Bibi Dong ultimately only rested for a day within the Pope's palace, taking care of some accumulated official business along the way.
In reality, there weren't many affairs she needed to handle, and these tasks didn't take up much of her time usually.
The Martial Soul Hall had established its own system in the Douluo Continent for many years, long having formed its own structure.
Even if Bibi Dong hadn't formally become the Pope yet, even if she did become the Pope, she wouldn't have free rein over the various affairs within the Martial Soul Hall.
It would still require a significant amount of time to gradually establish authority, form factions, and her own personal strength would need to be sufficient to garner respect, in order to have a significant degree of influence.
Qian Xunji managed to achieve this because of his peerless father, combined with decades of cultivation, barely managing to establish his authority.
Even then, if he made a mistake, Qian Daoliu would step in, and he would have to resign obediently.
Bibi Dong was far from reaching that position, currently serving more as a mascot. The truly important affairs were decided by the routine meetings of the Elder's Hall.
The next day, she set out with Su Cheng.
After leaving the city, Su Cheng handed her a mask, saying, "You should wear this too."
Bibi Dong took it and gently turned it over in her slender fingers, asking, "Why should I wear this?"
Su Cheng casually explained, "You're too beautiful. It could cause a stir, and if there's an unexpected situation, it could be troublesome to handle."
As for concealing their spiritual power, it wasn't necessary. The use of spiritual power among those below the Soul King level was quite rudimentary, and wearing a mask was sufficient protection. As for those above the Soul King level, few would impolitely probe others with spiritual power.
With Bibi Dong's current strength, she couldn't defend against stronger individuals, so blocking the gaze of ordinary people and avoiding excessive attention was enough.
Bibi Dong's eyes flickered slightly at his words, casting a sidelong glance at Su Cheng beside her.
He gazed calmly ahead, his expression indiscernible under the mask.
"Whether you're ugly or beautiful, do you have to wear it because it's a tradition of Sea God Island, or are you afraid of trouble?" Bibi Dong raised her wrist and fastened the mask onto her face, her eyes shimmering as she nonchalantly asked.
"I'm just trying to avoid trouble," Su Cheng replied, glancing back at her. "If you don't want to wear it, that's fine. Deal with any trouble you encounter yourself."
"I don't need your help," Bibi Dong snorted. "I'm invincible under the Soul Saint."
"...," Su Cheng raised an eyebrow. "That's not useful. The purpose of this trip is to have you fight against a Soul Saint."
"What do you mean?" Bibi Dong was taken aback.
Although she didn't know why they were going out to train, she had some guesses, but she didn't expect Su Cheng's plan to be to have her fight against a Soul Saint.
"I've said it before, your talent for cultivation is unique, but you're lacking in other aspects. The most critical point is that you don't have enough understanding of martial souls. Given your situation, intense training isn't very meaningful."
In the original timeline, Bibi Dong possessed the extraordinary talent of having twin martial souls, and even after taking the Rakshasa God Test, she ascended to divinity later than Qian Renxue and Tang San, wasting twenty years for no reason.
Apart from the problems with the Rakshasa God Test itself, this delay was also closely related to Bibi Dong's own situation.
Her early cultivation had been too smooth, not undergoing as much tempering as Tang San, and her cultivation had relied entirely on her second martial soul, resulting in inadequate accumulation and weak foundations, which led to slow progress later on.
Upon hearing Su Cheng's words, Bibi Dong nodded silently.
She respected Su Cheng because his level and strength far surpassed what would be expected at his age.
Although her cultivation progress hadn't increased much in the past six months, the knowledge she gained was genuine, and her control over her power had improved significantly.
Compared to the teachings of Qian Xunji in the past, this self-comprehension-driven improvement was undoubtedly more authentic. Moreover, judging by the current situation, her rate of becoming stronger in the future would certainly accelerate.
Besides, when she thought back to the questions she had asked before, she often felt ashamed.
