Through their conversation, Luo Chen discovered that Ah Yin was gentle by nature but had little mind of her own.
If Luo Chen had to describe her, she was what his previous world called a traditional woman.
She did not simply make demands of Luo Chen; she was also reflecting on her own problems.
Ah Yin knew that Luo Chen was right.
Humans hunting Soul Beasts was only natural.
Ah Yin was kind, but her abilities were limited.
So she chose to persuade Luo Chen, doing what she could in her capacity as a Soul Beast.
At least she had conveyed the voice of Soul Beasts to someone close to her, hoping Luo Chen would treat the Soul Beast Clan kindly for her sake.
"Sister Ah Yin, you're treating me like an outsider."
"We'll be a family who need to support each other from now on. If there's anything you want to do, just tell me."
"Perhaps I can't do it yet, but as long as we keep at it, we'll definitely find a way to solve this problem in the future."
Luo Chen had never held any prejudice against Soul Beasts, much less would he torture one to death just to make a Soul Bone drop.
It was just that this problem really was troublesome.
Because it involved the fundamental rules of the Douluo Continent.
To change them, Luo Chen had to possess sufficient strength.
"Mm."
Ah Yin looked at Luo Chen expectantly, discovering that her young master seemed even more outstanding than Tang Hao.
Faced with the same issue, Tang Hao had said, "I won't hurt kind Soul Beasts."
But as for easing the conflict between Soul Beasts and humans, Tang Hao had offered no answer, much less considered or tried to solve it.
To Tang Hao, this was common sense. Ah Yin was the one who needed to change, not him or this world.
He had never even considered devoting his life to his wife's wish.
Tang Hao's heart held only the Clear Sky Sect and the making of his own legend.
And so, little by little, Ah Yin had forgotten her position and responsibilities as a Soul Beast, becoming nothing more than Tang Hao's accessory and losing her original spirit.
This was true not only of Ah Yin, but of Xiao Wu as well.
She had entered the human world with the wish to avenge her mother, only to lose herself in the dazzling colors of the mortal world.
By comparison, Luo Chen felt that this was an Ah Yin who was truly alive.
There was nothing wrong with kindness and innocence.
What was wrong was lacking the strength to pay the price for that kindness and innocence.
"You're right, Xiao Chen."
Ah Yin wholeheartedly agreed with Luo Chen. "We aren't strong enough yet, much less possess the power to change all this."
But what was truly precious was Luo Chen's willingness to try.
He was not Tang Hao. He would not demand that Ah Yin become his accessory, reducing her to a support who healed only him.
Meanwhile, Na'er had listened to their entire conversation.
For some reason, her heart stirred inexplicably, as though Luo Chen had awakened some sort of mission within her.
Silver Dragon King: That's right, it's me!
Unfortunately, Na'er could not sense the emotions the Silver Dragon King conveyed.
Otherwise, she would have understood that her master was precisely the person she had been waiting for, the one who could bring a future to the Soul Beast Clan.
I remember there was a way to turn Soul Beasts into Soul Spirits in Douluo 2.
Luo Chen had never read Douluo 2, but after spending enough time on various websites, he was bound to run into some knowledgeable people.
Thus, Luo Chen knew about things called Soul Spirits.
Unfortunately, he did not understand the principles behind the Soul Spirit Method and could not simply put it to use.
But now that I have a direction, with the Star Forger's celestial power, replicating or even surpassing the so-called Soul Spirit Method might not be impossible.
Thinking it over carefully, Aspect conversion was itself a considerably advanced way to preserve a Soul Beast's body and mind.
If I can understand the essence of Aspect conversion, perhaps I can resolve the fundamental conflict between Soul Beasts and humans without needing Soul Spirits.
Luo Chen did not tell Ah Yin this thought. He merely kept it in mind, planning to try once his cultivation had reached a sufficient level.
"For anything else, Sister Ah Yin, you can ask Na'er."
"Na'er is my first Innate Aspect, so she received more information."
At this point, Luo Chen suddenly frowned.
His abrupt change immediately drew Na'er's and Ah Yin's attention, and both asked at once, "What's wrong, Master (Xiao Chen)?"
"It's happening again."
Luo Chen stared blankly at his hands. "That feeling that I've lost something has appeared again."
Unlike the vagueness of the first time, Luo Chen's sensation was much clearer this time.
