"I understand," Qian Daoliu nodded, "You are currently in a golden period of strengthening your own strength and naturally cannot afford to delay your own cultivation."
In fact, if Su Cheng could still return to Sea God Island, he might not have made this decision.
Although Qian Daoliu himself was not selfish, nor did he have any bad intentions, the Spirit Hall was his obsession, and Bibi Dong was the hope of the Spirit Hall's future. Concerning her training, it naturally could not be completely entrusted to an outsider, let alone handed over to the disciples of other forces.
He looked at Su Cheng and spoke frankly, "Cheng Xue, the actions Jie Er took today may leave a shadow in Bibi Dong's heart, fortunately, it did not cause irreparable serious consequences. I hope you can help comfort her a bit. You may not know yet, but Bibi Dong has the talent of having twin martial souls, which is why Jie Er made such a big mistake."
Upon hearing this, Su Cheng couldn't help but hesitate.
Indeed, he was preparing to cultivate Bibi Dong, waiting to use her as his assistance to return to Sea God Island in the future.
But at this point, he had already done enough.
Counting, he had saved Bibi Dong twice, and it wouldn't be excessive for her to help him once in the future.
Qian Xun Ji, this elder who was crucial to her, also made such a move, which would help her mature rapidly.
At this point, there was no need to continue to intervene too much. Just subtly guide her behind the scenes and prevent her from going astray.
Because of the influence of the simulated world on reality, he didn't want to have too much contact with Bibi Dong.
Seeing him silent, Qian Daoliu continued to persuade, "Don't worry, it's just practicing together, and you can determine the daily schedule yourself. It won't consume too much of your energy, and there are many elders in the Spirit Hall who can guide Bibi Dong. As a token of gratitude, the resources of the Spirit Hall will be open to you, and if you need help, you can always ask for it."
Seeing that the other party had said so, Su Cheng couldn't refuse anymore and could only nod in agreement.
At the same time, he secretly decided to try his best to return to Sea God Island within ten years.
The reason for limiting it to this time frame was because when he was on Sea God Island before, he had spent just over ten years with Bo Saixi.
As long as it didn't exceed this time limit, there shouldn't be too much of a problem.
Plus, he had always hidden his appearance and name. Even if Bibi Dong could remember some fragments, it wouldn't have much impact.
"Alright, senior, I can give it a try."
The next day, Su Cheng took the initiative to walk towards the direction of the Pope's Hall in the morning.
In the end, Bibi Dong decided to stay in the Spirit Hall.
Qian Daoliu had already greeted her, mentioning the general arrangements for future cultivation.
At this point, Su Cheng was preparing to see how Bibi Dong's mental state was today and what specific changes had occurred after yesterday's events.
He was still playing with an elder token in his hand.
This was given to him by Qian Daoliu, representing the identity of an honorary elder of the Spirit Hall, and each of the three sects on the Douluo Continent had one for their respective sect masters.
Although Su Cheng didn't care much about such things, having it would make it much more convenient for him to travel on the continent.
When Su Cheng arrived outside the Pope's Hall, he found that Bibi Dong was already waiting near the square in front of the hall.
Today, Bibi Dong had not changed her clothes and was still dressed in the simple attire of a saintess. Her temperament seemed to have changed a bit, her complexion slightly dim, showing signs of not having rested well.
From a distance, Su Cheng couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
It had to be said that whether it was Bibi Dong when she was young or her in another world, regardless of her personality or flaws, her appearance was impeccable.
She was not tall, a bit shorter than Qian Renxue, but it didn't affect the overall impression. It seemed that this figure was the most perfect match for her.
Her tight waist connected to her round buttocks and slender legs, appearing extremely coordinated, not showing any weakness. The perfect curves of her upper body exuded amazing charm at all times.
She seemed to have noticed Su Cheng's arrival and her gaze flickered slightly. Then she took the initiative to walk towards him.
As she walked, even without deliberately swinging her posture, she still exuded a charming demeanor.
And now, Bibi Dong didn't have the majesty of being the Pope, which made her own beauty even more prominent.
Passing by her chest, her swan-like fair long neck was adorned with exquisite and deep facial features like sculpture. Her pair of pitch-black eyes were clear and bright, translucent; below her straight and tall nose, her soft red lips were beautiful and enticing.