In her current view, those pieces of knowledge were actually quite simple, mostly things that could be found in books, but she had regarded them as extremely profound.
After leaving the Martial Soul Hall, Su Cheng didn't immediately take Bibi Dong to challenge someone. Instead, he took her on a journey across the continent for over three months to broaden her horizons.
Merely reading books could confirm the content related to cultivation, but knowledge of ideology needed to be personally experienced and understood to truly comprehend it.
This was also part of tempering the spirit and soul.
At this moment, the two of them were in the territory of the Tian Dou Empire, walking along the road away from Tian Dou City.
Su Cheng took the initiative to ask Bibi Dong, "What do you think of the world?"
Bibi Dong pondered for a moment before saying solemnly, "The nobles are like vampires, sucking the lifeblood from everyone below them. Too many incapable people hold high positions, leading to chaos in society. Although the continent is rich in resources, the common people still live in poverty. However, compared to the two empires, the kingdoms and duchies that are secluded tend to fare better in this regard. The intense competition between the various prestigious families in the Star Luo Empire is also stronger than that in the Tian Dou Empire. The existence of the Martial Soul Hall is a good thing for the common people and ordinary soul masters with ordinary talents."
Over these past few months, Bibi Dong had traveled to many places with Su Cheng.
They had visited both empires, numerous duchies, and even remote mountain villages.
In the past, Bibi Dong would usually only leave the Martial Soul Hall for various missions, and when she did, she would go directly to her destination, accompanied by elders or high-ranking members of the Martial Soul Hall along the way.
The people she encountered were also extraordinary, either powerful figures from other sects or influential individuals. At worst, they were powerful Soul Masters, who had long been detached from the common folk.
Although she herself had been born in a remote mountain village and had experienced hardship in her early life, after awakening her Martial Soul at the age of six, she was taken to Tian Dou City and directly became a core disciple of the Martial Soul Hall. Not long after, she was appointed as the Saintess, becoming the only direct disciple of the former Pope, Qian Xunji.
The scenes of her past life were almost fading from her memory.
Su Cheng nodded, casually saying, "You don't need to elevate the Martial Soul Hall too high. While its strength is indeed due to the legacy of the original angelic god, the emergence of such organizations is inevitable. Even without the Martial Soul Hall, there would be other forces like the Divine Soul Hall or the Hall of Radiance. Because the world is unjust, the common people need a belief; otherwise, life would be bleak. Fortunately, the world's power belongs to oneself, and there will always be talented Soul Masters from humble backgrounds who have the opportunity to rise, as chaos never lacks heroes."
After saying this, he didn't continue speaking.
He had asked the question just now not to teach Bibi Dong anything but to see her perspective and her ideological stance.
These ideological matters were things he couldn't teach her, nor did he intend to.
As long as she didn't waste her time reading those books for nothing.
Bibi Dong nodded. She wasn't the naive girl she used to be after experiencing Qian Xunji's actions; her mindset had already undergone a drastic change.
This change was so significant that neither Su Cheng nor anyone else, including herself, truly realized it.
The interaction between martial souls and souls influenced each other.
Being able to awaken both the Death Spider Emperor and the Devouring Soul Spider Emperor was no ordinary feat.
Seeing Su Cheng fall silent, Bibi Dong took the initiative to ask, "Where are we going next?"
Although they had been traveling the continent for the past few months, and their cultivation progress had slowed down, she didn't feel like they were wasting time. On the contrary, she felt a faint sense of fulfillment.
Compared to her previous life confined to the Martial Soul Hall, these recent days were undoubtedly much more interesting.
"We've seen enough. It's time to focus on cultivation," Su Cheng said.
"Cultivation?" Bibi Dong looked ahead. At this moment, they weren't heading back to the Martial Soul City but were instead heading towards the center of the Tian Dou Empire.
She didn't ask any further questions and silently followed Su Cheng.
Sunset Forest, the Yin-Yang Eye.
