Chapter 19: The Place Hidden From Eyes
Lost in thoughts, Yao Guai kept on walking ahead, oblivious to his new teacher stopping after meeting an age-old enemy. The child bumped into the pontiff's behind and felt a softness on his stomach both frightening and alluring. Like a warm pillow where one's hand should sink at the slightest squeeze.
Bibi Dong too preoccupied with her mental exchange of false pleasantries and gloating did not notice. Yao immediately recoiled away no matter how pleasant it was, touching was nice, though not being slapped into oblivion was nicer.
The man shook his head, as much of a man he was inside a child's body, his thoughts were focused on success only. 'Why am I even thinking about this.' With twitching lips, he suppressed an active imagination regarding how it would feel if he were to grasp what shouldn't be touched casually.
A second later Yao Guai returned to his calm self, as tranquil as a lake, as smooth as a coursing river. Now that he was somewhat part of spirit hall, with a potential high status at that, resources and facilities wouldn't be out of reach.
"Heehee~" Bibi Dong giggled and caught Yao Guai's attention. She sighed then gestured to her new student to keep on following. Moving once again, Yao Guai felt time lose its hold and hours later he blinked. The surroundings had shifted far too much from the luxurious halls of the Supreme Pontiff's Palace.
Mountains jutted out from the land, forming tall bastions reaching high into skies clear as a blue, wave-less ocean. Daisies and roses enriched a breeze with soul calming heavenly scents, a river ran down to the right where a forest would greet anyone who crosses.
Yao Guai and Bibi Dong stood before a bamboo pavilion, it was simple in structure but gazing at it would give a person a sense of ease.
"What happened?" Stunned, Yao desired to seek the answer, a few hours ago they were just walking around the palace where Bibi Dong would explain locations, more like a house tour if simplified. Even as sharp as Yao's mind was, he had dozed off for some reason, blankly retaining knowledge, resembling a mindless sponge that had soaked up water.
Bibi Dong focused her pupils at Yao Guai, a slight smile hung down her lips. Her initial favorable view of the green haired student growing fonder. Oh how she enjoyed pissing off the old coot Qian using Yao as a subject, a little revenge was nice as the old man was one of the reasons her life had shifted drastically.
Bibi Dong unconsciously patted Yao Guai's head, the child frowned and cringed, backing off much to her disappointment. Tossing back thoughts of idling around at the back of her head, the pontiff went straight to business.
"As my student you are free to run around the palace as much as you like, but I highly recommend against it. Some undesirable fellows hide themselves deep in our Spirit Hall, fellows who might bar your path or even scheme against you."
"For now, until you reach at least rank thirty-one Soul Elder, keep the visits to the palace to a minimum. This place's name is Moon Viewing pagoda, when I was younger this area helped me out in resolving doubts. As your new teacher I grant this land to you, I hope this place will help out as much as it helped me back then."
Listening to Bibi Dong explaining things softly, Yao nodded his head in agreement. His status would be high thanks to becoming the supreme pontiff's disciple, unfortunately it also painted a large target upon his back. Not many know of it now but word will spread if he kept on walking around the palace too much.
'And its not like I would need much from that place anyway…' Everything he needed, Yao had it now, a silent place for cultivation, although incomparable to the pocket dimension somehow residing in Yao Guai's soul, it boosted his rate of soul power advancement. And things were just getting started after all.
Eyes turning brighter and fiercer, Bibi Dong lightly commanded. "Show me your martial soul." She had to admit, this brat had talent when it came to physical combat but the martial soul was still the foundation of all things.
'By only knowing it will I be able to plan out the most optimal path for you.' Bibi Dong rarely took in disciples, except for Yao, there was just one elder sister which made her student count rise to two. And although there was only two of them, the woman had already decided to go all out in training these handpicked talents.
Hu Liena was like a daughter to her, the daughter that she always wanted unlike that other walking dark memory. Even if she was her flesh and blood, the pontiff refused to acknowledge the girl as her own. Horrible it was, and she was failing as a mother, Bibi Dong perfectly understood the implications of her neglect but so what?
Gazing at that golden hair atop the little girl blessed with one of the most powerful martial souls in this continent, a nightmare would always appear. An inner demon Bibi Dong could not face but only run away from.
While Bibi Dong had fallen to another episode of her trauma, Yao Guai thought what he should do presented by that command.
'I only have one martial soul, yet this martial soul is too diverse that it can basically turn me into any Soul Master class I want. Control, agility, support…' Yao ruminated over the matter, his martial soul was a yugioh card that could unleash devastating trap cards, mystical spell cards and most importantly.
It can theoretically make him raise an army of spirit beasts. Sun was already an example, the starting point as there wasn't much requirement for turning other wild spirit beasts into spirit beast cards. Yao just has to make sure they don't rebel for these spirit beasts would live inside his pocket dimension.
