As he spoke, Yu Xiaogang watched Bibi Dong's expression closely. When longing appeared on her face, his lips curled into a knowing smile.
But he knew that change took time. Rather than press Bibi Dong to leave Spirit Hall with him, he kept telling her those poisonous stories.
Before long, Bibi Dong began to yearn for the world outside.
Since entering Spirit Hall at six, Bibi Dong had been forbidden by her teacher to leave Spirit City except to hunt Soul Rings. He had made her focus on cultivation. Only after Yu Xiaogang arrived had she made a friend and occasionally been allowed outside the city.
Yu Xiaogang's stories had not made Bibi Dong want to betray the Spirit Hall that had raised her. Still, she had begun to feel stifled by the place she had rarely left since childhood, and a resistance to it was growing within her.
One day, in Pope's Palace...
Qian Xunji summoned Bibi Dong.
The stern look on his face made her uneasy. "Teacher, you wanted to see me?"
"Level sixty-four Soul Power." Qian Xunji stated her current cultivation at once. "Dong'er, you've been slacking."
"Teacher, I—"
"It's Yu Xiaogang, isn't it?" Qian Xunji said coldly. "Ever since that worthless man came to Spirit Hall, you've been running around for him instead of focusing on cultivation. You've grown too close."
"Teacher, Xiao Gang isn't worthless," Bibi Dong corrected him softly. "He's my friend."
"Friend? Dong'er, the Saintess doesn't need friends. No one is worthy of being your friend. From tonight on, you will have no more contact with Yu Xiaogang. Being around him will only hinder your cultivation. You'll stay in Spirit Hall and train."
"Teacher, I'm a person too. Am I not allowed to have friends?" Bibi Dong protested.
"How many times must I