Su Cheng didn't say much more.
In fact, Xiaoxue's determination was something he had anticipated.
Given her personality, there was no way she would take the news lightly upon hearing it suddenly.
Zhuqing was able to barely accept it. Although she appeared strong on the surface, she had already silently accepted it. This was because she was deeply influenced by her upbringing.
Such matters were commonplace in noble circles, and compared to others, Su Cheng's situation wasn't the worst.
Adding to that the cruel family environment and the pressures brought on by royal traditions, where familial affection was extremely weak, her cold and hard exterior concealed a very sensitive heart.
Moreover, Zhuqing had long known about the deep relationship between Su Cheng and Qian Renxue.
Therefore, no matter how strong she appeared, deep down she always felt somewhat inferior and placed herself very low.
But Qian Renxue was different.
From birth, she was the favored daughter of heaven.
With extraordinary martial soul talent and a unique noble background, she had been the hope of everyone since childhood. Even the many strong figures of the Spirit Hall addressed her as "Young Master" when they met her.
However, if it were just this, upon realizing Su Cheng's divided feelings, no matter how painful and tormented she felt inside, she should have been able to come to her senses and cut ties with him decisively.
The problem was, under the various expectations imposed by the outside world during her growth, she also had a similarly distorted and cold family environment.
The only one who showed her some warmth, her grandfather, was in seclusion most of the time, and they rarely met.
So Qian Renxue, like Zhuqing, was also starved for affection.
The difference was, she never felt inferior.
From childhood to adulthood, Qian Renxue had always been the strongest among her peers, with resources readily available at her fingertips.
Even when she infiltrated the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, she could quietly remain hidden for over a decade without showing any signs. Her mindset was naturally different.
For this reason, when she regarded Su Cheng as her support, her possessiveness simultaneously reached its peak.
She wouldn't allow this relationship to be shared or intruded upon by anyone else, nor would she give up on Su Cheng.
When she learned the truth, her first reaction was neither to question Su Cheng nor to turn away, but to draw her sword and kill without regard for the consequences.
This was why Su Cheng had been stalling earlier.
Because he knew that if this matter wasn't handled well, it would become a lifelong rift between them.
As a result, in his delaying, the problem only escalated.
Even now, he didn't understand how she suddenly erupted during her seclusion or who leaked the information.
Sitting nearby, Bibi Dong couldn't help but ask again, seeing his prolonged silence, "Are you going to look for her? Maybe she's waiting for you."
"Xiaoxue won't want to see me for now." Su Cheng shook his head, his expression calming down.
"At first, she drew her sword on Zhuqing probably out of extreme anger. But choosing to leave without a word, that wasn't done in a fit of pique."
Naturally, he didn't know what Bibi Dong had said to Qian Renxue; otherwise, he might not have been so certain.
"I will search for her, but in my current state, even if I find her, I might not be able to keep her. I should wait for a while."
He could scheme many things, but matters of the heart were not so simple.
Qian Renxue's emotions were unstable now. If he met her without being able to provide a satisfactory answer, it would only make things more complicated.
It was better to let time dissolve some of the conflicts and ferment longing. That might be a better approach.
Thinking of this, Su Cheng asked, "Did she mention where she was going?"
"No, given our relationship, there's no way she would tell me such things."
"Sigh, in the end, I was too arrogant. I didn't expect her strength to have improved to this degree. It's quite strange."
Seeing his dejection, Bibi Dong moved closer, gently stroking his cheek with her pale fingers, and softly said, "I am still here. I will never leave you. No matter what you want to do, I will support you."
Su Cheng's body stiffened.
Bibi Dong's sudden initiative took him by surprise.
But before he could say more, her gentle yet pale face moved closer, her soul power intertwining with his as she murmured, "Su Cheng, my head hurts."
Hearing this, Su Cheng's expression turned more serious, suppressing what he originally wanted to say.
To save him, Bibi Dong had expended too much. This couldn't be delayed; he needed to carefully observe the current state of Bibi Dong's soul.
If it couldn't be alleviated in time, who knew to what extent her cultivation would fall, or even if her vitality might begin to dissipate.
Thus, he didn't refuse her soul's entanglement, instead using his own cultivation method to channel his soul power.
In the next moment, his soul, faintly burning with a golden flame, merged with the core of her soul energy, which emitted a watery blue glow.
