Generous Bibi Dong, Head Soul Bone

Another day.

Hu Liena arrived to challenge him again, still full of fighting spirit.

Lu Yan had long grown used to it.

But today, a thought sprouted in his mind—

He wanted to verify whether this Pope's Disciple truly had some unusual "preference."

Smack!

A palm landed, the force controlled Just Right, leaving at most a red mark.

While evading Hu Liena's fierce counterattacks, Lu Yan discreetly observed her reaction.

He saw her lightly bite her Lower Lip, her breathing grow slightly hurried, while two patches of Rosy Cheeks bloomed across her fair face.

Her reaction isn't right... Lu Yan thought.

The force behind that strike should Absolutely Not have caused such an obvious physical response.

Then, he tentatively slapped a few different spots.

The force was the same.

Yet the intensity of her reactions was nowhere near that of the first hit.

Could it be... she really got a taste for being hit? An absurd thought flashed through his mind.

This "guidance match" lasted quite a while, and Hu Liena received no fewer than fifty "pointers" in total.

By the time it ended, Hu Liena's pretty face was flushed beneath the sunlight, her breathing slightly unsteady, fine beads of sweat dotting her temples.

Especially those foxlike eyes of hers—they were so soft they seemed ready to drip water.

"Next time... I'll definitely hit you back!"

She left behind her signature "threat" and hurried away with a slightly awkward gait.

Lu Yan merely smiled noncommittally.

Let her hit him back? Then all his cultivation would have been for nothing.

Lu Yan knew full well.

Rather than a challenge, those words were more like an excuse Hu Liena had found for her next challenge.

Both of them understood that the gap in their strength was not something that could be bridged in a short time.

After nightfall, Lu Yan once again slipped into Bibi Dong's Dream.

This awakening was the easiest and fastest one in nearly three months.

It was as effortless as running into an acquaintance on the road and casually greeting them.

Dream.

Bibi Dong stared at the place where Lu Yan's consciousness had vanished, then shifted her gaze to Qian Xunji.

Spider spears pierced through him, and his screams never ceased.

Yet as she listened to the wails that had once brought her pleasure, Bibi Dong's brows faintly furrowed.

Irritating. Grating.

The thought surfaced without warning.

Bibi Dong followed her heart.

The spider spears instantly pierced through Qian Xunji's skull, leaving behind a bloody hole the size of an egg.

Seeing Qian Xunji's miserable state, her heart was like a lake into which a pebble had been dropped. Though ripples spread across it, they quickly settled into calm.

Three months, nearly a hundred days.

The countless tortures in her dreams could no longer bring her pleasure or satisfaction.

In the outside world, Lu Yan had just finished guiding her and was preparing to quietly leave the room.

"Come back."

A languid yet unquestionable voice sounded behind him.

Bibi Dong was awake?

Lu Yan paused, then turned around as instructed.

Bibi Dong was no longer lying on her side. Instead, she leaned lazily against the head of the Bed.

The Brocade Quilt had slipped down, revealing her beautifully shaped fragrant shoulders and delicate collarbones.

The silk fabric of her nightgown outlined her mature curves, and her entire being exuded the relaxed air of someone who had cast off a heavy burden.

Lu Yan immediately lowered his eyes, not daring to look too closely.

He had no desire to invite disaster upon himself over a moment of impropriety.

"Your Eminence the Pope, do you require help falling asleep again?"

Lu Yan quickly returned to the bedside, his gaze wandering everywhere but landing on her.

Yet he was puzzled. By all rights, Bibi Dong should have slept soundly until dawn, unless she herself no longer wished to sleep.

"Sit." Bibi Dong was sparing with her words.

Seeing his overly cautious manner and evasive gaze, the corner of her lips could not help but curve into the faintest smile.

This fellow was not as honest as he looked.

Did he really think she had not noticed those little moves he made while fighting Nana?

She simply had not stopped them because Nana herself seemed to be enjoying it.

If the two of them could end up together, she would be happy to see it happen.

Her disciple deserved the best, and Lu Yan was the best.

"When do you plan to leave?" Bibi Dong asked directly.

Lu Yan was startled.

He had not told anyone about this. How had Bibi Dong learned of it?

"These past few days, you have stopped going to the Library Pavilion, and the Great Enshrined Master has entered seclusion again.

The signs indicate that your cultivation here has temporarily reached a bottleneck."

Bibi Dong stated it calmly.

Hearing her precise deduction, Lu Yan could not help admiring her Subtle Insight.

From such minor details, she had inferred his intentions.

If she were not so Love-Obsessed and if the Rakshasa God's Mind were not affecting her state of mind, she truly would have been a fine Pope, perhaps even the ruler of the continent.

"I plan to leave once my Soul Power breaks through level thirty-five," Lu Yan answered honestly.

He had been in Spirit City for nearly three months. With the Elder Hall being such a place rich in vital energy, his cultivation naturally progressed very quickly.

If he had not devoted his energy to finely controlling his Soul Power and Spiritual Power, he would likely have broken through level thirty-five long ago.

"Your Eminence the Pope is now increasingly able to control that evil thought. I believe that in a few more days, you will be able to escape this predicament on your own."

Lu Yan added at the appropriate moment.

He could not remain in Spirit City for long.

"If you are willing to stay," Bibi Dong offered a startling condition:

"Spirit Hall can establish the position of Holy Son specifically for you.

In the future... you may inherit the Pope's authority."

She believed that no one in the world could refuse the temptation of becoming the heir to the continent's greatest power.

Her tone carried absolute confidence.

Yet Lu Yan slowly shook his head.

"Thank you for Your Eminence's favor.

But Lu Yan has no ambitions in this regard. In this life, I only wish to live freely and unrestrained."

This offer was far more generous than the ones previously made by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and Qian Renxue.

So long as he nodded, even as merely the Holy Son, he would stand above tens of thousands.

However, remaining by Bibi Dong's side was no different from dwelling in a tiger's den. His life would be difficult to guarantee.

He had to refuse.

Bibi Dong was visibly stunned, and a trace of disbelief flashed through her eyes.

She had never imagined that someone would reject such a heaven-sent opportunity.

"Do you know what you are refusing?" Bibi Dong asked, staring at him.

"The position of Pope is indeed exalted,"

Lu Yan raised his head and met her gaze with unwavering eyes:

"But to me, freedom matters more.

To go where my heart desires and where my body wishes to go—that is what I seek."

He understood well that in this fantasy world, strength was the foundation of everything.

So long as one possessed sufficient strength, what could one not obtain?

Without strength, even sitting upon the Pope's throne would be nothing more than a castle in the air.

Bibi Dong stared at his determined eyes and suddenly became a little dazed.

Then, she actually laughed softly.

"Take it."

The Storage Soul Tool on Bibi Dong's wrist flashed faintly, and she tossed an item toward Lu Yan.

It glowed blue.

Lu Yan raised a hand to catch it and looked closely.

His heart jolted—

It was actually a Head Soul Bone emitting powerful Spiritual Power fluctuations.

"Your Eminence the Pope, this is...?"

"Fulfilling my promise."

As Bibi Dong spoke, she rose from the Bed with perfect composure, still wearing that silk nightgown.

Her long, pale legs swept past his eyes as she walked toward a chair nearby.

Lu Yan's breathing could not help but hitch.

In three months, this was the first time he had seen Bibi Dong dressed like this and moving about so freely.

Previously, she had always lain in Bed, her body covered by the Brocade Quilt, making it difficult to glimpse her true figure. Even in daily life, she was always rigorously wrapped in lavish robes or silk stockings.

Only in that fleeting glimpse did he understand what peerless grace truly was.