75: Chapter 75 Everyone is in the same boat; they will all be driven out of Wuhun City.

In twelve years, he had long since shed the childishness he had when he first entered Spirit Hall. His features were handsome, his gaze steady, and the Soul Power fluctuations around him were restrained and solid. Even just standing silently, he exuded a maturity and restraint far beyond his peers.

"Xiao San, come and sit." Bibi Dong's voice was cool, yet it held a hint of softness that was rarely shown to outsiders, echoing slowly through the empty hall.

Alternative stepped forward slowly and bowed deeply to the woman in the main seat. When he spoke, his tone was respectful yet intimate: "Mother."

The corners of Bibi Dong's lips softened for an imperceptible moment.

She never minded this child's form of address. Compared to the cold and distant "Adjudicator Elder," she was actually more accustomed to this warm call of "Mother." She raised her hand to signal Alternative to sit in the side chair and spoke calmly: "After three years of secluded cultivation, what Realm has your Soul Power reached?"

"Replying to Mother, your Disciple is now a Level 48 support system Spirit Ancestor." Alternative replied in a deep voice, then lowered his eyes slightly, his tone tinged with apology, "It is because I have not worked hard enough; my progress is much slower than theirs. I have disappointed you."

"I wouldn't call it disappointment."

Upon hearing this, Bibi Dong simply curled her lips slightly, without any hint of reproach: "Everyone's situation is different. You have been able to progress steadily, cultivating from Innate Full Spirit Power to Level 48 in three years. You have already far surpassed the vast majority of Spirit Masters of your generation. There is no need to compare yourself rigidly to them, much less belittle yourself."

Hearing this, Alternative bowed again, and the guilt in his heart subsided slightly.

Bibi Dong looked at his steady demeanor, her fingertips gently stroking the gemstone on the armrest of her chair as she spoke slowly: "You have stayed in Spirit Hall for three full years. The Spirit theory, combat techniques, and soul-controlling Mind-Cultivation Technique that you should learn have all been taught to you by the old gentlemen of the hall. I have thought it over, and it is time for you to go out and gain some experience."

Alternative looked up abruptly, a flash of surprise in his eyes, clearly not expecting her to suddenly say this.

"Remember, after you go out, you must never reveal your relationship with Spirit Hall, or with me."

Bibi Dong's tone remained calm, yet it carried an undeniable warning: "What Spirit Hall has taught you is knowledge from books and the experience summarized by predecessors, but the path of a Spirit Master must ultimately be walked by oneself, step by step. Many things can only be truly understood after experiencing them personally."

Alternative frowned, his eyes full of confusion: "Mother, why go out for experience? Spirit Hall has the continent's top Mimicry Cultivation Rooms, the most complete Spirit Master system, and the guidance of you and the various Elders. Isn't cultivating diligently here the fastest path to advancement?"

"If a person is trapped in one corner of the World for a long time, they will assume that what is before them is the entire World, that the rules here are all correct, and that the light here is everything. But that is wrong, even if this is Spirit Hall, even if I am here protecting you." Bibi Dong's voice fell slowly, carrying the coldness of someone who had seen through the World.

Alternative's frown deepened, his tone filled with bewilderment: "But Spirit Hall is the destination for all Spirit Masters on the continent, the place that protects commoners and maintains the order of the Spirit Master's world, the representative of light and justice, is it not?"

Since he could remember, he had been protected by Bibi Dong in Spirit Hall. What he saw was Spirit Hall Awakening Spirits for commoners for free, providing cultivation subsidies for Spirit Masters from humble backgrounds, and punishing wicked Spirit Masters.

In his eyes, this was the cleanest and brightest place in the World.

Looking at the pure conviction in the youth's eyes, Bibi Dong suddenly gave a low laugh. There was a bit of mockery in that laughter, a bit of helplessness, and a bit of melancholy that even she hadn't noticed. She raised her hand to signal Alternative to come closer, her fingertips gently brushing the top of his head with a rare softness: "Light and justice? Xiao San, no matter how fierce the sunlight is, it cannot illuminate all shadows. Any organization, any power, has darkness hidden behind the light, and Spirit Hall is no exception."

"This is the real World."

She withdrew her hand, her tone becoming solemn again: "The World you see now is the World they want you to see—a filtered, clean World. It is not real, nor is it complete. You have been keeping your eyes open, looking at what others want you to see. From now on, you must learn to see the World with your eyes closed."

"See the World with my eyes closed?" Alternative murmured the phrase, his brow furrowed, his confusion growing even greater, completely unable to understand the meaning of these words.

Bibi Dong didn't explain further. She simply waved her hand, and a pitch-black cloak with dark blue Adjudicator patterns embroidered on the edges floated from the rack beside her to Alternative. It was cold to the touch but carried a powerful Restriction that isolated his aura, perfectly hiding his appearance, Soul Power fluctuations, and Spirit aura.

"Put it on."

Bibi Dong's voice was cool and firm: "Put it on and go see what this continent really looks like. Go see the corners where the sunlight doesn't reach. Once you have finished your journey, you will understand what it means to see the World with your eyes closed."

