The youngest had dropped from a Ten Thousand Year Iron-Armed Demon Ape he had hunted. Despite receiving age-increase rewards from the system several times, that Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone still had not reached twenty thousand years.
Still, this External Soul Bone could grow on its own. Eighty thousand years was already a very high starting point, and it probably would not take long to reach a hundred thousand years. Zhao Ling was quite satisfied with that.
After absorbing the eighty-thousand-year External Soul Bone, Zhao Ling felt his Soul Power increase slightly. Perhaps because his own Soul Power was too immense, however, his Soul Power Level did not rise.
But that was fine. Zhao Ling was in no hurry. Going from nothing to a rank-93 Titled Douluo in fifteen years was already quite remarkable.
After closing the Diary Panel, Zhao Ling chatted with Qian Daoliu and Golden Crocodile Douluo, neither servile nor overbearing.
After all, he was a Titled Douluo powerhouse, and one with three Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings at that. He had the confidence to back it up.
Chapter 92: The Sea God Manifested?
Meanwhile, Bibi Dong was pacing anxiously outside the door.
Earlier, when her teacher and Zhao Ling had released their Martial Souls inside the Papal Hall to test each other, she had been nervous to death.
When she sensed her teacher's presence being completely overwhelmed by Zhao Ling's, a trace of pride appeared in her beautiful eyes.
Sure enough, the man she had set her sights on was outstanding. He could even surpass her teacher. Wonderful.
But soon, the Great Enshrined and Second Worship arrived uninvited. Naturally, Bibi Dong was worried, afraid her teacher and the two worships would make things difficult for Zhao Ling.
Just as she was considering barging into the Papal Hall to see what was amiss, the Diary Copy appeared before her, indicating that its latest content had been updated.
Of course, she immediately began reading without a second thought, but its contents left her unsure whether to laugh or cry.
She really thought something might be seriously wrong with Zhao Ling's head. It was one thing for him to have the leisure to write in his diary while facing her teacher.
But the Great Enshrined and Second Worship had also gone to the Papal Hall, yet this fellow still had the leisure to write. Was he really not nervous at all?
Most importantly, Zhao Ling actually complained in his diary about how good-looking her teacher and the Great Enshrined's family were, and wondered how she could fall for Yu Xiaogang while feeling nothing for her handsome teacher.
Bibi Dong thought that since her teacher had raised her from childhood, was it not normal to see him as a father? How could she possibly think about having that sort of relationship with Qian Xunji? Once again, she judged Zhao Ling to have "something seriously wrong with his head."
As for the woman named Bo Saixi, Bibi Dong had no recollection of her. Tang Chen, though, seemed to have been a former sect master of the Clear Sky Sect. Supposedly, he was known as invincible on land.
She had never imagined that Tang Chen and the Great Enshrined had once loved the same woman, or that Tang Chen had successfully won the beauty's heart in their competition. Bibi Dong found it truly unbelievable.
The Great Enshrined's looks certainly stood the test. Nearly a hundred years old, he looked only thirty or forty, and was ridiculously handsome. That he had still lost to that fellow named Tang Chen despite those looks was genuinely baffling.
As for what Zhao Ling meant by "double doors," Bibi Dong initially did not understand. But when she saw him mention eight-pack abs and recalled the muscular physique she had seen on him, she unconsciously swallowed, a faint hot trickle threatening to emerge from her nostrils.
She vaguely understood what "double doors" meant now. She had to admit that Zhao Ling's muscular physique and those sharply defined eight-pack abs were indeed enticing...
Meanwhile, Ah Yin, who was sound asleep at the Hotel, merely rolled over when the diary updated yet again, too lazy to read the latest contents.
There was nothing for it. She felt so exhausted she was nearly drained dry, to the point that she could not even be bothered to get up for breakfast. Whether she could get up for lunch would depend on how well she rested.
So, faced with the latest update, she still felt sleep was more important.
Meanwhile, Liu Erlong frowned slightly as she read the latest update. She did know who Qian Daoliu was-the previous pope.
But she was not very familiar with Tang Chen, and could only blindly guess that he was an elder of the Clear Sky Sect. As for the woman named Bo Saixi, she felt the woman was just as unfortunate as she was.
