In the Divine Realm, the minds of the supreme gods varied, but with numerous affairs to manage, their attention on the lower realm was fleeting and inconsequential, not yet truly affecting the workings of the mortal world.
On the Douluo Continent, in the Pope's Hall of Spirit City, in the private living room of the Pope, Su Cheng and Bibi Dong sat together.
It had been almost a year since Qian Renxue left and the two had been healing through soul fusion.
Six months ago, Su Cheng had briefly left Spirit City to search for Qian Renxue.
He traveled through various provinces of the two great empires but could not find any trace of her. It seemed Qian Renxue still did not want to see him.
If Qian Renxue chose to hide, there wasn't much Su Cheng could do about it.
At that time, his injuries hadn't fully healed, preventing him from conducting extensive sensory searches.
Moreover, with Qian Renxue's significant improvement over six months, she might be able to completely conceal her unique powers.
Su Cheng also inquired with Qian Daoliu, but the Angel Douluo did not know his granddaughter's whereabouts.
Qian Renxue had only mentioned that she had reached a bottleneck in her cultivation and needed to increase her spirit power level and add spirit rings without elaborating further.
Except for that one trip, Su Cheng stayed in Spirit City the rest of the time.
Occasionally, he would visit the academy, but mostly he focused on healing and cultivating with Bibi Dong.
In the room, Su Cheng sat calmly on a large sofa.
By now, he no longer emitted any aura of a spirit master, appearing just like an ordinary person, though his deep black eyes were exceptionally profound.
Beside him, Bibi Dong, dressed in a casual long dress, looked serene.
The morning light fell on her thick hair and long eyelashes, casting a soft shadow on her delicate face.
Her expensive white fitted long dress was simple in style, with dark gold patterns on the surface that shimmered, perfectly outlining her slender waist.
Unlike Su Cheng, Bibi Dong sat diagonally on the sofa, her long legs stretched out, occupying most of the space, her smooth calves and flawless bare feet swaying gently.
Her soft back leaned against his side, casually flipping through a notebook, a thoughtful expression in her eyes.
This somewhat intimate mode of interaction seemed natural to both of them, as if they had gotten used to it.
This was not surprising.
Soul fusion was far more intimate than physical union.
Especially since both of them gained great benefits from it, complementing each other's foundations, which was rare.
This form of interaction was not driven by lust and didn't necessarily occur between lovers.
Such a relationship might be better described as "Dao companions."
In fact, if two highly compatible individuals of the same sex practiced and communicated in this manner, they could also become extremely close, even possibly changing their sexual orientation.
Moreover, Su Cheng and Bibi Dong already harbored feelings for each other but had never expressed them due to various special reasons and obstacles.
After nearly a year of spending time together, subtle changes naturally occurred between them.
Besides, Bibi Dong was very adept at managing their interactions, maintaining a delicate balance right at the edge of propriety.
She ensured that every action was within Su Cheng's acceptable range while being much more intimate than that of ordinary friends.
Clearly, after so long of dual cultivation, she had gained a deep understanding of Su Cheng.
She greatly enjoyed this subtle sense of mental connection.
As for Su Cheng, he probably felt the same way, she often guessed in her heart.
However, Bibi Dong was in no hurry to take things further.
Being able to interact like this had already far exceeded her initial expectations.
"I can't understand what you've written here at all."
Bibi Dong sighed as she flipped through the notebook in her hand, shifting slightly and complaining lazily in a low voice.
Her back, separated by only a thin layer of clothing, rubbed against Su Cheng's arm, and the smooth lines of her muscles were clearly felt by his senses.
Her hair unintentionally brushed against his neck, and a faint fragrance lingered.
Bibi Dong's voice carried a hint of doubt, "Are you sure you completely understand the nature of your power?"
"Of course I do. But my situation is something you can't replicate. It's normal if you don't understand. If you hadn't insisted I write it down, I wouldn't have bothered. This kind of thing can't be adequately expressed in words."
