Bibi Dong: Show Weakness to Strike a Fatal Blow

Three days later.

Martial Soul City, Pope Palace square.

Unlike the grandeur and brilliance of previous papal coronations, this ceremony appeared exceptionally grim and rushed.

There were no congratulations from the Seven Great Sects, no envoys from the two great empires, and even the flowers and ceremonial cannons were pitifully scarce.

On the high platform, a solitary Pope throne stood there, appearing particularly abrupt.

The square was packed with spirit masters belonging to Martial Soul Hall, from Platinum Cardinals to ordinary palace guards, a sea of black, yet it was deathly silent.

Because Qian Xunji had died so suddenly, and neither Qian Daoliu nor Golden Crocodile wished to make a grand display of this affair, coupled with the mere three days between the announcement and the ceremony, many branch bishops of Martial Soul Hall hadn't even arrived, let alone other spirit master factions.

In terms of scale, the Pope's coronation had always been identical to the enthronement ceremonies of the emperors of the two great empires; thus, this grand ceremony for Bibi Dong was somewhat shabby.

"Tsk tsk tsk, that old man is truly stingy."

Within the Sea of Consciousness, Nan Feng, having rested well, watched the shabby scene through Bibi Dong's perspective and couldn't help but mock, "A dignified Martial Soul Hall Pope's coronation, and they made it look like a village head's meeting. He's clearly afraid that if your prestige is too high, you'll be hard to control later."

"As expected."

Bibi Dong stood behind the gates of the Pope Palace, dressed in the brilliant golden robes that symbolized supreme power, wearing the Nine-Curved Purple Gold Crown, her expression calm.

"Although Qian Daoliu has compromised, he will never truly let me control Martial Soul Hall."

"He wants me to be a transitional puppet, wants me to be entangled in trivial matters, and even wants to use the hands of those below to keep me in check."

"Unfortunately... he underestimates me."

"Dong—dong—dong—"

The ninety-nine ceremonial cannons, though shabby, still resounded through the heavens.

As the final cannon blast faded, the heavy doors of the Pope Palace slowly creaked open.

Sunlight spilled in, illuminating the figure stepping out from the shadows.

Bibi Dong held the Pope Scepter, her every step steady. Her gaze swept over the nearly ten thousand spirit masters in the square; although they were numerous, she could clearly feel that in the eyes of most, there was little awe, but rather scrutiny, suspicion, and even disdain.

A woman under thirty, by what right does she become Pope?

By what right does she rule over them, these long-established powerhouses?

On both sides of the high platform, Qian Daoliu did not appear; only Golden Crocodile Douluo stood there with several titled elders and deacons.

Golden Crocodile Douluo watched Bibi Dong approach, a trace of complexity flashing through his murky, aged eyes.

He knew Qian Daoliu's calculations, and he knew what this shabby coronation ceremony signified.

If the ceremony had been held according to standard specifications, those below would truly believe that Bibi Dong was the choice of the masses, and it would have become simple for this woman to seize the power of Martial Soul Hall.

But with the coronation ceremony so rushed, even somewhat shabby, not only did the upper echelons know something was amiss, but those below would also harbor their own ulterior motives.

This undoubtedly greatly increased the difficulty of Bibi Dong's work; just in the matter of winning over hearts and minds and grasping the power of the Pope, she would have to spend a great deal of time and effort.

To put it bluntly, although Qian Daoliu allowed Bibi Dong to sit in this position, he did not hope for her to do too well.

Having Bibi Dong serve as Pope was primarily to keep her within a safe range, preventing her from spiraling out of control, and also to let the affairs of the Pope occupy her, delaying the speed at which she could come into contact with that Evil God inheritance.

Even if Martial Soul Hall were to develop and grow, that was a matter for the future, after Qian Renxue had grown up.

Bibi Dong was merely managing it for a time.

If she performed too well and truly snatched the power of Martial Soul Hall, it would become significantly harder for Qian Renxue to seize power in the future.

"Is that the new Pope?"

"Why is it a young woman? Isn't she too young?"

"I heard she was the Holy Maiden before, and her talent is decent, but this is too much of a farce. Lord Qian Xunji just passed, and they let a woman under thirty take the seat; I fear Martial Soul Hall won't last long like this..."

Whispers rose and fell within the crowd.

The spirit masters within Martial Soul City, many from the surrounding areas, and all the bishops with cultivation above the Spirit Saint level had arrived.

In just a few short days, too much had happened: first, Qian Xunji was attacked by Tang Hao of the Clear Sky Sect and died of his wounds, and subsequently, the Holy Maiden Bibi Dong succeeded as Pope.

The former was surprising enough; Tang Hao was only in his early forties, yet he had reached the Titled Douluo realm and had even crushed the Pope of Martial Soul Hall single-handedly.

With such talent and strength, the name of Tang Hao, the Clear Sky Douluo, had now spread across the continent.

