"Xiao Chen, Teacher."
The little fox was awakened by their movements. She rubbed her sleepy eyes, and once her head cleared, she hurriedly greeted Bibi Dong. "Good morning."
Unlike Luo Chen, although Bibi Dong had always treated Hu Liena gently, this was the little fox's first time sleeping together with her like mother and daughter.
"Mm."
Seeing Hu Liena's hair sticking up like bristling fur, Bibi Dong could not help bursting into a laugh.
"Ah..."
Hu Liena realized at once, her lovely face flushing slightly as she fretted over Luo Chen seeing her in such a disheveled state.
"Get up now. I'll brush your hair."
Bibi Dong gently stroked Hu Liena's soft little face, then looked at Luo Chen beside her, her heart instantly filling with happiness.
"Thank you, Teacher."
Hu Liena said, "I'll brush your hair too, Teacher."
Soon, the three finished washing up and walked out of the room together.
Outside, the two Douluos, Chrysanthemum and Ghost, had stood guard all night. Seeing Bibi Dong emerge, they bowed respectfully. "Greetings, Your Holiness!"
"No need for formalities. Thank you both for your efforts last night, Elders."
"It is our duty."
Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo were orphans taken in by Spirit Hall. They had begun protecting Bibi Dong in secret back when she was still the Holy Maiden.
That bond was also why, after Qian Xunji's death, the two had chosen Bibi Dong's faction over the Qian Family's.
Although Bibi Dong was now the Pope, she had very little support of her own within Spirit Hall and barely anyone at her disposal.
Across all of Spirit Hall, there were seven enshrined elders, nine elders, Bibi Dong, who was about to break through, and the former Pope, Qian Xunji-eighteen in total.
Now that Qian Xunji had fallen and Bibi Dong had yet to officially break through, there were only sixteen actual Titled Douluos.
It could be said that every Titled Douluo was an important resource Bibi Dong needed to win over.
"Today, I plan to take the three little ones to the Soul Hunting Forest outside Nuoding City to obtain Soul Rings."
Bibi Dong had included Wang Sheng, clearly intending to nurture him.
The stunning Pope possessed extensive knowledge of Martial Souls and had long since planned Hu Liena's soul ring configuration.
Wang Sheng's beast Martial Soul was easy to handle as well: a fire-attribute Soul Beast, the fiercer the better.
Luo Chen remained the most troublesome. Bibi Dong truly had no idea how many years his Soul Ring could have.
Fortunately, physical fitness could be improved through Soul Bones.
Bibi Dong could not readily give Luo Chen the Soul Bones in Spirit Hall's collection, because even she had no authority to allocate them without permission.
Soul Bones had an extremely low drop rate, and their ability to be passed down made each one worth a fortune.
Even over a decade later, with the Golden Generation, Bibi Dong would still need the Soul Master Tournament as a pretext to bestow three high-year Soul Bones upon Hu Liena and the others.
For this, Bibi Dong could only hope her luck would be good enough for a Soul Bone to drop.
A Soul Bone she obtained herself was naturally hers to give to anyone she pleased.
"Let's first visit the Spirit Hall Branch and ask what Soul Beasts this Soul Hunting Forest has."
On the way to the Spirit Hall Branch, Bibi Dong explained the origins and necessity of Soul Hunting Forests to the three little ones. "To prevent the indiscriminate slaughter of Soul Beasts, the two great empires established Soul Hunting Forests at Spirit Hall's urging."
Soul Hunting Forests resembled the nature reserves of Luo Chen's previous life, intended to prevent Soul Masters from killing Soul Beasts indiscriminately and eventually driving them to extinction.
Spirit Hall's enforcement teams patrolled outside the forests, and anyone wishing to enter a Soul Hunting Forest had to possess a Soul Hunting Warrant issued by Spirit Hall.
Spirit Hall had invested vast amounts of manpower and resources into this Soul Beast protection plan.
To better protect Soul Beast populations and their ecology, recording the species and distribution of Soul Beasts within the Soul Hunting Forests had become the duty of local Spirit Hall branches.
The Soul Beast distribution maps produced locally for Soul Hunting Forests were Spirit Hall secrets, almost never disclosed to outsiders.
"By the way, Xiao Chen."
