"But I've never met you!"
Jiang Qingyu spread his hands, indicating that he had met too many people to remember them all. Besides, if it had been Bibi Dong, he definitely would have remembered.
"Hehe, of course my benefactor doesn't remember. I was still little back then, afraid of being discovered, so I wore a mask," Bibi Dong said with a smile.
After hearing the whole story, Qian Xunji suddenly understood and said:
"Good, very good!"
"I was wondering why there were two times when you weren't at Spirit Hall, and you came back acting all strange. So you snuck out to do this!"
Bibi Dong shuddered in fright and stuck out her tongue. "Hehe, Teacher, I was just curious!"
"Curiosity killed the cat!" Qian Xunji smiled helplessly.
He truly had no way to deal with this disciple.
"Enough, enough. You really are something. As your teacher, I really can't do anything about you."
Qian Xunji admitted defeat. She was his only disciple; if he had another, he would have chewed her out right now, especially for going out alone.
"So the two of you really are fated!"
Guang Ling Douluo had never heard of this matter. In any case, the two had fate on their side, and the Holy Maiden was quite suitable for little Qingyu.
"Benefactor, come to Spirit Hall and I'll protect you!" Bibi Dong patted her chest confidently. "I might not be able to protect you outside, but here, I can."
Watching Bibi Dong's confident expression, Qian Xunji gave a helpless, bitter smile. "Forget it. He doesn't need you to."
Was his disciple a little too outrageous?
Qian Xunji began questioning himself. Was Jiang Qingyu suited for Bibi Dong?
Jiang Qingyu clearly had a cold and proud temperament. From beginning to end, he had not revealed much expression, and he carried an air that kept people a thousand miles away.
Even in plain, simple clothing, Jiang Qingyu still gave off an air of nobility.
That was an inborn bearing. It needed no deliberate cultivation; just the slightest bit of dressing up would bring it out.
Hmm, could Dong'er handle him?
Just as he was hesitating, Bibi Dong suddenly said:
"Teacher, I want to marry my benefactor!"
The moment those words came out, Qian Xunji's body swayed, and he nearly fell off the Papal Throne.
He hurriedly braced himself against the armrest and steadied himself, then looked up at Bibi Dong in astonishment.
"What did you say? You want to force him into marriage?"
Bibi Dong straightened her back, her gaze exceptionally resolute.
"That's right. I want to force my benefactor into marriage. First, I'll secure his status. Feelings can be cultivated slowly."
She had remembered the two times he saved her life for years. She had finally waited for her benefactor to appear, and Guang Ling Douluo had even brought him here. No matter what, she could not let him go.
This was the kind of fate described in some novels!
She and her benefactor were destined to be together!
The veins at Qian Xunji's temple throbbed violently several times. He clenched the armrest tightly before suppressing his anger.
He turned to Jiang Qingyu. The other party was still standing where he was, white hair falling over his shoulders and red eyes utterly without ripples, as though the words just now had nothing to do with him.
Then he glanced at Guang Ling Douluo beside them. The man had his arms folded as he leaned against a palace pillar, the corners of his lips raised high, clearly waiting to watch the show.
"Shut up!"
Qian Xunji lowered his voice and rebuked Bibi Dong.
Bibi Dong shrank her neck, but she still pursed her lips in stubborn defiance.
Qian Xunji softened his tone slightly and said in a deep voice:
"Jiang Qingyu was brought here by Uncle Guang Ling. Even if you truly intend to marry him, you must first ask Uncle Guang Ling and Jiang Qingyu what they think.
"Furthermore, there are rules for marriage between men and women. What you're talking about is marrying, not taking a wife. It would be one thing if you were being willful with an ordinary Soul Master, but his identity is special. How can I let you act recklessly?"
Sigh, if he had neither power nor influence, Teacher would be pleased if you wanted to force him into marriage and might even grant your wish. But what kind of identity does Jiang Qingyu have? Since he was willing to come, he must have already met Father.
Only then did Guang Ling Douluo slowly straighten up and smile as he smoothed things over.
"Your Holiness, you're treating us like outsiders. Qingyu is a cold child by nature; I was worried that no one could bring him out of his shell. Still, forcing him into marriage is indeed improper. If word gets out, where would Spirit Hall's dignity go?"