Even without the status, she was still a first-class beauty in the world.
"Cheng Xue, you're here." When she approached, Bibi Dong seemed to have calmed down from yesterday's incident, and all kinds of emotions were deeply hidden in her heart, except for her slightly tired face, there were no obvious clues.
She bowed lightly, grateful, "Thank you for saving me yesterday."
Su Cheng didn't refuse either, accepting her gesture calmly, and then said, "The Grand Elder has already told you, hasn't he?"
"He has," Bibi Dong nodded lightly, a blush appearing on her face as she spoke.
Yesterday, Qian Daoliu also talked to her about many other things, but those words were not suitable to be told to Su Cheng directly.
Su Cheng didn't notice her momentary change of expression, turned around and said, "Today, let's go to the library first, and we can talk on the way."
Naturally, Bibi Dong would not refuse, and the two of them immediately walked towards the direction of the library.
"Bibi Dong, you must remember the feeling of powerlessness in the desperate situation yesterday and bravely face your own shortcomings. If you want to control your own destiny, you must be strong enough to have this opportunity. The weak have no voice in this world."
Su Cheng said seriously as they walked, "I can protect you not because I'm right, but because I'm strong enough. In this world, reason doesn't always prevail, people like the Grand Elder are ultimately in the minority. What I said yesterday was not false, I am confident that I can come out unscathed by paying some price."
"Do the weak have no voice..." Bibi Dong repeated in a low voice, "I understand."
"In the Sea God Island where I come from, every soul master has to undergo the Sea God's Trial at the age of eighteen. If they fail, they will be expelled from Sea God Island. So although Sea God Island has existed for tens of thousands of years, the population has never exceeded ten thousand. And those who pass the trial are never allowed to leave Sea God Island for life."
"For life not allowed to leave Sea God Island?" Bibi Dong was somewhat surprised.
When Su Cheng first came to the Spirit Hall, she was present when he talked with Qian Daoliu. She heard some information, but didn't know much, and didn't expect the rules of Sea God Island to be so strict.
"Yes," Su Cheng nodded, "The rewards for passing the Sea God's Trial are considerable. If you want something, you naturally have to pay for it. It's fair."
He glanced at Bibi Dong, "No one can satisfy everyone. Rules are made by the strong. If you feel dissatisfied, then be the one who makes the rules."
Bibi Dong fell silent at his words.
Meanwhile, the two had arrived at the entrance of the library.
To Su Cheng's surprise, at this moment, Yu Xiaogang was also there, gazing in their direction.
It was estimated that yesterday's incident at the Pope's Hall had alarmed many people, making him curious, so he wanted to learn a thing or two from Bibi Dong.
Seeing Yu Xiaogang not far away, Bibi Dong's heart suddenly surged with waves. She couldn't help but think of the scenes from yesterday and the impulsive words she had said to Qian Xun Ji.
Feeling a bit complicated, she subconsciously lowered her head, avoiding his gaze.
Noticing this Su Cheng looked at Bibi Dong beside him and thought to himself.
Actually, if she wanted to pursue a relationship with that Yu Xiaogang now, it shouldn't have too much of an impact.
The unexpected factor of Qian Xun Ji had been removed, Bibi Dong's own temperament had begun to change, becoming more mature. Everything was within controllable limits.
If he forcefully broke them up, it might even have the opposite effect.
Bibi Dong's nature was extreme and stubborn, which was hard to change. Sometimes, it might be better to loosen than to tighten.
The key was to control her and prevent her from becoming crazy and foolish because of love, like she used to be, an extreme love-struck fool.
Thinking of this, Su Cheng took the initiative to speak, "If you really like Yu Xiaogang, it's not impossible."
Upon hearing this, Bibi Dong was first stunned, then wanted to speak in defense, but heard him continue, "But I still hold the same opinion as before. Your energy should not be spent on love affairs, nor should it delay your own cultivation. In terms of cultivation, that person's abilities are limited and cannot help you. As long as you don't get too deeply involved and don't let it affect your own practice, there's nothing wrong with being in a relationship."
Although he said this, Su Cheng also understood that sometimes, emotions were not something Bibi Dong could easily control on her own.
