Chapter 4 – The Martial Soul Meditation Technique, and Confession to Bibi Dong
After Yu Xiaogang left, Qi Tian didn't bother chasing after him.
Instead, he picked out a few books from the shelves and began reading quietly.
Bibi Dong's voice soon echoed in his mind, dripping with sarcasm.
"Oh? Weren't you so good at arguing with Yu Xiaogang just now? I thought you actually had some skill."
"Why are you reading these beginner-level cultivation manuals now?"
Having lost face earlier, she clearly wanted to regain some dignity by mocking him.
Qi Tian ignored her cold tone and replied calmly,
"I simply spoke the truth back there, nothing more."
The book in his hand described a basic martial soul meditation method — a technique for quickly entering a meditative state and absorbing external energy through the martial soul.
After reading for a while, Qi Tian closed the book, sat cross-legged, and decided to try it out.
The library was quiet and safe, making it the perfect place to experiment.
He took a deep breath and shut his eyes.
Soon, like muscle memory, he found himself connecting to the location of his martial souls.
One appeared — a dark green Soul-Devouring Spider Emperor.
The other — a black, armored spider covered in vibrant green bristles: the Death Spider Emperor.
The first had yet to begin cultivation, but beneath the second, five soul rings pulsed rhythmically.
Qi Tian's eyes snapped open, startled.
So young… and already a Soul King?!
Bibi Dong's strength in her youth was astonishing — already over level fifty!
"Ha! So you really don't know how to cultivate after all?" Bibi Dong sneered in his mind.
"Want me to teach you a more advanced method? Way deeper than that kiddie meditation book of yours!"
"No need," Qi Tian replied softly.
He wanted to start from the basics — to learn like a proper soul master, one step at a time.
He reread the passage carefully, then closed his eyes again.
This time, he succeeded — entering meditation through the Soul-Devouring Spider Emperor.
That martial soul had never been cultivated before, which made it perfect for a beginner like him.
Time slipped away.
By the time Qi Tian awoke from his shallow meditative state, the sky outside had already darkened.
He heard a familiar voice.
"Bibi Dong? Why are you meditating here?"
Ling Yuan asked curiously.
"Wouldn't the cultivation chamber be better?"
"Just a whim," Qi Tian replied with a faint smile, following her to the dining hall for dinner.
After eating, the two went their separate ways. Guided by Bibi Dong's voice, Qi Tian returned to her personal bedroom.
He was about to wash up and rest — when an angry shout stopped him mid-step.
"Pervert! You're not allowed to touch my body! And you absolutely cannot use my body to take a bath!"
Qi Tian sighed helplessly.
"If I don't bathe, you'll complain that I'm dirty. But if I do, you call me a pervert. What do you want me to do, exactly?"
"It's your fault anyway! I told you to ask Yu Xiaogang how to separate us, but you went and made him storm off!" she snapped.
Qi Tian waved a hand dismissively.
"He can't even fix his own martial soul problems. You really think he can solve ours?"
Bibi Dong fell silent.
Qi Tian continued, his tone teasing yet thoughtful.
"I still don't get it. Why do you trust him so blindly? Don't tell me you just… haven't read enough books and got fooled by him?"
"Nonsense! I'm the Holy Maiden of Spirit Hall! How could I not have read enough books?" she retorted, indignant.
"Oh, really? Then how many have you read?"
"About… thirty or forty— I mean, three or four hundred!" she stammered, her voice turning sheepish.
The truth was, she'd been accepted directly as Qian Xunji's disciple when she joined Spirit Hall.
She'd never formally studied at the academy, leaving her with serious gaps in theoretical knowledge.
Seeing her quiet down, Qi Tian decided it was time to be honest with her.
He exhaled softly and said,
"Bibi Dong, there's something you should know."
He paused, then spoke solemnly—
"I'm not really you… I'm a wandering soul from the future."
"From the future?" Bibi Dong laughed, her voice dripping with disbelief.
"Hahaha! Sounds to me like you're the liar here, not Yu Xiaogang."