Someone had mocked her for picking up a worn-out shoe, while this woman named Bo Saixi had been mocked for being blind.
Moreover, the man she liked, Tang Chen, had actually lost his reason after being plotted against. If this woman found out, would she not worry herself to death?
Indeed, just as Liu Erlong had anticipated, at that moment, far away in Sea God Hall on Sea God Island-
At the sight of the suddenly appearing "Zhao Ling's Diary Copy," Bo Saixi, whose long hair was ocean blue and whose bearing was always noble, elegant, and gentle, grew solemn.
Why had an illusory notebook with "Zhao Ling's Diary Copy" written on its cover suddenly appeared before her? Had the Sea God manifested?
Yes, Lord Sea God must have sent it before her because he wanted her to see it?
As the Sea God's most devoted believer, Bo Saixi naturally connected this strange occurrence with an oracle from the Sea God the instant she saw "Zhao Ling's Diary Copy" floating before her.
Only, she could not quite understand. Who was this person named Zhao Ling? Why would Lord Sea God personally deliver his diary to her?
Was there something in it related to her, something very important? At that thought, she tentatively extended a delicate finger to tap "Zhao Ling's Diary Copy," only for her fingertip to pass straight through it.
That left her even more puzzled. What was going on with this suddenly appearing Diary Copy? Since it had appeared before her, there was no reason it should not let her touch it.
Or did this Diary Copy not need to be touched to open? At that thought, she tried willing "Zhao Ling's Diary Copy" open.
Sure enough, "Zhao Ling's Diary Copy" soon opened. At the same time, an unfamiliar man's rich, magnetic voice sounded beside her ear.
Her eyes unconsciously followed the voice as she read the updated contents of the diary.
Spirit Hall? Bo Saixi's brows drew together a little more. Wasn't that the most powerful faction on the Douluo Continent? But that didn't seem to have anything to do with her.
She continued reading. Oh... Qian Daoliu. Naturally, she knew that name very well. After all, like her, he was one of only three rank-99 Limit Douluos currently on the Douluo Continent, known as Invincible in the Sky.
The image of that tall, slender, handsome man who always made others feel comfortable immediately surfaced in Bo Saixi's mind.
But soon, her expression stiffened. Was something wrong with this diary writer? Qian Daoliu was indeed handsome and good-looking, but did that mean she had to like him?
She naturally knew full well that Qian Daoliu was better-looking than Tang Chen, but could good looks put food on the table? She simply felt Tang Chen was the type she liked.
As for why, Bo Saixi herself could not explain it clearly. But when she read the diary's suggestion that she might like Tang Chen's muscular physique, the build that made countless men envy and resent him instantly surfaced in her mind.
She felt it seemed to make a little sense, but not much. She dared swear to heaven that she, Bo Saixi, was absolutely not such a shallow woman.
Forcing down the feeling of her blood beginning to boil, Bo Saixi continued reading. When she read that she could never end up with Tang Chen because the Rakshasa God had schemed against him and something called the Blood-Red Nine-Headed Bat King had parasitized him, her expression changed outright.
Bo Saixi naturally knew exactly how powerful Tang Chen was. He was invincible on land, yet a Deity had plotted against him. What on earth had happened?!
Bo Saixi now felt her heart tangle like a skein of hemp. She desperately wanted to ask the almighty Lord Sea God what exactly had happened to Tang Chen.
But she knew very well that she was merely Lord Sea God's representative in the mortal world. Unless something extremely important happened, it was impossible to successfully bring Lord Sea God down to the mortal world...
Chapter 93: The Sea God Delivered an Oracle?
The Sea God's willingness to send "Zhao Ling's Diary Copy" before her and let her know that something had happened to Tang Chen was already the greatest favor Lord Sea God could grant her. How could she dare hope the Sea God would answer her questions?
If she wanted to know what exactly had happened now, she had to find out who had written this diary, hoping to learn something from him.
Her brows furrowed slightly. Since this diary's writer was currently meeting Qian Daoliu, that meant he should be in Spirit City.
In other words, if she could reach Spirit City now, she still had a chance of finding the diary's writer.
