Bring Yu Xiaogang back, this old lady will refine him!

Deep in the Star Dou Forest, atop an open clearing.

"Lin Tian, tell me, how confident are you in absorbing the Nether Ghost Blade Mantis as your fifth soul ring? You're grown up now. You should know how terrifying the soul shock from a ten-thousand-year soul beast is, shouldn't you?"

On Bibi Dong's breathtakingly beautiful face, a trace of nervousness appeared at that moment.

There were not many records concerning the Nether Ghost Blade Mantis on the Douluo Continent, and most of the information was held in the Spirit Hall Library.

Even if Lin Tian had loved reading as a child, surely it could not be such a coincidence that he had happened to turn to the page on the Nether Ghost Blade Mantis, right? There had to be some hidden reason behind this!

And this was precisely what Bibi Dong was worried about. She feared this was the work of that old bastard Qian Daoliu, whose goal was to cripple Lin Tian, the adopted son she had raised.

"Mother, the secrets in our Spirit Hall aren't known only to us. There's one other person who knows them too."

The moment Lin Tian said this, Bibi Dong immediately frowned.

"Who?"

"Yu Xiaogang!"

"It's actually that piece of trash!"

When Lin Tian spoke that man's name, Pope Bibi Dong's gaze instantly turned cold and dark.

That bastard had not only deceived her feelings, he had also stolen a vast amount of knowledge from Spirit Hall's treasured collection of books.

That bastard truly deserved to die!

Bibi Dong's fair, delicate hand clenched into a fist. It seemed she had still been too merciful toward that hypocrite who fished for fame. However, she had already issued a warrant for Yu Xiaogang's arrest. She believed that before long, good news would arrive from the branch halls across the land.

As for how to deal with him, Bibi Dong already had a plan in mind.

Yu Xiaogang's unrestrained mouth absolutely could not be left intact, lest he leak other Spirit Hall secrets as well.

"Lin Tian, after you finish absorbing your fifth soul ring, Mother has something she would like to ask you to handle."

As Pope Bibi Dong said this, her rose-red eyes fixed tightly on Lin Tian before her, as if waiting for his answer.

"Mother, if there's anything you need me to do, please give the order."

Lin Tian spoke respectfully to Bibi Dong. As Spirit Hall's Holy Son, he naturally ought to obey the Pope's dispatches and devote his strength to Spirit Hall.

"Yu Xiaogang, a hypocrite who fishes for fame, a thief who stole knowledge from Spirit Hall's scriptures, must be brought back and severely punished! Lin Tian, in the name of the Pope of Spirit Hall, Mother orders you to capture Yu Xiaogang and bring him to Spirit Hall for trial!"

"If anyone obstructs you, then rip out his tongue, smash his teeth, cripple his manhood, and drag him back to Spirit Hall like a dead dog. I will personally refine him!"

A dense killing intent radiated from Bibi Dong's rose-red eyes. This Yu Xiaogang had once again refreshed her understanding of him.

She did not know what had been wrong with her back then, to have fallen for such an irresponsible scumbag!

"Rest assured, Mother. Once I catch Yu Xiaogang, he's going to suffer properly!"

Lin Tian nodded, indicating that he would definitely complete this task.

Yu Xiaogang was someone he already found hateful. Now that he had received authorization from Her Holiness the Pope, he was certainly going to deal with him thoroughly.

As for whether he could be brought back to Spirit Hall alive, that would depend on how tough his life was!

According to the original timeline of the Douluo Continent, at this point in time, Yu Xiaogang should still be at Nuoding Academy.

And there was also another person's presence there that urged Lin Tian to head to Nuoding Academy as soon as possible.

The greatest villain of the Douluo Continent, the representative figure of hypocrites, Tang Biesan, was also working as a work-study student at Nuoding Academy.

Lin Tian had not the slightest favorable impression of this mixed-blood bastard.

He was Spirit Hall's greatest enemy. On the battlefield of Jialing Pass back then, he had been the chief culprit who killed Bibi Dong and gravely injured Qian Renxue.

If he discovered that disgusting pair of master and disciple at Nuoding Academy, Lin Tian would eliminate them both together.

As for that rabbit spirit, Lin Tian also had plans in mind: he would capture her and bring her back to Spirit Hall, making her the ninth soul ring for his mother, the Pope.

Seeing Lin Tian agree so readily, Bibi Dong's brow warmed, and she immediately wanted to step forward and give him a reward.

Just then, Ghost Douluo hurried over with an anxious expression, blocking Her Holiness the Pope, who had been about to step forward. The scene became somewhat awkward.

"Your Holiness, we have already discovered that thirty-thousand-year soul beast, the Nether Ghost Blade Mantis, but its strength seems to have increased quite a bit compared to before."

"Moreover, Yue Guan and I discovered signs of high-level soul masters having been active near its nesting lair. It seems someone else has been here."

Hearing Ghost Douluo say this, Bibi Dong's elegant brows furrowed slightly, and a trace of tension appeared in her eyes.

Who could be secretly coveting this thirty-thousand-year soul beast?!

Bibi Dong thought for a while, but seeing that she had no clues at all, she simply stopped thinking about it.

Whoever it was, as long as they dared oppose Spirit Hall, they could simply be wiped out with a wave of her hand.

However, what truly made Bibi Dong nervous was whether Lin Tian would actually be able to successfully absorb this thirty-thousand-year soul beast once they subdued it.

"Lin Tian, can your body really handle it? That is a thirty-thousand-year soul beast. Its strength is extremely terrifying!"

Bibi Dong's expression was somewhat tense.

The soul ring formed after a thirty-thousand-year soul beast died would have an extremely powerful impact on the spiritual sea.

Lin Tian's Soul Power Level was only level 50 right now. If he forcibly took the risk of absorbing this Nether Ghost Blade Mantis's thirty-thousand-year soul ring, there truly was a danger that his body would explode and he would die.

And in those rose-red eyes, there was a little more tension.

"Lin Tian, tell me. How confident are you?"

Bibi Dong stared at Lin Tian with a serious expression. Absorbing a soul beast's soul ring was no trifling matter.

If it was handled improperly, the consequences would truly be unimaginable.

But Lin Tian's next answer set the stunning pope's mind at ease quite a bit.

"Please don't worry, Pope Mother. I'm ninety percent confident I can absorb the Nether Ghost Blade Mantis's soul ring. It's strong, but I'm not weak either!"

Lin Tian spoke to Bibi Dong with a perfectly serious face. After hearing his words, she couldn't help nodding lightly.

If this brat really was ninety percent confident, then it was worth a try.

"In that case, let us hunt this Nether Ghost Blade Mantis and make it your fifth soul ring."

Once she finished speaking, everyone headed toward the lair of that thirty-thousand-year soul beast.

Before long, Ghost Douluo, who was leading the way, stopped and pointed ahead. In the shrubbery covered with withered grass, a pitch-black cave entrance was faintly visible.

"Your Holiness, the place we're at now is the dwelling of that Nether Ghost Blade Mantis."

Bibi Dong looked around. Compared with other parts of Star Dou Forest, the vegetation here was even more lush, and there were no other soul beasts nearby—only a deathly silence.

Just as Ghost and Chrysanthemum Douluo stepped forward, a faint breeze swept past. Leaves fell from the surrounding trees with the wind, only to be sliced into several pieces midair, their cuts incomparably smooth and even.

Even Bibi Dong felt a chill run over her entire body, and a faint stabbing pain prickled at her skin.

"Get ready. It's here!"