Bibi Dong said, "Before we go hunting for Soul Rings, I intend to take you to meet someone."
"Hm?"
Luo Chen looked at Bibi Dong in confusion, vaguely guessing whom she meant.
Along the way, Bibi Dong had thought for a long time before finally deciding to tell Luo Chen about his condition. "I damaged your foundation, leaving your body weak. Last night, I checked the strength of your bones..."
Luo Chen knew what Bibi Dong wanted to say.
In truth, however, Bibi Dong had not accidentally injured him back then.
The Death Spider Emperor Poison in his body was purely the result of some old schemer secretly striking at him.
Moreover, the true underlying cause of Luo Chen's frailty, frequent illness, and inability to recover was that blood-red energy filled with a dense sense of slaughter.
Without that energy, Luo Chen's constitution would have expelled the Death Spider Emperor Poison long ago.
After six years, even if his physical fitness had not reached that of a rank-thirty Soul Elder, it would at least have rivaled a rank-twenty Soul Grandmaster's.
With such physical strength, his first Soul Ring would have needed to be at least a thousand years old.
Unfortunately, someone had plotted against Luo Chen and Bibi Dong, especially the latter, who remained in the dark to this day, believing she had harmed Luo Chen.
Luo Chen offered no explanation.
Rather, this was better.
Only by making Bibi Dong value and care about him more could Luo Chen better get through his early stage of development.
Bibi Dong might seem perfectly normal now, but as the Rakshasa God Trial continued, her mind would be steadily eroded by Rakshasa Divine Power.
That erosion would continue until Bibi Dong fully inherited the godhood and gained control over the Rakshasa Divine Power.
Until then, the erosion of resentment was part of the Rakshasa God Trial.
If Bibi Dong could not withstand it, she would be devoured by the Rakshasa God's resentment, fail the God Trials, and become nourishment for the Rakshasa Godhood.
No matter how Luo Chen and Bibi Dong's relationship developed in the future, strength was indispensable.
Only by growing strong could Luo Chen stand against the Divine Realm and protect those he cared about.
"It's all right, Teacher."
Luo Chen smiled calmly. He had never blamed Bibi Dong in the first place.
With Na'er around, as long as he obtained enough Soul Rings and accumulated enough Soul Power, Luo Chen could begin his plan to break down and rebuild at any time.
Besides, even if someone truly attacked Luo Chen, he was no longer afraid.
"As long as it isn't a god-level powerhouse making a move, no one can stop us if Na'er wants to leave."
Na'er's ability was Elemental Control, and spatial manipulation was undoubtedly the best means of escape.
Rank-thirty divine power might be small in quantity, but divine power was still divine power.
Travel through space driven by divine power was absolutely not something the Soul Masters of this era could obstruct.
"Xiao Chen..."
Meanwhile, realizing Luo Chen truly had no intention of blaming her, Bibi Dong was moved, and her voice grew a little softer. "Don't worry, Xiao Chen. I've already found a way to resolve your problem."
"But I'm not completely certain yet," Bibi Dong said. "So I need to consult an old acquaintance to better verify my conjecture."
Soul Bones improved physical fitness. That much was certain.
Bibi Dong's only concern was whether Luo Chen, in his current physical condition, could truly withstand the enhancement a Soul Bone brought.
There was no theoretical problem, but when it came to actually doing it, Bibi Dong still had some concerns.
As for whether Yu Xiaogang would know?
Wasn't that a certainty?
He was Yu Xiaogang, after all, a renowned theoretical Grandmaster on the Douluo Continent.
Others might not know his capabilities, but how could Bibi Dong not know?
In Bibi Dong's view, after all these years, Yu Xiaogang must have become even more learned.
Does Yu Xiaogang really understand all this?
Luo Chen, however, doubted Yu Xiaogang's knowledge.
He had never read the novel, and of the animation, he had only watched the final Battle of the Two Gods.
Still, Luo Chen knew a little about Yu Xiaogang.
How should he put it?
It was not that Luo Chen was trying to badmouth Yu Xiaogang; the character was simply hard to like.
Fortunately, Luo Chen was easygoing about it.
He had never intended to interfere in Bibi Dong's private affairs. Even if he greatly disliked Yu Xiaogang, he would not humiliate him over such a minor prejudice.
