Bibi Dong Wants to Take a Disciple? Is the Soul Contract Ready? The Zhu Sisters, the Speed Bump

Outside Vast Sea City, along a secluded stretch of coastline.

After bidding Xiao Bai farewell, Qian Ni covered Alien with a thick cloth and headed straight for the Spirit Hall branch in Vast Sea City after concealing it.

Over the past few years, whenever Qian Daoliu came to Sea God Island to visit Qian Ni, he would stay in Vast Sea City.

Qian Daoliu also knew roughly when Qian Ni would leave the island and had specifically instructed him to pay a visit after coming ashore.

Inside the bishop's office of Vast Sea City's Spirit Hall.

A white-haired yet vigorous old man respectfully handed a long box to Qian Ni.

"Holy Son, the Grand Worshipper prepared a gift for your return long ago. I've been waiting for you for quite some time."

Qian Ni took the box and opened it. Inside was a scabbard made of black wood, its surface inlaid with silver threads, with a silver ring fitted around its end.

This old man was called Smoker. He had once been a follower of Qian Daoliu and had participated in the attack on Sea God Island. After their defeat, he became the bishop of Vast Sea City.

At first, he had served as an informant watching the islands of the sea. Later, due to certain personal reasons of Qian Daoliu's, Spirit Hall unilaterally eased relations with Sea God Island, and he was never withdrawn.

Every action of his was filled with loyalty toward Qian Daoliu and Spirit Hall!

Despite his age, he was still a peak Rank 89 Soul Douluo.

"This scabbard was forged from the trunk of a ten-thousand-year Soul Beast, Black Ironwood. It's incomparably hard. Deep Sea Silver threads were inlaid within it, connecting it to a storage Soul Tool. It can store living creatures and has an internal space of thirty cubic meters."

Smoker introduced it.

Qian Ni nodded, sheathed the Lightning Pellet, and lightly tapped Alien with the tip of the scabbard. Its over-three-meter-tall body immediately vanished.

"Why are you calling me Holy Son? Did something happen in Spirit Hall?"

Puzzled by the form of address, Qian Ni pressed further.

Smoker smiled faintly. "The Grand Worshipper and the other worshippers have proposed naming you a candidate for Holy Son. In my heart, the Grand Worshipper and the Holy Son are the only two suns.

"The next Pope of Spirit Hall can be none other than you.

"However..."

After pausing for a moment, he continued, "At the meeting, the Pope requested to take you as her disciple. The Grand Worshipper did not immediately agree, so the matter has been temporarily set aside."

Qian Ni frowned, unable to understand why Bibi Dong would make such a request.

"That doesn't matter. The Soul Contract isn't even ready, and she wants to take me as her disciple?

"The title Pope is unlucky. Once I take office, I'll change it to High Pontiff! From now on, call me Young Pontiff.

"As for transporting Whale Rubber products, arrange for people outside the Hall to cooperate with Sea God Island. If anyone interferes, kill them directly. Don't wait for them to name their backers."

He hung the sheathed Lightning Pellet at his waist and prepared to leave as he spoke.

In Qian Ni's fourth year on the island, Sea God Island had completed its preliminary preparations for promoting Whale Rubber.

All Sea Soul Masters had used Whale Rubber according to their individual limits.

Meanwhile, a stretch of sea not far from Sea God Island had become a breeding ground for whale-type Soul Beasts, guarded by the Sacred Pillars and watched over by the Demon Soul Great White Shark clan.

Following Qian Ni's suggestions, Qian Daoliu established cooperation with the two great empires outside of Spirit Hall.

Whale Rubber was promoted through designated pilot programs.

Why publicly distance themselves from Spirit Hall? Naturally, it was to prepare for the future. The current Spirit Hall was not yet Qian Ni's Spirit Hall.

As Qian Daoliu's adopted son, he believed he had half the inheritance rights!

Seeing that he was about to leave, Smoker hurriedly added.

"Yes, Young Pontiff. The Grand Worshipper also said that after cultivating diligently on Sea God Island for six years, you might as well travel and gain experience after leaving the island. Relax a little. There's no need to hurry back to Spirit City."

Qian Ni waved a hand. "I understand."

Then, he suddenly turned back and held out his hand toward Smoker.

"Oh, right. Register a Soul Master certificate for me, and make up the stipends from the past few years."

He wasn't short on money, but not a single coin that belonged to him could be missing!

Smoker: "..."

In the dense forest outside the city, Qian Ni released Alien and swung himself onto its back. Empowered by the Rider's Bridle, Alien became a black arrow that shot into the distance.

On the western side of Star Dou Forest, within the outer region.

A girl dressed in black fled in a sorry state. She carried a small pack, while tears covered her clothes and pant legs, and fine scratches covered the exposed skin of her body.

