Chapter 50: White Totem, Mysterious Golden Egg
"Grandpa Xiong, that's really something I can't do."
Fan Chen looked utterly lifeless as he stared at Xiong Kuohai, who was still gripping him tightly.
Among everyone present, Xiong Kuohai's requirements were technically the fewest—but they were also the most outrageous.
What did he mean by 'someone about the same as you is fine'?
Listen to that—does that even sound like something a human would say?
He might as well have asked Fan Chen to undergo mitosis and split himself in two to give him one.
"Old Fourth, your request really is ridiculous. Do you think twin martial soul holders are something you can just find whenever you want?"
"Exactly. When it comes to making things difficult for a kid, no one can beat you."
Faced with the criticism from Golden Crocodile Douluo and the others, Xiong Kuohai remained unmoved, showing no intention of letting Fan Chen go so easily.
He'd already figured it out—although this kid Fan Chen was always causing a ruckus, his luck was absolutely top-tier. If he wanted a disciple, whether or not Fan Chen was willing to help was the key.
"Grandpa Xiong, it's not that I don't want to help you. The problem is, this isn't something I can just find because I want to. I'm not a magician who can conjure one out of thin air for you on the spot."
In truth, a suitable disciple for Xiong Kuohai wasn't hard to define. His so-called requirement of 'someone similar to himself' was clearly meant as a joke.
Fan Chen already had a few candidates in mind.
As far as twin martial soul holders went, aside from himself, the only one he currently knew of was Bibi Dong—and Tang San, who hadn't even been "made" yet.
Bibi Dong didn't need to be mentioned at all. As for Tang San, that was completely impossible. He was destined to become the Spirit Hall's future mortal enemy.
If the Blue Silver Emperor hadn't escaped so quickly this time, Fan Chen would've wiped him out right at the source.
As for other twin martial soul holders, Fan Chen didn't know of any. That meant he could only settle for the next best option.
Xiong Kuohai, like Golden Crocodile Douluo, possessed a top-tier beast martial soul.
One had the Golden Crocodile King, the other the Blazing Lion.
All he really needed was a beast-type martial soul user with high talent.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon and the Evil-Eyed White Tiger martial souls were immediately ruled out—those belonged to powerful clans and would never join Spirit Hall.
But aside from those two, Fan Chen did know several suitable candidates. For example, Huo Wu from Blazing Academy.
She was, in Fan Chen's eyes, the most suitable choice for Xiong Kuohai. Whether in attributes or martial soul compatibility, she matched him extremely well.
However, Fan Chen remembered that she seemed to be the daughter of Blazing Academy's headmaster. Digging into that corner was no ordinary level of difficulty.
And that wasn't even the biggest issue.
The most important problem was that Huo Wu might not even have been born yet—or if she had been, she likely hadn't awakened her martial soul.
As for the other suitable candidates Fan Chen knew of, it was the same situation—either not born yet, or far too young, without awakened martial souls.
Even if he wanted to make a move, there was simply nothing he could do.
Someone like Meng Xiaoyan was an exception among exceptions—purely a case of a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse.
In the end, under Xiong Kuohai's relentless pestering, Fan Chen had no choice but to promise that he'd go out onto the streets again tomorrow to keep looking, just to escape his clutches.
After successfully shaking off Xiong Kuohai, the other three immediately crowded over as well.
After all, if a big oaf like Xiong Kuohai could see this much, there was no way they couldn't.
Especially Luan Yuqing—if it weren't for the fact that his duties completely tied him down, he would've followed Fan Chen around personally to try his luck.
Soon enough, everyone's attention shifted from Fan Chen to Meng Xiaoyan instead.
As Guang Ling's disciple, the formal process of acknowledging people had to be carried out.
Fan Chen's earlier 'lesson' had been far too profound—this step absolutely had to be prioritized.
And since everyone was present, they simply went through the process on the spot.
Seeing this group of idle old geezers divert their attention to Meng Xiaoyan, Fan Chen seized the opportunity to slip away.
He made his way over to Qian Renxue, found a comfortable spot, and lay straight down.
On the grass, Fan Chen lay flat, hands pillowingly behind his head, gazing up at the starry sky above.
Qian Renxue sat beside him, holding Xiao Bai in her arms. Everything looked peaceful and warm.
The chirping of insects rose, like a prelude announcing the arrival of night. Qian Renxue's clear, watery eyes didn't blink as she quietly watched Fan Chen beside her.
The cool night breeze brushed across their cheeks—soft and soothing.
A sense of exhaustion welled up. Fan Chen unconsciously closed his eyes and soon drifted into sleep.
Qian Renxue didn't disturb him, simply sitting there silently, watching him.
Before long, the recognition process on Meng Xiaoyan's side also came to an end.
