"Yes!"
Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo immediately agreed. The little fox was young but quick-witted, and she understood her teacher's meaning at once. "Don't worry, Teacher. I'll remember!"
In truth, the two children had not learned much useful information.
All they knew now was that Luo Chen had two martial souls, and that one of them could have eighteen soul rings attached to it. That was all.
Bibi Dong paid little attention to Wang Sheng.
His talent was indeed quite ordinary, with an innate soul power of level two.
But to ensure he would not reveal Luo Chen's secret, Bibi Dong intended to take him straight back to Spirit City and enroll him in Spirit Hall Academy.
With him right under her nose, Bibi Dong did not believe Wang Sheng would have the courage to reveal Luo Chen's secret.
"Rest assured, Your Holiness. Xiao Chen is my best brother. I won't breathe a word of his affairs to anyone!"
And when he heard he could join Spirit Hall Academy, Wang Sheng was even more excited.
"Old Ghost and I will guard this child's secret to the death!"
"Good."
Bibi Dong could still trust Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo.
Information about Luo Chen had to become top secret. No one should know, preferably not even those fellows in the Worship Hall.
No, the Worship Hall absolutely could not be allowed to find out!
"Once that undying old fossil Qian Daoliu learns of Xiao Chen's existence, he'll certainly do something."
Bibi Dong was not worried that Qian Daoliu would hurt Luo Chen.
Luo Chen had an impeccable background, and now that he had become Bibi Dong's disciple, he was naturally bound to Spirit Hall.
What Bibi Dong truly feared was that Qian Daoliu might compete with her for Luo Chen.
"No, I must find a way to bind Xiao Chen firmly to my side!"
Guilty over Luo Chen's physical frailty, Bibi Dong looked at him with even greater tenderness. "Such talent, and such an adorable child, obedient and sensible."
"I absolutely cannot let that old fellow Qian Daoliu or the hypocritical Angel Clan bewitch Xiao Chen!"
Everyone's answers satisfied Bibi Dong. The stunningly beautiful Supreme Pontiff nodded before turning her gaze back to Luo Chen. "By the way, Xiao Chen, you still haven't told us why your second martial soul is so powerfully attractive to us."
The nature of his first martial soul was still unknown, and now there was a mysterious second martial soul.
For a moment, curiosity appeared on everyone's faces.
"As for that, I'll explain it to you all in detail, Teacher."
Luo Chen led the five of them to his room in the orphanage. Wang Sheng already knew his secret; learning a little more would not make much difference.
The room was bare, with very little furniture.
It could not quite be called impoverished, but one glance made it clear that Luo Chen must have lived very simply.
In particular, the strong smell of medicine made the four of them frown.
"Xiao Chen, do you have to drink this much medicine every day?"
"Yes, morning, noon, and night."
Hearing this, Bibi Dong felt nothing but heartache, and her gaze grew even gentler. Sigh, Xiao Chen must have suffered so much all these years. It's all my fault. If not for me, this child wouldn't have...
"Most of the money you left has been spent over the years, Teacher. The bulk of it went toward herbs to nourish my body."
Luo Chen said, "As for the rest, I asked the director and Brother Tao to buy some books."
Very few of those books actually concerned martial souls. After all, Luo Chen had not been certain he could become a soul master.
So he had prepared for many possibilities.
From politics and administration to forging and catering, Luo Chen had dabbled in almost everything.
Transmigrating to this world had not left Luo Chen empty-handed.
He had gained an ability akin to the "photographic memory" spoken of in his previous life. Any book he read remained in his mind without a single word missing.
This was also why, despite Luo Chen's physical weakness, Wang Sheng followed his lead in everything.
In Wang Sheng's eyes, Luo Chen was the brains. Whatever he said, Wang Sheng would do.
In any case, listening to Luo Chen could never go wrong!
"After reading the books, I donated them to the orphanage library to educate the younger children and broaden their knowledge."
Luo Chen was grateful at heart. He had never forgotten anyone who had helped him.
What a good child...
Bibi Dong's affection for Luo Chen deepened further. Then she heard him say, "I'm not entirely sure what my first martial soul does yet, so I can't explain its abilities to you, Teacher."
"As for my second martial soul, although it can't have soul rings attached to it, it possesses an extremely special soul skill. I call it 'Ascension.'"
As he spoke, Luo Chen opened his hand and released his Sun Disc martial soul. "This soul skill can perform an Ascension Ritual for soul masters, increasing their potential and bringing about a qualitative transformation."
"This!"
Hearing Luo Chen say that the Sun Disc could improve a soul master's aptitude dealt another tremendous blow to Bibi Dong's understanding of the world.
