Bibi Dong's Ambition

By the time Qian Yun returned to the Pope Hall, it was already past noon.

On the throne, Bibi Dong set aside her work, her beautiful eyes fixed on Qian Yun below the dais. "Xiao Yun, I have heard about the situation. You have worked hard and achieved great merit this time. Tell me, what reward do you want?"

Qian Yun was somewhat surprised. "Teacher, you are too kind. Sharing your burdens is a student's duty. It cannot be called a great merit, so no reward is needed."

A smile touched the corners of Bibi Dong's mouth as she looked at Qian Yun's young face. "Martial Soul Hall has always been clear about rewards and punishments. It is true that you are my student, but you are also a member of Martial Soul Hall. If you have merit, you should be rewarded; you need not have any reservations."

Qian Yun smiled awkwardly and said, "Teacher, I really don't need anything."

Seeing him persist, Bibi Dong found it difficult to force the issue. "Very well, then I shall keep a record of this for you for now."

"Thank you for your understanding, Teacher. Oh, right..." Qian Yun seemed to suddenly remember something and took a tablet out from the Cat's Eye Stone on his chest. "Teacher, I obtained this item by chance. I cannot quite understand it, but I feel it is profound, and I hope you can provide some insight."

"Oh?" Bibi Dong was also intrigued. She stood up, walked to Qian Yun's side, and took the Dharma Source Barrier. "How did you come by this?"

Without delay, Qian Yun recounted the story of how he had helped Lina.

Bibi Dong listened while reaching out to examine the Dharma Source Barrier.

Qian Yun dared not make a sound to disturb her. His reason for giving her the Dharma Source Barrier was simple.

Since he could not understand this thing himself, he would find someone who could to give him a hand. He had no interest in banging his head against the wall trying to figure it out, nor did he harbor any hope that someone would suddenly be kind enough to explain it to him one day.

Bibi Dong fiddled with it with her jade fingers for a long time, but finally...

"I cannot understand it either."

"..."

Qian Yun felt a bit disappointed. Seeing Bibi Dong fiddle with it for so long, he had thought she might have a clue. However, her next sentence reignited his hope. "It seems... this thing appears to be a bridge?"

"A bridge?"

Bibi Dong nodded slightly, her calm tone conveying certainty. "Indeed, it is a bridge. It should be a key item that connects the two ends of something."

"An item... so it is a component? Does that mean to make it function, I need to find other parts to piece it together?" Qian Yun could not help but frown. The world was vast; where was he supposed to find parts for this?

"I fear that is the case. Tell me, you surely didn't help someone just for this lump of metal, did you? What use does it have now?" Bibi Dong returned the item to Qian Yun.

"Oh, its use? It is not exactly grand. It seems to automatically protect its master in times of danger by popping out a protective barrier. As for its strength... that remains unknown."

Watching Qian Yun tuck the Dharma Source Barrier into his robes as if it were a treasure, Bibi Dong, perhaps acting on a whim, suddenly spoke. "Since you don't know its strength, why not test it now and find out?"

"What? Uh...!" Before Qian Yun could react, he felt a pressure as vast as the sea instantly pin him down. Caught off guard, he nearly lost his footing.

Bibi Dong carefully observed Qian Yun's reaction to prevent any accidents while slowly increasing the pressure. However, as time passed, she could not help but feel surprised.

Qian Yun gritted his teeth, holding out against the ever-increasing pressure. Aside from being caught off guard at the very beginning, he was now managing to hold on, albeit with great difficulty.

Bibi Dong thought to herself, He is already at level fifty spirit power... can Xiao Yun still hold on?

Although Qian Yun did not seem to have reached his limit yet, she was afraid that if she were not careful, she might crush her precious student. Thus, she slowly withdrew her spirit power.

Though the change was instantaneous, to Qian Yun, it was like rain after a long drought; the pressure immediately lessened significantly.

"Teacher, you..." Qian Yun was just about to speak when he saw Bibi Dong's jade finger already pressed against his chest. A grain-sized point of light shone upon it, and the space where it passed began to distort.

Qian Yun was shocked. In his perception, the terrifying energy contained within Bibi Dong's fingertip was enough to kill a ten-thousand-year Spirit Beast without any effort.

His spirit power flowed subconsciously, wanting to break free from the restraint, but something seemed faster than his reaction.

The Dharma Source Barrier on Qian Yun's chest seemed to move. Immediately after, the transparent barrier he had seen before popped out, landing exactly against Bibi Dong's fingertip.

"Hum-- hum--"

The Dharma Source Barrier hummed. The barrier, which looked as thin as a cicada's wing, caused Bibi Dong's finger to stop in its tracks, unable to advance any further. A flash of surprise crossed her eyes, but since she had already achieved her desired result, she stopped being serious.

As Bibi Dong withdrew her finger, the Dharma Source Barrier returned to calm.

"Hoo--" Qian Yun panted, his right hand covering his chest.

He felt the Dharma Source Barrier seemed to be running hot; it had likely been over-consumed and would be unusable for a short time.

Qian Yun looked at Bibi Dong and pursed his lips.

Bibi Dong showed no awareness of being the culprit. Facing Qian Yun's resentful gaze, she only offered one sentence: "The item is not bad; it should be able to withstand an attack from a Spirit Emperor."

"Oh."

