Chapter 28: Who Would Dare Sleep in the Pope's Arms Until Dawn?
[A Rogue Rabbit]: Th-this… can a first soul ring really be a thousand-year one?
Xiao Wu felt happy for Lin Qingmo, yet at the same time, a trace of melancholy surfaced in her heart.
She was a soul beast in human form.
Her first few soul rings were self-produced.
Because of this, she couldn't absorb soul rings like human soul masters.
Naturally, she couldn't perform limit-breaking absorption either.
"So I can't be like Ah Qing…"
All she could do now was work hard to increase her soul power level, making sure she didn't fall too far behind.
[The Pope Herself]: Ah Qing, congratulations on achieving your wish.
Bibi Dong's words remained calm and composed.
After all, she was the first to know—and the one who personally witnessed—Lin Qingmo absorbing the Sky Azure Vine soul ring.
Seeing his success now, she was genuinely happy for him.
Of course, she had to offer her congratulations in two different identities.
[Green Grass]: Congratulations, Ah Qing!
Not only did Ah Yin congratulate him in the chat group as his "grass mom,"
Her branches also gently swayed against Lin Qingmo's body, conveying her joy.
[Dad Douluo]: Thank you, everyone.
[Dad Douluo]: Honestly, the reason I could absorb such a perfectly matched 2,000-year soul ring is all thanks to Master and Ah Yin!
[Dad Douluo]: Master specially found the Sky Azure Vine immortal herb for me.
[Dad Douluo]: And she helped strengthen my physique—otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to withstand the energy of a 2,000-year soul ring at all.
[Dad Douluo]: And there's also Ah Yin.
[Dad Douluo]: The Sky Azure Vine isn't a real soul beast and doesn't produce a soul ring. It was Ah Yin who helped condense its energy into a soul ring so I could successfully absorb it!
Lin Qingmo explained everything in detail.
His words were filled with gratitude.
He knew very well that his achievements today were inseparable from the help of the two of them—or rather, one person and one blade of grass.
[Tyrant Dragon Mom]: You brat… daring to absorb a thousand-year soul ring and not exploding on the spot—that itself is a kind of ability.
Although she said so,
Liu Erlong still couldn't hide the envy in her heart.
If she had encountered a teacher like this back then, she wouldn't be just a Soul Saint now.
The more she thought about it, the more outrageous Lin Qingmo's luck seemed.
Not only did he have a Titled Douluo as a master, but he also had a hundred-thousand-year soul beast helping him.
[The Pope Herself]: Ah Qing, shouldn't you introduce your soul skill?
Even though she already knew everything,
Out of professional "acting" ethics, Bibi Dong still asked again as a fellow group member.
[Tyrant Dragon Mom]: Right, what's your first soul skill?
[Tyrant Dragon Mom]: With a two-thousand-year first soul ring, the soul skill shouldn't be bad, right?
[Dad Douluo]: My first soul skill is called Sky Azure Soul-Nurturing Barrier.
Lin Qingmo went on to explain the composition of his soul skill and the test results Bibi Dong had conducted for him.
[Tyrant Dragon Mom]: That's insane?!
[Tyrant Dragon Mom]: Your first soul skill is basically on par with other people's Soul Ancestor skills already. You really are a little monster.
[A Rogue Rabbit]: Ah Qing, your soul skill is amazing! It boosts stats, restores energy, and can even attack—it's just too perfect!
Xiao Wu's eyes practically sparkled as she read, her admiration obvious.
Her first soul skill was Waist Bow, which enhanced her flexibility.
Compared to Lin Qingmo's Sky Azure Soul-Nurturing Barrier, it felt worlds apart.
[The Pope Herself]: Sky Azure Soul-Nurturing Barrier is indeed a soul skill with enormous potential. At the very least, it's already invincible among peers.
[The Pope Herself]: Of course, that's all under the premise that you can control Blue Silver Grass without relying on soul skills.
[Dad Douluo]: That's all thanks to Ah Yin's soul bone. Otherwise, I might've ended up like Tang San, wasting my first soul skill on some trash like Entanglement.
[Tyrant Dragon Mom]: Heh… that's true.
[Tyrant Dragon Mom]: If you can't naturally control your own martial soul and have to waste a soul skill just to drive it, you really are a step slower than everyone else.
[Dad Douluo]: In short, I'm invincible. Everyone else can do whatever they want.
[Tyrant Dragon Mom]: Brat, don't get cocky.
