Not Quite Stable

One month later.

Gu Qingshan sat up from the bathtub, the value of his health bar flickering within his sea of consciousness.

Life Force: 7000.

Soul Power Level: 20.

"Finally level twenty." He stretched, his joints emitting a faint cracking sound.

The soul skills of the Thorn Shield were different from ordinary martial souls.

The soul skills of ordinary martial souls depended on the species and attributes of the soul beast, but the Thorn Shield's skills were fixed; every single one was a shield warrior skill.

First Soul Skill: Copper Wall and Iron Bastion, increasing defense and life force by 50%.

If there were no surprises, the second soul skill would be the signature skill of a shield warrior: Taunt.

This made obtaining soul rings incredibly simple for Gu Qingshan. Unlike other soul masters who had to rack their brains searching for soul beasts that matched their martial soul and attributes, he could just find any soul beast of a suitable age.

"However..." Gu Qingshan frowned.

He did not know if Tang Hao had discovered that he had stolen the Blue Silver Emperor, but such a matter could be hidden for a while, not a lifetime.

Tang Hao was a Title Douluo and possessed a natural sensitivity to the aura of the Blue Silver Emperor. If he were too close to Tang Hao, or if they happened to cross paths while he was hunting for a soul ring, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"I still need to ask Teacher for help."

Early the next morning, Gu Qingshan took leave from Alice and boarded a carriage bound for Martial Soul Hall.

The headquarters of Martial Soul Hall was located in the center of Martial Soul City, a magnificent complex of palace-style buildings made of white marble with golden domes, looking like a small mountain from afar.

Two rows of guards clad in silver armor stood on either side; upon seeing Gu Qingshan's carriage, they immediately bowed respectfully.

Ever since Gu Qingshan was taken in as a disciple by Bibi Dong, everyone in Martial Soul Hall knew him.

"Greetings, Young Master Qingshan."

"Young Master Qingshan has returned."

Gu Qingshan nodded in greeting all the way, passing through the gate and the front hall, then walking along the long corridor to the door of Bibi Dong's office.

He knocked on the door.

"Come in." Bibi Dong's voice came from within.

Gu Qingshan pushed the door open and entered, seeing Bibi Dong sitting behind a large desk reviewing files. A thick stack of documents was piled on the desk, and she held a quill, writing something rapidly on the paper.

"Teacher." Gu Qingshan stood before the desk and called out formally.

Bibi Dong looked up at him, her gaze lingering on him for a moment, and she was startled.

"Level twenty?"

"Yes, I would like to ask Teacher to help me hunt for my second soul ring."

Bibi Dong set down her pen, leaned back in her chair, and crossed her hands in front of her, watching him with interest.

"It is only a second soul ring; I will have Elder Chrysanthemum take you."

"This... might not be secure enough." Gu Qingshan weighed his words.

Chrysanthemum Douluo...

Chrysanthemum Douluo, who had been standing behind Bibi Dong like a quiet piece of background scenery, revealed an expression of disbelief on his heavily powdered face upon hearing this.

"Young Master Qingshan, are you questioning my strength? I am a Title Douluo—is hunting a second soul ring not secure enough for you?"

Chrysanthemum Douluo's voice was shrill, carrying a hint of displeasure.

Gu Qingshan waved his hands hurriedly: "I certainly trust Elder Chrysanthemum's strength, it's just..."

Bibi Dong seemed to recall something, her eyes narrowing slightly.

She lowered her crossed hands, leaned forward slightly, and her gaze turned sharp.

"Qingshan, are those Blue Silver Grass cuttings in your courtyard actually the Blue Silver Emperor?"

Gu Qingshan nodded: "Yes, and I have fused with the Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone."

The air in the office froze for a moment.

Chrysanthemum Douluo turned his head sharply toward Gu Qingshan, his narrow eyes filled with shock.

The Blue Silver Emperor?

A hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor?

Being kept as a potted plant in this child's courtyard?

And he even fused with the Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone?

The corners of Chrysanthemum Douluo's mouth twitched as he rapidly calculated the severity of the situation in his mind.

The hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor was Tang Hao's wife.

