Along the way, Lin Chuan learned from scraps of conversation that the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had also made a wager with Spirit Hall:
The two sides would compete in the talent of their younger generations, with a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone at stake.
Lin Chuan muttered to himself, The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan is actually that confident in Gangzi? Could Gangzi really have mutated this time?
They had just emerged from the Star Dou Great Forest.
A convoy of luxurious Spirit Hall carriages and the Holy Emperor's warriors had long been waiting to welcome Qian Xunji and her party.
Lin Chuan was delighted at the sight of the extravagant procession:
Nice! I finally don't have to make the journey on my own two feet.
Though Teacher did bring me all the way to the Star Dou Great Forest, too.
As Lin Chuan boarded the most magnificent carriage, surrounded by the crowd,
some of the Soul Masters he had treated began to talk:
"So that young man is a prodigy from Spirit Hall?"
"As expected of someone from a major power! His skills and bearing are beyond reproach!"
"I told you, Spirit Hall is the one that truly treats us common folk best."
"Without Spirit Hall awakening our Martial Souls for free, who knows where we'd be eating dirt right now?"
Feeling everyone's gazes on him,
Lin Chuan couldn't help the corners of his mouth lifting.
The feeling of showing off in front of everyone really was great!
Qian Xunji patted Lin Chuan on the head, a smile appearing on her lips as well.
"Stop looking, Chuan'er. Get in the carriage."
Beside them, Bibi Dong couldn't help pouting.
"All that stinky junior brother of mine knows is how to steal the spotlight."
The interior of the carriage was furnished with the utmost luxury.
They could even admire the scenery outside through the windows.
Qian Xunji sat down gracefully, her enchanting curves on full display.
"Come, both of you, sit down!"
Smiling, she patted the seats on either side of her, motioning for Lin Chuan and Bibi Dong to sit beside her.
Lin Chuan's heart began to beat a little faster.
The moment he sat down, the delicate fragrance wafting from Qian Xunji reached his nose. It smelled wonderful.
Compared with the well-behaved Lin Chuan,
Bibi Dong, on the other side, was much bolder.
She snuggled up against Qian Xunji like a clingy kitten, then deliberately poked her little head out to make a smug face at Lin Chuan.
"..."
Lin Chuan was speechless and couldn't be bothered with the childish little pinkhead.
After composing himself, he immediately began to meditate.
Seeing Lin Chuan ignore her and continue grinding away at his cultivation even after getting into the carriage,
Bibi Dong widened her amethyst eyes and couldn't help complaining,
"Junior Brother, don't you know how to relax? You've been playing the good guy everywhere along the way, helping so many people heal their injuries. Don't you feel tired?"
Qian Xunji agreed with Bibi Dong and urged him,
"Cultivation should be a balance of effort and rest. Chuan'er, it's time you took a break too."
Lin Chuan opened his eyes and said helplessly,
"Teacher, I know I need to rest.
"But I converted all that Power of Faith I absorbed into pure Soul Power. I feel like I'm about to break through the bottleneck."
Qian Xunji was astonished to hear that.
After all, it had only been half a day since Chuan'er absorbed his First Soul Ring and broke through to level 12.
And now he was about to break through again?
Bibi Dong, meanwhile, was completely petrified.
Junior Brother is cheating, isn't he? Back when I gained that level, I gritted my teeth and cultivated for more than a month, and I even used Teacher's secret chamber.
Why is bad Junior Brother so fast?!
Qian Xunji understood that although it was only a minor level, the opportunity for a breakthrough was something one could encounter but not seek.
"Chuan'er, keep meditating, then."
Hearing that, Lin Chuan said no more.
He gathered his thoughts and entered a meditative state once again.
With Qian Xunji standing guard, he felt completely safe.
Following Spirit Hall's core meditation method, he directed the Soul Power within him, circulating it through his meridians.
Because he had accumulated more than enough Soul Power, his breakthrough came as naturally as water flowing into a channel. In an instant, he surged to level 13!
Lin Chuan opened his eyes and looked at Qian Xunji, saying joyfully, "Teacher, I've reached level 13."
Qian Xunji was deeply gratified. "As expected of my disciple. Well done, Chuan'er."
