Bibi Dong's gaze shifted slightly when she heard Yue Guan's words.
"Yue Guan, are you certain you can break through to Level 96 within a year?"
Yue Guan "hesitated" for a moment before saying, "Your Holiness, I should be able to."
"My Martial Soul is the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, just like Xiao Yuan's. Although I only consumed a few petals, they should be enough for me to gain insights and improve."
"I believe I should be able to break through within a year."
Bibi Dong nodded at his words.
If Yue Guan could reach Level 96, then his and Gui Mei's Two-Level Stillness Domain should be able to restrain a Level 97 Super Douluo with absolute certainty.
The compatibility between their Martial Souls was not particularly high, only fifty or sixty percent.
With both of them at Level 95, they only had a certain chance of restraining a Level 97 expert.
And if Yue Guan improved, that would be a good thing for her as well.
It would help her capture a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast later.
If Yue Guan really could improve... perhaps she ought to consider giving him a reward too.
This was partly in recognition of Yue Guan's strength, and partly because of Gui Yuan.
As the saying went, love for the house extended even to the crow on its roof.
When she had first asked Gui Yuan to attempt self-Martial Soul Fusion, Bibi Dong had actually held little hope of success.
His compatibility was not particularly high, and it was far too difficult for a One-Ring Soul Master.
Yet he had actually succeeded. Although it had only lasted an instant, his future looked promising.
"Very well," Bibi Dong said evenly. "If you really can reach Level 96 within a year, I can authorize a suitable Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone for you."
Yue Guan froze at her words, scarcely able to believe what he had heard.
"Thank you, Your Holiness!" he said, suppressing his excitement.
Although Bibi Dong had made that promise, he could not absorb that immortal herb so soon.
He would have to wait at least another six months.
As for Gui Mei's immortal herb, he would probably have to wait a year or even two before absorbing it. That would be safer.
"All right, the rest of you may leave." Bibi Dong looked at Gui Yuan. "You stay behind."
Yue Guan, Gui Mei, and Hu Liena turned and left the Pope's Palace.
Before leaving, Hu Liena even winked at Gui Yuan, a teasing smile at the corners of her lips.
Only after they had left did Bibi Dong rise from the papal throne.
She walked up to Gui Yuan and turned her right hand over. A Soul Bone glowing blue appeared in her palm.
The Soul Bone was crystalline throughout, with fine patterns of light flowing across its surface like slowly moving pathways of wisdom. It exuded a tranquil, profound presence.
"This is a seventy-thousand-year Spirit Condensation Wisdom Skull, your reward for discovering that whale rubber could temper the body."
"My original intention in giving you this Soul Bone was to provide you with the means to absorb a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring when you reached level forty."
"Instead, you attempted to absorb a ten-thousand-year ring for your Third Soul Ring."
At this point, Bibi Dong's tone grew cold. "It was far too dangerous. Even with a divine artifact protecting you, that action was far too dangerous."
"With your talent, there is truly no need to take such risks. You only need to advance step by step."
Gui Yuan took the Soul Bone from Bibi Dong. It felt slightly cool in his hand, and he could sense the gentle, pure spiritual power contained within it.
He chuckled. "Teacher, extraordinary circumstances call for extraordinary measures."
"Besides, for Food System Soul Masters, the older the Soul Ring, the better the Soul Skill they can obtain."
"Naturally, I wanted to try. Absorbing older Soul Rings can also speed up my Soul Power growth. Wouldn't that let me help you and Spirit Hall later?"
Having received such a high-quality Soul Bone, and a Head Soul Bone at that, Gui Yuan naturally did not forget to express his loyalty.
Bibi Dong's gaze softened a little at his words. "It has only been six months since you awakened your Martial Soul. You don't need to think about so much yet."
"All right, that is all. You may leave."
She turned away.
Gui Yuan bowed, put the Soul Bone into his Soul Tool, and turned to leave the Pope's Palace.
The moment he stepped through the doors, he began considering how to use this Soul Bone.
To be honest, he had no intention of absorbing it right now.
Seventy thousand years might already make it an exceptional treasure that ordinary Soul Masters could only encounter by chance, but he might have chosen to absorb it if he did not have the Darkin Bow's spiritual protection.
Now, however, he would not.
No matter how low their age, the Soul Bones on his body ought to be at least a hundred thousand years old. Otherwise, he would be letting down the cheat he had now.
Besides, he actually had another idea in mind: he intended to emulate Oscar's sixth Soul Skill.
Once he could withstand a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring, he would go to the Far North and seek out a hundred-thousand-year Mirror Shadow Beast.
He would see whether he could obtain a Soul Skill like Mirror Image Sausage.
That would give him more varied ways to fight in the future.
As for why it had to be a hundred thousand years old? Naturally, because that guaranteed a Soul Bone.
If he remembered correctly, a Mirror Shadow Beast's Soul Bone could also grant a clone skill.
If he released that clone before using his Martial Soul Fusion Skill in the future, could that resolve the drawback of being unable to move during the Martial Soul Fusion Skill?
Of course, that was only an idea he currently had. If it could not be realized, he would have to find another way.
For instance, he could rely on other Food System Soul Skills to resolve this drawback.
Although Food System Soul Masters ranked at the bottom among the many systems, there was no denying that Food System Soul Skills were extremely varied.
Who could have imagined back then that Oscar would go from a support-type Soul Master to a Battle Soul Master because of that Soul Skill?
As for the Spirit Condensation Wisdom Skull he currently had...
It was actually quite suitable for his second dad, but he did not intend to give it to him now.
Unless he obtained a hundred-thousand-year Head Soul Bone, Gui Mei would never accept it, and he would have no way to justify it to Bibi Dong either.
He put those thoughts aside and strode out of the Pope's Palace.
Outside the palace, Yue Guan and the other two had not actually gone far.
Hu Liena stood at a bend in the corridor. The moment she saw Gui Yuan emerge, she immediately came over.
Her alluring, foxlike eyes blinked curiously. "Why did Teacher ask you to stay behind?"
Gui Yuan smiled. "It's a secret. Go ask Teacher."
Hu Liena pouted slightly. How would she dare ask Teacher?
This junior brother of hers was so wicked. He knew perfectly well that she did not dare, yet had deliberately said that anyway.
Yue Guan smiled beside them. "All right, all right. Now that you're back, go get some proper rest. You've been tired enough lately."
Gui Yuan nodded. He really ought to get a good night's sleep.
He had spent over a month out there with his nerves constantly taut, but the gains had certainly been worth the effort.
Level thirty-five Soul Elder, an External Soul Bone, a whole Soul Tool full of immortal herbs and spirit herbs, and a skull Soul Bone.
He walked back with Yue Guan and Gui Mei, while Hu Liena followed beside them, turning her head to glance at him from time to time.
"Junior brother," she suddenly asked quietly, "are you really level thirty-five now?"
"Yes."
"That's much faster than I was back then..." Hu Liena's expression was somewhat complicated. "I only broke through to Soul Elder at twelve."
P.S. Brothers, the trial promotion went well, and the book advanced. Paid chapters start tomorrow. I hope you can support it with a first-chapter purchase or keep reading. Thank you~~