Chapter 22: Come to My Room to Absorb the Spirit Bone

As Xu Sheng walked to the academy entrance, he caught sight of a woman with a graceful figure, whose every gesture stirred hidden desires, dressed in the formal robes of the Pope. Standing beside her was Qi Ruo, whose face was etched with reverence; he nodded incessantly as he spoke with Bibi Dong.

However, a moment later, as Bibi Dong’s thin lips parted to utter a few words, Qi Ruo’s expression shifted instantly. It was as if he had heard something utterly unbelievable; his pupils contracted sharply, and his face was soon overwhelmed by a mixture of fear and astonishment.

Qi Ruo took a sharp, jagged breath and said in a grave tone, "Your Majesty, please rest assured, I will never speak a word of this."

Bibi Dong, clutching her purple-gold scepter with a cold, haughty expression, relaxed slightly and gave a subtle nod. She could not allow the fact that Xu Sheng had already reached the Title Douluo rank to be widely known. Aside from the few who absolutely had to know, she would not permit anyone to spread the word. He possessed the potential to reach the level of a Limit Douluo before the age of thirty, or perhaps even ascend to godhood. He would be the ultimate trump card for the Spirit Hall to dominate the entire continent.

Xu Sheng walked toward them with a calm expression. Upon reaching Bibi Dong, he bowed respectfully. "Teacher, did you summon me for something?"

Bibi Dong responded with a soft, "Hmm." Then, her cold, emotionless eyes flickered toward Qi Ruo, and she said coldly, "Qi Ruo, you may return now."

Qi Ruo cast a long, lingering look at Xu Sheng before turning to leave. If the Pope hadn't told him, he might never have known that this boy, Xu Sheng, had already far surpassed him in cultivation, reaching the terrifying level of a Title Douluo. Aside from theoretical knowledge, he had absolutely nothing to offer as a mentor to someone like Xu Sheng.

Xu Sheng narrowed his eyes, feigning confusion. "Teacher, what were you discussing just now? Why did Instructor Qi Ruo look at me so strangely?"

Bibi Dong did not answer. Instead, she pressed her thin lips together and offered a stiff, forced smile, her eyes glimmering with a flicker of hope. "Xiao Sheng, may I call you that?"

She always saw the shadow of Yu Xiaogang in Xu Sheng. They were both geniuses, though they operated in different fields. The entire continent knew that Yu Xiaogang—the Grandmaster—had proposed the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Souls, which were world-renowned, even if no one had dared to test them with their own spirits. Yet, his mutated Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon spirit, considered a waste, remained the stain of his life. In contrast, Xu Sheng possessed a unique and terrifying talent for martial arts, though his theoretical knowledge was not as prominent. This was why Bibi Dong subconsciously linked these two unrelated individuals.

Xu Sheng’s expression flickered with slight surprise. For the typically cold and distant Bibi Dong to speak so intimately to someone she had only known for a few days—it was undoubtedly tied to the man she had loved in her youth, Yu Xiaogang.

Xu Sheng smiled gently. "Of course you may. But, Teacher, is there something on your mind that you find difficult to express?"

Bibi Dong’s body trembled as if struck by a sudden shock. She snapped coldly, "You will know of this in the future."

Xu Sheng immediately fell silent. He knew that his words had touched upon the painful memories of her past. He needed to let her calm down, or else he would only lower his standing in her eyes.

Bibi Dong closed her eyes briefly and reopened them, her voice tinged with a hint of apology. "My apologies, Xiao Sheng. Some things are not yet meant to be spoken. Let us talk as we walk."

This was a rare opportunity to bridge the gap between master and disciple; he would be a fool to refuse.

Walking side by side along the paths of the Spirit Hall, one could clearly see that Bibi Dong was at least a head and a half taller than him. She lowered her purple-gold scepter slightly and said in a calm, melodic tone, "Xu Sheng, what I discussed with Qi Ruo just now concerned you."

"Is it because of my spirit power level?" the clever Xu Sheng immediately surmised.

Bibi Dong nodded, her gaze fixed intently upon him. "Indeed. You have already reached the Title Douluo level; the training that Lie Na and the others undergo is more harmful than helpful to you. That is why I have come to formulate your training plan myself."

Xu Sheng paused for a moment, then gave a faint smile. "Teacher, I understand."

Bibi Dong was truly a decisive woman. After accepting him as a disciple, although she had ostensibly only given him three spirit bones, she had secretly invested great effort into crafting a plan specifically for him. Having a teacher who was so dedicated and sincere made Xu Sheng feel that becoming her disciple was the right choice.

However, a new doubt arose in his mind. Although he had not been deliberately cultivating lately, his spirit power had been steadily and strangely rising, yet it always hovered around a bottleneck, unable to find the opportunity to break through. He voiced his confusion, "Teacher, recently I have touched the threshold of level 91, but I cannot seem to find the breakthrough point. Do you know why this might be?"

Bibi Dong had already reached the level of a 99th-level Limit Douluo; she must have experienced this before. Perhaps she knew something.

Bibi Dong frowned upon hearing this, realizing that Xu Sheng’s situation differed significantly from what she had anticipated. In her experience, after absorbing spirit bones, the body should be able to withstand the pressure of rising spirit power; if he had already reached the threshold, he should not be unable to break through.

Her tone grew urgent and grave. "Still at level 90? Xiao Sheng, have you absorbed the spirit bones I gave you?"

Xu Sheng blinked, then shook his head. "Not yet. After obtaining my spirit ring, I haven't found the right opportunity to absorb them."

As he spoke, his eyes suddenly brightened. Could it be that his physical state was the reason he couldn't break through? It was highly likely.

Bibi Dong leaned closer to Xu Sheng and reached out to grasp his slender wrist with her soft, pale hand, closing her eyes to sense the state of his body. Unknowingly, the scent of a mature woman, unique to Bibi Dong, drifted into Xu Sheng’s nostrils, causing him to calm his mind and feel an unprecedented sense of pleasure. His mind became dozens of times clearer. In such an atmosphere, Xu Sheng dared not move a muscle, fearing the woman might notice something.

After a long moment, Bibi Dong opened her beautiful eyes, slowly released his wrist, and gripped her scepter once more. A cold, stern look appeared on her exquisitely beautiful face. "Xu Sheng, today you will go to my chambers to absorb the spirit bones. I have installed specialized shielding soul devices there."

"Hmm," Xu Sheng responded subconsciously, but as the meaning sank in, his eyes widened in disbelief. "Teacher, did you just say... you want me to go to your chambers to absorb the spirit bones?"

Had he heard correctly? Was Bibi Dong actually letting a man into her private quarters to absorb spirit bones?

Bibi Dong’s expression grew even colder. "What? Are you unwilling?"

Xu Sheng felt a chill and hurriedly waved his hands. "Teacher, that is not what I meant. I was merely worried that I might disturb you."

Damn it, being invited into Bibi Dong’s private chambers—was this a torment or a blessing?