Cultivation

Su Cheng didn't say anything more.

Actually, Xiao Xue's resolute decision was something that was expected.

Given her temperament, she would never take this news lightly upon suddenly receiving it.

Zhu Zhuqing was able to barely accept it, though she was verbally defiant, she had actually acquiesced, because she had been deeply influenced by her living environment since childhood.

Similar things are commonplace in aristocratic circles, and Su Cheng is considered relatively good in comparison.

In addition, the harsh family environment and the various pressures brought about by royal traditions made her extremely weak in blood ties. Beneath that cold and hard outer shell, she was actually very sensitive inside.

Moreover, this girl already knew that Su Cheng and Qian Renxue had a close relationship.

So no matter how strong she pretends to be on the surface, she is actually always a little insecure and puts herself in a very low position.

But Qian Renxue is different.

She was born Heaven's Proud Daughter.

With extraordinary Martial Soul talent and a unique noble birth, he has been the hope of everyone since childhood. Even the many powerful figures in the Spirit Hall address him as "Young Master".

However, if that were all, after realizing Su Cheng's infidelity, no matter how much pain and torment she felt inside, she should have been able to come to her senses and break off all ties with him.

The problem is that, despite the various expectations placed upon her by the outside world as she grew up, she also had a distorted and indifferent family environment.

Her grandfather, the only one who showed her any affection, was in seclusion for many years, so the two rarely met.

So Qian Renxue, like Zhu Zhuqing, actually lacked love.

But the difference is that she never felt inferior.

From childhood to adulthood, Qian Renxue has always been the strongest among her peers, and all kinds of resources are readily available to her.

Even after joining the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, they could remain Infiltration, which naturally changed their mindset.

That's why, when she saw Su Cheng as someone to rely on, her possessiveness also reached its peak.

She would not allow anyone to share or interfere with this relationship, and she would never give up on Su Cheng.

When she learned the truth, her first reaction was neither to question Su Cheng nor to turn away, but to draw her sword and kill him without regard for the consequences.

This is why Su Cheng had been choosing to delay.

Because he understood that if this matter was not handled properly, it would become a lifelong grudge between them.

As a result, the problem arose as the issue dragged on.

Even now, he still doesn't understand why the other party suddenly erupted when they were in seclusion, or who leaked these things.

Seeing that he remained silent, Bibi Dong, who was sitting next to him, couldn't help but ask again, "Are you going to find her? Maybe she's waiting for you."

"Xiao Xue doesn't want to see me for the time being." Su Cheng shook his head, his expression calming down.

"At first, she drew her sword at Zhu Zhuqing perhaps just out of extreme anger. But choosing to leave without saying goodbye meant that it wasn't just out of spite."

He naturally didn't know what Bibi Dong had said to Qian Renxue, otherwise he might not have been so certain.

"I still need to look for her. But given my current state, even if we meet, I might not be able to keep her. I'll wait a while longer."

He can scheme many things, but matters of the heart are not so simple.

Qian Renxue is currently emotionally unstable. If we meet but fail to give her a satisfactory answer, things will only become more complicated.

It's better to wait until she calms down; her thoughts will likely change then.

Let time resolve some conflicts first, and then let the longing ferment; perhaps that's a solution.

Thinking of this, Su Cheng asked again, "Did she say where she was going?"

"No, you know our relationship, how could she tell me these things?"

"Sigh, in the end, I was too arrogant. I never expected her strength to improve to this extent. It's really quite bizarre."

Seeing his downcast expression, Bibi Dong moved closer, her slender white fingers gently stroking his cheek, and said softly, "I'm still here. I will never leave you. Whatever you want to do, I'm willing to support you."

Su Cheng's body stiffened.

Bibi Dong's sudden initiative caught him somewhat off guard.

Before he could say anything more, her beautiful but pale face slowly drew closer, her Soul Power entwining and drawing near to him, and she murmured, "Su Cheng, my head hurts so much."

Upon hearing this, Su Cheng's expression immediately became more serious, and he suppressed the words he originally wanted to say.

Bibi Dong was exhausted from saving him. This matter cannot be delayed. We need to carefully observe the current state of Bibi Dong's soul.

If the situation isn't addressed in time, it's uncertain how far her cultivation will decline, and perhaps even her life force will dissipate.

Therefore, he did not reject this soul fluctuation and also used his cultivation technique to activate his own Soul Power.

The next moment, the soul faintly burning with a pale golden flame merged with the soul energy radiating a light blue glow from its core.

