Bibi Dong withdrew her hand and continued, "I believe you've probably already guessed. The final mission I required you to complete was your final assessment."
Qian Yun nodded. Although this last mission had seemed to go smoothly, every step, from the infiltration to the kills, had tested all aspects of their abilities. Even when they'd thought victory was assured, they could have been caught off guard at the last moment if they hadn't chosen to destroy the corpses.
Bibi Dong's tone grew slightly more serious. "Xiao Yun, do you remember what the mission was?"
Qian Yun answered honestly. "Eliminate all the Evil Spirit Masters and rescue the hostage."
"Mm." Bibi Dong said, "Then why didn't you eliminate every Evil Spirit Master?"
Qian Yun froze, and Hu Liena was just as confused. They were certain they'd wiped out every Evil Spirit Master on the list. How could they have made a mistake? Unless the intelligence had been wrong...
Wait. At that thought, the image of a blond man suddenly surfaced in Qian Yun's mind.
Unless that guy counted as an Evil Spirit Master too...?!
Bibi Dong read his expression and knew what he was thinking. "According to the information I have, the hostage should already have turned into an Evil Spirit Master by the time you arrived, shouldn't he?"
"Yes." Qian Yun nodded indifferently, then added, "But he hadn't fully transformed, and he hadn't joined their side."
Bibi Dong smiled faintly. "Did he choose to attack you in the end?"
Qian Yun was struck speechless. He glanced at Hu Liena, then could only nod in silence.
No matter how he put it, Yabojin had possessed the abilities of an Evil Spirit Master at the time, and he had attacked them of his own accord. Whatever his motives, his actions had made him no different from the others.
Bibi Dong looked at the two dejected young people, but did not let up. "And when he asked you to kill him, why didn't you do it?"
Qian Yun lowered his head and said nothing. Seeing this, Hu Liena hurried forward, took Bibi Dong's hand, and pleaded, "Teacher, we know we were wrong. We won't make the same mistake again!"
Bibi Dong clasped her hand in return and said earnestly, "I don't want an apology. I want you to remember this: you must never show mercy to your enemies, and you must never take chances!"
Hu Liena nodded obediently. "Yes, we'll remember!"
Bibi Dong glanced at Qian Yun, who remained silent, and sighed inwardly. It seemed he still wasn't convinced.
"All right, that's enough of the mission review for now," Bibi Dong said. "Although there were flaws in this mission, you performed well, so I'm passing you."
Hu Liena secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She'd been afraid Bibi Dong would punish them too.
"Next, I'll arrange for you to study at Martial Soul Academy."
Qian Yun was startled. What was Martial Soul Academy? Why was Bibi Dong sending them there to study?
They were still young, but just judging by their Soul Power, even Shrek Academy, which "only accepted monsters," would have to look at them in a new light.
Besides, they already knew a great deal about being a Spirit Master. Ordinary Spirit Master academies had nothing left to teach them.
And as for practical experience, what could be more convincing than having killed Evil Spirit Masters again and again? With Spirit Hall behind him, Qian Yun could say without hesitation that going to an academy would be a complete waste of time!
Seeing their shocked expressions, Bibi Dong explained, "You may not know this, but Spirit Hall has its own Spirit Master academy. We simply can't recruit students from the public on a large scale because of the circumstances. The academy is small, but the competition there is fierce. You'll feel plenty of pressure if you enroll now."
Hu Liena asked curiously, "Then why send us there?"
She wasn't stupid. From what Bibi Dong had said, she and Qian Yun would probably be the ones doing the sending. Why put themselves through that kind of hardship and go to Martial Soul Academy to be pushed around?
Bibi Dong's red lips parted slightly. "For the upcoming Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament. And I need you to win the championship!"
Qian Yun understood. So that was the reason! The timing was right, too; they ought to start preparing. Winning this elite tournament for the younger generation across the continent would be no easy feat.
Even a team as powerful as Spirit Hall's couldn't claim it would certainly overpower those mighty sects with thousand-year legacies.
Looking at Bibi Dong, whose smile held a deeper meaning, Qian Yun began to understand what she was thinking.
She was far too calculating to go to such lengths for a mere championship. What she wanted was to use the tournament to gauge the strength of the continent's younger generation and win over other factions, paving the way for her ambitions.
Besides... Hu Liena wanted to become Spirit Hall's Saintess. Bibi Dong's word carried weight, but it wasn't the deciding factor.
To rise to a position of power, Hu Liena needed strength, as well as achievements that proved her excellence. The championship of the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament would be an excellent accolade!