They can't hurt him, but if he decided to plant stuff in the pocket dimension, these plants could be ruined. And Yao Guai traced back his thoughts to his first attempt at making a spirit beast card, the boar had died in the pocket dimension, but as soon as it died Yao returned to reality facing a backlash.
'Spirit beasts can reside in the Pocket Dimension, but if they die there, they die permanently, much like dying in real life.' These circumstances strengthened Yao Guai and weakened him at the same time. He could try to get a hundred ten-year monkeys and summon them without any hassle, but if one died it would generate a backlash that could injure and possibly kill him once enough of them dies.
Regarding spell cards and trap cards, they were much more direct. Yao Guai thought about it more then sighed. As if on cue, the monkey meditating inside the pocket dimension stood up and yawned. Sun stretched his body and popping sounds rang out.
"My martial soul allows me to contract with a spirit beast and use one in battle every ten levels. Instead of spirit rings appearing, a card would appear in its place then turn into a spirit beast of my choosing. At certain times, I can summon card apparitions that can block or attack once."
Yao decided it was best to explain it this way, he primarily used Defensive trap cards in battle after all and his friend Sun could use more battle experience. Yao Guai said no more and an orange card glowed into his hand, the child tossed it into the air where it turned into a monkey holding an iron staff.
Sun stretched his limbs and gazed at Bibi Dong up and down, the monkey seemed to be silent and contemplating. Mentally, such wasn't a case.
[Woah there Yao… You found a good mate, once you make babies you should introduce them to this handsome monkey uncle yeah? I'll teach them how fun it is to fight.] Yao Guai expected the monkey to worry or burst into a complaint thanks to the earlier event of not summoning him to help. Instead, the monkey playfully teased with his friend, earning an eye twitch from the green child.
[Sun what the hell!?!? She's like fifty or something!]
[Who cares? She looks fine enough and I can sense her strength, she's really strong and I want to fight her but I'll die if I do that. Also, didn't you also tell me that you love your women ahm, how do I say this… Sexy? Smoking hot?] By now Sun was giggling to himself much to the interest of Bibi Dong.
Now that Yao thought about it, his new teacher really fitted his type for an ideal lover. A mature woman with the right curves in the right spots, not to mention, powerful and high status.
Yao Extinguished those wandering ideas. 'Stupid monkey giving stupid ideas.'
And Yao Guai's face had a tint of red on it, he was embarrassed, usually he would be calm and apathetic to other peoples remarks but Sun was special. The monkey and the Human practically almost grew up together in the Great Star Dou forest, becoming friends that saved each other from death and fought together.
Women would form friendships upon sharing similar interests, then they would go shopping etc etc or talk about boys together. While men on the other hand, mostly form true friendships by earning each other's respect, covering each other's back and undertaking challenges together.
Yao and Sun were friends despite the racial difference, and it was this status that gave Sun's teasing much more of an edge against the reincarnated man.
"An interesting martial soul… What will happen if this monkey dies?" Bibi Dong pondered, she raised her hand and seemed to be intent on finding out. Yao's expression burst into an ice cold frozen face, making the woman chuckle.
"I was merely kidding and thinking about it. I presume that something bad will happen if your spirit beasts died?"
"If they die I will die too." Yao replied.
Sun shook as he felt touched, if he dies although it may affect Yao Guai negatively, the human would still live a long life. But for the child to declare that without hesitation, Sun sighed inside and cursed himself for being weak
'Mah mah… I'm really weak as shit, I won't be able to help Yao with this pitiful strength.' Sun thought as he clenched his palm into a fist, it was his weakness that became Yao Guai's weakness too.
Sure, based on his power as a now three hundred year spirit beast and his combat mastery, no rank twenty one to thirty Soul Grandmaster would be his match, even low level ordinary Soul Elders wouldn't win against him either.
'Its not enough… I need to get stronger, for Yao, and to finally destroy them.' Sun always sought out fights, his main reason for existing was to fight, to fight and keep growing. Only when having grown enough will he have the muscles necessary for resolving his personal issues.
Bibi Dong nodded, her smile never left her lips but now it turned more sweeter.
"I will restrict my realm to a rank thirty one Soul Elder, If you can make me use my martial soul then it will be my loss, only then will I stop fighting." Bibi Dong teased, taking a page out of Yao Guai's book.
Sun and Yao stared at each other. [Yao that's your line, she stole it.]
And Yao prepared himself for what was to come. [We're fucked, not in the good way.]
Through the day that gradually turned into night, howls and shrieks of pain and frustration echoed from the Moon Viewing Pagoda.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Aeolius
Aeolius What is a king without his subordinates?
Now he has a perfect excuse to use Spirit Hall to expand his army!
Muahahaha~
Also its kinda evident that Yao's thoughts grow less serious when the monkey is around.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone