Death, or Submission

Behind the pile of rubble, Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan finally snapped out of his extreme shock.

He retreated a step almost subconsciously, his toe catching a loose stone and making a faint sound.

Only one thought occupied his mind now.

Leave this place at once and return to Martial Soul City immediately to report to the Pope.

Bibi Dong had concealed her strength, and not just by a little.

She had broken through from a Soul Doura directly to a Titled Douluo, and had even acquired a hundred-thousand-year soul ring out of thin air.

Had he not seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed Bibi Dong capable of such a feat, even if beaten to death.

He had to inform the Pope; if he didn't, the situation within Martial Soul Hall could face a catastrophic shift.

He turned, ready to flee.

Suddenly, a small hand made of energy appeared and pinched the back of his neck.

The force was light, the touch even gentle.

Yet, Chrysanthemum Douluo felt a terrifying, suffocating soul power surge from that hand, completely suppressing his own and leaving him no room to resist.

His soul power as a level 94 Titled Douluo was as fragile as paper before this hand.

With a light lift, his body lost its center of gravity, his feet leaving the ground.

Bibi Dong held Luo Dong in one arm, her other hand raised, a thread of soul power connecting to the energy hand gripping his neck, hoisting him into the air.

With his feet dangling, Chrysanthemum Douluo's face flushed red, his throat bones emitting a faint creaking sound.

He struggled to roll his eyes, catching a glimpse of Bibi Dong's face in his peripheral vision.

Her face was devoid of expression, terrifyingly calm.

"You followed me the whole way, watched for so long, and now you want to leave without saying hello?" Bibi Dong's voice was soft, devoid of any emotional fluctuation. "Yue Guan, do you think that is appropriate?"

Chrysanthemum Douluo's body stiffened.

She had discovered him long ago? From the very beginning, she had known he was tailing her.

And from start to finish, she had treated him like a joke.

Bibi Dong turned him to face her, her energy-formed right hand still locked onto his neck, her left arm steadily cradling Luo Dong.

"I give you two choices."

"Submit—or die."

Chrysanthemum Douluo shuddered.

He wanted to invoke the Pope's name, to say that Martial Soul Hall would not let her go, to accuse her of betrayal.

But the words died in his throat, choked back by the power of that hand.

He looked into Bibi Dong's eyes.

There was no hesitation, no wavering, not even anger in those eyes.

It was the gaze of someone who could truly kill him.

A level 94 Titled Douluo, yet before Bibi Dong, he had no room to resist, unable to withstand even a single move.

He wanted to live; he did not want to die.

"I submit... I submit..."

The voice squeezed out of his throat, hoarse and desperate.

Bibi Dong released her grip.

Chrysanthemum Douluo collapsed to the ground, clutching his neck and coughing violently.

He knelt on one knee, head bowed, not daring to meet Bibi Dong's gaze.

The dignity of a Titled Douluo and the loyalty of a papal confidant were, at this moment, less important than taking another breath of air.

Bibi Dong remained silent.

A wisp of dark blue light condensed at the tip of her right index finger.

It was the venomous essence of the Death Spider Emperor, refined through the Soul Power Liquefaction Method.

Over the past year, she had obtained an extremely rare poison-control technique from Daily Quest rewards and the system shop, known as Ten Thousand Poisons Return to Origin.

It allowed her to manipulate various deadly poisons at will.

She could condense them, disperse them, or plant them into the meridians of others.

Once planted, the toxin would lie dormant deep within the target's meridians, causing no sensation in daily life, but the moment she activated the technique, the poison would erupt instantly, claiming their life in an instant.

Most importantly, she alone knew the composition of this toxin; no one else could possibly cure it.

She flicked her finger.

The dark blue toxin turned into a thin thread, shooting into the Dantian point on Chrysanthemum Douluo's chest before vanishing.

The toxin spread rapidly along his meridians, infiltrating every corner of his body before settling into dormancy.

Chrysanthemum Douluo felt a chill in his chest. He looked down, but there were no wounds on his skin, not even the slightest mark left behind.

He tried to probe with his soul power, but he could detect nothing at all.

That chill had already merged with his own soul power, becoming indistinguishable from it.

"This is my Martial Soul Poison," Bibi Dong's voice remained indifferent. "A single strand is enough to kill you ten times over. From today on, should you do anything detrimental to me, whether by your own hand or by leaking secrets to others, the poison will trigger immediately. I would not advise you to experience the pain of its activation."

She paused, looking down at Yue Guan.

"You may also try to find someone to detoxify it. But let me give you the truth: I am the only one who knows the composition of this poison, and it involves no fewer than a hundred variations. If others attempt to treat it rashly, they will only accelerate your death."

Chrysanthemum Douluo knelt on the ground, cold sweat soaking through his robes.

He dared not utter a single word, only pressing his forehead heavily against the ground.

He had no way out now.

He had to return to the Pope as usual, report as usual, and play the part of a loyal subordinate as usual.

It was just that from now on, the content of every report would first have to pass through Bibi Dong's ears.

Bibi Dong stopped looking at him.

She turned and walked over to Blood Butcher, who was wrapped in spider webs, and glanced down at him.

Blood Butcher was still struggling inside the web cocoon, muffled curses spilling from his mouth.

Bibi Dong raised her hand and snapped her fingers.

The spider webs tightened violently, and Death Spider Poison instantly flooded into Blood Butcher's body, his cursing coming to an abrupt end.

The other two were dealt with just as cleanly.

She was not a soft-hearted person; these scoundrels who took pleasure in slaughtering soul masters were an insult to all the innocent dead just by being alive.

With a flick of her fingertips, two strands of spider silk pierced the hearts of Zhan Li and Lian Hun, ending everything.

After finishing all this, she looked down at Luo Dong in her arms.

The little one had been quiet, huddled in her embrace, not crying or making a fuss from beginning to end.

At this moment, the look in his eyes as he gazed at his mother was full of adoration and pride.

"Mommy, you're so amazing!" Luo Dong waved his little fists, the rabbit fur on his Tiger-Head Hat swaying. "You defeated those bad guys in one go!"

Bibi Dong smiled slightly and reached out to pinch his little nose. "That was to protect you."

She turned and walked toward the outside of the mountain hollow.

As she passed by Chrysanthemum Douluo, her footsteps paused slightly. Without looking at him, she spoke in a soft voice.

"After you return, you don't need me to teach you what to do."

Yue Guan remained kowtowing on the ground, his voice low and submissive. "This subordinate... understands."

Bibi Dong carried Luo Dong out of the mountain hollow.

Luo Dong lay on her shoulder, his little face pressed against her neck, mumbling childish words like "Mommy is the best."

Bibi Dong gently patted his back, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

In the distance, a maid was waiting on the hillside with a carriage.

Bibi Dong boarded the carriage with Luo Dong, and as the curtains fell, the autumn wind was shut out.

Inside the carriage, Luo Dong was still chattering away, gesturing about how impressive his mother's Spider Web Devour technique had been just moments ago.

Bibi Dong leaned against the cushions, listening to him with a smile, occasionally reaching out to straighten his crooked Tiger-Head Hat.