But Sea God Island was extremely far from the Douluo Continent. Even traveling over the sea at full speed, she would need several days to arrive.
Once she reached land, Bo Saixi's speed would drop as well. After all, the sea was her home ground.
On land, she would need to ride horses to conserve Soul Power, further extending her travel time. She feared that by the time she reached Spirit City, Zhao Ling would have long since vanished without a trace.
But Bo Saixi truly wanted to know where Tang Chen was now.
Back then, she had merely said that she would marry whichever of Tang Chen and Qian Daoliu became a god first.
When she said that, Qian Daoliu had already become the Angel God's representative in the human world. In other words, he had already lost his eligibility to become a god.
If Tang Chen had been just a little less stubborn, just a little cleverer, he should have known that the person she loved had always been him.
But Tang Chen was truly a straight man cast in steel. Without understanding the meaning behind her words at all, he had left Sea God Island to seek an opportunity to become a god.
They had been separated for so many years, and now she had actually seen Tang Chen's name mentioned in the diary, along with the claim that the Rakshasa God had plotted against him and something called the Blood-Red Nine-Headed Bat King had parasitized him.
Heaven only knew how chaotic Bo Saixi's heart was at that moment. She was so distraught that she did not know what to do.
With a thought, she closed "Zhao Ling's Diary Copy." The next instant, she saw a passage of golden text appear on the diary's cover.
"First-tier reward: lifespan +30 years, aging rate -10%. Reward already unlocked. Distributing immediately..."
A moment later, the golden text turned into streaks of golden light, spilled from the cover, and shot straight into the space between Bo Saixi's brows.
Immediately, Bo Saixi felt a warm current surge from between her brows throughout her entire body, continuously washing through her delicate frame.
Soon, she felt as though her body had returned to its state at around twenty years old, and she felt much more spirited as well.
This change somewhat shocked Bo Saixi. After all, only those who became Titled Douluo powerhouses gained an increase in lifespan.
After advancing to Titled Douluo, a human's lifespan would increase to three hundred years. Every subsequent rank added another hundred years. As a rank-99 Titled Douluo, she could theoretically live for around a thousand years.
Yet this strange Diary Copy could add thirty years to her lifespan and even slow her aging. Was that not utterly incredible?
But now was not the time to dwell on that. She still needed to consider whether to seek out the mysterious man surnamed Zhao.
After considering it for over ten minutes, Bo Saixi finally decided to make a trip to Spirit City.
Originally, as the High Priest of Sea God Island, she could not leave Sea God Island lightly, because there were people here who needed her protection.
If she left and the Ferocious Beasts in the sea happened to invade, it would likely place the people of Sea God Island in tremendous danger.
But Bo Saixi could no longer concern herself with so much. Since she knew Tang Chen had been plotted against and parasitized by the Blood-Red Nine-Headed Bat King, she could not keep standing idly by.
Besides, had Lord Sea God not personally sent "Zhao Ling's Diary Copy" before him? Did that not mean Lord Sea God had delivered an oracle ordering her to save Tang Chen?
At that thought, Bo Saixi immediately summoned the Seven Sacred Pillars and gave them a lengthy series of instructions, telling them to safeguard the residents of Sea God Island, as she would be leaving the island for a while.
Disbelief appeared on the faces of the Seven Sacred Pillars. What was going on? The High Priest wanted them to protect Sea God Island's residents while she herself left the island?
Was this some kind of joke? The High Priest was Lord Sea God's representative on the Douluo Continent. She-she was actually going to leave Sea God Island alone?
Bo Saixi also noticed the confusion in their eyes. She sighed softly, swept her beautiful gaze over them, and then explained.
"Just now, I received an oracle from Lord Sea God ordering me to make a trip to the mainland. I don't know exactly how long it will take, either. In any case, I will only return to Sea God Island once the problem has been resolved.
"If anything major happens, the seven of you should discuss it and resolve it yourselves. Do you understand?"
Upon hearing that Lord Sea God had personally delivered an oracle, the Seven Sacred Pillars finally understood.
No wonder the High Priest was in such a hurry to leave Sea God Island. Without an oracle personally delivered by the Sea God, someone of her character would never leave the island.
