The Heavenly Curtain continued to play...
While Lin Lang sat cross-legged refining the newly acquired Spirit Bone, Bibi Dong slowly walked over to Yu Xiaogang's side.
Her beautiful eyes lingered on him for a moment before she finally spoke.
There was a trace of confusion in her voice.
"Aren't you worried?"
Yu Xiaogang glanced at her.
"Worried about what?"
Bibi Dong pointed toward Lin Lang.
"That was a ten-thousand-year Spirit Bone."
Even now, she found it difficult to believe what she had just witnessed.
A ten-thousand-year Spirit Bone was an invaluable treasure.
Even within Spirit Hall, where resources far exceeded those of ordinary sects, such treasures were treated with extreme caution.
Every allocation required discussion among the highest-ranking officials.
No one could simply decide where a ten-thousand-year Spirit Bone would go.
Yet Yu Xiaogang had handed one away without the slightest hesitation.
Bibi Dong continued:
"Even in Spirit Hall, I wouldn't dare decide the allocation of a ten-thousand-year Spirit Bone by myself."
"Are you really not afraid the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect will hold you accountable?"
Yu Xiaogang merely smiled.
His expression remained completely calm.
"Why should I be afraid?"
Bibi Dong stared at him.
The more relaxed he looked, the more confused she became.
Yu Xiaogang casually explained:
"Uncle Lin is a member of our sect."
"He will also serve as my protector for many years to come."
"The stronger he becomes, the safer I will be."
"Giving him the Spirit Bone benefits both of us."
His reasoning was simple.
Resources only had value when they were converted into strength.
A Spirit Bone sitting in a warehouse was nothing more than a decoration.
A Spirit Bone in the hands of a powerful ally was a genuine asset.
As for the sect's reaction?
Yu Xiaogang wasn't concerned in the slightest.
The treatment he received within the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect already rivaled that of a Titled Douluo.
More importantly, he possessed confidence.
Absolute confidence.
He firmly believed that one day he would become one of the sect's strongest experts.
Under those circumstances, allocating a Spirit Bone that he himself had helped obtain was hardly a serious issue.
Besides...
Yu Xiaogang shrugged.
"My father is a Titled Douluo."
"Even if someone wanted to punish me, what exactly could they do?"
"Expel me from the sect?"
Bibi Dong blinked.
Then she found herself speechless.
Because after thinking about it carefully...
He wasn't wrong.
With Yu Yuanzhen standing behind him, the possibility of Yu Xiaogang being expelled from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect was practically zero.
The situation wasn't much different from her own.
If she independently assigned a Spirit Bone within Spirit Hall, would her teacher really expel her?
Obviously not.
The real issue wasn't whether punishment would happen.
It was whether she was willing to take responsibility for the consequences.
After a moment of contemplation, Bibi Dong shook her head.
She couldn't do it.
At least not yet.
After all, she wasn't particularly close to Yue Guan or Gui Mei.
Giving away such a valuable treasure for personal reasons wasn't something she could justify.
Putting aside the matter of the Spirit Bone, another question surfaced in her mind.
Something Yu Xiaogang had mentioned earlier.
"About what you said before..."
She looked at him curiously.
"You said that a Spirit Master's cultivation path emphasizes compatibility."
"Spirit Rings are one thing."
"But what about Spirit Bones?"
"Do they also need to match a Spirit Master's attributes?"
Yu Xiaogang raised an eyebrow.
That question wasn't surprising.
After all, most Spirit Masters had never been in a position to be picky about Spirit Bones.
For ordinary Spirit Masters, obtaining a Spirit Bone was already a blessing.
Who cared whether the attributes matched?
Even if the attached Spirit Skill wasn't suitable, the enhancement provided by the Spirit Bone itself was enough to make people fight desperately for it.
Only major sects and powerful factions had the luxury of considering compatibility.
For example, the Clear Sky Sect possessed several inherited Spirit Bones that had been passed down for generations.
Those Spirit Bones were selected specifically to complement the sect's Martial Spirits.
Because of this, Yu Xiaogang's earlier statement—
That he would rather not absorb a Spirit Bone than absorb one that wasn't compatible—
had shocked Bibi Dong.
Seeing her curious expression, Yu Xiaogang nodded.
"It does."
Bibi Dong immediately became more interested.
"Really?"
Yu Xiaogang smiled.
"This relates to a theory I'm currently researching."
"A theory?"
Bibi Dong's eyes widened slightly.
"You've developed your own research theory?"
She looked genuinely surprised.
Research theories weren't something ordinary people casually created.
Even among scholars, very few had the qualifications to establish a new theory.
Yet Yu Xiaogang nodded as if it were perfectly natural.
"Of course."
"Though it's still incomplete."
Bibi Dong became even more curious.
"Incomplete?"
"Then why are you researching it?"
Yu Xiaogang looked toward Little Dragon, who was lazily lying beside him.
"Because I haven't fully verified it yet."
"My theory will only be complete when I personally become a powerhouse through the methods it proposes."
His voice was calm.
But there was extraordinary confidence hidden beneath those words.
To Yu Xiaogang, a theory wasn't something created through imagination alone.
It required proof.
Evidence.
Results.
Only then could it be accepted.
Looking at the puzzled expression on Bibi Dong's face, Yu Xiaogang patiently explained.
