A long while passed.
"Mm, perhaps you're right..."
Bibi Dong responded almost inaudibly, her voice carrying a lazy and raspy tone after shedding her burden. "Maybe... I overthought things."
Feeling her body fully relax, Dai Chengfeng's lips curved into a smile.
He tightened his arms around her, gently rubbing his chin against her damp hair, and whispered: "You're tired, Teacher. Sleep."
Bibi Dong didn't speak again, merely adjusting to a more comfortable position and closing her eyes.
Dai Chengfeng also quieted down, his palm still gently resting on her flat abdomen with visible muscle lines, slowly falling asleep.
However, it seemed that Bibi Dong...
After her body relaxed and her mind settled, she didn't fall asleep. Instead, another matter that had been lingering in her mind for a long time quietly surfaced.
She began to subconsciously introspect, sensing that unique and powerful force within her—Asura God's Power.
It was cold, murderous, yet contained an unparalleled power of judgment, vastly different from her cultivated Rakshasa God's Power, but strangely coexisted within her body, and seemingly...
Undergoing some kind of deeper transformation that even she hadn't fully understood yet.
But at this moment, when she immersed her thoughts and carefully perceived it, she found that the Asura God's Power was still flowing like a dark red stream deep within her meridians, emanating a chilling aura.
But its growth... seemed to have stalled?
A trace of doubt rose in Bibi Dong's heart.
She cautiously tried, with great care, to guide that bit of Asura God's Power with her will, gathering it to the tip of her right finger.
A faint, barely noticeable dark red glow appeared at her fingertip, like embers about to extinguish in the night, weak yet carrying a heart-stopping fluctuation of rules.
She carefully "observed" this strand of divine power.
Its magnitude hadn't changed, its purity hadn't improved; it just froze there as if paused.
'Why…' Bibi Dong muttered to herself, 'hasn't it increased recently?'
'I just drank so much milk…'
'Something's not right…'
Bibi Dong's brows imperceptibly furrowed. 'This halt came too suddenly, too thoroughly.'
'Could it be… that I've hit some kind of bottleneck? Or has the rule of the divine trial changed at some stage?'
Various speculations raced through her mind.
Did something go wrong with Dai Chengfeng? No, his aura, his touch, everything was normal, even more intimate, so the effect should only be stronger.
Then, did the requirements of the divine trial increase?
'It seems,' she thought to herself, 'I must go there tomorrow… I need to ask the Rakshasa God.'
As her divine inheritance guide, the Rakshasa God might know why the growth of the Asura God's Power had halted.
Although communicating with the Rakshasa God often brought oppression and discomfort, to resolve this question concerning the foundation of her future power, she had to go.
Thinking these thoughts, her mind gradually became occupied by fatigue and drowsiness after intense contemplation.
The dark red glow at her fingertips faded away, and she completely relaxed, her consciousness sinking into a warm darkness.
Her breathing became long and steady, truly falling into sleep.
...
The next morning.
Soft morning light filtered through the gaps in the heavy curtains, casting a few hazy patches of light on the carpet of the bedchamber.
Bibi Dong gradually awoke in warmth.
Before fully opening her eyes, her senses awakened first.
A steady heartbeat came from behind, a strong arm encircled her waist, and a familiar, reassuring scent lingered at her nose.
She slightly moved and realized she was still tightly embraced by Dai Chengfeng from behind. His chest pressed against her back, his body heat passing through the thin robe, dispelling the slight chill of the morning.
This feeling of being cherished in an embrace upon waking was unfamiliar to her, yet... comfortingly heart-pounding.
She slowly opened her deep purple eyes, and the first thing she saw was Dai Chengfeng's sleeping face close by.
Gone were his usual respectfulness and occasional aggression; at this moment, his face was peaceful, even carrying a softness typical of his age.
Sunlight cast a pale golden hue on his well-defined profile, his long lashes casting faint shadows on his eyelids.
Bibi Dong gazed at him quietly, not immediately thinking of the complex political affairs, the grand ambitions of the Spirit Hall, or the unresolved knots with Qian Renxue. Just at this moment,
She simply enjoyed this rare tranquility and... warmth.
At this moment, Dai Chengfeng's eyelashes fluttered a few times, and he slowly opened his eyes.
His deep black eyes were initially somewhat hazy but instantly cleared when they focused on the face of the person in his arms.
He looked at her equally clear eyes, his lips naturally curving into a lazy and charming smile.
He didn't speak immediately but tightened the arm around her waist, pulling her closer, then lowered his head, gently kissing her forehead.
"Good morning, Teacher."
His voice carried the hoarseness of just waking up, rich and magnetic, striking at Bibi Dong's heart.
The warmth from her forehead caused Bibi Dong's heart to skip a beat.
She lowered her eyelids, softly "Mm"-ing in response.
Her cheeks seemed to slightly redden, but fortunately, the light in the bedchamber was still dim, making it hard to see clearly.
The two quietly embraced for a moment longer, enjoying the tranquil warmth of the morning.
But Bibi Dong's biological clock as the Pope soon reminded her that it was late, and many affairs awaited her at the Spirit Hall.
She gently moved and whispered: "It's getting late. You should go back."
Dai Chengfeng, however, clung to her tighter, burying his face in her neck, rubbing against her and greedily inhaling her unique fragrance. He mumbled:
"Wait a little longer... it's still early."
Saying that, with a clever move, he pinned Bibi Dong beneath him, supporting himself on both sides of her body, looking down at her.
In the morning light, her violet eyes were like gemstones veiled in a thin mist, carrying the laziness of just waking and an imperceptible indulgence.
"Teacher..."
Dai Chengfeng's voice grew lower, filled with obvious desire, his gaze falling on her slightly parted lips.
On a normal day, Bibi Dong might have pushed him away modestly, urging him to leave.
But at this moment, a sudden thought about last night's question regarding the Asura God's Power flashed through her mind.
'Perfect,' she thought, 'I can experiment again... to see why the divine power didn't respond.'
With this thought, any intention to push him away dissipated.
She even actively raised her arm, encircling Dai Chengfeng's neck, pulling him towards her.
Seeing her signal, delight flashed in Dai Chengfeng's eyes...
Without hesitation, he lowered his head and captured her soft lips.
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