Guang Ling leapt down from the city wall. Being a bit on the shorter side, he had to tilt his head up slightly when speaking to the two of them.
"I see how it is—you two went off gallivanting without inviting me along. Off to enjoy your little romantic getaway, huh?"
"Haha, you're teasing us, Senior Guang Ling."
"Tch, what would we bring you for? So you could be a third wheel?"
Bibi Dong gave him no quarter. Then again, that was just how close the three of them were. Guang Ling had always had a youthful heart and never acted superior despite his strength, making it easy to get along with him.
Hearing her jab, Guang Ling crossed his arms and said gleefully, "Oh, don't get too cocky, Dong'er. We all know what's going on between you two. Want to hear what your master thinks about it?"
"Not interested."
Bibi Dong haughtily turned her head away, completely ignoring the bait. Guang Ling was left speechless for a moment, caught off guard by her bluntness.
Gu Han let out a small smile and stepped forward. "Senior Guang Ling, how's Master's divine trial going?"
"Pretty smoothly. He just completed the Seventh Trial," Guang Ling replied. "It's the Eighth Trial that's going to take a while."
"Why's that?" Gu Han asked curiously. Even Bibi Dong's gaze sharpened with interest.
"Is the Eighth Trial especially difficult?"
"Not really. Actually, it's surprisingly simple," Guang Ling said, turning his back dramatically and clasping his hands behind him in mock mystery. "The only issue is that it takes time. Even if it starts this year, it'll take at least seven years to complete."
"As for the details... it touches on secrets of the Pope, so I can't say more."
But then he turned around, wiggling his eyebrows with a sly grin. "That said, you're welcome to ask him yourselves. Whether or not he answers? Not my problem."
Gu Han fell into thought. What kind of Eighth Trial would take that long… and be tied to Master's private affairs?
With questions swirling in their minds, the two left Guang Ling and headed to the Pope's Hall.
—
Qian Xunji was already waiting for them inside.
Having completed the Angel's Seventh Trial, he was practically glowing with confidence. All the doubts that once lingered in his heart had been swept away.
And he owed it all to his second disciple.
If it weren't for Gu Han pointing out the possibility of finding immortal herbs in the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, he never would've obtained the Radiant Paradise Grass to compensate for his flawed talent. Without that, he would never have earned the Angel God's recognition and been granted the divine trials.
Without the trials, he'd never have reached his current level.
This disciple of his was truly a gift from the heavens. His judgment? Unmatched.
As this thought crossed his mind, Qian Xunji couldn't help but smile with pride.
When Gu Han and Bibi Dong saw their master sitting there in silence, grinning to himself like a fool, they exchanged a quick glance. Then, they both stepped forward and offered a formal bow in unison.
"Congratulations, Master, on reaching new heights in your cultivation."
Qian Xunji snapped out of his daze and coughed lightly. "You two went all the way to Coconut Grove City for a date without telling me. Afraid I'd disapprove?"
"Uh…"
Gu Han and Bibi Dong glanced at each other again. Then they took a step forward, heads slightly bowed.
"Forgive us, Master. We saw that you were busy with your divine trials, so we took the liberty of leaving Spirit City without informing you. Please punish us if you see fit."
"You little rascal. Dodging the question like a pro."
Qian Xunji chuckled and playfully pointed at Gu Han.
Seeing the two remain silent, he finally stepped down and reassured them with a comforting tone.
"I already know about your relationship. I'm not opposed to it. I just hope that for now, your focus remains on cultivation. Let the rest come in time."
Gu Han let out a breath of relief. "Thank you, Master, for your understanding."
"That's great! I knew you were the best, Master!"
Bibi Dong even jumped with joy, completely dropping her previous reserved and formal demeanor.
Qian Xunji could only smile and shake his head. "You two are both my cherished disciples and the ones Spirit Hall is counting on. Seeing you come together brings me more joy than I can express—why would I oppose it?"
"Hehe~"
Bibi Dong grinned and wrapped her arms around Gu Han's, not even bothering to pretend anymore. With Master's blessing, what was there to hide?
Gu Han felt the weight in his heart lift. Glancing at Qian Xunji, he asked, "Master, when we entered the city, we ran into Senior Guang Ling. He said your Eighth Trial would take a long time to complete. Is it something especially dangerous?"
"Yeah, Master, what is your Eighth Trial?" Bibi Dong added with concern. What kind of divine trial needed at least seven years?
Qian Xunji's face stiffened with awkwardness. He waved his hand and casually lied, "It's nothing serious. The trial is quite simple, actually. I just have to break through from Rank 98 to Rank 99, and that's going to take time. But with my current strength, reaching Rank 99 isn't that hard."
Well… not hard, considering all he had to do was have a child.
If he were relying purely on his own cultivation, the gap between 98 and 99 would easily take him two to three decades.
Despite being just a single rank, the difficulty of crossing that gap was like asking a Level 1 innate soul master to break through to Titled Douluo without external aid.
Just look at Golden Crocodile Douluo. He'd been stuck at Rank 98 since before Qian Xunji was even born—and he'd stayed there for decades. That showed just how insurmountable this barrier could be.
Without the divine trial, Qian Xunji wouldn't even be confident about reaching Rank 97, let alone 99.
"Oh, I see… That would take a long time," Bibi Dong nodded. No wonder Guang Ling said it wasn't hard but still time-consuming. So it was about breaking through to Rank 99—definitely no easy feat.
Gu Han was just about to ask more, but Qian Xunji saw it coming and quickly cut him off.
"That's enough. Xiao Han, Dong'er, no need to concern yourselves with your master's business. If you don't want to train, go watch the Continental Advanced Soul Master Tournament in Heaven Dou City."
"Uh, yes, Master. Then we'll take our leave."
Gu Han saw that Qian Xunji clearly didn't want to continue this topic, so he bowed and left the Pope's Hall with Bibi Dong.
Qian Xunji let out a long sigh. These two disciples were getting harder and harder to fool.
—
Once they were outside, Bibi Dong flashed a mischievous grin.
"Junior Brother, I definitely don't buy Master's explanation. Let's go to the Hall of Worship and ask Senior Guang Ling and the others!"
"Ahem, Senior Sister… maybe we shouldn't? It's Master's private matter after all."
Gu Han also had doubts about the story, but as disciples, digging into their master's private affairs felt… inappropriate.
"Oh, come on! I've got your back. Let's go!"
"H-Hey! Don't drag me!"
Before he could object further, Bibi Dong grabbed Gu Han's hand and bolted towards the Hall of Worship.
"While Master's not around, this is our best chance—otherwise, we might never get another shot!"
~~~
If You Wish To Support Me And Read 30 Chapters Ahead, Consider Joining Me On This Journey!
> p@treon.com/HudaLin