"Oh! Then this old man will have to see what you have in store for the three of us," Dragon Duke stroked his beard and exchanged a glance with Snake Granny. From the brief exchange, they could tell that Li Xun held a significant position within the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.
The Dragon-Serpent family was a small clan, and their modest standing on the continent was solely due to the reputation of the Peerless Dragon-Serpent. As they grew older, without their support, the Dragon-Serpent family would likely fade into obscurity within a decade.
The couple had taken this risky move to curry favor with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, hoping to pave a smoother path for Meng Yiran's future. Li Xun's direct approach had inadvertently aligned with their intentions.
"Haha, I certainly won't disappoint you, seniors," Li Xun's eyes lit up as he quickly responded with a smile.
Li Xun had initially thought that these elders would be as difficult to approach as Yang Wudi or Dugu Bo. He hadn't expected them to be so amiable. His earlier comment had been a mere probe to gauge the Dragon-Serpent couple's attitude towards the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.
As they chatted, a streak of light, swift as a meteor, approached from the distance and soon arrived at their resting spot. The Dragon-Serpent couple and Meng Yiran promptly paid their respects.
"We must thank you for your assistance this time," Sword Douluo descended slowly on his Seven Kill Sword, landing amidst the group.
"To be honest, we didn't contribute much, Your Excellency," Dragon Duke sighed deeply, a look of shame on his face.
The matter wasn't particularly honorable. The couple had been swiftly defeated by the Titan Giant Ape, playing no crucial role in the encounter.
"Don't belittle yourselves. Without your guidance, these children wouldn't have made it here so safely," Sword Douluo chuckled, offering them a way to save face.
Regardless of the effectiveness of their intervention, the fact that they dared to confront a formidable Soul Beast like the Titan Giant Ape spoke volumes about their courage.
As they conversed and laughed, the group made their way out of the Star Dou Great Forest.
Cao's Inn.
After setting a time with the Dragon-Serpent couple, Li Xun and his companions didn't rush back to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School. Instead, they decided to wait until Zhu Zhuqing had fully absorbed the Soul Bone before making further plans.
Zhu Zhuqing's rapid progress in level was due to her absorption of the Lovesick Heartbreak Red. By the time they reached Suotuo City, her Soul Power had already reached level 38. Now, with a 50,000-year-old Head Soul Bone, she was expected to easily break through to level 40.
To avoid the need for another trip to help Zhu Zhuqing hunt for a Spirit Ring, Sword Douluo decided to rest here. He planned to take Zhu Zhuqing into the Star Dou Great Forest to obtain her Spirit Ring before returning to the sect together.
After a long while, Zhu Zhuqing slowly opened her eyes, a flash of pink passing through them.
The Spirit Concentration Charm Skull primarily enhanced the user's Bewitchment skills, thus only increasing her Soul Power by two levels and boosting her mental strength slightly.
She wasn't disappointed. After all, many elders might never see a Soul Bone in their lifetime. She was incredibly fortunate to have absorbed a 50,000-year-old Head Soul Bone as her first.
Moreover, the Soul Beast she intended to use for her Fourth Spirit Ring was the Three-Eyed Magic Fox. Perhaps there would be some unique interaction between the Soul Bone and the Spirit Ring.
"Zhu Zhuqing, how do you feel?" Ning Rongrong asked curiously, leaning in closer.
Although she had given the Soul Bone to Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong still felt a bit reluctant in her heart.
"This Soul Bone has increased my Soul Power by two levels, and now I've reached level 40," Zhu Zhuqing said, holding Ning Rongrong's hand. "It also granted me a skill to project a decoy to confuse my opponents. Thank you, Rongrong."
Ning Rongrong felt a bit embarrassed and could only giggle awkwardly.
Li Xun, observing the two, secretly gave Zhu Zhuqing a thumbs-up.
Truly a product of power struggles, her words not only flattered Ning Rongrong but also dispelled any lingering attachment she might have had to the Soul Bone.
Zhu Zhuqing noticed Li Xun's subtle gesture and rolled her eyes at him.
Li Xun coughed lightly into his hand and turned to Sword Douluo. "Sword Grandpa, why don't you take Zhu Zhuqing to obtain her Spirit Ring first?"
"I was just thinking the same," Sword Douluo chuckled, watching the trio's interactions.
After the incident in the Star Dou Great Forest, he had no intention of taking a group of children there again. It would be too much to handle, and he didn't want any more mishaps.
"Rongrong, are you staying at the inn or coming with me?" Li Xun stood up and put on his coat.
Ning Rongrong was puzzled. "Brother, where are you going?"
They had just returned, so why was Li Xun heading out again?
"It's official business, and it's not very interesting," Li Xun said as he finished putting on his coat and walked out without any intention of inviting Ning Rongrong.
"You're lying! What official business could there be that I don't know about?" Ning Rongrong quickly changed her shoes and chased after him.
The Spirit Hall's influence spanned the entire continent.
Apart from the Pope's Hall and the Hall of Offerings located in Spirit City, the Spirit Hall had established Sacred Halls, Main Halls, Branch Halls, and Sub-Halls in other regions of the continent.
There were only two Sacred Halls, located in the capitals of the two great empires, while Main Halls were set up in provincial capitals.
Branch Halls and Sub-Halls were generally established in smaller cities and towns.
Suotuo City, as an important location in the Balak Kingdom, had a Main Hall of the Spirit Hall.
This Main Hall was Li Xun's destination this time.
"Kid, if you have any issues related to Martial Souls, go to the side hall. This is the office area and is not open to outsiders."
At the entrance of the Main Hall of the Spirit Hall in Suotuo City, a guard stopped Li Xun and pointed to a nearby building.
The guard's politeness was due to the fact that Li Xun and his companion didn't look like ordinary children.
"Hello, we're here to meet Cardinal Bishop Gerraf," Li Xun said, presenting a token to the guard.
"Huh? Six patterns? That's more than the Elder Token. Could this be fake?" Another guard took the token and carefully examined the patterns on it.
The first guard, curious, leaned in. "It must be fake. Only the Papal Token has six patterns, and those are held by the Upper Three Sects. How could it end up in the hands of two kids?"
"This token is genuine. Just deliver it to Cardinal Bishop Gerraf, and he'll verify its authenticity," Li Xun said with a smile. "Besides, I don't think anyone would be bold enough to use a fake token to deceive the Spirit Hall, right?"
"Please wait a moment. I'll inform the bishop," the guard said, trembling as he felt the token burning in his hand. He bowed to Li Xun and quickly ran into the hall.
Only one guard remained standing there, at a loss for what to do.
He was now very grateful that his words had been quite formal earlier and that he hadn't said anything inappropriate.
Before long, the sound of hurried footsteps suddenly echoed from within the grand hall.
A middle-aged, richly dressed Fatty appeared before Li Xun, accompanied by a group of people: "We were unaware of the elder's arrival and failed to welcome you properly. Our deepest apologies."
(End of Chapter)