The Eastern Abyss Pavilion was a pavilion Bibi Dong had specially commissioned.
It stood behind the Pope's Palace, screened by towering walls on all sides.
Inside, the surroundings were elegant and tranquil, with flowers stretching like a sea.
The fragrance of flowers greeted anyone entering the courtyard, and a stone path led toward the pavilion at the rear.
This was a forbidden area of Spirit Hall, ranked on par with the Worship Hall.
"Brother Gu Yuan, this is our home."
Bibi Dong walked in with her arm hooked through Gu Yuan's, her little face flushed with excitement.
She had already tossed the Pope's Scepter into her spatial ring.
Gu Yuan glanced around and smiled faintly. "Nice surroundings."
The name alone told him what she meant, and the overall arrangement showed how much care she had put into it.
"Brother Gu Yuan, I'll go cook."
After entering the courtyard, Bibi Dong dashed toward the kitchen.
Gu Yuan was a little surprised. She could actually cook?
That was certainly a novelty.
She had become the Saintess as soon as she joined Spirit Hall.
Ten years ago, she had become the Pope!
There were people assigned to handle her clothing, food, accommodation, and travel. Her fingers should never have touched dishwater.
Yet now she could actually cook?
Without dwelling on it, Gu Yuan began strolling around the courtyard.
Before long, the aroma of food drifted out of the kitchen.
After roughly the time it took two incense sticks to burn, Bibi Dong walked to the kitchen carrying the dishes.
"Brother Gu Yuan, it's time to eat."
Gu Yuan walked over and paused slightly.
He had not had time to look earlier. Now, upon closer inspection, the little quilted jacket he had left to grow on her own for twenty years had blossomed into a graceful young woman.
Her brilliant golden gown extended from head to toe and fit her perfectly.
The dazzling gown shimmered with jeweled light, adorned with over a hundred red, blue, and gold gemstones.
Her fair skin and nearly flawless features made her look so distinct from everyone else.
The intangible nobility and sanctity she exuded made others feel an irresistible urge to prostrate themselves in worship.
Now, wearing an apron, she had gained a touch of everyday warmth and more of the air of a little sister from next door.
"Brother Gu Yuan?"
Bibi Dong stepped in front of him and waved her hand. What was Brother Gu Yuan thinking about?
Gu Yuan came back to himself and smiled. "Let's eat together. Tell me about what's happened to you over the years."
After they sat down, Bibi Dong told him many things.
Most of it concerned her growth over the past twenty years.
Back then, after bringing her to Spirit Hall, Gu Yuan had stayed for a little over six months before leaving.
After he left, Bibi Dong began cultivating with all her might.
With Twin Martial Souls and Innate Full Soul Power, her cultivation speed was indeed exceptionally fast.
In just five years, she had already become a powerful Soul King at the age of ten.
When she became the Pope at fifteen, she was already a Soul Douluo.
At eighteen, she officially advanced to Titled Douluo.
She then entered Slaughter City and emerged six months later.
By the time she came out, she was already rank ninety-five.
At twenty, she officially reached the pinnacle of rank ninety-nine, and five years had passed since then.
Her entire growth had been remarkably smooth, and remarkably outrageous.
Those six months in Slaughter City had not affected her at all.
Unable to suppress her killing aura?
That had never been an issue.
"Brother Gu Yuan, can I keep this?"
Bibi Dong took out a dragon-shaped white jade pendant.
It was a little trinket Gu Yuan had given her when he left all those years ago.
It had a few special little functions.
"Of course. It was a gift for you to begin with."
Gu Yuan chuckled softly. Back then, considering that she would need Soul Rings, he had given her this jade pendant.
The pendant allowed her to obtain Soul Rings without hunting Soul Beasts.
It could also nourish her Soul Rings, continually increasing their age.
All eighteen Soul Rings of Bibi Dong's Twin Martial Souls had come from this jade pendant.
"Thank you, Brother Gu Yuan."
Bibi Dong's eyes lit up.
Not only was it a treasure comparable to a divine artifact, but more importantly, it was a gift from Gu Yuan and held extraordinary significance.