Somewhere in the unseen, a voice was telling him that something had broken away from his Martial Soul.
"Humm!!"
Just then, two enormous stone tablets, brilliant as a starry sky, appeared above the three of them.
No, those were not stone tablets, but two enormous cards.
[Ninth Trial] Content: Unknown Reward for passing: Unknown Penalty for failure: Unknown [Eighth Trial] Content: Save the past and the future Reward for passing: Unknown Penalty for failure: None
"What is this?!"
Not only Luo Chen, but Na'er and Ah Yin also looked in astonishment at the two cards and the words inscribed upon them.
"God Trials."
Luo Chen soon received the corresponding information from the Star Forger Martial Soul.
These two cards corresponded to the final two of the God Trials he would face in the future.
As for why something like this had appeared.
According to the information his Martial Soul provided, this God Trials format was extremely suited to helping Luo Chen gradually master the Star Forger's mighty power.
The trials were, in essence, both a tempering of Luo Chen and a verification, proving that he possessed the qualifications to bear greater power.
Otherwise, rashly passing all that power to Luo Chen at once would not be a good thing. Instead, it would injure him and damage the Douluo Continent.
"Crack!"
Within the Martial Soul Space, Luo Chen was digesting the precautions concerning the God Trials.
In the real world, as the God Trials appeared, a crisp sound of shattering metal rang from the crown Luo Chen wore on his forehead.
"What's going on?"
The sound startled Bibi Dong.
She turned her gaze toward the crown atop Luo Chen's head and saw gold and silver radiance flowing through its cracks, faintly emitting a pressure that left her suffocating.
"This?!"
Bibi Dong wanted to ask what had happened, but feared disturbing her disciple.
For a moment, she seemed somewhat at a loss.
"Why is Xiao Chen's Martial Soul cracking?"
Worry filled Bibi Dong's brow. "Could it be..."
"No! It can't be!"
"Nothing will happen to Xiao Chen!"
Bibi Dong shook her head repeatedly, driving away every bad thought.
She knew that the only thing she could do now was pray in silence, hoping that Luo Chen's decision this time would not bring him harm again.
"Jingle~~"
Yet things did not develop as Bibi Dong hoped.
Soon, cheerful jingling from an unknown source reached Bibi Dong's ears.
"Who's there?!"
Bibi Dong, who had been sitting beside Luo Chen, abruptly rose. Cold light blazed in her eyes, and she fully extended her perception.
Her gaze swept continually around the room as she took the utmost care to create a Soul Power barrier, protecting her disciple as he absorbed his Soul Ring.
"Jingle! Jingle!"
The strange sound of metal striking metal did not disappear. Instead, it drew nearer, as though something were skipping toward them.
"Show yourself!"
Bibi Dong activated Martial Soul Possession and summoned the Soul-Devouring Demon Scythe, concentrating her spiritual power to its utmost limit.
But even then, Bibi Dong still sensed nothing.
In an instant, her pupils contracted slightly, and an inexplicable chill rose in her heart. It can evade my perception. Even at such close range, I still can't detect it.
Just how powerful was this being?
Bibi Dong could not imagine it, and she doubted even more whether she could protect Luo Chen from such a terrifying enemy.
"Damn it!"
Bibi Dong dared not make any large movements, afraid of disturbing Luo Chen.
The breathtakingly beautiful Supreme Pontiff could do nothing but hold her scythe across Luo Chen's side while keeping a close watch on their surroundings, preventing that "invisible" person from attacking him.
"Jingle~~"
The crisp sound continued. Bibi Dong knew that He was nearby.
It was simply that the different dimensions they occupied left her unable to see or touch Him.
Just like the two great objective realities present at the birth of this universe: time and space.
They were everywhere, yet utterly silent.
"Humm~~~"
Deep, ancient music, weathered by the ages, echoed through the study, like a magnificent composition from when heaven and earth first parted.
"Rustle, rustle."
Beyond the main melody, countless cheerful sprites were accompanying it.
Gradually, Bibi Dong's mind began to sink into this hazy, otherworldly celestial music.
She instinctively sensed the benefits this music of the soul brought her, the clearest of which concerned her use of Divine Power.
That Divine Power, which she had previously only been able to force into action, gradually merged into Bibi Dong's body with the music's help, becoming wholly a part of her.