An improvement in a soul master's aptitude also largely meant a strengthening of their martial soul.
But Bibi Dong had never seen anyone's martial soul evolve after birth.
Even Spirit Hall's books contained only a handful of records of such things.
The most famous example was the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's inherited martial soul, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, which one of their ancestors had once evolved into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.
But the problem was that, let alone Spirit Hall, even the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect itself might not know the specific conditions required for such an evolution.
"What is the price?"
"Will a ritual like this harm you in any way, Xiao Chen?"
Bibi Dong had indeed been shocked by the Sun Disc's ability, but after recovering, the stunningly beautiful Supreme Pontiff immediately asked how Luo Chen's Ascension Ritual would affect him.
After awakening his martial souls, Luo Chen had gained an extremely keen perception of other people's emotional fluctuations.
He could feel that Bibi Dong genuinely cared about him.
Compared with the benefits the Ascension Ritual could bring, Bibi Dong was more worried about his health.
This warmed Luo Chen's heart, and his feelings toward Bibi Dong shifted from his initial desire to cling to a powerful backer to a sense of closeness.
Whatever Bibi Dong's motives, the importance she placed on Luo Chen truly came from her heart.
"Don't worry, Teacher."
Luo Chen smiled faintly, then raised the Sun Disc a little. "The Sun Disc automatically absorbs energy from the outside world, but its energy capacity won't increase as my soul power level rises."
"It's fixed. To put it in numbers, its maximum is one hundred points."
"Also, the Ascension Ritual doesn't consume my soul power, but the ascended power stored inside the Sun Disc."
Luo Chen explained, "So even if I perform Ascension for someone, I won't suffer any harm."
"I see."
Hearing Luo Chen's explanation, Bibi Dong finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Honestly, if the price of improving someone else's aptitude was damage to Luo Chen's foundation, Bibi Dong would never allow him to pick up a sesame seed only to lose a watermelon.
Luo Chen's aptitude was a rarity across the ages. He was the true treasure!
Women had an innate possessiveness toward what they cherished.
In this, Bibi Dong was no exception.
Now, Bibi Dong felt guilt toward Luo Chen, a teacher's sense of responsibility, and boundless anticipation for his future.
So as long as Luo Chen did not cross her bottom line, such as betraying her, Bibi Dong could indulge him in anything.
"Um, Teacher."
Luo Chen said to Bibi Dong, "I'd like to perform the Ascension Ritual for Wang Sheng."
"This will also be a good opportunity to show you the effects of the Ascension Ritual, Teacher."
For the past six years, Wang Sheng had cared for Luo Chen like an older brother. After learning the effects of the Ascension Ritual, Luo Chen had thought of him first.
Wang Sheng had ordinary aptitude, innate soul power at level two, and only the low-grade War Tiger martial soul.
With talent like that, even whether he could break through level thirty in the future was uncertain.
"I've never heard of a martial soul that can improve another person's aptitude."
Bibi Dong guessed Luo Chen's intention, but rather than refusing, she was happy about it.
Luo Chen had not forgotten Wang Sheng after gaining power. That was enough to demonstrate his character.
Repay the kindness of a drop of water with a gushing spring.
The Douluo Continent did not have this saying, but similar proverbs existed.
And this time, Wang Sheng had truly met his benefactor.
When one person attained the Dao, even his chickens and dogs ascended to heaven. Luo Chen was about to walk toward glory, yet he still remembered to give his brother from the old days a helping hand.
"Very well. Perform Ascension for this child."
Bibi Dong asked, "Do you need me to prepare a secluded place for you?"
"It's fine. Right here will do."
As he spoke, Luo Chen led everyone into the small courtyard outside. Gui Mei had already dispersed the people nearby.
Only Luo Chen, Hu Liena, Bibi Dong, Wang Sheng, and the two Titled Douluo remained.
"Xiao Chen, are you really going to help me?"
Wang Sheng trusted Luo Chen deeply. They had grown up together and knew each other inside out.
So Wang Sheng had no doubts whatsoever about Luo Chen performing the Ascension Ritual for him.
Someone else might have thought Luo Chen was looking for a guinea pig to experiment on.
But Wang Sheng knew that without absolute confidence, Luo Chen would never test it on him.
And that was indeed the case.
The information the Sun Disc had conveyed to Luo Chen clearly stated that the Ascension Ritual brought only benefits and no drawbacks.
Even if it failed, the worst that could happen was a return to the original state. It would never damage a soul master's aptitude or martial soul.
"We're brothers. Just leave it to me."
Luo Chen gave Wang Sheng a reassuring look. Understanding, the latter asked, "What do I need to do?"
