Chapter 29 So what was the second lesson you learned?
"Jiang Bai! Come to the back mountain at once!"
The sound transmission carried an unquestionable tone of command, causing goosebumps to rise on his skin instantly.
Jiang Bai stopped in his tracks abruptly.
Sound transmission via Soul Power? Who is this voice—?
Who could it be at such a late hour?
He furrowed his brows, his mind racing.
A name surfaced in his mind, sending a sudden chill down his spine.
Should he go, or not?
Jiang Bai gritted his teeth, a flash of determination in his eyes.
He straightened his clothes, pushed open the dormitory door, and merged silently into the night.
Jiang Bai moved rapidly in the direction from which the sound transmission originated.
Relying on his familiarity with the terrain of the back mountain over the years, he traveled through the darkness.
Passing through the forest area of the back mountain, the path ahead suddenly opened up.
A clearing appeared before his eyes. On the edge of the clearing was a wide river, its water shimmering with a dark luster under the moonlight.
Looking along the flow of the river, not far away was a massive waterfall, the roaring sound of water clearly audible.
Further beyond the waterfall lay the endless, dark silhouette of the Star Dou Great Forest, resembling a dormant giant beast in the night.
This was already the boundary between the back mountain and the outer forest; rarely did students come this far on normal days.
Jiang Bai stopped and scanned his surroundings vigilantly.
In the clearing, there was only the rustling of wind through the grass and the muffled roar of the waterfall in the distance.
"Senior, what business do you have with Jiang Bai so late at night?"
He asked aloud, his voice echoing along the empty riverbank.
The response was the sound of high heels striking the ground.
Tap, tap, tap.
The sound came from the dark depths of the forest, unhurried. Each step was precise and steady, carrying a certain composure of someone in complete control.
The sound was exceptionally clear in the silent night, with each step feeling like a strike against Jiang Bai’s heart.
A figure slowly emerged from the shadows.
The moonlight fell through a gap in the clouds just in time, illuminating the person’s face and that iconic robe.
A magnificent scepter in her hand emitted a dark luster.
Bibi Dong!
Jiang Bai’s pupils contracted sharply, and his muscles tensed instantly.
Although he had guessed it, actually seeing the Spirit Hall Supreme Pontiff appear in the back mountain late at night made his blood almost freeze.
He forced himself to calm down, quickly bowed, and tried to keep his voice steady: "Greetings, Supreme Pontiff!"
Bibi Dong did not respond immediately.
She walked slowly and stopped about ten meters in front of Jiang Bai, a distance that was neither too far nor too close.
The moonlight shone on her beautiful yet cold face. There was no warmth in those purple eyes, only a bottomless darkness.
She stared at Jiang Bai quietly for a few seconds, then a mocking curve suddenly appeared at the corner of her mouth.
"But I feel," she spoke slowly, her voice colder than the night wind, "that you don’t seem to hold me in high regard."
Before she finished speaking, the scepter in her hand tapped lightly against the ground.
There was no violent noise, no flying dust, but an Aura so massive it was suffocating swept over like a tangible tsunami!
Jiang Bai let out a muffled grunt, his body sliding backward uncontrollably, carving two shallow grooves into the soil beneath his feet.
He felt as if a mountain were pressing down on his chest.
Cold sweat instantly broke out on his forehead, and the fabric on his back clung tightly to his skin.
This was the pressure of a Titled Douluo—
He managed to squeeze out a smile, his voice trembling slightly due to the pressure.
"Not at all, not at all! This student has always held the Supreme Pontiff in his heart!"
"Oh?" Bibi Dong raised an eyebrow, the mockery in him tone deepening. "Held in your heart?"
"The first lesson this student learned in society is loyalty!" Jiang Bai said quickly, his mind racing as he tried to find a glimmer of hope.
"This student will never forget the grace of the Supreme Pontiff’s cultivation!"
These words sounded high-sounding, even he himself felt they were hypocritical.
But at a life-or-death moment, any words that could delay time and find a turning point were worth trying.
Bibi Dong let out a disdainful cold snort.
She took a step forward, and the pressure increased by another three points.
Jiang Bai’s knees went weak, and he almost fell to his knees, relying entirely on willpower to hold himself up.
"Then let me ask you," Bibi Dong narrowed him eyes, a dangerous cold light flashing in her purple eyes, "what is the second lesson you learned in society?"
The second lesson?
The second lesson, of course, is forgetting one’s roots!
But would he dare say that now?
"This student—" Jiang Bai swallowed, his throat dry and painful, "this student has shallow experience and has yet to comprehend—"
"Yet to comprehend?" Bibi Dong repeated those words, the curve of him mouth turning cruel and cold. "Very well."
She paused, her voice suddenly turning sharp: "I will let you comprehend it now!"
Before she finished speaking, the Aura that had been enveloping Jiang Bai surged violently!
It was no longer a probing suppression, but a full-force explosion!
The terrifying Aura of a Titled Douluo, like a raging sea, poured out without reservation!
"Pfft—"
Jiang Bai spat out a mouthful of blood, his body hit as if by an invisible giant hammer, and he flew backward!
He managed to adjust his posture in the air, rolled several times upon landing to dissipate the force, and spat out another mouthful of blood foam. The blood and Qi in his chest and abdomen churned, and his internal organs felt as painful as if they had been displaced.
Before he could catch his breath, a purple shadow flashed before his eyes!
Bibi Dong’s figure appeared before him like a ghost, her speed so fast that Jiang Bai could not react at all!
She didn’t even use a Spirit Ability; she simply raised her fist and punched toward Jiang Bai’s chest!
"Bang!"
The fist landed solidly on his chest, and Jiang Bai heard the crisp sound of his own ribs breaking.
Intense pain instantly overwhelmed all his senses, and he flew backward again, crashing heavily into an ancient tree and breaking it.
"Argh—"
Jiang Bai collapsed on the ground, blood continuously pouring from his mouth.
His vision began to blur, and his ears were buzzing.
Was he going to die?
No—he couldn’t die—
The instinct to survive overcame everything.
Jiang Bai struggled to lift his head, a flash of ruthlessness in his eyes.
He no longer hesitated, nor did he hide—in the face of an absolute threat of death, no secret was important anymore.
"Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda—!"
Accompanied by a low roar, a dazzling light bloomed from his palm!
The body of the pagoda flowed with a luster like glazed tile, breathtakingly beautiful under the moonlight.
But what truly made Bibi Dong’s pupils contract were the three spirit rings slowly rotating around the pagoda.
Purple, purple, purple.
Three deep purple spirit rings, like three magnificent halos of stars, set off the pagoda, making it even more mysterious and noble.
This completely defied the common sense of the Spirit Master’s world!
How could the first and second spirit rings possibly reach the thousand-year level?!
Bibi Dong’s breathing stalled for an instant.
Countless images flashed through her mind in an instant.
Yu Xiaogang holding that notebook, recounting his "Ten Core Competitiveness Theories" with great excitement.
He swore that the limit for a Spirit Master’s first spirit ring was 423 years—
And now, the twelve-year-old boy before her had smashed his life’s persistence to pieces with three purple spirit rings.
Xiaogang’s theory—was wrong?
No—impossible—
Then it could only be—