Returning to Spirit City

A flicker of astonishment first crossed Bibi Dong's exquisitely delicate face, followed by intense, undisguised disgust.

As though she had seen something utterly filthy, it finally turned into a derisive snort laced with contempt and instinctive revulsion.

"Pfft... Lin Chuan, look. Isn't that the so-called 'theory Grandmaster' from yesterday, the one who swindled people and wouldn't stop pestering us?"

"How did he end up like this overnight... hmm... so miserable and so disgusting?"

She instinctively pinched her dainty nose and moved closer to Zhao Linchuan, as if afraid that the invisible foulness would rub off on her.

"Tsk, tsk. Look at him, those marks all over his body... I'm afraid he was thoroughly 'taken care of' by quite a few people with 'special tastes.'"

Her words carried a young girl's bluntness and a trace of innocent cruelty.

Zhao Linchuan's gaze casually swept over the filthy mass struggling futilely inside the torn sack, as if he were looking at garbage by the roadside.

There was not a shred of pity or emotion in his eyes, only the indifference and chill of someone who saw through everything.

He calmly withdrew his gaze and turned to Bibi Dong. "He's nothing more than a clown who swindles others and steals fame under false pretenses."

"Ending up like this is merely reaping what he sowed. What goes around comes around."

"Don't let him offend your eyes. Let's go inside." Zhao Linchuan's tone was utterly calm.

"Mm! Hurry, hurry, it reeks!" Bibi Dong immediately nodded repeatedly, desperate to get away from this foul place.

She lifted her head and added coquettishly, "But this time, you have to keep your word! You have to watch this Miss's dashing performance in the Spirit Arena properly!"

"If you dare slip away halfway and disappear again..." She deliberately ground her neat little white teeth together and made a "fierce" biting expression at Zhao Linchuan, though her eyes were smiling.

Zhao Linchuan agreed, "All right, it's a deal. This time, I'll certainly admire the Saintess's peerless bearing from beginning to end."

The group ignored the humiliating farce behind them, meticulously directed by Francis and passionately performed by Yu Xiaogang.

Under the gazes of the crowd—some contemptuous, some curious, some gleeful—they walked straight into Litangding Town's Great Soul Arena, which remained as noisy and brightly lit as ever, brimming with passion and fighting spirit.

The heavy doors slowly closed behind them, shutting out the stench, laughter, and a soul twisting itself into rebirth amid a torn sack and towering hatred.

Inside lay the fierce clashes and struggle for glory soon to unfold; outside, only desperate gasps and silent poisonous vows remained.

The gears of fate accelerated along entirely different tracks.

--

A month later, when the last member of the Spirit Hall team successfully obtained a Gold Soul Master Badge, this training journey finally came to a perfect end.

The group set out on the journey back to Spirit City.

After spending every day and night together for the past month, the feelings between Bibi Dong and Zhao Linchuan had rapidly heated up like a wildfire sweeping across the plains.

At Yue Guan's invitation, Zhao Linchuan happily agreed to accompany them to Spirit Hall.

At that moment, the two were sharing a luxurious carriage, enjoying their rare time alone.

Soft carpets covered the carriage interior, while the scenery outside flashed past the windows.

Zhao Linchuan took an exquisite little velvet box from his Storage Ring. When he gently opened it, a silver-glinting necklace lay quietly within.

Its chain was woven from fine mithril threads, while the pendant was a pure, translucent diamond-shaped gemstone containing what seemed to be drifting azure clouds, radiating a warm, restrained luster.

"Here, this is for you." Zhao Linchuan held the necklace in his palm and offered it to Bibi Dong.

Bibi Dong's gaze was instantly drawn to the azure gemstone. Her heartbeat inexplicably quickened, and a faint flush rose to her cheeks. "Y-you... why are you suddenly giving me this..." Her tone carried a hint of bashful reproach.

"This isn't an ordinary necklace." Zhao Linchuan smiled slightly and unclasped it. Bibi Dong obediently lowered her head a little, bringing her fair, slender neck closer.

He carefully put it on her. The cool gemstone rested against her warm skin, bringing an unusual sensation.

Zhao Linchuan gently adjusted the gemstone, letting it hang precisely between her delicate collarbones.

"This is a Soul Power Crystal I condensed using my own origin Soul Power, at considerable cost to myself." Zhao Linchuan's voice was low and serious as his fingertip lightly pointed to the gemstone's core. "Look here."

Bibi Dong lowered her head and saw, deep within the gemstone, a tiny yet incomparably resilient thread of azure light slowly flowing like a living thing, radiating an unending vitality.

"As long as this azure light remains, it means I'm safe and sound." Zhao Linchuan stared into her eyes, his tone solemn beyond dispute. "But if you find that this light has completely vanished... then it means that I... am no longer here."

"What nonsense are you talking about?! Death, not death—don't say something so unlucky!" Bibi Dong's face instantly turned pale, and she abruptly reached out to cover Zhao Linchuan's mouth.

Those amethyst-like eyes were filled with panic and unquestionable resolve as she looked deeply at him. "You're not allowed to say that again! I... I don't want to become a widow while my husband is still alive!"

"Oh?" Though his mouth was covered, Zhao Linchuan's eyes rippled with teasing amusement as he mumbled, "So my Saintess... has already decided on me?"

He took the opportunity to gently lift Bibi Dong's chin.

"Hmph! I can't be bothered with you!" Bibi Dong slapped his hand away and turned around in a huff, leaving him only her slender back and the faintly reddened tips of her ears.

But how could Zhao Linchuan let her off?

He stretched out his long arm, grasped her shoulders, and turned her around. Under her startled gaze, he bent down and precisely captured her soft, tender red lips in a kiss.

"Mm!" Bibi Dong's eyes widened in shock at first, and her small hands instinctively thumped against his chest. Yet she soon softened beneath his passionate yet gentle advance, her arms unconsciously winding around his neck. Only their hurried breaths and soft, heart-flustering sounds remained inside the carriage.

After a long while, only when Bibi Dong felt she was about to suffocate did she forcefully push him and protest between gasps, "Huff... huff... I can't breathe!"

Only then did Zhao Linchuan reluctantly release her. Looking at the alluring sight of the person in his arms, whose face was flushed like a peach blossom and whose eyes were hazy, his own eyes brimmed with laughter.

"Cough, cough..." Bibi Dong coughed lightly a few times, patting her heaving chest as she gulped in fresh air. She glared at Zhao Linchuan in mock anger. "Why did you sneak attack me!"

"Y-you could've just told me if you wanted one. It's not like I wouldn't let you kiss me!" The moment the words left her mouth, she realized what she had said, and the blush on her face deepened.

"If I asked directly, wouldn't we lose Dong'er's bashful coyness? Wouldn't we lose all the fun?" Zhao Linchuan grinned like a cat that had successfully stolen cream.