The campfire still crackled when Ghost Douluo stepped forward, bowing toward Bibi Dong. His tone was flat but respectful:
"Under the Pope's crown, allow me to escort His Highness Subei with Tang San to hunt the boy's first soul ring. I have already surveyed the area and know the lay of the land. I can find a suitable soul beast swiftly."
It sounded logical. That was precisely why Bibi Dong's eyes narrowed, a ripple of frost flashing through her irises.
You think speed is my concern? No. I finally made time to escape the clutches of papal duties… all to spend it with Xiaobei. Do you imagine I'd simply hand the opportunity away?
Her silent gaze struck the Ghost like a blade. He stiffened. A chill goosefleshed his shadowy arms. He realized instantly where he had erred.
In a rush he corrected himself, bowing deeper: "Your subordinate was presumptuous! Indeed, the Star Dou is perilous. Even in the outer regions, one may meet monsters even I cannot promise to handle. A Titan Giant Ape appeared just months ago! Only with your personal presence, under the Pope, can His Highness Subei be made truly safe. My earlier suggestion was idiotic!"
And then, to cover his fear, he let out his infamous laugh—"Gaga~!"—which echoed like a duck quacking in a graveyard. Terrifying and absurd all at once.
"…," Bibi Dong only glared longer, amused yet irritated.
Ghost wiped phantom sweat from his brow. His heart whispered: That aura… so suffocating. It wasn't wrath for herself—it was the protective will of someone shielding a loved one. But how? I'm no enemy… I'll never understand a woman's heart. Cold one moment, tender the next, ferocious the moment after. Impossible. Fickle! Utterly fickle!
As the three figures—Bibi Dong, Subei, and Tang San—wandered into the forest together, Ghost sighed at the camp.
He realized their group had a far more immediate problem.
Hulina frowned at the mountain of slaughtered soul beast meat left behind. "Wait… none of us actually know how to cook this, right? Teacher told us to prepare the meal when they returned, but—"
Her pretty eyes widened as she stared alternately at Ghost and Yan.
Both froze.
Silence.
It dawned on all three at once. None of us can cook.
Yan's face paled. "Wait, wait! Didn't His Highness Subei say earlier… when they return, we must have the fire ready and the food seasoned?!"
Ghost trembled visibly. Yes. He did. Cooking? From us? Me, who's killed more than a thousand soul beasts but never once diced a vegetable? This… this is scarier than Titan Ape!
He coughed dryly. "I'll… do it. Gaga~"
…
Deeper in the forest, Bibi Dong deliberately let her aura simmer, brushing just above a dangerous threshold. It was enough to send soul beasts under 400 years scattering like ants, clearing a path wide around her. To others, the Star Dou was a death maze. To her, it parted like worshippers before a god.
Subei, however, scanned carefully, expression serious. He crouched by damp soil and shady trees, eyes sharp.
"Xiaobei," Bibi Dong laughed lightly, her perfect face serene. "You needn't take it so seriously. We aren't in a rush. Enjoy the scenery; when fate shows us the right beast, we'll act. There's no need to burden yourself."
But while she wanted a garden stroll with him, Subei only smiled calmly.
"If we can resolve Xiao San's ring earlier, all the better. Besides…" his lips quirked mischievously. "I just remembered—Nana, Yan, and Ghost Elder can't cook to save their lives. If we delay too long, we might return to tragedy rather than a feast."
Bibi Dong blinked. "…That is… true…" Still, the thought of leaving Nana and the others helpless, awaiting our return, and the idea of being alone with you here—hm, perhaps it isn't so bad.
Before her musings could deepen, Subei suddenly stopped, pointing.
"There."
The undergrowth shuddered. A cluster of sinuous vines writhed ominously in the shadow of tall trees. Each was barbed, dark green streaked with hints of black venom shine.
"Ghost Vine."
The realization cracked the air.
Bibi Dong tested with a flicker of soul power, brushing the vine's senses. In an instant, the plant stirred, moving with eerie malice. Fine tendrils spread like the tongues of a predator, searching for prey.
"At least 350 years," Bibi Dong estimated curtly, her yellow soul light gleaming.
"It's perfect," Subei whispered. His eyes glimmered with recognition. Yes… In the original path, Tang San's second ring came from such a Ghost Vine. Its parasitic ability complemented his martial soul perfectly. This is fate calling again.
Tang San, fascinated, watched a branch he'd thrown suddenly rot and blacken in the vine's grip. His heart raced. "Teacher! Its neurotoxin corrodes instantly!"
"Yes," Subei explained evenly. "Ghost Vine kills with venom, making corpses into its fertilizer. And more deadly—its seeds can burrow into enemies, parasitizing them. With enough nutrients, they bloom inside the host, and the enemy is broken from within. Its skills… match Blue Silver Grass beautifully."
The boy's eyes shone.
Bibi Dong frowned, her face shadowed. She pressed deeper with her sense and her tone hardened. "Its cultivation… 540 years. Xiaobei, this is above normal human tolerance. The limit for first rings is 460 to 490. Some have tried beyond, but… they are long dead and buried."
Her voice carried sharp warning. "Do you want to gamble this boy's life?"
For a breath, silence pressed.
But Subei's face never wavered. "Junior, it's this one."
Bibi Dong snapped her gaze toward him, shaken. "You would risk him?!"
But Tang San stepped forward decisively, his lips firm. "No, Teacher, I trust you!"
He dropped to one knee, bowing before Subei, his chest burning with devotion.
"The moment I chose to be your disciple, I decided. I will entrust my back, my future, and my life to you without hesitation. If you say this Ghost Vine can be my ring—then it shall be my ring!"
His small voice carried enormous gravity, echoing in the shaded woods.
Subei's lips curved, pride welling. He stroked his disciple's head gently. "Brave. You won't regret it."
Bibi Dong's chest swelled with conflict as she pulled Subei tightly against her, protection written across her face—even jealousy. Part of her wanted to stop him, forbid the risk. Yet another part whispered seductively: If Xiaobei believes, then it must be right.
Still pressed close between her proud curves, Subei only nodded calmly.
"Alright, little one. Go."
With that command, Tang San launched forward, sleeve sword gleaming, Blue Silver Grass erupting as vines met vine.
The trial of his first ring had begun.