The core issue lies not in the depth of the relationship between Bibi Dong and Yu Xiaogang, but rather in Bibi Dong's own naivety.
However, if she wants to cure her naivety, there is actually a good way - reading more books.
The main reason Bibi Dong is easily deceived is primarily due to her lack of education.
Bibi Dong bit her lip, but in the end, she remained silent and walked into the library with him.
Su Cheng was already very familiar with the library of the Spirit Hall. Although the layout was slightly different now, overall it was not much different, and he had a deep impression of the placement of various books here.
While selecting suitable study materials for Bibi Dong, Su Cheng spoke, "Your talent far surpasses ordinary people. I've heard from the Grand Elder that you have the talent of having twin martial souls. In terms of cultivation aptitude, you are far superior to me, so I think you don't need to learn too much miscellaneous knowledge before reaching the rank of Titled Douluo. I hope you focus on laying a solid foundation."
With that, he placed books like "Fundamentals of Soul Ring Theory," "Classification of Beast and Tool Martial Souls," "Comprehensive Guide to Soul Beast Attributes," and "Speculation on the Nature of Soul Master Soul Power" on the table, and even included books unrelated to cultivation such as "Differences in Thought between Different Classes," "Irrationality of the Aristocracy System," and "Instinct and Reason."
It was fortunate that this was the library of the Spirit Hall; otherwise, those books would not be found in the market.
However, he did not know that Bibi Dong seemed somewhat absent-minded at this moment.
"These books should be finished within a week during your free time outside of cultivation, and you should understand and digest them. I will check later," Su Cheng pushed over twenty books in front of Bibi Dong, emphasizing, "When reading, try to have your own understanding and not blindly accept the content of the books. Of course, you don't need to force it. Your knowledge is still shallow now, but it will be different after you read more in the future."
Seeing Bibi Dong seem a bit dazed, Su Cheng thought she might be doubting his teaching method and explained proactively, "Don't worry, reading more books will benefit you more than you can imagine, making your future cultivation much easier. You may not understand it temporarily, but believe me, you will understand in due time."
Bibi Dong finally came back to her senses and gently touched the stack of books in front of her with her slender fingers.
Having been in the Hall of Souls for so long, she rarely perused the various materials in the library.
She had no impression of the titles of these books.
Previously, when Qian Xun Ji taught her, he simply told her how to absorb soul power, how to train her body, and which soul beasts to choose, never requiring her to spend any effort thinking for herself.
Bibi Dong turned to look at Su Cheng and suddenly asked, "Cheng Xue, how do you view other people?"
"What do you mean by that?" Su Cheng raised his head in surprise, puzzled by her sudden question.
"Well..." Bibi Dong pondered her words and slowly said, "I feel like you look down on many people and many things, so I want to know who you approve of. What are your standards for judging people?"
Su Cheng blinked, not understanding why Bibi Dong suddenly brought this up, but still replied, "Qian Daoliu is someone I approve of, I respect him."
"The Grand Elder is powerful, and it's normal for you to respect him, but what about others?"
"You're mistaken. I respect the Grand Elder not because of his strength," Su Cheng smiled and said seriously.
"You previously said there were no people I approved of, but that's not true. I judge people based on their character and qualities, not their talent and strength. I care about whether a person has enough willpower to follow their own path.
"I don't like Yu Xiaogang not because he lacks talent, but because he can't face his own flaws and yet still acts arrogant, always looking for shortcuts.
"I don't like Qian Xun Ji because his methods are too low-level, his actions don't match his identity and background. But yesterday he did impress me, at least he could face failure."
Bibi Dong silently watched him, waiting for him to continue, but found that he stopped abruptly at this point.
"...?" Bibi Dong, seeing this, bit her lip and softly asked, "What about me? How do you view me?"
"You?" Su Cheng was surprised by her question, then hesitated before saying, "You're fine."
He didn't want to strain their relationship further.
But if he praised Bibi Dong insincerely, he couldn't do it.
"..."
However, seeing his reaction, Bibi Dong was not foolish. She immediately guessed something and felt a slight sinking in her heart.
She bit her lip and turned her head to whisper softly, "Just say what you want to say. I was too naive in the past, but you have to tell me where I went wrong so I can make changes."