Bibi Dong glanced at him and said indifferently, "What? Are you unconvinced?"

Qian Yun laughed. "How could I be? I was just a little startled."

He muttered to himself, You just bully me as much as you can...

Bibi Dong's red lips moved slightly. After hesitating, she turned her face away and whispered, "Sorry..."

The voice was so soft that even she did not know if she had actually said it out loud.

"What?"

Bibi Dong quickly composed herself, and in the blink of an eye, she returned to normal. "Nothing. I was saying, is this thing really passed down by the Zuotuo Family?"

Qian Yun was not sure either, so he could only say, "That is what Lina told me. Does Teacher have some understanding of her family?"

Bibi Dong shook her head. "Understanding is not the word... It is just that this Zuotuo Family happens to be one of the family forces that my Martial Soul Hall supports in secret."

"Supported in secret?" Qian Yun was slightly startled, feeling as if he had just heard an incredible secret.

"Yes." Bibi Dong did not intend to hide these matters that Qian Yun would eventually come into contact with sooner or later.

"The empires possess immense power, and the various factions within them are intricate and deeply rooted. If Martial Soul Hall wishes to establish a firm foothold on the continent, supporting new factions to oppose them is a viable method."

"I see." Qian Yun listened attentively.

"Therefore, Martial Soul Hall has been operating within the two great empires for many years, and now we have achieved some results... Unlike the nobility, while we help civilian Spirit Masters awaken, we also keep an eye on those children who, even without spirit power, possess outstanding talent. There is no fixed standard for this. Intelligence, a sturdy physique, or even an attractive appearance can be criteria."

Bibi Dong looked down at Qian Yun and smiled: "You could say that even if you hadn't displayed extraordinary cultivation talent back then, Martial Soul Hall would still have invited you to join based on your looks. Though, you wouldn't have been sent to the Pope Hall."

After finishing her sentence, Bibi Dong said no more, leaving time for Qian Yun to think while signaling for him to keep up.

Qian Yun walked beside Bibi Dong, reflecting on her ambiguous words.

Her meaning was clear: Martial Soul Hall wanted to oppose the two great empires and had already taken action. Qian Yun had long anticipated this.

However, the last part of Bibi Dong's statement was interesting—widely recruiting those whom the nobility and great clans looked down upon, and being willing to spend resources to cultivate them.

What would they do in the future? Be sent to the Pope Hall as servants?

Bibi Dong certainly wouldn't be so trivial; her true goal was likely to send these people, who were absolutely loyal to Martial Soul Hall, into every walk of life. Relying on the resources of Martial Soul Hall, they could occupy key positions.

As time passed, such secret agents of Martial Soul Hall would only grow in number, gradually infiltrating the very limbs and bones of the empires.

The result would be that whenever Bibi Dong raised her voice, followers would surely gather in clouds!

Thinking this through, Qian Yun felt no resistance; instead, he admired Bibi Dong's methods even more.

If nothing else, the mere fact that she was willing to look at civilians as equals put her far ahead of those noble factions. Not to mention her astonishingly profound schemes.

Meanwhile, what were the two great empires doing?

They were still exploiting civilian Spirit Masters and suppressing Martial Soul Hall, lying on their laurels and dreaming their grand, eternal dreams of dynastic succession.

With these thoughts cleared, the confusion in Qian Yun's eyes dissipated, returning to a state of calm.

Bibi Dong had been observing the changes in Qian Yun, believing that someone as clever as him would surely guess her grand ambitions.

Neither of them spoke explicitly, yet their fates had invisibly drawn closer.

Qian Yun followed Bibi Dong to a place he had never been before: a garden built high atop the Pope Hall.

This small garden was clearly well-maintained; various bushes and dwarf trees were neatly trimmed into the shapes of different animals, revealing the owner's preferences.

In the center of the garden stood a transparent crystal pavilion, under which a sofa and coffee table were neatly arranged. The milky-white steel-framed sofa was fitted with soft cushions and backrests, and not far away, a fountain bubbled musically.

"Come over. This is where I rest. You don't need to be formal here." Bibi Dong beckoned Qian Yun to sit. Although she was still wearing her papal robes, her tone seemed much more intimate.

"Oh, alright." Qian Yun followed her instructions and sat down. Only then did he realize that not only was the environment beautiful, but the view was also exceptional.

Looking out from here, the distant mountains, the clouds and birds in the sky, and the magnificent Martial Soul City shimmering under the sunset were all within sight.

Seeing this scene, Qian Yun couldn't help but sigh. The nobility on this continent really knew how to enjoy themselves. Besides, if Bibi Dong were to become a god, who would be left to serve her in the God Realm?

Bibi Dong naturally could not guess what he was thinking. She took a sip of black tea and said, "Come to think of it, you've called me teacher for so long, yet I don't think I've ever taught you any real skills?"

Qian Yun also took a sip of tea and, hearing this, skipped the formalities. "My current strength is low; a little guidance from you is enough. If you teach me too much, I won't be able to digest it all."

Bibi Dong's face softened further under the warm sunset. She looked at Qian Yun, who was sitting upright while holding his teacup, and set aside her reserve as a teacher, smiling gently: "Humility is a good thing, but don't belittle yourself. I know your current strength very well; it can no longer be considered low."

Qian Yun smiled slightly and placed his teacup back on the table.