Arriving at Sunset Forest

Elder Chen and Tang Yuan chatted briefly afterward to familiarize themselves with one another, then Jiang Lin set down his bowl and chopsticks to discuss their upcoming plans.

Jiang Lin intended to head to Heaven Dou City as soon as he had recovered sufficiently.

To be precise, he was heading to the Sunset Forest, located about one hundred miles east of Heaven Dou City.

It would be best if he could encounter Dugu Bo along the way, but it wouldn't matter if he didn't.

Previously, Jiang Lin had planned to find Dugu Bo first, fearing that the man might suddenly appear while he was absorbing the immortal herbs.

Although Elder Chen was there to guard him, the aftermath of a battle would inevitably affect him.

Now, he no longer had that concern.

With Tang Yuan, a level 98 Title Douluo, by his side, even if Dugu Bo were to suddenly appear, Tang Yuan could hammer him away in an instant.

Of course, he might even smash him to death with a single strike.

Over the next two days, Jiang Lin rested and healed his injuries with the help of a healing-type soul master.

On the third day, the three of them checked out and set off.

After reaching the outskirts of the town, Tang Yuan carried Jiang Lin on his back, with Elder Chen following behind, and they flew directly toward Heaven Dou City.

As for why Jiang Lin didn't fly himself?

Naturally, it was because he couldn't fly as fast as Tang Yuan.

Don't let the fact that his martial soul was the Clear Sky Hammer—which wasn't known for speed—deceive you; with the support of level 98 cultivation, his speed was still beyond what an ordinary Title Douluo could compare to.

Martial Soul City, inside the Pope Palace.

"Teacher, I have returned."

Hu Liena approached Bibi Dong and spoke with a hint of caution.

Bibi Dong felt no surprise upon hearing her disciple's voice.

She set down the files in her hands, revealing her stunning, peerless face, her purple eyes carrying a trace of imperceptible displeasure.

"Nana, Bishop Riels has already reported your experiences to me in advance. To be honest..."

Bibi Dong paused slightly, looking at her disciple before her, "I am very dissatisfied."

"But, Teacher..."

Hu Liena wanted to explain, but Bibi Dong raised her hand to interrupt her.

"This Wolf Bandit incident was a golden opportunity for you to accumulate merit. The soul masters dispatched should have remembered that it was under your leadership that the Wolf Bandits, who plagued the region, were eradicated."

"Unfortunately, when all was said and done, everyone only remembered one figure, and that person was not you."

"I am sorry, I have let you down."

Hu Liena lowered her head, not daring to meet Bibi Dong's gaze.

"Enough."

Bibi Dong looked at her disciple's appearance and shook her head with a touch of helplessness.

"Tell me about that unknown Title Douluo."

Hearing this, Hu Liena finally raised her head.

"That senior... I did not see him with my own eyes, but according to the descriptions of others, his martial soul is a Fire Leopard with three eyes."

"A mutated Fire Leopard, then... Could it be related to the Fire Leopard Sect?"

Bibi Dong pondered for a moment, then asked again:

"Do you know what his cultivation level is?"

"This... the disciple does not know."

Hu Liena shook her head in distress; the strongest person present at the time was only a level 85 Soul Douluo.

How could they clearly perceive the specific cultivation level of a Title Douluo?

Bibi Dong nodded, not minding the answer to that question.

In her view, that unknown Title Douluo was at most level 95.

"Right, what did you encounter in that cave? How much do you know about the young man who went in with you?"

Hearing this question, Hu Liena's previously tense face turned red instantly, and she stammered:

"Teacher... I encountered a strange plant-type soul beast, roughly ten thousand years old."

"A ten-thousand-year plant-type soul beast?"

Bibi Dong watched her disciple's strange reaction, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"Yes, its strength was definitely above that of a Soul Ancestor, and I was no match for it at the time... Later, just when I thought I was going to lose my life, a person wearing a Ghost Face Mask saved me. I don't know what happened after that."

Hearing this, Bibi Dong shifted her posture, lying sideways on the papal throne, her right hand tapping the armrest unconsciously.

Thump, thump, thump...

"Ghost Face Mask... what do you think his cultivation level is?"

Hu Liena thought for a moment before speaking:

"It should be level 50."

"Why?"

"Because when my brother and the others came to find me, the traces in the surroundings indicated that the ten-thousand-year plant-type soul beast was already dead. But in such a short time, the soul ring couldn't have dissipated, so it is highly likely he absorbed it as his fifth soul ring."

Hearing this explanation, Bibi Dong instantly caught the flaw in her logic.

"So, he completed the absorption of a ten-thousand-year soul ring in a very short amount of time?"

"This..."

Hu Liena opened her mouth, but in the end, she could not provide a more reasonable explanation.

After all, it couldn't be that the soul beast died and didn't drop a soul ring, could it?

How could that be possible?

She would rather believe that he absorbed the soul ring quickly than think a soul beast would die without dropping one.

"Sigh..."

A hint of disappointment inevitably colored Bibi Dong's eyes as she looked at Hu Liena.

"Nana, you must understand that to become the Saintess of the Martial Soul Hall, having sufficient cultivation is not enough."

"This disciple understands. It is this disciple who has failed Teacher's trust."

Hearing Bibi Dong's sigh, Hu Liena hurriedly knelt on one knee.

"Enough, go and cultivate. Remember this lesson. Also, if you encounter them again next time, try to see if you can bring them into the Pope Palace."

"Yes, Teacher."

As if granted amnesty, Hu Liena stood up and left the Pope Palace without a moment's hesitation.

Watching Hu Liena rise and leave, Bibi Dong's eyes could not help but turn a shade of scarlet.

"The position of Pope must never return to the hands of the damned Qian Family."

Having completely left the Pope Palace, Hu Liena could not help but breathe a sigh of relief.

"Whew..."

Immediately, she involuntarily recalled her previous experience and the words of her teacher, Bibi Dong.

She took a piece of silver-gray fabric from her storage Soul Tool.

The fabric was still stained with a few specks of blood.

Looking at this piece of cloth, Hu Liena's face could not help but flush red again.

This was what she had personally peeled off her own chest after waking up.

And beneath this fabric, aside from a few medicinal herbs, there was nothing else.

She didn't even need to guess to know what the person who used this cloth to bandage her had seen.

"Who... exactly are you?"

The outer perimeter of the Sunset Forest.

After a day of traveling, the three of them had arrived.

Looking at the lush forest in the night, Jiang Lin felt a surge of heat in his heart.

Once he obtained the immortal herbs, he would truly soar to the heavens, and he would never again have to miss out on those good things because he lacked enough points.

"Let's rest for a while, recover our soul power, and then we'll go find the immortal herbs!"