Su Cheng was somewhat shocked by her words, feeling that the girl beside him had indeed changed a lot. What she said just now completely exceeded his expectations.
"Well then, I have a few things I don't understand, and I hope you can answer them for me."
After thinking for a moment, he stopped being polite and directly asked.
"What position are you in that made you want to leave the Spirit Hall for Yu Xiaogang?
"Qian Xun Ji's handling method is indeed problematic, but he was not entirely wrong. Your achievements today are inseparable from the existence of the Spirit Hall.
"I've heard that the mainland is different from our Sea God Island, ruled by two empires, numerous kingdoms, and a large number of nobles, with low status for commoners.
"You yourself are of commoner origin, and without the Spirit Hall, you probably wouldn't even have the chance to awaken your martial soul. No, forget awakening your martial soul, even survival would be a problem. Regardless of the Hall of Souls' ultimate goal in nurturing you, it is never wrong to be grateful.
"That Yu Xiaogang still harbors feelings for the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect that expelled him. Why would you be so determined to leave the Hall of Souls for someone you've only known for a short time?
"Is it for your so-called love? How many men have you seen from childhood to adulthood? A Yu Xiaogang you just met makes you so unable to extricate yourself, isn't your love too cheap?"
"..." Bibi Dong looked at Su Cheng, her eyelashes trembling slightly uncontrollably. "Cheap..."
"This is just my opinion, perhaps a bit biased." Su Cheng originally wanted to say more, but seeing her reaction, he didn't want to continue to provoke her.
So he said lightly, "If you think I'm wrong, you can refute me with reasons, tell me why you did this."
"I... I just don't want to be restrained..." Bibi Dong's voice was somewhat stiff, then weakly whispered, "I don't love Yu Xiaogang."
Su Cheng, hearing this, raised the corners of his eyebrows under his mask, his tone carrying a hint of solemnity.
"You don't need to avoid this matter with me. I'm not like Qian Xun Ji. There are no interests between us, and I won't restrain you.
"You cultivate for yourself, not for me. If there is any progress between you and Yu Xiaogang, it's best not to hide it, as it's meaningless.
"To be honest, I don't think talking about love with him will benefit your cultivation, but I also understand that even if I try to stop it, it will only add fuel to the fire, so it's better to let nature take its course.
"As for the Grand Elder's side, you don't need to worry. As long as you don't leave the Spirit Hall because of this, I will mediate, and I believe he won't say much.
"As for the question of whether you're restrained, I've said it before. There are few things in the world that come without effort. If you gain something, you must pay. That day I told you, your teacher won't allow you to leave his control. What right do you have to think that Qian Xun Ji will be so selfless and let you leave the Spirit Hall so easily?
"If you don't want to pay, then become strong enough to ignore the rules.
"Bibi Dong, don't forget your powerlessness from yesterday."
"...I understand." Bibi Dong lowered her eyelids, lightly clenched her fists hidden behind her, and swallowed back the words she had originally wanted to say.
Su Cheng, seeing this, secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
As long as the other party has an idea, everything is controllable. The only fear is unexpected situations arising, which could seriously disrupt one's plans. In fact, just now, he had already been somewhat reserved in his words. Just because Bibi Dong dared to say those things to Qian Xun Ji, she could easily be labeled as naive and foolish.
"What other requirements do you have besides reading these books?" After organizing her thoughts, Bibi Dong finally focused her attention on the books in front of her.
"For now, that's it," Su Cheng nodded. "Don't worry, this won't affect your cultivation efficiency; it's just the first step. Besides, your future progress in cultivation will benefit me as well."
"Benefit you?" Bibi Dong was puzzled.
"Yes," now that the conversation had reached this point, Su Cheng decided to be straightforward. "I can see that you're not a bad person, and from the display of my strength, you should also be able to see my capabilities. In the future, for a considerable period of time, I will wholeheartedly help you improve. But eventually, when your cultivation is successful, I hope you can help me once, as a form of repayment."
"You will need my help?" Bibi Dong looked surprised.
She had already seen the true strength of the other party yesterday.
It's worth noting that Su Cheng was not yet nineteen years old and already capable of matching a Titled Douluo. At this rate, it was not impossible for him to reach the level of a Supreme Douluo before the end of his life.
