Remember the One Who Dug the Well! Seeking Recognition for Fanolan!

News traveled faster than the wind.

Word that Li Long had become the Pope's personal disciple spread throughout Spirit City by that evening.

It first passed by word of mouth among the attendants within the Papal Palace, then spread to the External Affairs Hall and the Deacon Hall, rapidly proliferating through the contact points maintained in Spirit City by the various branch halls.

By the following morning, the matter was being discussed at tea stalls and taverns throughout the streets and alleys.

"Have you heard? His Holiness the Pope has taken on a personal disciple."

"Who is it? Which noble family is he from? What was his innate soul power?"

"From Notting City. They say he only had innate level three soul power, and his martial soul is just an iron rod."

"Innate level three? You're joking, right? Someone with innate level three can become the Pope's personal disciple?"

"It's true. Everyone who watched the tournament knows. He fought across a ring and won five straight against two-ring opponents. Later, he was only a hair away from defeating a three-ring Soul Elder. He directly absorbed a thousand-year soul ring as his second ring, and only returned yesterday."

"A thousand-year second ring... Then he really does have something. No wonder he was accepted as a personal disciple!"

The discussions were mixed with shock, doubt, and curiosity.

Most people could not understand why a commoner Soul Master with innate level three soul power could rise to the heavens in a single step, but those who had personally watched the matches remained silent and offered no rebuttal.

Early that morning, within the Papal Palace, Li Long passed through the corridors and stopped outside Qian Shengyuan's study. He raised his hand and knocked twice.

"Come in."

Li Long pushed open the door and entered.

Qian Shengyuan sat behind a long desk, reading through a fresh intelligence report.

He had changed into light golden casual robes today, making him seem somewhat gentler than before.

When he saw Li Long enter, he set down the report and lifted his chin, signaling for him to sit.

Li Long did not sit. He stood before the desk, bowed, and spoke directly. "Teacher, this disciple has a request."

Qian Shengyuan's brows shifted slightly. "Speak."

"This disciple wishes to seek recognition for Deacon Fanolan of the Notting City branch hall."

Li Long's tone was steady, without preamble or detour. "Grandpa Fanolan was the first person to guide this disciple after I awakened my martial soul in Notting City. When this disciple broke through to level ten after three and a half years of cultivation, he personally took me to Soul Hunting Forest to obtain my first soul ring. At the time, this disciple wanted to absorb a five-hundred-year soul ring. He could have refused, but he chose to trust me. He personally stood guard, bore the responsibility, and filed the report. Later, when this disciple followed the path of a probationary deacon, he looked after me every step of the way. This disciple would not have come this far without Grandpa Fanolan's kindness, and I dare not forget it."

After saying this, he raised his head and looked at Qian Shengyuan. "Now that this disciple has attained success, I wish to repay his kindness."

The study fell silent for a moment.

Qian Shengyuan leaned back in his chair, his gaze resting on Li Long's face.

He watched him for several breaths without speaking, but a faint curve gradually appeared at the corner of his lips.

The smile was slight, yet more genuine than any he had shown before.

"You only received the status of personal disciple yesterday, and you came to see me first thing this morning—not to ask for resources, not to ask for cultivation techniques, but to seek recognition for a branch hall deacon?"

"Yes." Li Long did not hesitate. "This disciple can earn resources and cultivation techniques through my own efforts, but Grandpa Fanolan is already advanced in years. He cannot wait much longer. This disciple wishes to settle this matter as soon as possible."

Qian Shengyuan was silent for two breaths, then gave a soft laugh.

He shook his head. There was no mockery in that laugh; it was more like satisfaction after an unexpected surprise.

"Drink water without forgetting the one who dug the well," he said slowly. "Many understand this principle, but few remember to act on it the moment they reach such a position. I did not take you as a disciple in vain."

He reached out and drew a blank letter of appointment from the side of the desk. Dipping his brush in ink, he swiftly wrote several lines.

His handwriting was steady and forceful, every stroke carrying the distinctive trace of soul power infused by a Titled Douluo. A faint golden gleam flickered wherever the brush landed.

After finishing, he set down the brush, picked up the appointment letter, blew lightly on the wet ink, and handed it to Li Long.

