The Pontifex's Personal Guidance

Since the last incident, Gu Changsheng had moved out of the database and into a room of his own. Hu Liena had also been summoned away by Bibi Dong to recover from her injuries alone.

What surprised him even more was that Bibi Dong intended to summon him personally that evening. By then, it was already dusk.

"Gu Changsheng, His Holiness the Pope has been waiting for you for a long time. Hurry over!"

Gu Changsheng looked at the night sky gradually darkening in the distance, then at the maid beside him, and nodded lightly.

Led by the maid, he passed through the grand doors ahead. Along both sides of the white jade corridor, Spirit Lamps lit up one after another.

Yet the golden radiance spilling across the floor made the entire Pope Palace seem less imposing than it did during the day, replacing some of its majesty with a sense of cold desolation.

"We're here. Keep your voice down when you enter. His Holiness the Pope doesn't like too much noise."

The maid gave him the quiet reminder, then remained where she was.

Gu Changsheng nodded.

"Thank you."

He pushed the door open and entered. It was a side hall, exceptionally quiet, without the suffocating pressure he had felt before the Spirit Hall that day.

A warm yellow Spirit Lamp sat quietly by the window.

Bibi Dong sat beside a soft couch, the Purple Gold Scepter resting at her side. She had already changed out of her Pontifex robes and now wore only a pale purple gown.

She seemed to have lost some of her lofty majesty, gaining instead a touch of cool gentleness.

Gu Changsheng lowered his head slightly.

"This disciple greets His Holiness the Pope."

Bibi Dong raised her head and glanced at him, a faint chill in her eyes.

"There is no one else here. You needn't be so restrained."

"No. You are His Holiness the Pope. Etiquette cannot be neglected."

Gu Changsheng continued his respectful salute earnestly.

Seeing this, Bibi Dong's gaze shifted slightly, seeming to reveal a faint softness. The next moment, her lips moved gently.

"You are quite cautious. Sit."

Her slender finger pointed lightly toward a chair nearby.

Gu Changsheng did not decline. He turned and quietly sat down.

As the air settled into silence, Bibi Dong's gaze fell upon his shoulder. It was still wrapped in bandages, and though the bleeding had stopped, dried blood remained on them.

"Does the wound still hurt?"

Gu Changsheng was slightly startled.

That question did not sound like an interrogation from the Pontifex to a disciple. It sounded more like the casual concern of an elder.

He immediately shook his head and said somewhat awkwardly,

"Reporting to His Holiness the Pope, I'm much better now. It's only a minor injury..."

Bibi Dong slowly raised a finger and pointed ahead again as she said calmly,

"The injury to that shoulder is still serious. Spirit Masters can endure pain, but they cannot ignore injuries—especially someone like you. You're young and too weak."

"This disciple understands!"

Gu Changsheng hurriedly nodded.

Yet at that moment, Bibi Dong picked up a Jade Bottle from the table beside her. With a pull of Soul Power, she sent it flying toward Gu Changsheng.

"It contains Spirit Medicine for injuries. Apply it once a day, and you will recover within three days. Your skin will heal, and no hidden injuries will remain."

Gu Changsheng looked at the Jade Bottle in his hand. He did not put on any more pretenses and accepted it directly.

"Thank you, His Holiness the Pope."

"You're not very polite about accepting it. You did well in the main hall today. Do you have anything to say about it?"

Faced with Bibi Dong's question, Gu Changsheng frantically searched for an answer. He knew that before Bibi Dong, he had to keep his mouth shut and could not say anything wrong.

"It was merely luck."

"Merely luck? Hehe~"

Hearing the words "merely luck," Bibi Dong gave a soft laugh.

"A one-ring Spirit Master who had just obtained his First Spirit Ring forced a Spirit Saint into the dungeon before numerous stewards and two elders, and you call that luck?"

Under Bibi Dong's questioning, Gu Changsheng's thoughts had already become a mess. He truly could not fathom what she meant by this.

What is she trying to do? Does she want evidence from me? This...

Gu Changsheng remained silent, and Bibi Dong saw the complexity in his heart. She immediately explained,

"You needn't be afraid, boy. I didn't summon you to produce evidence, nor am I here to make things difficult for you. I only want to understand why Yan Xiu let something slip at the very end."

When she asked that, the air in the hall seemed to fall silent for an instant.

Gu Changsheng knew he could not hide this matter from Bibi Dong. She was the Pontifex, and also a powerhouse standing at the peak of the continent.

This question was likely testing him—testing his loyalty, testing whether he harbored any ulterior motives.

He had used Bibi Dong's pressure to unleash Phantom Heart Guidance. Though it was concealed, there was no way it could completely evade her senses.

He decided to tell the truth.

"This disciple did not control Yan Xiu, nor could I have controlled him."

