Bibi Dong had originally thought Lu Chen simply liked powerful Soul Skills by instinct. She had never expected this child to have already considered how suitable a Soul Skill would remain as he grew stronger.
To think of that at such a young age was truly rare.
Bibi Dong said, "Not bad."
Lu Chen looked up at her.
Bibi Dong continued, "You're so young, yet you've already thought things through so carefully."
"When they choose their first two Soul Rings, most Soul Masters only think about increasing their combat strength in the short term. Very few consider whether a Soul Skill will still suit them as they grow."
On Douluo Continent, Soul Rings couldn't be replaced without some heaven-defying opportunity.
Once a Soul Skill was acquired, it would stay with a Soul Master for life.
That was why choosing Soul Rings was so important in itself.
But low-ranking Soul Masters often lacked both knowledge and resources. They could only choose the Soul Beast that was most suitable at the time or easiest to obtain.
There weren't many people who could plan their Soul Rings with the long term in mind.
For Lu Chen to think of such things right after awakening his Martial Soul already put him far beyond his peers.
Bibi Dong asked, "Have you thought about how many years old the Soul Rings you absorb should be?"
Lu Chen fell silent.
This was the truly crucial question.
According to the conventional theories of Douluo Continent, the First Soul Ring could be no more than four hundred years old, and the Second Soul Ring no more than seven hundred.
But Lu Chen knew very well that those were merely the limits for ordinary Soul Masters. They couldn't possibly apply to him.
His Martial Soul was Leugocyte.
After Martial Soul Possession, his physical abilities had already reached the level of a Power Attack System Soul Ancestor.
If he still absorbed Soul Rings according to ordinary Soul Masters' standards, that would be a real waste.
But if he gave a number that was too outrageous, Bibi Dong was bound to react strongly.
Lu Chen thought it over, then decided to state his judgment.
"Teacher."
"I feel like my First Soul Ring can be five to eight thousand years old."
Bibi Dong's brows instantly furrowed.
Lu Chen didn't stop. He continued, "My Second Soul Ring can be ten thousand years old."
"Preposterous!"
Bibi Dong's voice turned cold at once.
The atmosphere in the carriage tightened with it.
Lu Chen didn't startle or fidget. He simply sat there quietly.
Bibi Dong looked at him, her eyes stern.
"Xiao Chen, do you know what you're saying?"
Lu Chen nodded. "I do."
Bibi Dong's tone grew heavier.
"You've only just awakened your Martial Soul. Even if you have Innate Soul Power of level twenty, and even if your Martial Soul is powerful, that doesn't mean you can ignore the risks of absorbing Soul Rings."
Her voice was stern, but she wasn't simply scolding him.
She was more worried than anything else.
A god-level Martial Soul was indeed powerful, but the consequences of failing to absorb a Soul Ring were too severe.
At best, he'd be injured. At worst, he'd die. With Lu Chen's talent so important, Bibi Dong couldn't let him risk his life.
She suppressed her anger and patiently said, "A certain sage once put forward a theory."
Lu Chen's heart stirred.
Bibi Dong continued, "The limit for a Soul Master's First Soul Ring is four hundred and twenty-three years. The limit for the Second Soul Ring is seven hundred and sixty-four years."
"Though this theory may not apply to every special case, it at least proves that there's a limit to how much a Soul Master can withstand when absorbing a Soul Ring."
Bibi Dong looked at Lu Chen.
"You're talking about five thousand years, eight thousand years, and even a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring for your Second Soul Ring. It's far too dangerous."
When Lu Chen heard the words "a sage," he already knew who Bibi Dong meant.
Yu Xiaogang.
One of the root causes of Douluo Continent's many evils.
Lu Chen truly didn't think much of him.
Especially as Bibi Dong's disciple, he felt it was his duty to shatter that moonlight filter she had over Yu Xiaogang.
Of course, he couldn't just come out and say Yu Xiaogang was useless.
Bibi Dong might not be able to accept that yet.
So it would be best to start with his theory.
Take it apart.
Piece by piece.
Lu Chen didn't show any displeasure. Instead, he looked at Bibi Dong as if puzzled.
"Teacher."
Bibi Dong looked at him. "Go on."
Lu Chen asked, "But didn't you test it yourself yesterday?"
Bibi Dong paused slightly.
Lu Chen continued, "After Martial Soul Possession, my physical abilities have already reached the level of a Power Attack System Soul Ancestor."
"If my body can already withstand the power of a Soul Ancestor, why can't I absorb a Thousand-Year Soul Ring?"
Bibi Dong fell silent for a moment.
Lu Chen didn't stop.
He knew he had to keep asking now.
"And there's something else, Teacher."
"Why are that sage's limits for Soul Ring age so precise?"
Bibi Dong's brows furrowed slightly.
Lu Chen still sounded simply curious.
"Four hundred and twenty-three years, seven hundred and sixty-four years. Aren't those numbers strange?"
"Did he personally absorb Soul Rings of those ages?"
"Or did he see many people succeed at exactly those ages, then see many others fail after going over them?"
"If there weren't enough examples, how did he calculate those limits?"
The carriage fell silent again.
Bibi Dong was momentarily at a loss for words.
She had originally wanted to refute Lu Chen outright.
But his questions suddenly made her realize something.
That was right.
She had personally tested Xiao Chen's physical abilities after Martial Soul Possession yesterday.
With Martial Soul Possession alone, without using any Soul Skills, his strength had already reached the level of a top-tier Power Attack System Battle Soul Ancestor.
With a physique like that, did he really need to be restricted by the ordinary standards for a Soul Master's First and Second Soul Rings?
Why had she refuted him without thinking?
Simply because the ages he suggested were far beyond conventional theory.
But conventional theory was based on the physical limits of ordinary Soul Masters in the first place.
Lu Chen wasn't an ordinary Soul Master.
Bibi Dong's gaze shifted slightly.
And Xiao Gang's theory—
Was it really correct?
She had never seriously doubted it before.
Or rather, she hadn't wanted to doubt it.
In her heart, Yu Xiaogang had once represented a special part of her past. He had also embodied the hopes she had placed, as a young woman, in knowledge, tenderness, and understanding.
So whenever she heard Yu Xiaogang's Martial Soul Theory, she often assumed it was right without thinking.
But Lu Chen's questions were simple.
So simple that they contained no sharp attack at all.
Yet it was precisely because they were simple that Bibi Dong couldn't answer them at once.
Four hundred and twenty-three years.
Seven hundred and sixty-four years.
Where had those numbers come from?
If they had been deduced from a large number of cases, had the sample been sufficient? Were the Soul Master's Martial Soul types different? Were their physical abilities different?
Was their Innate Soul Power different? Were there people born with especially powerful physiques? Were there people whose bodies were strengthened by special Martial Souls?
If all those conditions differed, could a single, universal limit really apply to everyone?
The more Bibi Dong thought about it, the deeper her frown grew.
It wasn't that she lacked wisdom.
On the contrary, she had the sharp judgment and strategic insight required to become the Pope of Spirit Hall.
It was just that, for many years, Rakshasa Evil Thought had been influencing her, pushing her emotions to extremes, making her more prone to obsession, and causing her to lose the composure she should have had in certain matters.
Before you continue