Within the Sea of Consciousness, Huo Yuhao sat cross-legged, gazing at the outside world with a complex expression.
In fact, he had already regained consciousness on the very first day Bibi Dong began to channel his Soul Power.
Because he had prepared the Ice Dragon King's essence in advance to remove the state of being burned by the Samadhi True Fire, this was also the reason why Bibi Dong faced no risk. She had taken precautions to prevent such a thing from happening.
--The Ice Dragon King's primal power had already quietly suppressed the rampage of the Samadhi True Fire.
Bibi Dong was outside the world, was completely unaware of this, but he could not wake up.
Once exposed, all the disguise will be in vain.
So he could only remain silently "asleep," letting her hold him for three days and three nights, feeling the resolute determination in her Soul Power.
"What's wrong, little one?"
Electrolux appeared beside him, his aged eyes holding a profound, all-knowing depth.
"I told you—you'd regret it someday. Now... do you regret it?"
Huo Yuhao did not answer immediately.
He gazed at Bibi Dong's tired yet content sleeping face outside, and at the small gesture of her unconsciously clenching the hem of her clothes; his heart felt as if it were being gripped tightly by something.
"... No regrets."
The voice was soft, yet firm.
Electrolux shook his head and chuckled:
"Stubborn to the end, so stubborn!"
The old man floated to his side and poked his forehead teasingly.
"Opportunities that others would kill for, and you're already being picky? If you ask me, just give in to her. That way, you'll be able to walk all over this continent with impunity!"
Huo Yuhao remained silent.
Seeing this, Electrolux suddenly sighed, his tone unusually gentle:
The word "love" has no known origin, yet it goes on and on.
He looked at Bibi Dong, who was fast asleep outside, and said meaningfully:
Cherish it, young man. Perhaps you'll never see each other again. Fate doesn't come every day. Don't wait until you regret it to realize how precious what you have now is.
Fate is fleeting, like morning dew; don't wait until there are no flowers left to break off a bare branch.
Huo Yuhao's fingertips trembled slightly.
After a long while, he closed his eyes, his voice so soft it was almost inaudible:
"... Who can predict the future?"
Huo Yuhao's eyelashes trembled like butterfly wings as he slowly opened his heavy eyes, a hint of weakness showing in them.
"Water... water..."
His voice was hoarse, as if he had just struggled back from the brink of death.
The words that rolled out of his throat were hoarse like sandpaper, with the last syllable drawn out very lightly, as if each syllable had exhausted his remaining strength. The broken voice contained the dazed feeling of surviving a disaster, making one inexplicably think of the trembling of a traveler Xue Ye when he finally finds a warm stove.
Bibi Dong noticed almost instantly. Her pale fingertips still carried the coolness of the morning dew from outside the cave.
Quickly fetch a water glass, carefully lift the back of his neck, and feed him the water to his lips.
Her fingertips were a little cool, but her movements were extremely gentle, as if she were afraid of hurting him. Huo Yuhao could clearly see her lowered eyelashes and the faint dark circles under her eyes—proof of three days without sleep.
The water moistened his throat, and he let out a soft sigh, feigning confusion as he looked around.
"Looks like... we're safe?"
Bibi Dong took back the water cup, a slight smile playing on her lips:
"Yes, thanks to you."
Her voice was soft, yet gentler than ever before.
Huo Yuhao waved his hand, revealing a weak smile:
Between friends, there's no need for thanks.
"Friend..."
Bibi Dong repeated the word softly, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the rim of the glass. After a moment of silence, she suddenly looked up:
"You said before... that power consumes life force."
Her gaze was fixed on him, her breathing unconsciously becoming softer, and the knuckles of her fingers gripping the cup handle turned pale.
Huo Yuhao blinked, then suddenly burst out laughing:
"Oh, right!" he said, deliberately in a lighthearted tone, "Now I only have three-quarters of my life left~"
"At this rate, I probably don't have many years left to live!"
"Smack!"
Bibi Dong abruptly slammed the water glass down, the splashing droplets drawing silver streaks in the morning light. Her eyes instantly reddened, a blush spreading from the corners of her eyes to her ears, even causing her voice to tremble almost imperceptibly.
"Don't say things like that!"
Her voice trembled unusually, as if a sensitive nerve had been touched.
( Huo Yuhao was stunned.)
Huo Yuhao was stunned. He looked at her slightly trembling shoulders and her tightly bitten lower lip, and suddenly realized that the tears in her eyes were not an illusion. The tears that had not yet fallen condensed into glistening beads on her eyelashes, swaying gently with her rapid breathing.
He hadn't expected a joke to elicit such a strong reaction. Even more unexpectedly—
Bibi Dong actually...
He nodded slightly.
Then, he heard her say in a very, very soft voice:
"I'll be sad."
Her voice was soft, yet every word was clear. Although she tried her best not to cry, the redness in her eyes and the tears welling up in them betrayed her emotions.
The five words were like a pebble thrown into a deep pool, rippling across the lake of his heart. The morning light fell precisely on the corners of her reddened eyes, making the tiny tears appear crystal clear. Only then did he realize that this person, who was always so aloof, also had such vulnerable moments.