Su Cheng retorted casually.
With his soul injuries fully healed over the past two days, his physical condition had finally stabilized.
In terms of combat power, it had indeed declined significantly.
His second-stage Longevity True Form required sufficient innate force for support.
The essence in his seventh spirit ring acted as a catalyst, enhancing the efficiency of using innate force.
But even the best cook can't make a meal without ingredients.
Having lost six spirit rings, his spirit power reserve had more than halved, turning his previously strong vitality into a weakness, and his domain had been severely compromised.
In this state, even with a fully intact seventh spirit ring, he could not unleash his full power, not even performing as well as when he first condensed the seventh spirit ring.
However, this only referred to his ultimate combat strength.
His regular combat power was far superior to before, firmly placing him at the level of a third-level god.
The most crucial aspect was the substantial improvement in his physical foundation and power realm.
Internally observing himself, his meridians displayed a faint bright yellow hue. Both the main meridians and the smaller branches were as clear and transparent as glass.
Even the residual sparks that used to cling to the inner walls of his meridians now only brought a slight tingling sensation, causing him almost no trouble.
His physical quality had made a significant leap. His tendons were like dragons, his blood like mercury, circulating throughout his body.
But the key was the energy circulating within him.
It might no longer be considered pure energy, neither ordinary spirit power nor innate force.
Instead, it had fused with his muscles and blood, becoming part of his organs, blending with his internal systems and growing naturally like breathing.
This could be called truly fused energy, no longer distinguishable as "spirit power" or "vital force."
Although the total amount had greatly decreased due to the shattered rings, the energy was of extremely high quality and stable, with the potential to grow continuously through cultivation, offering him enormous room for improvement.
This energy could no longer be called "innate force" because its nature was entirely different from the energy form nurtured by the innate skill.
For Su Cheng, this was a blessing in disguise.
Under the scorching power of the Sunfire, a force on par with innate energy, various energies within his body were forced to truly blend together. Coupled with the successive destruction of the first five five-element soul rings and the unique sixth soul ring, which contained a strong essence of immortality, this fusion forged a prototype of this energy.
Finally, after a crucial step of nourishment by Bibi Dong's special water soul.
Just like a divine sword being tempered in fire, after nearly a year, the various energies in his body finally truly merged.
"…You call this power 'True Force'? Isn't it still innate energy?"
Flipping to the last page of the notebook, Bibi Dong's expression showed a hint of surprise.
"Yes, it's different from innate energy now. As long as one continues to cultivate along this path, the body and soul will perfectly merge, the will will be unified throughout the body, without any distinction. This is the path of seeking the true self, so I named it 'True Force'."
Su Cheng felt a bit emotional.
One must admit, the concept of "opportunity" in cultivation is indeed wonderful and extremely important.
He has always been a cautious person, preferring to plan thoroughly before acting, including in cultivation.
He would first conduct research, ensure the path was feasible, and only then begin to try it. This cautiousness could be seen in his reluctance to consume celestial herbs.
If it weren't for sudden changes, he would have found it hard to decide to abandon the foundation he had painstakingly built and start anew.
Innate energy was already a very high-level force.
Su Cheng's achievement, breaking free from the constraints of the original power system of Douluo Star, was a result of tremendous effort, accumulation of knowledge, research, and the experience of countless predecessors.
The path of energy fusion was certainly correct, but the state enhancement seemed problematic; Ah Yin's reminder was quite sensible.
As for how to solidify this state, he had no ideas yet.
Previously, when he completed his cultivation method, it had almost exhausted all his foundation.
The future might offer opportunities for further advancement, but it would require more resources and accumulation from various directions.
To truly succeed, who knew how many years it would take.
But for Su Cheng, he didn't have that much time. He knew that there were threats beyond the heavens, many beings eyeing Douluo Star covetously, so he had to remain vigilant.
Therefore, he took a unique approach. Upon discovering the marvelous use of primal energy, he chose to use it to take a shortcut.
