Qian Daoliu a deep breath, suppressing his surging anger, knowing that further arguing would be futile.
He glanced coldly at Bibi Dong, then turned away with a flick of his sleeve. "Fine, very well. I will personally investigate this matter thoroughly. If it is found that you are involved, don't blame me for showing no mercy!"
After saying that, he led the three men, including Golden Crocodile, away angrily, leaving Bibi Dong standing there, her fingers secretly clenching.
She appeared calm on the surface, but her heart sank slightly.
With Qian Daoliu personally involved, this matter is unlikely to be easily resolved.
News of the ambush spread like wildfire, reaching the entire Spirit City in half a day, and even causing a stir within the Heaven Dou Empire.
Upon learning of this, Xue Ye was furious and immediately sent a messenger to the Spirit Hall, demanding a reasonable explanation.
The Color Dragon Sect, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, and other forces have also expressed their opinions and are putting pressure on the authorities to demand an explanation.
The Spirit Hall has always been a sacred place of cultivation in the hearts of Soul Master on the continent, but now it has been exposed for the scandal of intercepting and killing contestants halfway. Its credibility has plummeted in an instant. If not handled properly, it will face an unprecedented crisis of trust.
All eyes were on the Pope Palace, awaiting a response from the Spirit Hall.
A large crowd had gathered outside the rest area of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
The faculty and students from various colleges were very curious and came over to inquire about the information.
Shui Bing'er and Huo Wu, along with Shui Yue'er, squeezed into the crowd. As soon as they saw Shen Yifeng come out, they quickly went forward.
"Captain Shen, I heard you were attacked on the way?" Shui Bing'er asked softly, a hint of worry in her eyes. "Are you injured? Who would dare to be so bold?"
Huo Wu, being even more impatient, blurted out, "Was it done by someone from the Spirit Hall? It's all over the plaza, saying that a Spirit Hall elder has died!"
Shui Yue'er nodded in agreement, her eyes full of curiosity.
The surroundings fell silent instantly, and everyone pricked up their ears, waiting for the answer.
Shen Yifeng waved his hand calmly, "It's nothing serious, just a little trouble, but it's been resolved, nothing to mention."
He spoke casually, making no mention whatsoever of the Titled Douluo or the annihilation of the two races.
Dugu Yan stood to the side, wanting to interject a few words, but seeing that he was unwilling to talk more, she had no choice but to swallow her words.
Seeing that he didn't want to elaborate, the others didn't press him further.
They all muttered to themselves, "How could this be a small matter, one that could cause the death of an elder of the Spirit Hall and Xiong Jun to personally come to our door?"
For a moment, the gazes directed at Shen Yifeng were now tinged with both apprehension and curiosity.
Shen Yifeng was too lazy to deal with these probing questions, so he gave a few perfunctory replies and turned back to his courtyard.
He knew in his heart that this matter was far from over.
The debts owed by the Spirit Hall will be settled sooner or later, with interest.
When Qian Renxue entered the Worship Hall, Qian Daoliu was standing with his back to her in front of the Angel Statue, his aura heavy and oppressive.
She stepped forward, her voice filled with barely concealed anger. "Grandpa, we should just remove Bibi Dong from her position as Pope. If we let her continue like this, the Spirit Hall's century-old foundation will be destroyed in her hands sooner or later."
Qian Daoliu slowly turned around and sighed, " Xue'er, how could your grandfather not want to? But Bibi Dong has been in the position of Pope for many years, and most of the people in the Pope Palace and the Elder Hall are her protégés. Moving one thing will affect the whole situation. Taking action rashly will only cause the Spirit Hall to split up, making things worse."
As the grandfather and grandson were talking, Golden Crocodile Douluo hurriedly walked in from outside, his expression grave. "Brother, we've found out. On the day of the incident, Yu Xiaogang entered the Pope Palace with the Pope's Token and had a secret talk with Bibi Dong for half an hour. Shortly after he left, Ghost Leopard Douluo disguised himself and left the city. His whereabouts perfectly matched the timing of Soulfall Valley. It seems he originally intended to secretly ambush them, but unexpectedly, he was killed halfway."
