In the end, Lu Chen managed to keep himself from laughing through sheer willpower.
Having received a satisfactory answer, Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo were settled into guest rooms by Lu Yun.
Relying on the Presence Concealment Device she had fused with early on, Xiao Wu was not only unafraid of exposing her identity as a hundred-thousand-year transformed Soul Beast, but kept calling them "Your Eminence" like an inquisitive child, pestering them with questions about Spirit Hall's internal affairs.
After learning of Lu Chen and Xiao Wu's extraordinary talents, and that both had already joined Spirit Hall, Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo were quite accommodating. Their manner could be called kindly, and they answered virtually every question.
Lu Chen: twin Martial Souls, an ultimate attribute, a thousand-year first Soul Ring...
Xiao Wu fell considerably short of him, but she still possessed genuine innate full Soul Power, and her talent likewise surpassed Hu Liena's.
Were these two even human?
Had it not been for Lu Tian, even they might have been unable to resist taking them as disciples.
After lunch, at Lu Chen's signal, Xiao Wu once again pestered Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo without the slightest sense of distance.
Once Lu Chen confirmed through the Live Point Map that Xiao Wu had occupied both of them, he went to Lu Yun's room.
As expected, the old man looked miserable, still pondering what excuse he could use to fob off Bibi Dong. As the youngest Pope in Spirit Hall's history, this woman had not secured that position amid so many voices of opposition by being easy to fool.
Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo might seem easy to talk to now, but if they could not come up with a suitable explanation, the tacit agreement they had reached earlier would become void.
Even Titled Douluos had to eat from someone else's bowl~
Seeing Lu Chen arrive, Lu Yun did not want to burden the youngster. He feigned a relaxed manner and asked:
"Xiao Chen is here?"
"Why aren't you asking the two Eminences for guidance with Xiao Wu?"
Lu Chen poured a cup of tea each for the old man and himself before sitting down opposite him and saying:
"That girl's only interested in Spirit City's local customs. She's asking about everything under the sun. I couldn't get a word in beside her."
"Haha." Lu Yun shook his head with a laugh.
"After all, she... it's only natural for her to be interested in those things."
"But she really isn't the least bit intimidated."
Lu Chen had already briefed Lu Yun. The old man knew that Xiao Wu had the special ability to conceal her Soul Beast presence, so high-level Soul Masters would not discover her identity.
Still, at the thought of a hundred-thousand-year transformed Soul Beast daring to get right in the faces of two Titled Douluos in broad daylight, grandfather and grandson exchanged a look and laughed without a shred of decorum.
Seeing that the atmosphere had relaxed considerably, Lu Chen finally broached the main subject.
Lu Yun was troubled because he did not know about the Chat Group or Bibi Dong's transformation. Those were secrets Lu Chen could not divulge, so he could only do his best to reassure the old man:
"Grandpa, things aren't actually as bad as you imagine, are they?"
"Six years have passed, and Second Grandpa is about to become a Titled Douluo. That Pope will have to consider whether her actions might push a Titled Douluo with a true dragon Martial Soul over to the opposing side."
Lu Yun was clearly not so optimistic:
"Hard to say..."
"The current Pope isn't exactly a reasonable person."
How could someone who dared oppose the entire Elder Hall be normal?
Ever since Lu Chen had descended with a shooting star six years ago, Lu Yun had known that his grandson was special. But in his eyes, although Lu Chen had matured mentally at a very early age, he had still experienced too little.
Only an old man of his years knew a little about Bibi Dong's "glory days."
Lu Yun was not worried about himself. His old bones were nothing worth cherishing, but he worried that she might target Lu Chen.
Lu Chen truly had not expected the old man to have such an accurate grasp of Bibi Dong's character. In the original worldline, had she not been a paranoid fanatic who acted without the slightest consideration for the consequences?
However, after the Chat Group's detoxification-removing the influence of the Rakshasa divine sense-and the Notebook's spoilers, Bibi Dong's head was probably now filled with thoughts of how to torment Gangzi and make up for what she owed Qian Renxue.
Target Lu Chen for Gangzi's sake?
Never mind that Bibi Dong's affection had already reached 49 points.
Don't make your System Sis laugh. "Doctor System" declared that there was no other treatment for those symptoms: just crank up the voltage, damn it!
"There is actually a way," Lu Yun suddenly said, interrupting Lu Chen's thoughts.
"Xiao Chen, Lu Tian once told me that ordinary people only know of the Elder Hall, unaware that above it stands a Worship Hall."
"It's a secret organization Spirit Hall established for certain special purposes. Every Worshipper is a powerful Titled Douluo above level 96. Although they normally stay out of mundane affairs, they possess immense actual authority. Together, they can even depose the Pope!"
"If you can take one of them as your master, Bibi Dong really shouldn't dare touch you."