Of course, no one dared to discuss it casually; after all, Tang Hao had ascended to the Titled realm by stepping on the Pope of Martial Soul Hall.

What concerned everyone even more was the new Pope.

Tang Hao was indeed formidable, but by killing the Pope of Martial Soul Hall, this matter was destined to be difficult to resolve peacefully.

As the largest spirit master faction in the world and the very entity that set the rules for the spirit master world, everyone had a premonition that a war between Martial Soul Hall and the Clear Sky Sect was likely about to begin.

The Holy Maiden Bibi Dong had been famous for many years; after all, she was a generation younger than Tang Hao, and now, under thirty, she was another legendary figure in the spirit master world following the "Clear Sky Twin Stars."

However, ever since Martial Soul Hall's expedition overseas ten years ago ended in a crushing defeat, Bibi Dong had not made any moves in the spirit master world for many years, as if she had vanished.

Now that she had suddenly appeared and was to succeed as Pope, not only within Martial Soul Hall but also outside, many were unconvinced.

After all, the Pope was the absolute authority in the spirit master world, and Qian Xunji, as the greatest genius of Martial Soul Hall in his time, had only reached the Titled Douluo realm and ascended to the throne of Pope in his fifties.

How could a woman not yet thirty years old serve as Pope and receive the worship of the entire spirit master world? By what right?

High upon the platform in front of the Pope Palace.

Bibi Dong walked step by step toward the throne that symbolized supreme power. She did not sit down immediately; instead, she turned around and looked down from on high at the dense crowd gathered in the plaza.

The whispers ringing in her ears buzzed like flies, and those gazes of doubt, disdain, and scrutiny pricked at her like tiny needles.

Yet, Bibi Dong's expression remained as calm as still water.

Very good, just like this.

Bibi Dong thought coldly in her heart.

Doubt me, look down on me. The more you believe I am unqualified, the more you believe I am merely a vase who climbed to this position on the shadow of the former Pope, the lower your guard will be.

Qian Daoliu wants me to be a hollowed-out puppet, so I shall go with the flow and play the part of a seemingly weak and incompetent Pope.

When you have all let your guard down, when I have completely seized the power of the Pope... at that time, I will make every one of you kneel at my feet and tremble!

Show the enemy weakness, then cross the border in secret.

This was the most important survival rule she had learned during her long life of house arrest.

Only when the prey is at its most relaxed can the hunter deliver a fatal blow.

Bibi Dong took a deep breath, preparing to restrain her aura and deliver a standard, perhaps even mediocre, inauguration speech to play out this act of the "mediocre Pope" to the end.

However.

The very moment she prepared to speak.

"Endure? Endure your grandfather!"

Within her Sea of Consciousness, Nan Feng's roar, filled with rage and impatience, suddenly exploded!

"Playing the pig to eat the tiger? Are you addicted to being a pig?!"

"Where is this? This is Martial Soul Hall! The place in the entire continent that worships power the most! Why are you playing at hiding your light and showing weakness to this group of spirit masters who worship the strong?!"

Bibi Dong frowned and snapped in her heart: "Shut up! This is strategy! If I expose my full strength now, it will inevitably alert the major powers! Caution is the best policy!"

"Caution my ass!"

Nan Feng scoffed, "That's cowardice! That's small-mindedness!"

"I've been tortured by the Rakshasa Evil Thought and soul-humiliated by that old pervert Qian Daoliu for long enough, and now I have to endure the insults of these ants with you?"

"I've had enough!!"

Nan Feng's voice carried a streak of hysterical madness and dominance. "What is a Pope? The Pope is Heaven! The Pope is the only truth!"

"An Emperor should openly trample on everyone's heads, making them lose even the courage to look up!"

"You want to play the pig to eat the tiger? Sorry, The Emperor has no interest in that!"

"Today, I will let these blind things see what is called—absolute crushing!!"

"Nan Feng! You dare—!!"

Before Bibi Dong could react, a terrifying power originating from the depths of her soul erupted instantly!

It was the origin of Nan Feng's soul, the violent will of the hundred-thousand-year Death Spider Emperor!

Although Bibi Dong was the master of the body, their souls were deeply fused at this moment; if Nan Feng was determined to cause trouble, it would take significant effort for Bibi Dong to stop him.

But in front of such a crowd, how could she fight with him inside her own Sea of Consciousness? Wouldn't that just make her look like she was having a mental breakdown on the spot?

In the split second of Bibi Dong's hesitation, Nan Feng had already seized partial control of the body—limited to the control of her spirit power eruption!

BOOM—!!!

In reality.

Bibi Dong, who had been preparing to "show weakness," suddenly stiffened.

The next second.

A cold, domineering, and terrifying pressure, as if coming from the nine nether hells, instantly swept across the entire Pope Palace plaza like a tsunami, centered entirely on her!