No matter how much this incident caused his strength to regress, it was certainly not a bad thing.
Now, he had re-entered a period of rapid cultivation.
Su Cheng had a premonition that one day, when his soul and body truly merged without distinction, he would return to the level of a second-tier god.
He would no longer need to rely on the True Martial Spirit Body to enhance his combat power, nor need the so-called perfect innate energy for boosting, because his normal combat power would be his strongest combat power.
By then, he might abandon the seventh soul ring, shatter it and integrate it into his body. Even the martial spirit would return to his bloodline.
And his foundation would undergo a fundamental and earth-shattering transformation.
"Body and soul perfectly merged?" Bibi Dong murmured softly, a trace of longing in her eyes.
Her own soul had a special nature, and if she could achieve this step, the benefits would be unimaginable.
"Don't dream about it, you're still far off."
Su Cheng heard her muttering and ruthlessly shattered her fantasy.
The way the energy operated within Su Cheng's body, Bibi Dong actually knew it very well, but she couldn't grasp the principles.
After such a long time of soul intermingling, they knew each other's physical conditions inside out.
But when she tried to learn and refer, Bibi Dong found herself at a loss, so she pestered Su Cheng to write it down for her to study.
"Annoying." Bibi Dong pouted and tossed the notebook onto a nearby table.
"Don't move, I'm going to sleep."
"Go sleep in your own bed."
Su Cheng frowned.
With her current cultivation level and soul foundation, she didn't need sleep at all, and her injuries had long since healed, recovering even faster than Su Cheng.
Bibi Dong ignored him, shifted slightly, and lay down, resting her head on Su Cheng's lap, her hands folded over her smooth abdomen.
Her chest rose in a high arc, completely exposed to Su Cheng's view, making his mouth go dry.
"…"
Su Cheng opened his mouth but eventually said nothing, helplessly averting his gaze.
The room fell silent.
Bright sunlight streamed into the room. The man sitting on the sofa with a straight back and deep eyes, and the woman lying on his lap with a beautiful face and gentle curves, formed a peaceful and eternal living picture.
After a long silence, Su Cheng suddenly spoke softly, "I have to leave Spirit Hall for a while in a few days."
"Oh."
Although Bibi Dong's voice was calm with her eyes closed, he could still sense her displeasure.
Su Cheng felt a bit awkward.
Having just healed, he was about to leave again, which seemed a bit like treating her as a tool.
Although both had gained a lot during this process, he had undoubtedly benefited much more, and essentially he was the one receiving the favor.
After thinking for a while, Su Cheng added, "I'll plan your subsequent cultivation focus and the various affairs of the Spirit Hall for you in the next two days."
"Mm."
Bibi Dong didn't seem to care about these things; she just casually responded.
Then she asked nonchalantly, "What are you planning to do this time?"
"…"
Seeing his silence, Bibi Dong frowned and looked up, "If you can't say it, just forget it."
"It's nothing I can't say…"
Hesitating, Su Cheng coughed lightly, "I'm planning to visit the Blue Silver Grass Forest."
"Haha, a married woman, very exciting, isn't it?"
Su Cheng was speechless.
You weren't like this before, and didn't you leave Ah Yin in Spirit Hall yourself back then? Why are you mocking me now?
Although he was complaining inwardly, he certainly wouldn't say such foolish things.
So, he explained, "Her current power is very special. Regardless of its level, it seems more attuned to this world. If I can study it, it might be very helpful. Even for you, it could be beneficial. Besides, this was what I promised her before, to let her temporarily leave Spirit Hall and find her in the Blue Silver Grass Forest within a year."
"Since it's your agreement, you should keep it. No need to explain to me." Bibi Dong closed her eyes again.
Then she said mockingly, "Mr. Su is so knowledgeable and charming, making her abandon her husband and son for you, I can't stop you from keeping your word, can I?"
Su Cheng could only remain silent.