At this moment, her expression was somewhat dazed. After all, having so many Titled Douluo gathered together was an overwhelming shock to her.
She was still just an ordinary six-year-old child. Facing such a scene, it was only natural for her to be stunned—she didn't have Fan Chen's level of composure.
"Shh—don't wake Brother Fan Chen. He's asleep."
Seeing Meng Xiaoyan walking over, Qian Renxue softly reminded her.
"So this lazy dog fell asleep already. Is he that lazy now? I remember his energy used to be ridiculously abundant."
Back at the orphanage, Fan Chen and Meng Xiaoyan had been famous for their boundless energy.
Every day, they seemed to have strength to spare. No matter what, it shouldn't have come to this.
"Brother Fan Chen's training is very exhausting every day. These past few days, he finally got a chance to relax, so of course, he should rest properly."
Qian Renxue could hear the implication in Meng Xiaoyan's words. She had also learned quite a lot about Fan Chen's past from her.
"Being able to tire him out like this is honestly rare. If it were before, I definitely would've woken him up. But for your sake, I'll let him off this time."
"Xiao Bai, come here and let me hold you."
Xiao Bai shot Meng Xiaoyan an eye roll. Faced with someone who loved teasing him like a puppy, he was utterly helpless.
"You can just call Xiao Bai's name. You don't need to make that sound—he doesn't seem to like it."
Qian Renxue probably spent even more time with Xiao Bai than Fan Chen did.
She understood him very well, and it was obvious that Xiao Bai disliked Meng Xiaoyan's behavior.
"Oh, really? That's how I usually tease Da Bai back at the orphanage."
"Da Bai?"
Qian Renxue tilted her head and looked at Meng Xiaoyan curiously. She only knew the one in her arms was called Xiao Bai—she had no idea what this Da Bai was.
"Da Bai is the dog at the orphanage entrance. He's white too, so his name is Da Bai."
"Pfft—"
As soon as Meng Xiaoyan explained, Qian Renxue instantly understood. Looking at Xiao Bai in her arms, she suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of amusement.
She was now seriously suspecting that when Fan Chen named Xiao Bai, he had done so based on that dog.
The big one is called Da Bai, the small one is called Xiao Bai. It actually made a lot of sense.
"Don't treat me like a dog. Xiao Bai is a Bai Ze, not a dog."
Being mistaken for a dog made Xiao Bai furious. Aside from being white, what part of him looked like a dog?
Do dogs grow horns on their heads? Or do dogs speak human language?
"Alright, alright, my fault, my fault—okay?"
Meng Xiaoyan clasped her hands together and apologized to Xiao Bai, then reached over and scooped him out of Qian Renxue's arms, pulling him into her own embrace.
"Mmm~ the texture feels so good."
Even now, Meng Xiaoyan still found it hard to believe that Xiao Bai was actually Fan Chen's martial soul.
This was the first time she had ever seen a living martial soul. More importantly, Xiao Bai could speak, think, and possess self-awareness.
That made it even more unbelievable.
In her ingrained understanding, martial souls were tools—lifeless objects. How could something like that move around on its own, let alone talk?
It completely violated logic and shattered her worldview.
Yet Xiao Bai existed right in front of her, real and tangible. And such a martial soul wasn't even unique—there had been another one before Fan Chen.
Although that one was a complete waste. She had only learned about that recently.
Guang Ling had even specifically warned her that anything related to Fan Chen's martial soul had to be kept strictly confidential and never spoken of to outsiders.
That only made her even more curious about Xiao Bai—though the direction of her curiosity was somewhat… off.
What she was really curious about was why Xiao Bai felt so comfortable to hold.
And just as Qian Renxue and Meng Xiaoyan chatted happily, a faint golden mark appeared on Fan Chen's forehead.
The golden mark was extremely light—so faint that it would go unnoticed unless one looked very carefully.
And surrounding it was a ring of white runic patterns.
However, this unusual mark quickly sank away and vanished without a trace.
...
Star Dou Great Forest.
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion sat quietly beside the Lake of Life, an identical pattern appearing on her forehead.
Unlike Fan Chen's mark, which faded away, the symbol on her forehead grew increasingly clear and radiant.
White and gold markings intertwined as a dazzling golden sphere of light appeared above her head.
The sphere descended to the ground and transformed into a golden egg about the size of a basketball.
Strange white patterns encircled the golden egg, the lines connecting with one another like the totem of some mysterious tribe.
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion stared unblinkingly at the golden egg before her, strange golden light flowing within her eyes.
She slowly raised her paw and gently touched the egg.
Crack.
With a crisp sound, the shell split open, and a tiny claw extended from within, touching the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's finger.
—
End of Chapter