But soon, the music stopped abruptly, as though it had never appeared.
"What's going on?"
"I... what am I doing?"
"A sound? What sound?"
Bibi Dong felt incredibly strange now, as though she had just had a dream.
For a moment, she could barely distinguish reality from illusion.
"Boom!"
Just as Bibi Dong was at a loss over this invisible guest, two rays of light, one gold and one silver, shot from the cracks in the crown atop Luo Chen's head.
The two rays were formless and insubstantial, vanishing in a flash.
Their speed was unimaginable. Even a Super Douluo like Bibi Dong saw only a flash before her eyes before completely losing track of that golden light.
"What is this now?"
Bibi Dong had never encountered such a bizarre situation. "Could it be a newly born ability of Xiao Chen's Martial Soul?"
"Right, Xiao Chen!"
Bibi Dong's attention had been completely captured by that beautiful symphony, and she had taken her eyes off Xiao Chen.
Realizing this, Bibi Dong felt as though she had plunged into an ice cave, her face paling a shade with fright.
Fortunately, Luo Chen was still sitting there cross-legged.
He had suffered no harm and remained there, perfectly fine.
"Whew~~"
Seeing that Luo Chen was all right, Bibi Dong finally breathed a sigh of relief.
A lingering fear stirred within her. She did not understand what had happened to her just now, or why she had been drawn to that strange music as though half-asleep and muddleheaded.
"Hm?"
Suddenly, Bibi Dong looked at her hands, only to find that the Soul-Devouring Demon Scythe she should have been holding had disappeared from them at some unknown point.
"This isn't right!!!"
Bibi Dong stood up again, only to be startled by her own action the next moment.
"I... when did I sit down?"
Bibi Dong was utterly bewildered by this scene that seemed like time flowing backward. "Didn't I just stand up and summon my Martial Soul?"
Was this a dream, an illusion, or had time truly flowed backward?
For a moment, the more Bibi Dong thought about it, the more terrifying it became.
"Huff~~ huff~~~"
Bibi Dong shook her head hard, keeping herself clearheaded.
"It should be the power of Xiao Chen's Martial Soul."
The only thing she could think of now was Luo Chen's celestial star crown. "The Sun Disc can evolve Martial Souls, so the celestial star crown, which rivals it, must have extraordinary qualities too."
Like that little dragon that could go out treasure hunting, and that absurdly broken first Soul Skill.
"There should be more to it than this."
Bibi Dong admitted that these two abilities were indeed formidable.
But if the point of comparison was the Sun Disc...
All Bibi Dong could say was, "The gap is far too great!"
"So what exactly happened just now?"
"The power of Xiao Chen's Celestial Crown seemed to turn back time."
Bibi Dong startled herself with her own conjecture. "But is that possible?"
Could even a true god turn back time?
Perhaps, but such an existence was far beyond what the current Bibi Dong could imagine.
"Forget it."
Bibi Dong turned her attention back to Luo Chen. "Once Xiao Chen wakes up, I'll tell him about this."
Her most important task now was to protect Luo Chen and keep him from being disturbed.
Fortunately, Bibi Dong's fear and anxiety did not last long.
"Phew~~"
Having fully absorbed Ah Yin's original body, Luo Chen condensed his own second soul ring and Innate Aspects.
Luo Chen opened his eyes to the sight of a pair of beautiful, slightly reddened eyes. They belonged to Bibi Dong.
"Xiao Chen!"
Seeing that Luo Chen was safe and sound, Bibi Dong went straight over and swept him into her arms.
The next moment, Luo Chen's little face was buried in that snowy-white softness. He instinctively tried to struggle, but Bibi Dong only held him tighter, as though she wanted to melt him into her body.
"Xiao Chen, you scared your teacher to death just now."
Bibi Dong's voice was hoarse, with a slight sob in it. She gently rubbed against Luo Chen's hair, enjoying the night-sky stillness of her disciple's presence. "Something very strange happened just now. Your Martial Soul suddenly shattered. I thought-I thought you were going to hurt yourself again."
Fortunately, Luo Chen was all right. Otherwise, Bibi Dong had no idea how much her heart would have ached.
Then Bibi Dong told Luo Chen everything that had happened, exactly as it had occurred.
"Teacher, that should have been my God Trials."
The past and the future-these were the contents of Luo Chen's eighth trial.