As his consciousness sank in, Su Cheng's perspective instantly changed.
Under a gloomy and dim sky, a few lotuses gently swayed.
Compared to its former glory, the scene before him was far beyond mere "decline"—it was practically a wasteland.
The once-large lotus pond now held only a thin layer of water, which was no longer clear.
The mud at the bottom of the pond, like a living thing, constantly churned, muddying the water and blackening the lotus roots.
The countless lotuses that used to thrive were now reduced to just over a dozen, all of which bore marks of having been scorched by fire, with incomplete petals and leaves.
Seeing the desolate scene before him, Su Cheng couldn't help but feel a heavy silence.
Bibi Dong's injuries were far more severe than he had imagined.
It was likely that her suffering went far beyond mere headaches; even maintaining a clear mind must have required immense mental effort.
Yet, despite this, she had continued to pour her soul power into him during his unconscious state...
At this moment, a graceful figure dressed in a white, form-fitting long dress, with a delicate and slender silhouette, appeared beside Su Cheng.
He turned his head to look.
Bibi Dong's complexion had finally regained some of its former glow, no longer as pallid as it was in the outside world. Even her hairstyle had been adjusted.
Underneath her delicate legs, her perfectly shaped snow-white bare feet could be seen.
Her slightly curly, soft long hair was no longer tied up but fell naturally over her shoulders and back, gently swaying.
Although her appearance hadn't changed, her demeanor seemed much younger, reminiscent of her appearance in the simulated world when they were together.
Su Cheng couldn't help but feel a moment of daze.
Only her eyes remained dim and lifeless, exuding a softness that tugged at one's heartstrings.
In this place, she could manifest a form with her consciousness, and her appearance could be adjusted at will.
But the eyes are the windows to the soul. With her soul state so weak and withered, it was impossible for her eyes to regain their past brilliance.
Her snow-white feet walked silently on the ground, stopping beside Su Cheng at the pond's edge.
Looking at him, Bibi Dong softly asked, "How is it? Is there hope?"
"Of course there's hope," Su Cheng regained his composure. "If worst comes to worst, even taking immortal herbs could help replenish some of your foundation. But I need to assess the situation first."
He didn't say any words of gratitude.
For her to do so much for him, at this moment, any words would seem too pale.
Gazing at the ruined lotus pond before him, Su Cheng silently pondered.
For ordinary people, souls are integrated and whole, without the concept of a soul core.
Bibi Dong, however, was different. That bit of starlight had created a higher-level gathering place for her soul energy out of thin air.
Thus, this consciousness world had a somewhat special nature.
But for the healing and adjustment of injuries, this was a good thing.
As long as the foundation of this soul realm could be restored to normal operation, Bibi Dong's soul as a whole would not have any more serious problems.
"What you said before was indeed correct. The parasitic and polluting power of the Rakshasa God's power is too strong and cannot be easily suppressed. With the loss of your soul essence, those evil thoughts have started to stir again, attempting to continue influencing your mind and will."
After observing and pondering for a while, Su Cheng slowly muttered, "So, in addition to the damage to the soul essence, the remaining Rakshasa God's power is also a huge hidden danger."
"..."
Bibi Dong lowered her eyelids and remained silent.
Actually, these incessantly churning evil thoughts were not entirely due to the Rakshasa God's power. She understood that the Rakshasa God's power only affected a very small part.
More of it actually stemmed from her own long-suppressed evil thoughts and greed.
However, there was no need to explain this in detail to Su Cheng.
After all, no matter how old a little fairy is, she is still a little fairy.
How could a little fairy have bad thoughts?
It was all the fault of that despicable and hateful Rakshasa God!
"May I touch it?" Su Cheng squatted down, looked at the small amount of water remaining in front of him, and asked softly.
"... Do as you please." A blush appeared on Bibi Dong's face.
At the moment his fingers touched the water's surface, both of their bodies shook simultaneously.
Especially Bibi Dong, her figure became blurry and almost dissipated on the spot.
After all, this body was just a manifestation of her consciousness.
Her soul essence, her senses, her real soul "body," was right in front of them, this lotus pond.
The clean pond water, the spotless white lotus, and the churning mud at the bottom of the pond together constituted her truest and fullest self.
"..."
Bibi Dong bit her lower lip hard, barely holding back a moan.
