Bibi Dong's Ambition

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

Seated on her throne, Bibi Dong set aside her work and looked down at Qian Yun. "Xiaoyun, I've heard what happened. You've done a great deal for us this time. Tell me, what reward would you like?"

Qian Yun was a little surprised. "You're too kind, Teacher. It's my duty as your student to help ease your burdens. I haven't done anything extraordinary, and I don't need a reward."

A smile played on Bibi Dong's lips as she looked at his face. "Spirit Hall has always been fair in rewarding and punishing people. You're my student, yes, but you're also a member of Spirit Hall. If you've earned a reward, you should receive one. You don't need to hold back."

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

Seeing that he insisted, Bibi Dong didn't press him. "All right. I'll put this matter on the record for now."

"Thank you for understanding, Teacher. Oh, right..." Qian Yun seemed to remember something. He took a board out of the Cat's Eye Stone on his chest. "Teacher, I came across this by chance. I can't make sense of it, but it seems mysterious. I was hoping you could explain it."

"Oh?" Bibi Dong looked intrigued. She rose and walked over to him, taking the Dharma Source Barrier. "Where did you get this?"

Qian Yun told her how he had helped Lina.

As she listened, Bibi Dong examined the Dharma Source Barrier.

Qian Yun didn't dare interrupt. His reason for handing it over was simple.

Since he couldn't figure the thing out, he would find someone who could and ask for help. He had no interest in wracking his brains over it, nor did he expect someone to suddenly take it upon themselves to explain it to him one day.

Bibi Dong fiddled with it for a while, but in the end...

"I can't figure it out either."

"..."

Qian Yun was a little disappointed. He had thought Bibi Dong was onto something after watching her examine it for so long. But her next words rekindled his hope. "It seems... this thing might be a bridge?"

"A bridge?"

Bibi Dong gave a slight nod, her calm tone leaving no room for doubt. "It is a bridge. It should be a key object that connects the two ends of something."

"An object... so, a part? Does that mean it needs other parts before it can work?" Qian Yun frowned. The world was so vast—where was he supposed to find the parts to complete it?

"Probably. By the way, you wouldn't have helped someone just to get this lump of metal, would you? What can it do now?" Bibi Dong handed it back to him.

"Oh, what it can do? Nothing much. It seems to protect its owner automatically when they're in danger, forming a barrier. I don't know how strong it is yet."

Bibi Dong watched as Qian Yun tucked the Dharma Source Barrier away as carefully as if it were a treasure. Then, for some reason, she suddenly said, "If you don't know how strong it is, why not test it now?"

"What? Uh...!" Before Qian Yun could react, an immense pressure, vast as the sea, slammed down on him. Caught off guard, he nearly lost his footing.

Bibi Dong carefully watched Qian Yun's reaction to make sure nothing went wrong as she slowly increased the pressure. But as time passed, even she couldn't help feeling surprised.

Qian Yun gritted his teeth and endured the steadily intensifying pressure. Apart from being caught off guard at first, he was now managing to hold his ground, though with difficulty.

Bibi Dong thought, His Soul Power is already at level fifty... Can Xiaoyun keep holding on?

Qian Yun didn't seem to have reached his limit yet, but she was afraid that one careless moment might injure her precious student. She slowly withdrew her Soul Power.

The change lasted only an instant, but to Qian Yun it felt like rain after a long drought. The pressure eased at once.

"Teacher, you..." Qian Yun started to say, but then he saw Bibi Dong's finger reaching toward his chest. A speck of light, no bigger than a grain of rice, shone at its tip, and the space around it twisted.

Qian Yun was horrified. He could sense the terrifying energy contained in Bibi Dong's fingertip. It was powerful enough to kill a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast without the slightest effort.

His Soul Power surged instinctively as he tried to break free, but something seemed to react even faster than he did.

The Dharma Source Barrier on Qian Yun's chest seemed to shift. The transparent barrier he had seen before sprang into existence, stopping just short of Bibi Dong's fingertip.

"Bzz—bzz—"

The Dharma Source Barrier vibrated. Though it looked as thin as a cicada's wing, it stopped Bibi Dong's finger in its tracks. Surprise flashed in her eyes, but she had already gotten the result she wanted, so she didn't take the test any further.

As Bibi Dong withdrew her finger, the Dharma Source Barrier fell silent again.

"Hah..." Qian Yun panted, pressing his right hand to his chest.

The barrier felt a little hot. It had probably used too much energy and wouldn't work again for a while.

Qian Yun looked at Bibi Dong and pressed his lips together.

Bibi Dong showed no sign of realizing she was the one responsible. Meeting Qian Yun's resentful gaze, she simply said, "Not bad. It should be able to withstand an attack from a Soul Emperor."

"Oh."

Bibi Dong glanced at him. "What, you don't agree?"

Qian Yun smiled. "Of course I do. I was just a little startled."

Go on, keep picking on me...

