The interior of Pope Palace was vast and magnificent. At the far end of the hall, atop a high flight of steps, stood an ornate throne symbolizing the Pope.
Seated upon the throne was a woman. It was none other than the Pope, Bibi Dong.
Several figures with unfathomably deep auras stood below the throne, seemingly reporting some matter to her.
Bibi Dong's gaze swept calmly over them as she listened, her fingers occasionally tapping lightly against her scepter.
When Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo entered with Lin Ze'an, the reports abruptly stopped.
Everyone in the hall turned their eyes toward them, especially toward Lin Ze'an, whom two Titled Douluo had personally brought in.
Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo strode forward, stopping a dozen or so meters from the throne. They bowed together. "Your Holiness the Pope, we've brought him back."
Chrysanthemum Douluo gently patted Lin Ze'an, who still seemed a little dazed.
Lin Ze'an looked up and immediately felt several powerful, scrutinizing gazes settle on him.
He sighed and bowed in imitation of Chrysanthemum Douluo. "Lin Ze'an pays his respects to Your Holiness the Pope."
From her lofty seat upon the throne, Bibi Dong fixed her gaze on Lin Ze'an and began to size him up.
Then she slowly rose and descended the steps, one at a time.
The scepter in her hand tapped lightly against the floor with each step, making a crisp, rhythmic sound.
At last, Bibi Dong stopped in front of Lin Ze'an and looked down at the young boy before her.
A rare, unmistakable trace of surprise appeared on her breathtaking face.
She reached out and gently took hold of Lin Ze'an's wrist.
A surge of Soul Power flowed into his body, sweeping over his bones and meridians.
A moment later, Bibi Dong let go. The surprise in her eyes deepened, edged with disbelief.
"His Soul Power really is level twenty?"
Having begun the Rakshasa God Trial, she knew far more than the average person.
An ordinary Soul Master's Innate Soul Power could reach level ten at most. Level twenty, on the other hand, was only possible with a god's blessing—in other words, with a god-level Martial Soul.
Her gaze settled on Lin Ze'an's face once more. She spoke gently to him. "Little one, release your Martial Soul and let me see it."
Under the focused gaze of Pope Bibi Dong and all the surrounding elders, Lin Ze'an nodded helplessly. With a flicker of thought, he summoned his Martial Soul once more.
In an instant, an emerald-green glow rippled outward like water, and a warm, surging aura of life swept away the oppressive atmosphere in Pope Palace.
Rich vitality filled every corner of the hall. Everyone felt their spirits lift, and even the flow of Soul Power within their bodies seemed to grow smoother.
"This..."
Every elder present widened their eyes, their faces full of astonishment.
They had lived most of their lives and seen countless strange Martial Souls, yet never anything like this.
"Is this... a humanoid Martial Soul? Or a beast-type one? Or both in one?"
"Never seen anything like it! There's no record of one, either!"
"What pure, boundless life energy! But what does this have to do with plant types? Who classified it?"
After a brief silence came a wave of barely restrained exclamations and discussion.
There was no doubt, however, that this Martial Soul was of a quality far beyond any they knew—and superior to every Martial Soul in the hall.
Even Bibi Dong, seated high above them, showed a fierce tremor in her otherwise frozen expression.
The emerald-green glow spread gently yet resolutely, its purest, life-filled energy enveloping the entire hall. Several elders felt their bodies invigorated and their Soul Power stirred, as if they had grown years younger.
Bibi Dong, however, felt something entirely different.
The instant the life-filled glow touched her body, a flicker of shock crossed her face.
The divine power within her, drawn from the Rakshasa God Trial, was actually being purified, thread by thread, beneath that light.
The chill, brutality, and resentment that had long clung to the depths of her soul like a festering curse were briefly dispelled by this power.
For the first time in ages, her mind felt a fleeting, almost dreamlike clarity and peace.
A moment later, Lin Ze'an recalled his Martial Soul.
The life aura that had filled the hall and soothed everyone's spirits quickly vanished without a trace.
He lifted his head and met Bibi Dong's gaze, then spoke first. "Your Holiness the Pope, this is my Martial Soul, named Mo Ruier."
Bibi Dong nodded slightly and was about to speak when Lin Ze'an suddenly stepped forward and bowed deeply to her. "Your Holiness the Pope, I have an unworthy request. I would like to take Elder Chrysanthemum Douluo as my master!"
At his words, not only Chrysanthemum Douluo but Bibi Dong and the other elders were stunned as well.
Lin Ze'an continued to explain, "Though my Martial Soul doesn't take the form of a plant, it can command all the grasses and trees in the world. It is the king of all plants."
"Elder Chrysanthemum's Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum is also plant-type, and its nature has something in common with my Martial Soul."
"If I could take Elder Chrysanthemum as my master, his profound understanding of top-tier plant-type Martial Souls would surely help him guide my cultivation better."
"It would also help me understand the special nature of my Martial Soul more deeply and keep me from going astray as I cultivate."
As far as he was concerned, his immediate problem was simply finding a master.
If he wanted to seek a master in the Worship Hall, setting aside how he could possibly know about it, or whether he could even get in, Bibi Dong would probably kill him first.
After thinking it over, and putting aside the other useless people in the Elder Hall, Chrysanthemum Douluo was the only one who fit the bill. At least he was a decent person, and Bibi Dong should be able to accept it.
Besides, taking Chrysanthemum Douluo as his master was like getting two for the price of one—Ghost Douluo would protect him too.
At this, Chrysanthemum Douluo trembled with excitement. He looked toward Bibi Dong, his eyes brimming with hope.
Bibi Dong's gaze shifted between Lin Ze'an's youthful face and the barely restrained delight on Chrysanthemum Douluo's.
Her slender fingers tapped the scepter once more, the crisp sound breaking the brief silence.
"Granted."
She turned to Chrysanthemum Douluo. "Yue Guan, I entrust Lin Ze'an to your careful instruction. Give him the same treatment as Hu Liena."
Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan was delighted. He quickly bowed. "Thank you for your gracious favor, Your Holiness! I will do everything in my power!"
Only then did Bibi Dong turn her gaze back to Lin Ze'an. "Lin Ze'an, from this day on, you will study under Yue Guan. I hope you cultivate diligently and do not disappoint Spirit Hall's expectations."
After Bibi Dong issued her decree, Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan forced down his excitement and arranged a warm smile on his face.
He spoke gently to Lin Ze'an. "Child, since Your Holiness the Pope has granted her approval, let's perform a simple apprentice's ceremony here and have the elders bear witness."
In the solemn, stately Pope Palace, under the watchful eyes of Bibi Dong on her throne and several Spirit Hall elders, Lin Ze'an didn't hesitate in the slightest.
He straightened his slightly rough robe, stepped forward twice, and faced Chrysanthemum Douluo. Then he knelt solemnly on both knees and bowed. "Your disciple Lin Ze'an pays his respects to Master!"
Yue Guan accepted his salute with a deeply satisfied smile, then quickly bent down and helped him up. "Good! Good disciple! Get up!"
He patted Lin Ze'an on the shoulder, his voice full of delight. "From now on, you are my Yue Guan's only disciple!"
He'd never expected such a stroke of good fortune to fall into his lap. He had a disciple of his own now.
From this day on, Lin Ze'an's status in Spirit Hall was officially established: the personal disciple of Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan.
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