"Did you all hear what Yan just said?" Bibi Dong's voice held not the slightest hint of emotion.
"Yes." Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan answered in his slightly shrill voice. "Twin Martial Souls, a nine-tiered pagoda, Ring Reduction... Truly astonishing. I never imagined the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would produce such a figure."
"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect... Ning Fengzhi... He's hidden his hand well," Ghost Douluo Gui Mei said in a hoarse, low voice, like sandpaper scraping.
Bibi Dong slowly rose and walked to the enormous floor-to-ceiling window on one side of the hall. She gazed down at the grand Spirit City below, her voice cold and resolute:
"I will not allow the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to produce a variable like this. My plan to unify the continent cannot be allowed to face any unexpected obstacles!"
She turned around, her gaze burning as she looked at the two Douluos, Ju and Gui. "How are your preparations coming along? When can you make your move?"
Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo exchanged a glance. Chrysanthemum Douluo stepped forward and respectfully replied:
"Your Holiness, our plans targeting the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan have been steadily progressing. But to ensure nothing goes wrong and completely annihilate two of the Upper Three Sects, we need a more thorough plan and more extensive preparations. At a conservative estimate... we'll need at least six more years."
"Six years..." Bibi Dong's brow creased slightly, as though she was dissatisfied with the length of time.
But she knew that annihilating the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan would be no easy feat.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect in particular had Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo, two Titled Douluos, guarding it, along with vast wealth and connections. They had to kill them in one strike, or the consequences would be endless.
"Six years..." she repeated quietly, a cold glint flashing in her eyes.
"Fine. I'll wait another six years. Six years from now, I want the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan to vanish from the continent completely!"
"During these six years," Bibi Dong said, turning her gaze toward the two Douluos, Ju and Gui, with an unquestionable command,
"keep the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect under close surveillance, especially that child named Ning Xiaochun. I want to know his every move and every trump card! If necessary... you may use some 'special measures' to probe his true strength, or... nip him in the bud!"
"As you command!" Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo bowed again in acknowledgment. Their figures slowly faded from the hall like wisps of smoke.
Only Bibi Dong remained in the empty Pope Palace.
She walked back to the window and gazed at the last rays of sunset on the distant horizon. The blood-red sun seemed to foretell an approaching storm of blood and slaughter.
"Twin Martial Souls... a nine-tiered pagoda... Ring Reduction..." she murmured, her eyes gleaming with a light that was difficult to read.
"Ning Fengzhi, you've raised a fine son... What a pity he was born in the wrong era and... chose the wrong side."
"If I can't make use of him, then... I'll destroy him."
Her icy words echoed through the empty hall, carrying an unquestionable intent to kill.
A plot targeting the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and Ning Xiaochun in particular, was already being quietly hatched at the highest levels of Spirit Hall.
Far away, at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Xiaochun was excitedly planning the blueprint for the "Soul Device Research Department" and dreaming of changing the world with technology. He knew nothing about it.
He was holding a charcoal pencil, sketching one oddly shaped part after another on white paper, muttering to himself:
"Hmm... this energy storage core could use high-quality soul device crystals... this firing array needs precision machining... As for the drive core, perhaps I could try using the Soul Core of a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast as its energy source..."
He had no idea that the most powerful and dangerous woman on the continent had already set her sights on him.
The road to steady growth seemed to have gained a few more unknown twists and dangers.
Outside the Golden Generation's private training hall in Spirit City.
Yan hurried to catch up with Hu Liena. A rare expression, mingling nervousness with some strange anticipation, crossed his face as he stepped in front of her.
"Nana! Wait a moment!"
Hu Liena stopped, her brows drawing together, irritation in her voice. "Yan, what is it now? Didn't you get enough of talking in front of His Holiness the Pope?"
She thought Yan was about to pester her again. After all, she knew perfectly well that he had once had feelings for her; she had simply never returned them.
But, to her surprise, Yan's face showed a trace of awkwardness and embarrassment. He was nothing like the usually arrogant, overbearing Flame Lord Soul Master who looked down on everyone.
He rubbed his hands together, his gaze darting aside. After hesitating for quite a while, he finally stammered, "Nana... later... did you leave with those people? That... that Ning Xiaochun, and the blue-haired girl... what happened to them afterward?"
Hu Liena froze, then a strange look flickered in her eyes. She gave Yan a once-over, as if she were seeing him for the first time. "Why are you asking?"
Yan's face visibly flushed red! He turned his head away, his voice uneasy but feigning composure.
"It's nothing... I just... I just thought that blue-haired girl was pretty strong... I wanted to find out more about her..."
Hu Liena was sharp enough to understand at once. Her alluring, peach-blossom eyes widened as she stared at Yan in disbelief.
"You... You're not telling me you've fallen for Shui Bing'er?!"
Yan's face turned even redder, but he didn't deny it. Instead, he stuck out his chin and said with earnest conviction:
"So what if I have! In my fifteen years, she's the first girl who's ever made my heart skip a beat! Her frosty demeanor, her powerful abilities... She's... she's practically tailor-made for me! Now that's what a true goddess is! Before... before, I must've been blind!"
As he spoke, he sneaked a glance at Hu Liena, making his meaning clear.
Hu Liena laughed in exasperation. Folding her arms across her chest, she looked at Yan's foolish face—the face of someone who thought he'd found true love—and poured a bucket of cold water over him without mercy.
"Stop dreaming! Can't you tell? Shui Bing'er and Ning Xiaochun are obviously very close! And what makes you think she'd be interested in you?"
"Maybe Shui Bing'er is that kid's fiancée?"
Hu Liena ventured the bold guess. With a Demon Fox Martial Soul, she was especially sensitive to such things.
"Fiancée?!" The flush vanished from Yan's face, leaving him looking rather troubled. "How could that be?! How old is she? How old is that little brat? Is the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect arranging marriages now?!"
"Believe what you want." Hu Liena couldn't be bothered to say more.
"Anyway, I'm telling you to give up. You don't stand a chance."
With that, she paid no more attention to Yan's shifting expression. She turned and walked away, her slender waist swaying.
Left behind, Yan's face turned first pale, then red. He clenched his fists, his eyes flashing with unwillingness and stubborn resolve.
"Fiancée? Hmph! As long as they're not married, I still have a chance!"
He muttered to himself, flames blazing in his eyes.
"There's no woman I, Yan, can't win over! So what if she's from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect? Can't I, a member of Spirit Hall's Golden Generation, measure up to a student from Skywater Academy? I'll find out everything about her, then... pursue her openly and honestly!"
He could already picture himself winning her heart, and a confident smile spread across his face.
Before you continue