With the Heaven Dou Royal Academy's departure, the first Continental Elite Spirit Master Tournament finally came to a close.
Using the tournament as a platform, Spirit Hall created a sweeping wave of momentum. The "Golden Generation" and Su Linfeng became topics spreading like a storm across the entire continent.
The next morning.
Inside the Pope's Palace chambers.
Bibi Dong finally had time to personally prepare breakfast for Su Linfeng and Hu Liena.
These past few days, she had noticed Su Linfeng acting strangely. Perhaps it was adolescence—his attention seemed to have shifted in… a different direction.
At his age, his energy should be overflowing. Haa… forget it. Let him figure it out on his own.
Not long after, Hu Liena came in to help Bibi Dong prepare the meal. Su Linfeng ended his cultivation, pushed open the door, and stepped out.
"Whew, mealtime?"
Stretching his arms, he grinned. "Perfect timing—I'm starving…"
"You little rascal, didn't you sleep last night?" Bibi Dong gave him a curious look. "You slept through the whole day and night!"
"Ah… uh…"
Su Linfeng twitched, forcing a cough and explained, "Maybe I drank too much last night. Guess I overdid it and got tired."
Drank too much?
Hu Liena blinked, stealing a glance at him. That couldn't be right—he had gone to bed early the night before.
How could he be exhausted?
Still, she didn't expose him. Instead, she lowered her eyes to the dishes on the table. "Teacher, could you make the meals a little less rich? Zhang Ping keeps teasing me that I've gotten fat."
Fat?
Linfeng almost laughed. That wasn't "fat." That was… "full." Hu Liena clearly didn't catch Zhang Ping's real meaning.
"You call that fat?"
Bibi Dong sighed. "You're still young, you're still growing. Of course, your food intake needs to match."
"Teacher… I've already grown up."
Hu Liena's cheeks turned pink. She hated being treated like a child, especially in front of Su Linfeng. She was an adult now.
"Teacher, you should control yourself too, shouldn't you?"
Her face even redder, she pushed out her chest with a straight face. "Your body seems to have… grown some flesh as well."
Bibi Dong: "…"
Su Linfeng: "…"
Good grief!
Liena, you're truly clueless!
That wasn't "flesh"… Linfeng nearly spat out his rice.
He quickly lowered his head and focused on eating, not daring to comment.
Bibi Dong's own cheeks flushed. That was when she realized—Hu Liena too had entered puberty. And she had never properly taught her.
"Cough, cough!"
Bibi Dong cleared her throat, face warm. "That's enough about this. Eat."
Hu Liena obediently shut her mouth. She had no idea why her teacher suddenly changed expression, but she dared not press the topic.
Strangely, even Su Linfeng's face was red.
So odd…
"These next few days, you won't attend Spirit Academy. Instead, use Spirit Hall's simulation environment to reflect on your tournament battles. Focus on rapid growth and breakthroughs."
While eating, Bibi Dong continued, "Liena, after the meal, you'll come with me. I need to speak with you privately."
"Yes, Teacher."
Hu Liena nodded.
What's this about?
Linfeng raised an eyebrow. A lecture, maybe? Starting thought education now? Too late. Liena's already hopelessly clueless.
After breakfast, Bibi Dong took Hu Liena away.
Su Linfeng tidied up briefly, then sat cross-legged beneath the blazing sun, resuming cultivation.
He continued to refine his bloodline power.
After several evolutions, his spirit power had been purified to the extreme—virtually free of impurities.
Though his spirit power was only Rank 52, his spiritual power had already reached a near Titled Douluo level. His body and meridians had evolved alongside it—though not as strong as his spirit, they were at least equivalent to a Spirit Douluo's.
His next step: strengthen both body and spirit, so that when his power reached Rank 60 Spirit Emperor, he could withstand the pressure of a hundred-thousand-year spirit ring.
After all, a spirit beast could only self-condense rings up to the sixth.
From the seventh onward, one had to hunt spirit beasts.
Before taking human form, his cultivation had already reached the hundred-thousand-year stage. This way, he could fully compress all that energy into his sixth ring.
Starting anew from the hundred-thousand-year level.
"Brother Su!"
He didn't know how much time had passed before a voice pulled him from meditation.
"…!?"
Opening his eyes, he saw Hu Liena had returned.
Her face glowed crimson. She stood staring at him, eyes filled with expectation and curiosity.
He let his cultivation fade, motioning for her to sit. What he really wanted to know was what Bibi Dong had just spoken to her about.
They chatted briefly.
"So you're saying…"
Linfeng frowned. "The Pope went to the Barak Kingdom? And won't return for days? Why didn't she tell me?"
"Um…"
Hu Liena fidgeted. "Teacher was worried you'd insist on following her. So she told me to pass it on. She said that after she handles matters in Barak, she'll go to the Star Dou Forest to meet you. Didn't you promise to help Dugu Yan get her spirit ring?"
"…Really?"
So Bibi Dong was actively avoiding him now?
Fine, just wait. You can dodge the first day of the month, but not the fifteenth.
"What else did she say?" he asked.
"Uh… nothing."
Hu Liena murmured, cheeks burning hotter. "The rest was about me…"
"I see."
Linfeng sighed. "Alright then. Let's go train in the simulation grounds."
"Brother Su, wait!"
Hu Liena suddenly stopped him.
He froze, turning. Her face was even redder, her gaze locked on him with unusual intensity.
"…Liena, what's wrong?"
Something was off. Very off.
He felt nervous. The atmosphere wasn't right at all.
Hu Liena jerked her eyes away, voice trembling: "Teacher… did Teacher ever tell you about… that thing… between a man and a woman who like each other?"
"…The thing they… do?"
"Eh!?"
Su Linfeng's eyes twitched violently. He looked at her in pure embarrassment. "She… she did tell me… Why are you asking? What do you want?"
Bibi Dong, what the hell? Didn't you lecture her just now? Did you make it worse?
Don't tell me she wants to… test it?
As expected—young hearts, curious, reckless, tempted by the forbidden fruit.
"Huuh…"
Hu Liena exhaled deeply, then stood. Her face flushed crimson as though she'd made a final decision. She met Su Linfeng's eyes.
"Then… Brother Su… do you want to try it with me?"
"What!?"
He had guessed it—but still, his heart skipped a beat.
"Nana, what are you saying?!"
We… we both don't have any experience. Her voice shook as she swallowed nervously. If I were to try with someone I like… I only want it to be with you.