"It seems Ning Fengzhi has hidden many things from us." In a more concealed location, hidden within Qian Renxue's barrier, the plump Ci Xue watched the distant battle with a sigh of emotion.
"The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect cannot be taken lightly. Young Lady, please do not let your guard down!" She Long, standing beside Qian Renxue, added a warning.
"Mmm, two 100,000-year soul bones, and a 100,000-year soul ring..." Qian Renxue nodded slightly, her brows furrowing. "I wonder who my teacher is actually wary of."
"Perhaps he's wary of Spirit Hall," Qian Renxue muttered to herself.
"Young Lady, that 570,000-year soul beast mentioned a special aura. Do you have any clues?" Ci Xue inquired.
Qian Renxue shook her head: "No clues. Theoretically, it could be Ning Rongrong, but the likelihood..."
"Could it be that Tokisaki Kurumi? At the hotel, she left behind a clone. Maybe the one here is also a clone," She Long speculated.
"That's possible. After all, this concerns the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's secrets. The Tokisaki Kurumi here knows far too much."
"Should She Long and I go test her?" Ci Xue tentatively suggested.
"No, there's no need." Qian Renxue shook her head. "Your safety is most important. I feel the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect is acting strangely. If something unexpected happens, it won't be good."
"That woman sent people over, didn't she? With those two's personalities..." Qian Renxue didn't continue, but Ci Xue and She Long exchanged glances and sighed.
"Ah... Young Lady, there's something I don't know if I should ask." Ci Xue spoke cautiously.
"Go ahead."
"How did your test turn out?" Ci Xue's voice carried concern.
Last time, after returning to Spirit Hall, Qian Renxue had handed The Heartbroken Acacia to Bibi Dong. She wasn't worried Bibi Dong wouldn't recognize its value—after all, one of her two attendants, the effeminate Chrysanthemum Douluo, was quite knowledgeable in pharmacology and would surely recognize it.
"Grandfather sent me a reply." Qian Renxue fell silent for a moment before speaking. "She spat out a mouthful of blood, but what happened afterward is unclear. She kept The Heartbroken Acacia."
"Even Grandfather couldn't discern what that woman was thinking at the time. I still think we should give her a chance."
If Bibi Dong truly was acknowledged by The Heartbroken Acacia, then...
The Elder Hall would immediately move to kill her. That was what Qian Renxue had told her grandfather.
She was first and foremost the young master of Spirit Hall—only then was she that woman's child.
Since Bibi Dong had repeatedly betrayed Spirit Hall, there was no need to spare her.
"Can we be sure it's real?" She Long hesitated before pressing further.
"She Long, don't ask." Ci Xue shot him a warning look.
"It's fine, Uncle Ci Xue. Truthfully, I'm not sure whether Grandfather's message was genuine or if he deliberately hid something."
"No confirmation..."
If Bibi Dong really was acknowledged by The Heartbroken Acacia, it was possible Qian Daoliu had falsified the report.
A grandfather who could turn a blind eye to his own son's death might be overly lenient toward Bibi Dong. Such a possibility couldn't be ruled out.
"Ah, in the end, I'll have to judge for myself." Qian Renxue said. "Earlier, the Chrysanthemum Douluo mentioned that woman would come before the coronation ceremony, didn't he?"
"I'll see for myself then. If she truly betrays Spirit Hall, then..."
"There's no need for her to live."
A flash of ruthlessness passed through Qian Renxue's eyes.
"Young Lady..." She Long and Ci Xue sighed deeply.
They could only hope the Pope wouldn't disappoint the young lady—otherwise, Spirit Hall might be plunged into bloody turmoil.
Bibi Dong was, after all, a 98th-rank powerhouse and a inheritor of a divine trial.
Unless Qian Daoliu and all the elders of the Elder Hall joined forces, using a formation to block the gods' perception of their inheritor, killing her would be possible. But plans could always go awry.
If Bibi Dong escaped, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"Don't be too pessimistic." Qian Renxue reassured them. "She is, after all, my mother. I don't think her infatuation runs that deep. There should still be a chance to save her."
Ci Xue and She Long didn't respond. There was no good way to comment on such matters.
Their gazes turned back toward the battlefield.
High above, the battle between the Sword Douluo and Bi Ji raged fiercely.
Bi Ji's strength surpassed the Sword Douluo's, forcing the Bone Douluo to join the fight.
Thus, it became a two-against-one scenario, yet even then, Bi Ji remained unyielding.
Qian Renxue and the others suddenly felt the space before them darken, sensing an abnormal spatial fluctuation.
Then, the battlefield vanished.
"What's this?" The Title Douluo observing the battle wore expressions of confusion.
However, none of them moved, quietly waiting instead.
At that moment, the battlefield had been transported to a separate dimension.
"Oh? A spatial attribute ability, capable of something like this?"
Bi Ji, who had been fighting the Sword and Bone Douluos, quickly distanced herself from the two, sensing the pitch-black surroundings. Her beautiful face showed a trace of doubt.
"Was this your doing, Dark Devilgod Tiger?" Her voice also alerted Ning Fengzhi and the others. The Sword and Bone Douluos glanced at Tokisaki Kurumi, who had remained motionless the entire time.
"Well, who knows?" Tokisaki Kurumi didn't deny it. "But the you here isn't your real body, is it?"
"What? Not the real body?" The Sword and Bone Douluos were shocked.
The Bi Ji they had been fighting so intensely wasn't even her true form.
Was this just a clone?
"The gap between Rank 99 and Rank 98 is vast. I'm surprised you figured it out."
Bi Ji's tone shifted.
"So then, knowing I'm not the real body, why go through the trouble of creating a space outside space? What's your goal?"
"I don't have soul rings or soul bones to offer," she teased.
"No, it's not about soul rings or soul bones. We simply don't want certain things exposed to irrelevant parties."
A sudden voice echoed from an unknown source.
Bi Ji's expression turned grave as she scanned the darkness. "Who are you?"
"Bi Ji, the 570,000-year Emerald Swan, the third most powerful existence in the Star Dou Great Forest, second only to the Silver Dragon King and Di Tian."
"You—" Bi Ji's pupils contracted. "Just who are you?!"
Impossible!
How could a human know about the master?
"Weren't you looking for me?"
Beside Tokisaki Kurumi, a figure materialized from illusion to solidity.
A girl appeared in the dark space.
She had long brown hair, her loose strands drifting slightly despite the absence of wind.
In her hands, she held a Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda emitting a soft, pale green light.
Most astonishing of all were the soul rings floating around the pagoda—under its glow, they shone so brilliantly they were impossible to forget.
"Soul Sage!" Bi Ji trembled slightly.
Her gaze locked onto the girl holding the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.
Especially those terrifying soul rings—once seen, they were impossible to look away from.
Even a 570,000-year Emerald Swan found it hard to believe.
"A million-year soul ring... Why... why do you have this?"