Chapter 22: Bibi Dong and Hu Liena
"Grandpa and Grandma, my divine test has stalled again. Next, I want to travel around the province of Loran to practice medicine and comprehend the true meaning of abundance."
Mu Changsheng and Lin Ya exchanged a glance and nodded. They had no objections to this plan. Over the past year, they had witnessed Mu Ci's actions, and he had mentioned something similar during a family dinner, so they were already prepared.
"I have a token here for you to take. It's the Spirit Hall Elder's Token that I asked your cousin for specifically. It will grant you certain conveniences in the Spirit Halls across various locations." As she spoke, Lin Ya took out a token engraved with a Fiery Spirit Kite from her soul guide and placed it in Mu Ci's hand.
"But you have to promise Grandma that you'll come home every once in a while."
"I know, Grandma, I will."
Mu Ci took the token and reassured the two elders.
After this, Mu Ci returned to his training room to experiment with his newly acquired second soul skill and plan his next itinerary.
Mu Changsheng and Lin Ya went to handle the matters of purchasing whale glue and reporting to the Pope's Palace.
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Wuhun City, inside the Pope's Palace.
The light from the soul guide illuminated the entire hall. A beautiful figure sat in front of the Pope's chair, handling various reports from the Spirit Halls across the continent.
The sound of crisp footsteps broke the silence in the Pope's Palace.
"Teacher, are you looking for me?"
A slightly hoarse girl's voice rang out, coming from a girl about twelve or thirteen years old.
At first glance, the girl's innocent face seemed ordinary, but the closer one looked, the more her hidden beauty shone through. Her black hair draped over her shoulders, her skin glowed like mutton-fat jade, and her pink fox-like eyes seemed to smile, captivating those who saw her.
"Nana, are you about to break through to level 20?"
Hearing her disciple's voice, the figure raised her beautiful face from the desk. She wore a luxurious purple papal robe that accentuated her near-perfect figure. A nine-curve purple gold crown adorned her head, her jade-like face glowing with unmatched nobility.
Hu Liena walked lightly to Bibi Dong's side and said in a coquettish tone, "Yes, Teacher, Nana's breakthrough is just a few days away. Have I not met your standards?"
Bibi Dong looked at her disciple, who felt more like a daughter, and said gently, "Teacher is very satisfied with Nana's cultivation speed. I recently obtained a secret recipe that allows one to absorb a thousand-year soul ring beyond the limit at the second level. Nana, do you want it?"
A thousand-year second ring? Hu Liena was shocked, thinking it impossible, but then realized that as the Pope of the Spirit Hall, who could deceive her?
Still, she had doubts and asked, "Teacher, you're not being deceived, are you? You taught me that the absorption limit for the second soul ring is about 750 years. How could there be a thousand-year second ring?"
Hearing Hu Liena's concern, Bibi Dong raised her hand and gently tapped her disciple's forehead with her slender index finger, saying lovingly, "Silly girl, if I say it's true, it's feasible. Let's test Nana's learning."
Bibi Dong's expression grew serious as she asked, "Nana, can you tell me the absorption limits for the first four soul rings and why they're limited to those durations?"
Hu Liena thought for a moment and answered, "The first four rings have lifespans of approximately 420, 760, 1,700, and 5,000 years, respectively. Since different soul masters have varying limits, these are just reference points."
Bibi Dong nodded with satisfaction and asked, "Then why do absorption limits vary, and what factors determine them?"
Hu Liena hesitated, thinking for a while before answering uncertainly, "Generally, a soul master with a beast martial soul has a higher absorption limit than one with a tool martial soul. Beast martial souls provide greater physical enhancement than tool martial souls, which are external to the body. The higher the quality of a beast martial soul, the greater the enhancement it provides."
"For example, the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex offers far more enhancement than ordinary mice or cat martial souls. So, the absorption limit for the first four rings is due to the soul master's physical strength?"
Bibi Dong looked at Hu Liena's cautious expression and said with mock displeasure, "Be more confident. I won't punish you for wrong answers. What are you afraid of?"
She then continued, "You're correct. The first four soul rings are indeed tied to physical strength. For soul rings under ten thousand years, the main concern is the impact of the soul ring's power. The stronger the body, the higher the tolerance, and the longer the absorption period."
"For soul beasts over ten thousand years, their soul power is comparable to humans'. When they die, a large amount of residual soul remains in the soul ring, hindering absorption."
"People knew this before, but to increase the limit by a few years, they'd need to spend years meditating and training hard. Spending three years to raise the limit by 100 years is inefficient."
Hu Liena's eyes lit up as she asked, "Teacher, so someone invented a way to significantly improve physical fitness without exercise? Is that the secret recipe you mentioned?"
Bibi Dong smiled and nodded. "Yes, it was offered by the Bishop of Shenmu City through Elder Lingyuan. The method has been verified and is very effective for improving the first few soul rings."
"For the next few days, take the secret recipe. Wait until your body can handle a thousand-year soul ring before going soul hunting."
Hu Liena's eyes sparkled, already imagining herself with a thousand-year second ring. She said to Bibi Dong, "Teacher, I'll be the best of my generation on the continent!"
Bibi Dong shook her head and laughed, "Not necessarily. Do you know who invented this secret recipe?"
Hu Liena widened her fox-like eyes and said naively, "Wasn't it the Bishop?"
Bibi Dong shook her head and revealed, "No, it's the Bishop's grandson, Elder Lingyuan's nephew, named Mu Ci. He's only seven years old, two years younger than you, Nana."
"I confirmed with the Bishop that her grandson absorbed a soul ring over 600 years for his first ring. Barring any surprises, a thousand-year second ring will be no issue."
Hu Liena was stunned, murmuring, "Younger than me, and he's doing things I can't even imagine."
Suddenly, she grew curious about this talented younger brother and asked, "Teacher, can I meet him? He's the Bishop's grandson—will he come to Wuhun City to study? Can I study with him?"
Bibi Dong felt a tinge of irritation at her disciple's wandering thoughts and said, "I'm not sure. Though he's the Bishop's grandson, he's not officially part of the Spirit Hall, so he may not come to Wuhun City to study."
"Also, according to reports from the branch halls, he's treating civilians' illnesses in various places using a unique mimicry cultivation method."
Hu Liena grew even more curious. Having grown up in an orphanage in Wuhun City with her brother, she was deeply touched by such acts and felt a growing fondness for this stranger. "Healing civilians—does that mean he's a support-type soul master?"
Bibi Dong sighed and said helplessly, "You'll have to ask him yourself later. You're only two years apart, so you'll likely meet at the Soul Master Competition in the future."
"First, focus on achieving your thousand-year second ring before worrying about the future."
Hu Liena felt a bit discouraged but quickly regained her composure, tucking her curiosity about this "little brother" deep in her heart. She could meet him later, but absorbing her soul ring was the priority now.
Bibi Dong gave Hu Liena more advice on cultivation and the confidentiality of the secret recipe before sending her back to practice.
The Pope's Palace returned to its usual silence. Bibi Dong stood up, holding her Pope's scepter, and cast a cold glance at a corner.
"Come out!"
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[end of the chapter]