Even He Couldn't Forgive Himself

Especially when Yu Xiaogang was involved, her judgment was more easily swayed by the past.

But things were different now.

Lu Chen was right beside her.

The passive influence of Leugocyte's Martial Soul had been suppressing the Rakshasa Evil Thought in her mind all along.

With those dark, extreme, chaotic thoughts suppressed, Bibi Dong felt her mind grow clear for the first time in a long while.

She began to examine the matter in earnest from the perspective of the Pope.

Not from the perspective of old feelings, nor from that of obsession, but from the perspective of facts.

Lu Chen's physical qualities truly were no longer those of an ordinary child.

His Martial Soul truly was no ordinary Martial Soul, either.

Then naturally, the limits of the Soul Rings he could absorb couldn't be judged entirely by ordinary theories.

Bibi Dong looked at Lu Chen. The anger in her eyes gradually faded, replaced by thoughtfulness.

Lu Chen said nothing more.

He knew he had already planted the question in her mind.

Now, Bibi Dong would think it through herself.

That was the best possible outcome.

If he directly said that Yu Xiaogang's theory was flawed, or even disparaged him, it would only provoke Bibi Dong's resentment.

But if Bibi Dong discovered the doubts herself, that would be entirely different.

Outside the carriage, the horses continued forward at a steady pace.

Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo stood guard outside, unaware that the master and disciple inside were engaged in a seemingly simple conversation about Soul Ring age limits—one with far-reaching consequences.

After a moment, Bibi Dong spoke slowly.

"Your argument makes some sense."

Lu Chen looked up at her.

Bibi Dong continued, "Your physical qualities are indeed far beyond those of an ordinary Soul Master. We can't judge you entirely by ordinary theories."

Her tone, however, remained stern.

"But five to eight thousand years, or even a ten-thousand-year Second Soul Ring, is still far too risky."

Lu Chen didn't argue.

"I understand, Teacher."

Seeing his attitude, Bibi Dong felt a little more satisfied.

The boy dared to dream, but he wasn't reckless. At least in front of her, he didn't stubbornly insist on his way.

Bibi Dong said, "Your Soul Ring selection must be based on how much you can actually withstand. Once we reach Star Dou Forest, I'll personally oversee the process."

Lu Chen nodded. "Yes, Teacher."

Bibi Dong gave him another look.

"But I'll reconsider the question you raised just now."

Lu Chen's heart stirred faintly.

He knew that was enough.

As long as Bibi Dong began to question whether Yu Xiaogang's theory was absolutely correct, the first crack had appeared in that so-called white-moonlight filter.

As for what came next, there was no need to rush.

They could take it slowly.

Bibi Dong leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes to think.

A few days later, the carriage finally reached Soul Hunting Town on the outskirts of Star Dou Forest.

Nothing worth mentioning had happened along the way during those days of travel.

As the carriage entered the town, Lu Chen lifted the curtain and glanced outside.

This place was completely different from Spirit City. There were no orderly, stately buildings, nor Spirit Hall knights everywhere.

Most of the buildings lining the streets were inns, taverns, and shops selling Soul Hunting supplies. Most of the people passing by were Soul Masters, too.

Some carried weapons on their backs. Some still looked exhausted after coming out of the forest. Others gathered in groups of three or five, discussing which Soul Beasts they planned to hunt.

Lu Chen had originally thought that, following the usual conventions of certain stories, they might run into a few fools who would pick a fight as soon as they arrived.

After all, Yue Guan and Gui Mei had both concealed their auras, Bibi Dong wasn't wearing her conspicuous papal robes, and he was just a child of around six.

Unfortunately, not a single fool came looking for trouble before the four of them had checked into an inn in town.

Lu Chen was a little disappointed.

But on second thought, this was actually what made sense.

The people in Soul Hunting Town might not all be strong, but most of them spent their lives skirting the edge of danger. They weren't lacking in discernment.

Even without revealing her identity, Bibi Dong had an imposing presence that ordinary people couldn't match.

Yue Guan and Gui Mei seemed quiet, but they gave off the same air of being best left alone.

Unless someone really had something wrong with their head, they wouldn't pick a fight with them for no reason.

The four of them rested for one night.

Early the next morning, Bibi Dong led Lu Chen, Yue Guan, and Gui Mei out of town and officially entered Star Dou Forest.

They didn't linger for long in the outer region, heading straight for the deeper mixed zone.

The outer region was home mostly to ten-year and Hundred-Year Soul Beasts. Thousand-Year Soul Beasts could be found there, but they were few and far between.

Lu Chen's target was a Thousand-Year Soul Beast with dragon blood. If they only searched the outer region, they had no idea how much time it would take.

Before entering the forest, Bibi Dong checked Lu Chen's physical condition once more.

Along the way, she had made Lu Chen undergo Martial Soul Possession more than once, and had personally sensed the state of the Soul Power circulating within him.

After his Martial Soul Possession, Lu Chen's physical strength, power, and recovery ability all increased tremendously, far surpassing those of an ordinary Soul Master at level twenty.

Even judging solely by physical qualities, he had indeed reached the level of a Power Attack System Soul Ancestor.

Bibi Dong remained very cautious about this conclusion.

Being able to withstand the strain physically didn't mean he would definitely succeed in absorbing a Soul Ring. But at least it showed that Lu Chen's request wasn't baseless.

She had checked him repeatedly over the past few days to rule out possibilities such as unstable Soul Power or Martial Soul Possession temporarily overtaxing his body.

In the end, she concluded that Lu Chen's powerful physique wasn't temporary. It was a fundamental gift of his Martial Soul.

That was why she was willing to treat what had initially seemed like an absurd idea as an option worth seriously considering.

It also meant that, if he succeeded, Lu Chen would have a starting point far beyond that of ordinary Soul Masters from his First Soul Ring onward.

That was precisely why she had stopped restricting him by the standards of ordinary Soul Masters.

Still, before they truly entered Star Dou Forest, Bibi Dong stopped and looked at him seriously.

"Xiao Chen, I'll ask you one last time."

Lu Chen looked up. "Please ask, Teacher."

"Are you sure you want to absorb a Thousand-Year Soul Ring?"

Bibi Dong's voice was calm, but her gaze was especially stern.

"Once you begin absorbing a Soul Ring, it's difficult for anyone else to help you. Your physical qualities are strong enough, but the power within a Soul Ring doesn't only place a strain on your body."

"The Soul Beast's lingering will, the rejection of its Soul Power, and whether your Martial Soul can fully harmonize with the Soul Ring could all affect the outcome."

Lu Chen nodded.

"Teacher, I've made up my mind."

Bibi Dong didn't agree immediately. Instead, she continued asking, "Even if you'll suffer far more pain than an ordinary First Soul Ring would cause, you won't regret it?"

"I won't."

"Even if there's a chance of failure?"

"I'm willing to try."

Lu Chen answered earnestly.

He knew there were risks in absorbing a Soul Ring beyond his level, but he wasn't taking them without reason.

The physical enhancement granted by Leugocyte's Martial Soul far exceeded what was normal, and his Innate Level 20 Soul Power gave him a far stronger foundation than ordinary Soul Masters.

With conditions like these, if he still absorbed only a roughly four-hundred-year First Soul Ring, even he couldn't forgive himself.