At the thought of Immortal Herbs, someone immediately came to Lu Chen's mind.
Dugu Bo.
One of the biggest suckers in the original story.
He clearly guarded a treasure trove like the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, yet had no idea of its true value. He and his granddaughter had even been suffering from the backlash of poison all along.
In the end, when Tang San showed up, he not only failed to solve the poison problem, but also used up all the Immortal Herbs.
Thinking of this, Lu Chen couldn't help making plans.
He wondered whether Dugu Bo had found the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well yet.
After they returned from obtaining his Soul Ring this time, perhaps he could find an opportunity to ask his teacher to take a look at Sunset Forest.
Bibi Dong had no idea what Lu Chen was thinking.
She asked Hu Liena a few more questions about the details of her cultivation, including whether her Soul Power flowed smoothly, whether she had improved in combat training lately, and how well she controlled her charm-based abilities.
Hu Liena answered each question seriously.
Lu Chen listened quietly beside them.
Although these things weren't specifically being taught to him, they were still very valuable to him.
The details of cultivation in the real Douluo Continent were far more complicated than they were described in the novel.
For example, even when it came to increasing Soul Power, the focus of cultivation differed completely between different Martial Souls.
And even with the same Soul Skill, one still needed to train constantly to truly master it.
The original story could gloss over these things in a single sentence, but the real world couldn't.
Bibi Dong had high expectations of Hu Liena, but every comment she made was spot-on. Listening to her, Lu Chen also gained a clearer idea of how he should cultivate in the future.
After a while, Bibi Dong finished questioning her.
"That's enough for today."
Hu Liena nodded respectfully. "Yes, teacher."
Bibi Dong looked at her. "Go back and rest. Continue your cultivation as usual tomorrow."
Hu Liena agreed, then couldn't help glancing at Lu Chen.
"Junior Brother, you'll be going with teacher to obtain your Soul Ring tomorrow. Make sure you listen to her."
Lu Chen nodded. "I know, Senior Sister."
Only then did Hu Liena leave.
After she left, the Saintess Hall grew much quieter.
Bibi Dong looked at Lu Chen. "Come along."
Lu Chen followed her.
He followed Bibi Dong to her bedroom.
It was quieter than outside, and there was a greater air of authority befitting the Pope.
The room wasn't elaborately decorated, but everything was neat and dignified.
Bibi Dong pointed to the soft couch that had been set up ahead of time not far from the side of her bed.
"You'll sleep there tonight."
Lu Chen looked over and felt a little relieved.
The soft couch wasn't too far from Bibi Dong's bed, but a hanging curtain separated them. It made it easy for her to keep an eye on him while still preserving a proper distance.
That was much more reasonable.
When Bibi Dong had said earlier that he would stay with her for the night, he couldn't help overthinking it for a moment.
Now it seemed Bibi Dong had made the arrangement clear. She was only having him stay in the same room temporarily so she could suppress the Rakshasa Evil Thought.
Lu Chen nodded. "Yes, teacher."
Bibi Dong glanced at him, seemingly noticing his relief. The corner of her mouth curved faintly.
"Are you afraid of me?"
Lu Chen answered with a straight face, "I'm not afraid. It's just my first time staying here with you, teacher, so I'm not used to it."
Bibi Dong didn't call him out.
"Wash up and go to bed. We have a long journey tomorrow."
"Yes."
Not long after Lu Chen finished washing up, Bibi Dong went to the bathroom.
Only Lu Chen remained in the room.
He sat on the edge of the soft couch, still feeling somewhat tense.
Although they weren't sharing a bed, this was Bibi Dong's room, after all.
For Lu Chen, the experience was still very unusual.
Having lived two lifetimes, this was truly the first time he'd spent the night in the same room as a woman under these circumstances.
And that woman was Bibi Dong, the Pope of the Douluo Continent.
It was ridiculous just to think about.
A faint sound of water came from the bathroom.
Lu Chen forced himself to calm down.
He knew that Bibi Dong had made this arrangement not because she wanted to be close to him, but because his Leugocyte Martial Soul could suppress the Rakshasa Evil Thought.
For Bibi Dong, this might be the first way she'd found in many years to ease her condition.
Since that was the case, all he had to do was stay calm and not act strangely.
Lu Chen lay down on the soft couch and pulled the quilt over himself.
But his body was still a little stiff.
Everything that had happened during the day kept flashing through his mind.
In just one day, he had gone from being a child in an orphanage to the Pope of Spirit Hall's personal disciple.
The change was simply too great.
Lu Chen closed his eyes, but his thoughts gradually settled.
This was exactly the starting point he needed.
As long as he could secure his current position, he would have a chance to use Spirit Hall's resources to grow quickly.
Before long, the bathroom door opened.
Bibi Dong emerged wearing a purple bathrobe, her long hair slightly damp. She seemed less stern than she had during the day and more relaxed.
She gently stretched her shoulders and back, taking stock of how she felt.
It was just as she'd expected.
As long as Lu Chen was nearby, the effects of the Rakshasa Evil Thought were much weaker.
That cold, chaotic sensation that constantly gnawed at her mind had been suppressed by an invisible force.
It hadn't disappeared completely, but it was no longer as obvious as usual.
If they were closer, perhaps the effect would be even better.
The thought crossed Bibi Dong's mind, but she quickly pushed it aside.
Lu Chen was only a six-year-old child, and she was his teacher. She had to maintain proper boundaries.
She walked over to the bed and looked at the soft couch.
Lu Chen had buried half his face in the quilt and lay perfectly still. But his tense shoulders gave away the fact that he wasn't really asleep.
Bibi Dong watched him and smiled softly.
"Little one, you're quite shy."
Lu Chen heard her, but decided to pretend he hadn't.
Bibi Dong didn't tease him any further.
She simply extinguished a few lamps, softening the light in the room, then lay down on the bed.
"Go to sleep, Xiao Chen."
Lu Chen answered softly, "Yes, teacher."
The room fell quiet.
Yet the quieter it got, the more clearly Lu Chen could feel his heartbeat.
Though there was some distance between them and a curtain as well, the fact that Bibi Dong was nearby made it difficult for him to fully relax.
All he could do was keep reminding himself that he was a six-year-old child, a new disciple Bibi Dong had just taken in, and this was only temporary care between teacher and student.
Don't overthink it.
Don't do anything stupid.
Don't let anything slip.
On the other side, after lying down, Bibi Dong felt calmer than ever.
Usually, once night fell and everything grew quiet, the Rakshasa Evil Thought became more noticeable.
Those dark, twisted thoughts, filled with resentment and a desire for destruction, would roil through her mind, making it difficult for her to truly sleep.
But tonight was different.
Lu Chen was nearby.
Even without being released, his Leugocyte Martial Soul seemed like some kind of invisible barrier, keeping those evil thoughts from affecting her as they had in the past.
Bibi Dong closed her eyes, savoring the peace she hadn't felt in a long time.
It had been so long since she'd felt this comfortable.
Her regard for Lu Chen deepened as a result.
This child wasn't merely the owner of a god-level Martial Soul, nor merely a genius with Innate Soul Power of rank twenty. He might also be the key to freeing her from the influence of the Rakshasa Evil Thought.
No matter what, she had to keep Lu Chen by her side and raise him well.
As the thought surfaced, Bibi Dong felt sleep gradually wash over her.
She didn't resist it.
Soon, the room fell completely silent.
Not a word passed between them all night.
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