Bibi Dong's red lips parted. She hesitated, then turned her face away and murmured, "Sorry..."

Her voice was so quiet that even she wasn't sure if she'd said it aloud.

"What?"

Bibi Dong quickly composed herself and returned to normal. "Nothing. I was asking whether this really is an heirloom of the Zuotuo Family."

Qian Yun couldn't say for sure. "That's what Lina told me. Are you familiar with her family, Teacher?"

Bibi Dong shook her head. "I wouldn't say familiar... The Zuotuo Family is simply one of the families secretly supported by Spirit Hall."

"Secretly supported?" Qian Yun was taken aback. He felt as if he'd just heard some astonishing secret.

"That's right." This was the sort of thing Qian Yun would learn about sooner or later, so Bibi Dong decided not to hide it from him.

"The empires are powerful, and the various factions are deeply entrenched in a tangled web of interests. If Spirit Hall wants to establish itself on the continent, supporting new factions to oppose them is a good strategy."

"Mm." Qian Yun listened closely.

"So Spirit Hall has spent many years building its influence in both empires, and we've begun to see results. Unlike the nobles, we keep an eye out not only for commoner Spirit Masters whose Spirits we awaken, but also for children who are exceptionally talented even if they have no Soul Power. There's no fixed standard. Intelligence, a strong physique, even good looks can count."

Bibi Dong looked down at Qian Yun with a smile. "You could say that even if you hadn't shown exceptional talent in cultivation back then, Spirit Hall would still have invited you to join because of your looks. Though you wouldn't have been sent to Pope Hall."

Bibi Dong said no more. She gave Qian Yun time to think it over and started walking, expecting him to follow.

As he walked beside her, Qian Yun thought back to Bibi Dong's ambiguous remarks.

Her meaning was clear. Spirit Hall wanted to oppose the two great empires, and it had already begun taking action. Qian Yun had expected as much.

But there was something interesting in what Bibi Dong had said at the end: Spirit Hall was recruiting people the nobles and major clans looked down on, then willingly investing resources in their development.

What would those people do in the future? Were they going to be sent to Pope Hall as servants?

Of course Bibi Dong wouldn't go to all that trouble for nothing. Her real aim was probably to send people absolutely loyal to Spirit Hall into every walk of life. Backed by Spirit Hall's resources, they could rise to positions of influence.

As time went on, there would only be more of these hidden agents of Spirit Hall, gradually infiltrating every part of the empires.

And the result would be that when Bibi Dong called upon them, a great many would answer!

Having worked it all out, Qian Yun felt no resistance. If anything, he admired Bibi Dong's methods even more.

For one thing, simply being willing to give commoners a fair chance already put her far ahead of the noble factions. And that was before considering her astonishingly far-reaching plans.

Meanwhile, what were the two great empires doing?

They were still exploiting commoner Spirit Masters and suppressing Spirit Hall, resting on their laurels and dreaming of passing down their rule for generations to come.

The confusion in Qian Yun's eyes cleared, and his expression returned to calm.

Bibi Dong had been watching him the whole time. She believed that someone as clever as him would have guessed her grand ambitions.

Neither of them said it outright, but somehow their fates drew closer together.

Qian Yun followed Bibi Dong to a place he had never visited before: a garden built high above Pope Hall.

The garden was small, but clearly well tended. The bushes and shrubs were neatly trimmed into the shapes of various animals, reflecting the owner's tastes.

At the very center stood a little transparent crystal pavilion. A sofa and a coffee table were neatly arranged beneath it. Soft cushions and backrests lay on the sofa, which had a cream-white steel frame. A fountain trickled nearby.

"Come over. This is where I rest. You don't need to stand on ceremony here." Bibi Dong beckoned Qian Yun over to sit. Though she was still wearing her papal robes, she sounded much more approachable.

"Oh, all right." Qian Yun walked over and sat down as she asked. Only then did he realize that the place was not only beautiful, but also offered a magnificent view.

From here, he could see everything, from the distant mountains, clouds, and birds in the sky to the majestic Spirit City bathed in the glow of sunset on the horizon.

Looking at the scene, Qian Yun couldn't help thinking that the nobles of this continent really knew how to enjoy themselves. If Bibi Dong became a god and went to the Divine Realm, who would serve her there?

Bibi Dong had no way of knowing 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 anything truly useful."

Qian Yun took a sip of tea too. Hearing this, he skipped the usual pleasantries. "My strength is still low. Even a little guidance from you is enough for now. If you teach me too much, I'll only end up biting off more than I can chew."

In the warm light of the setting sun, Bibi Dong's face looked softer than ever. She watched Qian Yun sit upright, holding his teacup, and let go of the restraint expected of a teacher. Smiling gently, she said, "Humility is a good thing, but don't sell yourself short. I know your strength well. You can't be called weak anymore."

Qian Yun gave a faint smile and set his teacup back on the table.