Ning Fengzhi was not yet fifty this year, still in the prime of his life in the Soul Master World.
But in the half month since Bone Douluo's death, he looked as if someone had pulled a bone right out of him. His back was no longer as straight as it used to be.
Chen Xin sat across from him, the empty sleeve of his right arm hanging at his side. His white robe was still spotless, and his white hair and beard were still meticulously groomed.
"Uncle Bone is gone... The strength of my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has fallen sharply."
"What is Spirit Hall trying to do by proposing a re-selection of the Seven Great Sects at a time like this?"
Chen Xin turned his gaze to Ning Fengzhi's haggard face.
In half a month, Ning Fengzhi had grown much thinner. Strands of white had even appeared in his hair.
Many years ago, Chen Xin had met Bibi Dong. Back then, Bibi Dong had only been a girl in her teens.
He had never expected that this woman would make it this far.
Even her disciple...
Re-selecting the Seven Great Sects was no simple matter. It involved the entire Soul Master World.
Did Bibi Dong truly have such boldness?
Gathering his thoughts, Chen Xin asked, "Fengzhi, what do you plan to do?"
Ning Fengzhi replied softly, "Let's just deal with it for now. My sect has suffered heavy losses. Even if we take part, we won't gain anything."
"Besides, from what I know of the Clear Sky Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, they won't participate. Those two sects are extremely proud."
"Spirit Hall announced that it'll happen in six months, so there's no need to rush."
No need to rush.
Ning Fengzhi silently repeated those three words, as if trying to convince himself.
In truth, he was in quite a hurry!
The positions of the Upper Three Sects had not changed for hundreds of years. They had always been the Clear Sky Sect, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
But this time, Spirit Hall was going to re-select the Seven Great Sects. That was bound to shatter the balance and reshuffle the cards.
A centuries-old rule, broken just like that.
The sects ranked below the Upper Three Sects—the Elephant Armored Sect, the Wind Sword Sect, the Fire Leopard Sect, and the White Tiger Sect—
Which one of them wasn't eyeing the positions above, like a tiger stalking its prey?
The Upper Three Sects had kept them down for hundreds of years. Now Spirit Hall had given them an opportunity.
A legitimate, aboveboard opportunity to challenge the Upper Three Sects.
There would be no predetermined selections and no automatic advancement in the re-selection of the Seven Great Sects. Everything would be decided by strength.
That was what Spirit Hall said, and the Soul Masters across the continent believed it too.
But Ning Fengzhi didn't.
He knew that behind the re-selection of the Seven Great Sects, Spirit Hall was sure to be pulling all the strings.
Raise the obedient sects and pull down the disobedient ones.
The positions of the Upper Three Sects had not changed for hundreds of years, but this time, they were probably going to.
Ning Fengzhi's gaze fell on Chen Xin's empty sleeve. In the past, with Uncle Jian and Uncle Bone at his side, he had been full of confidence.
Although the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was an auxiliary sect, it had two Titled Douluo guarding it. Any faction that wanted to move against the sect would have to think twice.
Now Uncle Bone was gone, and Uncle Jian had lost an arm, his strength greatly diminished.
His Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was left with just one crippled Titled Douluo.
What's more, they had offended the Martial Soul Hall Holy Son and the Pope, Bibi Dong.
"Ah, the continent's about to descend into chaos."
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
The atmosphere in the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was unusually relaxed.
The meeting hall was packed. Seven or eight elders sat on either side of the long table, which was laden with fruit and tea snacks.
Yu Yuanzhen sat at the head of the table, his silver-white hair spilling over his shoulders. His face was stern, and his gaze was sharp as lightning.
When word that Spirit Hall planned to re-select the Seven Great Sects reached them, they didn't even raise an eyebrow. They hadn't taken the matter seriously at all.
Re-select the Seven Great Sects?
What a joke.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was one of the Upper Three Sects, the world's foremost Beast Martial Soul. They were dragons!
For hundreds of years, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's position had never wavered. No one had dared to compete with them.
Now Spirit Hall said it wanted to re-select them? Then let them. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan didn't need Spirit Hall's approval, nor did they need anyone else's.
The First Elder sat to Yu Yuanzhen's right. After pondering for a long while, he still asked, "Sect Master, how should we respond?"
Yu Yuanzhen set down his teacup and said calmly, "Respond to what?"
The First Elder froze for a moment, then laughed, smug contempt flashing in his eyes.
They were dragons, after all. The heavens were first, and he was second!
Bibi Dong wasn't wearing her papal robes today.
When Gu Qingshan walked into the Pope Palace, he almost failed to recognize her.
In her papal robes, Bibi Dong was imposing, cold, and untouchable.
But today, the contrast in her appearance was startling.
She wore a tight-fitting pink-and-green dress, cut close to her body. Every curve, from her shoulders to her waist and down to her hips, was perfectly outlined.
Her waist was slender enough to fit in two hands. Below it were round, millstone-like cheeks. The hem of her skirt fell just three inches above her knees, revealing a stretch of thigh wrapped in pink stockings.
Her legs were crossed, her toes angled slightly downward, revealing a pair of pale pink high heels.
The heels were thin and high, arching her instep into an elegant curve. The lines of her calf muscles showed faintly through the stockings.
A youthful face, a languid, seductive gaze, and a flawless, stunning figure.
Standing in the doorway, he stared at the woman, the Blue Silver Leaf in his hand forgotten, still outside his mouth.
He had seen Bibi Dong in her papal robes, in fitted clothes, and in ordinary attire.
Every look suited her, but none had shocked him as much as what she wore today.
In his previous life, he had seen all kinds of beauties online, in every type and style.
He'd thought he was immune to beautiful women. But now, looking at Bibi Dong's long legs in those crossed pink stockings, he admitted he'd been wrong—spectacularly wrong.
He couldn't resist. There was simply no resisting.
He drew a deep breath, shifted his gaze from Bibi Dong's legs to the report in her hand, and pretended he was more interested in the report than in her legs.
But Bibi Dong's legs were just too long. Even from the corner of his eye, he could still see them.
He moved the Blue Silver Leaf from the left corner of his mouth to the right and chewed a little harder.
Yue Guan stood beside Bibi Dong, watching the Holy Son's reaction.
He was tactful enough not to say anything, and even more tactful in turning his gaze elsewhere.
But the faint curve of his lips gave away what he was really thinking.
Bibi Dong seemed not to notice Gu Qingshan's odd behavior. She casually asked, "How are things now?"
Yue Guan stepped forward, hands tucked into his sleeves, and bowed slightly.
"Your Holiness, it's just as the Holy Son predicted."
Bibi Dong lifted her gaze from the report and looked at Gu Qingshan.
Seeing him still staring fixedly at her legs, Bibi Dong's lips curved slightly. She motioned for Yue Guan to continue.
"Seven days have passed since the announcement."
"The Clear Sky Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan have completely ignored Spirit Hall's order."
"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect gave it a perfunctory response."
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