Another girl pursued her from behind. She looked older, and their similar appearances made it obvious they were sisters.

"Zhu Qing, stop running. Give me back the Whale Glue Pellets you stole.

"You're the beloved daughter of our Zhu Clan. Your sister can't bear to kill you either."

Zhu Zhuyun seemed to be persuading her kindly, but she was actually playing with Zhu Zhuqing like a cat toying with a mouse. She deliberately led Zhu Zhuqing toward the outskirts of Star Dou Forest, preventing her from losing her direction and charging headlong into the mixed zone.

Facing her sister's pursuit, Zhu Zhuqing didn't say a word and simply kept fleeing with her head down.

She had stolen the cultivation resources the clan had assigned to Zhu Zhuyun and fled Star Luo City overnight, hoping to find a path to survival in the outside world.

Whale Glue Pellets were a miraculous medicine that had appeared over the past two years. It was said that they originated from some overseas power.

Long-term use could improve a Soul Master's physical condition and increase the age limit of Soul Rings they could absorb.

The higher the age of a Soul Ring, the stronger its Soul Skill would be. It would also temper a Soul Master's body more effectively and provide greater Soul Power in return.

This was equivalent to expanding the upper limit of a Soul Master's strength.

Although word had already spread, the item was currently supplied only to the royal family, great nobles, and several renowned Soul Master Academies.

Even though the Zhu Clan married into the Star Luo Royal Family every generation, the amount they received was limited.

As the youngest sister in the family and Zhu Zhuyun's competitor, Zhu Zhuqing hadn't even caught a whiff of it.

Now, Zhu Zhuyun was already a three-ring Soul Elder. Thanks to the Whale Glue Pellets, her third Soul Ring was two hundred years higher than originally planned!

Faced with the death awaiting her, Zhu Zhuqing had no choice but to take the risk.

Watching her younger sister flee desperately ahead of her, Zhu Zhuyun sighed inwardly.

They were at the edge of Star Dou Forest. If Zhu Zhuqing continued forward, she would soon be able to see a town.

That's far enough. Let's end it here.

Once you leave, don't come back. Hiding away and becoming an ordinary Soul Master isn't so bad.

If you still refuse to give up, then your sister won't be able to hold back either.

Those are the clan rules. You and I are both retainers. The real battlefield lies with the Dai Clan brothers.

She slowed her steps, but her Soul Skill remained unleashed. Her sharp nails, wrapped in Soul Power, tore through the air with a shrill screech.

Hearing the movement behind her, Zhu Zhuqing desperately squeezed more out of her body and accelerated once again.

Her terrible physical condition left her with no attention to spare for her surroundings.

Nor could she hear her sister calling from behind.

Bang—

A black shadow rushed out from the side and slammed into Zhu Zhuqing, sending her tumbling across the ground from the tremendous impact.

After dragging several marks through the dirt, her head tilted to the side, and she passed out.

The small pack on her back burst open, scattering several wooden boxes across the ground.

The black shadow braced itself on all fours, slammed to a stop, and halted before Zhu Zhuyun.

"Zhu Qing!"

Zhu Zhuyun cried out in alarm. She bent low, claws extending from the tips of all ten fingers as she warily stared at the uninvited guest who had knocked her sister unconscious.

It was a young man riding a strange Soul Beast.

He had long, slightly wavy silver hair, azure eyes, and strikingly handsome features.

Yet the Soul Beast beneath him was incomparably ugly, strange, and savage.

A black carapace covered its body. Its claws were withered and slender, while its barbed tail drifted through the air. Those traits alone made cold sweat break out across Zhu Zhuyun's body.

This didn't look like a species naturally evolved on this land at all!

What horrified her even more was the yellow-green blood seeping from the wounds on the monster's forelimbs. When it dripped onto the ground, it actually produced a hissing corrosive sound!

A foul stench spread through the air.

Qian Ni ignored the guarded Zhu Zhuyun. He dismounted from Alien and looked dissatisfied at the tiny wounds scattered across his mount's upper body.

Alien's body still isn't tough enough! Its carapace doesn't fully cover it. With the Rider's Bridle boosting it, high-speed travel can easily cause collisions that split its skin open. If I'm not careful, acidic blood ends up splashing everywhere.

A mount controlled by the Rider's Bridle could reach a top speed of four hundred to five hundred kilometers per hour, faster than most high-speed trains.

Even though I tried to keep the speed down, it still exceeded what Alien's body could withstand.

After assessing Alien's damage, Qian Ni glanced to the side and immediately noticed the unconscious Zhu Zhuqing.

So it was a person. I thought it was a speed bump.

He pulled out the Lightning Pellet and pointed it at Zhu Zhuyun with a sinister expression.

"You injured my mount! Pay up!"