Chapter 24: Discussing the Master Before Bibi Dong

"Not bad at all." A voice filled with praise came from behind Zhong Yan.

Zhong Yan turned around at the sound to find Bibi Dong already standing behind him, though he hadn't noticed her approach.

Zhong Yan scratched his head and said with a grin, "Teacher, I am your disciple, after all. You can be generous with your praise; I certainly won't let it go to my head. Hehe."

"Oh, you," Bibi Dong said, giving him a light tap on the head as she saw his cocky expression. "Enough. I saw your performance. You have your strengths, but you also have your weaknesses. You did well in the beginning, but I mainly want to address the issues in this fight."

"What weaknesses?" Zhong Yan immediately dropped his playful grin.

"The spear technique you practice is quite exquisite, but it fails to be effective against large, ferocious beasts like that—I think you felt that yourself. Ultimately, it boils down to a lack of combat experience. Furthermore, if you were to face an agile opponent, such as an agility-attack system Spirit Master, your current performance would lead to a crushing defeat. However, once we return, I will focus on training you in this area. Your spear technique still needs refinement; every move and every stance must be integrated into your combat—subtlety, adaptability..." Bibi Dong slowly critiqued his performance.

"Teacher is truly a teacher; to be able to see so much from a single fight." Looking at Bibi Dong, Zhong Yan couldn't help but think of that "king of talk," the Grandmaster. *Sigh, what a pity for little San.*

Zhong Yan recalled the day of his spirit awakening and the disdain Tang Hao had shown toward the Grandmaster. Nowadays, Tang Hao allowed the Grandmaster to build his reputation using Tang San, and the reason was none other than hoping the Grandmaster could extract the secret of cultivating twin spirits from the Teacher. Though they didn't know the secret, he did. He had read the original work; it was simply a matter of increasing physical endurance.

*Hmm... perhaps I can make something of this to strike a deal with Tang Hao, to make him set aside his hatred for the Spirit Hall. No, that’s not enough—the leverage isn't sufficient. The key lies with Tang San’s mother... the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well?*

"Ouch!" Zhong Yan suddenly felt a sharp pain in his head. He snapped back to reality, clutching his scalp as he looked at Bibi Dong.

"You dare to lose focus?"

"Hehehe," Zhong Yan could only offer a cute, sheepish smile to get by.

*Sigh, I'll have to consider this carefully. I won't think about it for now.*

"Very well. I will lead the way now. Let's go find your third spirit ring so we can head back sooner."

"You got it!"

With that, Bibi Dong led Zhong Yan deep into the Star Dou Forest, specifically choosing the most rugged and complex terrain to traverse.

At first, Bibi Dong’s pace was not too fast, but as she noticed Zhong Yan keeping up with ease, she began to accelerate. By the end, he had to exert his full spirit power just to keep up with his teacher.

Because their pace was so rapid, Zhong Yan could no longer keep track of their direction. By nightfall, he had no idea where he was.

Bibi Dong found an open area and stopped. With a gentle release of her spirit power, she cleared the ground, creating a clean space.

Zhong Yan arrived and, with his body pushed to its limit, collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily.

It took him a good while to recover. He sat up and looked at Bibi Dong. "Teacher, this is the Star Dou Forest. If we keep traveling like this, I'm done for if a spirit beast jumps out at us."

"Do you think I would allow any spirit beast to get close to you?" Bibi Dong’s voice was calm, yet it carried the absolute confidence born of immense strength.

"Whew, fair point." Zhong Yan realized his error; he hadn't fully adjusted his mindset and had forgotten that detail.

"We are now on the edge of the habitat for ten-thousand-year spirit beasts. We have essentially left the outer perimeter of the Star Dou Forest. Rest well tonight; we will begin searching for a spirit beast tomorrow. Since you have read so many books, analyze your current situation and determine what kind of spirit beast would be best for you. I will test you."

"Yes, Teacher." Zhong Yan changed his posture, sitting properly before Bibi Dong, and began to speak.

"Since my third spirit ring skill is already fixed, it would be best to find a Light-attribute spirit beast, such as a Two-Winged Unicorn or a Golden-Maned Horse. These beasts have gentle temperaments, which relatively reduces the mental impact, allowing me to aim for a higher age limit—perhaps even around twenty thousand years."

When Zhong Yan mentioned the Light attribute, a complex look flickered across Bibi Dong’s eyes. Clearly, the name triggered a memory, though it passed as quickly as it had appeared, and she soon returned to normal.

However, Zhong Yan had not missed that complicated look. *It seems I will have to meet that Qian Renxue as well.*

"Twenty thousand years..." Bibi Dong pondered for a moment. "Continue."