Tang Hao, the Clear Sky Douluo, a level ninety-five power-attack type Title Douluo who wielded the Clear Sky Hammer and had once single-handedly repelled the siege of multiple Title Douluos from Martial Soul Hall.

This child had stolen Tang Hao's wife.

Then he planted his wife's rhizomes in the courtyard, took leaf cuttings, and ate them as snacks every day.

This... no wonder it was said to be not secure enough.

The corners of Bibi Dong's mouth curled up slightly: "So, you are worried that Tang Hao will find out?"

"Teacher is wise, nothing can be hidden from you!" Gu Qingshan delivered a timely compliment.

Bibi Dong looked at him with a smile that was not quite a smile.

"Aren't you quite bold? You weren't afraid when you stole the Blue Silver Emperor, so why are you afraid now?"

Gu Qingshan gave a sheepish smile.

Although Tang Hao dared not enter Martial Soul City, what if they ran into him while hunting for a soul ring?

The Star Dou Great Forest was vast, but one could never be sure.

Bibi Dong looked at the rare trace of nervousness on Gu Qingshan's face, and the smile at the corners of her mouth deepened.

Since she had known him, this child had always possessed a fearless personality, never changing his expression even when besieged by three Soul Elder.

So, he had moments of fear after all.

Bibi Dong stood up, and the Pope Scepter spun lightly in her hand.

"To be safe, I will accompany you along with Elder Chrysanthemum."

Gu Qingshan's eyes lit up: "Thank you, Teacher!"

"Elder Chrysanthemum, go prepare."

"Yes." Elder Chrysanthemum acknowledged, turned, and left the office.

Early the next morning, the three of them took a carriage toward the Star Dou Great Forest.

As they neared their destination, Bibi Dong looked at the map and asked: "Qingshan, do you have any requirements for the type of soul beast?"

Gu Qingshan thought for a moment and shook his head: "The type doesn't matter, as long as the age is around twenty thousand years."

The carriage fell silent for a moment.

Elder Chrysanthemum's eyebrows twitched.

Bibi Dong put down the map and turned to look at him, her purple eyes filled with a trace of astonishment.

The carriage fell silent for a moment.

Elder Chrysanthemum's eyebrows twitched.

"Qingshan, are you sure? Generally speaking, the limit for a second soul ring is over seven hundred years. Twenty thousand years? Is that even possible?"

"I'm sure." Gu Qingshan nodded.

He wasn't just saying it casually.

In the two-plus months since his Martial Soul awakened, his vitality had soared from the initial few hundred points to seven thousand, his physique far exceeding that of an ordinary soul master.

He discovered that as his vitality increased, his physical fitness improved accordingly; he was confident in absorbing a twenty-thousand-year-level soul ring.

"Very well."

Bibi Dong did not ask further and turned back to the map. "In that case, we don't need to linger in the outer perimeter; we will head straight inside. There are no ten-thousand-year soul beasts in the outer reaches of the Star Dou Great Forest."

At the hour of the monkey in the afternoon, the carriage stopped on a small path at the edge of the forest.

The three of them stepped out of the carriage.

Elder Chrysanthemum walked in the lead to clear the path, Bibi Dong took the center, and Gu Qingshan followed behind her.

The trees in the Star Dou Great Forest were absurdly tall, with every one reaching dozens of meters high. The canopy blotted out the sun, allowing only slivers of light to filter through the gaps in the leaves, casting mottled spots on the ground.

Gu Qingshan followed behind Bibi Dong with a light step, occasionally pulling a Blue Silver leaf from his pocket to stuff into his mouth.

Then, his gaze drifted involuntarily to Bibi Dong's back.

Bibi Dong was wearing a dark purple tight-fitting outfit today, not her usual elaborate Pope Scepter ceremonial robes.

The outfit was form-fitting and cinched at the waist, perfectly outlining her figure. Her waist was slender and delicate, and below it were the rounded, peach-like curves that swayed rhythmically with her steps.

Gu Qingshan's chewing of the Blue Silver leaf paused.

Tsk, it's a pity this body is only six years old.