Chapter 55 – Liu Erlong's Doubt
With his sharp eyes, how could Dugu Bo possibly fail to recognize the jade pendant lying by Dugu Yan's bedside?
That was clearly the personal pendant of Crown Prince Xue Qinghe.
Seeing his granddaughter staring blankly at it, completely lost in thought, he could only sigh inwardly — the girl had clearly fallen for him.
Still, Dugu Bo decided to give her a little warning.
"Yan'er, Crown Prince Xue Qinghe isn't a simple man. You should be careful when dealing with him."
Dugu Yan responded without hesitation, "Of course he isn't simple! How else could he have helped us cure the poison?"
She blinked, tilting her head slightly. "Besides, Grandpa, you must've gone to his mansion for treatment too, right?"
Dugu Bo's smile froze. His good mood from earlier instantly vanished — why did this little girl always have to poke where it hurt?
"Yan'er," he said seriously, "what I mean is, this Crown Prince Xue Qinghe… may no longer be the same person he once was."
He paused, lowering his voice as he shared his suspicions.
As a native of the Heaven Dou Empire, he knew exactly what the royal family was like. The Xue clan inherited the Swan Martial Soul, but their soul power was weak — the only reason they'd managed to keep the throne was thanks to the support of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Yet the Xue Qinghe he met today was completely different — well-read, knowledgeable, and even familiar with concepts like meridians and soul power flow.
There was no way the Heaven Dou royal family could have nurtured such talent.
"It's very possible," Dugu Bo said grimly, "that the current Xue Qinghe isn't the original prince at all. He might've been replaced long ago… perhaps even raised in secret by the Spirit Hall."
"Grandpa, what do you mean by that?" Dugu Yan asked softly.
"In short," Dugu Bo said, "the man standing before us today might not be the same Xue Qinghe from before. Yan'er, I'm only telling you this because I trust you. But never, ever speak of it to anyone. If this rumor spreads, neither of us will survive."
Dugu Yan nodded solemnly. "Grandpa, I'm not a child anymore."
Then she quietly added in her heart, 'I'll never reveal my senior's secret anyway.'
"Good," Dugu Bo said with a faint sigh. "Just remember — don't fall too deep."
After that, he turned to leave, intending to test Xue Qinghe's method of transferring poison into his soul bone.
Dugu Yan watched her grandfather's departing back, then picked up the jade pendant by her pillow, her gaze softening.
After a long silence, she whispered, "You helped me cleanse my poison and saved my life. No matter who you really are, I won't care."
"I just wonder… is your face real? Or just a disguise? If it's fake… what do you truly look like?"
A faint smile curved her lips as curiosity blossomed in her heart. Still, she resolved never to expose him — she didn't want to make things difficult for her senior.
Meanwhile, within Thunder Academy, the gentle notes of a zither floated from a secluded courtyard.
A woman in a long cyan robe sat gracefully before the instrument, her figure mature and alluring, her melody filled with longing and sorrow.
Outside the courtyard stood Bibi Dong, her expression softening as the song tugged at her heartstrings.
"I've already unified the Spirit Hall," she murmured to herself, "yet I still can't find you… Qi Tian, where are you?"
"Are you avoiding me? Or… have you not yet appeared in this world?"
After a long time, the music faded. Only then did Bibi Dong step into the courtyard.
The zither player turned — it was Liu Erlong, her casual robe unable to conceal her fiery figure.
"Bibi Dong? Or should I say, Your Holiness the Pope?" Liu Erlong asked teasingly. "What brings you here today?"
Bibi Dong smiled faintly. "What, can't I come? Don't tell me this melody wasn't played for me?"
Liu Erlong rolled her eyes. "Please. I'm not into women. Why would I play for you?"
"Alright, Your Holiness," she added, crossing her arms. "Tell me — what do you want from me this time?"
Bibi Dong smiled softly and shook her head. "There's no need to be so formal. When it's just us, you can still call me Bibi Dong."
She paused for a moment, then continued, "I'm planning to go out to sea to hunt for a soul ring. You've been stabilizing your cultivation for quite a while now — it's about time you broke through to Soul Douluo. Why not come with me?"
Back then, Liu Erlong had consumed the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower, transforming her Martial Soul into the Extreme Flame Dragon — an ultimate fire attribute. However, the stronger the element, the slower the cultivation. Despite this, she had long since reached level eighty; she simply hadn't taken the final step, tempering both her soul power and body instead.
Bibi Dong naturally understood her situation, which was precisely why she extended the invitation. If fortune favored them, perhaps Liu Erlong could even obtain a hundred-thousand-year soul ring.
"Alright," Liu Erlong agreed without hesitation.
Though she served nominally as the dean of Thunder Academy, there wasn't much for her to manage. Accompanying Bibi Dong on this trip would at least break the monotony.
"Good. Go pack your things and say goodbye to your mother. We'll depart immediately," Bibi Dong instructed.
Before long, the two women set off, heading straight toward the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Bibi Dong's goal wasn't merely to hunt a soul beast — she needed to collect the twin spring waters there to prepare for her expedition into the ocean, where terrifying, hundred-thousand-year sea beasts roamed.
Liu Erlong, unaware of this, looked puzzled. "You're heading to Sunset Forest to hunt? That's strange. I thought you were after a hundred-thousand-year soul beasts — but there aren't any in Sunset Forest."
Bibi Dong shook her head faintly.
"Not exactly. You'll understand once we arrive."
Liu Erlong said no more, following silently as they ventured deeper into the forest.
But the farther they went, the more unsettled she felt.
'This path… isn't this the way to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well?'
She could never forget this route — back when Qi Tian saved her mother, he'd led her here to collect precious herbs. This place wasn't just her mother's salvation; it was also where her Martial Soul evolved.
A few minutes later, they reached the familiar valley. The air shimmered with mist, heavy with poisonous miasma — no ordinary creature could survive here.
Liu Erlong's eyes widened in disbelief.
'It really is here… How does Bibi Dong even know about this place?'
Her heart skipped a beat as suspicion flashed across her mind. Could it be… that Bibi Dong also knows Qi Tian?
Meanwhile, Bibi Dong stood by the spring, her eyes sweeping over the surroundings. The valley looked exactly as she remembered.
Years ago, she had collected many immortal herbs from this very place — gifts to win hearts and reward her subordinates.
Now, she was surprised to see that the herbs she'd replanted had regrown into mature spirit treasures once again.
"This place truly is miraculous," she murmured in awe.
If not for her concern that Qi Tian might one day return and be unable to find any herbs, she would've long since claimed this valley as her private medicinal garden.
Her gaze scanned the area again —untouched, undisturbed. No one had been here in years.
A faint sigh escaped her lips.
"So, you really haven't come back yet…"
Walking to the heart of the valley, Bibi Dong knelt by the twin springs and took out several specially crafted Yin-Yang Jade Bottles, carefully filling them with the ice and fire waters.
This method was Qi Tian's idea — using the volatile power of these springs to deal with hundred-thousand-year soul beasts. She had tested it before; under certain conditions, it worked frighteningly well.
After filling several bottles, Bibi Dong turned and handed a few to Liu Erlong.
"Erlong, take these."
Liu Erlong accepted them curiously. "What are these exactly?"
"These are the essence waters born from the balance of extreme cold and extreme heat — the very core of this paradise," Bibi Dong explained.
"If you can inject even a drop into your opponent's body, no matter how powerful they are — even a hundred-thousand-year soul beast — it will die instantly."
"Hiss…" Liu Erlong drew in a sharp breath, her eyes wide with shock.
"This tiny bottle of spring water… really has that kind of power?"
—
End of Chapter