Naturally, that was provided Yu Xiaogang did not provoke Luo Chen.
Otherwise, regardless of who he was or what relationship he had with Bibi Dong, Luo Chen would show absolutely no mercy.
"Bibi Dong!"
Bibi Dong was explaining the principles of hunting Soul Rings to Luo Chen and the other two when she looked up and abruptly spotted a bearded, black-clad middle-aged man in his thirties standing before the Spirit Hall Branch.
He stood straight, one hand behind his back, staring at Bibi Dong and her group in shock.
"Why are you here?!"
"Xiao Gang?"
Bibi Dong had not expected Yu Xiaogang to appear here and felt both surprised and delighted.
But before she could speak, Yu Xiaogang's expression hardened, and his voice sank. "Were you behind that strange celestial phenomenon yesterday? What evil scheme is your Spirit Hall plotting now?"
"..."
Bibi Dong fell silent. The delight of reuniting with Yu Xiaogang was forcibly choked back at that moment.
Her feelings were terribly complicated, like a fishbone stuck in her throat, with a trace of inexplicable disappointment.
Yu Xiaogang had no idea what had happened, yet his first reaction was to interrogate her, demanding to know what she and Spirit Hall had done.
What was that supposed to mean?
Was their Spirit Hall an evil organization? Was she, Bibi Dong, an evil person?
Did anything she did deserve to be labeled an "evil scheme" in Yu Xiaogang's eyes?
Bibi Dong had clearly not anticipated this situation.
Should she explain?
But even if she explained, would Yu Xiaogang believe her?
He had already hammered the final nail into the verdict and branded Spirit Hall an evil organization!
Is this what I am in your eyes?
For a moment, Bibi Dong found herself caught in a dilemma.
Suddenly, Bibi Dong felt Luo Chen's grip on her hand tighten slightly.
Lowering her head, the stunning Pope saw support and affirmation in Luo Chen's eyes.
"Xiao Chen..."
As though sensing Luo Chen's thoughts, Bibi Dong's temper toward Yu Xiaogang surged at once. "Why should I have to explain anything I do to you?!"
"Hmph!"
Bibi Dong cherished their old bond, but the two Douluos, Chrysanthemum and Ghost, had no such regard for Yu Xiaogang.
Thus, as soon as Bibi Dong finished speaking, both Titled Douluos let out cold snorts.
Boom!
In an instant, Soul Power pressed down on Yu Xiaogang like a mountain. His legs buckled, and he dropped straight to his knees.
"Who is this man? How can he slander our Spirit Hall like that?"
Hu Liena was deeply displeased with the stubbly uncle before her. Without bothering to distinguish right from wrong, he had immediately demanded to know what evil scheme Spirit Hall was plotting.
What was that supposed to mean?
Could Spirit Hall actually be some evil organization in this man's eyes?
Yes, Luo Chen had indeed caused that strange celestial phenomenon.
But that hardly qualified as evil.
They had neither harmed anyone nor wronged anyone, so how were they evil?
"Yeah, what nonsense!"
Wang Sheng could not help speaking up. Spirit Hall took in orphans, awakened people's Martial Souls free of charge, and even gave Soul Masters monthly subsidies.
Deed after deed, act after act-whatever outsiders thought, in the eyes of an orphan who had received countless benefits from Spirit Hall like Wang Sheng, he might have died long ago without it. How could he have made it to today?
As for Luo Chen, he simply felt that Yu Xiaogang had reshaped his entire worldview.
If Luo Chen remembered correctly, Yu Xiaogang was only a rank-twenty-nine Soul Grandmaster.
Although he called himself the continent's foremost theoretical Grandmaster, he was still fundamentally weak.
For a mere Soul Grandmaster to act so arrogantly before two Titled Douluos and one near-Titled Douluo, utterly disregarding the gap between them-he truly was in a league of his own.
Not fawning over the strong was a good thing.
But should one not at least show the strong some basic respect?
Luo Chen could not understand how someone as conceited as Yu Xiaogang had survived until today.
Could a hidden expert nearby be secretly protecting him?
Luo Chen had Na'er scan the surroundings, only to discover that Yu Xiaogang truly was that bold. When it comes to arrogance, I, Luo Chen, am willing to call you the strongest, Yu Xiaogang!
"Master, this person possesses dragon clan origin that would benefit me."