This place had not been discovered by Dugu Bo yet. In this vast valley, there were only the figures of Su Cheng and Bibi Dong.
Extremely potent Yin-Yang spiritual energy emanated from the Yin-Yang Eye, continuously spreading outwards.
Although the toxicity contained within this spiritual energy was extremely fierce, their cultivation was formidable enough that they wouldn't be greatly affected for a short period.
"The environment here is quite extraordinary," Bibi Dong looked around, then turned her gaze towards the core position of the spring's eye, "Can't this kind of spiritual energy be absorbed by people?"
At this moment, with no one around, she had already taken off the mask on her face.
Her exquisite and beautiful face exuded a hint of charm under the reflection of the flowers.
"Correct," Su Cheng nodded, unsurprised by Bibi Dong's observation.
This woman was no longer the ignorant person she used to be; it was only natural for her to notice the unique nature of the Yin-Yang Eye.
"We're not here for you to absorb that spiritual energy but for the rare treasures and exotic plants found here."
Bibi Dong glanced around, showing a hint of hesitation. "Can these things be easily ingested?"
"Of course not. Most of them are highly toxic substances, and it requires special techniques to swallow them."
As he spoke, he gestured around, pointing out several immortal herbs.
"These several herbs are all rare treasures of this land, capable of unlocking the potential of ordinary soul masters in a single step, rivaling those born with full soul power. Some of these herbs can even significantly enhance cultivation. Even if a Soul Saint were to consume them, it wouldn't be a problem for their cultivation level to skyrocket by four or five ranks in a short period. The remaining medicinal power would then settle, greatly reducing the difficulty of breaking through bottlenecks in the future."
"This kind of thing, wouldn't it make a soul master's foundation unstable after consumption?" Bibi Dong was somewhat surprised.
From her current perspective, any method that significantly boosts cultivation through external means usually leads astray, akin to the rapid advancement of those evil soul masters in the early stages. However, such methods often prove detrimental to future development.
"Not at all," Su Cheng shook his head. "As I mentioned earlier, these herbs can enhance a soul master's potential. After consumption, not only will it not destabilize one's soul power, but it will also further solidify the foundation. Take yourself for example, after consuming these herbs, even reaching the pinnacle of the ninety-ninth rank, the realm of a supreme Douluo, would be within reach."
He himself had not consumed them due to his own path's issues, needing to maintain a pure physical body.
But for soul masters, the foundation lies in soul power and martial souls, so consuming these herbs posed no problem.
In fact, if he hadn't made some progress in the integration of spirit, energy, and mind over the years, he had originally planned to use the Pine Spirit Mushroom and Heaven-reaching Chrysanthemum in this simulation to achieve rapid advancement.
Upon hearing Su Cheng's explanation, Bibi Dong's eyes lit up, a hint of brilliance flashing across her delicate cheeks.
"How should these herbs be consumed?" she asked eagerly.
As she spoke, she seemed to feel a dryness in her lips, subconsciously extending her tongue to lightly moisten them, her eyes revealing a hint of greed.
The momentary display of enchanting charm even caught Su Cheng off guard. "You...?"
"What's wrong?" Bibi Dong turned to look at Su Cheng, her face radiant.
"Nothing," Su Cheng shook his head, discreetly averting his gaze, turning back to the flower garden.
That definitely wasn't a misconception. This woman's temperament...
Gathering his thoughts, Su Cheng continued, "Although there are many immortal herbs here, you can only consume one of them."
Bibi Dong hesitated for a moment, then seemed disappointed. "Why?"
Then she seemed to remember something and asked, "Have you not consumed any of these herbs?"
She originally thought that since Su Cheng knew about this place, he must have consumed these herbs long ago. Considering his significantly higher cultivation level at his age, there might be a connection.
"It has nothing to do with me. I don't consume these herbs," Su Cheng said softly, looking at her. "You're too eager, Bibi Dong."
