Heading to the Star Dou Great Forest

In a small courtyard near the Papal Palace.

In the living room, Hu Liena leafed through an encyclopedia of Soul Beasts, searching for one suitable for her third Soul Ring.

Since little brother Xiaonian had innate full Soul Power, they could soon head to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt Soul Beasts. She needed to prepare early.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

"Big sister Nana, may I come in?"

"Little brother Xiaonian? Come in!" Hu Liena said with delighted surprise.

Xu Xiaonian pushed the door open and immediately saw the girl sitting upright at one end of the sofa in pink pajamas. Wearing a brilliant smile, she pointed to the seat beside her.

"Big sister Nana, I need your help with something." Xu Xiaonian sat beside her without any fuss, catching the faint fragrance drifting from her.

"Tell me. What is it?"

"When Chrysanthemum Douluo and Deacon Long take us to the Star Dou Great Forest, please bring my older sister, Xu Xiaotang, along."

"That's all? No problem. A piece of cake." Hu Liena waved a hand. "I'll speak to Chrysanthemum Douluo. As for Deacon Long, that's even less of a problem. I heard he's bringing someone along for personal reasons himself."

"Oh? Deacon Long is bringing someone too? Are they also going to obtain a Soul Ring?" Xu Xiaonian asked.

"Probably. I heard they're even a direct descendant of the Holy Angel Family. Quite the impressive background." Hu Liena clicked her tongue twice.

"By the way, Xiaotang's Soul Power hasn't reached level thirty yet, has it? Is she going to the Star Dou Great Forest because she's worried about you?"

"Uh, yes, exactly." A "happy" smile rose on Xu Xiaonian's face, as though he felt proud to have such a sister.

Hu Liena said enviously, "That's nice. My brother should learn from Xiaotang. He doesn't necessarily check on me even once a month."

"Big brother Xie Yue is just the quiet, reserved type."

The two did not chat for long. After seeing Xu Xiaonian off, Hu Liena read in the living room for a while longer. Once she had chosen the Soul Beast she wanted to hunt, she changed clothes and headed out toward the Papal Palace.

At this time every week, she would visit her teacher and keep her company for a while. Even Xie Yue did not enjoy this privilege.

The route was heavily guarded, but when the knights on duty saw Hu Liena, they all silently let her through.

She reached the study where her teacher usually worked and knocked.

"Who is it?"

"Teacher, it's me."

"Oh, Nana. Come in."

Unlike the dignified, imposing pontiff who normally sat in the grand hall, Bibi Dong sat in her study wearing loose, pale pink casual clothes, her bearing gentle and graceful.

"Your complexion keeps getting better, Teacher. Your skin looks even better than mine."

"I think it's your tongue that keeps getting sweeter."

The two chatted as usual. After one topic came to an end, Bibi Dong took a sip of tea and suddenly asked:

"Nana, I asked you to help look after Xu Xiaonian. How has he been lately?"

"Little brother Xiaonian?"

At the mention of him, Hu Liena's pink eyes lit up. She said eagerly, "Teacher, you have no idea! Just yesterday, we formed a team, and then Li Kai..."

As Bibi Dong listened, she grew increasingly astonished and could not help asking for confirmation. "Are you talking about Xu Xiaonian?"

Even she, who believed she already knew the full extent of Xu Xiaonian's talents, found it hard to believe.

She too had twin Martial Souls and innate full Soul Power, yet even she had struggled to achieve such a feat back then. Among the people she knew, only Xiao Xue's talent of innate level 20 Soul Power could compare.

Now another had appeared. Unfortunately, he still carried the Holy Angel Family's bloodline, which inevitably left her feeling sick and repulsed.

"Yes, Teacher. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would have found it hard to believe too. I really don't know how he trained or how he improved so much."

Bibi Dong pondered for a while, then suddenly raised her eyebrows slightly:

"I've heard that a certain immortal herb exists in this world. It is of the same quality as the velvet sky chrysanthemum. Once it reaches a hundred thousand years in quality, anyone who consumes it can gain a body as indestructible as diamond and boundless strength."

"Teacher, are you saying Xu Xiaonian might have stumbled upon some lucky opportunity and consumed this immortal herb, which gave him such tremendous strength?" Hu Liena asked.

"That is most likely the case. Otherwise, I can't think of another possibility." As Bibi Dong spoke, she suddenly noticed Hu Liena's excited expression and how every other phrase was "little brother Xiaonian." She seemed very fond of Xu Xiaonian.

After some thought, Bibi Dong said, "Nana, if possible, do everything you can to win him over. His talents may not end there."

"Teacher, are you saying little brother Xiaonian still has talents he hasn't revealed? Really?" Hu Liena found it somewhat hard to believe.

"That's right." Bibi Dong's expression was complicated. "Because of my personal feelings, it would be difficult for me to truly accept him as a direct disciple, but I don't want to lose such a talent either. So I can only rely on you to help me win him over, Nana."

"All right, Teacher. I definitely will."

Hu Liena felt it was about time to go. Staying any longer might interfere with her teacher's work, so she prepared to leave.

Just before she left.

"Nana, after your team completes its graduation exam, have Xu Xiaonian come see me."

Bibi Dong licked her tender pink lips, feeling that she could barely suppress the Soul-Devouring Spider Emperor's restlessness any longer.

Ever since she had accidentally absorbed Xu Xiaonian's Soul Power while he was using Martial Soul Possession, her Soul-Devouring Spider Emperor Martial Soul had behaved as though it were addicted, growing restless every time she cultivated.

With her mind and spirit linked to her Martial Soul, she too craved that Soul Power intensely and longed for a chance to indulge once more.

Hu Liena noticed nothing unusual and answered respectfully:

"Yes, Teacher."

Soon, the agreed day to obtain their Soul Rings arrived.

Early that morning.

The siblings, Xu Xiaotang and Xu Xiaonian, arrived in front of the Papal Palace to wait. Before long, a group of people with outstanding bearings came into view.

There were four in total. Three of them were two men and a woman: Chrysanthemum Douluo, whose handsome face possessed an almost uncanny beauty; the stern-faced Deacon Long; and the youthful, lovely Hu Liena.

The remaining person was covered entirely in a black robe and wore a platinum-colored mask. If not for the pair of beautiful golden eyes still visible, it would have been hard to tell whether this figure was human or ghost.

Upon seeing the siblings, Hu Liena began introducing them to Chrysanthemum Guan with a cheerful smile:

"Elder Ju, these are the siblings I told you about, Xu Xiaonian and Xu Xiaotang. You'll have to take extra care of little brother Xiaonian and me while we obtain our Soul Rings this time~"

"A piece of cake." Chrysanthemum Guan smoothed the hair over his forehead and said in an effeminate voice, "One is obtaining a first Soul Ring, the other a third Soul Ring. It won't take much effort."

"Unless you're after Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings, of course. Hehe. Now, the person Deacon Long has brought along needs a fifth Soul Ring. That will probably take quite a bit of effort."

As he spoke, Chrysanthemum Guan glanced at Deacon Long, his tone carrying a hint of resentment.

"..." Deacon Long looked helpless. "These are the Great Enshrined's orders. At most, I'm only a guide. It has nothing to do with me."

"Oh, yes, yes, yes!" Chrysanthemum Guan said sarcastically. "The Great Enshrined is certainly impressive. With a single order from him, an elder like me, who isn't even an enshrined, can only obediently comply!"