He secretly laughed. Bibi Dong had some nerve, saying something like that the first time they met. He wondered whether little Qingyu could handle her.
Jiang Qingyu finally spoke, his tone calm and flat.
"Let us not discuss marriage for now. I have only just entered Spirit Hall. My first priority is to familiarize myself with the environment and consolidate my cultivation."
He knew full well how Bibi Dong's story would unfold. Right now, he had no mind for romantic entanglements. Securing the position of Holy Son and increasing his Soul Power were the utmost priorities.
Bibi Dong still did not want to give up. With a benefactor like him, there was no way but forced marriage. If she slowly cultivated their feelings, it would be too late.
Slowly boiling the frog would not work. She had to strike while the iron was hot and settle it in one move!
With Bibi Dong's peerless wisdom, winning over her benefactor would surely be easy!
"How about my benefactor and I have a match?"
"Benefactor, what do you think?"
Bibi Dong asked again.
Qian Xunji thought that was not a bad suggestion. It would be a good chance to see what Jiang Qingyu was capable of. His bearing was impressive, but he wondered whether his strength matched it.
If Uncle Guang Ling had taken a liking to him, he was definitely no ordinary person. If he was all looks and no substance, that would be interesting.
"Little Qingyu, will you agree?" Guang Ling Douluo asked.
"No problem."
Jiang Qingyu agreed. Besides, in a place like Spirit Hall, the less strength one displayed, the worse it was. Everyone would assume he had gotten in through connections.
Though he was not afraid of what others might say, demonstrating his strength was still very necessary.
Once they had settled on it, they immediately left the Papal Palace and headed to the Soul Arena closest to it.
"Benefactor, I won't bully you. I'll definitely go easy on you."
At the Soul Fighting Arena, Bibi Dong was already halfway to celebrating victory.
She was eighteen years old and a level fifty-three Soul King. Her talent was exceptionally terrifying, and that was precisely why she had been exceptionally promoted to Holy Maiden.
Other than herself, she had never seen anyone more talented than her!
"Begin."
Jiang Qingyu said indifferently.
As soon as his words fell, Bibi Dong activated her Soul Power.
Black mist surged out as the Death Spider Emperor martial soul was released in an instant. A massive phantom of the Spider Emperor emerged behind her, six sharp spider legs spreading at her sides. Her soul rings lit up one after another beneath her feet—two yellow, two purple, and one black, arranged in perfect order.
Guang Ling Douluo nodded in praise.
"Not bad. Already a Soul King at eighteen. This talent ranks among the best on the entire continent."
Qian Xunji smiled.
"Yes, Dong'er has done well. She is one of Spirit Hall's best young talents."
There was a hint of pride in his tone. After all, Bibi Dong was a disciple he had personally taught.
In the arena, Jiang Qingyu's expression did not change. Blazing flames abruptly surged from his palm, and the Flame Phoenix Sword appeared in response. Phoenix patterns flowed across the blade as a clear phoenix cry rang through the Soul Arena, scorching waves of heat spreading in every direction.
Immediately afterward, soul rings slowly rose beneath his feet—one yellow, one purple, and four black. Six soul rings settled steadily before him.
The smile on Qian Xunji's face froze. His pupils suddenly contracted as he blurted out:
"A Soul Emperor? His second soul ring is already a thousand-year ring, and his third is directly a ten-thousand-year ring?"
He had never seen such an outrageous soul ring configuration. Normally, a Soul Master's third soul ring was only a thousand-year ring, yet Jiang Qingyu had directly made his a ten-thousand-year ring. It was simply unheard of.
Guang Ling Douluo smiled and said:
"Of course. He is a genuine genius."
Qian Xunji turned to Guang Ling, his tone full of envy.
"Uncle Guang Ling, you really found a treasure." He looked back at Bibi Dong in the arena. He had originally thought his disciple's talent was astonishing, but now it instantly seemed insufficient.
On the Soul Arena, Bibi Dong stared blankly at the four black soul rings. Her once-confident face stiffened. She had originally planned to give him a few moves, but now she understood that her benefactor did not need her to go easy on him at all. His strength clearly surpassed hers by a huge margin.
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