"What? I..." Bibi Dong was initially taken aback, then quickly explained, "Cheng Xue, please don't misunderstand. I don't intend to compete with you."
"No, I'm not referring to that," Su Cheng shook his head. "On the path of cultivation, there are many temptations and choices. For you, reaching the ninety-ninth rank may not be the end. Don't lose yourself to temporary temptations."
He turned to look at the garden full of rare treasures. "The medicinal power of these immortal herbs is extremely strong and conflicting. Overconsumption could greatly damage your foundation. Consuming just one herb would be enough to benefit you for a lifetime."
His tone was calm, and as he spoke, there was an invisible spiritual fluctuation spreading out.
In his words, Bibi Dong's state of mind gradually became stable, silently nodding and suppressing her desire for power.
"So which one should I consume?"
"Perhaps the Pine Spirit Mushroom or the Daffodil Jade Flesh Bone."
Su Cheng first pointed to a towering chrysanthemum in the garden. Its petals were a magnificent shade of purple, each petal appearing fluffy and adorable, with a golden shimmer at the center of its stigma.
"That one..." Bibi Dong was somewhat surprised. The appearance of that herb was identical to the martial soul of the Chrysanthemum Elder of the Martial Soul Hall.
"That's right, it does resemble the martial soul of the Chrysanthemum Elder. It's a neutral herb, capable of invigorating the limbs and opening up the meridians, beneficial for strengthening your physical foundation, accelerating your future cultivation speed, and enhancing your soul power. Moreover, its effects are long-lasting, solidifying your foundation."
Then, he pointed to another herb.
It was a crystal-clear white flower, resembling a pristine white lotus without any leaves. Beneath its roots, it was connected to a massive black stone deeply embedded in the soil, appearing remarkably heavy.
On top of the white flower, there were several stunning blood-red petals.
"Named the Heartbroken Red, it is the king of flowers. You need to be devoted to your loved one and water it with your blood to have a chance to pluck it. The slightest distraction will lead to failure, depriving you of the opportunity to consume it."
"Devoted to a loved one..." Bibi Dong's heart trembled upon hearing this, glancing at Su Cheng beside her, then slowly walking towards the herb.
Su Cheng remained in place, gazing at the L
Heartbroken Red.
Soon, Bibi Dong held the white flower in her hand.
"It seems that this herb is quite suitable for me," she said with a hint of joy on her face. "Shall I use this one?"
"This one will do," Su Cheng nodded. "In terms of effectiveness, the Heartbroken Red surpasses the Pine Spirit Mushroom and the Daffodil Jade Flesh Bone by a considerable margin."
"Why didn't you try to pick this herb?" Bibi Dong looked at the flower in her hand, casually asking.
"I've said it before, I don't use medicinal herbs," Su Cheng replied calmly. "Besides, I lack the sincerity to pluck it."
While it might be possible to deceive the process with some means, there was no need for it; it was just a medicinal herb.
As for using brute force to forcibly take it, with his current strength, it was impossible.
"Lack of sincerity..." Bibi Dong chewed Su Cheng's words silently in her mind, then lifted her head to gaze deeply into the eyes revealed by Su Cheng's mask.
She could clearly see a special emotion flickering in his eyes.
Su Cheng thought Bibi Dong's silence was due to her suspicion of his refusal to use the medicinal herb, so he explained proactively, "Rest assured, taking the herb will benefit you without harm. I won't deceive you; there's no benefit to me in doing so. I'm not using it because of personal cultivation issues, which you'll understand in due time."
Bibi Dong nodded after hearing Su Cheng's explanation, then smiled, "Can you take off your mask and show me your true face?"
"No, I can't."
"I don't mind your appearance, nor am I one to judge by looks."
"I mind it myself. Well," Su Cheng interrupted, changing the subject, "once you take this herb, your strength will rapidly increase for a while, and then we'll move on to the next stage of training."
"Alright, I understand," Bibi Dong sighed slightly, nodding in response.
