Pious Hypocrisy!

A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast ring, a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Bone.

Placed anywhere on the continent, these items would be enough to drive any Titled Douluo to madness.

Yet at this moment, the person possessing these two treasures stood right before her, within arm's reach.

However...

Bibi Dong's gaze flickered slightly.

After all, she was the Pope of the Martial Soul Hall; she did not reach this position through strength alone.

This matter had come too suddenly, too coincidentally.

That little girl had hidden in the Martial Soul Hall for so long without exposure, only to have her identity revealed at the final, critical moment of the Soul Master Tournament.

And it happened under the Healing Halo of Ning Fengzhi, the Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?

Could this act have been orchestrated by someone on purpose?

Was someone using the hands of the Martial Soul Hall to eliminate this soul beast, while simultaneously deepening the conflict between the Martial Soul Hall and the Star Dou Forest?

There was more than one Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast in the Star Dou Forest.

The Sky Azure Bull Python, the Titan Giant Ape, and those ancient existences hidden deep within the forest...

When Bibi Dong had hunted another Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast in the past, she had concealed the information quite cleverly.

But this time, it was happening in full view of everyone.

If they believed that the Martial Soul Hall had intentionally hunted this Soft Bone Charm Rabbit in human form and launched a massive assault, even with the Martial Soul Hall's deep foundations, it would inevitably pay a heavy price.

Bibi Dong frowned in thought, her fingers tapping slowly against the armrest of the Pope's throne, delaying her order.

Tang San took in this entire scene.

He braced his weak body, head bowed, a cold, sharp smile curling the corners of his lips.

This Pope, renowned across the continent, was still hesitating at a time like this?

To this, Tang San had only a four-word evaluation:

Indecisive!

Since that was the case, he would add fuel to the fire.

Tang San took a deep breath, his face once again assuming that pale, resolute expression.

Dragging his weak body, he walked step by step toward the young generation of Martial Soul Hall contestants, leaned down, and pressed his palms against the wounds where the Eight Spider Lances fragments remained.

"I will detoxify them."

His voice was low and sincere, as if he were making amends for some mistake.

The surrounding spectators were moved.

This youth had just exhausted all his strength to defeat his opponents, yet now, ignoring his own injuries, he was detoxifying and healing them—what breadth of mind and character was this?

What no one saw was the faint, dark glimmer that ignited deep within his palms as they made contact with those wounds.

The toxins of the Eight Spider Lances were drawn out from the surface of the wounds, strand by strand, appearing as if he were truly detoxifying them.

But as the toxins were drawn out, a more insidious power was seeping into the bodies of those contestants along his palms.

The young Martial Soul Hall contestants, already severely injured and unconscious, felt a warm sensation wash through them and their brows smoothed out, looking as if the poison were being purged.

But in reality, their life force was being drained away, strand by strand, like grass and trees withering away.

High above, Bibi Dong's eyelids twitched.

How sharp was the perception of a Titled Douluo? The quiet ebbing of life force from those young contestants, though extremely subtle, could not escape her eyes.

Their life force was being absorbed!

Even if it were only a sliver, for these young people, it meant their future cultivation foundation could suffer irreversible damage.

The seed contestants that the Martial Soul Hall had spent countless resources to cultivate had already been beaten to a pulp in the match; were their future foundations to be gutted as well?

An inexplicable rage flared in Bibi Dong's heart.

She snapped her head up, her gaze like lightning, falling once again upon Xiao Wu.

Add fuel to the fire?

Tang San's fire had not only burned away Bibi Dong's path of retreat, but it had also burned away her reason.

To hell with caution.

To hell with calculations.

The Martial Soul Hall had suffered a massive loss today.

They had lost face, and their seed contestants were ruined.

If she let this Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, delivered right to her doorstep, slip away, what kind of Pope would she, Bibi Dong, be?

"Pass the order: seal the Great Hall!"

As Bibi Dong's words fell, heavy footsteps echoed simultaneously from the side doors on all four sides of the hall.

The deacons and temple guards of Martial Soul Hall quickly formed ranks, surrounding the magnificent hall until not even a drop of water could leak through.

The clanging of blades being drawn from their sheaths rose one after another, the cold light of metal merging into a frigid river under the candlelight.

Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang turned his head abruptly, his eyes, usually so calm, now filled with astonishment.

"What do you mean?!"

Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, Oscar, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing moved in unison.

They quickly tightened their formation, circling into a close-knit group to protect Tang San in the center.

Dai Mubai clenched his fists, his Tiger Roar soul power surging within him, his tiger eyes glaring at the high platform.

But Bibi Dong's gaze did not land on any of them at all.

She was looking at Xiao Wu.

That gaze carried a hint of condescending mockery.

"I didn't expect you to actually dare to come to my Martial Soul Hall. Letting you escape last time was already a great mercy on my part. Who gave you the courage to return now?"

Xiao Wu clenched her fists, her breathing ragged, her nails nearly embedding themselves into her palms.

She knew exactly what Bibi Dong was talking about.

That hunt, that rainy night, those fragmented images flashed through her mind.

She bit her lip and said nothing, her eyes burning with flames.

Just then, a hand gently patted Dai Mubai on the shoulder.

"Big Brother, don't ask anymore."

Tang San's voice was low and hoarse, carrying the weakness of his severe injuries, yet it also held an indescribable sorrow.

He slowly raised his head, looking at Xiao Wu with a complex gaze, his lips trembling slightly as if making an incredibly difficult decision.

"Xiao Wu... is not human."

Xiao Wu's body stiffened abruptly.

She turned her head, her beautiful eyes staring straight at Tang San.

He had actually known she was a soul beast all along?

When did he find out? And for how long had he known?

Countless questions exploded in her mind; Xiao Wu's lips parted slightly as if to say something, but not a single word could escape.

She didn't know whether to explain, or to apologize.

Or whether to ask him why, even knowing the truth, he was still willing to stay by her side.

But she had no time to think.

Because before she could utter a single word, Tang San had already stepped out of the protective circle formed by the Shrek members, his thin figure blocking the path in front of her.

His body, still suffering from unhealed wounds, stumbled slightly, yet that step was taken with absolute firmness.

Tang San's back was not broad, but at this moment, it possessed the aura of a lone warrior holding a mountain pass.

Though his Eight Spider Lances had been shattered, his spine remained straight.

"Bibi Dong."

Tang San raised his head, meeting the gaze of the Pope on the high platform without a hint of fear.

His voice was not loud, yet it carried clearly to every corner of the grand hall.

"If you want to capture Xiao Wu, you must first step over my corpse!"