Bibi Dong was well aware of her own talent and the power of her twin martial souls, but she didn't think she would have the opportunity to surpass the other party's strength in the future.
"Yes," Su Cheng nodded affirmatively. "But you won't lose out in this deal. When the time comes, you won't be in any life-threatening danger. And it's not just me boasting; under my guidance, your progress in cultivation will far exceed your imagination."
"A deal?" Bibi Dong paused for a moment, then nodded gently. "Okay."
In the following six months of cultivation, Su Cheng didn't teach Bibi Dong any specific cultivation techniques. Instead, he continuously provided her with various materials to study and assigned her tasks to be checked weekly.
This kind of learning was not simply reading or memorizing but understanding and digesting the content.
Considering Bibi Dong's intelligence, the amount of studying each week was actually quite substantial. After completing these materials, combined with her own soul power cultivation, she had almost no leisure time every day.
This undoubtedly greatly compressed her personal activities.
Even in these six months, Su Cheng never saw Bibi Dong go out to meet Yu Xiaogang, and she never complained, which surprised him.
But the role of reading books was undoubtedly enormous.
Bibi Dong's nature was extreme, coupled with her lack of knowledge and empty mind, she was easily led to extremes.
After six months of studying, she had undergone a certain degree of transformation from the inside out.
Although there was still a distance to maturity, her temperament had become noticeably calmer.
Su Cheng had accumulated a wealth of knowledge, and he could easily gauge Bibi Dong's current level.
From a theoretical perspective alone, her expertise had surpassed Yu Xiaogang's.
Despite Yu Xiaogang's early theoretical research due to his martial soul, the disparity in their learning conditions was too great.
Firstly, the forces behind them were completely different.
Although the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect was also one of the top three sects, the information it possessed was extremely limited and not comprehensive. It wasn't until Yu Xiaogang came to Shrek Academy that he truly encountered high-end knowledge.
In other words, his actual learning time was only a few years.
On the other hand, although Bibi Dong had only studied for half a year, the books she read were carefully selected by Su Cheng, with very few errors, and there was no need to cross-check between multiple sources, greatly improving her learning efficiency.
As a result, her knowledge accumulation naturally surpassed that of Yu Xiaogang.
After checking last week's assignments, Su Cheng and Bibi Dong walked in the forest behind the Pope's Mountain.
Compared to six months ago, Bibi Dong's temperament had changed significantly, and she began to exude a faint aura of majesty.
Even though she was only temporarily holding the real power of the Pope, her status was still there. Even those Title Douluo-level elders had to show respect to her.
Occasionally attending events as the face of the Pope's Hall also meant facing representatives of various forces, and rapid growth was inevitable.
Moreover, the books Su Cheng had chosen for her were not just about cultivation; they also helped her in her daily conduct and decision-making.
"Why do you have the leisure to accompany me for a walk today?" Bibi Dong's expression was restrained, and she spoke lightly, showing no significant fluctuation in her demeanor.
When conversing with Su Cheng, she was no longer as passive as before.
"It's rare for you to have such thoughts; I thought you considered me as unyielding as iron." Su Cheng joked casually, not concerned about her attitude.
"Is that so?" Bibi Dong raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"I thought you felt that the amount of study was just right."
Rolling her eyes, Bibi Dong didn't argue and straightforwardly asked, "Which books do I need to read this week? You haven't given them to me yet."
"No more books. Today, you can arrange your own schedule freely. Starting tomorrow, we will change our cultivation method," Su Cheng replied.
"Arrange my own schedule?" Bibi Dong was momentarily stunned.
She had become accustomed to the schedule of the past six months, with almost every moment filled with reading and cultivation, except for occasional official duties.
Hearing Su Cheng say this suddenly, she seemed momentarily at a loss.
"You've read enough books. You may not realize it yourself, but I know," Su Cheng smiled, "I've already informed the Grand Elder. Starting tomorrow, we will leave the Soul City and travel to the mainland for some time."
Saying this, he jokingly teased, "You can take today to catch up with Yu Xiaogang. You probably won't be able to see each other for a long time after this."
After half a year of getting along, their relationship had become very natural, and it wasn't uncommon for them to joke around like friends.
Unexpectedly, Bibi Dong's expression suddenly turned cold, and she said flatly, "Don't make such jokes."