Bibi Dong's body swayed slightly. Though it had only been a mental illusion, the experience had left her utterly exhausted—both physically and emotionally. If Li Chang'an hadn't pulled her out in time, she might not have been able to return at all.
Just as she steadied herself, Bibi Dong caught sight of Li Chang'an's bright, clear eyes looking at her. Her face flushed red in an instant. To be honest, what had happened in the illusion had long surpassed the boundaries between teacher and student...
But strangely enough, Bibi Dong didn't feel repulsed by the experience. There was no particular reason—just that the person involved was Li Chang'an.
"Teacher, are you alright?" Li Chang'an asked instinctively, still holding her hand.
"I'm fine, Chang'an, I..." Bibi Dong hesitated, momentarily lost. She didn't know how to define her relationship with Li Chang'an anymore. To call him her disciple felt inappropriate now, yet calling him her lover didn't seem quite right either.
But Li Chang'an, an old veteran of the dating scene, could easily see what was going on in Bibi Dong's heart. This situation reminded him of the time in his previous life when he had pursued a senior student.
Back then, the senior had just gone through a breakup. Li Chang'an had found an excuse to take her on a relaxing trip. During the journey, he put in maximum effort, successfully winning her heart. But he hadn't pushed her into a relationship—he had gently given her time to think things through.
This situation now was much the same. Although Bibi Dong hadn't been in a relationship for years, she had only just barely walked out of the shadow of her last one. Pushing too hard now would backfire.
"Teacher, don't overthink things. No matter what happens in the future, let's just go with the flow. But whatever happens, I'll always be by your side."
At this moment, what she needed most was comfort—reassurance. Li Chang'an deliberately left a loophole in his words, saying they should "go with the flow," subtly planting the idea while calming her heart.
"Mm... thank you, Chang'an." Bibi Dong visibly relaxed. The look in her eyes changed slightly as she gazed at him—clearly, the illusion training had done more than just test her mental strength.
But Li Chang'an wasn't done yet. As the two stood up, he didn't let go of her hand. A small gesture—but a meaningful one. He was carefully drawing closer to Bibi Dong, inch by inch, in a way that didn't feel abrupt or intrusive.
"Teacher, let's go check the reward and head to the fourth floor." Supporting Bibi Dong, Li Chang'an glanced toward the nearby teleportation array that had just appeared.
"Only Spirit Masters above the Spirit Sage level may enter the fourth floor. Please stop here."
A cold, emotionless voice suddenly rang out beside them, making Li Chang'an's heart skip a beat.
What kind of rule is this?
"Hey, Purple Mist, come on—can't you let us in through the back door? It's just the fourth floor! I think I'm strong enough to match a spirit Sage," Li Chang'an called toward the sky.
"Sorry, this is a rule set by the Rakshasa God. There's nothing I can do. If you don't meet the requirement, you can't pass," the voice in the sky replied without emotion.
Li Chang'an clearly didn't buy it. He walked straight to the teleportation array and let the scanning light pass over him—only to be left standing right where he was.
'Alright, guess this screening system really works...'
Li Chang'an grumbled to himself.
Just then, Bibi Dong gently said, "Let's go back for now, Chang'an. I'm feeling a bit drained."
"Wait a second, Teacher." Li Chang'an gently patted her small hand, making her blush again.
He looked back at the sky and asked, "Hey, what about the reward for the third floor?"
"The moment you passed the illusion trial, your reward was granted—your Mental power has increased by one level."
Hearing this, both Li Chang'an and Bibi Dong immediately focused inward. Their expressions lit up with joy—just as expected!
You see, Mental power was a mysterious and crucial force for Spirit Masters. While its classification system wasn't well-established yet, its importance was becoming clearer, especially for powerful individuals.
A boost in Mental power by an entire level was a massive reward—particularly for Bibi Dong. It laid a solid foundation for her future breakthrough to the level of Limit Douluo and eventual ascension to a divine position.
As for Li Chang'an, the gain was even more practical. This save him a whopping 100,000 points he would've otherwise needed to buy a Mental Fruit. His current mental power might still be a bit below a newly advanced Title Douluo, but not by much.
As space distorted once more, Li Chang'an and Bibi Dong opened their eyes to find themselves on the edge of an oasis, surrounded by endless desert. With the suppression of the Rakshasa Tower gone, their soul power naturally returned to them.
That long-lost feeling... It felt amazing!
"Teacher, where exactly is this place?" Li Chang'an asked, looking at the boundless desert landscape with curiosity.
Forgive him—he really had no idea about Douluo Continent's geography, especially when it came to deserts.
"This area is within the borders of the Heaven Dou Empire, in the northeast region. For about a hundred miles in every direction, it's considered uninhabited territory. I only discovered it by chance after reading through countless old texts."
Because Bibi Dong didn't possess the Angel Martial Soul, she was ineligible for the divine inheritance passed down by the Spirit Hall. Only direct descendants with the Angel Martial Soul could receive it. So Bibi Dong had long been searching for alternate paths—hoping to find the legacy of another God.
Just then, she suddenly grabbed Li Chang'an's arm and flew into the air, her face turning serious as she looked down at the desert below.
In that split second, she had felt an overwhelming sense of danger—but now, strangely enough, it had vanished without a trace.
Although Li Chang'an's reaction hadn't been quite as fast, he had also sensed the killing intent. And it didn't feel human—it felt like it came from a soul beast.
Looking down at the vast desert with no sign of life, Bibi Dong hesitated. That presence—where had it gone?
Suddenly, a thought struck her. Her expression darkened as she spoke in a low voice, "When I was studying ancient texts, I came across a record of a hundred-thousand-year-old soul beast deep in this desert."
"It's a type of soul beast that has long been considered extinct. The last record of it appearing was over a thousand years ago. Since then, there's been no trace of it."
"They call it 'Thousand Morph' because of its exceptional ability to change shape. It can transform into various forms, alter its color, and mimic objects. As for its original form... the ancient books didn't say."
"Teacher, I won't lie to you," Li Chang'an said solemnly, locking eyes with her. "I want that soul beast as my soul ring."
Wasn't this a gift sent right to his doorstep? And if that soul beast truly possessed such transformation abilities, it could enhance his Martial Soul to take on different forms—maybe even different 'skins'!
Just imagine: like in Honor of Kings, being able to swap between all kinds of limited-edition skins at will...
Yeah, there was no way he was letting this one go.
___
T/N:
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