With a garden like this, a scene like this, Leng Xiyue felt that if she were a painter or photographer, she would surely risk her life to capture it. She often heard people say that art came from life, but she knew nothing about art and had never understood what that meant. Now, she understood a little.
Everything was so relaxed and comfortable. There was no need to wear those elaborate ceremonial robes or clutch a scepter no one would want to hold all day, nor to keep a stern face and an air of imposing dignity while sitting on that hard seat in the Papal Hall from morning to night.
Once she shed those burdens, she was really just a pitiful woman.
Leng Xiyue was not surprised. Unless you stepped into someone's life, you could never understand what sort of person she truly was, what she carried on her shoulders, or what she wanted.
Seeing Javier approach, the maid holding the documents softly reminded her, "Your Holiness, Lord Javier has returned."
Bibi Dong looked up, and a smile immediately spread across her face. "Javier, you're finally back. I've been waiting quite a while."
"Yes, Your Holiness." Javier hurried forward and dropped to one knee. Leng Xiyue followed his example and paid her respects as well.
After the salute, Javier looked up at Bibi Dong, a trace of helplessness on his face. "...Please observe proper decorum."
Bibi Dong acted as though she had not heard him. She rose, put on her shoes, and walked slowly over to Leng Xiyue, her gaze settling on the girl. "Stand up. Let me have a look at you."
Leng Xiyue stood, holding her little hands awkwardly behind her back. She did not dare look Bibi Dong in the eye, only stealing an occasional glance, looking thoroughly timid and meek.
Seeing this, Javier quickly said, "Your Holiness, this child is very shy around strangers. She was probably frightened by the series of upheavals she experienced."
"Oh?" Bibi Dong raised her eyes, catching the true meaning behind his words. "A series of upheavals? Javier, that isn't how you usually report things. In other words, you don't know her background either?"
Though she wore only a thin garment much like a nightgown and had made no special effort to dress herself up, Leng Xiyue could feel an invisible pressure spreading from that simple remark, even though it had not been directed at her.
At those words, Javier knelt again. "Yes, Your Holiness. I've already sent people to investigate, but everything happened so suddenly that it will likely take at least another two days to get to the bottom of it."
"All right, I understand. All of you may leave. I'll speak with this child alone."
"Yes." Javier rose and withdrew with the maids.
Once no one else remained, Bibi Dong dropped the Pope's formal airs and crouched in front of Leng Xiyue. Looking at her adorable little face, she could not resist giving it a pinch.
Once upon a time, her daughter had been just as adorable. What a pity...
"Come, there are no outsiders here now. Show me your martial soul."
"All right." Hearing this, Leng Xiyue stopped acting so timid. With a lift of her hand, pure white armor covered her body, and a yellow Soul Ring pulsed beside her.
She extended her hand again, and a longsword of psionic energy appeared in it.
Looking at Leng Xiyue's armor and the Psi Blade in her hand, Bibi Dong was overjoyed. "Little one, to think you not only have innate full soul power, but a super martial soul as well! I've really found a treasure!"
"A super martial soul? Your Holiness, what's that?" Faced with this unfamiliar term, the ever-curious Leng Xiyue looked up and asked.
Bibi Dong stood and paced back and forth, pondering something as she explained, "A super martial soul is a martial soul that is exceedingly rare on this continent. So rare that only a few dozen appear in a hundred years. To be precise, there might not even be twenty."
"Martial souls are divided into ten ranks. Ranks one through three are called ordinary martial souls, and consist of extremely common things. Ranks four through seven are called high-grade martial souls. These are more unusual, possessing unique creative abilities or considerable destructive power. From rank six onward, one can comprehend a path of one's own through them. The martial souls of many elders in our Spirit Hall belong to these ranks."
"Rank eight consists of what we call top-grade martial souls. Familiar examples such as the Clear Sky Hammer, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda all belong to this rank. Each possesses terrifying abilities, and they can generally achieve overwhelming victories against opponents at the same level. Those who bring their abilities to their fullest potential can fight five opponents at once without falling behind. That alone shows how fearsome they are."
"And rank nine consists of super martial souls. These are exceedingly rare and cannot be passed down throughout an entire clan. Every recorded example has been inherited through a single line, such as the Six-Winged Angel left by the first Pope, the Seven Kill Sword of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's Sword Douluo, and the Nine Heart Begonia, whose whereabouts have always been elusive as a ghost. Now, perhaps we can add yours to that list."
"Then, Your Holiness, what about rank ten?" Seeing that Bibi Dong did not intend to continue, Leng Xiyue quickly asked.
Among the cultivation ranks of Soul Masters, there was still the grand promise of godhood beyond Titled Douluo, so martial souls ought to have a tenth rank too, right?
Setting aside rank-nine martial souls like the Seven Kill Sword and the Six-Winged Angel, even a Nine Heart Begonia at the Soul Elder level could save anyone on the brink of death. That alone showed how terrifying it was.
Then just how powerful would rank ten be?
"Rank ten? At present, no martial soul can be classified as rank ten. That rank merely leaves room for martial souls to advance. If a martial soul a whole level stronger than rank nine appeared one day and we hadn't reserved a corresponding rank for it, we would make ourselves a laughingstock."
Bibi Dong smiled as she said, "Even if one did exist, it would probably be a mutation of a rank-nine martial soul. But rank-nine martial souls are far too scarce, and martial soul mutation is a one-in-ten-thousand occurrence. We might not see a martial soul that qualifies as rank ten even in several thousand years. Rank-eight martial souls mutating into rank-nine ones, however, do appear from time to time."
"So that's how it works. Thank you for explaining, Your Holiness," Leng Xiyue said gratefully.
These things should have been the most basic knowledge taught at an academy, or rather, the very first lesson for an aspiring Soul Master. Yet Bibi Dong had been willing to explain them to her personally. It was, admittedly, quite an honor.
"So, little one, would you be willing to take me as your master?"
Leng Xiyue knew exactly what to do. She immediately knelt and kowtowed three times. "Master, please accept your disciple's bow!"
"Master? That's quite a novel term, but it does sound much warmer than 'teacher.'"
Leng Xiyue raised her head and said with perfect solemnity, "A master is both a teacher and someone as dear as a parent. Perhaps it's presumptuous of your disciple to address you this way, but the moment I saw Your Holiness, so wise and mighty, I was utterly won over. Now that I've actually been given the chance to become your disciple, the word slipped out before I could help it."
As she spoke, a sorrowful expression appeared on Leng Xiyue's face. "If you don't approve, Master, your disciple will simply call you 'teacher' from now on."
"Of course I approve." Bibi Dong's face immediately lit up with a smile. Who did not enjoy hearing flattering words?
Had Leng Xiyue possessed an ordinary martial soul, Bibi Dong might not have been so indulgent. But a genius with both a super martial soul and innate full soul power, if nurtured to the highest standards, would surely achieve more than she had in the future-enough to stand alongside Qian Daoliu.
Without the Rakshasa God's inheritance, she knew very well that she was no match for Qian Daoliu.
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