As his consciousness sank in, Su Cheng's perspective instantly changed.

Under the gloomy sky, a few lotus flowers swayed gently.

Compared to its former glory, the scene here today is more than just "decay"; it's practically a wasteland.

In the huge lotus pond, only a thin layer of water remained, and the water was no longer clear.

The silt at the bottom of the pond seemed to be alive, constantly churning and stirring up the water, turning the lotus roots black.

The once countless lotus flowers have now dwindled to just a dozen or so, and without exception, all bear the marks of being scorched by the flames, with both petals and leaves incomplete.

Looking at the desolate scene before him, Su Cheng couldn't help but fall silent.

The injuries Bibi Dong sustained were far more severe than he had imagined.

It's likely that the other person's condition is far more than just a splitting headache; maintaining their sanity requires immense mental and physical strength.

Even so, while she was unconscious and asleep, she was still trying her best to infuse herself with Soul Power...

At this moment, a graceful figure wearing a plain white fitted long dress appeared beside Su Cheng.

He turned his head to look.

Bibi Dong's complexion was no longer as pale as it appeared to the outside world; she had regained some of her former radiance, and even her hairstyle and attire had been adjusted considerably.

Below her clean and delicate calves were a pair of perfectly sculpted, snow-white bare feet.

Her long, soft, slightly wavy hair was no longer tied up, but naturally draped over her shoulders and back, swaying gently.

Although her appearance hasn't changed, she looks much younger, much like how she looked when the two of them were together in the Simulated World.

Su Cheng was momentarily dazed.

Only those eyes remained dull and lifeless, so fragile it was heartbreaking.

In this place, she can condense her physical form with her consciousness, and her appearance can naturally be adjusted at will.

However, the eyes are the windows to the soul, and when the soul is so weak and depleted, the eyes can no longer be as bright and sparkling as they used to be.

Snow-white bare feet walked silently across the ground, arriving at the edge of the pool and standing beside Su Cheng.

Bibi Dong looked at him and asked softly, "How is he? Is there any hope?"

"Of course there's hope." Su Cheng came to his senses. "If all else fails, even taking Immortal Herb can help repair some of your foundation. But I need to assess the situation first."

He didn't say anything more about gratitude.

The other party has gone to such lengths for him; at this moment, any words seem too pale.

Gazing at the dilapidated lotus pond before him, Su Cheng pondered silently.

For ordinary people, the soul is a unified whole, and there is no concept of Soul Core .

Bibi Dong was different; that glimmer of starlight created a higher-level gathering place for soul energy for her.

Therefore, the nature of this world of consciousness is actually somewhat special.

However, this is a good thing in terms of the treatment and recovery of the injuries.

As long as this place where the soul's foundation is located can resume normal operation, Bibi Dong's soul as a whole will no longer be in any serious condition.

"You were right before. The Rakshasa Divine Power's power is too strong to be completely suppressed. With the loss of your soul's origin, those evil thoughts have started to stir up trouble again, and are even trying to continue to influence your mind and will."

After observing and pondering for a moment, Su Cheng slowly said, "Therefore, in addition to the damage to the soul's origin, the remaining Rakshasa Divine Power is also a huge hidden danger."

"..."

Bibi Dong lowered her eyes and remained silent.

In fact, these churning evil thoughts were not entirely caused by the Rakshasa Divine Power. She knew in her heart that the Rakshasa Divine Power only affected a very small part of them.

More than anything, it stemmed from her own long-suppressed and accumulated Evil Thought and desires.

However, there's no need to explain this to Su Cheng in detail.

After all, no matter how old a fairy is, she is still a fairy.

How could a fairy possibly have bad intentions?

It was all that despicable and hateful Rakshasa God's doing!

"May I touch it?" Su Cheng crouched down, looked at the little water left in front of him, and asked softly.

"...Whatever you want." A blush appeared on Bibi Dong's face.

The moment his fingers touched the water's surface, both of their bodies trembled violently.

Bibi Dong, in particular, blurred and almost vanished on the spot.

This body, after all, is merely an embodiment of her consciousness.

Her soul essence, the location of her senses, her true soul "body" is this Lotus Pond before us.

The pristine pond water, the flawless white lotus, and the churning silt at the bottom of the lake together constitute her most authentic and complete self.

"..."

Bibi Dong bit her thin lips tightly, barely managing to suppress a groan.

