c3: Insanity of Qian Xunji
Ao Tian's voice was incomparably gentle, carrying a faint magnetism that seemed to resonate directly with the soul.
When it reached Bibi Dong's ears, it caused a strange tingling sensation, as if her entire being had momentarily fallen into a soft, irresistible trance.
He slowly raised his hand and gently stroked Bibi Dong's delicate cheek.
With careful movements, he wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes and smiled faintly, "Don't cry anymore. If you keep crying, you won't look as beautiful."
Feeling the unfamiliar touch of a strange man, Bibi Dong suddenly snapped out of her dazed state.
The warmth that had briefly enveloped her mind disappeared instantly, replaced by alertness and caution.
Her pretty face flushed red as she quickly retreated to the corner of the bed.
Her eyes became sharp as she vigilantly examined the man standing before her, trying to gauge his identity and intentions.
"Who exactly are you?"
Bibi Dong's voice turned cold as her Spirit Emperor-level power surged within her body.
A flash of cold light appeared as she summoned a sharp dagger into her hand, ready to defend herself at any moment.
Ao Tian remained calm, his expression unchanged as he tried to maintain his gentle tone.
"Believe me, you are about to face danger, and only I can help you avoid it."
Hearing this, Bibi Dong immediately came to a conclusion.
In her eyes, this impossibly handsome yet mysterious man was nothing more than someone speaking nonsense.
As the Holy Maiden of Spirit Hall, she resided within the heavily guarded Supreme Pontiff Palace.
Not only were there numerous Spirit Hall elites stationed nearby, but even powerful Titled Douluo elders were always present.
In addition, the palace housed many hidden experts and enforcers whose strength far exceeded ordinary Spirit Masters.
Under such protection, it was nearly impossible for anyone to threaten her safety.
Bibi Dong did not sense any killing intent from Ao Tian.
Otherwise, she would have already launched an attack instead of engaging in conversation.
"Hmph, the Supreme Pontiff Palace is the safest place on the Douluo Continent. I don't need your concern."
"I don't care who you are. Leave immediately, or I will call for help."
As the words left her mouth, Bibi Dong herself felt a trace of surprise.
Under normal circumstances, she would have attacked without hesitation if an intruder had entered her room.
Yet now, instead of attacking, she had chosen to let him leave.
Even she did not fully understand why she had made such a decision.
Ao Tian did not show any urgency and simply smiled faintly.
"My name is Ao Tian. If you encounter danger, just call my name, and I will appear before you."
The moment he finished speaking, his figure vanished completely.
There was no trace of spirit power, no spatial fluctuation, he simply ceased to exist within her sight.
Bibi Dong was momentarily stunned before quickly getting off the bed.
She stood at the exact spot where Ao Tian had been, her face filled with confusion and disbelief.
"Was that… a teleportation ability?" she muttered softly.
"But there was no spirit power fluctuation, and he didn't even release a Spirit or spirit ring. How could he use a Spirit Ability?"
No matter how she analyzed it using her knowledge as a Spirit Hall prodigy, she could not reach a conclusion.
A living person had simply disappeared without leaving behind any trace of energy.
Suddenly, her delicate nose twitched slightly.
An unfamiliar yet captivating scent lingered in the air, drawing her attention.
She subconsciously took a deep breath.
The fragrance entered her senses, causing her mind to relax as if she were floating weightlessly in a tranquil space.
At that moment, all her worries faded away.
Even the painful memory of Yu Xiaogang seemed distant and insignificant.
After several minutes, Bibi Dong gradually regained her clarity.
Her expression changed as realization dawned upon her.
"This… is that man's scent…"
She hurriedly spat a few times and stomped her foot lightly.
Her face turned red once again, clearly embarrassed by her own reaction.
However, after a brief hesitation, she unconsciously inhaled again.
A soft murmur escaped her lips, "It actually smells… quite pleasant."
Ao Tian's flawless appearance flashed through her mind, causing her cheeks to redden even further.
Her heartbeat quickened slightly, and she found herself unable to calm down immediately.
"Strange man…"
After a moment of hesitation, Bibi Dong quickly walked to the door and pushed it open.
She looked around outside, hoping to catch a glimpse of Ao Tian again.
However, the corridor was empty.
There was no sign of him anywhere, which caused a faint sense of disappointment to rise within her heart.
"What's wrong with me?"
She raised both hands and rubbed her cheeks vigorously, trying to suppress the lingering warmth.
Her emotions were clearly in disarray after everything that had just happened.
Thanks to Ao Tian's interruption, the sorrow in her heart had already diminished significantly.
Yet once she calmed down, the earlier incident resurfaced in her mind once more.
The memory of Yu Xiaogang's twisted expression and greedy gaze caused her heart to tighten.
A chill spread through her body as she recalled his attempt to violate her.
"Holy Maiden!"
Yu Xiaogang's anxious voice suddenly rang out from outside.
The urgency in his tone contrasted sharply with his earlier behavior.
Bibi Dong lifted her head and looked toward the entrance.
She saw Yu Xiaogang being stopped by the guards outside her residence.
Due to his status within Spirit Hall, he was not permitted to enter this restricted area freely.
The guards stood firmly in place, blocking his path.
"Drive him away," Bibi Dong said coldly.
Although a trace of pain flickered in her heart, she hardened her resolve.
Without hesitation, she ordered the Palace Guard Knights to remove him from the premises.
…
Inside one of the most luxurious restaurants in Spirit City, Ao Tian sat within a private room.
