Ye Yan followed close behind Bibi Dong like her little tail, curiously surveying the layout of the Papal Hall. It contained more than just the main hall shown in the animation; there were also administrative chambers, cultivation rooms, recreation rooms, lounges, and more.
Their decorative styles varied, but they all shared one feature-extravagance. Not "extravagant" as in some flashy name, but truly luxurious.
Colored glazed floor tiles, desks carved from the trunks of ten-thousand-year plant-type soul beasts, mattresses of thousand-year swan down...
Finding the little fellow behind her so adorable, Bibi Dong asked his age.
Ye Yan did not answer. Instead, he held out his arm for her to check his bone age herself. After all, Shenhe's large hands could easily strangle a prodigy.
"Teacher~ See for yourself."
Was that really necessary?
Bibi Dong rolled her beautiful eyes at him, but still reached out and took his wrist to examine him.
Hmm?!
He was actually this young! Bibi Dong was visibly surprised, and his soul power had already reached level thirty-six, too. *Truly worthy of being my dear disciple o(*≧▽≦)ツ*
With his age no longer an obstacle, Bibi Dong took his little hand like an older sister and asked whether he wanted to attend Spirit Hall Academy.
Ye Yan shook his head.
"Teacher~ I want to stay by your side and learn from you. The teachers at Spirit Hall Academy might not even be a match for me. They just know a few more soul beasts than I do.
"But whenever I obtain a soul ring, I'll need to bring at least two Titled Douluos. They've seen no fewer soul beasts than those books describe, and I can't be bothered to study those useless theories anyway."
At this, Bibi Dong immediately turned stern, putting on a sulky little kitten face.
"Xu Xiaoyan, with your talent, you certainly have the right to look down on those academy teachers, but you mustn't think theoretical knowledge is useless.
"Here, this is a work by the Soul Master World's theoretical Grandmaster. Study it carefully. It will absolutely benefit you greatly."
Ye Yan accepted the slightly worn copy of Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul. Once he read the words on its cover, undisguised disdain crossed his face. He did not want to spare even a glance for anything written by that scumbag.
Huh?
Did you know this masterpiece took Little Anus three painstaking years to write? These theories have provided cultivation guidance to countless people across the continent!
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She pinched Ye Yan's cheeks and kneaded them. That's for disobeying me! That's for looking down on Little Anus's work! That's for being so handsome! That's for seducing me~
Her fingertips pressed hard, leaving red marks on Ye Yan's face. The constant stinging brought a mist of tears into his brilliant, starry eyes.
Seeing him on the verge of tears, Bibi Dong's hands paused. Was I going too far?
To avoid scaring off her newly accepted disciple, she reluctantly withdrew her delicate hands. It really was not a matter of poor self-control. After all, she had kept herself pure all these years, without the slightest contact with other men. Today alone had been an exception.
If anyone was to blame, it could only be Ye Yan for smelling so sweet. He was practically a little walking cake in human form. It was perfectly normal for an older sister to find him irresistible.
Afterward, Bibi Dong brought him back to the main hall and introduced him to another pair of Heng Ha Generals-the Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluos.
Honestly, they were the Titled Douluos who had been weakened most brutally in the original story.
The Golden Iron Triangle, composed of two Soul Saints and one Soul Grandmaster, could rival a high-ranking Soul Douluo; the Peerless Dragon Snake's martial soul fusion skill could rival a low-ranking Titled Douluo; there were also Hu Liena and Xie Yue's Demon Charm, Skywater Academy's Ice and Snow Drifting, and the Star Luo Empire's Hell White Tiger...
Any martial soul fusion skill could fight across a major rank gap. Yet Chrysanthemum and Ghost, both Super Douluos, could be defeated across levels by Tang Hao when he had only just become a Titled Douluo. Why?
Because he drank more, or because he shouted louder?
Not to mention that Two Extremes Stillness Domain was an exceptionally rare time-type martial soul fusion skill. The two had also been partners for decades, with flawless coordination.
Without being forcibly weakened, they should have had no trouble immobilizing even a level ninety-seven or level ninety-eight Peak Douluo. If Xiao Wu had not eaten the singular velvet sky chrysanthemum, Ye Yan would even have wanted to give them a boost.
As things stood, he would just let the two carry on quietly being little kitties.
With a trace of regret in his eyes, Ye Yan greeted them. Although the Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluos had no idea where the Pope had found this prodigy, they politely returned his greeting.
"Elders, you may not know this yet, but this disciple of mine is an unparalleled genius whom Snake Lance brought all the way back from Heaven Dou. If not for Nana, I might really have missed him."
Bibi Dong reclined languidly on the Throne and crossed her long, lovely legs. She knew about Ye Yan's heaven-defying soul ring configuration of one red and two black rings.
She had been shocked at the time, too, and had briefly thought Nana was hallucinating. Only after Nana explained that Snake Lance had escorted him the entire way back had she gone to intercept him at the foot of Worship Mountain, still half doubtful.
Seriously, time to show off again?
Having already shown off twice in succession, Ye Yan no longer felt his initial excitement. As though going through a routine, he summoned his martial soul, soul rings, and domain, casually dyeing the entire hall blood-red.
He ignored the stunned Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluos and instead seized the opportunity to tumble into Bibi Dong's arms. Her body was soft and carried the scent of Chinese perfume flowers, a delicate fragrance with a lingering richness.
Feeling the warmth in her arms, Bibi Dong stiffly lowered her head. Was her little disciple really this bold? He dared take liberties with his teacher without permission? She raised her delicate hand, ready to teach him a lesson.
"Speaking of my soul rings, I really have you to thank, Teacher. Without you, I couldn't possibly have obtained this first 100,000-year ring."
Oh?
Bibi Dong's hand paused. This has something to do with me? I certainly don't remember ever helping you. If you can't give me a proper explanation today, I'll make sure you learn why flowers are so red!
Ye Yan pretended not to notice her movements. Instead, he secretly nuzzled her ample assets twice. Only when Bibi Dong could no longer resist the urge to discipline him did he speak again.
"Teacher~ Do you remember the hundred-thousand-year Soft-Boned Enchanting Rabbit you hunted back then? She actually had a daughter named Xiao Wu, who took human form and entered the human world to avenge her mother.
"She seemed to have been in such a hurry to travel that she hadn't even condensed her soul rings. After discovering her, I used a trick to capture her.
"With no hope of escape, she intended to self-destruct. But after learning that I had twin martial souls, her attitude changed completely. She offered her sacrifice as a bargaining chip, making me promise to avenge her mother someday."
So it was her!
Bibi Dong recalled the little rabbit who had escaped back then. To think he had encountered her. Fate truly made fools of people.
But what had he just said? Avenge her mother... wouldn't that mean coming after me?
Bibi Dong caught his chin between two slender fingers and forced him to meet her gaze. The imposing presence born of her long years in power made Ye Yan's heart tremble, and he instinctively looked away.
"My dear disciple, since you know I'm the one who killed her mother, what do you intend to do in the future?"
Before you continue