Seeing Teacher praise bad Junior Brother,
Bibi Dong hurriedly spoke up to make her presence known:
"Teacher, Teacher, what about me? I'm already level 17, you know! I'll be able to absorb my Second Soul Ring soon!"
Looking at Bibi Dong vying for her affection, Qian Xunji couldn't help laughing.
"All right, all right. Our Dong'er is an unparalleled little genius too."
Hearing her teacher's praise, Bibi Dong smiled until her eyes narrowed.
Lin Chuan grumbled inwardly:
Hmph, what a child!
But after repeatedly using Light-Weaving Healing and traveling all this way,
the moment Lin Chuan's taut nerves relaxed, a wave of exhaustion washed over him.
He couldn't help yawning, his eyelids growing heavy.
Seeing her disciple's exhaustion, Qian Xunji said softly,
"Sleepy, aren't you? Chuan'er, lie down and get some sleep."
Lin Chuan blinked in confusion.
Lie down and sleep?
The carriage seat was spacious, but with the three of them sitting in a row, there was no room to lie flat!
Before he could react,
a jade-like hand lifted him up.
Lin Chuan felt himself go weightless in an instant.
The next second, his head landed on Qian Xunji's fair, plump thigh.
Damn!
He was dumbfounded!
So that's what she meant by lying down to rest!
If outsiders knew I could rest my head on the current Pope's lap!
Who knows how many people would grind their teeth with envy!
Feeling that plump, springy softness, Lin Chuan discovered, at a loss whether to laugh or cry, that he couldn't seem to rest properly like this either. It smelled far too good.
Worse still, the view from this angle was outrageous.
Lying on his teacher's lap, he could only see a small part of her face.
His teacher's curves were simply unfair!
His little face instantly turned bright red, and he hurriedly closed his eyes, playing dead and pretending to sleep.
On the other side, Bibi Dong, who was sitting pressed against Qian Xunji, stared wide-eyed at the sight.
Half of her exclusive lap-pillow privilege had been snatched away by bad Junior Brother.
She began clamoring too:
"I want to sleep too! I want to sleep too!"
With no other choice, Qian Xunji drew Bibi Dong over as well.
Looking at the two little ones sleeping on her lap, one on each side, Qian Xunji felt utterly content.
In her eyes, Chuan'er was composed and sensible, with well-rounded abilities.
Dong'er was supremely gifted and would undoubtedly become a leading pillar of Spirit Hall's fighting strength in the future, surely able to protect Chuan'er.
With the two of them together, Spirit Hall's future was bright!
Amid the delicate fragrance, Lin Chuan didn't know how long it was before he slowly woke up.
Remembering that his head was still resting on his teacher's lap, he quickly got up and sat properly.
Bibi Dong on the other side had long since awakened.
She looked at Lin Chuan and mocked him mercilessly:
"Oh, Junior Brother's awake? What a lazy pig, sleeping for so long!"
Lin Chuan's face grew slightly warm. For once, he couldn't retort.
He couldn't help it. He really had slept too soundly on that lap pillow!
Qian Xunji reached out and straightened Lin Chuan's collar, which had been rumpled in his sleep.
She reassured them:
"You're young and still growing. You should get plenty of rest."
She looked out the window.
"The mountain range ahead is where the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan is based. You two should get ready as well."
The journey had gone smoothly. On this continent, no one dared casually obstruct the carriage of Spirit Hall's Pope.
When they arrived at the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan,
the clan, as one of the Upper Three Sects, gave Spirit Hall a reception with all the grandeur it could muster.
The clan master, Yu Yuanzhen, personally came out to greet them, his manner exceedingly courteous.
"His Holiness the Pope graces us with her presence. It is truly an honor for our Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan!"
Qian Xunji exchanged pleasantries with him for a while.
As the current Pope, she had instantly returned to her noble, dignified demeanor.
She seemed like a different person from the gentle, doting big sister in the carriage.
As Yu Yuanzhen exchanged pleasantries, he also noticed an unfamiliar little boy beside Qian Xunji.
He couldn't help asking curiously,
"Your Holiness, may I ask who this is beside you...?"