Having accidentally been made a fool of by Hu Liena, Ling Xiao felt a touch of embarrassment, but he wasn't truly angry.
After all, she hadn't intended to kill him, and her soul skill wasn't offensive in nature. He wasn't the type to hold a grudge over something so trivial, especially against a child.
By now, Hu Liena had already withdrawn her martial soul.
Seeing Ling Xiao remain silent and stop smiling, she began to worry that she had actually made the boy angry. Her master would be arriving any moment, and she certainly didn't want Bibi Dong to think she was a bully.
Just as Hu Liena was about to say something to smooth things over, a slightly playful voice drifted in from outside the door.
"Nana, are you taking advantage of the fact that he hasn't obtained a soul ring yet to bully him?"
Hearing this, Hu Liena's face flushed red. she muttered defensively, "I did not! He agreed to it himself."
The door swung open, and two people walked in. One was Ling Yuan, and the other was Hu Liena's master—the Pope, Bibi Dong.
Ling Xiao turned his head, but the moment he saw the beautiful figure leading the way, his entire body jolted. He stood there, completely dazed.
A single thought repeated in his mind: She's so beautiful!
Bibi Dong was still wearing her magnificent liturgical gown and holding the scepter inlaid with countless gems.
A purple gemstone pendant rested against her neck.
However, the crown she usually wore was gone; her pale purple hair flowed down, gathered at the nape of her neck and cascading down her back. Strands of purple hair swayed gently beside her face.
Combined with her radiant gown and flawless features, she exuded an indescribable aura of nobility and holiness, yet she didn't seem entirely unapproachable.
The moment he saw her, time seemed to stand still for Ling Xiao. His eyes were fixed solely on her, oblivious to everything else. In his memory, he had never seen anyone so stunning.
"Hurry and greet Her Holiness," Ling Yuan said, snapping Ling Xiao out of his trance. Ling Xiao's heart raced. This is Bibi Dong? The woman whose story ended so tragically?
Meanwhile, Hu Liena ran to Bibi Dong's side, her voice lacking its usual confidence.
"Master, don't talk nonsense. Nana wasn't bullying him."
Bibi Dong smiled.
"Your soul power is one rank higher than his, and he didn't even release his martial soul. There's no way he could block your soul skill. If that isn't bullying, what is?"
Ling Xiao took a step forward and bowed deeply.
"Ling Xiao greets Her Holiness the Pope."
"Your name is Ling Xiao?" Bibi Dong's beautiful eyes flickered with interest.
"Yes."
Bibi Dong nodded and said with a hint of curiosity, "Come, release your martial soul and let me see."
A sharp light flashed in Ling Xiao's eyes.
Suddenly, he really wanted to see what Bibi Dong would think of his martial soul. Black and red light erupted from his hand, and in an instant, a massive bronze axe appeared.
Ling Xiao gripped it firmly, putting his strength into supporting the heavy weapon.
Looking at the bronze axe radiating its dark red glow, Bibi Dong was inwardly astonished.
The moment this axe appeared, it emitted a domineering aura of pure power. Although Ling Xiao was only at Rank 10, the pressure coming from this martial soul was startling.
Even the martial souls within her own body felt a slight tremor.
This was a unique resonance her own martial souls felt toward a powerful, never-before-seen martial soul. One had to remember that Ling Xiao was currently only a Soul Trainee, and his martial soul hadn't even been enhanced by a soul ring yet.
Ling Yuan, standing to the side, felt the same.
Her shock was hard to hide.
As an eight-ring Soul Douluo, she could sense the peculiar aura emanating from Ling Xiao's martial soul.
In this world, whenever a truly top-tier martial soul is awakened, it displays a distinct aura of power. Even if the Soul Master's strength hasn't reached a high level yet, the inherent foundation of the martial soul is already clear to see.
Suppressing her surprise, Bibi Dong smiled.
