Abolishing Hu Liena's Saintess Position, Qian Renxue Becomes the New Saintess

"Ceremony complete—!"

Qian Daoliu's voice carried a trace of barely concealed excitement and relief as he proclaimed loudly:

"From this day forth, Your Holiness Ye Xian shall be the new Pope of Spirit Hall! May Divine Authority endure forever, and may Spirit Hall stand eternal!"

"Greetings, Your Holiness the Pope!"

Wave after wave of fervent, orderly cheers swept through the entirety of Spirit City like a tsunami.

At that moment, the authority of the Ice Frost Pope was officially bestowed upon Ye Xian.

He slowly raised a hand.

The roaring cheers seemed to be seized by an invisible hand of ice, falling silent in an instant.

Between heaven and earth, only the faint hum of the crystal at the tip of his scepter remained.

His icy blue eyes, calm as a frozen lake, swept across the solemnly standing upper ranks within the hall.

At last, his gaze settled on a young woman near the front of the crowd. She was trying to remain calm, but her face had gone slightly pale, and her eyes were filled with conflicting emotions.

Hu Liena.

Bibi Dong's personal disciple, the Saintess of Spirit Hall.

Ye Xian's gaze lingered on her for an instant. It held no emotion, yet Hu Liena felt as though she had been pierced by ancient ice. A bone-deep chill and terror rose from the depths of her soul.

She instinctively lowered her head, avoiding that judgment-like stare.

"The Saintess position concerns the inheritance of Spirit Hall and symbolizes the favor of the gods."

Ye Xian's icy voice rang out, every word branding itself clearly into the depths of everyone's souls.

"Former Saintess Hu Liena."

Hu Liena's body jolted. She lifted her head, her eyes filled with incredulous terror and a faint, desperate plea.

"As the former Pope's personal disciple, you failed to perceive her reckless and tyrannical conduct or uphold the righteous path. Instead, you benefited from her protection and failed in the duties of the Saintess."

Ye Xian's voice remained utterly flat, as though he were reading out a cold sentence of judgment.

"From this day onward, Hu Liena is stripped of her Saintess position. Her Saintess authority and resource allotments shall be revoked."

Hu Liena's face instantly turned paper-white. Her body swayed as if all support had been taken from her.

Stripped of her Saintess position.

Before the Seven Great Enshrined Elders, before all the upper ranks of Spirit Hall, she had been personally stripped of her title by the new Pope.

This brought her more endless humiliation and coldness than death ever could.

It was as though all the glory and pride of her past had vanished into smoke.

Hu Liena opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

Only tears surged uncontrollably from her eyes, freezing into icy beads the moment they touched the chill within the hall and rolling down her cheeks.

Everyone in the hall held their breath. Even the Enshrined Elders' expressions became more solemn.

This was the first blaze lit by the new Pope after his coronation, and it had been aimed directly at one of the core legacies of Bibi Dong's era.

Its cold ruthlessness and decisiveness were terrifying.

Yet Ye Xian had already shifted his gaze away from the devastated Hu Liena and toward the direction beyond the Papal Palace.

"Summon Qian Renxue."

His cool voice, like an edict forged from ice, pierced through space.

A figure bathed in gentle golden Holy Light stepped gracefully into the Papal Palace, which was dominated by the icy blue domain.

In an instant, the entire hall seemed to light up.

Qian Renxue had shed all disguises and weariness.

She wore a magnificent Saintess gown woven from the purest moonlight gauze and golden threads. An Angel Totem with outspread wings was embroidered upon it, shimmering with flowing radiance.

Her golden hair, like molten gold in motion, was gathered beneath a small, exquisite golden crown.

At the center of the crown rested a milky-white gemstone that radiated a warm, sacred aura.

Her peerless face, amid the interwoven glow of Holy Light and icy blue radiance, appeared incomparably holy and noble, as though she had gathered all the spiritual essence of heaven and earth within herself.

She walked forward step by step, her pace composed and resolute.

Qian Renxue's gaze crossed over the prostrate crowd and passed the solemnly standing Enshrined Elders.

At last, it settled upon the figure seated high upon the Icebound Throne, Frosty Scepter in hand.

Their eyes met.

Deep within Ye Xian's blue eyes, which seemed capable of freezing all things, the faintest ripple appeared to stir.

Within Qian Renxue's deep violet eyes, meanwhile, was reflected the supreme majesty of the new Pope, along with a trace of an unreadable expression.

She came to a stop below the throne's steps, ten paces away from Ye Xian.

Without anyone needing to guide her, she elegantly and solemnly lifted her skirts before slowly kneeling on one knee.

Her golden hair cascaded down like a waterfall, brushing against the cold floor.

She raised her head and looked up at the figure upon the throne.

Her voice was clear and pleasant.

"Qian Renxue greets Your Holiness the Pope."

That kneel and bow seemed to freeze into the most perfect of rituals.

Holding the Frost Scepter, Ye Xian slowly rose from the Frost King Throne.

Against the backdrop of the icy blue domain, his figure appeared incomparably tall.

Ye Xian pointed his scepter at Qian Renxue, kneeling beneath the steps. His cold voice carried the majesty of a proclamation to heaven and earth.

"I hereby declare that, from this day onward, Qian Renxue shall be established as the Saintess of Spirit Hall!"

"Thank you for Your Holiness's grace!"

Qian Renxue's voice trembled ever so slightly.

It was excitement, but even more than that, boundless anticipation for her future fate.

"Greetings, Your Highness the Saintess!"

After a brief silence, even more fervent cheers erupted once again.

This time, they carried absolute submission to the new order and reverence for the new Saintess.

Below the steps, Hu Liena watched Qian Renxue bathed in Holy Light and glory.

Then she felt the coldness and humiliation of having everything stripped away from herself. The immense contrast was like a venomous snake biting into her heart.

She bit her lower lip hard. Blood seeped out, only to freeze instantly.

At last, as though she had lost all her strength, she lowered her head in despair.

Amid the fanatical cheers of the crowd, her figure appeared incomparably small and desolate.

Though her talent was quite good, there was still a vast difference between her and Qian Renxue.

Ye Xian's gaze slowly swept across the prostrate masses and the envoys wearing varied expressions.

His voice, like the thunderous collapse of an ancient glacier, resounded in the deepest depths of every soul with the majesty to freeze souls and the will to control all things.

"From this day forth, the glory of Spirit Hall shall sweep across the continent like the Extreme North Cold Tide, washing away all dust and decay."

"Those who obey me shall enjoy the favor of the gods and share in glory and splendor."

"Those who defy me shall suffer eternal damnation!"

His voice paused slightly, and the crystal at the tip of the Frost Scepter suddenly erupted with a deep blue, icy radiance that pierced the heavens.

The coronation ceremony soon came to an end.

The aura and majesty Ye Xian displayed deeply shocked those from the various factions who had come to witness the ceremony.

In particular, the ambition displayed by this New Pope was utterly undisguised.

Especially the members of the Two Great Empires' royal families, who hurriedly returned to their empires to discuss countermeasures.

Saintess Palace.

Hu Liena had already moved all her belongings out of the Saintess Palace.

She was now merely an ordinary disciple of Spirit Hall, no longer possessing any authority.

Ye Xian and Qian Renxue sat facing each other at a table, drinking tea and chatting.

Having not seen each other for many years, they missed one another greatly.

In this private setting, Ye Xian completely withdrew the lofty, imposing majesty he had displayed within the Papal Palace.

He instead became exceptionally easygoing.

Suddenly,

The space before them rippled faintly, and golden light spilled forth.

Immediately afterward, Qian Daoliu's figure instantly appeared before them.