Bibi Dong: Yu Xiaogang, a good-for-nothing!

"Hoo..."

Yu Xiaogang straightened his washed-out, white-faded cloth robes and stood tall, striving to look like a true Master.

He took a step forward, emerging from the shadows of a dark corner.

At this moment, representatives from the major powers in the plaza were scrambling to offer their congratulations to Lin Qiu, and no one noticed this middle-aged man who had suddenly appeared.

It wasn't until a sharp, furious voice, amplified by soul power, abruptly exploded across the plaza that everyone took notice.

"Stop—!!!"

This roar exhausted every ounce of Yu Xiaogang's strength.

The bustling, lively plaza instantly felt as if a pause button had been pressed.

Everyone was stunned.

Who had the audacity?

Who dared to shout and scream at the Martial Soul Hall's Holy Son investiture ceremony?

Countless gazes, filled with confusion, shock, and even anger, turned in unison toward the source of the sound.

There, at the edge of the red carpet, stood a middle-aged man with a buzzcut, stubble, and a face etched with the weariness of the world, holding his head high.

His shabby cloth robes were completely out of place against the surrounding luxurious brocade, yet the expression on his face was filled with an insufferable arrogance.

High upon the dais.

Bibi Dong had been watching Lin Qiu with a smile, but upon hearing this sharp interruption, her brows furrowed slightly, and her majestic gaze swept downward.

When she clearly saw who it was, a flicker of obvious surprise flashed through her purple eyes.

"Yu Xiaogang?"

Her red lips parted slightly, and she whispered the name subconsciously.

Although they hadn't met in many years, and although he had become much older and more disheveled, she recognized those features at a single glance.

Hearing the Pope call his name, Yu Xiaogang felt his confidence surge.

He looked at Bibi Dong with burning eyes, even carrying a hint of deep affection and grievance, as if a wanderer who had been away from home for years had finally reunited with his kin.

He took a step forward, ignoring the strange looks from those around him, and shouted loudly:

"Your Holiness the Pope! You must not!"

Bibi Dong stood on the dais, the step she had subconsciously wanted to take forward freezing in mid-air upon hearing that cry.

She looked at the figure below, and for a moment, long-sealed memories surged in her mind.

However, before these emotions could fully occupy her consciousness, another set of memories emerged even more clearly.

It was the "nagging" Lin Qiu had been whispering in her ear over this past period.

"Mom, that man named Yu Xiaogang—his theories are all plagiarized from the archives of Martial Soul Hall; he has never practiced them himself."

"Mom, a piece of trash who can't even break through to level thirty, what right does he have to be called a Master? Isn't he just misleading the youth?"

"Mom, if he had true talent, that would be one thing, but the key is that his character is abysmal. He abandoned you back then, and now that he can't get by, he wants to use your reputation to swindle people again..."

These words, which struck straight at the soul, were like basins of cold water, washing away the last remaining ripples in Bibi Dong's heart.

She looked at Yu Xiaogang's slightly greasy face, which was full of calculation, and a sense of absurdity suddenly arose in her heart.

Could it be that Qiu'er was right?

Could it be that for all these years, I was truly deceived by this piece of trash?

I, Bibi Dong, with a lifetime of fame, actually suffered for half a lifetime over a man like this?

Yu Xiaogang kept his eyes locked on Bibi Dong's face.

He saw the flicker of hesitation and doubt in her eyes.

In his view, this was nothing short of fantastic news!

She was hesitating!

This meant she still had feelings for him! It meant she wasn't that satisfied with this Holy Son either!

If he just added a little more fuel to the fire!

Yu Xiaogang took a deep breath, raised a hand to point directly at Lin Qiu, who was standing beside Bibi Dong, and roared with righteous indignation:

"Bibi Dong! You have been deceived by this little beast!"

"This child has a crooked heart, acts ruthlessly, and has no virtue whatsoever! Just a few days ago, he publicly humiliated me in the marketplace and even forcibly robbed me of my treasures. His methods were so despicable they are simply hair-raising!"

"A person like this, what qualifications does he have to be the Holy Son of Martial Soul Hall? What qualifications does he have to lead the soul masters of the world?"

"Although I, Yu Xiaogang, have meager strength, this backbone of mine remains! For the sake of Martial Soul Hall's reputation and the future of all soul masters, I request that Your Holiness the Pope immediately rescind the order, strip this child of his position as Holy Son, and expel him from Martial Soul Hall, never to be employed again!"

This speech was delivered with great passion and resounding force.

The entire plaza fell into a deathly silence.

It was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.

Representatives from the various major powers were dumbfounded, their mouths agape as their gazes darted back and forth between Yu Xiaogang, Bibi Dong, and Lin Qiu.

Who was this person?

How could he be so arrogant?

To dare point at the Holy Son's nose and call him a "little beast" right in front of the Pope? And to demand the Holy Son be kicked out?

Had he lost his mind?

"This person... he looks a bit familiar, doesn't he?"

Someone in the crowd muttered in a low voice.

"I remember now! Isn't this that piece of trash kicked out of the Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan? The one called Yu Xiaogang!"

"Yes, yes! That's him! Calls himself a 'Grandmaster,' but he's actually just a level 29 Soul Grand Master who can't break through to save his life!"

"So it's him... I heard he was disowned by the clan back then, and apparently, he even had a history with Her Excellency the Pope..."

"Shh! Do you want to die? Is that kind of royal secret something you can just blather about?"

Although the whispers were kept very low, quite a few still reached the ears of those present.

Not far away, in the seating area for the Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.

The faces of several elders turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

The leader of the group, Thunder Douluo Yu Yuanzhen, was trembling with rage, wishing he could just crawl into a hole in the ground.

How shameful!

Utterly disgraceful!

This rebellious son had been expelled from the clan for so many years, yet he still came out to make a fool of himself! And on such an occasion, in front of the powerhouses of the entire continent!

He was dragging the face of the Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan through the dirt!

Everyone's gaze converged once more.

This time, everyone was watching the reactions of Bibi Dong and Lin Qiu.

One was the high and mighty Pope, the other the much-anticipated newly appointed Holy Son.

Faced with such a "clown" provoking them in public, what would they do?

Bibi Dong stood on the high platform, her beautiful face covered in frost.

She did not speak, merely watching Yu Xiaogang quietly, the last trace of warmth in her eyes vanishing completely.

If it were in the past, perhaps she might have defended Yu Xiaogang a few times, or even punished Lin Qiu for his sake.

But now...

In her heart, the weight of Lin Qiu had long since surpassed everything else.

That was her darling son, whom she had raised since he was small, who called her "Mom" with every breath, and who saved all the best things for her!

That was a peerless monster who could casually produce an Extreme Yin Soul Flower to help her break through, and whose single sword strike could intimidate Sword Douluo!

Compared to Lin Qiu, this Yu Xiaogang, who only knew how to talk big and even wanted to ruin Lin Qiu's future, was not even worth the mud on the ground!