After lunch, Qian Daoliu was already outside the courtyard walls of the Eastern Abyss Pavilion.
"Lord Gu."
"Come in."
Qian Daoliu entered the courtyard, came before Gu Yuan, and bowed.
"Lord Gu, we have located Yu Xiaogang."
"Oh? So soon?"
Spirit Hall's efficiency seemed quite reassuring.
He had given the order two hours ago, and they had already found the man.
Their speed was indeed extraordinary.
"Lord Gu, Yu Xiaogang came to us himself. He was discovered inside Spirit City."
Well, well. The fellow had actually come knocking on his own?
Gu Yuan smiled, rather curious about what Yu Xiaogang wanted to do.
"Where is he?"
"He's already inside the Pope's Palace."
Qian Daoliu was very frustrated.
Although they had completed the task quickly, it did not seem to have demonstrated their worth.
That damned Yu Xiaogang really ought to be stuffed into a pig cage and drowned.
"Dong'er, let's go see what's going on."
Gu Yuan rose and headed toward the Pope's Palace, and Bibi Dong hurried to his side.
After leaving the Eastern Abyss Pavilion, her presence rapidly changed as they reached the Pope's Palace.
With the Pope's Scepter in hand, she truly looked like an unattainable Empress.
Gu Yuan did not sit on the papal throne, instead taking a seat beside it.
He wanted to see how his girl handled things.
After entering Spirit City, Yu Xiaogang had been forcibly brought to the Pope's Palace by Spirit Hall's people.
He had been somewhat flustered at first, but once he thought of his purpose, he was no longer worried at all.
He had wanted to see Bibi Dong in the first place.
Although the process differed from what he had envisioned, the same outcome was all that mattered.
When he saw Bibi Dong emerge, he did not care that another unfamiliar man was there as well.
He had only one target on this trip: Bibi Dong!
"You're Yu Xiaogang?"
Bibi Dong knitted her brows. The man looked a little unhinged.
Why was an utterly unremarkable, ugly man putting on the air of a reclusive master?
If he were a Titled Douluo, that would have been one thing.
But as a rank twenty-nine Soul Grandmaster, where exactly did he get his courage?
Yu Xiaogang stood with his hands behind his back and his head held high, his facial muscles stiff, like a corpse that had been dead for over a century.
"Through years of effort, I have developed the theory of the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul, which can greatly improve Soul Masters' strength."
"My theory still lacks a little data. I heard Spirit Hall has a mysterious powerhouse. If you hand him over to me, I can definitely develop the strongest theory."
"When the time comes, I'm willing to make the theory public, as long as my name is on it."
"For Spirit Hall, this would be a very worthwhile partnership."
When he finished, the entire hall fell silent.
Qian Daoliu and the others nearly dropped their jaws to the floor.
What was this fellow saying?
Bibi Dong was utterly bewildered.
Was he speaking human language?
Why was it a little hard to understand?
A rank twenty-nine piece of trash was spouting nonsense about the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul, and even claiming he could improve Soul Masters' strength?
It was honestly rather laughable.
Seeing that no one spoke, Yu Xiaogang frowned slightly.
He had once heard that Spirit Hall had a mysterious powerhouse.
His cultivation was unfathomable, probably already approaching rank one hundred.
He might even have reached rank one hundred and become a god.
If he could find that powerhouse, there might be a way to resolve the problem with his Mutated Martial Soul.
For this reason, he had made a special trip to Spirit Hall and, after much deliberation, decided to offer his most precious theory.
As long as someone in Spirit Hall could recognize its worth, they would understand just how precious his theory was.
But why was no one speaking now?
Were they weighing the benefits of the partnership, or was there another reason?
"Bibi Dong, give me a definite answer."
"You only have one chance to work with me. Miss it, and there won't be another."
He stared at Bibi Dong. This beauty, whom he had pursued countless times, had never given him any hope.
She had never even looked him in the eye.
But now, he could use the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul to get close to her, and even hold her in the palm of his hand!