Zhong Yan nodded. "Generally, a Spirit Master's fifth ring is the first to be a ten-thousand-year ring, usually around twelve thousand years. However, my physical body can fully withstand a ring of around forty thousand years. Given my age and the strength of my mental power, I believe a Light-attribute beast of around twenty thousand years is very appropriate."

"And if we cannot find a Light-attribute spirit beast?"

"I have a backup plan: an Earth-attribute beast, such as a Ground-Tide Scorpion or a Rock Dragon Lizard, between fifteen thousand and eighteen thousand years. Such beasts match my other attributes, are easier to absorb, and are easier to find." (*Actually, I hate those little Geovishap Hatchlings; they roll around and are so annoying.*)

"Hmm, not bad. For your fourth ring, you will only need to increase the age based on these candidates. It seems your reading hasn't been in vain."

"Hehe, of course. The knowledge recorded in those books is impossible to find elsewhere, so naturally, I study them diligently."

Hearing this, Bibi Dong suddenly asked, "Outside the Spirit Hall, there are all sorts of schools that teach basic knowledge. As for what they don't teach—the Heaven Dou Empire has a certain 'Grandmaster,' do you know him? He is very learned and possesses all this knowledge. If you truly wanted to learn, why wouldn't you be able to?"

Zhong Yan thought for a moment. Given the Spirit Hall's capabilities, how could the Teacher not know the Grandmaster was staying in Nuoding City?

Zhong Yan paused briefly before saying, "Is Teacher trying to test me?"

"Not at all. You are overthinking it. But it shows you are a clever child. I am simply asking, in your heart, what kind of person is the Grandmaster?"

"The Grandmaster? In my view, his knowledge is indeed worthy of the word 'profound'." Bibi Dong’s face brightened slightly at this; she was happy to hear Yu Xiaogang being recognized.

"Having cut off his own path to cultivation early on, he spent decades researching this knowledge. Indeed, few in the world can compare to him. However..."

Bibi Dong sensed his hesitation and prompted him, "Speak your mind."

"He traveled the continent in his youth and studied at the Spirit Hall for many years. A large portion of his knowledge base comes from the Spirit Hall. Other sects naturally wouldn't have shared such knowledge with him, but the Spirit Hall did. His achievements today are inseparable from the Spirit Hall."

"But the man is selfish, Teacher. I know many things; every stone in the world has a story, so some secrets are not secrets to me." (In truth, Zhong Yan could read the memories of stones, though the ability depended on the quality of the stone. At this moment, however, he was simply using it as an excuse.)

"When the Grandmaster was in Nuoding City, he had a close relationship with the principal of the Nuoding Academy, and even he himself admitted, 'I am merely here to sponge off the school.'"

"Yet, he never considered that if he had been willing to become a teacher at the academy—no, even if he had just taught one class a week—his reputation in Nuoding City wouldn't be what it is. A man as selfish as he is would never freely share the knowledge he treasures, even if it wasn't his own research, even if it were common knowledge."

"Furthermore, his current hostility toward the Spirit Hall is no secret to you, Teacher. You simply choose not to hold it against him. Also, I am sure you know about the Golden Iron Triangle. Given the Grandmaster’s attitude toward the Spirit Hall in his youth, they would never have achieved such renown in the spirit world if you hadn't tacitly allowed it."

"And then there is Liu Erlong, of the Golden Iron Triangle. I assume you know of her as well. Yet, he let her live in solitude for these past dozen years, staying in a place like the Heaven Dou Imperial City, suffering insults, while he hid away in a small town sponging off others. I do not see the responsibility a man should have in him."

"I do not deny the 'Ten Core Competencies of Spirits' he proposed, because no one can prove him right, and no one can prove him wrong. But he..."

"Enough!" Bibi Dong interrupted him.

"Teacher... I know what I said was a bit..."

"Don't worry, I am fine. Truth be told, I have long known what kind of person he is. However, matters of the heart are never that simple." Bibi Dong closed her eyes and slowly tilted her head toward the sky.

The glow of the campfire reflected on her face, and her eyes were moist, but she did not shed a tear. Having endured so much, she would not be defeated by this.

"Enough, get some rest tonight. Go to sleep." Bibi Dong gave him no chance to continue.

In Zhong Yan's view, Bibi Dong, having suffered too many blows, simply needed a spiritual pillar, and as it happened, that pillar was the ghost of her past love with Yu Xiaogang.

What Bibi Dong wanted in her heart was not the Grandmaster, but a glimmer of light...

The campfire quietly illuminated their small corner of the world. Aside from the dancing flames, there was nothing else.