The Pope's Bedtime Service?

The effect left even Qin Chao a little stunned, but the next moment, fine cracks appeared across the Heaven and Earth Tower...

Bibi Dong extended a slender, fair finger and lightly tapped the golden wall inside the Heaven and Earth Tower. The contact between her fingertip and the golden tower looked exceedingly gentle, yet the tower shattered piece by piece.

"It's a good single-target control skill. Its effective coverage is roughly two square meters. Unless the enemy is above rank twenty, they should have no chance of breaking free within that area..."

Bibi Dong was very satisfied with the effects of the soul skill, Entrap.

The Heaven and Earth Tower was a rare, all-purpose martial soul. Now that it had gained a control soul skill on top of its offensive and defensive capabilities, its combination of abilities could be called perfect.

"You really are a lucky little fellow..." Sitting back down, Bibi Dong once again marveled at Qin Chao's luck.

"Perhaps the gods are looking out for me..."

The gods looking out for me? Like hell!

It took three consecutive draws just to get a soul ring. I must be an Unlucky One reincarnated. Still, the results were decent, and those fifteen Luck Value points had not gone to waste. Aside from the singular velvet sky chrysanthemum and the Lovesick Heartbreak Red he had given to Yue Guan and Xiao Wu, he had kept an aromatic silk beauty for himself.

This plant could neutralize all toxins. Although it could not cure poisoning itself, it could suppress toxins. Qin Chao's opponent was Tang San, after all. Who knew when this aromatic silk beauty might come in handy?

"Even if the gods are looking out for you, that doesn't diminish your own hard work..." Bibi Dong gently shook her head, rejecting Qin Chao's claim of divine favor.

Anyone who had absorbed a soul ring knew that the pain involved was far beyond what an ordinary person could endure.

Soul rings contained immense power. Rather than absorbing the soul ring itself, one was absorbing the power contained within it. Though the human body's meridians were flexible enough, the sensation of pain could not be controlled at will.

Both of Qin Chao's soul rings were far older than those of ordinary people, which meant that the pain he endured was also beyond anything they could compare to.

Looking at that small, childish figure, Bibi Dong felt a pang of tenderness.

No matter how extraordinary his talent was, he was still only a six-year-old child. How much pain must he have suffered while absorbing those soul rings...?

At that thought, Bibi Dong said softly, "Little Qin Chao, thank you for all your hard work. You've done very well..."

It was only a brief sentence, yet it made Qin Chao feel like crying.

Life was never easy. In his previous life, Qin Chao had accomplished nothing particularly impressive. He had been nothing more than an ordinary corporate drone, but he, too, had done everything he could to keep going, hoping to make something better of his life.

He was merely one of countless ordinary people, rushing about and toiling for a living, yet no one had ever thanked him for his hard work...

Looking at this noble, beautiful woman, he suddenly understood why she was called the greatest leader in Spirit Hall's history.

Empathy was a gift, and the saying that a warrior would die for someone who truly understood him was more than just a legend.

Perhaps because of her complicated past, Bibi Dong could always keenly perceive the effort hidden behind talent. For the first time, Qin Chao gained a tangible sense of this female pope's abilities.

Perhaps he had initially chosen Spirit Hall for its benefits, but now, there seemed to be something more...

"How did a little praise send you off into a daze...?" A faint smile touched Bibi Dong's lips. "Our Spirit Hall has always been fair with rewards and punishments. You've made tremendous progress, so as a reward, I can grant you one wish..."

"A wish?" The enormous pie falling from the sky jolted Qin Chao back to his senses. "Anything I want?"

"Of course, it can't be anything too unreasonable..." Seeing the little fellow look ready to demand the moon, Bibi Dong hastily added a condition.

Qin Chao's mind had always worked in strange ways. If he asked for something like a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring, how could she possibly give him one...?

The little fellow's brain was working furiously. I'm only a child. Asking for something like a bedtime service from the pope shouldn't count as unreasonable, right...?