"I hereby appoint Fanolan as the chief hall master of the Notting City Spirit Hall branch. At the same time, he is exceptionally promoted to Purple-Robed Deacon. His treatment shall be preferential, and his resource allocation shall follow the standards of a prefecture-level branch hall master. I will have this letter delivered directly to him, so that he may receive it personally."

Li Long accepted the appointment letter and glanced at it.

The ink had not yet dried, and the brushwork was vigorous.

Beside the name Fanolan was the Pope's personal seal, its red imprint bright and vivid.

"Thank you, Teacher." Li Long bowed solemnly.

Qian Shengyuan waved a hand and called toward the door, "Send Zhao Ze in."

Someone outside answered. A moment later, a middle-aged man in white-gold robes strode quickly into the study.

The badge pinned to his chest and the white-gold patterns on his robes clearly marked him as a Platinum Bishop.

An eight-ring Soul Douluo.

And not an ordinary eight-ring Soul Douluo, but an eighty-ninth-level peak Soul Douluo.

He was only one step away from becoming a Titled Douluo.

When he saw Li Long in the study, his gaze shifted slightly. He then bowed to Qian Shengyuan.

Qian Shengyuan handed him the appointment letter. "Zhao Ze, make a personal trip to Notting City. Deliver this appointment letter to Fanolan, and tell him this recognition was requested on his behalf by the Pope's personal disciple. Tell him to accept the post without concern. Follow the ceremony for a chief hall master, and do not slight him."

Zhao Ze received the letter with both hands and bowed. "Yes. This subordinate will depart at once."

He turned and left the study.

Li Long watched the white-gold figure disappear beyond the doorway, and a weight finally lifted from his heart.

Grandpa Fanolan... this time, he has truly made it through.

Only after Li Long withdrew his gaze did Qian Shengyuan bring up another matter. "I have approved your request. Now, we will discuss your own affairs."

He reached beneath the long desk and took out a storage ring. It was dark gray throughout, with a gemstone radiating shifting halos embedded in its face.

He placed the ring on the desk and pushed it toward Li Long. "Inside is the first batch of high-grade cultivation resources allocated to you. The medicinal herbs are all at least a thousand years old. There are three sets of body-tempering materials, ten soul power recovery potions, and one other item: a top-tier metal-element soul power guidance method."

Li Long's gaze paused on the ring for a moment.

A top-tier soul power guidance method.

Within the Spirit Hall system, such things were closely guarded secrets. Under normal circumstances, only core members with innate soul power level seven or above who had made major contributions were qualified to access them.

A metal-element one was even rarer.

Qian Shengyuan continued, "Your martial soul is an iron rod, a basic form of a metal-element tool martial soul. This guidance method was specially selected for the broad category of iron rods. It can optimize your soul power circulation route to the greatest extent possible. Conservatively speaking, it should more than double your current cultivation speed, provided you devote at least two hours a day to focused circulation."

He pushed the ring a little closer to Li Long. "These resources are enough for half a year of cultivation. The medicinal herbs have been portioned out at one dose every three days. Change the body-tempering materials once a month. You may set your own pace with the guidance method. In half a year, I want to see you reach at least level twenty-seven. Can you do it?"

Li Long reached out and picked up the dark gray storage ring. Its surface glimmered faintly in the morning light filtering through the window.

He put it on the ring finger of his left hand, feeling its slight coolness and the abundant soul power fluctuations within.

"I can," he answered.

Qian Shengyuan nodded and said nothing further, lowering his head to pick up the intelligence report once more.

Li Long bowed, then turned and walked out of the study.

As he stepped outside, the morning sunlight had just risen over the eastern wall and spilled across the corridor.

He looked down at the storage ring on his left hand, then touched the golden token tucked against his chest.

Together, those two items were worth more than ten times everything he owned in the Notting City branch hall dormitory.

But those were not what occupied his thoughts. He was thinking of Fanolan's expression when he saw the appointment letter.

That kind old man from the Notting City branch hall, who had shielded him from so much trouble, had finally received the reward he deserved.

Li Long took a deep breath and headed toward the eastern courtyard.

He still had to attempt the first cycle of the soul power guidance method today. He could not waste any time.