Qian Renxue Returns to Spirit Hall

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

The joy on Hu Liena's face gradually faded, and a layer of frost settled on her charming face. "Why would I fall for him? Just because he used some tricks to beat our team once in the finals?"

"Really? Then I'm sorry, I misspoke."

Seeing that her expression didn't seem fake, Su Cheng was a little surprised, but not entirely unable to understand.

He didn't know what Tang San's current situation was, but when that guy entered the Slaughter City, his First Martial Soul hadn't transformed into the Blue Silver Emperor, and his appearance hadn't changed either.

From this perspective, it probably makes sense.

However, his slightly dismissive attitude displeased Hu Liena, who frowned and said, "Su Cheng, don't think that just because you are more talented than others and have the teacher's favor, you can look down on others. I am very grateful to you for helping me cultivate this past year, but since this concerns your personal reputation, please be careful with your words in the future."

"I see."

Su Cheng nodded and prepared to turn around and leave.

"..."

Seeing this, Hu Liena gritted her teeth inwardly, and a certain rumor that had been circulating among the high-ranking members of the Spirit Hall recently came to mind.

Regarding his teacher, and the man in front of him...

Although Su Cheng and Bibi Dong's relationship has never been made public, they haven't been particularly secretive about each other when they're together.

At least the high-ranking members of Spirit City had some idea of what was going on.

To be honest, when she first heard others vaguely mention this matter, Hu Liena didn't believe it at all, and was even a little angry.

In her heart, Bibi Dong was a beacon, and she could not tolerate this idol being tainted.

But after spending time with and observing each other for a year since returning to Spirit City, she finally discovered that many of the rumors were not unfounded.

Actually, when Su Cheng and his sister first joined the Spirit Hall, Hu Liena didn't pay much attention to them.

I've only vaguely heard that the Pope has taken on another disciple, who is quite talented.

However, at that time she was preparing for the Spirit Master Competition, and the two siblings rarely appeared in public, so she didn't pay much attention to it.

It wasn't until she later learned that they had cultivated to the level of Soul King or even Soul Emperor at a younger age than herself, and that they had no interest in participating in the Spirit Master Competition, that she began to have some competitive spirit.

What's even more outrageous is that when she returned to Spirit City last year, she thought she was already a leader among her peers after experiencing the Slaughter City, only to learn that one of the siblings had advanced to the Titled Douluo and the other had already reached the Soul Douluo level, which greatly shocked her.

The existence of these two people almost completely redefined her understanding of the word "genius".

In front of this brother and sister, what difference is there between themselves, their brother Xie Yue, and even Tang San and Zhu Zhuqing from the Shrek Academy and ordinary young Soul Master?

"... Your relationship with the teacher is unusual, isn't it?" she couldn't help but blurt out.

Hearing the questioning voice behind him, Su Cheng paused in his steps, then said calmly, "Hu Liena, you can ask her about these things yourself. I'll return the same words to you. This concerns the Pope's reputation, so you'd better be careful with your words and actions."

Su Cheng didn't care about the rumors and gossip from the outside world; he had always been too lazy to pay attention to other people's opinions.

However, since this matter concerns Pope Bibi Dong, it is naturally a different story.

A few days later, a blonde beauty in a long dress strode into Spirit City. The chilling aura emanating from her was awe-inspiring, and no one dared to look directly into her deep, exquisite, and piercing phoenix eyes.

Behind her were two Titled Douluo- level powerhouses and several Soul Grandmaster at the Soul Saint and Soul Emperor levels.

The woman's expression was icy, and as she strode forward, she said in a deep voice, "Uncle She, are you sure that Su Cheng, who joined the Spirit Hall, is the same kid who saw me in Heaven Dou City a few years ago?"

"It should be him." The Snake Lance Douluo beside Qian Renxue nodded. "Also, the genius who joined the Spirit Hall with him is also named Su Yue. But strangely, these two are said to be siblings, not the brother and sister we met before. Su Yue's appearance is also different from the girl we saw before."

"It's alright, we'll know once we see it." Qian Renxue's eyes were icy, a faint anger burning within them. "Are those rumors about him and Bibi Dong true?"

"Ah, this..."

Snake Lance Douluo was speechless.

