and fresh strawberry's slightly tart juices blended perfectly on her tongue. It was several times more delicious than she had imagined.

She narrowed her eyes and could not help letting out a soft "Mmm," the corners of her lips lifting.

"Is it good?"

Qian Xunji took a bite himself. The taste really was good; the recipe given by the system and the heat control of the Soul Power Oven were both reliable.

But he was more concerned with Bibi Dong's reaction.

"Mm! It's so delicious! Teacher is amazing!" Bibi Dong said, scooping up another large spoonful and eating contentedly.

Watching her eat so happily, Qian Xunji felt as though his own heart had been sweetened by the cake.

His gaze fell on the conspicuous dab of cream at the corner of her lips.

Bibi Dong was completely unaware, still focused on dealing with the cake on her plate. Every now and then, she looked up at her teacher, and the two exchanged a smile.

It was not until she looked up again that she noticed her teacher was staring at her with a somewhat... strange look in his eyes?

"Teacher? Is there something on my face?" She instinctively touched her cheek.

"Here. You got cream on it." Qian Xunji pointed to the corner of his own mouth.

"Ah?" Bibi Dong hurriedly wiped with the back of her hand, but she wiped the wrong side.

"This side."

Qian Xunji suddenly stood, leaned closer, and reached out with his index finger to wipe the dab of cream from the other corner of Bibi Dong's mouth.

Bibi Dong did not react at all. She only felt a warmth at the corner of her lips, and then her teacher's finger had already moved away.

She stared blankly at Qian Xunji, her cheeks slowly burning red.

What made her mind completely freeze was that after Qian Xunji withdrew his finger, he did not wipe it with a napkin. Instead, he put the finger smeared with cream into his mouth and sucked on it!

"Mm, the taste really is good."

After saying that, he sat back down and continued eating his cake.

Bibi Dong: "..."

For a moment, she was so embarrassed that she wanted to find a crack in the ground and crawl into it, yet for some reason... her heart was racing.

Just then, the door to the Small Dining Hall was pushed open.

"Saintess! Is the cake ready yet? I..."

Ling Yuan, who had rushed in excitedly, abruptly stopped halfway through her words.

What did she see?

His Holiness the Pope and the Saintess were sitting across from each other, eating cake.

But the Saintess's face was red like a boiled shrimp, her eyes unfocused, her lips slightly parted, as though her soul had left her body!

The atmosphere between them was... sticky enough to stretch into strands.

Ling Yuan's footsteps came to an abrupt halt. She could neither advance nor retreat.

Had she... come at the wrong time?

No, should she not have appeared at all?

Qian Xunji, however, remained very calm, as if he had not noticed Ling Yuan's petrified state. He even waved at her. "Ling Yuan, you're here? Perfect, the cake was just cut. Come eat with us."

Ling Yuan braced herself and shuffled over stiffly, moving her arms and legs in unison. She sat on a stool farthest from the two of them and accepted the small slice of cake Qian Xunji pushed toward her.

She picked up her spoon and, without really tasting it, dug out a small bite and put it into her mouth.

Gradually, Ling Yuan's eyes lit up.

"Mm... the cake is so delicious. I've never eaten food this good in my life."

Bibi Dong smiled. "If it's good, eat more."

"Okay."

Meanwhile, Qian Xunji quickly finished the cake on his own plate and cut two more large slices.

He handed the smaller of the two to Ling Yuan. "Ling Yuan, take this back later and eat it slowly."

Then he looked at Bibi Dong. "Dong'er, after you finish eating, divide the remaining cake among the elders and pontiffs. Let everyone have a taste of something new."

"Ah? Oh, okay, Teacher." Bibi Dong hurriedly agreed.

"I have something else to do. I'm going to see the Grand Pontiff."

Watching Qian Xunji's departing back, Ling Yuan suddenly leaned closer and asked.

"S-Saintess..."

"Just now... before I came in, did I miss anything interesting?"

"N-no! There was nothing at all!"

"Hurry up and eat your cake. We still have to hand it out afterward."

Ling Yuan watched her act of obvious denial and snickered to herself, but did not expose her.

Carrying the cake, Qian Xunji arrived at the Angel Sanctuary deep within the Worship Hall.

Beneath the enormous statue of the Six-Winged Angel, Qian Daoliu sat cross-legged on a soft cushion with his eyes closed. A faint golden halo circulated around him, making him seem sacred and imposing.

Hearing footsteps, Qian Daoliu opened his eyes and looked toward the entrance.

He saw his son walking in, carrying something that looked rather gaudy.

"Xunji? What is it?"

"Dad, try this."

Qian Xunji walked over, casually sat on a cushion beside him, and handed over the porcelain plate in his hand.

Qian Daoliu frowned as he examined the unfamiliar food on the plate. "What is this?"

"A dessert called cake. I just came up with it."

"Give it a try. It tastes pretty good."

Half-convinced, Qian Daoliu accepted the small spoon his son handed him, scooped up a small piece, and put it into his mouth.

He savored it carefully, and a trace of surprise flashed across his stern face.

The texture was soft and dense, the milk fragrance rich. It truly was... quite novel and tasty.

"Not bad."

"You made it?"

His gaze turned to Qian Xunji. Since when had his son taken an interest in cooking?

"Mm, I made it with my disciple."

"She said she wanted to eat it, so I gave it a try."

Qian Daoliu: "..."

The Grand Pontiff, always as steady as a mountain, made the hand holding the spoon tremble at that moment.

His son, the Pope of Spirit Hall, had not only cooked personally, but had also made dessert with his female disciple?

Qian Daoliu silently took another bite of cake, feeling that his son now seemed especially unfamiliar, yet also somehow... more alive than ever before.

"Dad, actually, there's another matter I came to discuss with you."

"Go on. What is it?"

Then, Qian Xunji took out the Encyclopedia of Level 1 Soul Tools and handed it over.

Qian Daoliu's attention was instantly captured.

He took the book and quickly flipped through several pages. A growing interest appeared on his rigid face. "What is this?"

"These are design blueprints for Soul Tools. They may only be Level 1, but the ideas are ingenious."

Qian Daoliu nodded in shock. "Where did this book come from?"

"I came across it by chance."

"I think the path of Soul Tools holds enormous potential and should not decline like this."

"I want to officially establish a Soul Tool Research Institute within Spirit Hall, recruiting soul masters and craftsmen with relevant talent and interest to specifically research and develop new Soul Tools."

"We'll start with these practical Level 1 devices and gradually build up our foundation."

Qian Daoliu put down the book and looked deeply at his son.

Establishing a dedicated Research Institute meant directing resources toward it and making a long-term investment.

But the things recorded in the book had indeed shown him another possibility.

If these so-called Soul Tools could be revived, it would undoubtedly greatly enhance Spirit Hall's strength and influence.