Inside the papal carriage, Bibi Dong gazed at the exquisitely adorable little boy before her, wide awake now.
Who would have thought that she, the Pope of Spirit Hall and a heaven-blessed prodigy, would be wrapped around a little boy's finger? This shouldn't be happening!
"Lin Tian, how are you feeling now? What's the Soul Skill from the Bee Poison King Spider's Soul Ring like? Tell Mother about it."
Bibi Dong sat on a jade cushion inside the carriage, her beautiful eyes fixed on Lin Tian, filled with concern.
Although she had long scoffed at the Soul Master theories proposed by Yu Xiaogang, the child before her was only six years old. Bibi Dong couldn't help worrying.
After all, not everyone could handle the lingering soul of a Soul Beast as easily as she could.
"Thank you for asking, Mother. I feel great now—clearheaded and refreshed."
Lin Tian sensed the [Bee Poison King Spider] Soul Ring within him and began describing the First Soul Skill he had gained to Bibi Dong.
First Soul Skill: Poison King Slash: [Area attack: Can unleash three searing sword waves at enemy targets. The waves carry a neurotoxin; a hit will slow the target's movements. Once a Soul Master reaches the Five-Ring Soul King realm, the effect changes from slowing to stunning, with a control duration of two seconds.]
"Not bad. A Soul Skill that can inflict a debuff right from the first ring—very impressive."
After hearing Lin Tian's explanation, Bibi Dong couldn't help praising him. As a Titled Douluo, she knew firsthand just how powerful Soul Skills that stacked debuffs could be.
She was genuinely delighted that Lin Tian had gained such a powerful Soul Skill.
At the same time, the system's notification rang in Lin Tian's mind.
[Ding! Congratulations, host, on completing the side growth quest (First Soul Ring).] [Reward: Gan Jiang and Mo Ye Sword.]
Hearing the system announce that his reward had arrived, a flicker of surprise crossed Lin Tian's little face, but he quickly composed himself.
After all, he was only a lowly Soul Master for now. If he made too much of a spectacle, his Pope Mother would definitely get suspicious.
"Lin Tian, you looked a little pale just now. Did absorbing the Soul Ring make you feel unwell?"
As she spoke, Bibi Dong laid her slender hand against Lin Tian's forehead. The soft touch of her skin stirred a strange feeling in his heart.
"Your head feels a little hot, sweetheart. It'll still be a while before we get back to Spirit Hall. How about lying on Mother's lap and resting for a bit? You can regain your strength."
Faced with a lap pillow offered up so generously, Lin Tian didn't refuse.
He stretched out and lay right down across the Pope Mother's lap, soon falling into a deep sleep.
There was no denying it: the Pope Mother's lap was the perfect sleep aid. The skin, carrying an enticing fragrance, relaxed him in moments, and he soon drifted into a dream.
So Lin Tian could sleep a little longer, Bibi Dong used a secret sound transmission to tell Gui Mei, who was driving, to slow down.
Ghost Douluo was a little puzzled, but he could only obey.
Lin Tian slept soundly.
For him, the feeling was pure bliss.
At Bibi Dong's direction, the papal carriage took two hours to return to the Pope Palace.
What neither Ghost nor Chrysanthemum Douluo had expected was that the moment the carriage's jade curtain was drawn aside, His Holiness the Pope stepped out, carrying the sleeping little boy in her arms.
The sight seemed utterly unbelievable to them.
His Holiness the Pope disliked being close to people. Aside from Hu Liena, whom she had taken as her disciple, no ordinary person could get within a meter of her.
Yet on this trip to the Star Dou Forest for the Soul Hunt Operation, His Holiness the Pope had not only wiped Lin Tian's sweat but had even carried him out of the carriage.
What on earth was going on?
Could it be that His Holiness the Pope's temperament had changed, and she had started warming to people?
But Bibi Dong's sharp rebuke soon snapped Ghost and Chrysanthemum Douluo back to reality.
The Pope hadn't changed. She was still as cold and stern as ever!
After settling Lin Tian in a side hall of the Pope's Bedchamber, Bibi Dong returned to the Pope Palace. Today's trip to the Star Dou Forest had brought many new discoveries to light.
As the Pope of Spirit Hall, she naturally had to issue new directives so that Spirit Hall could secure control of these resources as quickly as possible.
"Gui Mei, Yue Guan, notify the bishops and the other elders. I have orders to issue!"
The two men nodded, then transformed into streaks of light and vanished from before Bibi Dong in the blink of an eye.
A short while later, the Platinum Bishop and the other elders had gathered in the Pope Palace's grand council hall.
"Everyone, quiet down. I have an announcement to make."
Seated sideways on the papal throne, Bibi Dong wore her purple-gold crown, her expression solemn.
Her peerlessly beautiful face seemed to radiate a gentle glow beneath the sunlight.
Perhaps she had hurried on her way just moments earlier; now, His Holiness the Pope's cheeks were flushed, and tiny beads of sweat glistened amid her long, dark hair.
A lock of hair that had clung to her forehead now hung along one side of her face. In the sunlight, it lent the woman on the papal throne an even more mature allure.
When everyone had gathered in the hall, Bibi Dong swept her rose-red eyes over them, then spoke:
"Everyone, I have three matters to announce. First, starting today, Lin Tian, the Holy Son of Spirit Hall, will be my personal disciple. I will personally guide his future Soul Power cultivation!"
"Second, I am ordering the arrest of Yu Xiaogang. He stole the contents of the Spirit Hall Library's texts, then built his reputation by trampling on the bones of countless Spirit Hall Soul Masters. A man like that must be punished severely!"
"Third, I have marked the thirty-thousand-year Soul Beast, the [Nether Giant Rhino], in the outer reaches of the Star Dou Forest. From this moment on, it is the private property of Spirit Hall. No force or individual Soul Master may lay a finger on it. Any violator will be killed!"
When Bibi Dong finished speaking, everyone present nodded to show they understood.
His Holiness the Pope had every right to personally guide the Holy Son's Soul Power cultivation. They had no grounds to interfere.
Yu Xiaogang had stolen treasured texts from the Spirit Hall Library. His crime was unforgivable. Arresting him and crippling him was the only thought in the hearts of every Spirit Hall Soul Master.
As for claiming the Soul Beasts of the Star Dou Forest as Spirit Hall property, that made even more sense.
On the Douluo Continent, strength had always ruled. The great sects and imperial families had long since sent people to stake out the Soul Beasts their forces needed.
This was perfectly normal practice in the Soul Master world!
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the Star Luo Imperial Family...
Every Soul Master faction had people watching over Soul Beasts in the Star Dou Forest. Some of the finest Soul Beasts had been watched over since they were very young.
What His Holiness the Pope was doing was entirely reasonable!
"One more thing. If you meet resistance while arresting Yu Xiaogang, show no mercy!"
Before you continue