Qi Tian stayed calm.
"I'm not lying. I really did come from the future. Otherwise, how would I have known enough to challenge Yu Xiaogang's theories?"
"Oh, really?" she said playfully. "Then tell me — what do I become in the future?"
She clearly didn't take him seriously, wanting to tease him instead.
Qi Tian thought for a moment before replying solemnly,
"In the future, you will become the Pope of Spirit Hall."
"Pfft—" she snorted.
"I'm the current Pope's personal disciple. If I don't become Pope, who else would? If you're going to make things up, at least try to surprise me!"
To her, becoming the Pope was a matter of course.
But Qi Tian shook his head.
"You're wrong. Every Pope in Spirit Hall's history has possessed the Six-Winged Angel martial soul. Even as the Pope's personal disciple, you shouldn't have had any chance to inherit the position."
Her tone wavered slightly.
"Impossible. My teacher only took me as a disciple. Who else could he possibly pass it to?"
Qi Tian's expression remained serious.
"When a soul master reaches the level of a Title Douluo, their lifespan increases dramatically."
He paused before adding,
"So what makes you so sure he won't take another disciple in the future? Or… have a child of his own?"
Bibi Dong's eyes widened slightly. She hadn't thought of that. She'd only been cultivating for twelve short years — for a Title Douluo, that was practically nothing.
Raising another successor at that time would be more than possible.
"Then why did you say I'd become Pope?" she asked after a moment.
Qi Tian's voice dropped low.
"Because… the current Pope dies young. When he dies, his successor — the bearer of the Six-Winged Angel martial soul — is only eight years old, far too young to take over the throne."
Her breath caught.
"What? Teacher… will die young? Tell me, how does he die? I'll warn him! I'll stop it from happening!"
Qi Tian looked her straight in the eye.
"He dies because of you."
Bibi Dong froze.
"What do you mean? Don't tell me… Teacher dies saving me from some enemy?"
"No," Qi Tian said slowly.
"The one who kills him… is you."
A sharp gasp echoed inside Qi Tian's mind — her voice trembling like a startled cat.
"That's impossible! You're lying! My teachers always treated me with kindness — how could I ever kill him?!"
But Qi Tian's voice was calm, almost pitying.
"You fell in love with Yu Xiaogang. You decide to abandon your position as Spirit Hall's Holy Maiden to run away with him. The Pope discovers this and flies into a rage. He locks you in a secret chamber… and…"
He hesitated for a beat before continuing, his tone heavy.
"He violates you. Then, using Yu Xiaogang's life as leverage, he forces you to bear his child."
Bibi Dong's mind went blank.
"You were born with full innate soul power. The child between you and him was destined to have exceptional talent — a Six-Winged Angel martial soul. And I just told you — only those with that martial soul can inherit the Pope's seat."
Qi Tian's voice turned colder.
"When that child turns eight, you finally take revenge. You kill the Pope with your Soul Devouring Spider Emperor, devouring both his soul and his power."
"No… No! That's not true! You're lying!"
Bibi Dong's voice quivered in denial.
To her, the Pope — Qian Xunji — had always been a dignified, righteous, and majestic teacher. The idea that he would… do something so vile… was unthinkable.
"What would I gain by lying to you?" Qi Tian asked quietly.
But she couldn't accept it. Her thoughts spun chaotically.
"You devil! Don't you dare slander my teacher!"
Though she shouted those words, something inside her wavered.
Ever since hearing his story, just thinking about Qian Xunji made her feel… sick.
Unable to face that truth, she projected all her anger onto Qi Tian.
"Fine," Qi Tian sighed. "If you don't believe me, that's your choice. Just… whatever you do, don't tell your teacher about this conversation."
Then his tone softened slightly.
"And one more thing — start reading more books. Don't let yourself get fooled by Yu Xiaogang again."
He paused, his voice sharpening again.
"He's probably just using your status to access Spirit Hall's confidential records — trying to find a cure for his so-called 'martial soul mutation.'"
—
End of Chapter