"When conducting research, the first step is to raise a question."
"Then gather information."
"After that, formulate a hypothesis."
"Design experiments."
"Record data."
"Analyze results."
"Repeat the experiment multiple times."
"Only after eliminating possible errors can a reliable conclusion be reached."
Bibi Dong listened quietly.
Although many of the concepts sounded unfamiliar, she could still understand the basic idea.
Yu Xiaogang wasn't the type of person who drew conclusions based on luck.
Everything had to be proven.
Everything had to be verified.
Only then would he accept it as truth.
"As for my current Spirit Evolution Theory..."
Yu Xiaogang pointed at himself.
"I'm still conducting the experiment."
"And I happen to be the test subject."
Bibi Dong couldn't help but laugh.
"So you're experimenting on yourself?"
"Exactly."
"And until I successfully reach the level I expect, the theory remains incomplete."
His answer left Bibi Dong deeply impressed.
Many people would have rushed to publish their discoveries after achieving a small amount of success.
But Yu Xiaogang wasn't like that.
He possessed a level of caution and responsibility that was rare among scholars.
After a brief silence, Bibi Dong asked:
"Then have you discovered anything useful so far?"
Yu Xiaogang immediately nodded.
"Of course."
He pointed toward Little Dragon.
"Little Dragon is the result."
With a flash of light, the Martial Spirit appeared beside him.
The dragon stood proudly, radiating majesty.
Its scales gleamed faintly beneath the sunlight.
Its appearance was impressive and imposing.
Yet Yu Xiaogang's next words nearly made Bibi Dong choke.
"When Little Dragon first awakened..."
"It looked more like a pig than a dragon."
"A household dog was about the same size."
"Awoooo!"
Little Dragon instantly protested.
Its eyes widened with indignation.
Its head repeatedly bumped against Yu Xiaogang's shoulder.
The meaning was obvious.
I'm a dragon!
A dragon!
Not a pig!
Yu Xiaogang laughed helplessly and rubbed its head.
"Alright, alright."
"You were always a dragon."
Only then did Little Dragon calm down.
Bibi Dong struggled to imagine the scene.
A pig-like creature the size of a dog?
And now?
The current Little Dragon was nearly as tall as she was.
The difference was unbelievable.
Yu Xiaogang continued:
"Through careful selection of Spirit Rings, Little Dragon gradually evolved into its current form."
"Honestly, if you had seen it back then and compared it to now, you'd probably think I had switched Martial Spirits."
Bibi Dong stared at Little Dragon.
The more she looked, the more amazed she became.
The transformation was simply too drastic.
For a moment, she almost wanted to try the same thing herself.
And naturally...
She voiced that thought.
"Then how should I choose my Spirit Rings?"
Yu Xiaogang froze.
"Huh?"
Bibi Dong smiled brightly.
"For my Death Spider Emperor."
Yu Xiaogang stared at her for several seconds.
Then he rolled his eyes.
Hard.
"Are you serious?"
"What?"
"Your Martial Spirit is the Death Spider Emperor."
"A top-tier Martial Spirit."
"One of the strongest Beast Spirits in existence."
"As long as you don't deliberately absorb Spirit Rings that oppose your attributes, your cultivation path is practically guaranteed."
He pointed at her.
"My Spirit Evolution Theory is mainly for people with poor foundations."
"For those whose Martial Spirits need improvement."
"You don't need it."
In Yu Xiaogang's eyes, Bibi Dong was already standing at the finish line.
While everyone else struggled to climb the mountain, she had been born near the summit.
Yet Bibi Dong pouted.
"Even so..."
"Who doesn't want to become stronger?"
Then she suddenly stepped closer.
Much closer.
Before Yu Xiaogang could react, she grabbed his arm.
"Teacher Xiaogang..."
Her voice became soft.
Almost pleading.
"Please help me."
"Just think about it for me."
"What if your ideas are even better than the cultivation plan my teacher prepared?"
The sudden closeness caught Yu Xiaogang completely off guard.
He froze.
His brain stopped working.
For a brief moment, he could only stare blankly.
A beautiful girl was standing inches away from him.
Looking up at him with sparkling eyes.
Acting spoiled.
Requesting his help.
The damage was devastating.
Yu Xiaogang quickly turned his head away.
He coughed twice.
Then took several deep breaths.
Only after calming himself did he finally respond.
"Fine."
"But let me make one thing clear."
"My ideas might not be correct."
"If I give you a plan, you must discuss it with His Holiness the Pope first."
"Do not use it blindly."
Bibi Dong nodded repeatedly.
Yu Xiaogang continued:
"If your cultivation develops problems because of my suggestions, your teacher will definitely come looking for me."
The moment he agreed, Bibi Dong's face lit up.
Her eyes curved into beautiful crescents.
"Yay!"
She jumped excitedly.
"I'm going to make my Martial Spirit evolve too!"
At that moment, her mind was completely occupied by thoughts of becoming stronger.
As a result, she failed to notice Yu Xiaogang's earlier awkward reaction.
Seeing that, Yu Xiaogang secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Fortunately...
She hadn't noticed.
Otherwise, things would have become very embarrassing.
Still, he couldn't help admitting one thing.
Having an unbelievably beautiful girl look at him with pleading eyes from such a close distance...
Was a truly terrifying experience.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)