Bibi Dong Steps Down as Pope
On the panel, the number representing the Faith Power score had stopped fluctuating and finally settled on a number that satisfied him.
He didn't rush to look at the string of numbers. Instead, he leaned back on the cushion behind him, closed his eyes, and mentally reviewed the entire game from beginning to end.
It begins when Bibi Dong encounters the Beng Gong in the ruins.
The so-called Abyss Demon King was, of course, a fabrication of his.
The centuries-old and Thousand-Year Soul Bone scattered in the ruins are real—though those things are precious, to him now, they are nothing more than things that can be manifested with a little Faith Power.
As for those six Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone, that was the real capital he invested.
The six Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone, plus the character "Beng Gong," and the "Abyss Demon Seed," cost him a total of 18 million Faith Power.
Eighteen million. He wouldn't have dared to even dream of such a number before.
But now, his Faith Power reserves of over 100 million are more than enough to support such a high-stakes gamble.
The return on his bet was even greater than he had anticipated.
When Bibi Dong returned from the ruins for the first time, she contributed 32.5 million Faith Power.
That was her reward for developing initial trust in the "Beng Gong" and the "Rakshasa Core".
This time, as the "Abyss Demon Seed" was refined and destroyed, as the phantom of her past life appeared before her, as she personally attacked Qian Renxue and watched as the attack was effortlessly neutralized—the cognitive upheaval and emotional shock she experienced were several times more intense than the first time.
Eighty-four million.
This is the total amount of Faith Power Bibi Dong contributed during this incident.
In addition, there's Qian Renxue's Faith Power.
In this single game, he regained nearly 150 million Faith Power.
After deducting the initial investment of 18 million, the net profit was 130 million.
Fu Shiyan opened her eyes, looked at the long string of numbers on the panel, and smiled slightly.
Everything was within his calculations.
From the moment Bibi Dong decided to refine the Abyss Demon Seed, her fate was no longer in her own hands.
That Demon Seed seed was a one-time product, its existence serving only one purpose—to let Bibi Dong taste the sweetness of a surge in power, to make her dependent on the power of the "Abyss," and to make her sink deeper and deeper into the temptation of power.
That phantom image from the past life was also a one-time event.
Its purpose is simple: to save Qian Renxue at a crucial moment, destroy the Demon Seed, and at the same time show Bibi Dong and Qian Renxue the true existence of their past lives.
Bibi Dong, the existence of that illusory figure would make her realize that the power she was so proud of was nothing more than an ant in front of a true strongman.
This cognitive upheaval will evoke two emotions in her—fear and longing.
Fear prevented her from acting rashly, while desire drove her to continue pursuing power.
Whichever path she chooses, she will become a source of Faith Power.
For Qian Renxue, the meaning of that illusory figure was entirely different.
That was the awakening of her past life memories, a reunion with "Fu Shiyan from her past life" across time and space.
The emotional impact of that experience, the bittersweet mix of loss and reunion, reunion and eternal separation, was enough to plant a seed in her heart that would never be extinguished.
As for the Qian Daoliu...
A faint hint of complexity flashed in Fu Shiyan's eyes.
In that instant, the old man experienced the fear of his granddaughter being killed, the shock of witnessing the arrival of the person he had suspected, and the deep self-reproach for his inability to protect his granddaughter.
The combination of these three emotions was enough to cause a huge upheaval in his heart.
And this wavering will also transform into Faith Power.
Everything went as he expected.
No, it went even more smoothly than he had expected.
Fu Shiyan withdrew her gaze and gently tapped her knee with her fingers.
Currently, his Faith Power reserves have exceeded 100 million yuan. This amount is enough for him to start the next phase of his strategic planning.
The Divine Realm.
But his goal was never these ready-made Godhood.
He was about to embark on a completely new path—a path that combined life and Destruction, and transcended the level of God King.
This path requires Faith Power, time, and meticulous planning.
Now, he has enough Faith Power.
Fu Shiyan's lips curled up slightly, and a deep light flashed in her eyes.
Next, it's time for the stage of the Divine Realm...
Spirit Hall.
Why did Golden Crocodile Douluo suddenly dare to say those words to Bibi Dong? Let's turn back time to the period after Fu Shiyan's past life's phantom dissipated.
Qian Renxue was leaning against Qian Daoliu's chest, her eyes vacant, as if she had lost her soul.
