Bibi Dong's Utter Humiliation

Qin Chao had straightened out, but not completely.

When he woke again, he was already in the Spirit Hall's Underground Training Ground.

Bibi Dong sat regally on the training ground's raised platform, while Qin Chao lay in her warm embrace.

"So soft..."

Perhaps because he had yet to wake fully, Qin Chao actually blurted out what was on his mind.

Bibi Dong's hearing was exceptionally keen. At his words, she frowned slightly and looked down at the little boy in her arms.

Did he mean what I think he meant? But he's only a child!

Noticing something amiss in Bibi Dong's expression, Qin Chao immediately tried to salvage the situation. "Is this what a mother's embrace feels like? It's nothing like Grandpa's. It's warmer, softer..."

Recalling what Su Yuntao had told her about Qin Chao's background, Bibi Dong's expression stiffened, and a faint sigh escaped her lips.

This child truly had a bitter lot in life. His parents had abandoned him at birth. Thankfully, an old village chief had scrimped and saved to raise him, but a grandfather was only a grandfather, after all. The boy had ultimately lacked a mother's love.

Remembering her suspicions just now, Bibi Dong felt her own heart was filthy for judging a child with such thoughts. Truly, once bitten by a snake, she had spent ten years fearing even a well rope.

At that thought, genuine guilt stirred in Bibi Dong's heart, and her arms tightened around Qin Chao.

"You're awake?" Bibi Dong's expression remained noble and cold, but a touch of gentleness entered her voice. "I've investigated the matter of your soul ring. I misunderstood..."

Nestled against her warm, soft body, Qin Chao felt thoroughly content. It had only been a misunderstanding. As long as his little life was intact, all was well.

"Just now? What happened just now? I have a terrible memory. I've already forgotten..." Qin Chao laughed it off, flashing a bright, innocent smile.

Seeing the innocent smile on the child's face and realizing Qin Chao had not taken the incident to heart, Bibi Dong felt even guiltier.

If nurturing Qin Chao had previously been purely a means to consolidate her power, now there was at least some sincerity behind it.

"Little Qin Chao, I interrupted you while you were showing me your martial soul. Would you be willing to show me again?"

Bibi Dong looked at Qin Chao, her words positively coaxing. She was the Pope of the Spirit Hall, after all. The last person to receive such treatment had been Hu Liena when she was six or seven...

Somewhat reluctantly, Qin Chao hopped out of Bibi Dong's embrace and bowed respectfully to her. "Of course. It would be my greatest honor to serve a beautiful big sister~"

He had always excelled at running his mouth. He had once set a record by chatting online on behalf of five roommates at once. Thanks to his outstanding assistance, not one of the six people in their dorm had found a partner by graduation...

Strangely enough, the cheesy pickup lines that people in the real world dismissed as sleazy were a great hit with Bibi Dong. The ever-cold and noble Pope finally broke into a radiant smile.

"You little rascal. All you know is sweet talk..."

"That's not true. Uncle Su said I was really impressive..." Qin Chao muttered as he began circulating the soul power within his body.

The Golden Little Tower appeared once more, the deep yellow soul ring around it particularly striking.

Earlier, Bibi Dong had been so preoccupied with her shock that she had overlooked the soul ring's age. Now that it had reappeared, the sight of that conspicuous deep yellow made her red lips part, and even her voice began to tremble.

"Seven hundred years! Your first soul ring is actually seven hundred years old!"

According to Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang's theory, the maximum age for a first soul ring was only four hundred and twenty-three years. Yet Qin Chao's appearance had shattered her understanding and, for the first time, made her doubt Yu Xiaogang's theory...

"Is this soul ring really impressive?" Qin Chao deliberately played dumb.

Her emotions tangled, Bibi Dong did not answer him directly. "What soul skill came with your first soul ring?"

"Soul skill?" This time, Qin Chao truly was not playing dumb. There had been too little time and too many people in the village. He genuinely had not had a chance to test his soul skill...

Understanding dawned on Bibi Dong. "How foolish of me. You don't have a teacher yet. How would you know what a soul skill is..."

"Channel the soul power within your body and try to connect with the soul ring around your martial soul. Then don't try to control it. Simply release it..."

Following Bibi Dong's instructions, Qin Chao tried activating his soul skill.

