I'd Already Stripped, and Now You Tell Me Bibi Dong Was Here Too!

That evening, with nothing to do, Xiao Ran wandered around the Pope's Palace.

"Man, I'm bored. Come to think of it, I've been at Spirit Hall so long, but I still haven't properly looked around."

The Pope's Palace was spacious, its corridors linking one to another amid lush flowers and trees, with ornamental rockeries and flowing water throughout.

As he walked, he came near a side hall he had never visited. He caught a faint scent of roses mingled with damp steam. Following the scent, he rounded a corner and passed through a moon gate, where the view suddenly opened up—a small courtyard with an elegant, old-fashioned hall at its center. Warm light shone through the crack in the door, and steam seeped out beneath it.

Xiao Ran froze.

"A hot spring? I didn't know Spirit Hall had somewhere this relaxing."

"I'm Spirit Hall's Holy Son now, anyway. Surely no one will mind if I take a bath." Hearing no movement inside, Xiao Ran stripped off all his clothes as he spoke, ready to head in for a soak.

At that very moment, Bibi Dong was in the hot spring, still nursing her resentment toward Yu Xiaogang over what had happened all those years ago.

"I love taking baths, they make my skin so nice, oh, oh, oh..." Xiao Ran sang as he pushed the door open.

His song cut off abruptly.

Bibi Dong reclined against the edge of the pool, her ink-black hair spread across the water. Her eyes widened in shock at the sight of Xiao Ran.

Xiao Ran stood naked in the doorway, one hand still resting on the frame.

Their eyes met.

Bibi Dong's gaze was drawn straight to his lower body before she abruptly shifted it to his face.

A buzz went through Xiao Ran's head, leaving his mind blank. He looked down at himself, then up at Bibi Dong, before crossing his hands in front of himself in an extremely awkward pose.

"I... it was so quiet here, I thought no one was inside..."

Bibi Dong said nothing. She lifted her right hand out of the water and flicked her index finger. An invisible surge of soul power burst through the surface, sending Xiao Ran flying backward. His back struck the door with a dull thud.

"Urgh!"

He slid to the floor, his chest burning with pain. The blow had been calibrated perfectly; any harder, and he would have coughed up blood.

Coming to his senses, Xiao Ran immediately dropped to his knees. "Spare me, Your Holiness! Please spare me..."

Bibi Dong rose from the pool. Water splashed as she reached for the robe on the stone platform, draped it loosely over herself, and walked barefoot up to Xiao Ran. She looked down at him, her violet eyes icy cold.

Xiao Ran remained prostrate on the floor, begging for mercy.

Bibi Dong watched him for two seconds.

"Get out."

Xiao Ran scrambled outside, grabbed his clothes, and threw them on haphazardly. Just as he reached the moon gate, her voice rang out behind him again.

"Wait!"

Xiao Ran went rigid, his back to her, not daring to turn around.

"If there's a next time," she said in a perfectly level voice, "you'll stay here forever."

A shudder ran through Xiao Ran. Without daring to look back, he sprinted all the way to his room.

Xiao Ran looked down at his chest. There was a faint red mark that would probably fade by tomorrow. For a punishment, the force behind that blow seemed more like... she couldn't be bothered to deal with him.

"What on earth is she thinking...?"

The next day.

When Xiao Ran appeared before the maid with two enormous dark circles under his eyes, she jumped in fright.

"Holy Son, did you sleep poorly last night?"

"Sleep? What sleep?" Xiao Ran waved weakly. "Get me something to eat. I'm starving."

Meanwhile, in the main hall of the Pope's Palace.

The scene from last night refused to leave Bibi Dong's mind.

When Xiao Ran had pushed the door open, she had been remembering that man's retreating back as he left all those years ago, remembering how he hadn't even asked her why. Decades of hurt and hatred had steeped in the hot spring water, growing ever stronger until even she could barely breathe.

She admitted that, for an instant, her gaze really had wandered downward. It had been purely instinctive. Xiao Ran's build was completely different from Yu Xiaogang's: young, firm, and cleanly defined, laid utterly bare amid the candlelight and steam.

What surprised her, though, was how little anger she had felt after that blow. Normally, if anyone dared to intrude on the Hot Spring Hall, she would never have given them a chance to beg for mercy. But last night, she had merely found him noisy and absurd, the timing of that idiot's arrival so perfect that she hadn't known whether to laugh or cry.

She had been thinking of Yu Xiaogang. Then Xiao Ran had barged in naked, singing.

"If Yu Xiaogang had possessed that recklessness back then, even a tenth of it..."

Time flew, and the years slipped by.

Two years passed in the blink of an eye.

The Continental Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament had begun two months earlier.

Three days before the finals began, Bibi Dong summoned all seven members of the Spirit Hall Academy Team to the main hall.

Xiao Ran was now level 49.

Xie Yue was level 52.

Hu Liena was level 51.

Yan was level 52.

Sun Chuantao was level 48.

Zhang Ping was level 47.

Xu Yu was level 46.

Bibi Dong spoke. "You've all heard of Shrek Academy, I assume."

"Of course. I couldn't be more familiar with them," Xiao Ran muttered.

"In three days, Shrek will face our Spirit Hall Academy in the final. I hope you won't disappoint me," Bibi Dong said solemnly.

"We will not fail to meet Your Holiness's expectations," Xie Yue answered first as the captain.

At that moment, Xiao Ran stepped forward.

"Guys, our soul power levels are much higher than Shrek Academy's overall, but we still can't afford to get careless. Especially with someone named Tang San on their team."

"Got it. We've got an overwhelming advantage in strength!" Yan thumped his chest.

"Oh, right. These are the immortal herbs I brought back from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. Take them now."

Xiao Ran raised his hand, and seven immortal-grade herbs from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well floated in the air, halos of different colors slowly swirling around them.

"These seven immortal herbs are just enough for one each."

Xiao Ran handed the singular velvet sky chrysanthemum to Xie Yue.

He began explaining its uses. "The singular velvet sky chrysanthemum suits your Moon Blade. It tempers your body and opens your meridians, allowing soul power to flow more smoothly when you swing your blade. Your explosive power in close combat will increase dramatically."

He handed the cockscomb phoenix sunflower to Yan.

"It can suppress violent fire energy. Your flames can easily turn against you, but this immortal herb will harmonize them and increase their power."

He handed the Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew to Hu Liena.

"The Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew enhances your eyesight and mental perception. Your demon fox's charm relies on spiritual power. Take this, and you'll be able to see through concealment, while both the range and power of your charm increase."

He gave the narcissus jade muscle bone to Zhang Ping.

"It nourishes your tendons, cleanses your marrow, and strengthens your bones and sinews. You rely on high-speed movement in battle. After taking it, you'll be lighter on your feet, and high-speed impacts will be less likely to injure your bones and tendons."

He gave the eight-petal immortal orchid to Xu Yu.

"It strengthens your foundation and replenishes your vitality. Sustained output takes a huge toll on support-type soul masters. This will stabilize your soul power foundation, accelerate your cultivation, and improve your endurance."

He gave the Nine-Grade Ganoderma to Sun Chuantao.

"It can heal hidden injuries in your meridians. Swinging that heavy Ring-Bladed Greatsword for so long has left you with quite a few internal injuries. This immortal herb can heal them, stabilize your soul power foundation, and slightly raise your soul power limit."

Everyone gazed at the immortal herbs as though they were treasures.

"As for me, heh-heh, I've got this!"