And so, Bo Saixi set off for the mainland alone. As the Sea God's representative, traveling across the sea naturally left her like a fish in water. She had no need for a boat or anything of the sort, and her speed was tremendous. She soon disappeared from the Seven Sacred Pillars' sight...
Back in Spirit City, after chatting with Qian Daoliu and his son Qian Xunji for a while, Zhao Ling walked out of the Papal Hall.
Bibi Dong, who had been pacing outside the Papal Hall, lit up at the sight of Zhao Ling emerging and threw herself straight into his arms.
Zhao Ling pulled her into his embrace and kissed her between the brows. "Dong'er, your teacher said he'll choose a date for our engagement. Hehe, Dong'er, you'll soon be mine."
A gentle smile immediately appeared on Bibi Dong's face. She rose onto her toes and kissed Zhao Ling on the lips. "Hubby, I couldn't wish for anything more than to be yours..."
Previously, Ah Yin had repeatedly urged Bibi Dong to join her in calling Zhao Ling "hubby," but she had never agreed. She had always felt that without her teacher's approval, acting too intimate might lead to something bad.
But now, Zhao Ling had successfully gained her teacher's approval, and her teacher had explicitly said he would arrange their engagement. Basically, there would be no more uncertainty about it, so she no longer felt awkward calling Zhao Ling "hubby."
"Then... Dong'er, my wife, can we..." Zhao Ling looked Bibi Dong up and down with a somewhat wicked gaze. Blushing under his scrutiny, she rolled her eyes at him before pressing her face against his chest.
"If you don't answer, I'll take that as a yes." With that, Zhao Ling tried to scoop Bibi Dong into his arms, but she stopped him with a sharp protest.
"You naughty hubby, can you behave yourself? It's broad daylight. What are you trying to do? Come on, I'll show you around Spirit City, and we'll buy some tasty food to bring back for little sister Ah Yin..."
"Uh..." Zhao Ling pulled a somewhat dejected face. What was the point of shopping? With a stunning beauty like Bibi Dong at his side, how could he be in the mood to shop?
But Bibi Dong paid that no mind. She simply took Zhao Ling's arm and left Spirit Hall, heading toward the bustling streets.
Chapter 94: Your Husband Is So Scared
At noon, Zhao Ling and Bibi Dong arrived together at the Hotel. Opening the room's door, they found Ah Yin sleeping soundly.
Bibi Dong was somewhat puzzled. How could little sister Ah Yin sleep so much? She had slept all night yesterday and then all morning today. Was she a pig?
Suddenly, she remembered that back at Suotuo City's Great Soul Arena, little sister Ah Yin had also often nestled in Zhao Ling's arms and slept soundly. It seemed little sister Ah Yin really did have the makings of a pig.
She approached the bed, raised her hand, and tickled Ah Yin under the arms. Before long, the ticklish Ah Yin woke up laughing.
Seeing the two standing beside the bed, Ah Yin stretched languidly, then eagerly asked Bibi Dong a question.
"Big sister Dong'er, how did it go? Did Hubby get your teacher's approval? Can you do that with Hubby tonight?"
Faced with Ah Yin's expectant gaze, Bibi Dong nodded with a flushed face, making Ah Yin leap off the bed in delight.
"Yay! I can finally get a good rest tonight! Hubby, go keep big sister Dong'er company today, okay?"
"..." The corners of Zhao Ling's mouth twitched. He walked up to the two women and wrapped an arm around each of their waists, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.
"What are you thinking? Neither of you can be missing tonight. Trying to get away from your husband? How could that happen?"
"No, Hubby! You can't be so unfair."
Ah Yin immediately grew anxious. She pushed away Zhao Ling's hand around her waist, quickly scrambled into the corner by the wall, and spoke indignantly.
"For a while now, big sister Dong'er couldn't do those things with you for certain reasons, leaving me calling to heaven without an answer and crying to earth without a response.
"Now big sister Dong'er can give herself to you, yet you're still thinking of tormenting me. I don't care. Tonight, I'm going to have a good rest by myself. Just try forcing me again-I'll fight you..."
With that, Ah Yin huffily turned her head toward the wall, refusing to pay Zhao Ling any attention.
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