Seeing that threats were useless, Ge Long could only turn to Lin Mu for help.
Before he could finish speaking, Lin Mu waved a hand and cut him off.
"Marshal."
Lin Mu looked at Ge Long calmly. His voice carried a trace of soul power as he said in a firm tone, "Marshal Ge Long, just tell me what you need, and I will relay it to His Majesty."
Hearing this, Ge Long's expression changed.
He had thought Lin Mu would speak up for him, but to his surprise, Lin Mu was standing with the guards instead.
Moreover, these guards clearly did not dare stop Lin Mu. The one they were targeting was him alone.
In an instant, Ge Long's face turned livid. His fists clenched tightly, but he did not dare show his anger openly and could only force himself to suppress it.
After all, Lin Mu was one of the strongest experts in the world.
Although Ge Long did not know Lin Mu's exact strength, defeating a Soul Douluo would probably be effortless for him, perhaps not even taking a minute.
On top of that, Lin Mu had a close relationship with His Majesty. Rumor had it that His Majesty had even arranged for her sworn sister to marry him in order to win him over.
There were also whispers that Lin Mu had once lived in the palace, proof of just how deeply His Majesty trusted him.
If he clashed with Lin Mu now, not only would he likely be seriously injured, he would probably be punished by His Majesty as well.
After a brief internal struggle, Ge Long forced himself to calm down. Looking up at the composed Lin Mu, he said solemnly, "General, this matter is extremely important. It must not be known to outsiders."
Seeing how grave he looked, Lin Mu's own expression grew more serious.
Without another word, Lin Mu seized Ge Long by the shoulder. Before Ge Long could even react, the two of them instantly appeared atop a nearby building.
Looking at the palace gates now over a thousand meters away, Ge Long was utterly astonished.
He had originally thought the rumors about Lin Mu were exaggerated. But after personally experiencing that terrifying speed, he realized he had still underestimated him.
If he had really chosen to make a move earlier, he probably would not have been able to withstand even a single attack.
No wonder Lin Mu, even as a Soul Saint, had already possessed combat power comparable to a Titled Douluo. Speed alone was enough to make him nearly impossible to defend against.
"Now you may speak," Lin Mu said calmly.
At this moment, Ge Long's earlier dissatisfaction had completely vanished.
He understood very well that only with a top-tier expert like Lin Mu backing them could the Heaven Dou Empire have the confidence to confront the Spirit Empire.
"General, a few days ago Spirit Hall founded the Spirit Empire. It has already annexed many cities belonging to the Heaven Dou Empire and is recruiting soldiers on a large scale. It is clearly preparing to wage war. We must make plans as soon as possible."
"You came to the palace so late just to report this?"
Lin Mu frowned slightly.
Of course, he knew that once Bibi Dong established the Spirit Empire, she would inevitably turn her sights on the two great empires.
But for the time being, he had no intention of interfering.
To him, the Spirit Empire was not much of a threat. He could even use its rise as a catalyst to speed up the unification of the continent.
From a personal standpoint, it could also help him gather another wave of faith.
Seeing Lin Mu's indifferent attitude, Ge Long grew anxious and hurriedly said, "General, Spirit Empire controls seventy percent of the continent's soul masters. We absolutely cannot afford to be careless!"
"Very well. I will relay this matter to His Majesty. You may leave now."
With that, Lin Mu did not wait for Ge Long's response. He left him where he stood and flew straight back toward the palace.
Watching Lin Mu's departing figure, a strange glint flashed through Ge Long's eyes.
Rumor had it that Lin Mu frequently entered His Majesty's bedchamber, and considering how willingly he served her, could there be some special relationship between them?
If his guess was correct, then His Majesty had sacrificed far too much.
Meanwhile, Qian Renxue had already arrived at the Supreme Pontiff's Palace and headed straight for Bibi Dong's residence.
At that moment, Bibi Dong, who had been lying on her bed, suddenly sat up. A trace of surprise flashed across her beautiful eyes as she murmured, "Why has she come back?"
Without wasting another second, she quickly grabbed her clothes and dressed herself.
A moment later, Qian Renxue slowly stepped into the palace hall, looking at Bibi Dong with a complicated expression.
But Bibi Dong showed her no warmth at all.
"What are you doing back here?"
Bibi Dong's attitude toward Qian Renxue remained as cold and indifferent as ever. Her nearly emotionless expression could even be called hostile, and her purple eyes gleamed with icy light.
Qian Renxue paused at the sight of it, but unlike before, she did not feel angry.
Since learning the truth, she had come to understand Bibi Dong a little better and even felt a trace of sympathy for her.
At this moment, Bibi Dong had already noticed that Qian Renxue was acting strangely.
Was she not here to provoke her?
In truth, Bibi Dong knew very well that founding the Spirit Empire would inevitably place her in direct opposition to Qian Renxue.
But for the sake of revenge, she had no choice but to do it.
Moreover, the mother and daughter had always stood against one another, and Qian Renxue had a close relationship with Lin Mu, even living the kind of life Bibi Dong had once dreamed of.
If she could make Qian Renxue miserable, then she would feel at least a little satisfied.
Yet now, Qian Renxue seemed different. She no longer looked at her with the same rejection as before.
Just as Bibi Dong was feeling puzzled, Qian Renxue suddenly stepped forward, stopped by her bedside, and said softly, "I've wronged you all these years."
"What?"
For a moment, Bibi Dong thought she had misheard. She stared at Qian Renxue in disbelief.
She was actually apologizing to her.
It did not take long for Bibi Dong to realize that someone must have told Qian Renxue the truth about what had happened back then.
At that thought, her beautiful eyes narrowed, filling with intense resentment, and she said in a low voice, "Who told you?"
Although Qian Xunji had died by her own hands, the hatred in her heart had never truly faded.
Especially now, under Qian Renxue's almost sympathetic gaze, it felt as though an old wound had been ripped open, dragging her thoughts back to those days in the secret chamber.
Under the influence of the Rakshasa God, even a faint killing intent began to rise within her.
Sensing Bibi Dong's emotional instability, Qian Renxue's expression grew serious.
"Who told me is not important. I only came here to tell you one thing: I do not owe you anything."
Hearing that, Bibi Dong was stunned.
She had assumed Qian Renxue had come all this way to make amends, but she had not expected those words instead.
And yet, compared to some useless apology, hearing this actually made her feel slightly better.
"You may hate my birth, but you should understand that it was never something I could choose."
As she said this, sadness appeared on Qian Renxue's face.
Her father had died when she was very young, and her mother had never shown her any affection. From childhood until now, the only true family she had ever relied on was her grandfather.
Hearing this, Bibi Dong fell silent for a moment, only then truly understanding what Qian Renxue meant.
Thinking about it carefully, she had always regarded Qian Renxue as the embodiment of her pain.
But in truth, no one could ever choose the circumstances of their own birth.
Even so, the thought that Qian Renxue carried Qian Xunji's bloodline still filled her with disgust.
"Enough! I don't want to hear your preaching!"
Bibi Dong snapped mercilessly. "If you came here just to lecture me, then get out at once!"