"A very powerful martial soul. I look forward to seeing just how strong it can become in the future."
"Thank you for the praise, Your Holiness. Ling Xiao also looks forward to that day," Ling Xiao said, looking up at her with bright, determined eyes.
Observing the boy before her—who seemed far more composed than a typical child—Bibi Dong nodded and asked, "Have you given this martial soul a name? I am familiar with all the powerful martial souls on the continent, but I have never seen one like yours. It seems to be a new lineage."
A name for the martial soul? Ling Xiao smiled knowingly.
He had thought about this long ago and spoke three words without hesitation.
"Profound Sky Axe!"
"Profound Sky Axe?" Ling Yuan was surprised.
She hadn't expected a child to actually come up with such a dignified name.
Bibi Dong was also momentarily stunned. Her eyes searched the boy's face; the name reminded her of something else. She couldn't help but ask, "Have you... ever heard of the Clear Sky Hammer?"
"I have. Bishop Ralph told me about it. It is the inherited martial soul of the continent's number one sect, the Clear Sky Sect."
"It is known as the world's number one tool martial soul." Ling Xiao smiled slightly as he gave his answer, but he said no more. Deep in his eyes, there seemed to be something hidden—something obscure and unreadable.
Looking at the child, a thought suddenly occurred to Bibi Dong—a thought even she found somewhat unbelievable. She had a faint feeling that this child was carrying something heavy in his heart.
Hu Liena stood to the side, her large eyes blinking in confusion.
She felt like their conversation was a bit strange, though she couldn't pinpoint why. She had seen Ling Xiao's martial soul, and it definitely felt special, but as a peer with Innate Full Soul Power, shouldn't his martial soul be powerful by default?
The thing she cared about most, however, was still the matter weighing on her mind.
"Master, when can he go get his first soul ring?"
Seeing her disciple's impatient look, Bibi Dong chuckled inwardly but kept a serious face.
"He isn't even in a hurry, so why are you?"
"Tell you what—you can go to the Spirit Hall Academy tomorrow. You don't have to wait for Ling Xiao to return with his soul ring. How about that?"
Hu Liena was overjoyed.
"Master, you're the best! Nana can finally go see her brother tomorrow!"
Watching the closeness between Hu Liena and Bibi Dong, Ling Xiao felt a sense of warmth. In his original impression, Bibi Dong was a cold-hearted, ruthless woman.
After all, she had suffered such tragedies in her youth yet managed to endure until she could devour her master and seize the position of Pope.
Even if the Grand Worship, Qian Daoliu, had allowed it, her rise was inseparable from her own terrifying capability.
But looking at her now, while she might be more calculating and formidable than most because of the betrayals she had faced, she wasn't yet insane.
She had a soft side; she clearly doted on her disciple, Hu Liena—a level of affection her own daughter, Qian Renxue, had likely never known.
Bibi Dong clearly enjoyed Hu Liena's affection.
Whenever she looked at her disciple, she saw a reflection of her younger self. She was determined to protect her and ensure she never walked the same dark path.
Turning back to Ling Xiao, Bibi Dong said, "Ling Xiao, you will rest in this room for tonight. Tomorrow morning, I will send someone to take you to obtain your soul ring."
"Thank you, Your Holiness."
With that, Bibi Dong nodded to Ling Yuan, and the two walked out of the room.
Watching her beautiful figure fade away, Ling Xiao let out a sigh of complicated emotions. Part of it was pity for Bibi Dong's tragic fate, and part of it was for his own future.
Only Ling Xiao and Hu Liena remained in the room.
Hu Liena was still immersed in her joy and didn't notice Ling Xiao's shift in mood. She looked at him and asked, "Hey, Ling Xiao! Are you hungry? I'll take you to eat. Let me tell you, the food in the hall is delicious!"
Hearing the beautiful girl's invitation, Ling Xiao couldn't help but smile.
"Sure! I happen to be hungry too."