Qian Xunji: Right, right, she definitely wouldn't dare touch you~
After hearing the old man's solution, Lu Chen's first reaction was that Spirit Hall really did value Second Grandpa, for him to be qualified to learn such secrets ahead of time.
As for whether it was feasible...
In any case, it was only to put Grandpa's mind at ease. Besides, since Lu Chen had joined Spirit Hall, he naturally intended to climb step by step to the very top. Taking a Worshipper as his master would count as entering its inner circle ahead of time.
The system was already a road to invincibility; another Worshipper master meant another road.
Following his grandfather's train of thought, Lu Chen's expression suddenly turned a little strange as an interesting possibility occurred to him.
If he displayed truly outstanding talent, would it draw Qian Daoliu into personally stepping in?
With Bibi Dong's cautionary example before him, perhaps he really would be unable to sit still, lest a second crooked tree grow!
Become Qian Renxue's martial uncle 乛◡乛?
Lu Chen had to admit that he was sorely tempted.
"Then, Grandpa, what should I do?"
In answer to his precious grandson's question, Lu Yun raised a hand and pointed toward the guest rooms.
"That depends on whether you can impress these two ready-made guides."
In the courtyard, Lu Yun, Xiao Wu, and the two Titled Douluos, Chrysanthemum and Ghost, sat around a stone table. Not far away, Lu Chen sat cross-legged with his eyes tightly shut.
Ghost Douluo spoke in a low, pointed voice:
"Village Chief Lu Yun, this is the urgent matter you mentioned?"
Instead of hurrying to find a way to deal with the Pope, you came to tell us your grandson was about to break through and invited us over to stand guard.
What protection did a Soul Master in the teens need to break through a minor stage?
Was he going to sprout wings and fly away?
Was something wrong with you?!
Lu Yun pretended not to understand and simply kept flattering them:
"When you're old, what could be more important than seeing the younger generation succeed?"
"Xiao Chen is at a critical point in his cultivation, and both Your Eminences are among the Soul Master World's greatest experts. This old man could only shamelessly ask for your help."
Chrysanthemum Douluo held his fingers in an orchid gesture and laughed coquettishly:
"Little Meimei, what would an old bachelor like you know?"
"Xiao Chen is exceptionally gifted. It'll only take a little time, anyway. It's only right for us to lend the younger generation a hand."
Unlike Gui Mei, whose Martial Soul leaned toward coldness and evil and would be severely countered by Lu Chen's divine attribute, Yue Guan was different.
With his Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum Martial Soul, Yue Guan already felt considerable affinity toward Lu Chen, who possessed the ultimate wood attribute. His friendly attitude toward Hu Liena in the original worldline also showed that, setting aside his eccentric personality, Yue Guan had always taken very good care of juniors he liked.
Under their gazes, Lu Chen circulated his cultivation method and called to System Sis in his mind.
Use Martial Soul Bloodline Origin Upgrade twice.
Use divine origin upgrade.
Use life origin upgrade.
[Successfully used (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧.]
"This is-!"
The instant they sensed the Soul Power fluctuations emanating from Lu Chen, Ghost Douluo and Chrysanthemum Douluo sprang to their feet, their faces filled with disbelief.
They had never before seen Soul Power of such high quality in a youngster at the Soul Master stage!
An Azure Dragon phantom rose, and the Spirit-Suppressing Spear lay across his knees. Two bright purple Soul Rings drifted out. His cultivation method ran at full strength, and the five elements core rapidly separated and filtered the Soul Power drawn into Lu Chen's body...
That old bastard Lu Yun tricked us!
Lu Chen's Soul Power level showed not the slightest sign of increasing.
Yet both Titled Douluos could clearly sense that Lu Chen was continuously growing stronger.
This was an all-round improvement rooted in the very essence of a Soul Master's life!
"What a powerful divine attribute!"
"What a powerful life origin!"
While Chrysanthemum Douluo was merely astonished, and even felt rather comfortable under the influence of ultimate wood and life origin~
Ghost Douluo could only be described as horrified.
As the owner of the Ghost Martial Soul, he was innately countered by the divine attribute. In his eyes, Lu Chen was now like a blazing sun, and that sun's temperature kept rising, making him shudder all over and wish he could flee at once.
"It's not just his attributes. His Martial Souls are changing too!"
"What are those protrusions on the back of that strange dragon phantom?"
"Is it really going to grow dragon wings?!"
By this point, even the biggest fool should have realized the gravity of the situation.
Chrysanthemum Douluo could spare no attention for the useless ghost beside him. He whipped his head around to look at Lu Yun, his normally androgynous voice turning somewhat shrill. The powerful Soul Power pressure of a level-95 Titled Douluo spread outward, only to be forcibly halted just before it reached the old man:
"Village Chief Lu Yun, just what is the meaning of this?!"
Before you continue