Not Quite Safe

A month later.

Gu Qingshan sat up in the bathtub. In his mindscape, the value of his health bar flickered.

Vitality: 7000.

Soul Power Level: 20.

"I'm finally level twenty." He stretched, and his joints gave a faint crackle.

The Soul Skills of the Thorn Shield were different from those of ordinary Martial Souls.

For ordinary Martial Souls, Soul Skills depended on the type and attributes of the Soul Beast. But the Thorn Shield's Soul Skills were fixed; every one of them was a shield warrior skill.

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

If nothing unexpected happened, his Second Soul Skill would be the shield warrior's signature skill, "Taunt."

That made it extremely easy for Gu Qingshan to obtain Soul Rings. Unlike other Soul Masters, who had to search high and low for Soul Beasts that matched their Martial Souls and attributes, he could simply find any Soul Beast of a suitable age.

"However..." Gu Qingshan frowned.

He didn't know whether Tang Hao had discovered that he'd stolen the Blue Silver Emperor, but something like this could only be kept secret for so long.

Tang Hao was a Titled Douluo, and he had an innate sensitivity to the Blue Silver Emperor's aura. If Gu Qingshan got too close to him, or happened to run into him while hunting for a Soul Ring, the consequences would be unthinkable.

"I'll have to ask my teacher for help."

Early the next morning, Gu Qingshan asked Alice for leave and took a carriage to Spirit Hall.

Spirit Hall's headquarters stood in the center of Spirit City. It was a grand complex of palace-like buildings, all white marble with golden domes. From afar, it looked like a small mountain.

Two lines of guards in silver armor stood on either side. When they saw Gu Qingshan's carriage, they immediately bowed respectfully.

Ever since Bibi Dong had taken Gu Qingshan as her disciple, everyone in Spirit Hall had come to know him.

"Good day, Young Master Qingshan."

"Welcome back, Young Master Qingshan."

Gu Qingshan nodded to them along the way, passed through the entrance and the front hall, then followed a long corridor to the door of Bibi Dong's office.

He knocked.

"Come in," Bibi Dong's voice came from inside.

Gu Qingshan pushed open the door and saw Bibi Dong seated behind a broad desk, reviewing files. A thick stack of documents covered the desktop. She held a quill and was writing quickly on the pages.

"Teacher." Gu Qingshan stood before the desk and greeted her properly.

Bibi Dong looked up at him. Her gaze lingered on him for a moment, and her heart skipped a beat.

"Level twenty?"

"Mm. I'd like to ask you to help me hunt for my Second Soul Ring."

Bibi Dong set down her pen and leaned back in her chair, folding her hands before her as she regarded him with interest.

"It's only a Second Soul Ring. I'll have Elder Chrysanthemum take you."

"Well... that might not be quite safe." Gu Qingshan chose his words carefully.

Chrysanthemum Douluo...

Chrysanthemum Douluo stood behind Bibi Dong, a quiet presence who had seemed like little more than a fixture in the background. Hearing Gu Qingshan's words, a look of disbelief appeared on his heavily powdered face.

"Young Master Qingshan, are you questioning my abilities? I'm a Titled Douluo. Is it not safe enough for me to help you hunt for a Second Soul Ring?"

Chrysanthemum Douluo's voice was thin, tinged with displeasure.

Gu Qingshan hurriedly waved his hands. "I trust Elder Chrysanthemum's abilities, of course. It's just..."

Bibi Dong seemed to remember something and narrowed her eyes slightly.

She lowered her clasped hands, leaned forward a little, and fixed him with a sharper gaze.

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

Gu Qingshan nodded. "Yes. And I've fused with the Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone."

The air in the office froze for a moment.

Chrysanthemum Douluo abruptly turned to stare at Gu Qingshan, his narrow eyes filled with shock.

The Blue Silver Emperor?

The Hundred-Thousand-Year Blue Silver Emperor?

This child had planted her in his courtyard as a potted plant?

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

Chrysanthemum Douluo's mouth twitched as he rapidly calculated how serious this was.

The Hundred-Thousand-Year Blue Silver Emperor was Tang Hao's wife.

Tang Hao, the Clear Sky Douluo, was a Level 95 Power Attack System Titled Douluo who wielded the Clear Sky Hammer. He had once single-handedly driven off several Titled Douluos from Spirit Hall who had surrounded him.

This child had stolen Tang Hao's wife.

Then he'd planted her roots in his courtyard, stuck her leaves into the soil, and eaten them like snacks every day.

Well... no wonder he'd said it wasn't safe enough.

Bibi Dong's lips had already curved into a faint smile. "So you're worried Tang Hao might sense her?"

"Teacher, you're so wise. Nothing gets past you!" Gu Qingshan promptly offered her a little flattery.

Bibi Dong regarded him with a half-smile.

"Weren't you so bold? You weren't afraid when you stole the Blue Silver Emperor. Why are you afraid now?"

Gu Qingshan gave an awkward smile.

Tang Hao wouldn't dare enter Spirit City, but what if they ran into him while hunting?

Star Dou Great Forest was enormous, but you never knew.

Bibi Dong saw the rare hint of nervousness on Gu Qingshan's face, and her smile deepened.

Ever since she'd met him, this child had always been fearless, unfazed even when three Soul Elders ganged up on him.

So he did know fear after all.

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

"To be on the safe side, your teacher and Elder Chrysanthemum will go with you."

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

"Elder Chrysanthemum, go make the preparations."

"Yes." Chrysanthemum Douluo answered and turned to leave the office.

Early the next morning, the three of them took a carriage to 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, then shook his head. "Any type is fine, as long as it's around twenty thousand years old."

The carriage fell silent for a moment.

Chrysanthemum Douluo's eyebrow twitched.

Bibi Dong put down the map and turned to look at him, a hint of surprise in her purple eyes.

The carriage fell silent for a moment.

Chrysanthemum Douluo's eyebrow twitched.

"Qingshan, are you sure? Generally speaking, the limit for a Second Soul Ring is a little over seven hundred years. Twenty thousand years? Can you handle that?"

"I'm sure." Gu Qingshan nodded.

He wasn't just saying it on a whim.

It had been a little over two months since his Martial Soul Awakening, and his vitality had soared from a few hundred points to seven thousand. His physique far surpassed that of an ordinary Soul Master.

He'd discovered that as his vitality increased, so did his physical strength. He was confident he could absorb a twenty-thousand-year Soul Ring.

"Very well."

Bibi Dong didn't ask any more questions. She turned back to the map. "In that case, there's no need to stop at the outskirts. We'll go straight in. There are no Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts in the outer reaches of Star Dou Great Forest."

At four in the afternoon, the carriage stopped on a small road at the forest's edge.

The three of them climbed down.

Chrysanthemum Douluo led the way, clearing a path. Bibi Dong walked in the middle, with Gu Qingshan following behind her.

The trees in Star Dou Great Forest were absurdly tall. Any one of them could reach dozens of meters. Their crowns blotted out the sky, allowing sunlight to filter through gaps in the leaves and scatter dappled patches of light across the ground.

Following behind Bibi Dong, Gu Qingshan walked along briskly, now and then taking a Blue Silver Leaf from his pocket and popping it into his mouth.

Then his gaze drifted unconsciously to Bibi Dong's back.

Today, Bibi Dong wore a fitted outfit in deep purple rather than her usual elaborate papal robes.

The outfit hugged her waist and perfectly outlined her figure. Her waist was slender enough to fit in the hands, and below it were round, peach-like curves that swayed with a rhythmic roll as she walked.

Gu Qingshan paused mid-chew.

Tsk. Too bad this body was only six years old.