That touch just now felt like a finger gently caressing her heart.

That intimate contact, with no barriers whatsoever, almost made her lose her senses and tremble...

But before the two could say anything to ease the awkwardness, ripples suddenly rose on the shallow lake surface.

The next moment, Su Cheng's consciousness, which was composed of a small amount of soul essence, suddenly had countless pale golden flames appear on his body surface.

Then, as if drawn by something, the flames quickly gathered towards his fingertips.

The pale golden flames seemed to achieve a delicate balance as they were immersed in the pool water.

The flames gradually dissipated, and some of the pool water turned into steam that filled the air, while the silt at the bottom of the pool receded.

"Water and fire complementing each other?"

Su Cheng watched this scene in surprise.

The thought only flashed through my mind briefly before I was overwhelmed by a tidal wave of pleasure.

Bibi Dong, standing to the side, fared even worse; she let out a muffled groan and vanished on the spot.

Although Su Cheng had once achieved the Five Elements Perfection at the level of Martial Soul and even Physical Body, and had comprehended the powerful sword intent of Great Extinction through it, and had a very deep understanding of attributes, those were just regular attributes, and did not involve the soul.

At this moment, neither the embers of the sun still burning in his soul nor the pure water in this lotus pond are ordinary water and fire. They are beyond his current perception, so it is normal for abnormal situations to occur that are beyond his control.

Of course, Su Cheng wasn't taking unnecessary risks.

Before this, he had no warning signs, and now that his body's instincts were ridiculously strong, he dared to try it.

Moreover, the scale of his soul essence that entered this place this time was not large.

Whether it dissipates or is carried by the residual heat of the sun, it is unlikely to cause too much damage to Bibi Dong or himself.

After a long while, Su Cheng slowly opened his eyes.

A shimmering expanse of water greets the eye, and the clear waves silently soothe the skin.

Unbeknownst to him, he was already lying in the shallow Lotus Pond.

Although the ground beneath him was covered in mud, the mud close to his body appeared peaceful and calm, no longer churning and boiling as before, completely purified by the remaining heat of the sun.

Moreover, his own soul was exceptionally light and pure at that moment.

It wasn't just the cool and refreshing feeling brought about by the extinguishing of the flames that constantly scorched the soul; there was also a fundamental improvement, making it seem more complete than before.

Without having time to carefully check his own condition, Su Cheng quickly sat up and looked around, searching for Bibi Dong's figure.

But there was no one there at that moment.

The graceful figure in the plain white dress has long since vanished.

"Bibi Dong? Are you alright?"

Su Cheng stepped out of the pool, his voice slightly hoarse. The feeling just now was so comfortable that he had almost completely lost himself in it.

If the flames in that part of his soul's essence hadn't been exhausted, he might not have been able to regain consciousness.

"..."

After he asked his question, there was complete silence, and no one responded.

At first, Su Cheng didn't pay too much attention to it.

He reaped considerable benefits, but this dual cultivation of water and fire obviously couldn't be something only he could benefit from, as evidenced by the transformation of the mud beneath him.

But seeing that there was no response for a long time, he couldn't help but start to worry, "Bibi Dong? His Holiness the Pope?"

"N-nothing..."

Bibi Dong did not appear.

Only the faintest sounds came from all directions, echoing above the pool.

His voice was hoarse and sticky, like silky spring water lingering between his throat and tongue, making it sound exceptionally alluring.

Just from that voice, you can tell what state the other person is in.

Su Cheng paused for a moment, then hesitated before saying, "That cultivation method seemed to be quite effective. Should we try it again?"

"..."

No one answered.

"Pope Holiness?" he asked tentatively.

"You should leave first!"

"..."

After a long while, until Su Cheng's figure disappeared, Bibi Dong, dressed in a plain white dress, reappeared.

"Huff... huff..."

With heavy breathing, she collapsed to the ground, her body limp. Her half-open eyes were filled with tears as she stared blankly at the sky, her expression overflowing with an intense, irrepressible passion.

Suddenly, a head blocked out the sky, taking up most of the field of vision.

"Although it's a bit embarrassing, it seems to be the only way at the moment. Otherwise, your soul damage probably won't be able to fully recover in a short time."

"I... I didn't say no!" Bibi Dong's face flushed instantly, her tone somewhat exasperated. "Can you get out of here? Are you trying to make a fool of yourself?"

"That's not what I meant..." Su Cheng looked embarrassed.

"Never mind, I'll just go out first."