A Very Foolish Person

No one knew why Hu Liena was still forcing herself to stand when the gap between them was so obvious and she was already seriously injured.

Was it because she was determined to claim the position of Saintess? Or because she did not want to disappoint Bibi Dong?

No one knew. Naturally, Qian Ningshuang did not know either, but she did not care.

"I don't know why you keep getting back up, and I don't want to guess.

"But I can tell you that I do not need the position of Saintess. I only entered today's competition because Elder Grandfather Tian'e asked me to, and because I wanted to see what kind of person the disciple the Pope treated like her own daughter really was.

"To be honest, I'm very disappointed. I thought you would at least have some strength impressive enough to amaze me.

"But I saw none of that. All I saw was an ordinary Spirit Control System Spirit Master.

"Or rather, a Spirit Control System Spirit Master who had taken the wrong path."

Yes, she was deeply disappointed. The Spirit Hall's Golden Generation, praised to the heavens in the original story? Qian Ningshuang had seen nothing of the sort.

This person had become Qian Renxue's replacement in Bibi Dong's heart? What had she done to deserve that?

At first, Qian Ningshuang had wanted to brutally beat Hu Liena in front of Bibi Dong to vent Qian Renxue's anger. That inexplicable fury from earlier might not have been entirely unrelated to that.

But when she saw the figure struggling and crying at her feet, she suddenly felt that it was all so meaningless.

The moment Qian Ningshuang thought of beating Hu Liena to vent Qian Renxue's anger, she had already regarded Hu Liena as someone on the same level as Qian Renxue.

But Qian Renxue would not cry so easily, much less be beaten by Qian Ningshuang until she could only lie on the ground and struggle.

If Bibi Dong was blind, what could anyone do about it? Let her be.

"Your childhood may have been miserable, but there are countless people whose lives were far worse than yours. You and your brother had Bibi Dong to pull you up, while countless others could only spend their lives reaching for what they could never obtain in the Abyss.

"Were you so grateful for ascending from the Abyss into heaven that you were willing to spend the rest of your life walking a path you knew was wrong? Were you willing to give up your life for it?

"Of course, you can be grateful. You can gamble your future and give your life. That is up to you. Your life, your path—you decide for yourself.

"But I still want to say this: you cannot hide beneath your teacher's wings forever, and she cannot protect you for the rest of your life. In the end, you will have to walk your own path.

"One day, your teacher may need your protection. When that day comes, what will you do if you are walking the wrong path?"

Yes, she was disappointed. Whether it was heaven or the Abyss, it was still your own life.

Whether the hand you had been dealt was good or terrible, you should have played it properly.

Yet she insisted on following a Spirit Master path imagined by some useless person sitting around with nothing but fantasies—a path designed to highlight how extraordinary he was.

Knowing it was wrong and still continuing down it, was that really gratitude? It was merely irresponsibility toward herself, her family, and her friends.

"Of course, your will is worthy of praise.

"But that is all."

That was all. There had been countless people in the history books of Qian Ningshuang's previous life with stronger wills than Hu Liena. This was really nothing special.

In the stands, Gu Yuena watched everything below with an unreadable expression, listening to Qian Ningshuang's unending words.

It seems this girl named Hu Liena has stirred up some of Shuang'er's emotions. Otherwise, with Shuang'er's temperament, she would never say so much to someone she had met for the first time.

But it did not matter. Gu Yuena merely sighed inwardly. As long as Qian Ningshuang's life was not threatened, she would support whatever Qian Ningshuang wanted to do.

"No one in the Worship Hall wants to become Saintess. Sooner or later, it will be decided by your Pope Hall anyway.

"I can even ask the elder grandfathers to support you as well, making you the Saintess in every sense of the word.

"I guarantee it in the name of Qian Ningshuang. But I cannot admit defeat. The grandfathers of the Worship Hall do not want to see me surrender.

"My competitive sister would be even less willing to see me surrender for no reason. If she found out, she would not do anything to me, but I definitely would not escape a lecture ringing in my ears.

