Puppet

"I lost after all."

Sunlight shone onto the Sparring Platform, which had been mostly destroyed by a single strike from Qian Ningshuang, as Hu Liena lay amidst the rubble, staring up at the sky.

She turned her head to look at Xie Yue, who lay unconscious beside her—the brother who had deactivated their fusion skill at the very last moment to shield her.

And not far away, Yan was also unconscious.

She turned her head again, looking at the golden-haired figure floating high above, looking down at her with an air of superiority.

She is truly powerful, impossibly powerful. I didn't even have time to use my soul bone skill.

Is this the second young lady of the Qian family? Is this the apple of the Consecrator Hall's eye?

If the second young lady is this strong, just how powerful must the eldest young lady be?

It's no wonder she doesn't care for the position of Saintess. Does someone this powerful even need the title of Saintess to embellish her status?

Qian Ningshuang, hovering a meter above the ground, was also watching Hu Liena.

"Do you concede? If you aren't satisfied, we can continue."

The voice reached Hu Liena's ears.

She really is a sharp-tongued second young lady.

She clearly wants what's best for me, yet she insists on saying it from such a high and mighty, overbearing position.

I'm not stupid; I can still hear the 'tough love' hidden in your words.

"I concede." Lying on the ground, Hu Liena shouted the words she should have said long ago.

Qian Ningshuang, who had been preparing to continue her sharp-tongued remarks, choked. Damn it, I thought you stubborn kid were going to keep being stubborn.

Seeming to sense Qian Ningshuang's confusion, Hu Liena, still lying on the ground, spoke again.

"I am not an ungrateful person. Just now, you held back at the very end, didn't you? Otherwise, there would be three piles of corpses lying here instead."

Qian Ningshuang rolled her eyes.

No kidding. If I actually killed you all, Wuhun Hall would be ready to tear itself apart. I believe that crazy woman Bibi Dong is capable of doing exactly that.

"Furthermore, you healed us again, second young lady."

"I, Hu Liena, concede with complete conviction."

At the same time, the look Hu Liena directed toward Qian Ningshuang grew increasingly soft.

Qian Ningshuang was so startled she floated back a few steps. Why was this gaze so creepy?

Could it really be like what the experts in the group said in my past life—that the women of Douluo Continent are all masochists? That they become submissive after being beaten up?

She shook her head, tossing the strange thoughts out of her mind. Qian Ningshuang landed on the ground, walked to Hu Liena's side, and extended her hand.

Since the other party had shown goodwill, it wouldn't be appropriate to keep acting like a big villain.

"Can you stand up?"

"Don't tell me you could stand up after the injuries you just sustained, but now you can't."

The brilliant sunlight from the sky shone on Qian Ningshuang's blue and white knight's battle dress, and on her dazzling golden hair.

Hu Liena's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

She admitted that, for a moment, she was moved.

Violent winds blowing, torrential rain pouring, she, Hu Liena, fleeing in a panic from the pursuit of countless men in black—and then, sunlight suddenly breaking through, a golden-haired knight slowly walking out of the light, smiling as she extended a hand toward her.

This was a scene Hu Liena had once fantasized about, the scene of meeting her one true love.

How similar the fantasy in her mind was to the current reality.

She's a woman, she's a woman!

Suppressing the fluttering in her heart, Hu Liena grabbed Qian Ningshuang's hand and stood up, her face recovering its usual fox-like smile.

She had only been moved for a fleeting moment; not to mention that the knight's gender wasn't quite right, she was lying on the ground precisely because of this knight.

Qian Ningshuang didn't know what Hu Liena was thinking; she only watched the girl stand back up. Seeing that she had regained her usual composure, she turned and walked off the Sparring Platform, a sentence drifting into Hu Liena's ears.

"Once you're fine, prepare to be a proper Saintess. As for the feeling of ascending from the abyss to heaven, I don't really understand it."

"But I have seen a group of people struggle and crawl out of hell, all while trying to pull others who were sinking in hell up with them."

"Although I don't know if they succeeded in the end, what is certain is that a group of people did indeed stand tall on the earth once more because of them. They didn't yearn for heaven, nor did they fear hell or the abyss; they only wanted more people to be able to stand up on their own."

"I want to become that kind of person, and I am currently on that path. I hope you become that kind of person too."

Hu Liena stared blankly at Qian Ningshuang's back. Were there really such people? Why had she never heard of them?

However, regardless of whether such people existed, becoming that kind of person didn't seem like a bad idea.

"Qian Ningshuang is the winner!"

Tian'e, on the viewing platform, finally announced the result of the battle—a result that should have been clear long ago.

"At the same time, I must also announce one thing: Hu Liena will become the Saintess of our Wuhun Hall!"

"A Saintess recognized by both the Pope Hall and the Consecrator Hall!"

Since she had already decided to give it, she might as well use this opportunity to do a favor.

"Congratulations, Saintess!"

"Greetings, Saintess!"

Waves of congratulations and salutations surged toward Hu Liena on the Sparring Platform.