"This disciple merely used His Holiness the Pope's pressure to create a momentary flaw in his mind. It was all thanks to you."

Upon hearing this, Bibi Dong smiled again. She had not expected him to praise her at such a moment.

"Continue."

"At the moment that flaw appeared, I used Myriad Burning to copy Phantom Heart Guidance. It is a Soul Skill I obtained within the Spiritual Mist."

"Phantom Heart Guidance?"

At the mention of those words, a trace of surprise flashed through Bibi Dong's eyes.

"Yes. After Senior Sister and I were swept into the Mist Tide, we accidentally entered a hidden chamber left behind by an ancient Mental Attribute Spirit Master. We comprehended it from a damaged stone wall..."

"Furthermore, Senior Sister was the first person to comprehend this Soul Skill. She..."

Before Gu Changsheng could finish, Bibi Dong's gaze softened somewhat upon hearing Hu Liena's name.

"Nana's talent is indeed quite good, and she is well suited for mental control."

But then her tone shifted, and her gaze turned cold once more as she looked at Gu Changsheng.

"But you are more dangerous."

Bibi Dong's voice was calm, yet it carried unmistakable judgment.

"Nana's Charm skill lets her enemies know they are being influenced. But you can borrow the power of others to alter the situation."

"You are only level fifteen now. If one day you reach Spirit King, Soul Emperor, or even higher, what will you be capable of?"

Bibi Dong's successive questions completely stunned Gu Changsheng. He immediately forced his heart to calm and replied,

"This disciple does not know..."

"Do you not know, or do you not wish to say?"

Bibi Dong had already leaned forward. A hint of Killing Intent now showed in her gaze.

"Both."

When Bibi Dong heard those two words, she saw the earnestness in Gu Changsheng's upturned eyes. After a moment, she suddenly smiled.

The smile was faint, but it eased much of the icy atmosphere in the side hall.

"Honesty is a very good quality."

The next moment, she stood up and walked directly before Gu Changsheng.

Seeing this, Gu Changsheng instinctively tried to rise, but Bibi Dong raised a hand and pressed him down by the shoulder.

"Don't move."

Her palm did not touch the wound. It merely rested near his shoulder as a gentle, delicate stream of Soul Power slowly flowed into him.

Gu Changsheng only felt the sharp pain in his shoulder lessen greatly. Even the exhaustion deep within his body was gradually soothed away.

He looked up at Bibi Dong. This woman could decide life and death with a single sentence in the main hall, yet now she had made her Soul Power so gentle, like a warm current.

Seeing his gaze, Bibi Dong was somewhat surprised as well. A child actually dared to look her in the eyes like this. Perhaps only a child would dare...

Bibi Dong looked down at him.

"From today onward, the number of people who want to kill you will not decrease. Are you afraid?"

Gu Changsheng shook his head, as though demonstrating his resolve.

"Being afraid is useless. You need to become strong, understand? Tell me, what are your plans? Whatever you need to become stronger, I can satisfy."

Bibi Dong looked at him, her eyes seemingly full of expectation.

"I want more information. I want access to the Intermediate Spirit Database. I want to read more books and study more Martial Soul records!"

"What use is reading books alone? Have you never considered finding a teacher to train your practical combat experience?"

What Bibi Dong had said was already an extremely significant offer.

But Gu Changsheng understood the nature of his Martial Soul. Only more information could make him stronger at present.

"No. Power is not merely meant to be unleashed. It can also be understood. Once I understand it thoroughly, I can allow more people to understand this power."

Those words instantly made Bibi Dong unable to suppress the emotions in her heart. Her Soul Power surged explosively.

A faint sorrow showed in her eyes.

"Whoosh!"

A powerful surge of Soul Power nearly knocked Gu Changsheng to the ground. He immediately unfolded his Myriad Heaven Book, but before a Titled Douluo, he had no ability to resist at all.

Bibi Dong had heard those words when she was young. She had once believed that devotion was the most precious thing in the world, only for fate to later trample it beyond recognition.

"His Holiness the Pope? What's wrong?"

Only at Gu Changsheng's call did Bibi Dong return to her senses.

In that instant, the Soul Power around her slowly withdrew.

"Nothing. I merely remembered some old matters. Enough, we'll stop here for today. Take this book with you."

"And the Intermediate Spirit Database—you can go there with Nana when the time comes. Her injuries are not light either. Remember to visit her... You may leave..."

After saying that, Bibi Dong turned around. With a lift of her hand, Gu Changsheng discovered that he had already arrived outside the hall doors.

The side hall returned to its original stillness once more.

Bibi Dong stood alone by the window, her gaze deep as she looked in the direction of the Heaven Dou Empire. Her lips murmured softly,

"Gu Changsheng... what kind of variable will you bring to This Emperor?"