Bibi Dong smiled softly and said:
"My turn, Lin Gu. This time, I'm going to crush your shield. Be ready!"
Lin Gu glanced at his shield and hurriedly reapplied it, resetting its HP.
The shield had 660,055,800 HP.
With this much HP, Bibi Dong, you'd better not pull your punches!
Bibi Dong increased her Soul Power, raising her strength to the Soul Ancestor level, yet Lin Gu's shield did not budge.
Lin Gu smiled faintly. He himself did not know what level his shield was at now. In any case, a Soul Ancestor's attack had only shaved off a fraction, and it still had six hundred million HP left.
Bibi Dong marveled once again! Even Chrysanthemum Douluo beside her could not help praising it!
"Truly impressive. A Soul Ancestor-level shield."
But Bibi Dong stared blankly. She knew it went beyond Soul Ancestor. She felt as though her attack had struck an iron wall, leaving not even a scratch.
She was already utterly convinced of Lin Gu's talent. Even if it was only defense, once he developed in the future, he would stand first on the continent by an overwhelming margin. After all, he was only rank thirteen now.
But at that moment, Bibi Dong wanted even more to know just how thick Lin Gu's shield was.
She increased her Soul Power. The purple Soul Power turned into a cloud of purple mist that surrounded Lin Gu, then held him suspended in the air.
"Lin Gu, don't be nervous. I'll keep it under control and see just how thick your shield is. I won't hurt you."
Lin Gu said nothing. He had still been thinking of using that method from earlier to "Steel" Bibi Dong again. It seemed he could only look for another chance later. Bibi Dong was serious now.
Bibi's Soul Power rose little by little, her expression solemn.
Chrysanthemum Douluo's jaw dropped as he stood nearby, exclaiming repeatedly:
"Soul King, Soul Emperor, Soul Saint-no, no, no, this is Soul Douluo! Is it still going to rise?"
Lin Gu's shield had already lost two hundred million HP, with four hundred million remaining.
Bibi Dong continued pressing down with her Soul Power, and the shield's HP plummeted in an instant.
Sure enough, at Chrysanthemum Douluo's final exclamation, the shield shattered.
"T-T-Titled Douluo! A rank-thirteen Soul Master's first soul skill actually gives him a shield on the level of a Titled Douluo powerhouse! Th-this... this is simply unbelievable! If he breaks through to Titled Douluo in the future, how thick will that shield be?"
Chrysanthemum Douluo was so shocked that he was stammering.
Lin Gu was slowly lowered and landed steadily on the ground. Bibi Dong nodded repeatedly, the lingering shock still written all over her face.
"Lin Gu! To think that as a rank-thirteen Soul Master, the strength of your first soul skill has already reached the Titled Douluo level. This is almost unheard of on the continent. You truly are a genius rarely seen in a thousand years. Your Martial Soul, Equipment Slot, is very interesting. Spirit Hall will nurture you with the finest resources!"
Lin Gu cupped his hands in thanks. "Thank you, Your Holiness!"
If I hadn't "Steeled" Bibi Dong those two times, how could it have reached Titled Douluo strength? It probably wouldn't even have withstood a Soul Elder.
Bibi Dong nodded appreciatively, the thought of taking him as her disciple forming in her mind. Just as she was about to speak, the doors were suddenly pushed open, and a voice cut straight to the point!
"Bibi Dong!"
That shout startled both Lin Gu and Chrysanthemum Douluo. Only Bibi Dong remained perfectly calm, because she could not have been more familiar with that voice. It belonged to Qian Renxue.
Qian Renxue barged in, her gaze sharp and filled with anger. She casually surveyed those present, glanced at Lin Gu, then continued addressing Bibi Dong:
"Bibi Dong, I need to speak with you!"
Her tone was utterly discourteous, not treating Bibi Dong as her mother in the slightest.
Lin Gu looked over. Qian Renxue appeared to be around fifteen years old, dressed entirely in snowy white. Her features were delicate, her figure still tall and slender, and her expression carried an untouchable bearing.
Has Qian Renxue not been sent undercover by Bibi Dong yet? Lin Gu wondered.
But judging by how angry she looked, she seemed to have come to confront Bibi Dong about precisely that.
Bibi Dong did not look at Qian Renxue. Instead, she calmly told Chrysanthemum Douluo:
"Elder Ju, give Lin Gu the finest treatment and arrange his cultivation. Whatever requests he has, satisfy them as far as possible!"
"Yes!"
Chrysanthemum Douluo bowed in acknowledgment! Tactfully, he led Lin Gu away.
Qian Renxue furrowed her brows and glanced at Lin Gu, watching him leave. There was no telling what she was thinking.
After leaving, Chrysanthemum Douluo brought Lin Gu to a luxurious room on the top floor of the guest building and told him:
"Lin Gu, Her Holiness thinks very highly of you. Rest here, and tell the maids if you need anything!"
Lin Gu walked inside. The interior glittered with gold and splendor, truly luxurious, and maids were available to attend him twenty-four hours a day.
Lin Gu lay down inside, still savoring what had just happened.
I should have "Steeled" Bibi Dong a few more times. But over two billion HP should be enough for now. I'll find another chance later.
He was just about to rest for a while when a special quest suddenly popped up before his eyes:
[Apprenticeship quest triggered: become the disciple of a Titled Douluo-level powerhouse. Reward: 1,000 gold coins!]
"A thousand gold coins?"
Lin Gu sprang to his feet. "That's quite a lot. I need to earn money to buy weapons and equipment during this time. My HP is already pretty substantial now, so I'll save up 'Steel' and only 'Steel' rank-ninety-nine Peerless Douluos. I'll do quests and buy weapons and equipment!"
He checked his current gold coins: 2,100. He was still quite a way off, and he had finished today's daily quests.
He had to do this apprenticeship quest, and it was crucial. Lin Gu had two options in mind. The first was Bibi Dong, which would let him find opportunities to "Steel" her anytime, anywhere. The second was Qian Daoliu, who was also rank ninety-nine. "Steeling" him once would certainly yield plenty of HP.
Looking at it this way, Bibi Dong already wants to take me as her disciple.
Lin Gu thought it over and settled on that plan: he would become the disciple of whoever gave him more HP from "Steel." With the talent he had displayed, either of them should want to take him as a disciple.
Right now, "Steeling" Bibi Dong once adds a billion HP. I'll find a chance to "Steel" Qian Daoliu and see if it gives me more.
With that plan in mind, Lin Gu slowly drifted off to sleep.
That night, Lin Gu slept soundly and entered dreamland, only to see Qian Renxue in his dream!
He was puzzled. Why was he dreaming of her? Then Qian Renxue swung the Angel God Sword at him!
Lin Gu was greatly alarmed! He had no idea why Qian Renxue wanted to slash him with a sword.
He jolted in fright and opened his eyes, only to be startled again immediately. A breathtakingly beautiful face was glaring at him, a longsword in hand and pointed at Lin Gu. It was none other than Qian Renxue.
Utterly puzzled, Lin Gu asked:
"Y-you're Qian Renxue? What are you doing?"
Qian Renxue gave a derisive laugh. "Lin Gu? The newcomer? Bibi Dong seems to think very highly of you. How would she react if I killed you?"
Lin Gu immediately understood upon hearing this. Qian Renxue and Bibi Dong already have a bad relationship. She just saw how much Bibi Dong appreciated me, so she's planning to kill me to get revenge on Bibi Dong.
As Qian Renxue thrust her sword at him, Lin Gu's first soul ring immediately lit up, and he said:
"First Soul Skill, Solid as a Rock!"