The yellow soul ring suddenly lit up. As he poured in his soul power, flames actually sprang up over the golden tower in his right hand.

As the flames burned fiercely, the golden tower gradually expanded from its original palm-sized form into a massive structure one meter across and three meters tall.

The expanding golden tower absorbed a great deal of Qin Chao's soul power. The weakness that came from having his strength stripped away was genuinely unpleasant. He quickly reached his limit and instinctively threw the golden tower from his hand.

Strangely, although the tower had left his hand, it still maintained some sort of connection with Qin Chao. He could sense that a Flame Barrier seemed to have formed where it landed. Not only did it separate the tower's interior from the outside, it also inflicted a burning effect.

Seeing that the golden tower's First Soul Skill had such an effect, Bibi Dong was naturally overjoyed.

With a slight movement, she reached the edge of the tower in an instant. Surging soul power enveloped her hands, and she curled her index finger slightly, giving the tower a few experimental flicks.

A crisp metallic clang rang out. Bibi Dong nodded slightly and could not help praising it.

"It's actually a single-target control skill, with flames attached as well. Its durability is quite good, too. Your luck truly defies the heavens..."

Withdrawing his martial soul, Qin Chao secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He knew Bibi Dong now believed his story about stumbling upon a dying soul beast.

That made sense. Tang Hao had hidden in Holy Soul Village for so many years without being discovered. A little thought made it clear that the Spirit Hall's investigative abilities could hardly be that impressive...

Qin Chao was still lost in thought when Bibi Dong's voice rang out again.

"I hear you have another martial soul. Why not show me that one, too?"

His thoughts immediately snapped back. The soul power within his body circulated again, and the Taotie martial soul instantly possessed him.

With a sheep's body, a human face, a tiger's teeth, and human claws, the primordial divine beast Taotie appeared in the mortal world once more.

Bibi Dong circled Qin Chao several times, murmuring to herself. "Although I've never seen that tool martial soul before, I could at least recognize the shape of a tower. But what is this beast martial soul? Could it be a mutated martial soul? I don't know whether that mutation is good or bad, but its appearance certainly isn't presentable..."

Looking at Qin Chao's now-ferocious little face, Bibi Dong frowned slightly. It was not that she judged by appearances, but this Taotie really was rather hard on the eyes...

Although she found the Taotie's appearance somewhat distasteful, Bibi Dong still extended her right hand. Purple soul power surged forth, forming a small barrier in her palm.

"Little Qin Chao, try attacking..."

Qin Chao nodded and did not hold back. He gathered every bit of soul power in his body into his right fist and put all his strength into his most powerful strike...

Bang!

Qin Chao's attack came with tremendous force, yet it caused no damage whatsoever. Bibi Dong's upright right hand did not even sway...

Even so, a light of excitement still flickered in Bibi Dong's eyes.

He was merely a soul master who had just absorbed his first soul ring. Bibi Dong had never expected him to unleash some earth-shattering strike, but the force of this attack still exceeded her expectations.

Most importantly, through this test, Bibi Dong could sense that Qin Chao's soul power had already crossed the threshold of rank twenty. Subtracting the increase from absorbing his soul ring, Qin Chao's innate soul power might very well have reached rank twenty!

Qin Chao had found a treasure by stumbling upon that soul ring, but had the Spirit Hall not done the same by taking him in?

Putting on her gentlest smile, Bibi Dong crouched down, her breath fragrant as orchids.

"Little Qin Chao, would you be willing to take me as your teacher...? I'll definitely provide you with the Spirit Hall's finest cultivation resources. And..." Bibi Dong lowered her voice. "Let me tell you a secret. I have twin martial souls, too. With my cultivation experience to guide you, you'll surely become the most dazzling pearl on the Douluo Continent..."

Gazing at Bibi Dong's exquisite, breathtaking face before him, Qin Chao fell into a momentary daze. Bibi Dong was personally offering to take him as her disciple. He would not have dared dream of anything so wonderful...

"No... I don't want to..." The child's young voice rang through the hall.

"Then... what did you say?"

Bibi Dong was stunned.

An utter humiliation!

She, the mighty Pope of the Spirit Hall, had actually been rejected by a mere six-year-old child?!