Pope's Hall.
Bibi Dong awakened from her cultivation.
At this moment, she was dressed in a palace robe embedded with jewels. Her fair, slender legs extended from beneath the hem of her dress.
Her alluring curves were perfectly accentuated by the fitted palace attire.
"Whew, I've finally recovered a bit."
The aura emanating from Bibi Dong was far stronger than before.
After surviving that life-or-death crisis, she had now recovered enough to wield her full strength once more.
"Xiao Gang, just wait… I will avenge you."
Bibi Dong's eyes turned cold as she looked down at her hands.
The grudge over Xue Tianyu severing her arm, and the torment inflicted upon Yu Xiaogang—all of it had to be settled, one by one.
Suddenly, a bird flew into the hall from outside.
Bibi Dong caught it in one swift motion and retrieved a message tied to its leg.
Qian Renxue has successfully launched a coup, ascending the throne with the help of Xue Tianyu.
The first line brought a glimmer of joy to Bibi Dong's heart.
'So Qian Renxue is finally proving useful. After all these years, she's actually done something right.'
But the next line made her explode.
Xue Tianyu again?! Why is he everywhere?!
That bastard actually got close to that little wretch Qian Renxue too?!
Bibi Dong was deeply disgusted.
Just seeing the name "Xue Tianyu" now made her chest tighten with rage.
"Useless trash, getting so close to that Xue Tianyu…"
Bibi Dong growled through clenched teeth.
No wonder there had been no movement all these years, only for a sudden and successful coup to take place—so it was because of outside help.
Still, in the grand scheme of things, Qian Renxue pulling off the coup at such a critical juncture wasn't necessarily bad.
Now that the Spirit Hall had control over the Heaven Dou Empire, unifying the continent would be that much easier.
Qian Renxue probably didn't even realize that all she was doing was preparing the wedding dress for someone else.
Bibi Dong raised her hand. A terrifying surge of divine power radiated outward, purple-black godly energy flowing around her palm.
Didn't that Xue Tianyu say he would "teach her a lesson" during the finals?
Now, she was just a step away from fully inheriting the Rakshasa God position.
There was still some time before the finals. If she continued to grow stronger until then—who'd be teaching whom would still be up for debate!
Bibi Dong calmed herself and suddenly remembered—her Soul Devouring Spider Emperor still lacked two soul rings.
She had already decided: those two had to be 100,000-year-old soul rings.
Since the Sunset Forest could no longer provide what she needed, she would simply take the two kings of the Star Dou Forest.
Just then, a wave of soul power approached rapidly from a distance.
"He's back?"
Bibi Dong sensed Chrysanthemum Douluo's aura.
He had been sent out earlier to track down the Titan Giant Ape and the Sky Azure Bull Python.
She immediately summoned him to the Pope's Hall.
Soon, Chrysanthemum Douluo arrived.
His face was covered in dust—it was clear the task had taken quite the toll.
"Well? Did you find them?"
Bibi Dong looked at him with a hint of expectation.
Those two soul rings were the only things she was missing. Once acquired, her strength would rise another level.
Right now, the only available targets were the Titan Giant Ape and the Sky Azure Bull Python.
Chrysanthemum Douluo hesitated slightly—he hadn't expected the Pope to be in such a rush.
He'd intended to rest before reporting back, but seeing her so eager, he nodded.
"I found them. I marked both their nesting grounds and the areas they frequent."
"Good. I can always count on you."
Bibi Dong smiled in satisfaction.
But Chrysanthemum Douluo found her attitude a bit strange.
Normally, such scouting missions were Ghost Douluo's responsibility, given his innate advantage in stealth and detection.
Now that he thought about it, it had been quite a while since he last heard from Ghost Douluo.
Chrysanthemum Douluo couldn't help but ask, "What about Old Ghost? I haven't seen him in a while."
Bibi Dong's eyes narrowed.
"Don't ask. Just assume he's dead."
Dead…? Dead?!
Chrysanthemum Douluo was stunned.
He hadn't heard about him taking on any particularly dangerous missions…
But…
A wave of grief welled up inside Chrysanthemum Douluo. He and Ghost Douluo had been close friends for over a decade. They had even developed a martial soul fusion technique together.
And now he's just… dead?
Could it be that he accidentally ran into a powerful enemy?
No matter how he thought about it, it didn't make sense.
"Your Majesty, Ghost Douluo was incredibly skilled at fleeing. Even if he couldn't win, he should've been able to escape… how could he just die like that…"
Chrysanthemum Douluo's face grew heavy.
Bibi Dong glanced at him coldly.
Just thinking about Ghost Douluo's arrogant attitude toward her made her blood boil.
"Enough. He's not dead. But he betrayed Spirit Hall—right to my face!"
"Betrayed?!"
Chrysanthemum Douluo was dumbfounded.
He couldn't believe it. His friend of so many years—just gone a few days and suddenly he's a traitor?
"No… Who could make Ghost Douluo betray Spirit Hall?!"
He thought of himself as Ghost Douluo's only real friend. If Ghost Douluo had any such intentions, he would've noticed.
And yet it had all happened so quietly…
Hearing Chrysanthemum Douluo go on and on about Ghost Douluo made Bibi Dong's head throb.
"Enough! Just hearing that name annoys me!"
What truly upset her wasn't Ghost Douluo, but the one who made him defect—Xue Tianyu.
There was nothing to be said without tears.
Though her internal injuries had healed, the wounds Xue Tianyu left on her still ached faintly.
When the finals came, she would make him pay every last debt!
…
Seagod Island.
Bo Saixi was kneeling before the Sea God, performing her daily prayers.
Suddenly, the Sea God's statue flared with a blue radiance.
A divine will burst into the sky, stirring the seas around Seagod Island into a churning frenzy.
Bo Saixi's face turned solemn.
Whenever the Sea God statue reacted this way, something major was about to happen.
Sure enough, a vague figure slowly formed before the statue.
The figure held a transparent Sea God Trident. Though its face was indistinct, Bo Saixi knew—it was the Sea God himself.
She immediately bowed her head.
"The Sea God has manifested. What are your orders?"
The Sea God's phantom looked down at her and said, "The inheritance of the Ancient Ice God has reappeared. Seagod Island must spare no effort in eliminating the inheritor of the Ice God!"
"Make sure they are killed before they inherit the Ancient Ice God's position! This is the consensus of the God Realm!"
"I obey the Sea God's will."
Though she didn't know who he meant, Bo Saixi still bowed in acknowledgment.
"Remember—kill Xue Tianyu as soon as possible!"
After speaking, the Sea God's figure dissipated.
Xue Tianyu?
Bo Saixi looked up, silently mouthing the name.
So this Xue Tianyu was the inheritor of the Ancient Ice God.
With that realization, she immediately summoned the seven Sacred Pillar Guardians.
Since the Sea God himself had given the order, then even at the cost of everything, Seagod Island would ensure this Xue Tianyu was eradicated!