Bibi Dong: "You Really Think the Spirit Hall Empire Can't Run Without Him?"

"Retire to my hometown?"

Hu Liena's words made Bibi Dong's gaze sharpen. The tense atmosphere that had just been broken instantly solidified again.

Qian Renxue and the other Titled Douluo of the Spirit Hall Empire were also left staring in astonishment.

A resignation...?

Retire to his hometown?

What was that supposed to mean?

And where could he go, with only the Heaven Dou, Star Luo, and Spirit Hall Empires left?

And besides!

Retiring to his hometown now was practically saying he wanted to defect to another empire!

Don't forget!

Bibi Dong was now a bona fide Rakshasa God!

Handing in his resignation at a time like this—what was that if not treason?

How dare he?

"Are you sure?"

Drawing a deep breath, the Rakshasa God Bibi Dong fixed Hu Liena with a cold, piercing stare and asked in a low voice.

"I'm sure."

After Hu Liena confirmed it, the Rakshasa God Bibi Dong narrowed her eyes, then suddenly laughed. "Heh!"

"You think you can make me back down this way?"

"Chen Fan, you've miscalculated!"

The Rakshasa God Bibi Dong—and indeed, every Titled Douluo present—knew perfectly well that submitting a resignation now was tantamount to treason. There was no chance it would be accepted. He'd be lucky if they didn't have him torn apart by five horses on the spot!

That was exactly why the Rakshasa God Bibi Dong believed Chen Fan was using this tactic to force her to bow her head, apologize, and admit she was wrong.

Back then, when Chen Fan had just become a Titled Douluo, she had been in need of talent. Yet he had voiced his disagreement, even declaring in public that some of her plans would fail and shouldn't be carried out.

For example...

Hunting those two Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest.

He had openly contradicted her, then ignored the openings the other Titled Douluo had offered him to back down. That had infuriated Bibi Dong, who at the time couldn't tolerate even a grain of sand in her eyes.

From then on, Chen Fan was demoted to the logistics department. And because he refused to bow his head, admit fault, and make his allegiance clear, Bibi Dong had also dragged her feet over the coronation ceremony she had initially promised him.

That had only made her angrier.

A mere Titled Douluo dared to contradict her? Was he tired of living?

If the coronation ceremony Bibi Dong had delayed hadn't been completed by Qian Daoliu instead, leading Bibi Dong to think Chen Fan had been taken in by him...

Then, given her temper, she would have chopped Chen Fan up and offered him as a sacrifice.

"He thinks he can threaten me with his resignation? Heh..."

Bibi Dong sneered, her eyes full of mockery. "You really think the Spirit Hall Empire can't run without him?"

Just now,

Tianfeng Douluo had completed the mission. Not only had he raised the Soul Power of everyone in the Spirit Hall Empire by one level, he had also proved that Chen Fan wasn't the only one capable of completing that portal mission.

So,

In Bibi Dong's eyes, Chen Fan's "perfect completion" last time had been nothing more than a blind cat stumbling across a dead mouse.

And now,

Anyone could do what Chen Fan could do, while the others were even more obedient than him. Yet he was still foolish enough to threaten her and force her to back down?

What a joke!

"This..."

At the Rakshasa God Bibi Dong's furious, mocking laughter, the other Titled Douluo were taken aback. Then they immediately understood!

He knew that submitting a resignation now would mean certain death, yet Chen Fan had gone ahead and done it anyway.

Obviously,

Chen Fan was trying to advance by retreating, forcing the empress to come and personally ask him back, forcing her to bow her head and admit she was wrong!

"But unfortunately..."

"He's miscalculated..."

Qian Renxue sighed softly, having understood the situation.

If this had been Bibi Dong before she became a god, Qian Renxue thought Chen Fan's plan might have worked.

But...

Bibi Dong was now the only god in the Spirit Hall Empire!

She was the Rakshasa God Bibi Dong!

Would a god apologize to a mortal?

Even if Chen Fan had reached level ninety-nine and become a Peerless Douluo—thanks to the Spirit Hall Empire's one-level increase after the Dvalin stage—so what?

Without becoming a god, he was still no more than an ant!

What's more, Bibi Dong was the empress of the Spirit Hall Empire!

The empire's unquestioned leader!

Didn't she have any dignity to preserve?

Make her apologize?

That was pure fantasy!

"Nana!"

Sure enough!

Just as Qian Renxue's thoughts passed through her mind, the Rakshasa God Bibi Dong spoke in a low voice. "Go to the logistics department again and give him one last warning."

Bibi Dong spoke each word distinctly. "Either come here right now and explain yourself, or get out of the Spirit Hall Empire!"

Hu Liena's body trembled. She wanted to plead for him, but when she met the Rakshasa God Bibi Dong's cold purple eyes, she ultimately didn't dare say a word. She answered obediently, "Yes!"

She knew that Chen Fan's actions had completely enraged Bibi Dong.

There was no turning her back from this decision now!

Watching Hu Liena leave, Qian Renxue furrowed her brow and sank into thought once more.

She felt...

Chen Fan couldn't possibly be so thoughtless.

Her impression of Chen Fan only went back to the time, several years ago, when she had informed him that he was to be crowned.

As she remembered him, he was a rather calm man with a lively mind, yet for some reason he had been unwilling to involve himself in the Spirit Hall Empire's affairs.

By rights, he shouldn't have done something like this, should he?

Chen Fan ought to have realized what they had, too.

But why did it feel...

At the logistics area,

Chen Fan was packing a few simple belongings in his tent.

There wasn't much to pack: a few changes of clothes and some travel rations.

The tent flap was lifted, and Hu Liena hurried in, her face troubled.

"Chen Fan..."

Hu Liena hesitated, unsure what to say.

Chen Fan tied up his bundle, held it in one hand, and turned to look at her. "Did Her Majesty the Tsaritsa approve it?"

Hu Liena drew a deep breath and nodded. "Teacher said... you have to explain yourself to her. Otherwise... otherwise she'll make you leave the Spirit Hall Empire."

She had expected Chen Fan to react with shock, regret, or fear.

Though she hadn't understood it at first, after hearing Bibi Dong's mocking words, she had immediately realized that Chen Fan was trying to force Bibi Dong's hand.

So she thought he would look panicked when he heard what she had to say.

But...

There wasn't the slightest trace of surprise on Chen Fan's face. He simply put his belongings back into his soul tool storage pouch, then casually tossed her a token.

Hu Liena: "?"

She stared at Chen Fan in surprise, then looked down at the token in her hand.

Of course she recognized it. It was the Spirit Empire Elder Token!

The Elder Token and the Pope Token were quite different.

The former was issued to Titled Douluo registered with the Spirit Hall Empire.

The latter, meanwhile, had been the highest-ranking token issued to people outside the Spirit Hall during the Spirit Hall era.

But...

According to what her teacher had said, wasn't Chen Fan trying to force her hand?

Why was he really going through with it, then?

Hu Liena felt like her brain was overheating. She was completely bewildered...

"The Elder Token, and my resignation."

Before Hu Liena could recover, Chen Fan casually handed her a letter as well. "Sorry for the trouble, Her Highness Saintess. Please pass them along!"

"Farewell!"

Hu Liena looked up, dazed, at Chen Fan's departing figure. It felt as though her mind had stopped working.