Clearing all the filthy nonsense out of his mind, Qin Chao thought for a long time before finally coming up with the most suitable reward...

One month later.

Qin Chao and Hu Liena boarded a carriage bound for Nuoding City.

After careful consideration, Qin Chao had asked Bibi Dong for a full half month of leave as his reward, saying only that he was a little homesick.

It was normal for a child to miss home after suddenly leaving his family to study far away. Bibi Dong had not thought much of it and approved Qin Chao's request. However, he had not chosen to leave immediately, instead postponing his departure by a month.

In the novel, Nuoding Academy's term began three months after the martial soul awakening. How could a major event that would change the course of Tang San's fate possibly go without Qin Chao, the stick stirring up the muck?

After all, Tang San was not the only one at Nuoding Academy. Xiao Wu and Grandmaster were there too, and all of them were pivotal figures in the novel. If he could interact with them, he would surely earn plenty of Luck Value.

Even setting Luck Value aside, Qin Chao wanted to visit Nuoding Academy when its term began.

If he remembered correctly, his grandfather, Old Jack, would be taking Tang San to school, and Nuoding Academy's blind fool of a gatekeeper would subject him to a barrage of sneers and insults.

Qin Chao already despised people who served up different dishes depending on who sat at the table, and the target of that man's mockery was his own grandfather. If he did not avenge those barbed insults, he would be unworthy of being his grandson.

Before setting off, Qin Chao carefully counted the allowances he had received over the past few months and the pocket money his teachers had given him. Spirit Hall truly was generous. In just over two months, he had saved nearly a hundred Gold Soul Coins. He took out half and put them in his wallet.

With this money, Grandpa could repair their house.

With that thought, Qin Chao excitedly climbed into the carriage.

A familiar fragrance drifted into his nose. Looking at the graceful figure dressed in a fiery-red gown, Qin Chao wore an expression of surprise.

"Big Sister Nana? What are you doing here?"

"If you can have time off, why can't I? Teacher told me to keep a close eye on you, so our little genius doesn't get lost once he's out in the world..." Hu Liena teased.

"Are you coming home with me, Big Sister?" Qin Chao settled into Hu Liena's lap with practiced ease, reaching out to wrap his little arms around her neck. "I knew you loved me best!"

"You little brat. You're already this big, and you're still acting spoiled. Have you no shame...?" Hu Liena's pretty face flushed faintly. Though she complained, she did not refuse Qin Chao's embrace.

"With a beauty at my side, who cares about shame~?" Qin Chao lay against Hu Liena's shoulder, nudging his little head against her again and again, looking exactly like a certain animal fond of rooting through cabbages.

"Honestly, you..." The tips of Hu Liena's ears burned. She could do nothing about Qin Chao, and along with her helplessness came a few traces of sweetness.

In truth, she had lied.

She had only secured the chance to return to Nuoding City with Qin Chao after wheedling and pestering Bibi Dong for a long time.

Ever since their trip to the Star Dou Great Forest, Hu Liena had paid more attention to this little menace.

Because Bibi Dong intended to have Qin Chao join the Golden Generation Plan, he had frequently interacted with Hu Liena and the other two.

At first, Hu Liena had thought Qin Chao was merely a somewhat mischievous, sweet-talking child. But as time passed, she discovered that he was not as simple as he appeared.

Though he was not yet seven, the maturity and composure he occasionally displayed rivaled those of an adult. During cultivation, Qin Chao also frequently offered unique insights, helping them resolve quite a few cultivation problems.

Over time, paying attention to Qin Chao had become a habit. She wanted to learn more about him, and when she heard that he had requested half a month of leave and planned to return to Nuoding City, Hu Liena immediately expressed her desire to go with him. Now that her wish had come true, a triumphant smile graced the little fox's face.

What she did not know was that the true hunter often appeared in the guise of prey...