She thanked him, turned, and walked out.
On an open stretch of flat land in the western outskirts of Spirit City, construction was already in full swing.
Several thousand workers bustled around the site—digging foundations, hauling materials, erecting scaffolding... Dust filled the air, and voices rose in a constant clamor.
At the center of the site, inside a temporary command tent, Bishop Salas pointed at the blueprints and gave orders.
He was a newly appointed bishop of Spirit Hall, known for his steady and reliable work, so Qian Xunji had entrusted him with the important task of overseeing the construction of the Soul Tool Research Institute.
"Over here, dig the foundation another half meter deeper! The Research Institute's laboratories have strict stability requirements. We can't be careless!"
Salas shouted at the top of his lungs, then turned to another foreman. "And the materials over there—there isn't enough Blue Steel Stone. It has to be replenished this afternoon."
Just as he was overwhelmed with work, a purple figure landed before the command tent.
Salas looked up, and his eyes widened at once. "Saintess? What are you doing here?"
Bibi Dong swept her gaze over the construction site, her brows drawing together slightly. "Bishop Salas, is Teacher... here?"
"His Holiness the Pope?" Salas looked utterly confused. "No. His Holiness has never been here."
"He hasn't?"
Bibi Dong's heart skipped a beat. "He didn't come by this morning to inspect the construction progress?"
"No, he definitely didn't."
"I've been keeping watch here since this morning. If His Holiness had come, how could I not know?"
He paused. "Does Your Highness need His Holiness for something? How about... I send someone to ask at the Pope Palace?"
Bibi Dong's expression gradually darkened.
He hadn't come.
Her teacher had said he was coming to the