Huo Yuhao's heart softened, and he unconsciously lowered his voice:
"Don't worry." He propped himself up and said earnestly, "Although this move is risky, as long as I keep getting stronger..."
"The day I stand at the pinnacle of the world, the length of my life will no longer be an issue."
Bibi Dong's eyes flickered slightly, and she suddenly realized—
If he succeeds in inheriting the Godhood...
If he could transcend the limitations of mortals...
Therefore, the so-called "three-quarters lifespan" is nothing to fear!
She only needs to--
Just watch over him until that day.
The two of them looked up at the same time.
The moment their eyes met, the cave seemed to fall silent. Morning light filtered through the gaps in the vines, casting dappled golden rays into their eyes.
Huo Yuhao saw the lingering tears in her eyes, and Bibi Dong...
And deep within his pupils,
I saw that little one.
A reflection of myself.
As dawn broke, the thin mist in the forest had not yet dissipated.
Bibi Dong and Huo Yuhao sat side by side on a protruding rock, with an endless sea of trees below. A gentle breeze blew, lifting her long, flowing hair and also stirring the hem of Huo Yuhao's clothes.
" Hao Yi."
She suddenly spoke, her voice much softer than usual.
"You haven't joined any faction yet, have you?"
Huo Yuhao glanced at her and saw Bibi Dong gently stroking the surface of the rock with her fingertips, her gaze fixed on the distance.
"Come with me to the Spirit Hall," she continued, a hint of barely perceptible expectation in her voice, like the thin ice beneath a spring stream. "I have some connections with the Holy Maiden of the Spirit Hall; with your abilities, joining the Spirit Hall won't be difficult."
She certainly wanted to recruit him—not only because of his talent, but also because...
He was the only light in her darkest years.
Huo Yuhao remained silent for a moment. The wind in the forest passed through his fingers, bringing with it the distant chirping of morning birds. The bells in the Time Sea of Consciousness resonated deep within his consciousness, while the wind on the rocky peak carried a temperature that made his heart tremble.
He hadn't expected the separation to come so soon. The original timeline was calling him, and now, all he could do was...
"Feel sorry."
He shook his head, a hint of regret in his voice.
"Although I really want to go, there are still some things I need to take care of."
Bibi Dong's fingertips paused slightly.
Huo Yuhao turned to look at her, the morning light falling into his eyes, shattering into stars, and a faint smile appeared on his lips:
In this world, there is always parting.
"But I hope you'll still have that expression when we meet again."
He reached out and gently brushed his hand across the corner of her eye.
"That gentle expression... suits you very well."
Bibi Dong lowered her eyes and took something out of her bosom—
A jewel-encrusted token gleamed with a cold light in the morning glow.
" Pope Token?"
Huo Yuhao was slightly taken aback.
The possessor of this item holds a position equivalent to an elder within the Spirit Hall. What does the Pope Token mean to her, the Pope? She's Pope Token it over to me—is she trying to make me an elder of the Spirit Hall? While it might not be particularly valuable to me, but...
This was her way of showing her appreciation; after all, there's never too much of anything that benefits the plan.
"I don't know when we'll meet again after this parting." Huo Yuhao's voice was filled with a sigh, and a sense of regret emanated from it.
(Of course, this is just a reflection on the things he's experienced these past few days, which made him realize that Pope Bibi Dong was actually a gentle person, and that she had such a story, such suppressed pain.)
( Huo Yuhao couldn't understand this more than he could. If he hadn't traveled to this time, perhaps Bibi Dong would have become a cold and ruthless Pope, constantly corroded by the evil thoughts of the Rakshasa God, continuing to suffer, and ending up with a hasty conclusion. Since Heaven allowed Huo Yuhao to meet Bibi Dong, perhaps it was fate.)
Bibi Dong placed the token into his hand, her fingertips brushing against his palm unintentionally, carrying a trace of lingering warmth.
"Take care of yourself."
"Take care of yourself"
Their eyes met again--
Huo Yuhao's gaze flickered slightly, but Bibi Dong's eyes were filled with tenderness—a tenderness that couldn't be hidden. This tenderness was unique to her when she was Hao Yi Luo Dong, and it was a tenderness that would only exist for this one person in her entire life.
The next moment--
Bibi Dong suddenly leaned forward and kissed his lips.
The kiss was long, so long that time seemed to stand still, so long that the mountain wind ceased, so long that...
They forgot who they were, remembering only the temperature of the moment and the slow, flowing heartbeat in the morning light atop the rocky peak.
I will wait for you.
As they parted, her breath brushed against his ear, as soft as the sound of a leaf falling to the ground.
"If one day you have nowhere to go... come to the Spirit Hall."
She stood up, her black robe fluttering in the wind—
Those are Huo Yuhao's clothes.
"That place... will be your best destination."
"And I will always wait for you."
After saying that, she turned and left, her figure gradually disappearing into the morning mist.
P. S.: The storyline of Bibi Dong has now come to an end. I think these chapters were written quite well. I wonder what everyone else thinks? Of the storylines I wrote for Bibi Dong, Qiu'er, Xue'er, which one do you like best?