Qian Renxue and Tai Yi exchanged a glance. In the next instant, they unleashed their Martial Soul Possessions and each killed the Radiant Divine Eagle before them.
What followed was simple. Qian Renxue and Tai Yi each sat down and began absorbing the Spirit Rings in front of them.
Having undergone Ice and Fire Body Tempering and consumed Immortal Herbs, the two found these Spirit Rings, which exceeded their age limits, exceptionally easy to absorb. The process presented no difficulty whatsoever.
Before long, they had easily absorbed their fifth and fourth Spirit Rings.
At the same time, Qian Renxue's Soul Power rose from level fifty to level fifty-three, while Tai Yi's Soul Power rose from level forty to level forty-two.
Once they had finished absorbing the rings, Qian Renxue left with Tai Yi and headed toward the Worship Hall alongside Golden Crocodile.
Meanwhile, inside a restaurant in Spirit City, Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan were eating together.
The three had originally been enjoying their meal. Hu Liena and Xie Yue shared a warm sibling moment, while Yan dutifully played the role of her devoted lackey.
But when Hu Liena turned and glanced at the street outside, the once harmonious meal immediately went cold.
Because Hu Liena had spotted Qian Renxue and Tai Yi on the street outside.
More precisely, she had spotted Tai Yi. She did not know Qian Renxue, but after seeing Tai Yi with a woman beside him and Golden Crocodile, the Second Worship of the Worship Hall, walking ahead of them, she determined that the woman was Qian Renxue.
That was why Hu Liena's face darkened in an instant.
Naturally, the sudden change in Hu Liena's expression did not escape the two beside her, especially Yan, her most devoted lackey.
Yan immediately asked Hu Liena:
"Nana, what's wrong? Was today's food not to your liking? Why did your expression suddenly change?"
Xie Yue hurriedly asked as well:
"Yes, little sister. What's wrong?"
Hearing them, Hu Liena continued watching Tai Yi and Qian Renxue's backs and said:
"Nothing. I just saw two people I hate."
Upon hearing that, Xie Yue and Yan noticed that Hu Liena had reacted only after looking out at the street. In the next moment, both came up behind her and followed her gaze.
Then they saw the backs of Tai Yi's group of three.
Xie Yue spoke up at that moment:
"That figure looks like the Second Elder of the Worship Hall, Golden Crocodile Douluo. Then that man should be Tai Yi from the Worship Hall. But I have no idea who that woman is."
After hearing Xie Yue, Yan said:
"Tai Yi? I've heard of him. They say that kid has Innate Soul Power at level twenty. What is it, Nana? Did that kid bully you? If so, I'll find a chance to teach him a lesson."
In response to Xie Yue and Yan, Hu Liena said:
"Sit down. I'm fine. It's just that woman upset my teacher earlier, so seeing her made me react like this."
At that moment, the backs of Tai Yi's group completely vanished from the sight of Hu Liena and the others.
Only then did Xie Yue and Yan sit back down and ask Hu Liena:
"Nana, who is that woman? Why did she make His Holiness the Pope unhappy?"
Hearing this, Hu Liena looked at the two before her. She knew they were people who would always stand by her side, so she told them:
"That woman is called Qian Renxue. She had been carrying out Spirit Hall missions elsewhere. By the time we joined Spirit Hall, she had already gone out on a mission. As for her identity, I asked Elder Ju and Elder Gui. All I know is that she is the daughter of the previous Pope."
"But when my teacher heard Qian Renxue's name, she flew into a rage. I don't know why, though I do have my own guess."
As she spoke, Hu Liena told the two her self-assured speculation.
After hearing Hu Liena, both nodded. Then Yan said:
"The Pope is so capable. That Qian Renxue can even abandon a Spirit Hall mission. If she really becomes Pope someday, who knows what she'll turn Spirit Hall into."
"Don't you agree, Xie Yue?"
But Xie Yue did not respond to Yan. He merely said:
"No matter what Qian Renxue is like, one fact cannot be changed: Qian Renxue bears the Qian surname. She is the previous Pope's daughter and the granddaughter of the current Grand Pontiff of Spirit Hall. That cannot be changed."
After hearing Xie Yue, Yan and Hu Liena both fell silent. They understood what he meant. Spirit Hall had been passed down for so many years, and the Pope had always been a member of the Qian Clan. The only exception had been Bibi Dong, and that was because the previous Pope, Qian Xunji, had been killed while Qian Renxue was still young. Otherwise, the position of Pope would never have fallen to Bibi Dong.
In the next instant, Hu Liena sprang to her feet like a cat whose tail had been stepped on and said:
"What Spirit Hall needs is someone capable to lead it, someone like my teacher, not someone who abandons a mission just to return to Spirit Hall."
After saying that, Hu Liena left the restaurant directly.
Yan, simple-minded as he was, merely thought Hu Liena was normally disdainful of Qian Renxue for abandoning her mission and returning to disgust Pope Bibi Dong.
But as Hu Liena's older brother, someone who had grown up with her since childhood, Xie Yue naturally saw something more in it. He realized that his little sister had developed ambitions for the position of Pope. Yet he understood why. Back when Qian Renxue was absent, Hu Liena had been the Pope's first-choice heir, and the Pope treated Hu Liena like her own daughter.
Furthermore, Spirit Hall's ten-thousand-year legacy had the precedent of the current Pope, Bibi Dong, so it was only natural that Hu Liena would entertain such thoughts.
At that thought, Xie Yue clenched his fists and made up his mind. Since his little sister had such ambitions, then as her older brother, he naturally had to support her.
There was still a long time before the struggle for the position of Pope, so they needed to prepare in advance. They had to cultivate diligently and strengthen themselves so that, at the crucial moment, he could fight for his little sister.
Yan noticed Xie Yue spacing out and called to him:
"Xie Yue, what's wrong with you now? Why did you suddenly stop talking?"
Hearing this, Xie Yue came back to his senses and said to Yan:
"Nothing. I was just thinking about something."
Then Xie Yue grabbed Yan and headed toward the Martial Arts Arena in Spirit City, saying as they walked:
"Come on, let's go cultivate. We need more practice."
"Didn't we agree to rest today? Why are we going to cultivate again?"
Before you continue