Her gaze was fixed on the void ahead, where a golden figure once stood, but now only air remained.
"Xiao Xue? Xiao Xue!" Golden Crocodile Douluo's voice was low, but it couldn't hide the anxiety in it.
Qian Renxue did not respond. She just stared blankly at the void, tears silently streaming down her face, dripping onto Qian Daoliu's clothes.
Golden Crocodile Douluo called out a few more times, but seeing no response, he grew increasingly anxious.
He turned to look at Qian Daoliu and asked in a low voice:
"Big brother, who was that figure just now...?"
Qian Daoliu's expression was extremely solemn.
He didn't answer immediately, but simply held Qian Renxue tightly, feeling her slightly trembling body.
He knew perfectly well who that figure was.
He had seen that face countless times—in the portraits Xiao Xue brought back, and in the unconscious gleam in Xiao Xue's eyes every time she mentioned that name.
Fu Shiyan.
No, not the current Fu Shiyan.
It is the "Fu Shiyan from a past life" in Xiao Xue's memories, dreams, and the depths of her soul.
At this moment, the guess that had been lingering in his mind for so long was finally confirmed.
Xiao Xue really did have a past life.
That illusory figure is the best proof.
Jingtao raged within him.
Besides the lingering fear of his granddaughter nearly losing her life, there was an indescribable sense of horror.
To reverse time and live a second life—what kind of extraordinary divine power would be needed to do that?
What level did Fu Shiyan reach in her past life?
Perhaps... even among the gods, they would be among the most elite beings.
The more he thought about it, the more alarmed he became, and he unconsciously tightened his grip on Qian Renxue's arms.
Only when the astonished Douluo saw that he remained silent did he shake his body, bringing him back to his senses. With a grave expression, Douluo shook his head at the Golden Crocodile and said:
"We'll talk about this after it's over."
Upon hearing this, Golden Crocodile Douluo nodded, then leaned closer and lowered his voice to ask:
"Big brother, what's Bibi Dong's current situation?"
Upon hearing Qian Daoliu glanced sideways at Bibi Dong, who was slumped on the ground not far away.
Her face was ashen, her eyes glazed over as she stared blankly in Qian Renxue's direction, like an empty shell devoid of her soul.
The eerie power emanating from her that had been chilling just moments before had vanished without a trace.
Qian Daoliu withdrew his gaze and whispered to Golden Crocodile Douluo:
"The power she just received should have been destroyed by that being."
"She probably doesn't have the same strength as before."
"The strange power that remained within her body completely dissipated after the seed that entity had extracted from her body was destroyed."
Upon hearing this, Golden Crocodile Douluo's eyes flashed with a sharp light.
His gaze fell on Bibi Dong, his eyes swirling with complex emotions.
He never imagined that woman would grow to that extent without him even realizing it!
A moment later, he straightened up and strode over to Bibi Dong.
His voice was loud and clear, echoing in the empty hall:
"Bibi Dong, you are no longer qualified to be Pope!"
These words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, creating a huge uproar in the hall. All the elders and bishops who remained in the hall stared wide-eyed at Golden Crocodile Douluo in disbelief.
Qian Daoliu snapped out of his reverie and instinctively reached out to stop Golden Crocodile Douluo —but his hand, halfway up, slowly fell back down.
He didn't speak.
It's preset.
His gaze fell on Bibi Dong, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.
He saw everything clearly. Xiao Xue almost died at her hands.
Although he knew that Bibi Dong was probably influenced by that force, the deed was already done.
The Pope of the Spirit Hall attacked the enshrined elder in the Worship Hall, intending to assassinate the Young Master of the Spirit Hall.
Although Xiao Xue's identity has not been made public, the impact of this incident is extremely negative.
From any perspective, Bibi Dong must temporarily relinquish her Pope.
Moreover... he also needed to observe Bibi Dong was still affected by the residual influence of that power.
Whether she is conscious, whether her emotions are stable, and whether there are still remnants of that strange power within her—these all require time to determine.
It's time for her to calm down after all these years.
Qian Daoliu closed his eyes and sighed deeply.
He could understand that, regardless of whether Bibi Dong was influenced by that force, the hatred she showed towards him and Xiao Xue must have always existed in her heart.
It seems that after all these years, she still hasn't been able to get over what happened back then.
In the end... the Qian Clan still owed her a debt.