"So now, just lie down obediently!"

She leaped into the air, and blazing flames had already ignited along the shaft of her Lance.

Then she hurled it viciously toward Hu Liena!

"Divine Martial Judgment!"

This was the first time Qian Ningshuang had used a soul skill in this match—the skill of her first Spirit Ring.

Qian Ningshuang was different from ordinary Spirit Masters. Aside from hundred-thousand-year Spirit Rings, others had only one soul skill per Spirit Ring, while she had an entire set of soul skills.

Divine Martial Judgment was the strongest move among her Glory series of soul skills.

Naturally, Qian Ningshuang knew this was a match, so the flaming Lance only shot toward the ground four meters away from Hu Liena.

But even the shockwave was enough to knock Hu Liena down again!

Grasping the recalled Lance, Qian Ningshuang stared at her opponent.

The ground around Hu Liena was scorched black. Without question, she had fallen to the ground again, landing at the edge of a huge crater.

But then, that figure covered in burns struggled once more and staggered back to her feet.

Perhaps she could no longer see the ground clearly. The figure who had just stood up fell straight into the crater Qian Ningshuang's attack had created.

Then she struggled her way up from within the crater again, forcing her eyes open as she looked at Qian Ningshuang.

Qian Ningshuang was speechless. She could still get back up after all this? So Spirit Masters really could not be judged by normal standards, huh?

So annoying! Couldn't she just lie down properly?!

Who was she putting on this hot-blooded manga protagonist act for?!

Didn't she know this made Qian Ningshuang look like some evil final boss?!

For the rare occasion, Qian Ningshuang had been provoked twice in a single day.

Yet at the same time, a trace of excitement began to rise within her.

The excitement of battle!

Her will was the only thing worthy of praise, but if she took even that to the extreme, then wasn't that still something?

Although this opponent was far inferior to her and had been nothing but a punching bag from beginning to end!

Still, wasn't this sort of will—the will to rise no matter how many times one was knocked down—enough to set one's blood boiling?

"Hu Liena, was it? You really are an idiot. A very foolish kind of idiot. Next, I'll make sure you lose beyond all doubt!"

The people in the stands saw it too. They saw Hu Liena, struggling to rise again no matter how many times she fell.

Were they moved? Shocked? Of course they were. But more than that, they felt something complicated, a complexity they could not put into words.

Spirit Masters who refused to yield despite repeated defeat were rare in their Spirit Master careers, but not unheard of. Some among these spectators had even been that kind of person themselves.

But refusing to yield after repeated defeats was built upon seeing a hope of victory, not upon continuing to fight when the gap had grown so vast that no hope could be seen.

They had seen Qian Ningshuang's strength clearly. The difference between her and Hu Liena was like the difference between two entirely separate worlds. At the very least, they could not imagine how they might defeat Qian Ningshuang if they were Soul Grandmasters or Soul Ancestors. Even if they did not possess Martial Souls like Spirit Control System Spirit Masters, who were not suited to frontal duels, but instead had Power Attack System Martial Souls, they still could not imagine how they could win against Qian Ningshuang.

Yet despite such an enormous gap, despite having no hope of victory in sight, Hu Liena still forced herself to stand again and again. Was that foolish?

It truly was foolish, but it was also deeply shocking—enough to make one's blood run hot.

"Second brother, look, Xue'er is away from Spirit City on a mission, and neither Shuang'er nor Yao'er intends to become Saintess. How about giving the position of Saintess to Hu Liena?"

Third Worship Yin Long came to Tian'e's side and asked softly.

"After the match, she will be the Saintess of our Spirit Hall—the Saintess jointly recognized by the Worship Hall and the Pope Hall."

Tian'e looked at Hu Liena. This old man had never thought highly of Hu Liena's future before.

But now that he had seen her will, he had to admit that even without the guidance of a famous teacher, so long as nothing unexpected happened and she could return to the correct path of a Spirit Master, someone with such will would not have a poor future.

Of course, she could only be the Saintess. She should not even think about becoming Pope.