Chrysanthemum Ghost Gemini, First Meeting with Ye Lingling

Pope Palace.

A tall woman with fair skin, dressed in a luxurious light purple robe embroidered with gold patterns and wearing the Nine-Curve Amethyst Crown, held a gemstone scepter that symbolized the authority of the Pope.

This person was the current Pope, Bibi Dong, who was also the biological mother of Qian Renxue.

Although she was no longer young, the traces of time seemed not to have touched her.

Bibi Dong held a letter that had arrived not long ago, worry rising between her brows.

The contents of the letter recorded the results of those she had secretly sent to monitor Qian Renxue's actions in Heaven Dou City.

Even though she loathed Qian Renxue from the bottom of her heart because of that incident with Qian Xunji, and had later deliberately goaded her into going to the Heaven Dou Empire to lie in wait, she did not feel particularly happy.

Whenever she recalled the scene in the secret chamber that day, she felt hatred for everyone in the Qian family, including her daughter, Qian Renxue.

Whenever her hatred subsided, she would find herself wanting to investigate Qian Renxue's situation in Heaven Dou City.

Bibi Dong's contradictory psychological state made her emotions extremely unstable.

"Two Title Douluo of Spirit Hall have gone missing, and you tell me you couldn't find them? What use are you to me?" A red light flashed in Bibi Dong's beautiful eyes, as if her mind had been influenced by something.

She swung her hand, and a giant, deep-purple scythe slashed through the air; the head of the messenger who had delivered the letter rolled away into the distance.

Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo, standing to the side, exchanged a glance and silently lowered their heads, pretending not to see.

They had long since grown accustomed to Bibi Dong's volatile temper.

"Hmph, Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, sword genius, Dugu Bo." Bibi Dong pinched the envelope with her jade fingers, her eyes narrowing. "Regardless of whether they were involved, that child named Han Yu must die.

Ju Hua Guan, Gui Mei."

"Your subordinate is here," Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo replied, bowing.

"That Golden Crocodile Douluo from the Elder Hall has already set out. You two will also make a trip to Heaven Dou City. You must kill that child, and while you're at it... secretly monitor her." Bibi Dong pressed her temples, her brows furrowed tightly as she waved her hand to dismiss them.

"Yes."

Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo exchanged a look and nodded calmly.

Since Bibi Dong said "while you're at it," that was their primary mission; though she called it monitoring the Saintess, it was actually an order to protect her.

Having served in Spirit Hall for many years, the two had long since figured out their superior's habits, which was the very reason they were so highly valued.

As for Han Yu, Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo didn't take him seriously at all. According to the intelligence, Han Yu was merely a level thirty-four Spirit Grandmaster.

Once the two of them unleashed their twin-spirit fusion, they could even contend with a Super Douluo; with that powerful Second Elder also involved, a mere Spirit Grandmaster was as good as dead.

A few days later.

Heaven Dou City, Crown Prince Tutor Mansion.

Han Yu had just finished bathing and was lying on the sofa, feeling completely relaxed with a bath towel wrapped around his waist.

He was comfortably studying the new array diagrams he had collected, nodding with joy whenever he had a moment of insight.

He had been like this for many days in a row, and even Chen Xin couldn't do anything about this disciple of his.

Chen Xin's original intention was to let Han Yu relax for a while, but he hadn't expected that apart from cultivation, Han Yu would bury himself in the study of arrays all day long. This level of willpower made even Chen Xin admire him; no wonder Rongrong hadn't made any progress with Han Yu after all these years.

It turned out that his disciple loved arrays and cultivation more than anything else. Chen Xin usually called such people sword fanatics—oh, wait, array fanatics.

In the mansion's reception hall.

The butler was standing in front of the door, bowing as he ushered a twelve or thirteen-year-old girl into the room.

This person was the new head of the Ye Family, Ye Lingling, whom Han Yu had previously mentioned to the butler.

Ye Lingling had short white hair, a slim and slender figure, and wore a white off-the-shoulder dress with a veil covering her face.

"Please wait here; the Holy Son is still cultivating," the butler said respectfully.

Ye Lingling's left hand rested unconsciously on her right wrist, her eyes focused as she scanned the surroundings quickly, and she said softly, "Mm... mm."

The butler then bowed and left.

Ye Lingling's small chest rose and fell, her hands twisted together gently, and she pursed her pink lips, waiting silently in place.

A moment later, Chen Xin walked in.

"You must be the granddaughter of the Ye Family head," Chen Xin said with a smile.

He gestured for Ye Lingling to take a seat, his expression gentle and refined.

"Junior Ye Lingling pays her respects to Your Excellency Chen Xin." Ye Lingling bowed respectfully and sat down gently, her tone carrying a hint of urgency.

Chen Xin nodded slightly and said, "The Ye Family head has already told me about your situation. From now on, you are a part of my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

There is no need to be reserved; our sect treats disciples of other surnames and Ning family disciples equally.

As long as you dedicate yourself to the sect from now on, the sect will not forget your contributions."

Hearing this, Ye Lingling sat up straight, her eyes earnest as she nodded vigorously.

For a moment, the two fell into silence, and the atmosphere grew somewhat cold.

Chen Xin glanced toward the direction of Han Yu's room and sighed softly.

With such a beautiful young woman visiting, Han Yu actually claimed the array diagram he was working on would yield results any moment, leaving him, an old man, to come out and receive her.

He was never a man of many words, let alone with someone separated from him by who knew how many generations; managing to say this much was already a stretch for him.

Just as Chen Xin was preparing to go and drag Han Yu over.

Han Yu walked in, beaming with joy, his eyes filled with delight.

He bowed to Chen Xin upon entering, then strode with a light step directly toward the chair opposite Chen Xin, only to find someone already sitting there.

Before he could react.

Ye Lingling stood up with a start, her hands hanging by her waist, fingers slightly curled, rubbing the hem of her skirt repeatedly, her beautiful eyes fixed firmly on the floor at Han Yu's feet.

Her lips moved first, and her soft voice followed a half-beat later: "...Ye Lingling of the Ye Family, greets the Holy Son."

Han Yu snapped out of his daze, waved his hand with a smile, and said in an easygoing tone, "Hello, hello, please, sit."

He turned his head, summoned his Mystic Array Disk martial soul, and tapped it lightly toward Chen Xin.

The next instant.

Chen Xin felt an inexplicable vertical pressure surround him, as if someone were using soul power to drag his body downward, and the effort required to lift his arms increased slightly.

Curiosity flickered in Chen Xin's eyes as he looked at Han Yu.

Han Yu laughed heartily and explained with delight, "Teacher, this is something I just learned: the Earth Trap Array.

It doubles the gravity within the array's range, though the duration is quite short, only thirty seconds.

If someone with a weaker physique uses soul power to compensate, their soul power consumption will increase exponentially."

Ye Lingling, sitting to the side, watched his profile quietly, her eyes shifting slightly.

Chen Xin chuckled and shook his head, saying with a hint of reproach, "You, you really can't give yourself a break."

Han Yu smiled and retracted his martial soul.

To others, arrays might be dull.

But to him, arrays were superior to everything, women included.

He glanced at Ye Lingling beside him.

Especially women who were too young.