At the same time, the eyes of most people on the platform were cast toward Qian Ningshuang, who was already playfully bickering with Tian Yao and Gu Yuena.

While Hu Liena had shocked them today, Qian Ningshuang was even more staggering. At this age, with this kind of talent and combat power, could Wuhun Hall finally achieve its long-cherished wish in this era?

They could, of course they could! Excitement was already leaping in their hearts, their cooled blood began to boil once more, and the gazes they directed at Qian Ningshuang grew increasingly fanatical!

Hu Liena smiled and waved at the crowd. She was happy, not because she had obtained the position of Saintess she had waited three years for, nor because she had fulfilled the expectations of Bibi Dong.

It was because she had suddenly found her own goal and understood what she needed to do.

She watched Qian Ningshuang, who had already left the Martial Practice Arena with Tian Yao and the others, watching her retreating figure.

Qian Ningshuang, the second young lady of the Consecrator Hall, the knight of Glory.

I hope that one day I can truly stand before you, walk alongside you, instead of exhausting every means just to fail to even touch the hem of your garment.

Silently swearing in her heart, Hu Liena looked up at the figure who had arrived on the Sparring Platform—that graceful and noble figure.

It was none other than Hu Liena's teacher, the Pope of Wuhun Hall—Bibi Dong.

Without any other movement, Bibi Dong pulled Hu Liena into an embrace.

"Nana, you did very well, better than I imagined."

"Teacher, but I lost."

"It doesn't matter; after all, you finally obtained the position of Saintess, didn't you?"

Looking at Bibi Dong, whose eyes still held traces of tears, Hu Liena did not speak again, remaining silent.

The silence lasted until Bibi Dong seemed to realize that something was wrong with Hu Liena's state.

"Nana, what's wrong? Are the injuries from the match still bothering you?"

"No, the second young lady already healed me completely; I feel great. It's just, Teacher, I want to tell you something."

As if she had made a decision, the look in Hu Liena's eyes as she gazed at Bibi Dong was filled with determination.

"I hope that our Pope Hall faction can put aside the old grudges with the Consecrator Hall and take a good look at the theories and data within the Wuhun Research Institute."

"I also hope that for my future spirit skills, I can acquire two active attack skills, rather than using all my spirit skills to enhance Charm."

"Enhancing Charm or skills related to it exclusively might make me an indispensable core of the team in team competitions."

"But, Teacher, my life cannot just be about competitions, and I cannot have a team following me at all times."

"There will eventually come a time when I must walk alone."

"At the same time, I hope my teammates can consider themselves more when acquiring spirit skills, rather than having every skill revolve around winning team matches."

"Teams are important, and no one can do without companions. But ultimately, true strength comes from within. One cannot rely on a team and companions for a lifetime; such people are not so much companions as they are parasites!"

Until Hu Liena finished speaking, Bibi Dong squinted her eyes and looked in the direction where Qian Ningshuang had left.

Has Qian Ningshuang's influence on Nana really become this great?

Qian Ningshuang had once again become a blurred light in her eyes.

"Teacher?"

Hu Liena asked cautiously, fearing that Bibi Dong would explode in anger upon hearing this; she had already prepared herself to endure the fallout.

But no matter how angry Bibi Dong might be today, she had to persist. This was not only for her own good but for her companions' as well.

More importantly, how could someone who had stood up for herself choose to walk the wrong path just because of emotional factors?

She, Hu Liena, wanted to become the person Qian Ningshuang spoke of. The first step was to stand up before Bibi Dong, rather than remaining someone who simply did whatever Bibi Dong said.

She still regarded Bibi Dong as a mother and a benefactor, but she had her own path to walk. A fledgling eagle under its mother's wings would eventually have to fly on its own.

"Hmm, Nana, do whatever you wish to do."

She did not oppose the suggestions Hu Liena had proposed. Bibi Dong was not blind; although she couldn't clearly see Qian Ningshuang's movements during today's match, she could clearly see Hu Liena's outcome.

A spirit master born entirely for team competitions was clearly powerless when facing certain situations.

And a spirit master was, after all, a profession that spoke through individual strength, not so-called team strength.

It seems Xiao Gang is not perfect either; his theories still have flaws.

Bibi Dong sighed inwardly, but just as this thought emerged, a certain power within her body suddenly stirred.

"No, how could I think that! Xiao Gang is perfect, all his theories are flawless! It is just that they are not understood by the mundane people of this world! Xiao Gang is a genius misunderstood by the world!"

As the thoughts in her mind shifted once again, the evil hidden within Bibi Dong deepened, and her Rakshasa divine power seemed to grow even more intimate with her.

At the same time, far away at the Douluo Hall on the mountain peak, Qian Chongling, along with Gu Yuena who was by Qian Ningshuang's side, both cast their gazes toward the direction of Bibi Dong.

"What a pitiful person."

This was the thought in the depths of Gu Yuena's heart.

"It seems the God Realm's methods for manipulating puppets have improved once again."

This was the thought that surfaced in the mind of Qian Chongling, who wore a cold sneer.