"Nothing. Just stand there and relax."
As he spoke, Luo Chen infused soul power into the Sun Disc beneath everyone's curious gazes.
The golden disc inscribed with profound runes slowly rose, standing upright in the air like a coin before slowly rotating.
As the flowing gold upon it erupted into dazzling brilliance, a sacred, majestic hum reverberated above everyone's heads.
Boom!!
Pale blue energy poured down from the Sun Disc, flooding into Wang Sheng's body directly below like wisdom poured through the crown of his head.
"Where is this?"
A dazzling beam of golden light pierced the star-studded night above Wang Sheng's head. He looked up and found himself standing on an enormous golden platform.
All around him, stars circled through a boundless expanse.
Before Wang Sheng, an illusory figure emerged from the vast universe. He could not make out its full appearance; all that registered in his mind was a pair of eyes like eternal blazing suns.
But before Wang Sheng could panic, Luo Chen's majestic, sacred voice came from above.
"Do not fear, my brother."
"This is my world, and also the stairway upon which you will pursue glory and climb higher."
"Now, open your mind. I shall elevate you!"
At this moment, Luo Chen's consciousness had also entered this magnificent, boundless world.
This was his Martial Soul Space, and the figure that seemed to rival the starry heavens was his true martial soul, The Star Forger.
Within the Martial Soul Space, Luo Chen's consciousness took the form of The Star Forger himself.
"All right."
Although Wang Sheng trembled all over, he trusted Luo Chen completely and believed he would not hurt him.
Roar!!
Then, accompanied by a resounding tiger's roar, Wang Sheng's War Tiger martial soul appeared behind him.
One man and one tiger stood upon the golden disc, looking so small and insignificant before the universe and its stars.
The next moment, surging ascended power enveloped the man and tiger.
"Haaah!"
In reality, Wang Sheng threw back his head and roared as his War Tiger martial soul rapidly transformed under the reshaping of ascended power.
The sight truly shocked the other four people present.
"The martial soul really evolved!"
The strength of a martial soul was difficult to judge directly, but everyone could clearly see the visible changes in the appearance of Wang Sheng's War Tiger martial soul.
Before long, the disturbance caused by the Ascension Ritual gradually subsided.
It was a pitch-black demonic tiger twice a person's height, wreathed in black flames. It wore dark golden armor and had a pair of wings on its back. Its blood-red eyes stared at everyone, brimming with fighting spirit.
"Phew..."
Luo Chen recalled the Sun Disc into his hand. Looking at Wang Sheng, he said, "Congratulations, Brother Wang Sheng. Your martial soul has evolved into a top-tier beast martial soul, the Black Hell Demon Tiger."
One hidden ability of the Ascension Ritual was that it allowed Luo Chen to learn the changes in the martial souls and innate soul power of those he elevated.
"It's actually a top-tier beast martial soul!"
Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo stared at the enormous black tiger standing behind Wang Sheng. Its astonishing presence made even their martial souls sense a faint threat.
In the Douluo World, the quality of a martial soul was difficult to judge. The best method was to compare it with one's own martial soul.
Generally, among martial souls of the same category, the stronger one would suppress the weaker one.
Even between different types, martial souls would still give their masters some warning.
For instance, Bibi Dong's twin Spider Emperor martial souls now had a similar reaction. "It is indeed a top-tier beast martial soul. Its quality falls short of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, but among top-tier martial souls, it ranks at least in the middle."
The Soul-Devouring Spider Emperor and Death Spider Emperor were unquestionably top-tier martial souls, and they were super martial souls with innate domains of their own.
Thus, Bibi Dong had considerable authority when it came to sensing the quality of martial souls.
"Let's test it and see exactly how things stand."
Bibi Dong took out a crystal ball and used soul power to float it over to Wang Sheng. She herself walked to Luo Chen's side and asked gently, "How are you feeling, Xiao Chen? Are you uncomfortable anywhere?"
"I'm fine, Teacher."
Luo Chen reassured Bibi Dong, telling him that the Ascension Ritual truly caused no depletion to himself.
"Innate Full Soul Power!!"
It was also at this moment that Chrysanthemum Ghost Douluo cried out in shock. The two stared fixedly at the crystal ball, then turned their gazes toward Luo Chen, their eyes blazing with unprecedented fervor.
Changing a Soul Master's cultivation aptitude from innate level 2 to innate full soul power.
Evolving a Martial Soul, directly turning a low-tier Beast Martial Soul into a top-tier Beast Martial Soul.
The only unknown was whether Wang Sheng's Black Hell Demon Tiger could be passed down. If it could, then Luo Chen's value would simply be beyond description!
(End of chapter)