Although Luo Chen had not figured out exactly what this trial wanted him to do, since it involved the past and the future, it certainly had to be connected to the concept of time.
"God Trials?"
Luo Chen told Bibi Dong that he had received God Trials, which delighted her.
"That's wonderful!"
Bibi Dong likewise told Luo Chen that she had received the Rakshasa God's God Trials.
"In that case, once we break through level one hundred, we can ascend to the Divine Realm together."
At the thought of gaining an endless lifespan after becoming a god and being able to stay with her beloved disciple forever, Bibi Dong secretly vowed that she would complete the Rakshasa God Trial. She absolutely could not be separated from Luo Chen.
Had she been the original Bibi Dong, without an ultimate attribute or a god-level Martial Soul, she would still have worried about being unable to complete the God Trials.
But now, Bibi Dong had personally experienced the enhancement brought by Divine Power.
Even without the God Trials, Bibi Dong could spend several centuries creating an entirely new divine seat, just as the Angel God once had.
To avoid being separated from Xiao Chen, I'll have to work twice as hard.
Bibi Dong did not know that while she was sharing this tender moment with her disciple, two Aspects were watching the scene before them through Luo Chen.
"Is she the new Supreme Pontiff of Spirit Hall?"
Ah Yin had not received any information about Bibi Dong. Now that she saw her, she was immediately drawn to Bibi Dong's noble bearing and exquisite beauty. "I never imagined the new Supreme Pontiff would be such a beautiful woman."
"Heh."
Na'er gave a wry laugh. "That's because you haven't seen what she was like before. Otherwise, you wouldn't think that."
"What?"
Seeing Ah Yin's confusion, Na'er told her how Bibi Dong had been blind enough to fall for that scumbag Yu Xiaogang, and how it had ultimately taken Luo Chen's self-injury ruse for her to recognize his true colors.
"Ah, she-she's so pitiful."
Ah Yin was gentle and innocent by nature. She did not look down on Bibi Dong, only feeling sorry that she had fallen for the wrong person.
At the same time, Ah Yin felt fortunate that she had met a man like Tang Hao.
"..."
Seeing the shifting light in Ah Yin's eyes, Na'er's love-brain radar immediately began beeping. "Huh? Why is there another love-brain?"
Na'er began to wonder whether this world was called the Douluo Continent or the Love Continent.
First Bibi Dong, and now the Blue Silver Emperor.
Love-brains were terrifying indeed!
"Ahem, um, Sister Ah Yin."
Na'er said, "There's something I'd like to tell you."
"What is it?"
Ah Yin liked Na'er very much. Although she looked a little aloof, after spending time with her, one would discover that she was actually a very sweet, sensible little girl.
Well, aside from her fondness for taking jabs at Bibi Dong, Na'er had no other faults.
It could not be helped. After all, Luo Chen had suffered torment again and again because of Bibi Dong.
For Na'er to hold back from jumping out and beating Bibi Dong up already showed a great deal of restraint.
Expect her to treat Bibi Dong pleasantly?
That was nothing but a daydream!
"Sister Ah Yin, do you know where I found you?"
Na'er had not had time to mention this earlier.
Now that she had a moment, she told Ah Yin about the sunless cave where she had found her original body, and the half-dead state of the Blue Silver Grass.
"No, Brother Hao-how could Brother Hao treat me like that?"
Ah Yin felt as though she had been struck by lightning. Her trust in Tang Hao wavered at that moment. "He-he knew how strong my vitality was. But why? Why would he leave me in a place like that?"
"Brother Hao must have only planted me there temporarily. That must be it."
"But-but Brother Hao knows where Xiao Lan is!"
The Blue Silver Forest was the kingdom of Blue Silver Grass. An eighty-thousand-year-old Blue Silver King lived there, a clansman whom Ah Yin trusted deeply and who was utterly loyal to her.
Even if only a single seed remained, the Blue Silver Emperor's essence would not change. She was still the Blue Silver Empress of the Blue Silver Grass Clan.
Moreover, as long as she returned to the Blue Silver Forest, the Blue Silver King would surely command countless stalks of Blue Silver Grass to gather their vitality and help her recover quickly.
Perhaps she would not reach the point of taking human form again, but gaining tens of thousands of years of cultivation and regaining her self-awareness would be no problem.
(End of chapter)