Looking at the towering Pope Palace before her, Bibi Dong unconsciously tightened her grip on Ban Shu's hand and pressed her slightly pale lips together.
Seeing this, Ban Shu gently patted her hand to comfort her. "Don't be nervous, Sister Dong'er. I'm here."
"Mm."
Feeling the warmth in her palm, Bibi Dong's nervousness gradually settled.
Just then, a knight stepped forward and respectfully bowed to Ban Shu. "The Pope requests that the two of you come inside."
"All right."
Ban Shu nodded and followed the knight into the Pope Palace.
Inside the hall, the first thing they saw was a massive golden throne. The Pope, Qian Xunji, was dressed in a splendid golden robe and reviewing documents at his desk.
"Your disciple pays his respects to his teacher."
Ban Shu released Bibi Dong's hand and bowed.
Qian Xunji, who had known the two were coming, did not look up. He merely waved a hand.
Seeing this, the knight immediately bowed to him, then withdrew to continue his duties.
Only after the idle onlookers had left did Qian Xunji put down his pen and raise his head. "Xiao Ban, you're here?"
"Yes, Teacher."
Ban Shu remained calm as he introduced Bibi Dong with a gesture. "This is my older sister, Bibi Dong."
Bibi Dong hurriedly bowed as well. "Bibi Dong pays her respects to the Pope."
"All right, you may both rise."
Qian Xunji looked gentle, without a trace of the Pope's imposing dignity. He seemed more like an easygoing elder.
"Bibi Dong, I've heard a little about you too. Innate Full Soul Power and Twin Martial Souls—you're an extraordinary genius."
Qian Xunji slowly stood, clasped his hands behind his back, and approached them.
"I agreed to have you come with us this time not only because Xiao Ban asked me to. I also intend to take you as my disciple."
"What do you think?"
Hearing this, Bibi Dong's eyes widened, excitement showing on her face, but she still glanced at Ban Shu.
When he smiled and nodded, she immediately bowed deeply to Qian Xunji. "Your disciple, Bibi Dong, pays her respects to her teacher."
"Mm, rise."
Qian Xunji seemed very satisfied with Bibi Dong's reaction. With these two prodigies under my tutelage, Spirit Hall is certain to flourish in the future.
"All right, I'll take you to your rooms first. Xiao Ban, in a few days, I'll personally take you to obtain a Soul Ring."
After speaking, Qian Xunji turned to Bibi Dong. "As for Dong'er, I remember you've already reached level twenty and obtained two Soul Rings, correct?"
"Yes."
Bibi Dong did not hide it. Besides, there was no way to conceal it. As a heaven-blessed prodigy, it was hardly surprising that she had become a Soul Master in just two years of cultivation.
"In that case, you can choose to cultivate here or come along with us."
As soon as Qian Xunji finished speaking, Bibi Dong eagerly raised her hand. "Teacher, I want to go with Xiao Ban."
"Mm, that's fine. I can teach you a few things along the way, and you'll get to broaden your horizons."
Qian Xunji nodded. With a Titled Douluo like him there, there should be no danger.
"Teacher, I'll do whatever you say."
Ban Shu naturally had no objections. When Qian Xunji had mentioned obtaining Soul Rings, something had occurred to him.
Douluo I didn't seem to know yet that Whale Rubber could strengthen the body and break through the age limit for absorbing a Soul Ring.
If that was the case, he would take advantage of this and lay a solid foundation for his future path to godhood.
At the thought, Ban Shu's mind raced as he considered how to tell Qian Xunji about Whale Rubber without arousing suspicion.
He was still only six years old. If he brought it up out of the blue, it would seem far too strange.
But that was precisely why he could use his age to put any suspicions to rest.
After making the arrangements, Qian Xunji took out two booklets and handed one to each of them.
"These are the advanced meditation cultivation methods exclusive to Spirit Hall. They're nothing like the common techniques available elsewhere. Be sure to cultivate diligently, understood?"
"Yes, Teacher."
The two answered and took the booklets, putting them away.
Just then, Ban Shu began pretending to be distracted, hoping to catch Qian Xunji's attention.
Sure enough, Qian Xunji immediately noticed that something was off. Afraid something might be wrong, he asked with concern,
"Xiao Ban, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Hearing this, Bibi Dong also looked at Ban Shu anxiously.
"Ah, nothing's wrong, Teacher. It's just..."
Ban Shu feigned hesitation. "When I took your manual, I suddenly remembered that an ancient page mentioned a treasure that could increase the age limit of a Soul Ring."
"Oh? What is it? Tell me quickly."
Qian Xunji's interest was immediately piqued, and he urged Ban Shu to explain.
Ban Shu pretended to think, then recounted the story he had made up. "That day, I was exercising in the woods outside the orphanage when an old man suddenly appeared in front of me."
"The old man was holding a stack of pages and said he wanted to sell them to me. I thought he was a swindler, so I ignored him."
"Who knew the old man would say I had extraordinary bones and was a genius? Then he tossed down a page of an ancient scroll and vanished."
Ban Shu put on a shocked expression. "I picked up the page, and it said there was something called Whale Rubber."
"If you heat it to a high temperature, then consume and refine it, it can not only strengthen the body but also increase the age limit of a Soul Ring."
"Whale Rubber..."
Qian Xunji furrowed his brow. Of course he knew what Whale Rubber was, but wasn't that stuff just for the pleasure of the nobility?
Could it really have another use?
"Teacher, do you know what Whale Rubber is?" Ban Shu asked, feigning confusion.
"Xiao Ban, do you still have that ancient page?"
Qian Xunji hurriedly pressed him for an answer. Perhaps the old man was a reclusive expert who had taken a liking to Ban Shu's talent and offered him some guidance.
Ban Shu frowned and shook his head. "Strangely enough, as soon as I finished reading the page, it spontaneously combusted. I couldn't find it again."
"That explains it. It's no wonder."
Qian Xunji murmured to himself. It seemed things really were as he had suspected: an expert had given the boy some guidance.
In his mind, Ban Shu was only a six-year-old child and shouldn't be lying.
Besides, if this was true, it could only benefit Spirit Hall. And there was no cost involved, either.
"In that case, I'll find someone to test whether this method is genuine."
Seeing that Qian Xunji had no suspicions, Ban Shu breathed a sigh of relief. The old-master-delivers-a-treasure trope was a little overused, but if it worked, that was all that mattered.
Just then, Qian Xunji strode out of the Pope Palace. "All right, we can talk about this later. I'll take you to your rooms first. Come with me."
On the way, Bibi Dong asked curiously in a quiet voice, "Xiao Ban, did the old man leave anything else behind? And what did he look like?"
"Well..."
Ban Shu thought for a moment before answering. "It seemed like all the pages he had were written on, but I thought they were fake, so I didn't look closely."
"As for the old man, his clothes were tattered all over, like a beggar's. But he spoke with a strong voice and walked steadily, without the slightest sign of old age."
"I see."
Bibi Dong nodded and did not ask anything more.
Up ahead, Qian Xunji had heard every word Ban Shu said, further convincing him that the boy had met a reclusive expert.
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