How was he supposed to answer that?

This matter involves the Pope himself. It's fine to say a few words veiledly, but he would never dare to gossip about it behind his back.

However, Qian Renxue didn't seem to be waiting for his reply and continued, "It's because of this damned bastard that our Spirit Hall's years of planning in the Heaven Dou Empire have all fallen apart! What is that stupid woman, Bibi Dong, thinking?"

Snake Lance Douluo remained silent.

He couldn't interfere in the feud between the mother and daughter, but to attribute the failure of the Spirit Hall's mission to that kid would be an exaggeration.

Ultimately, it was because their Young Master had been in a bad mood recently, coupled with the frequent unexpected events in the Heaven Dou Capital. Many of the events happened too coincidentally, which led Qian Renxue to rush the pace of the empire's plans and make oversights.

Now, shifting all the blame onto Su Cheng is nothing more than wanting to find a scapegoat to vent their anger on.

In fact, even Snake Lance Douluo was a little confused as to why Qian Renxue reacted so strongly.

Haven't these two women been like strangers all these years?

His Holiness the Pope single for many years, so even if he were to find a lover, it wouldn't be a big deal.

Spirit City, Pope's Palace.

The atmosphere in the entire Council Hall was unusually heavy.

There were only two people in the hall at that moment.

Pope Bibi Dong sat upright in a high-backed chair, while Qian Renxue stood ten meters in front of her, tall and with a frosty expression.

The deathly silence in the Council Hall had lasted for quite some time.

Bibi Dong stared blankly at Qian Renxue, whose eyes were sharp, seemingly lost in thought.

"Why are you looking at me like that? You failed your mission, yet you're still so self-righteous?" After a long while, Bibi Dong finally spoke slowly, her voice calm. "Besides, our advantages are still significant. Our top-tier combat power far surpasses that of the Two Empires. We can start all over again."

Since she got together with Su Cheng, her temperament is no longer as extreme as it used to be.

Even today, when I see her again, I no longer feel any disgust or hatred towards this daughter. Instead, I feel a strange sense of pity and superiority.

"Failure?!" Qian Renxue sneered. "If it weren't for you, how could my mission have failed? Bibi Dong, you know perfectly well what you've been doing these past few years!"

"What did you call me?" Hearing the other party address her by her given name so directly, Bibi Dong was immediately displeased, and a flash of anger crossed her eyes.

Qian Renxue met her gaze without the slightest fear and sneered, "What do you want me to call you... Your His Holiness the Pope? By the way, where's your lover? Why don't you call him out to meet me? Does he know that you have a daughter who's older than him?"

This identity, which she had never been willing to mention in the past, was uttered at this moment, carrying a strong sense of sarcasm.

"Shut up!"

Bibi Dong's anger intensified, and her powerful aura condensed into a tangible pressure that surged forward, forcing Qian Renxue to retreat several steps before she could regain her balance.

Under the oppressive force of this powerful aura, a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of Qian Renxue's mouth, but she continued to sneer as if she didn't care at all.

Gazing at the crimson stain at the corner of the other's mouth, Bibi Dong paused for a moment, her sharp aura gradually receding and subsiding.

"... You may leave now and return to your Elder Hall. Now that you're back, the power of the Elder Hall is returned to you as compensation."

Bibi Dong waved her hand, seemingly unwilling to continue talking to her.

"..."

Qian Renxue raised her eyebrows upon hearing this, somewhat surprised.

The other party's behavior today was completely different from what she had expected.

She was even willing to relinquish a portion of the power of the Spirit Hall. Is this still the power-hungry Bibi Dong?

Moreover, the two people present both knew perfectly well that the failure of this mission could not be blamed on Bibi Dong.

If that's the case, then what's the point of talking about compensation?

"Su Cheng ..."

She first silently recited the name in her mind, then glanced coldly at Bibi Dong's figure before walking out of the Council Hall without looking back.

The doors to the Council Hall slammed shut, as if separating the two into different worlds.

After Qian Renxue left, Bibi Dong lowered her head blankly, looking somewhat weak and vaguely fearful.

All those past events that happened to her, all those stories that she never told Su Cheng, will probably be revealed one by one with Qian Renxue's return.