That touch just now felt like a finger gently caressing her heart.
That kind of intimate contact without any barriers almost made her lose herself, trembling...
But before they could say anything to ease the embarrassment from earlier, ripples suddenly rose on the shallow water surface.
The next moment, the consciousness body of Su Cheng, made up of a small amount of soul essence, suddenly had a dense light golden flame appear on its surface.
Then, as if attracted by something, these flames quickly gathered toward his fingertips.
The light golden flames seemed to form a delicate balance with the pond water's moisture.
The flames gradually dissipated, and some of the pond water also turned into steam, spreading into the air. The mud at the bottom of the pond dispersed.
"Water and fire in harmony?"
Su Cheng watched this scene in surprise.
Only a fleeting thought crossed his mind before he was overwhelmed by the surging waves of pleasure.
Bibi Dong, on the other hand, could not withstand it and directly dissipated with a muffled groan.
Although Su Cheng had completed the Five Elements Perfection at the level of his martial spirit and physical body, and had comprehended the powerful sword intent of Great Annihilation, his understanding of attributes was very deep, but those were just ordinary attributes and did not involve the soul.
At this moment, whether it was the still-burning solar flames in his soul or the pure pond water in this lotus pond, they were different from ordinary water and fire, beyond what his current perception could comprehend. It was normal for abnormal situations beyond his control to occur.
Of course, Su Cheng was not taking a reckless risk.
Before this, he had not felt any warning signs in his heart, and his extremely powerful instincts did not issue any alarms, which was why he dared to try.
Moreover, the scale of the soul essence he brought into this place was not large.
Whether it dissipated or carried some of the solar flames, it would not cause too much damage to Bibi Dong or himself.
After a long time, Su Cheng slowly opened his eyes.
In front of him was a shimmering view, with clear waves silently moistening his skin.
Unknowingly, he had already been lying in the shallow water of the lotus pond.
Although there was mud underneath, the mud near his body appeared calm and serene, no longer as turbulent and boiling as before, completely purified by the solar flames.
Not only that, but his soul also felt extraordinarily light and pure at this moment.
This was not just due to the cooling and refreshing feeling from the extinguished flames that constantly roasted his soul, but also a fundamental enhancement, making him seem more complete than before.
Before he could carefully examine his condition, Su Cheng quickly sat up and looked around, searching for Bibi Dong's figure.
But there was no sign of anyone.
The graceful figure in the plain white dress was long gone.
"Bibi Dong? Are you okay?"
Su Cheng walked out of the pond, his voice slightly hoarse. The sensation just now was so comfortable that it almost made him completely lose himself.
If the flames in this part of his soul essence had not been exhausted, he might not have been able to wake up.
"..."
After he asked, there was a silence all around, with no one responding.
At first, Su Cheng did not pay much attention.
He had gained a lot, but such harmonious dual cultivation of water and fire clearly could not only benefit him. The changes in the mud beneath him were proof.
However, seeing no response for a long time, he could not help but start to worry, "Bibi Dong? Your Holiness?"
"No-nothing..."
Bibi Dong's figure did not appear.
Only a very soft voice came from all directions, echoing above the pond.
That voice was hoarse and sticky, like spring water entwined in the throat, sounding exceptionally seductive.
Just from this tone, one could tell the state she was in at the moment.
Su Cheng was silent for a moment, then hesitantly said, "The cultivation method just now seems to be quite effective. Shall we try it again?"
"..."
No one responded.
"Your Holiness?" He tentatively asked again.
"Get out of here first!"
"..."
After a long time, until Su Cheng's figure disappeared, Bibi Dong, dressed in a plain white dress, reappeared.
"Huff... huff..."
With heavy breaths, she collapsed weakly to the ground, her half-open eyes filled with a watery mist, gazing blankly at the sky, rippling with an intense, uncontainable emotion.
At this moment, a head suddenly blocked the sky, taking up most of her view.
"Although it's a bit embarrassing, it seems that we can only use this method for now. Otherwise, your soul damage might not be completely healed in a short time."
"I-I didn't say it was impossible!" Bibi Dong's face turned red instantly, her tone somewhat exasperated, "Can you get out of here, are you trying to mock me?"
"I didn't mean that..." Su Cheng's expression was awkward.
"Never mind, I'll just leave first."