The environment was lavish, filled with exquisite decorations and the aroma of fine cuisine.
He was eating meat and drinking wine in large mouthfuls, clearly enjoying himself.
After hundreds of millions of years, this was the first time he had tasted such human delicacies again.
Despite his youthful appearance, this form was merely a manifestation.
It was not his true body, but rather a projection akin to a divine ability or Dharma Body.
He extended his palm downward casually.
A subtle force penetrated deep into the earth, extracting pure gold from beneath the ground.
When he opened his hand again, the gold had already reshaped itself.
Within moments, it formed more than a dozen neatly crafted gold coins.
"To eat, drink, and live freely…" Ao Tian muttered with satisfaction.
"A long Dragon life should be spent enjoying everything without restraint."
Ao Tian let out a faint sigh; after enduring loneliness for hundreds of millions of years, he had finally found a trace of amusement in this era of humans.
The once desolate world had now become lively, filled with emotions, desires, and countless unpredictable interactions that he found mildly interesting.
After finishing his meal, he casually wandered through Spirit City.
However, wherever he passed, the streets would inevitably become congested due to the overwhelming attention he attracted.
Any woman who laid eyes on him would be unable to remain calm.
Young maidens lost their usual shyness, while even married women displayed unusual boldness, their faces flushed as they tried to approach and speak with him.
Ao Tian found this somewhat troublesome.
In the end, he deliberately suppressed part of his natural aura and slightly adjusted his appearance so that it would not appear excessively stunning to ordinary people.
Even so, his presence remained extraordinary.
Wherever he walked, he still attracted attention, though it was no longer to the point of causing chaos.
He strolled leisurely from afternoon until evening.
Only after night had fully fallen did he return to the hotel where he was staying, waiting quietly for the moment he had anticipated.
From the memories he had extracted from Qian Xunji, he knew clearly what would happen tonight.
That man intended to use despicable means against Bibi Dong.
Ao Tian naturally would not allow such a tragedy to unfold before his eyes.
Since he had already decided to intervene, then everything would proceed according to his will.
Night deepened, and silence gradually enveloped Spirit City.
Ao Tian, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them.
His perception had already captured the change.
Bibi Dong had been summoned into a secluded chamber by Qian Xunji.
That secret chamber was located beneath Qian Xunji's residence.
It was a place he often used for secluded cultivation, hidden from ordinary sight and heavily restricted.
This was not the first time Bibi Dong had entered this place.
However, arriving at such a late hour caused her to feel a trace of confusion.
"Teacher, it is already so late. Why did you call me here?" she asked.
Qian Xunji revealed a gentle smile on the surface.
However, deep within his eyes, a hidden greed flickered faintly, carefully concealed beneath his composed expression.
"I heard that Yu Xiaogang caused trouble for you today?" he asked slowly.
Bibi Dong hesitated slightly, then nodded before shaking her head.
Her expression revealed a trace of lingering disappointment from earlier events.
Qian Xunji sighed lightly and continued,
"Do you still have feelings for Yu Xiaogang?"
Bibi Dong shook her head firmly this time.
"I do not like him."
Qian Xunji was momentarily stunned.
His original plan had two purposes—first to separate her from Yu Xiaogang, and second to act on his darker intentions.
Now that she denied her feelings, the first objective was already achieved without effort.
This only made things more convenient for him.
He smiled faintly and said,
"Since that is the case, tomorrow I will have him expelled from Spirit City and removed from Spirit Hall entirely."
Bibi Dong fell silent for a few seconds before slowly nodding.
Her heart had already turned cold toward Yu Xiaogang, and she no longer wished to see him again.
No matter how talented he might be in theory,
to her now, he was nothing more than a person she felt deep disappointment toward.
Her expression grew somewhat despondent.
"Teacher, if there is nothing else, I will return to cultivate."
"Wait," Qian Xunji said softly.
"There are still some things I wish to say to you."
As he spoke, his gaze slowly settled on Bibi Dong.
That gaze gradually changed, becoming increasingly intense as it lingered on her youthful figure.
This subtle shift did not escape Bibi Dong's notice.
Having grown up within Spirit Hall, she had long been sensitive to such looks.
A faint unease rose within her heart.
"Dong'er, you are no longer a child. It is time you considered finding someone suitable."
Qian Xunji's tone remained calm, yet his eyes were no longer restrained.
He stepped forward slowly, his gaze fixed on her without concealment.
The distance between them began to close.
An oppressive atmosphere quietly formed within the confined chamber.
"Teacher… what do you mean?" Bibi Dong asked, her heartbeat quickening.
Instinctively, she took a few steps backward, increasing the distance between them.
Qian Xunji advanced again, his expression gradually becoming unnatural.
"I have raised you and guided your cultivation for so many years. Have you never thought about how to repay me?"
"Teacher, what exactly are you trying to say?"
Looking at his increasingly strange expression, Bibi Dong felt a growing sense of danger.
Her instincts told her that something was very wrong.
Qian Xunji licked his lips slightly, his voice lowering.
"Dong'er, you are perfect. Only someone like me is truly worthy of you."
"I want you to stay by my side… and belong only to me."
Bibi Dong's eyes widened in shock, her entire body stiffening.
She had never imagined that such words would come from her own teacher.
Qian Xunji's smile grew wider, his intentions no longer concealed.
With a single step, he appeared directly behind her.
His hand rose swiftly, chopping down toward the back of her neck.
....