Unaware of the injuries Bibi Dong had suffered, Qian Xunji didn't dare stay alone with her in the same space. He endured his injuries and hurried toward Pope Hall.
Bibi Dong watched Qian Xunji's retreating back with cold eyes and made no move to stop him.
For one thing, she didn't know whether Qian Xunji could still release the Crystal Wall. For another, the Rakshasa God's poison would use the Soul Power Qian Xunji had cultivated over the years as nourishment, allowing the Soul Devouring Worm to grow stronger.
When that time came, Qian Xunji would be unable to escape being devoured.
She only regretted that she hadn't been able to personally carve this villain, who had brought her endless shame and pain, to pieces.
Rising to her feet, Bibi Dong wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and regulated her breathing for a while before slowly walking out of the side hall.
At the entrance, Chrysanthemum and Ghost had been waiting for a long time. They watched her warily, on guard against her every move.
Bibi Dong didn't look up at them. The sunlight outside couldn't dispel the gloom shrouding her heart.
"Where are you going?"
Chrysanthemum and Ghost exchanged a glance. As Qian Xunji's trusted aides, they had been ordered to seize the Saintess and imprison her.
They had expected to have to put in quite a bit of effort, but Bibi Dong showed no intention of resisting at all.
"Ah, Saintess, come with me."
Ghost Douluo vanished in a flash, keeping watch over Bibi Dong from the shadows in case she suddenly lashed out. Yue Guan led Bibi Dong toward the Spirit Hall dungeon.
"Saintess, if you had waited a little longer, you would surely have taken charge of the Spirit Hall. Why commit such a heinous act of rebellion?"
Bibi Dong had practically grown up under Yue Guan's eyes. Watching the master and disciple reach this point left the old Spirit Hall veteran filled with regret, and he found himself talking more than usual.
But their Saintess had failed in her Assassination Operation and clearly had no intention of listening. She simply followed behind him, step by step, toward the cells.
After using a special method to seal her Soul Power, Yue Guan let out a deep sigh, then closed the cell door and left.
Bibi Dong's assassination seemed like nothing more than a minor incident. The news didn't spread widely.
Even Qian Xunji's daughter, Qian Renxue, knew nothing about it. When she came to visit him as usual the next day, she only noticed that her father's complexion, which had gradually become rosier over the past few days, had turned paler again.
"Father, have your injuries gotten worse?"
"It's all right, Xiao Xue. My injuries are healing. I'm fine."
"Really?"
Little Angel eyed him suspiciously, but since her father had said so, she couldn't force him to admit otherwise.
She stayed with Qian Xunji for a while. Once she was sure his injuries didn't seem to have worsened, Qian Renxue felt reassured and headed back to the Worship Hall.
After his daughter left, Qian Xunji clenched his fists, his face contorted with rage.
His physical injuries were indeed slowly healing, but ever since his Soul Power returned, he had often felt a pain as if his soul were being torn apart.
This had never happened before. The only explanation he could think of was the medicine his disciple had given him.
That medicine must have been affecting his soul.
For several days in a row, the pain in Qian Xunji's soul not only failed to ease, but grew increasingly severe.
It had reached the point where he couldn't even rest and recover in peace. With no other choice, Qian Xunji dragged his injured body to the dungeon.
The master and disciple met again through the iron bars. Bibi Dong seemed to have expected Qian Xunji to come; the corner of her mouth curled into a faint smile.
After thinking it over for several days, she felt this was even better. Killing Qian Xunji right away would have let him off far too easily. It was better to torment him for a while longer.
"Bibi Dong, hand over the antidote and I can let bygones be bygones. You'll still be the Saintess, second only to one person in the Spirit Hall."
"Teacher, you jest. My Assassination Operation failed, and I've already paid the price. I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Have you been working too hard lately and hurt your brain?"
Qian Xunji clenched his fists, his fury reaching its peak. For the sake of a good-for-nothing, the disciple he had raised with his own hands had dealt him the most devastating blow imaginable.
With a cold snort, Qian Xunji stormed away, having failed to get what he wanted.
Even now, he still hoped Bibi Dong would reconcile with him for Qian Renxue's sake.
But he had no idea that only hatred remained in Bibi Dong's heart.
Several days later, the pain in Qian Xunji's soul became harder and harder to endure. With no other choice, he went to the Worship Hall to seek Qian Daoliu's help.
Though father and son were at odds, Qian Daoliu still had no intention of standing by and doing nothing, for their blood ties bound them together.
But no matter how Qian Daoliu examined him, he couldn't determine what was wrong with Qian Xunji.
"According to what you've told me, a bowl of medicinal soup shouldn't be able to cause an injury to your soul. But the pain is undeniably real. What on earth is going on?"
"I don't know. Bibi Dong won't say."
"Ah, the fruit of one's own actions. If it's only pain, that's one thing; it's pain you deserve to endure. What worries me is that there may be consequences yet to come."
Though Qian Daoliu was a level-99 Peerless Douluo, unrivaled in strength across the continent, he was still unable to shake the methods of a god.
With his spiritual cultivation, he couldn't detect the Soul Devouring Worm planted by the Rakshasa God.
"Damn it! If I'm still not healed in the next few days, that beast had better not blame me for forgetting the bond between master and disciple."
With no way to treat or ease the pain in his soul, Qian Xunji left in a fury. As he passed through the garden, he saw Qian Renxue wearing a delighted expression, with Lin Beiya beside her. He merely nodded and offered them a few words of encouragement before leaving.
Little Angel's expression immediately dimmed. She had thought her father had come to the Worship Hall to see her, so she'd dropped her training and rushed over.
Beside her, Lin Beiya watched Qian Xunji's retreating back intently. Something felt wrong to him. Even with the Aries Gold Cloth on, the air of death between the Spirit Hall Pope's brows couldn't be concealed. By rights, since Qian Xunji was still alive, shouldn't Bibi Dong's attempt have failed?
"Xiao Xue, why hasn't the Pope been resting and recovering these past few days? Why did he come to the Worship Hall?"
"I don't know either. I only know that Father looks worse and worse. But the Sacred Cloth seemed to help a few days ago."
"I see."
Unable to figure out the reason, Lin Beiya could only put the matter aside. He had already done everything he could; there was nothing else he could do.
Over the next few days, as the Soul Devouring Worm grew stronger, Qian Xunji became increasingly irritable.
The tearing sensation in his soul grew more and more intense. Now he often woke from his dreams screaming, then clutched his head and rolled on the floor in pain.
His patience exhausted, he went to the Spirit Hall dungeon first thing in the morning with Chrysanthemum and Ghost.
"Bibi Dong, hand over the antidote. This is your last chance. Otherwise, today will be the day you die."
Bibi Dong, who had been sitting cross-legged, slowly opened her eyes. The sight of Qian Xunji's pale face, twisted by excruciating pain, filled her with satisfaction.
"Teacher, I truly don't know what you're talking about."
"Didn't I make myself clear that day? I've already admitted my mistake, and now I'm reflecting on it in the dungeon."
"Please remember to get some rest, Teacher. You haven't looked well lately."
Seeing Bibi Dong struggling to suppress her excitement, Qian Xunji's fury reached its peak.
"Heh, you think I have no way to deal with you?"
"Just you wait. I'll send someone to chop that good-for-nothing into pieces and feed him to the dogs!"
"Don't you dare!"
At the mention of Qian Xunji going after the so-called Grandmaster, Bibi Dong's expression changed in an instant. She was no longer as composed as before.
Before you continue