Audience with the Pope

After completing all the formalities, Mo Lin was just about to head to the assigned dormitory when someone came looking for him again.

Mo Lin was starting to feel a little worn down. In just a few hours, there had not been a single thing he could finish from beginning to end. Someone always popped up to interrupt him. None of it was bad, exactly, but none of it was particularly exciting either. He felt like a 996 employee—one moment a colleague came over to discuss something, the next a superior asked him to make a speech, and then the cleaning lady ran over to ask him to take out the trash. Who wouldn't be annoyed?

Still, Mo Lin maintained a polite and respectful demeanor toward his elders, exchanging a few courteous pleasantries. Once he learned that he was to meet the Pope, he began considering how to leave a deep impression on Bibi Dong as he followed them toward the main hall of the Papal Palace.

Inside the Papal Palace, Bibi Dong did not seem to be present. However, three children four or five years older than him stood before the Pope's seat. One of them was Xie Yue, whom he had just toyed with. The other two—a short-haired blonde girl and a red-haired boy—were naturally Hu Liena and Yan.

Hearing the door open, all three turned around in unison.

The moment Xie Yue saw Mo Lin, he looked away. Having just been toyed with by him, he had no desire to interact with him.

But Hu Liena and Yan clearly felt differently. They were only ten years old, though their soul power had made their bodies and appearances nothing like those of ordinary ten-year-olds—Hu Liena's chest, for instance.

Yan smiled and patted Xie Yue on the shoulder.

"Xie Yue, aren't you going to introduce him? I heard you ran into him in the side hall earlier, didn't you?"

"You!"

Xie Yue shot Yan a glare and slapped his hand away.

Hu Liena covered her mouth and laughed as well.

"Brother, I knew he was younger than us, but I didn't expect him to be this much younger—and he still managed to toy with you. You really are... too naive."

"Exactly," Yan chimed in.

Xie Yue's expression remained unpleasant.

"Stop making fun of me. That kid is strange. If you went, you might fare even worse than I did!"

"Is that so? Then I'll give it a try."

Hu Liena walked straight over to Mo Lin and bent slightly at the waist, accentuating certain parts of herself.

"Little brother, what's your name?"

As she spoke, she also used a bit of a charm skill. Her routine could land a critical blow on almost every member of the opposite sex.

But "almost every" naturally meant that some men could resist it, and Mo Lin, who had practiced Daoist techniques for six years, was naturally one of them. Besides, Hu Liena's charm skill was still far from perfected.

Thus, Mo Lin's reaction was to take half a step back.

"Big sister, please have some self-respect!"

Hu Liena froze.

"Hm?"

"You're still young. You can't mistreat yourself like this!" Mo Lin said.

Hu Liena blanked out for a moment, then flew into a rage. Although she had to practice charm-type skills because of her martial soul, she had always treasured genuine feelings and her own body.

Provoked by Mo Lin's words, she immediately reached out, intending to properly "educate" this little brat.

But Mo Lin dodged lightly.

"Big sister, I already told you to cherish yourself. Why are you trying to put your hands on me?"

When Hu Liena saw that she had missed, she pressed forward. Yet neither of them used soul power, so naturally she could not even touch a hair on Mo Lin's head.

Watching this ridiculous scene from the side, Xie Yue and Yan both burst out laughing, unable to stop.

Hu Liena turned her head.

"You two! Don't laugh!"

"Alright, alright! We won't laugh!"

They said they would not laugh, but they did not stop at all.

Just then, the sound of a scepter striking the floor rang out. Everyone stopped and looked toward the Pope's seat. At some point, Bibi Dong had already taken her place upon it. Even Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo had appeared in the hall without anyone noticing, standing at Bibi Dong's sides.

Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan hurriedly stood properly before quickly dropping to one knee in salute.

"Greetings, Your Holiness!"

But Mo Lin was in no hurry. He slowly walked to Hu Liena's side, then saluted alongside the other three and spoke in an exceedingly formal tone.

"Greetings, Your Holiness."

"Rise!"

Bibi Dong spoke, then signaled to Ghost Douluo, Ghost, with her eyes.

Ghost nodded slightly, stepped forward, and looked at Mo Lin.

"You white-haired brat, you clearly knew that His Holiness had arrived. Why did you not pay your respects immediately, and instead dawdle about?"

Mo Lin took a step forward and met Ghost's eyes directly.

"In reply to Lord Ghost Douluo, I naturally know that His Holiness and the two Title Douluo are immensely powerful, coming and going without a trace. I am weak, and unable to detect the presence of the three of you. Failing to observe proper etiquette in time was already a mistake.

"Since the mistake had already been made, there was certainly no way to remedy it. All I could do was make sure not to commit any further mistakes.

"As a newcomer, I am still not sufficiently familiar with etiquette. Therefore, I could only move a little more slowly, ensuring that my actions were proper and my tone appropriate."

After speaking, Mo Lin stepped back again. He no longer looked directly at Ghost, keeping his gaze level and fixed ahead.

Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan wore an amused smile, as though he had discovered something interesting.

Bibi Dong nodded, then said, "Elder Ghost, what do you think?"

A smile appeared on Ghost's face as well, but no matter how one looked at it, it seemed ill-intentioned.

"Your Holiness, I am very satisfied."

Bibi Dong rose to her feet and looked at Mo Lin with a smile.

"Mo Lin, from now on, you will be one of my personal disciples. I will teach you myself. What do you think?"

Hu Liena and the other two all looked toward Mo Lin. They had assumed that, like Xie Yue and Yan, Mo Lin would be trained by Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo. They had not expected the Pope to take him as her disciple directly. After all, Hu Liena had only become the Pope's disciple after training under Ghost and Chrysanthemum Douluo for a period of time.

Mo Lin gave a salute.

"To be favored by Your Holiness is already my honor. Now that I have the good fortune to become Your Holiness's disciple, I am naturally willing."

Bibi Dong had been about to continue, but Mo Lin had not finished speaking.

"However, Your Holiness, I have one request."

"What is it?" Bibi Dong asked.

Mo Lin immediately dropped to one knee.

"I hope Your Holiness can grant me sufficient freedom and allow me three months each year to travel across Douluo Continent."

"Why?"

Bibi Dong found it strange. The request was neither particularly significant nor insignificant. Moreover, for a soul master, cultivating soul power should have been the highest priority. She did not understand the purpose of this request.

"Your Holiness, as a soul master, cultivating soul power is naturally of utmost importance. However, I believe that as a person, the growth of one's heart and one's own experiences are equally important. Therefore, I sincerely ask Your Holiness to grant my request."