Her gaze drifted outside the hall toward the vast Douluo Continent, her voice carrying a clarity etched into her very bones: "You must remember, beauty is but a momentary sensation; only reality is eternal. And reality is never beautiful."

Alternative leaned over and solemnly took the cloak with both hands, feeling as if the light fabric weighed a thousand pounds.

He looked up at Bibi Dong, the confusion in his eyes gradually fading, replaced by a hint of unquestionable determination.

He bowed deeply, performing a grand salute: "I understand, Mother. I will never fail your expectations."

Bibi Dong looked at him and nodded slightly, her tone softening a bit: "Go then. You can depart whenever you wish; there's no need to report to me. Remember, no matter how far you go, Spirit Hall will always be your home, and I will always be your support. But this path must ultimately be walked by you, step by step, to see for yourself and to realize for yourself."

Alternative bowed again, and holding the cloak, he turned and withdrew from the Adjudicator Hall.

The sunlight outside the hall fell upon him. He looked down at the black cloak in his hands, Bibi Dong's words echoing repeatedly in his ears, his heart surging with inexplicable emotions.

He had lived in Spirit Hall for twelve years and had never stepped foot outside Spirit City, largely due to his half-human half-spirit beast identity. At this moment, the cloak in his hand felt as heavy as a thousand pounds; it was hard to say how much pressure his mother had endured just so he could go out and see the World.

Who could tolerate an outlier suddenly being released like a tiger back to the mountains? Wouldn't that be asking for trouble?

Just as he was lost in thought standing on the corridor outside the hall, a sound of footsteps came from behind him.

Alternative turned around and saw Gui Mengguan, Qiangu Jue, and Oupai walking toward him.

"Third Brother?"

Gui Mengguan was the first to speak. Looking at the cloak in his hand and then glancing at the lingering confusion on his face, he instantly understood most of it. "The Adjudicator Elder is sending you out for experience?"

Alternative nodded and bowed to the three of them: "First Brother, Second Brother, Fourth Brother, Mother indeed wants me to go out and see the real World. It's just that right now... I'm still a bit lost. I don't know where to go or what to do."

Qiangu Jue stepped forward and patted his shoulder, his tone calm but carrying the insight of someone who had been through it: "Don't panic. Everyone's situation is the same. People our age must be kicked out... I mean, geniuses like us must experience this, otherwise we won't be able to handle things in the future."

Gui Mengguan looked toward the rolling mountains outside Spirit City and continued: "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Don't be in a hurry to set some grand goal or find some standard answer. Just start walking, go around more, see more. When you've met enough people and experienced enough things, you will naturally know what you should do and how to do it in a way that you believe is 'right' in your heart."

Qiangu Jue also grinned and added in a muffled voice: "Exactly! This continent is huge. If you just stay cooped up in Spirit City, so what if you Cultivate to become a Spirit King? Going out to venture, picking a few fights, and seeing the World is much more useful than being stuck in a cultivation room!"

Oupai also nodded and added gently: "If you encounter trouble you can't solve on the road, do your best to solve it. Unless you really can't, then grease your feet and run as fast as you can."

Looking at the three of them, the confusion in Alternative's heart mostly dissipated instantly.

He gripped the cloak in his hand and nodded heavily to the three: "Thank you for the guidance, brothers. I understand."

Gui Mengguan smiled and patted his shoulder again: "Take care. We look forward to you bringing back some different stories when you return."

Alternative nodded again, turned, gripped the cloak tightly, and walked toward the gates of Spirit City.

The sunlight fell on his upright back, and the youth's footsteps gradually became firm from their initial hesitation.

After Alternative's figure disappeared at the end of the corridor, Qiangu Jue brandished the Coiling Dragon Rod in his hand and looked at Gui Mengguan: "What do we do now? We can't just keep nesting in the cultivation room, can we? I've been bored to death these past three years."

Oupai also looked up at Gui Mengguan, waiting for him to make a decision.

Although they had sat firmly in Spirit Hall these past three years, they had always kept an eye on the movements in Soto City. Now that they were getting closer and closer to the plot nodes, they couldn't just sit idly by forever.

Gui Mengguan smiled and looked toward the south outside Spirit City, his tone relaxed: "What else can we do? You think what you said just now was fake? While the higher-ups haven't spoken yet, let's go to Soto City and take a look too."

"Alright! I've wanted to go see it for a long time!" Qiangu Jue immediately got excited and agreed, then spat, "It's a good chance to see what's going on with that little brat Yu Xiaogang. For the past three years, besides knowing he's been nesting in Shrek as a teacher, there hasn't been a single bit of useful information. While we're at it, let's go scout things out and see exactly how many Transmigrators have run over there ahead of time in these three years."

Oupai also nodded in agreement: "It really is time to go take a look. If we don't go now, I'm afraid we won't even get any of the leftovers."

The three of them hit it off immediately. They packed their bags that same day, said their goodbyes to their respective families, hid their identities as Spirit Hall Core Disciples, restrained their Spirit King level Soul Power fluctuations, disguised themselves as three ordinary Spirit Ancestors traveling together, and headed straight for Soto City.

After just a few days' journey, the three of them stepped through the gates of Soto City.

...