Was Bibi Dong Possessed?

Yan had been pondering how to comfort Lin Ze'an. He hesitated for a moment, but in the end, he still said nothing.

He simply reached out and gently patted Lin Ze'an on the shoulder.

He didn't know what to say. It felt like any words he could offer would be painfully inadequate.

But once they caught that damned evil Soul Master and avenged his junior schoolmate's family, he would probably feel a little better.

But just then, Lin Ze'an spoke slowly. "I thought I had no family left in this world..."

"But just yesterday, I found out that I still have one relative in this world—my great-grandfather."

Yan froze at that, his face full of surprise. Then he smiled and said, "Huh? That's great news! Who is it?"

His junior schoolmate hadn't left Spirit Hall since coming back, so the relative was probably someone nearby, right?

Lin Ze'an didn't answer. He simply raised his head toward the night sky, his eyes filled with complicated emotions.

"This feeling is complicated. After the excitement passed, I didn't know how to face this sudden kinship."

Master... isn't the right person to talk to about this kind of thing. After thinking it over, Yan is the only person I know well enough.

A mother who existed only in other people's stories and in my longing, a grandfather who left not a single word behind in the river of time... and now, my great-grandfather.

As Yan listened to Lin Ze'an, the smile gradually faded from his face.

He fell silent for a moment, then gave a bitter laugh. "Junior schoolmate, I don't know how to answer that."

"I don't have a family. Spirit Hall took me in when I was very young."

Lin Ze'an froze slightly. He'd forgotten about that... Hadn't he just driven a knife into someone else's heart?

He was about to apologize when he saw Yan lift his head slightly. Moonlight fell across his sharply defined profile, casting a faint shadow.

"I've been in Spirit Hall for as long as I can remember. No one ever told me who my parents were, and no one ever mentioned that I might have any other relatives."

"From the moment I was taken in, Spirit Hall became my home, and the teachers became my elders."

Yan let out a soft breath, his gaze returning to Lin Ze'an. "But I think that if I still had relatives somewhere in this world, I would be very happy."

He smiled, his voice tinged with longing. "Just imagine: if someone suddenly told me that I still had parents, or brothers and sisters."

"They hadn't passed away. They'd been looking out for me somewhere all along, and we'd only been separated for some reason. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

"But that's just a fantasy of mine. After all these years, I've long since gotten used to living without a family."

"Spirit Hall gave me everything. My strength, my future, and the rest of my life will all be devoted to Spirit Hall—even if it costs me my life."

He paused, looked at Lin Ze'an, and offered him a sincere blessing. "But you're different, junior schoolmate. You've found your family. That's a precious bond."

"You might feel confused, even uneasy, at first. But believe me: the bond of blood is one of the most precious things in this world."

At that, Lin Ze'an said nothing. He simply gazed at the loneliness in Yan's eyes.

He sighed, stood, and walked over to Yan. Then he gave him a gentle hug. "Thank you."

A few days later, Bibi Dong sat upon the lofty Papal throne in the Pope Palace.

She lowered her head slightly and looked at Lin Ze'an, who was seated below. A complicated look flickered in her eyes.

"I never expected you and Second Worship to have that kind of connection."

Lin Ze'an froze slightly, but before he could answer, Bibi Dong continued, "Still, I have to thank you. You gave Immortal Herbs to Nana and the others as well."

Lin Ze'an rose and bowed to her. "There's no need to thank me, Your Holiness the Pope."

"They're my future teammates and the future of Spirit Hall. I'm part of Spirit Hall too, so it's only right."

Hearing this, Bibi Dong gave a slight nod, a hint of approval in her eyes.

She raised a hand and sent an exquisite token floating toward Lin Ze'an.

Lin Ze'an accepted the token, puzzled.

When he looked down and saw its design, he couldn't help freezing. "The Elder Token?"

Bibi Dong said, sounding a little troubled, "The Great Elder and Second Worship came to see me. They planned to make you the Holy Son of Spirit Hall."

"But you haven't been in Spirit Hall long, and your seniority is still shallow. After discussing it, we decided to make an exception and promote you to Elder."

How could she not know what that old geezer Qian Daoliu was thinking? He wanted to win this boy over by relying on Golden Crocodile and Lin Ze'an's relationship. Ridiculous.

Lin Ze'an looked up at Bibi Dong in surprise.

Huh? This isn't how the story's supposed to go, is it?

While he was still bewildered, Bibi Dong continued, "This is the Elder Token. From today onward, you'll enjoy the same status and authority as Yue Guan and the others."

She paused. "But you haven't become a Titled Douluo yet, and you don't have a title, so you don't need to manage any of the palace's affairs. Your priority should be to focus on cultivating."

Lin Ze'an nodded and bowed to Bibi Dong. "Thank you, Your Holiness the Pope. I'll discipline myself and stay true to my principles. I won't abuse my authority."

Bibi Dong acknowledged him with a hum and waved her hand again. A dazzling rainbow light bloomed in the hall.

As the light dimmed, a Soul Bone radiating a strange glow hung suspended in the air.

She slowly rose and walked down from the throne herself, coming to stand before Lin Ze'an.

The Soul Bone moved with her, finally stopping in front of Lin Ze'an.

"This is your reward for offering up the Immortal Herbs. A 60,000-year-old plant-type head Soul Bone."

As if to keep Lin Ze'an from reading too much into it, she added, "Its effects should be related to Soul Power recovery. It wouldn't suit your master, but it's just right for you."

Lin Ze'an accepted the Soul Bone, completely baffled, and looked at Bibi Dong.

Uh... what's going on? Was Bibi Dong possessed by a transmigrator? Is this really her?

Even if I'm very talented and she wants to win me over, is she really going this far?

But he quickly came back to his senses and thanked her, holding the Soul Bone in his arms. "Thank you for your generosity, Your Holiness the Pope."

Hearing this, Bibi Dong nodded with satisfaction and said, "You should treasure it. A 60,000-year-old Soul Bone is extremely precious, even to me."

After leaving the Pope Palace, Lin Ze'an walked outside, still feeling a little dazed.

On one hand, he was shocked by how generous Bibi Dong had been. On the other, he hadn't expected a plant Soul Beast to drop a head Soul Bone.

But a 60,000-year-old head Soul Bone would conflict with the one he'd traded for with Qian Daoliu.

Lin Ze'an pondered for a moment, then a light flashed through his mind. He turned toward Yue Guan's palace.

He couldn't use it, but he could give the 50,000-year-old one to his master. His master didn't have a head Soul Bone yet.

And Soul Bones were so precious that there was nowhere to trade them anyway.

Besides, he couldn't exactly go to Qian Daoliu and say, "I've got a better one now. Can you trade me for a different one?"