"Hmph!"
Ye Tian's speechlessness made Bibi Dong snort in displeasure.
She declared with arrogant certainty, "I told you, whatever he can or cannot give you, I can provide!"
As her words fell, Bibi Dong swiftly extended her jade-like hand, grabbing Ye Tian by the collar and lifting him up.
"Hiss—Teacher!" Ye Tian raised his hands, standing on tiptoe to look up at Bibi Dong.
He did feel a sense of security. Even though Bibi Dong had grabbed him, he wasn't particularly afraid. It was just that her breathtakingly beautiful face so close to his, along with her faintly fragrant breath, made him freeze and hold his breath unconsciously. Gradually, a flush of heat from suffusion spread across his cheeks...
Bibi Dong inhaled the Pill Fragrance surrounding Ye Tian, her eyes filled with intense warning as a cold smile curled at the corners of her lips. She whispered, "My dear Holy Son... can he grant you such an honor?"
"..."
Ye Tian remained silent, only shaking his head. Qian Xunji would never appoint another Holy Son.
Bibi Dong grew even more pleased with herself. "As for the Spirit Bone, heh... your teacher will be the next Pope～" Her expression was both fierce and confident.
Her delicate earlobes trembled slightly as if she had detected movement in the distance. Taking a deep breath of the Pill Fragrance, her complexion grew rosy... Then she released Ye Tian, even thoughtfully straightening his collar for him.
Gazing at him with profound meaning, she teased, "Ye Tian, you'd better not disappoint me."
"I..."
Before Ye Tian could respond, Bibi Dong let him go and walked toward the pavilions and towers behind her, leaving behind her bold declaration.
"Just wait. When I ascend to power, you'll be second only to me, above all others!"
"Sigh—"
Ye Tian stood on the steps inside the doorway, watching Bibi Dong depart, and sighed without any clue. He murmured to himself, "What is destined won't be avoided, and what is unavoidable cannot be escaped."
No matter what... Since Bibi Dong had made such a vow, it proved that as long as he remained the Holy Son, he would be relatively safe around her! At the very least, his life wouldn't be in danger...
He just didn't understand. Why was Bibi Dong so confident that she would become the next Pope after Qian Xunji's death?! It truly baffled him.
Could it be that she planned to play the emotional card through Qian Renxue?
Meanwhile, Bibi Dong had already returned to her room and stood by the window, looking outside. She watched as two young girls visited once again, a gloating smile appearing on her lips.
"I really should thank that boy for paving the path right beneath my feet..."
Before her words fully faded, a sharp snap sounded from the window frame. If Bibi Dong knew of Ye Tian's suspicions, she might not be able to smile so easily...
——
Down in the courtyard, Ye Tian's heartbeat had yet to fully calm when two familiar voices passed through the sandalwood door and reached his ears.
"Yue'er, why did you stop?"
"Sister Xue, I think your mother is back. I saw her closing the window..."
"Hmm? Maybe."
"Then has Ye Tian already obtained his second Soul Ring?!"
"We'll know once we ask him."
Hearing the girls' voices drawing nearer, Ye Tian couldn't help but smile... temporarily setting aside his troubled thoughts.
He turned and slowly pulled open the rosewood door behind him.
Creak—!
The wooden door swung open.
Qian Renxue and Jin Yue'er appeared before Ye Tian one after the other.
"Ye Tian!"
Jin Yue'er cried out joyfully.
Even though they saw each other every day, every time she laid eyes on Ye Tian, it was as if she had been injected with adrenaline.
If the door hadn't been fully open yet,
she would have surely thrown herself at him already.
Qian Renxue, on the other hand, was more reserved and well-mannered.
Her beautiful eyes fixed intently on Ye Tian, her purple pupils glowing faintly...
She quickly noticed the changes in him.
The faint mist surrounding him,
and... had he become even more handsome?
Qian Renxue pressed her pink lips together, her lovely cheeks flushing.
Although Ye Tian's appearance hadn't changed much, she couldn't help but feel...
he was growing more and more to her liking.
"Little Xue, Yue'er, what a coincidence!"
Ye Tian greeted them with a smile.
Without waiting for them to ask, he openly shared the good news.
"I just returned from hunting a soul beast not long ago."
"That's wonderful!"
Jin Yue'er cheered excitedly,
unable to resist leaping over and clinging to Ye Tian's arm.
She asked eagerly,
"So, Ye Tian, does that mean we'll get to taste your second batch of pills soon...?"
"Of course."
Ye Tian nodded with a smile.
Qian Renxue shot Jin Yue'er an exasperated glance—wasn't that obvious? She should have asked about the important details first...
Glancing at the faint, elusive white mist swirling around Ye Tian,
Qian Renxue couldn't help but secretly take a few whiffs.
Meeting Ye Tian's gaze, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she asked curiously, "Ye Tian, your cultivation must have improved a lot, right?"
"Yes, I'm now a Level 24 Great Soul Master."
"Level 24?!"
Both girls exclaimed in unison.
Qian Renxue's eyes widened in astonishment,
while Jin Yue'er was utterly dumbfounded, quickly followed by excitement as she clung to Ye Tian, bouncing up and down. "Haha, no wonder you smell so much nicer now—I really want to take a bite..."
"Yue'er, watch the drool! This is a new set of clothes I just made!"
Ye Tian frowned in warning,
while simultaneously reaching out to push Jin Yue'er's face away.
Jin Yue'er clung to him like sticky plaster... her arms wrapped tightly around him, grinning cheekily even as her face was being squished.
"Hehe... Ye Tian, I want it..."
"I know—"
Ye Tian sighed helplessly, resigning himself to letting Jin Yue'er hang off him.
He raised his hand and summoned his Martial Soul.
The Flawless Initial Pill appeared, accompanied by two purple Soul Rings.
With the first purple Soul Ring already setting a high standard,
what caught the girls' attention wasn't the second purple Soul Ring, but the dozens of glistening, milky-white dewdrops that materialized along with Ye Tian's Martial Soul...
Each drop of Jade Dew seemed to drift as if riding clouds and mist.
"What... is this?"
Qian Renxue asked, her eyes filled with confusion.
"It smells so good!"
Jin Yue'er's eyes sparkled like little stars.
She immediately released Ye Tian,
stuck out her tongue, and began licking at the Jade Dew floating in the air.
"..."
Ye Tian broke out in a cold sweat.
Ignoring her, he activated his Second Soul Skill twice.
At the same time, he explained to Qian Renxue,
"I'm not sure about this phenomenon either. In any case, my second Soul Ring comes from a Moonlit Water Fairy over 3,800 years old. The Second Soul Skill is called Bright Soul Nourishing Pill... it's a Marrow Cleansing Pill that works on the soul."
"A Marrow Cleansing Pill that works on the soul?!"
Qian Renxue murmured, unable to hold back her widened eyes.
Jin Yue'er also stopped her tongue-wagging antics.
She lifted her bewildered face, still dotted with a few drops of Pill Fragrance Jade Dew.
Only when the milky Pill Fragrance vanished from her cheeks, and Ye Tian handed over the Bright Soul Nourishing Pill, did Jin Yue'er suddenly snap back to reality.
"Little Xue, Yue'er, have a taste."
"Alright!"
Qian Renxue suppressed the surging emotions in her heart and accepted the pill shimmering with moonlight essence.
"Mhm, mhm!"
Jin Yue'er nodded repeatedly, acting much more directly...
She grabbed Ye Tian's wrist and licked the pill away, rolling it into her mouth.
Leaving Ye Tian speechless and utterly helpless...