Bibi Dong's Summons

The other was white, like holy light from the heavens above, radiating brilliance that illuminated all directions.

Their bodies entwined and coiled, forming a strange Taiji diagram in the void. They merged with each other, yet held one another in balance.

Then the image shattered.

Lu Mingfei suddenly opened his eyes and gasped for breath.

His forehead was covered in cold sweat, and the clothes on his back were soaked through.

He lowered his head and looked at his right hand.

The Black Dragon King tattoo still lay quietly across the surface of his skin, but at some point, an extremely faint ring of silvery-white lines had appeared along its edges, so subtle that he would never have noticed without looking closely.

He sat there in a daze for a long time.

What did that vision mean?

Why had the White Dragon's power kept avoiding him, only to reveal itself on its own today?

Lu Mingfei raised a hand and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, feeling both shaken and lost.

He thought about it for a long time, but found no answer.

Moonlight streamed in through the window and fell across the back of his right hand.

Under the moonlight, that ring of silvery-white lines flickered faintly, then slowly faded, vanishing once more into the gaps between the Black Dragon's scales.

Lu Mingfei leaned against the headboard, staring at the moon outside as his thoughts churned.

He had too many unanswered questions and too many secrets waiting to be uncovered.

But he knew there was no use rushing.

All he could do now was keep training and keep growing stronger.

Lu Mingfei closed his eyes, then opened them again. In a low voice, he said to himself, "Tomorrow, I'll be hunting soul beasts to obtain my first soul ring and break through to Soul Grandmaster. Then I'll keep climbing, until I climb high enough—high enough to look down on this world. Then I'll find everything I'm looking for."

He lay back down and closed his eyes. This time, he quickly fell asleep.

After he had fallen asleep, the Black Dragon tattoo on the back of his right hand glimmered with silver light once more.

This time, the silver light lasted longer than ever before.

The shape of the tattoo seemed to be undergoing a subtle change.

Fine silver lines began to emerge from the gaps between the Black Dragon's scales.

It was as though something was awakening, slowly lifting its veil.

Early the next morning, while the sky was still dim, the training ground of the junior camp was already packed with people.

Several trainees who had reached their bottlenecks stood ready to depart, all full of energy, their faces brimming with eager excitement.

Today was the day they would head to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt soul beasts.

For every soul master, obtaining their first soul ring was one of the most important events of their lives. It marked the leap from an ordinary person to a true soul master.

Zhou Dashan stood at the front of the group, with Jin Hu and two other instructors behind him. Soul tools hung from each of their waists, and their expressions were grave.

He swept his gaze across the group, confirmed that no one was missing, and was about to wave them off when a black carriage suddenly came racing in from outside the camp. Its hooves clattered urgently against the bluestone pavement.

The carriage came to a stop at the edge of the training ground. The curtain was lifted, and a slender figure stepped down, her long purple hair drifting slightly in the morning breeze.

Huang Fei.

Zhou Dashan frowned slightly.

Huang Fei belonged to the Inspection Corps directly under the Pope. By rights, she should not have appeared at the junior camp at a time like this.

He hurried over and cupped his hands in greeting. "Lady Huang Fei, why are you..."

Huang Fei's gaze passed over Zhou Dashan and landed precisely on the thin, small figure in the rear of the group. Her voice was cool and level. "Lu Mingfei stays. Everyone else proceeds as planned."

A small stir ran through the group.

When Lu Mingfei was pulled out of the line, his face was still blank with confusion.

He had been standing on tiptoe to look at the carriage in the distance, wondering whether he could snag a comfortable seat for the journey. Then, in the next second, he was singled out and told to stay behind.

Chen Xiaolu winked and made faces at him from within the group, his expression clearly saying, What trouble have you gotten yourself into this time? Lu Mingfei could only answer with an innocent, bitter smile.

Zhou Dashan glanced at Lu Mingfei, then at Huang Fei, but asked no further questions.

He knew Spirit Hall's rules better than anyone.

Since Huang Fei had come personally to take someone away, it had to be the Pope's will. A mere instructor from the junior camp had no right to interfere.

He waved his hand and led the remaining trainees onto another large carriage.

Jin Hu vaulted up onto the driver's seat and gave a shout. The sound of hooves gradually faded, and the carriage soon disappeared around the corner by the camp gates.

Only Huang Fei and Lu Mingfei remained on the training ground.

"Lady Huang Fei."

Lu Mingfei finally could not hold it in any longer and asked,

"What... is going on?"

"The Pope wishes to see you." Huang Fei was brief and direct. She turned toward the carriage. "Follow me."

Bibi Dong again.

Lu Mingfei's heart skipped a beat. He had met that Pope only a month ago, and even now, recalling the oppressive force of her presence made his legs go weak.

It had only been a month. Why did she want to see him again?

Could it be that he had performed poorly somewhere and was about to be sent back?

Or had the monthly report mentioned that strange mass of power inside him?

Filled with misgivings, Lu Mingfei climbed into the carriage. Huang Fei sat opposite him, as usual with her eyes closed in quiet repose.

The carriage raced all the way through Spirit Hall's front hall, corridors, and layer upon layer of courtyards before finally stopping outside the familiar meditation room.

Huang Fei raised a hand and knocked. Bibi Dong's voice came from within:

"Come in."

This time, Lu Mingfei did not hesitate much before pushing open the door and walking in.

Bibi Dong was still seated behind that low wooden desk, in exactly the same posture as she had been a month ago.

When Bibi Dong's purple eyes fell on Lu Mingfei, they carried an appraising look he could not quite understand.

"Lu Mingfei."

Bibi Dong spoke unhurriedly. "You have been at the junior camp for a month. I have read Huang Fei's monthly report. Your soul power control has improved significantly. Your foundation in combat is weak, but you are willing to work hard. Zhou Dashan's evaluation of you is that your attitude is proper, and your rate of improvement has exceeded expectations. You have done well."

Lu Mingfei straightened his back a little. To receive even a single "you have done well" from Bibi Dong, there were probably not many trainees in the entire junior camp who could claim the same.

But he knew Bibi Dong had not summoned him merely to praise him.

Sure enough, Bibi Dong changed the subject. "But you have a problem. Your soul power has been stuck at level twenty for a month. If you do not obtain a soul ring soon, your progress will stagnate."

She paused, her purple eyes narrowing slightly.

"Your Black Dragon King martial soul is among the highest-tier dragon types. A hundred-year soul ring would only barely be usable for you.

"If you want to truly unleash your martial soul's potential, your first soul ring must be at least a thousand years old."

Lu Mingfei blinked, trying to process the weight of those words.

A thousand-year soul ring was a level only Soul Elders could challenge.

He did not even have a single soul ring yet, and she wanted him to hunt a thousand-year soul beast directly...

He had read in Basic Knowledge of Soul Masters that, in theory, the maximum age a soul master could bear for their first soul ring was a little over four hundred years.

Beyond that limit, the soul ring's power would backlash against its host.