Upon hearing Qian Daoliu's Soul Power surged violently, and the teacup on the table shattered.
He roared, his eyes filled with disappointment and rage. "So! This Bibi Dong, it's all for Yu Xiaogang's old flame! The Pope of the Spirit Hall, for her own selfish reasons, secretly dispatched Titled Douluo from the Elder Hall, making such a fool of herself. Where is the dignity of the Spirit Hall now!"
Qian Renxue stood to the side, her face also extremely cold.
She hadn't expected the other person to be so confused.
It's utterly incomprehensible that someone would risk the entire Spirit Hall's reputation for a man.
The Worship Hall a deathly silence, broken only by Qian Daoliu's suppressed breathing.
Golden Crocodile Douluo stood with his head bowed, not daring to say a word.
Everyone knows that if this is confirmed, it will likely cause a major upheaval within the Spirit Hall.
Qian Daoliu a deep breath and slowly suppressed his surging anger.
He closed his eyes and pondered for a moment, then opened them again, his expression calm. "We can't touch her now. We have to wait for an opportunity, a legitimate opportunity to bring her down. If we rashly remove the Pope now, the direct descendants of the Pope Palace and the Elder Hall will be thrown into chaos, and the Spirit Hall will only fall apart."
Qian Renxue clenched her fists, her heart filled with resentment.
But she also knew that her grandfather was right; Bibi Dong had been operating for many years and had a very deep-rooted foundation.
Taking force would only backfire. She lowered her eyes and replied softly, "I understand, Grandpa."
"Brother." Golden Crocodile Douluo stepped forward, his expression grave. " Heaven Dou Empire, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, and the Color Dragon Sect are all pressuring us for an explanation. The people are also starting to talk about it. If this drags on any longer, the Spirit Hall's century-old reputation will be ruined, and a crisis of trust will be inevitable."
Upon hearing this, Qian Daoliu raised his hand and rubbed his temples.
Having lived for nearly a century and rarely encountered rivals across the continent, this was the first time he had found something so troublesome.
On one hand, there is internal instability, and on the other hand, there is external pressure, yet the instigator refuses to admit responsibility.
"No rush," he said slowly. "This matter was caused by Bibi Dong, so naturally she should handle it first. It would be best if she could resolve it herself. If she can't, and things get out of hand, then our Worship Hall will step in, offer appropriate compensation to appease all parties, stabilize the situation first, and then we can discuss the rest later."
Golden Crocodile Douluo and Qian Renxue exchanged a glance and nodded.
There really isn't a better solution right now; we can only take it one step at a time.
" Xue'er." Qian Daoliu looked at her, "Go to your residence at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, meet with Shen Yifeng, and sound him out. See what his attitude is and what outcome he wants."
"Yes, Grandpa," Qian Renxue replied, accepting the order.
She turned and walked out of the Worship Hall, but her mind was racing.
Meanwhile, the match schedule for the first round of the competition was delivered to their accommodations.
The first match for the Heaven Dou Royal Academy was against the Star Luo Empire Royal Academy.
Shen Yifeng glanced at the list, his expression indifferent. Only Dai Weisi and Zhu Zhuyun from the Star Luo Empire were barely worth mentioning; the rest were no threat at all.
He was more concerned about the Spirit Hall's subsequent actions than the competition itself.
The matter of the ambush couldn't just be left unresolved; he wanted to see what bargaining chips the other side could offer to quell the storm.
"If you ask me, the most important thing the Spirit Hall should do is remove Bibi Dong from her position as Pope." Gu Yuena said calmly, holding her teacup. "As Pope, she abuses her power and even goes so far as to intercept and kill contestants. Keeping her around will only tarnish the Spirit Hall's reputation."
"That's right!" Lan Xuanyu nodded immediately, indignant. "Sneaking around and plotting, if you can't handle losing, you shouldn't hold a competition. This kind of Pope should have stepped down long ago."
Shen Yifeng chuckled softly but didn't reply.
Whether or not to dismiss them is not urgent; let's first see how much benefit the Spirit Hall can offer this time.