Yue Guan: Your Holiness, That Pot of Flowers Was Innocent!

Back at the Pope Palace, Qian Xunji frowned as he looked at Qian Renxue, who resembled a little mud monkey, and was just about to question her.

But Qian Renxue was too prideful. She would rather die than reveal a single word about being completely subdued by a Level 12 child in the garden. After washing up, she hurriedly burrowed under the covers.

Early the next morning, Qian Renxue, full of pent-up anger and having spent the whole night unable to sleep, headed straight for the Douluo Palace.

She truly had no face to tell Qian Xunji about being trapped by Nan Feng.

But even after thinking about it all night, she still could not figure out what those bizarre spider silks were.

What if she went to see her mother next time and that little brat set her up again?

So, she had to ask her all-knowing grandfather for an answer.

Inside the Worship Hall.

Qian Daoliu was kneeling solemnly before the majestic Angel God Statue with his eyes closed.

Qian Renxue tiptoed inside. After kneeling to pay respects to her ancestors as required, she plopped down beside Qian Daoliu.

Qian Daoliu slowly opened his eyes. Looking at his sulking granddaughter, his gaze was full of affection. "What is it? So early in the morning, who made our Xue'er unhappy?"

"Mom came back." Qian Renxue pouted, her voice slightly muffled.

Qian Daoliu sighed helplessly. When it came to the mess between that mother and daughter, there was truly little he could say.

But that was not all. Qian Renxue immediately began pouring out her grievances. "Mom even brought back a child! She said she picked him up. His Martial Soul is the same as hers, a Spider Emperor. But that person is really strange!"

"Grandpa, he's clearly only Level 12, but his spider silk managed to trap me completely!"

Qian Daoliu froze for a moment, somewhat surprised. "Trap you?"

Qian Renxue nodded dejectedly and recounted everything that had happened in the flowerbeds the previous night.

From kindly bringing him a gift and scaring him away, to chasing after him into the flowers and getting silently stuck by invisible spider silk; then to the spider silk crazily devouring her Soul Power and becoming terrifyingly tough...

"The most ridiculous part was!"

The more Qian Renxue thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt. "I even used Sacred Fire in the end, wanting to burn it all away in one go. But it just wouldn't burn! That rotten net even absorbed my Sacred Soul Power and tied me up even tighter!"

After hearing her description, Qian Daoliu's usually impassive face revealed a rare look of shock.

"Spider silk that even sacred energy cannot destroy?"

Qian Daoliu's brows furrowed tightly. "How is that possible?!"

Spider-type Martial Souls were naturally inclined toward darkness and poison. Before the Six-Winged Angel, they were innately and utterly suppressed.

Not to mention such a vast gap in Soul Power—even if that boy's Soul Power exceeded Qian Renxue's, he absolutely should not have been able to withstand the domineering Sacred Purification!

Yet Xue'er was telling him that the spider silk of a Level 12 brat was not only impossible to break free from, but was completely unaffected even by sacred energy?!

Qian Daoliu fell silent for a moment, then looked doubtfully at his granddaughter. "This is indeed strange, but why didn't you ask your father first?"

Qian Renxue shrank her neck and muttered guiltily, "How could I dare...?"

"If I told him that I got myself into such a miserable state by a child younger and so much weaker than me, he'd definitely lose his temper again."

Qian Renxue pursed her lips in frustration. "Then he'd definitely scold me for not taking cultivation seriously and only knowing how to play around. If he gets angry, he might even forbid me from seeing Mom from now on and lock me up to watch over my cultivation!"

Qian Daoliu was silent for a while before slowly shaking his head. "Based on your description alone, Grandpa cannot guess what kind of method this is. If we want to understand it, we will likely have to test that child in person."

Qian Renxue's eyes lit up. She stepped forward and grabbed Qian Daoliu's sleeve. "Then let's go now!"

"Wait." Qian Daoliu pulled back his impulsive granddaughter irritably. "You caused trouble over there just last night. If you run over there so openly today, what reason will you have?"

Qian Renxue gave a sly smile. She had already prepared an excuse. "Father said Yue Guan would send his treasured flowers and plants over to Mom today as compensation. I can use helping out as an excuse to go with them!"

Qian Daoliu nodded slightly. "That is a good excuse. However, given my current status, it is not convenient for me to meet your mother directly. I will follow in secret and observe that child while I'm at it."

By noon.

Outside the Saintess Palace, a peculiar procession slowly approached.

Qian Renxue walked at the very front with her hands behind her back, strutting along.

Following behind her was the Chrysanthemum Elder, Yue Guan, looking utterly lifeless as though his heart were bleeding.

Further back were several Pope Palace maids pushing specially made carts.

The carts were packed with all kinds of precious exotic flowers and rare herbs, each giving off a strange, fragrant scent.

Looking at those "treasures" on the carts, even breathing hurt Yue Guan.

Early that morning, he had barely gotten up when Pope Qian Xunji summoned him.

The Pope had casually asked whether he had a collection of rare flowers.

Yue Guan had been completely unguarded at the time, even a little proud. He had launched into an endless introduction of his treasured collection to Qian Xunji.

He had even wondered why the Pope had suddenly taken an interest in flowers and plants.

Then, just after he had finished boasting enthusiastically, Qian Xunji lightly said:

"Very good. Send all of them to the Saintess. Xue'er accidentally ruined the flowerbeds in her backyard last night, so these will serve as compensation."

Yue Guan had been dumbfounded on the spot.

Damn it! This was outright robbery!!

Those treasures were peerless specimens he had gathered after traveling far and wide and enduring countless hardships!

Moreover, to someone like him, whose Martial Soul was the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, those exotic flowers and rare herbs were not merely for viewing. The natural pollen and fragrances they gave off were themselves the perfect mimetic cultivation environment for him!

But what could he do?

The Pope had spoken. Even if Yue Guan had been given several more lives, he would not have dared utter a single word of refusal!

Each harboring their own thoughts, the group entered the rear garden of the Saintess Palace and arrived at last night's "crime scene."

Qian Renxue had barely stopped when Yue Guan, behind her, caught sight of the charred and devastated ground ahead. His eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

"Swoosh—" Yue Guan flashed forward in an instant. Looking at the withered flowers and fallen leaves reduced to ash across the ground, both his hands trembled violently as he let out a heartbroken wail:

"What a waste! What an utter waste—!!!"

He remembered it perfectly!

The supreme-grade flowers planted here had been congratulatory gifts he had specially selected and presented to Bibi Dong back when she had first been appointed Saintess, in order to build a good relationship with her!

Not only were those flowers all top-tier rare varieties with exceptional calming and soothing effects, more importantly, their cold and yin-leaning properties perfectly suited Bibi Dong's Spider Emperor Martial Soul!

Even during the two years Bibi Dong spent training in the Capital of Slaughter, whenever he had time, he would personally come over to carefully tend them and fertilize them.

And now?

Damn it!

What the hell had they done to deserve this?!

Such a huge patch of supreme-grade flowers, all destroyed?!

Hearing the commotion in the garden, Bibi Dong came over with Nan Feng.

Seeing Yue Guan kneeling before the remnants of the flowerbed with a look of utter collapse, Bibi Dong's expression flashed with a trace of awkwardness.

"Your Highness the Saintess! What exactly happened here?!"

Yue Guan suddenly turned around, pointing at the charred ground, his voice trembling. "Was this burned by fire?! The exotic flowers I gave you were all supreme-grade varieties with cold and yin properties. Ordinary flames couldn't even ignite a single leaf! How could they have burned into a pile of black ash?!"