[Tyrant Dragon Mom]: No matter how strong your soul skill is, your soul power level is still low. You've got plenty more to learn.
Liu Erlong couldn't help but tease him.
Yet deep down, she was genuinely envious.
Compared to Lin Qingmo's growth, her own first, second, and third soul skills were honestly hard to look at.
—
Under the moonlit night.
Inside the temporary wooden cabin on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest, candlelight flickered, bathing the room in a warm yellow glow.
There was no devil training tonight.
No warm medicinal bath either.
The air was filled with a gentle sense of tranquility.
Bibi Dong, her face half-hidden behind a delicate mask, removed her loose black robe.
She changed into a white silk nightgown.
The fabric was soft as gauze, outlining her graceful figure perfectly.
She lay down naturally on the bed.
Extending her arm, she beckoned to Lin Qingmo, who stood beside the bed.
"Come here."
Lin Qingmo immediately climbed onto the bed with practiced ease and burrowed into Bibi Dong's embrace.
Her warm arms were soft and comfortable, carrying a faint fragrance that instantly relaxed him.
For the past half year, he had almost fallen asleep like this every single night.
Especially after consuming whale rubber, when the internal heat became unbearable—
Only in her arms could he sleep peacefully.
Bibi Dong gently held him.
Her chin rested atop his blue hair.
Her fingers softly combed through his hair.
In her eyes flowed a tenderness rarely seen in her usual demeanor.
"Ah Qing, your training is over."
Bibi Dong's gentle voice broke the silence.
"Over?"
Lin Qingmo raised his head, peeking past the "mountain peaks" before him to look into her eyes.
"Mm. You can leave the Star Dou Great Forest and return to Nuoding Academy."
Bibi Dong met his gaze.
Her tone was calm, yet beneath it hid a trace of reluctance.
"The road ahead… you'll have to walk much of it on your own."
Lin Qingmo froze for a moment.
Then he understood what she meant—separation.
A sense of loss welled up.
He hugged Bibi Dong's soft waist tightly.
"Then where are you going, Master? Aren't you coming with me?"
Bibi Dong gently shook her head.
Her soft fingertips brushed across his cheek.
"Of course I can't return to Nuoding Academy with you."
"I have my own matters to attend to, and you have your own path to walk."
"But don't worry—at the right time, I'll come find you again. For example, when you're ready for your next soul ring."
"But I don't want to part from you…"
Lin Qingmo buried his face into her chest.
"I feel like I've already become someone who can't sleep without Master holding me."
Hearing his childish words,
Bibi Dong couldn't help but laugh softly.
She lowered her head and gently kissed his forehead.
"You have to learn to be independent. When you become strong enough—strong enough to stand on your own—then we can stay together."
"Really?"
"Really."
Bibi Dong nodded.
An unintentional promise—
Yet a promise all the same.
A trace of reluctance also rose in her heart.
Lin Qingmo's presence had brought far too much warmth and color into her cold, solitary life.
Watching him grow from a brat with innate soul power level four into a soul master with a purple first soul ring, capable of facing soul beasts on his own—
Filled her with a profound sense of accomplishment.
But she also knew she couldn't stay by his side forever.
She was the Pope of the Spirit Hall.
And Lin Qingmo needed to weather storms on his own, without her protection, to truly grow.
The two—one big, one small—held each other tightly, cherishing this fleeting moment of warmth.
The candlelight gradually dimmed.
The room once again fell silent.
Only the steady rhythm of their breathing is intertwined.
---
The next morning.
Lin Qingmo woke up in Bibi Dong's embrace.
Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the wooden cabin, falling upon her face.
She was already awake.
Gazing tenderly at Ah Qing in her arms.
Even with half her face concealed, her beauty was enough to leave Lin Qingmo stunned.
"Stop staring. Get up."
A short while later.
The two finished preparing.
"Master, I'm leaving now."
Lin Qingmo said reluctantly.
"Mm."
Bibi Dong nodded.
Her slender fingers adjusted his clothes for him.
"Remember—when you have your master backing you, there's no need to deliberately hide your sharpness."
"I understand."
Lin Qingmo nodded firmly.
"I'll cultivate diligently, become strong as soon as possible, and wait for you to come find me!"
"Good."
Bibi Dong smiled faintly.
She watched as Lin Qingmo turned and left the wooden cabin.
Until his figure gradually disappeared into the morning light of the Star Dou Great Forest.
—
End of Chapter