"Hm?"
Na'er's sudden remark made Luo Chen focus his attention on Yu Xiaogang, who was kneeling on the ground.
"Dragon clan origin?"
Luo Chen had seen short videos on Douyin showing that Yu Xiaogang, Flender, and Liu Erlong could use a Martial Soul Fusion Skill to evolve Luo Sanpao into the Golden Sacred Dragon.
Na'er was already the Silver Dragon King recognized by the Celestial Star Crown, and now she had obtained celestial power and evolved into a higher form of life.
Thus, the instant Yu Xiaogang appeared, Na'er had noticed the dragon king origin hidden within his Martial Soul.
"Would this origin help you?"
"Mm."
Na'er said with certainty, "The Dragon King's bloodline can make Na'er stronger."
"And after obtaining this dragon clan origin, Na'er is confident she can force that energy out of you right now, Master."
There would be no need to add more Soul Rings; this dragon clan origin alone could ensure Luo Chen's safety.
"How can I get my hands on it?"
Luo Chen had not intended to target Yu Xiaogang. After all, the man had done nothing to offend him.
Luo Chen was certainly unhappy about Yu Xiaogang and Bibi Dong, but there was no need to get angry over it.
At worst, he could use a few tricks later to put an end to Bibi Dong's attachment.
But now...
To stay alive and avoid being left at death's door by that blood-red energy in his teens, Luo Chen felt that the sooner he could get treatment, the better.
"Na'er can extract the origin through the Sun Disc."
"What will happen to Yu Xiaogang after his origin is extracted?"
If Yu Xiaogang would lose his life because of it, then, honestly, Luo Chen did have some reservations.
Again, there was no grudge or enmity between them, yet he would be taking someone's life of his own accord.
Luo Chen had his own bottom line as a person. He did not think he could bring himself to do something like that.
"Hmm..."
Naturally, Na'er knew Luo Chen's character. She giggled. "It won't hurt him. If anything, having his origin extracted will actually benefit him."
"Benefit him?"
Luo Chen did not understand. Just hearing the word "origin" told him it was something extremely important. "Not damaging his foundation would be one thing, but how could losing his Dragon Clan Origin actually benefit him?"
Luo Chen trusted Na'er. She would not make him violate his principles just because the Dragon Clan Origin would benefit them.
"This person called Yu Xiaogang only has rank 0.5 Innate Soul Power. He has no hope of reaching rank 30 in his lifetime."
"The reason for that," Na'er explained, "is actually the price brought about by the bloodline formed from the Dragon Clan Origin."
Simply put, Yu Xiaogang's own talent was far too trashy. His innate deficiencies left him unable to support the Martial Soul Mutation caused by the Dragon King bloodline, which was why he had ended up like this.
Once the origin was stripped away, Yu Xiaogang's burden would be removed, and the shackles on his Soul Power would naturally come undone.
Yu Xiaogang would gain a blessing from misfortune, allowing him to continue cultivating and raise his Soul Power rank.
As for how far he could ultimately go, Na'er felt that, since the Dragon King's origin had been in Yu Xiaogang for so many years, he would surely have gained some benefits. "He might not reach Innate Full Soul Power, but innate rank seven or eight probably won't be a problem."
"So not only would you not be harming him, Master, you'd actually be helping him."
After Na'er's analysis, the burden in Luo Chen's heart was completely lifted. "We'll need to plan this carefully, then find a way to maximize our gains."
Next, Luo Chen and Na'er began discussing what to do next and how to obtain the Dragon King Origin from Yu Xiaogang with proper justification.
"Enough. Stop."
Meanwhile, seeing Yu Xiaogang pinned flat against the ground, Bibi Dong ultimately could not bear it. She raised a hand to stop Chrysanthemum Ghost Douluo's Soul Power pressure.
"It's been a long time, Xiao Gang."
Under normal circumstances, Bibi Dong would certainly have been delighted to see Yu Xiaogang so unexpectedly.
But now...
The three little ones were following behind her, especially Luo Chen. Bibi Dong cared a great deal about her image in his eyes.
Yu Xiaogang had spoken disrespectfully. If she showed no reaction at all, she feared she would disappoint this child.
