Bibi Dong did not ask why. She simply sent a signal to Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo outside.
The two Douluos nodded and went to investigate. Before long, they returned.
"There is indeed the aura of a thousand-year Soul Beast to the southeast. Its attribute leans toward ice."
At those words, the way Hu Liena looked at Shi Meng changed.
Impressive, my junior brother.
And so, the group got out of the carriage and headed southeast.
Hu Liena walked beside them, her eyes fixed on Shi Meng and Bibi Dong's clasped hands.
I haven't even held my little junior brother's hand yet...
The more she looked, the more jealous she became; the more jealous she became, the more she wanted to.
Finally, Hu Liena could no longer resist. She circled around to the other side and grabbed Shi Meng's free hand.
Shi Meng: "?"
Hu Liena turned her head away.
"Your senior sister is holding your hand to keep you safe."
Shi Meng looked down at his two hands, trapped in a pincer attack.
Good grief, are you trying to give me dual-core charging?
But, senior sister, your hand doesn't generate electricity.
Chrysanthemum Douluo, clearing the way ahead, glanced back, and the corner of his mouth twitched.
Lord Time Douluo in this lifetime...
He used to take on twenty-two Titled Douluos single-handedly. Now he's walking sandwiched between two women.
Living the good life, huh~
After walking for roughly an hour, the trees ahead gradually thinned, and an ice-blue lake came into view.
The lake was small, but its water was bitterly cold, and a thin layer of ice coated the shore.
On a rock in the middle of the lake rested a tiny, tiny butterfly.
The butterfly had a pair of ice-blue wings covered in rings of silvery-white markings, like the ticks on a clock face.
Though small, the ice-attribute energy drifting through the surrounding air made one thing clear.
This thing was at least a thousand years old.
"It's a Time-Ice Mystic Butterfly! Judging by this one, it's at least twelve hundred years old." Chrysanthemum Douluo recognized the Soul Beast at a glance.
Shi Meng's eyes lit up.
A Time-Ice Mystic Butterfly, a thousand-year ice-attribute Soul Beast with twelve hundred years of cultivation.
Wait... how shameless can this butterfly get? You even dared to copy my martial soul's color scheme. Have you paid the licensing fee?
If not, become my Soul Ring! Heh heh heh.
Yet just as he was about to act, he suddenly noticed a group approaching from the opposite shore. They seemed to be after the same Soul Beast!
Shi Meng immediately looked over warily.
Leading the group was a woman in her thirties, dressed in a pale-blue robe.
Several young girls followed behind her.
One blue-haired girl stood out in particular. She was quiet, her steps neither hurried nor slow; another little blue-haired girl skipped along, her eyes darting everywhere.
There was also a spirited, dashing girl with short gray-blue hair.
Skywater Academy!
The answer immediately sprang into Shi Meng's mind.
The woman leading them should be an instructor. Could the girls behind her be the Shui Bing'er sisters and Xue Wu?
"People from Spirit Hall..."
The woman leading the group noticed Bibi Dong and the others. She froze, then took a closer look, and her pupils abruptly contracted.
Chrysanthemum Douluo, Ghost Douluo, and Pope Bibi Dong?!
What are they doing here?
She took a deep breath, led her group over, and bowed slightly.
"Skywater Academy pays its respects to Her Holiness the Pope."
Behind her, Shui Yue'er had caught sight of Shi Meng and completely forgotten how to walk.
Skywater Academy had plenty of beautiful senior sisters, but how could this little black-haired boy have such exquisite features?
She tugged at Shui Bing'er's sleeve and whispered.
"Big sister, look! He's so pretty..."
Shui Bing'er remained expressionless.
But when her gaze fell on Shi Meng's face, it lingered a moment longer.
He does seem rather good-looking.
Bibi Dong gave a slight nod but said nothing.
The instructor glanced at Shi Meng beside Bibi Dong and could only steel herself to continue.
"May I ask what brings Spirit Hall here?"
"That Time-Ice Mystic Butterfly is for our Holy Son."
Smiling, Chrysanthemum Douluo pointed toward the middle of the lake.
The Skywater Academy instructor's expression changed completely.
They had tracked this Time-Ice Mystic Butterfly for three days!
Their goal was to obtain a third ring for a disciple in their group whose martial soul was the Frost Sword.
She had never expected Spirit Hall's Holy Son to need it too!
The Skywater Academy instructor bit her lip. Though reluctant, she had a very clear head.
Facing her was the Pope of Spirit Hall.
There was no winning this contest. The gap in strength was right there for all to see.
After two seconds of silence, she could only make her decision.
"To be frank, Your Holiness, we have indeed tracked this Time-Ice Mystic Butterfly for three days. But since you need it, Skywater Academy is willing to yield it."
As she spoke, however, the instructor shifted the conversation.
"Only, might Spirit Hall do us a small favor in exchange?"
Yet Bibi Dong did not even glance at her.
Seeing this, the Skywater Academy instructor's heart sank.
She immediately understood. Perhaps yielding a single Time-Ice Mystic Butterfly was not enough.
After all, she faced the Pope of Spirit Hall, accompanied by two Titled Douluos. Her side did not even have the right to bargain.
So she gritted her teeth, faced Bibi Dong, and bowed deeply, lowering herself as far as she could.
"Your Holiness, I spoke out of turn just now."
"Skywater Academy is merely a small academy. How could we have the right to discuss an equal exchange with Spirit Hall?"
"To tell you the truth, Skywater Academy has struggled in recent years."
"Ice-attribute Soul Masters are already rare, and high-level Soul Rings are even harder to find. If this continues, the academy may struggle even to maintain its first-tier standing."
"Since we have been fortunate enough to meet Your Holiness today, and have seen His Highness the Holy Son's exceptional talent, I dare to..."
She paused, then took out a bottle and an ice-blue jade token.
"On behalf of Skywater Academy, I offer three drops of our academy's treasured ice marrow and jade marrow, along with our Skywater Token! With it, you may command all our disciples to serve Spirit Hall!"
"Furthermore, Spirit Hall will have first pick of the ice-attribute Soul Masters Skywater Academy produces in the future! All I ask is that Spirit Hall... help our disciple hunt a thousand-year ice-attribute Soul Beast suited to the Frost Sword."
"If Your Holiness feels this is insufficient, Skywater Academy can offer more!"
Even Shi Meng was startled by these words.
Good grief, how is this asking for help?
She's emptied out everything she owns and is kneeling to beg Spirit Hall to take it.
It's just like some people these days saying, "Please take me in. Food and lodging are enough; contribute whatever you think fit toward my insurance and housing fund."
She's certainly a talent with a discerning eye.
Bibi Dong's expression remained calm, revealing neither pleasure nor anger.
She lowered her head to glance at Shi Meng.
The meaning of that look was clear: What do you think?
What do I think? Well, I'm standing here thinking, obviously.
Shi Meng understood that his diplomatic KPI as Holy Son had arrived.
As it happened, though, he knew how to solve this one.
"Teacher, I think we can agree. Skywater Academy has a legacy of ice-attribute Soul Masters, which also fits my martial soul."
"And this teacher just said that Spirit Hall would have first pick of their ice-attribute Soul Masters in the future."
"This is a deal that guarantees a profit with no losses."
The corners of Bibi Dong's lips curved slightly, and she felt quite pleased.
Shi Meng truly lived up to being the person she loved most. Even after reincarnating and losing his memories of his past life, he was still just as brilliantly clever as before.
Shi Meng turned toward the Skywater Academy instructor.
"Teacher..."
Before you continue