Qian Renxue and Bibi Dong Clash! Saintess Hu Liena's Final Ultimatum and the Plan to Train Qian Renxue

"Honored worshippers, I was only able to leave the Heaven Dou Imperial Family and return to Spirit Hall under the pretext of seeking medical treatment."

"If I stay away for too long, it will inevitably arouse suspicion."

"So I plan to set off tomorrow and return!"

Ling Xiao made no response. He had no idea whether Qian Daoliu and the others might still try to strip him of his Angel God Suit.

Qian Renxue decided to take the initiative instead.

Her words left all the worshippers silent.

"We still don't understand what happened to you, Xiao Xue."

After a moment's thought, Qian Daoliu finally spoke.

"You'll continue to oversee matters in the Heaven Dou Empire. We'll discuss it again after the Soul Master Tournament!"

He still wanted to buy his granddaughter some more time and keep Bibi Dong at bay a little longer.

Qian Renxue showed no particular emotion. She nodded and turned to leave.

Qian Ye watched her retreating figure, his hand clenched tightly inside his sleeve. He was unwilling to accept it!

But then he thought better of it.

He had endured all these years. Another year or so wouldn't make a difference.

Qian Renxue left the Worship Hall and walked along the long corridor toward her residence.

She didn't take the deadline Qian Daoliu had given her too seriously.

As long as her teacher was there, nothing was a problem.

"But is Teacher truly asleep, or is he pretending?"

"How do I wake him up?"

"Could it be because of what happened earlier, when he peeked at me...?"

"But I already told him I'd forgiven him..."

Qian Renxue pressed her lips together, her cheeks warming again. Then she shook her head vigorously.

"Or did he really fall asleep because he used up too much energy?"

As her thoughts raced, a figure approached from the opposite direction.

It was an elegant woman in a golden, high-collared robe, a gold crown on her head.

Several attendants followed behind her, and she carried herself with both regal grace and a sharp, imposing air.

"Greetings, Your Holiness the Pope!"

Qian Renxue stopped and bowed slightly.

Her mind involuntarily returned to the Storage Soul Guidance Ring she'd received a few days ago,

and the words the maid had spoken when handing it over.

"His Holiness the Pope specifically ordered that this be delivered to you."

Those words had melted a corner of something deep in her heart, something frozen for a long time.

Now that she was face-to-face with Bibi Dong again,

her feelings were complicated. Wariness mingled with a faint, unspoken hope.

But things weren't as she'd imagined.

Bibi Dong looked at her as if she were a filthy thing that made her sick.

Her gaze scraped coldly across Qian Renxue's face, filled with unconcealed disgust.

She gave a cold snort,

then walked straight past her with her attendants.

Qian Renxue stood frozen, her brows slowly knitting together.

She didn't understand.

The last few times she'd returned to Spirit Hall, she'd clearly felt Bibi Dong's attitude improve each time.

The last time, Bibi Dong had even smiled at her and asked how she was.

Why had she suddenly turned hostile now?

And what about the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast body she'd sent her a few days ago?

Could it be...

that she'd been playing with her all along?

Qian Renxue slowly clenched her hands.

Her heart welled with grievance, resentment, and anger.

"My poor, foolish disciple! She just can't stand to see you doing well. How can you not understand that?"

Within the sea of consciousness, Ling Xiao watched Qian Renxue sulk in wounded silence and clicked his tongue.

He could more or less guess what was going through Bibi Dong's mind. Once the aura of the Twelve-Winged Angel emerged, there was no way that woman wouldn't fly into a rage.

He'd meant to offer his foolish disciple some comfort,

but when he remembered the tangled, unending feud between mother and daughter, a grudge that would last until death—

Forget it. He'd keep pretending to be dead!

Though it wasn't exactly an act.

He really had spent a great deal of soul power helping Qian Renxue undergo Martial Soul Evolution, so he didn't want to move unless it was absolutely necessary.

Thinking about his crippled state, Ling Xiao felt irritated too.

Compared with Dou Qi Continent, Douluo Continent's spiritual energy was far too thin and barren.

If he planned to recover on his own, he might as well wait for the next life!

Besides, he was now more or less half-parasitic on Qian Renxue.

Unless he found another host,

his soul would be like a tree without roots, slowly withering away.

So, for now, there was only one path:

Wait for Qian Renxue to become a god, then try his luck in the Divine Realm!

"Still, Douluo Continent does have some good things."

"The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, Dragon Valley, the Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow beneath the Far North, and the Gold of Life at the bottom of Life Lake..."

"Those are all worth exploring. Maybe one of them will prove useful."

"And even if they don't,"

"they could still help Qian Renxue become a god faster."

After a brief moment's thought, Ling Xiao took the opportunity to draw up a training plan for Qian Renxue.

This little encounter with Bibi Dong didn't disrupt Qian Renxue's plans.

The next day.

After dressing and making the necessary preparations, Qian Renxue—now completely transformed—appeared among the Heaven Dou Empire's delegation.

Upon receiving the welcome news that Crown Prince Xue Qinghe's condition had improved considerably, an accompanying envoy thanked the people of Spirit Hall profusely,

then set off to return to the Heaven Dou Empire.

At the gates of Spirit City,

Hu Liena watched the Heaven Dou delegation's convoy slowly fade into the distance and stood motionless for a long while.

"Stay in your place as Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, and don't come back."

"I don't want to be your enemy."

"Nana! What are you standing there daydreaming about? Don't tell me you've fallen for that pretty boy Xue Qinghe?"

An angry face suddenly appeared in her field of vision.

With his shock of spiky red hair, he looked like a walking flame from a distance. Who else could it be but the lovesick Yan?

"My business is none of your concern."

"And how many times have I told you? Don't call me Nana!"

Hu Liena frowned, tossed out the words coldly, and turned to leave.

"As you command, Your Highness the Saintess!"

Yan gave an exaggerated bow behind her,

then turned toward the Heaven Dou delegation and shook his fist fiercely, muttering,

"Pretty boy, don't let me catch you showing your face in front of Nana again. Otherwise, I'll teach you why flowers bloom red!"

The next second, he switched to an obsequious grin and hurried after her, nodding and bowing.

"Nana—no, Your Highness the Saintess!"

"Wait for me!"

The Heaven Dou delegation's convoy rumbled out of Spirit City.

Just then, an old man approached Qian Renxue's carriage.

His hair was as white as snow, his clothes whiter still, and his back straight as a drawn sword.

Calling him an old man wasn't entirely accurate.

His face was ruddy and smooth, his skin delicate as a baby's. Only the vicissitudes in his eyes revealed his true age.

The old man was Sword Douluo Chen Xin, one of the two pillars of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

He was also the trump card assigned to escort Xue Qinghe.

Ning Fengzhi had originally wanted to send Bone Douluo.

His spatial teleportation Soul Skill would have made him better suited for protection.

But Bone Douluo had a somewhat volatile temperament and strongly disliked Spirit Hall.

Moreover, he had long served as the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's "black glove," so there was no telling whether Spirit Hall had leverage over him.

If the two sides clashed over something he said, and Spirit Hall seized the chance to detain him,

Ning Fengzhi wouldn't even have a place to cry.

So instead, he sent Chen Xin, who was more levelheaded and better acquainted with Spirit Hall, to escort his disciple to Spirit Hall in search of treatment.