Taking a Master

Those dark, twisted thoughts, brimming with resentment and a desire to destroy, seemed to be gently brushed by some invisible force. They did not disappear completely, but they were slowly weakening.

Very slowly.

But it was real.

Deep in Bibi Dong's eyes, a faint ripple appeared.

She knew exactly what had happened to her, and where the malice in her mind had come from.

Those things had tormented her for a long time, affecting her emotions and her judgment.

Yet now, simply standing beside this child and watching his divine-grade Martial Soul manifest, she could feel that malice showing signs of being suppressed and dissolved.

This made a certain thought in Bibi Dong's heart grow even firmer.

This child had to stay by her side.

Not just because of his divine-grade Martial Soul, nor just because of his talent, but also because there seemed to be some kind of power within Lu Chen that could affect her condition.

Bibi Dong looked at Lu Chen, her tone gentler than before.

"Child, would you be willing to take me as your master?"

At those words, Lu Chen's heart stirred.

Here it comes.

The classic master-taking scene.

Honestly, if Bibi Dong hadn't been influenced by the Rakshasa God, taking her as his master would have been an excellent choice.

She was the Pope of Spirit Hall, with a lofty status, abundant resources, and formidable strength of her own.

More importantly, Lu Chen was already on Spirit Hall's side. Taking Bibi Dong as his master would undoubtedly let him gain access to Spirit Hall's true core resources much faster.

But the problem was obvious, too.

After being influenced by the Rakshasa God, Bibi Dong's personality and actions became rather difficult to read.

She wasn't simply a good person, nor was she a villain in the ordinary sense.

Her inner world was complicated, and her obsession ran deep. In the future, she would walk an extreme path.

A master like that could be a powerful ally, but also a risk.

Lu Chen weighed his options quickly.

But given the current situation, taking Bibi Dong as his master was still a good choice.

First, he had no intention of abandoning Spirit Hall.

Second, he had just awakened a divine-grade Martial Soul and had already caught the attention of Spirit Hall's upper echelons. Even if he didn't take Bibi Dong as his master, the Worship Hall or some other faction would surely try to claim him.

Rather than be dragged passively into the struggle between Pope Hall and the Worship Hall, it was better to choose a side now.

At least Bibi Dong was right in front of him, and she had already made the first move.

More importantly, Lu Chen had also vaguely sensed something from Bibi Dong's reaction just now.

It seemed that her condition had changed somehow when he released his Martial Soul.

As for the Rakshasa God's evil thoughts in Bibi Dong's mind, Lu Chen felt that with Leugocyte's ability to devour even corrupted planets, dealing with a mere evil thought shouldn't be a problem.

Of course, that wasn't something he could do right now.

He was only six years old, had just awakened his Martial Soul, and didn't even have a Soul Ring.

But once he grew stronger, there might be a chance.

Having thought it through, Lu Chen didn't hesitate any longer.

He composed himself and bowed respectfully to Bibi Dong.

"Your disciple, Lu Chen, pays his respects to Master."

Watching the child bow before her, Bibi Dong finally showed a trace of satisfaction.

This was exactly the result she wanted.

Lu Chen taking her as his master meant that the child who had awakened a divine-grade Martial Soul was now firmly connected to Pope Hall.

Even if the Worship Hall wanted to interfere, it would have to take that into account.

Ghost Douluo stood to the side, still silent.

But he understood that the moment Lu Chen agreed to become her disciple, the situation had changed.

Just then, a golden figure suddenly appeared inside Pope Hall.

A forceful, domineering aura instantly spread through the hall.

Lu Chen had only just straightened up when he felt a heavy pressure rushing toward him.

He turned to look and saw a figure clad in golden armor standing in the hall.

It was the Second Worship, Golden Crocodile Douluo.

When Bibi Dong saw Golden Crocodile appear, the satisfaction on her face instantly faded, replaced by unmistakable hostility.

She looked at Golden Crocodile and spoke in an unfriendly tone.

"Second Worship, what brings you to my Pope Hall?"

It sounded like a question, but the hostility behind it was unmistakable.

Golden Crocodile Douluo didn't answer her.

His gaze fell straight on Lu Chen.

This was the child who had awakened a divine-grade Martial Soul.

He was also the child Golden Crocodile had been ordered by the Great Enshrined to bring back to the Worship Hall.

Golden Crocodile wasted no words. He raised a hand and reached to seize Lu Chen.

Lu Chen's heart tightened.

With his current strength, he had no chance of resisting someone at Golden Crocodile's level.

But the next moment, Bibi Dong's voice rang out.

"How dare you!"

She shouted, and her aura erupted in an instant.

A powerful force swept straight toward Golden Crocodile.

Golden Crocodile Douluo's outstretched hand was forced to stop, and the force drove him back a step.

It was only one step, but enough to make his expression turn grave.

He looked up at Bibi Dong, his eyes filled with surprise and suspicion.

This woman's strength had actually reached such a level.

As a Level 98 Super Douluo and the Second Worship of the Worship Hall, Golden Crocodile Douluo was one of the strongest people on the entire continent.

But the moment Bibi Dong struck, he could clearly feel that her power was already beyond what an ordinary Titled Douluo could match.

Bibi Dong stood in front of Lu Chen, her expression cold.

She didn't show Golden Crocodile the slightest courtesy.

"Old fool, don't push your luck."

At those words, the atmosphere in Pope Hall grew even more tense.

Standing behind Bibi Dong, Lu Chen kept quiet on the surface, but inwardly, he couldn't help but marvel.

As expected of Bibi Dong.

She really didn't mince words.

Bibi Dong continued, "This child has already taken me as his master. You're too late."

Golden Crocodile Douluo's expression was just as grim.

He said in a low voice, "This is the Great Enshrined's order."

Bibi Dong looked at him coldly, refusing to back down even a little.

"Then tell the Great Enshrined to come speak to me himself."

The air between them clashed for a moment.

Lu Chen could clearly feel invisible pressure colliding in the air.

Though neither side had truly unleashed their full strength, this confrontation between powerhouses of their caliber was already deeply uncomfortable for a child who had only just awakened his Martial Soul.

Golden Crocodile Douluo didn't make a move. He gave Bibi Dong a long look, then glanced at Lu Chen behind her.

The child had already taken Bibi Dong as his master.

If Golden Crocodile forcibly took him away, it wouldn't simply mean taking a child who had awakened a divine-grade Martial Soul. It would mean tearing away all pretense of civility between Pope Hall and the Worship Hall.

What was more, Bibi Dong's display of strength had forced him to reassess the situation.

After a brief silence, Golden Crocodile Douluo didn't continue arguing.

His figure turned into a streak of golden light and vanished from Pope Hall.

Only after the golden light disappeared did the tense atmosphere in Pope Hall ease slightly.

Bibi Dong withdrew her gaze and looked back at Lu Chen, as though nothing had happened.

Lu Chen wisely didn't ask any questions.

He hadn't expected that right after taking a master, he would already be caught up in a power struggle among Spirit Hall's top brass.