"Supreme Pontiff Bibi Dong, it might hurt a little. Are you ready?"
Xin's voice was calm, neither rushed nor hesitant. It carried the steady tone of someone performing something precise and controlled, like a craftsman preparing a delicate restoration rather than a life-altering extraction.
"Yes, I'm ready. Shall we begin now, Teacher Xin?"
Bibi Dong sat upright on the ice jade bed, her posture composed, though her fingers unconsciously tightened for a moment before she forced herself to relax. Even for someone of her status, willingly allowing another person to touch the core of her spirit ring and spirit bone system was not a trivial decision. It was equivalent to temporarily handing over her life's accumulated strength.
"We can proceed anytime."
Xin's answer was simple, almost indifferent, as though the act itself was already within his expected scope of practice.
"Can you be a little gentler then? Try to make me bleed as little as possible. Although I'm mentally prepared and more resilient than most, if Teacher Xin is extraordinary, I'll still be nervous. And when I get nervous, it's easy to get tighter and tighter…"
Her voice softened slightly toward the end, carrying a rare trace of awkwardness. It was not fear of pain alone, but the unfamiliar vulnerability of placing her body's core system into another person's control. Even for someone like Bibi Dong, that kind of submission required significant mental adjustment.
Two days later, as the morning sun first shone, golden light bathed Heart of Fire Academy. A gentle breeze stirred, and the pond fish lived in harmony.
Inside the golden-tiled pavilion, the furnishings were not complex, with only an ice jade bed, a table, and a few chairs.
The calmness of the surroundings contrasted sharply with the gravity of the operation taking place inside. Outside, the academy seemed peaceful and untouched by conflict, but within the pavilion, the air carried a faint tension that even the morning light could not fully dissolve.
Bibi Dong clearly looked a bit nervous, as stripping a 100,000-year spirit ring and Spirit Bone was no small matter.
Her breathing remained controlled, but the subtle rhythm of her spirit power fluctuations betrayed her inner unease. Such an extraction was not something even top-tier Spirit Masters experienced often, if ever. The fact that she was willingly undergoing it under another person's guidance made the situation even more unusual.
Her willingness to accept this was also due to her extreme trust in Xin.
That trust did not come easily. It had been built through observation, judgment, and the strange consistency of Xin's actions—never greedy, never coercive, always measured in intent. For someone like her, trust was not given lightly, and once given, it carried significant weight.
Inside the room, Xin glanced at Bibi Dong and said lightly, "It's normal to be nervous. Since Supreme Pontiff Bibi Dong has truly entrusted herself, I will also speak frankly. There is actually a second method to revive Xiao Wu's mother—becoming a god. As long as you can find and pass a divine trial, you can autonomously strip away this Origin and Soul."
His tone remained steady, but the content of his words caused a subtle shift in the atmosphere. The concept of "divine trial" was not something commonly discussed in such a calm, almost clinical manner. It represented an entirely different realm of power—one that transcended the boundaries of Spirit Masters.
Originally, Tang San later gained the sacrifices of the Sky Azure Bull Python and Titan Giant Ape. It was after becoming a god that they were revived, making them ultimate powerhouses below the gods.
Although Xiao Wu's mother was not a sacrifice, there was also this turning point.
This implication lingered in the room like a second current beneath the surface of calm water. It suggested that death itself might not be final under certain conditions, but the path toward that outcome was neither simple nor guaranteed.
Bibi Dong's expression changed. Divine trial? She didn't need to look for one.
However, she shook her head: "Becoming a god is incredibly difficult, and divine trials are even harder to find. To achieve this, even another thirty to fifty years might not yield results. Teacher Xin, please proceed directly. Even if I lose this 100,000-year Spirit Bone and spirit ring, I can bear it."
Her rejection was immediate and decisive. Not out of disbelief, but out of practicality. The uncertainty of divine ascension was too great compared to the immediate, tangible process in front of her.
Become a god? What a joke!
As far as she knew, after becoming a god, there was a high probability of not being able to remain on the continent. Wouldn't she be separated from Teacher Xin then?
How could that be!
That silent thought remained unspoken, buried beneath her composed expression. The possibility of separation—whether from power, from purpose, or from people she could not fully define—was something she instinctively rejected.
"Since you've made this choice, I will do my best to minimize your losses. First, sit cross-legged on the ice jade bed and familiarize yourself with the environment. I still need to retrieve some auxiliary items."
After speaking, Xin's figure disappeared into the cherry forest.
His departure was as quiet as his arrival, leaving behind only the lingering calm of controlled preparation.
…
In a flash, Xin had already appeared in the flower garden on the other side.
The transition from the pavilion's solemn atmosphere to the vibrant life of the garden was almost jarring. The air here carried a completely different feeling—lighter, richer, filled with natural vitality.
Seeing Xin's figure suddenly appear, Dugu Bo quickly jumped up from his lounge chair and retrieved several exquisite boxes from the nearby thatched hut:
"Dean Xin, these are the three ten-thousand-year Holy Soul Grasses you requested, the ten-thousand-year Dragon Blood Spirit Ginseng, as well as the Nine-Grade Green Lotus Root and Soul-Guiding Flower…"
Each item was carefully preserved, their aura faintly leaking even through the containers. These were not ordinary medicinal herbs—they were treasures refined by time and rare environmental conditions, each capable of influencing cultivation at a profound level.
Xin checked the quantities and hummed softly:
"Thank you, Poison Guardian, for helping to care for the flowers and plants."
His tone remained polite but familiar, as though this exchange had become routine between them.
Dugu Bo rubbed his head and chuckled:
"Dean Xin, what are you talking about? I'd be delighted to take care of these flowers and plants. If I hadn't learned about flowers and plants from you, Dean Xin, I wouldn't have known there were two such treasure grounds in the academy, almost as good as the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, and I wouldn't have learned so much about cultivation theory."
His words carried genuine admiration. For him, this arrangement was not merely assistance—it was an opportunity for growth. The understanding of medicinal cultivation and environmental synergy he had gained under Xin's guidance had reshaped his previous assumptions about Spirit Master development.
"Teacher Xin, your fertilizers and spirit water are truly extraordinary. Just one watering, and in a few days, they can grow as much as ordinary flowers and plants do in decades. It's truly amazing."
Dugu Bo's tone carried a mix of awe and disbelief, as though even now he could not fully comprehend the underlying principles behind such rapid growth.
...
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