"What's your plan for the next stage?" she asked.
"The Haotian Twins, who have recently gained fame on the continent, do you remember them?" Su Cheng said in a deep voice.
"Of course," Bibi Dong nodded, "Are you planning for me to challenge them?"
The Haotian Twins, recently gaining fame on the continent, referred to Tang Xiao and Tang Hao, the young generation of Haotian Sect.
These two were already Soul Saints at a young age and had challenged many veteran Soul Masters recently, all of which they had won.
Tang Hao's Haotian Hammer was exceptionally skillful, dominating in battles.
"Within a year, kill them," Su Cheng stated.
"What?!" Bibi Dong's mind cleared instantly at the sound of this, looking somewhat shocked as she stared at Su Cheng, "Why?!"
"For you, they are excellent opponents," Su Cheng said calmly.
Presently, Tang Hao should have acquired the Godly Domain, making him an excellent sparring partner for Bibi Dong.
For Bibi Dong, rigid training alone was insufficient; she needed to sharpen her skills.
However, ordinary opponents wouldn't provide enough of a challenge for her.
Given her current strength, going to the City of Slaughter wasn't meaningful, as it wouldn't contribute much to her development and might even provoke her temperament, which wouldn't be a good thing.
Moreover, the hidden dangers of the godly inheritance in the City of Slaughter were best avoided. Even though Bibi Dong was different now, Su Cheng didn't want to take unnecessary risks.
Whether or not it was a possibility, it was best not to engage.
"As for the others, they're either from the other two sects within the top three, which isn't worthwhile to provoke," Su Cheng continued. "Or they're from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, which is powerful, but I'd rather not target them."
After weighing his options, the Haotian Sect seemed the most suitable target.
While Qian Daoliu had made a promise to Tang Chen, it was about the Martial Soul Hall not attacking the Haotian Sect's gates.
Now that Tang Hao had come out himself, his death couldn't be blamed on the Martial Soul Hall.
And once Tang Hao was dead, the Haotian Sect's members wouldn't sit idly by; they'd surely send people to seek revenge, providing an opportunity for a fight.
Moreover, killing Tang Hao would prevent Tang San's appearance.
Before starting this simulation, it had been established that this was a world with Tang San, the transmigrator. So killing Tang Hao might have some effect.
If Tang Hao died and Tang San's transmigration was still inevitable, and if he could still defy fate, perhaps Su Cheng could answer some of his long-standing doubts.
That is, whether there were other external forces interfering with Tang San's transmigration.
Without the inheritance of the strong martial souls of his parents, if Tang San still transmigrated and changed destiny, it might explain some things.
Seeing Bibi Dong hesitating, Su Cheng glanced at her, "What's wrong? Do you have any questions?"
"Is it necessary to kill them?" Bibi Dong asked, pondering. "I've heard they haven't done anything particularly wrong."
"When you step out into the world, you must have this awareness," Su Cheng said calmly. "Being a Soul Master inevitably involves battles; haven't Soul Masters from the Martial Soul Hall died in battles before? If you're going out to fight people, you should be prepared for the possibility of dying in combat; otherwise, why not just stay within the sect?"
Bibi Dong's expression was somewhat conflicted for a moment.
"Of course, I'm not forcing you to do this. If you don't kill them, I'll take care of it myself," Su Cheng casually stated. "You don't need to burden yourself too much. Right now, what you should think about is not whether to kill them or not, but whether you can survive."
Bibi Dong paused for a moment, realizing that with her current strength, she might not be able to match the Haotian Sect's brothers.
"After some time of training, you'll see how effective the herb's effects are. To be honest, I have many other methods to further enhance your potential and speed of cultivation," Su Cheng said, looking at her.
"But the premise is, you must pass my test. You must kill Tang Hao in battle and not let him escape. As for how to do it, you'll need to plan ahead. If it really comes to the point where I have to take action, it would mean that your training in these days has been disappointing."
...
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