However, considering that she might need to ask him some questions shortly, Bibi Dong did not embarrass Yu Xiaogang any further. "I came here solely for this disciple of mine. As for this conspiracy you mentioned, I don't know what you're talking about."
"Cough, cough."
Blood seeped from the corner of Yu Xiaogang's mouth, but he still shakily rose to his feet, once again assuming his previous upright posture, neither servile nor overbearing.
When it came to the importance of maintaining one's image, Yu Xiaogang's performance was a textbook example.
Truly, his head could be severed and his blood could flow, but his hair must never be mussed.
"Heh."
Yu Xiaogang sneered inwardly, not believing a word of it.
He had never held Spirit Hall in any regard. Even Bibi Dong, its former Holy Maiden, was nothing more than a woman in his eyes.
Of course, this did not mean Yu Xiaogang possessed the progressive ideal that everyone was equal. Rather, he came from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and was the legitimate son of its clan leader, Yu Luozhen.
In Yu Xiaogang's eyes, how could Spirit Hall compare to his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan?
Since that was the case, what made Spirit Hall's Holy Maiden more exalted than him, a young clan master?
You're the heir to a sect, and so am I!
How am I any worse than you?
Not to mention those running dogs and hawks who toiled for Spirit Hall. Mere lackeys, no better than Spirit Hall's servants-what right did they have to make him, Yu Xiaogang, regard them highly?
Powerhouses?
You're merely more talented.
If I, Yu Xiaogang, had enough talent, how could I be any worse than them?
"It seems I misunderstood."
"Since there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
Yu Xiaogang did not linger. He had only misspoken earlier in the heat of the moment.
Otherwise, given Yu Xiaogang's personality, he would never have provoked Spirit Hall while there were outsiders beside Bibi Dong.
Looking down on them was one thing, but Spirit Hall was powerful now. He had no choice but to avoid its sharp edge.
"Xiao Gang..."
Seeing Yu Xiaogang turn to leave, Bibi Dong instinctively reached out, wanting to ask him to stay.
That was simply Bibi Dong's personality. The more indifferent you were toward her, the more interested she became in you.
Back then, Yu Xiaogang had successfully captured this Holy Maiden of Spirit Hall's heart with that aloof departing figure and his refusal to pay her any attention.
And now, Yu Xiaogang outwardly acted casual, but in truth, he was secretly testing whether Bibi Dong still had feelings for him.
Ultimately, was Bibi Dong's favoritism not the very reason he dared act so brazenly in front of Spirit Hall's Soul Masters?
Seeing Bibi Dong's reaction now, Yu Xiaogang could not help breathing a sigh of relief. Bibi Dong, it looks like you still care about me.
For some inexplicable reason, Yu Xiaogang began feeling rather pleased with himself.
"Sigh."
Bibi Dong had no idea what Yu Xiaogang was thinking.
She hesitated to speak, but ultimately did not call Yu Xiaogang back.
Bibi Dong planned to seek him out alone later to consult him about Luo Chen and, while she was at it, clear the air about their earlier conflict so Yu Xiaogang would not take it too much to heart.
"Wow!"
Meanwhile, inside the Martial Soul Space, Na'er was utterly dumbfounded by the scene unfolding before her. "She's such a simp!"
Na'er had only recently been born, but she still had a basic understanding of things.
As an onlooker, Na'er felt that Yu Xiaogang reeked of a scumbag from head to toe. This guy is definitely no good.
"She really is simping."
Luo Chen had not intended to say anything.
After all, there were still nearly twenty years before Yu Xiaogang would seek Bibi Dong out for the secret of Twin Martial Souls.
Before then, Bibi Dong and Yu Xiaogang would not have much contact.
Twenty years was enough for Luo Chen to grow.
Luo Chen understood very clearly what mattered most in the Douluo World. As long as I have enough strength, nothing is a problem.
Rather than go back and forth with Bibi Dong over Yu Xiaogang and make himself miserable, he might as well persuade Bibi Dong through physical means and let her see Yu Xiaogang's true colors.
So Luo Chen really had not taken Yu Xiaogang to heart. The man would not affect him anyway.
But...
Luo Chen looked at the bag Yu Xiaogang held, which he had refused to release even when Soul Power had crushed him to the ground. His expression darkened slightly, and he spoke. "Uncle, please wait a moment!"
(End of chapter)