Chapter 12: Deceiving Bibi Dong
"Also, as I mentioned earlier—Yu Xiaogang's theories are narrow-minded. He claimed martial souls are divided only into beasts and tools, which is completely wrong."
"I recall Spirit Hall itself possesses the inheritance of the Angel God. The Six-Winged Angel martial soul, born from divine power—can that truly be classified as a beast-type?"
"And what about the Grand Priestess of Sea God Island? Her martial soul is that of the Sea God himself. Would the Sea God be considered a beast?"
"Furthermore, my Soul of Desire—it originates from my own essence, from my very soul. Can a soul be considered a beast martial soul?"
"If one hasn't even studied the full range of martial soul classifications, yet insists on grouping them into only two categories—how is that not narrow-minded?"
Luo Ling's face showed open disdain. He didn't bother to hide the contempt in his tone.
Bibi Dong's expression shifted with every sentence he spoke. By the end, she could only stare at him in silence, her eyes filled with turmoil.
Could it be that I've been deceived all along? she wondered.
Yu Xiaogang's theories—all sourced from Spirit Hall's archives. Yet he had never acknowledged that.
Had he released those so-called theories just for fame?
For the first time in her life, Bibi Dong found herself doubting Yu Xiaogang.
The faint red glow of the Soul of Desire had fully seeped into her pupils.
Luo Ling observed it subtly—his power had taken root. As for how deeply it would influence her, only time would tell.
"You seem to know quite a lot," Bibi Dong finally said, sighing. "Where did you learn all this?"
"The Six-Winged Angel martial soul is well-known across the continent, yes, but the Sea God martial soul of the Grand Priestess on Sea God Island… even I have no details about that. Yet you seem to know."
Her words made Luo Ling's stomach twist.
He'd gone too far.
In focusing so much on discrediting Yu Xiaogang, he had forgotten this wasn't something an ordinary child should know.
"Ah, well… my grandfather taught me!" Luo Ling said quickly, forcing a calm expression despite his nerves.
"Your grandfather?" Bibi Dong narrowed her eyes slightly. She still knew nothing of this boy's origins.
"Yes! My grandfather," Luo Ling said firmly, improvising with confidence. "He adopted me as a child, helped me awaken my martial soul, and taught me everything I know."
"And who was your grandfather?" she asked curiously. Someone with such deep knowledge of martial souls couldn't possibly be a simple hermit. If she could recruit him for Spirit Hall…
"He passed away last year," Luo Ling interrupted, letting his expression falter as tears welled up in his eyes.
"Passed away?" Bibi Dong asked softly, doubt flickering in her gaze.
But his grief didn't look fake.
"Yes," Luo Ling said quietly. "We lived in the mountains, away from the world. My grandfather taught me everything. A year ago, after awakening my martial soul, he passed on. Since then, I've lived alone."
He wiped his eyes, pretending to recover from the pain.
"Don't be sad." Hu Liena gently took his hand. "You're not alone anymore. You have Teacher now—and me, your senior sister."
Her innocent concern made Luo Ling nod slowly, choosing silence over words.
Bibi Dong studied him thoughtfully. Given his apparent sorrow, it wasn't appropriate to pry further.
"Very well," she said after a moment. "From now on, I am your teacher. Whatever troubles you have, you can tell me."
Then she shifted topics. "You sneaked into the Spirit Hunting Forest to obtain a soul ring for your second martial soul, didn't you?"
"Yes, Teacher. I came to get a soul ring," he replied, relieved that she had stopped questioning his background.
"If that's your intention, then I suggest you stop for now," Bibi Dong said seriously. "Twin martial souls aren't trained that way."
"You mean I should wait until my level is higher before obtaining a ring for my second martial soul—so that I can absorb one of higher age?" Luo Ling offered with a knowing tone.
Bibi Dong looked surprised. "You knew that already?"
"Yes. My grandfather told me. But my twin martial souls are unique—I can't advance further unless both have soul rings."
Calm and composed, he explained while inwardly relieved that he could always pin anything suspicious on his imaginary grandfather.
"Your spirit power is stuck at a bottleneck then?" she asked, frowning. That situation was completely different from her own experience with twin martial souls.
Luo Ling was about to answer when Bibi Dong suddenly reached out, grasping his hand.
Her gentle but powerful soul energy flowed into his body.
Sensing the stagnation within, her eyes flashed with confusion.
What he said was true. His twin martial souls were indeed blocked from progressing further. But why?
"Did your grandfather ever explain this?" Bibi Dong asked curiously.
Luo Ling hesitated for a moment—then decided to bluff.
"Yes. Grandpa once said my case was special. He called it Twin Souls of the Same Origin."
"As the name implies, the two martial souls share one source. Fused together, they form a complete martial soul—but because that full form is too powerful for the body to bear, they split into two. Both must evolve together, each gaining rings in balance, or I can't advance."
"And that's why I came to the Spirit Hunting Forest—to strengthen both. My martial soul fusion stems from this same connection."
His words flowed naturally, and even Luo Ling couldn't help admiring his own quick thinking.
"Twin Souls of the Same Origin," Bibi Dong repeated, clearly intrigued. "That does make sense."
"Your grandfather must have been a very learned man," she murmured, the suspicion in her tone fading. For the first time, she almost believed his fabrication.
Maybe, she thought, he was the disciple of some reclusive master.
"That's how it is," Luo Ling said with a shrug. "So I must acquire the first ring for my second martial soul before I can continue training."
"Have you decided what soul beast to hunt?"
"Yes. I plan to hunt a Phantom Ghost Bird." Luo Ling pulled a bestiary from his bag, showing her the page. "My Soul of Desire is spiritual, so it's best paired with a spirit-type ring."
"The Phantom Ghost Bird," Bibi Dong nodded approvingly. "A fine choice. Very well, your teacher will assist you."
"Thank you, Teacher!" Luo Ling said with a bright smile.
That day, Bibi Dong allowed Luo Ling and Hu Liena to train together in the forest.
Because the Phantom Ghost Bird only appeared at night, the three of them remained in the woods until dusk.
As darkness fell, Luo Ling finally saw it—a figure wrapped entirely in shadow.
(END CHAPTER)
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