"The championship? Uh... Fine! We'll win it, no matter what!" Hu Liena said, though she was already getting a headache. Still, she promised with confidence.
Bibi Dong smiled. "Hehe, don't get overconfident. The academy may be small, but everyone admitted is exceptional. You could even end up risking your lives."
"Hmph, they're the ones who should watch out!" With Qian Yun by her side, her confidence was through the roof.
Now that everything was settled, Qian Yun and Hu Liena didn't linger.
"Xiao Na, you can go back first. Xiao Yun, stay here." Just as they were leaving, Bibi Dong suddenly called Qian Yun back.
"Yes!"
After Hu Liena left, only Qian Yun and Bibi Dong stood in the vast hall. Qian Yun stood where he was, his back against the enormous stone door, feeling the cold wind beat against him. Before him was Bibi Dong's throne, and beyond it, the cold stone ceiling. They said nothing to each other. At that moment, Qian Yun suddenly felt that Bibi Dong seemed a little lonely.
After a long while,
Bibi Dong took the initiative to approach and take Qian Yun's hand. "Come with me," she said softly.
"Mm."
Qian Yun had thought it would be a somewhat romantic stroll, but it turned out he'd been far too naive.
The moment he moved, he suddenly felt as though his body had become weightless, and he shot forward. Before he could even get out a "What the hell," he was hurtling upward at tremendous speed.
The scenery flashed past his eyes: first gray stone, then the blue sky and white clouds, and then greenery. At last, Qian Yun felt solid ground beneath his feet again.
He shook his dazed head, and the scenery gradually came into focus.
Before him stretched an endless sea of rolling clouds. Looking into the distance, he could take in the mountains, and even see the waning moon rising along the far horizon and the stars slowly brightening in the sky.
"Are you all right?" Bibi Dong's gentle voice carried clearly despite the howling wind.
Qian Yun looked down at his feet, then around him, and swallowed. He managed to say, "I'm actually fine."
They were standing on the edge of a sheer cliff. When he looked down, all he saw was a sea of clouds that seemed to have no bottom.
Faced with such a height, Qian Yun felt a little weak in the knees. It was embarrassing to admit, but there it was.
His feet edged closer to Bibi Dong on their own.
Bibi Dong noticed and pulled him a little closer, then steadied him by the shoulders.
Because of the difference in their heights, Qian Yun was pressed against her soft abdomen. This close, he could feel her body heat and the beat of her heart against his cheek, as well as her enticing fragrance.
With Qian Yun in her arms, Bibi Dong gazed into the distance. Her voice sounded a little wistful as she asked, "What do you think of this world?"
Qian Yun looked up at her, but from this angle, he couldn't make out her expression.
"I think this world is awful," Qian Yun said calmly.
"Oh?" Bibi Dong seemed surprised by his answer. "Why?"
Qian Yun smiled. "Because I've found that most people in this world are unhappy. Teacher, you seem unhappy every day too."
"Is that so...? Is it that obvious?" Bibi Dong murmured.
"But I also think this world is beautiful. Because I've found that you're a kind, clever, and beautiful woman, Teacher."
Bibi Dong fell silent. Once, she really had been as Qian Yun described: beautiful and clever, graceful and poised. But after everything that had happened, she had gone from an innocent girl to a ruthless, iron-handed Pope.
"You..." Realizing that she was losing her composure, Bibi Dong quickly changed the subject. "Why did you let that Evil Spirit Master go?"
Qian Yun decided it was time to tell her the real reason. Bibi Dong's change had been subtle, but it hadn't escaped his careful attention.
"Because I think he can still be saved. The Crown Martial Soul seems to have the ability to purify negative effects."
Bibi Dong lowered her head and asked in shock, "Really?"
Qian Yun shook his head. "I'm not sure either. I've only succeeded once so far."
Bibi Dong ignored the uncertainty in his words and held out her fair hand. "Why don't you try?"
"Ah?"
Qian Yun hesitated. How was he supposed to try? Should he transfer his Soul Power into her dantian like before?
That was impossible! A mere two-ring Spirit Master trying to shake the Soul Power of a Titled Douluo was nothing but a fool's dream!
Bibi Dong didn't waste words. The air above her palm twisted, and a mass of crimson substance slowly appeared in her hand.
The moment it appeared, a storm of negative emotions pressed down on Qian Yun, nearly knocking him off his feet. Only after he summoned the Crown did he feel a little better.
Qian Yun's face paled as he examined the mass of crimson substance. It looked much like what had been inside the blond man, but amid its ferocity, this mass also held traces of purity! Compared with the one Qian Yun had encountered before, they were worlds apart.
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