If anyone knew Bibi Dong best, that person was undoubtedly Yu Xiaogang.
The moment Bibi Dong turned around, Yu Xiaogang knew that she had actually wavered, though for reasons unknown, she still refused his request.
"Let's put that matter aside, Your Holiness, I have another favor to ask."
Bibi Dong looked puzzled. "You've come to ask me for a favor? It seems the passing years have changed you as well. Tell me, what is it?"
Yu Xiaogang said, "Your Holiness, I want to know how you managed to overcome the hurdle of having twin martial souls."
"You have no need to know such things. I see that you don't even have any soul power now, and you can't cultivate your martial soul at all, let alone overcome the trials of twin martial souls."
Bibi Dong's words struck right at Yu Xiaogang's heart. Yu Xiaogang hated most when people called him a good-for-nothing. Although Bibi Dong did not say it directly, did not her remark that he lacked soul power imply he was trash?
Yu Xiaogang originally wanted to fly into a rage and turn to leave Spirit City, but the moment he thought of his disciple Tang San-who would encounter danger and might fail to break through the bottleneck of the twin martial souls-Yu Xiaogang endured it.
"I took on a disciple. He has been cultivating with me for seven or eight years now. Fortunately, he is just like you with twin martial souls, and I want to train him into a powerhouse of a generation."
Bibi Dong was furious. She was angry precisely because she had guessed the purpose of Yu Xiaogang's trip. When she had first talked about getting back together with Xiaogang, Bibi Dong had been quite happy, but in the end, he had still come for this cultivation method for twin martial souls.
"Why should I help you? So you can train a powerhouse to oppose my Spirit Hall in the future?" Bibi Dong's voice was icy, almost enough to freeze everything around her.
Yu Xiaogang said in a deep voice, "Of course not. If you are willing to tell me how, I can guarantee you that he will never oppose Spirit Hall for the rest of his life."
Bibi Dong smiled. "What are you using to guarantee that you are you and he is he? Chances are, once he finishes cultivating his twin martial souls, he will just kick you aside."
"Your Holiness, what you're saying is simply impossible. He is a filial child, and he will definitely treat me with filial piety." When Yu Xiaogang said this, he felt somewhat guilty.
For he knew that what Bibi Dong said was not wrong, because recently Tang San's strength had surged, yet he had not told Yu Xiaogang the reason. This showed that Tang San had already stopped trusting Yu Xiaogang. Moreover, in recent years, although they maintained harmony on the surface, in their hearts they both despised each other. If they continued to put on this hypocritical act, what Bibi Dong said would sooner or later become reality.
"So you have such confidence in your disciple. It's just a pity you've come too late. I have already sent people to intercept and kill that disciple of yours who comes from the Clear Sky Sect, so your disciple might not even be able to cultivate his twin martial souls before..."
"What did you say?" Yu Xiaogang could hardly believe it. Although he had anticipated that Bibi Dong would send people to intercept Tang San, he had never expected that she would make a move during the Soul Master Tournament, and right along the path one had to take from Spirit City to the Heaven Dou Empire.
Bibi Dong continued, "A few days ago, Platinum Bishop Salas sent word that a descendant of the Clear Sky Sect had appeared in the Heaven Dou Empire with extraordinary talent. He possesses twin martial souls, a ten-thousand-year fourth ring, and a soul bone. If such a person cannot be used by me, then the only option is to kill him."
Yu Xiaogang grabbed Bibi Dong by the shoulders directly. "How dare you?"
Looking at Yu Xiaogang's ferocious expression, Bibi Dong was momentarily stunned, but quickly said, "Is this disciple really that important to you?"
"Bibi Dong, you listen to me clearly. Tang San is extremely important to me. I have no children in my life, and Xiaosan is just like a son to me. If you kill him, I will stop at nothing to destroy you and overthrow Spirit Hall."
Bibi Dong burst into a loud laugh and forcefully pried Yu Xiaogang's hands away. "So you still have someone you care about this much. Then I can rest easy."
Bibi Dong's words left Yu Xiaogang completely baffled. She continued, "Not long after you left me back then, you got together with your younger sister Liu Erlong. It was only because you left me that I was able to become pope, so I hate you. Rest assured, after I kill your disciple, I will also kill that so-called lover of yours, your sister. Before I kill her, I will torture her well, so you can feel the pain I experienced."
Though deeply shocked, Yu Xiaogang concealed a trace of joy in his eyes. Seeing Bibi Dong wear such a pained expression meant that she still loved him, and their grand objective still had a chance of being realized.
Thus Yu Xiaogang said with a sorrowful tone, "Bibi Dong, I never expected you to hate me so much, but I still love you deeply. After all, you were my first and only love."
Yu Xiaogang was very adept at handling women and knew what should and should not be said. Having finished these words, Yu Xiaogang turned around and left Spirit Hall without looking back, leaving infinite imagination in his wake for Bibi Dong.
Sensing that Yu Xiaogang had departed, Bibi Dong's body shuddered violently, as if she were about to collapse. ... Although Yu Xiaogang's purpose this time was for Tang San's twin martial souls and his life, he had nonetheless brought back hope for himself-a chance to get back together with Xiaogang.
Bibi Dong's grip on her scepter turned her knuckles white. Sitting upon that supreme throne, she murmured to herself, "Could this be the cruel play of fate? Xiaogang, I love you dearly, but I cannot be with you."
Stepping out of Spirit City, Yu Xiaogang wore a confident expression. After all, he had now reawakened the romantic feelings Bibi Dong once shared with him. It would not be long before Bibi Dong would surely come looking for him to beg for reconciliation, and by then he would become the man of the pope, standing above all.
What a pity, however, that this trip failed to extract Bibi Dong's cultivation method for twin martial souls. But it did not matter; once she was with him, any cultivation method would be within easy reach.
Now he only needed to lie low for a time, guide his student to become the champion of the finals of the Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament, and then make a name for himself across the Dourol Continent, allowing him to be with Bibi Dong in a proper and honorable manner.
Meanwhile, the contestants of the Heaven Dou Empire were pressing forward. Along the way, the atmosphere within the Shrek Academy team was exceedingly heavy.
The one radiating this heavy aura was precisely Liu Erlong. Knowing that Yu Xiaogang had left, she was utterly baffled. Flender had originally intended not to tell Liu Erlong, but under her relentless interrogation, he finally revealed the destination of Yu Xiaogang's journey.
The dozen-plus days on the road passed quickly, and now they were halfway through their journey.
The team was currently taking a shortcut, one that wound between hills. Though narrow, it was relatively flat, and horse-drawn carriages could manage it without any problem.
Suddenly, countless falling rocks tumbled down from the hills, rolling in a neat formation toward the team below.
From somewhere, the sound of a whistle rang out, and numerous figures in black appeared atop the high slopes on both sides, charging downward with startling speed.
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