Bibi Dong had no idea how their relationship would evolve in the future.

On the other side, after leaving the Pope's Palace, Qian Renxue did not go directly to the Elder Hall to see Qian Daoliu as Bibi Dong had suggested. Instead, she followed the aura she sensed and arrived outside another room in the Pope's Palace.

"Bang!"

The golden door was kicked down, revealing the young man inside the room.

Qian Renxue glanced coldly at Su Cheng, whose expression was one of astonishment, then withdrew her long leg that had kicked open the door, a completely fake smile appearing on her lips.

"Oh, what a coincidence! Isn't this Brother Su Cheng, the one with humble origins and a pure heart? What a coincidence, I didn't expect to meet you again in Spirit City."

As she spoke, her face shimmered, and her originally exquisite and beautiful features seemed to be covered with a Mask, transforming her into the appearance of a much more ordinary-looking man.

That was Xue Qinghe's face.

Do you remember who I am?

"I remember." Su Cheng nodded, his expression quickly regaining its composure. "Xue Qinghe, the First Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire."

"It's good that you remember." Qian Renxue stepped over the broken pieces and entered the house, saying calmly, "Can you explain why you lied to me back then, and why you stood me up afterwards?"

As she spoke, she removed her disguise and revealed her true self. Then, as if she were back in her own home, she picked up the teapot on the table, added water, poured tea, and began to drink.

Of course, this was originally her family business.

"People strive for higher positions, just as water flows downhill; this is human nature. Compared to the Two Empires, the Spirit Hall, as the holy land of the Soul Master World, naturally inspires my longing even more," Su Cheng said confidently, then feigned confusion and asked, "May I ask who you are...?"

Upon hearing this, Qian Renxue sneered and slammed her teacup down, splashing a large amount of water.

"I'm your lover—"

She paused mid-sentence.

If that's the case, wouldn't this guy become your stepfather?

Thinking of this, Qian Renxue's expression darkened even further, and she gritted her teeth as she added, "—Little sister."

"Are you Bibi Dong's sister? You don't look very alike, and there's quite a big age gap between you."

Su Cheng solicitously brought over another chair and placed it behind Qian Renxue, saying, "Please sit down."

"You're quite frank, and your skin is even thicker than I imagined. No wonder you were able to fool me back then." Qian Renxue said sarcastically with a gloomy face as she looked at his behavior.

Su Cheng's words just now undoubtedly constituted a tacit admission of his relationship with Bibi Dong.

For some reason, she felt unusually sad, as if she had lost something extremely important.

But given her cunning, she obviously wouldn't reveal these emotions to the other party.

"There's nothing to hide. Love between men and women is a natural thing, nothing shameful. Bibi Dong is hesitant to make it public, but I think you came from her side, so you probably already know the details, right?"

"I'm afraid she's after her power." Qian Renxue sneered. "You're quite shrewd and calculating. Even someone Bibi Dong is willing to compromise for you."

"..."

"It seems your talent has surpassed my initial assessment, even exceeding mine by several points. After several years, you're already close to becoming Titled Douluo. How about it, isn't it quite enjoyable to curry favor with the powerful? And the person you're currying favor with is none other than His Holiness the His Holiness the Pope, who stands at the pinnacle of power across the entire continent. Brother Su Cheng, are you even a man? Where is your dignity?"

"There's no need to put it so harshly. We are mutually in love."

"Mutual affection?!" Qian Renxue subconsciously tightened her grip, crushing the teacup in her hand into pieces with a "ping".

A sharp shard of porcelain grazed her finger, the crisp sound startling her awake. She quickly composed herself and said in a deep voice, "Do you know how old she is? And you're here talking to me about mutual affection? Are you kidding me?"

"Actually, the difference isn't that much." Su Cheng looked embarrassed upon hearing this. "You and I both understand that once Soul Master cultivates to the Titled Douluo level, their lifespan can be extended as their cultivation deepens. So, for people like us, an age difference of several decades isn't that much."

"How can this be the same thing? You probably weren't even born when she gave birth!"

"But she's not single yet. Bibi Dong has been single for many years, and as her sister, you should understand her predicament even more. The position of Pope is not so easy to hold."