The Grandmaster title was far too worthless!
Lin Xia stood frozen in place, all color drained from her face, leaving only bewilderment and shock.
He subconsciously raised his head, his gaze no longer sweeping over with smug satisfaction, but with an almost frantic search, urgently and Infiltrator looking again at the figure behind the screen—he desperately wanted to know, what was the teacher's true obsession?
What exactly is it that could inflict more profound and persistent damage than Yu Xiaogang, and even stubbornly resist the erosion of the Rakshasa Evil Thought, triggering their eruption?
Just as Lin Xia's gaze, a mixture of utter astonishment, confusion, and a barely Frisk hint of panic, was about to meet Bibi Dong's eyes again—
Bibi Dong's body seemed to tremble very slightly.
Although Lin Xia's probing Rakshasa Divine Power was concealed, it was instantly captured by Bibi Dong, who shared the same origin and whose cultivation was far superior to his, especially when his mind was violently fluctuating and the detection was unstable. That subtle connection was like a firefly in the dark!
Bibi Dong's purple eyes, hidden in the shadow of her hood, suddenly narrowed!
A fleeting, indescribable panic flashed across those deep, abyss-like eyes!
It was the fear of having one's secrets exposed, the shame and panic of having one's deepest, most vulnerable, and most unseen scars about to be revealed to the most important person in one's heart!
"Xiao Xia... sensed it? No! No! We absolutely cannot let him know!"
The thought instantly gripped her heart like a poisonous ivy.
The true face of that obsession, the root of pain that even she herself often refused to confront—that despair originating from the depths of her soul, a despair of looking towards something intertwined yet unable to obtain it.
That heavy guilt towards Qian Renxue.
That... the only light that shone through during those long, dark years, the light called "Lin Xia," brought her complex emotions that both warmed her and filled her with fear of losing it... the dark Abyss formed by these mixed feelings was her deepest secret and her last bastion.
She would rather succumb to the corrupting influence of the Rakshasa alone than let Lin Xia see this weakness, this... "ill-fated relationship" that might drag him into an even more dangerous situation!
Fearing that Lin Xia would continue to investigate, and fearing that she would lose control and reveal her unusual Detect, Bibi Dong acted almost out of a self-protective instinct.
Before Qian Renxue could Frisk Lin Xia's drastic change in expression and cast a questioning glance at her, she abruptly turned her gaze away, deliberately lowering her voice to a deep, weary tone, carrying an undeniable aloofness that clearly Infiltrator the silent hall.
"Xiao Xia."
This address instantly drew everyone's attention back. Lin Xia was also brought back to reality from her great shock and looked at her teacher.
Bibi Dong didn't look at him; her gaze seemed to be fixed on a point in the void. Her tone was indifferent, devoid of any emotion, yet it carried an unyielding authority and... a hasty urgency to escape.
"Teacher, I... I'm a little tired."
Bibi Dong turned slightly to the side, her wide cloak drawing a cold arc with her movement, and the light of her purple-gold crown seemed to dim for a moment.
I'll be going now.
Before she could finish speaking, giving no one—especially Lin Xia —a chance to react or ask questions, Bibi Dong's figure flickered slightly, as if she had never been there.
Bibi Dong's departure was so abrupt, so decisive, carrying an almost pathetic sense of escape.
The hall was left filled with dignitaries, scholars, and Soul Master, all staring at each other in bewilderment, utterly silent.
His Holiness the Pope's "tiredness" and sudden departure were clearly related to the slumped mud on the ground, but no one dared to speculate on the deeper reasons.
Qian Renxue sat upright in the main seat. Beneath the mask of a perfect crown prince, her slender fingers suddenly tightened, and the expensive luminous cup in her hand emitted a barely audible crisp sound. Instantly, Spider Web -like cracks appeared all over the cup's surface!
The wine nearly spilled. She quickly used her Soul Power to stabilize the glass, her knuckles turning white from the effort.
My mother's condition... something's wrong!
Something's very wrong!
It's definitely not just the influence of that scumbag Yu Xiaogang!
She knew Bibi Dong too well; that wasn't fatigue, but rather... panic?
Escape?
Lin Xia's expression changed color just now, and her mother's abrupt and erratic departure, which could be described as losing her composure, all pointed to a deeper secret that she was unaware of!
A strong sense of worry and an urge to catch up and get to the bottom of it welled up inside me.
However, her gaze swept across the entire room.
The identity of the Crown Prince "Xue Qinghe" was like a heavy shackle, firmly pinning her to her seat.
The Crown Princess of the Heaven Dou Empire, a key figure in the Spirit Hall's plan, is currently in a state of panic and uncertainty within the hall. If she were to follow the Pope away, it would undoubtedly trigger endless speculation and could even disrupt the overall strategy.
Qian Renxue took a deep breath, Sheer Force suppressing her turbulent emotions and the trembling of her fingertips.
A perfect smile returned to his lips, but the smile didn't reach his eyes; instead, it appeared even more profound.
She adjusted her posture, picked up the wine glass that was full of cracks but Sheer Force kept intact by her Soul Power, and gave a slight nod to the audience. Her voice was still gentle, but it had lost some of its warmth.
"His Holiness the Pope ceremony; the banquet will continue."
She has to keep things under control!
On the other hand, Bibi Dong's departure was like taking away Lin Xia's last support.
A profound sense of frustration and deeper confusion overwhelmed him like a tidal wave.
Lin Xia's painstaking revenge turned out to be a farcical and disastrous endeavor?
What exactly is the teacher's unfathomable inner turmoil, that obsession that even the Rakshasa Divine Power could not shake?
Why did she flee in such a panic?
What are you afraid he'll see?
All the calculations and the sense of victory vanished in an instant, leaving only heavy exhaustion and endless confusion.
The gazes cast upon him in the hall, filled with awe, envy, and fear, now seemed incredibly glaring and noisy to him.
Lin Xia just wanted to be alone and sort out this mess. He didn't want to stay here a moment longer, in this meticulously arranged "execution ground," this place that had caused him to fail at the last hurdle!
Lin Xia's gaze finally fell back on the filth covered by fragments of red silk on the ground— Yu Xiaogang.
The look in his eyes no longer held anger or mockery, but only a pure, profound, soul-deep contempt and disdain.
Lin Xia leaned slightly forward and spoke in a clear, unmistakable tone, loud enough for every corner of the hall to hear, yet icy and devoid of any emotion:
"Yu Xiaogang".
"If someone like you can be called a 'Grandmaster' by the world..."
Lin Xia paused deliberately, her gaze sweeping over the faces of those who had just been curious or in awe of Yu Xiaogang, now filled with contempt and disgust.
"... Then the title of 'Grandmaster' is far too cheap, far too... worthless!"
The last four words, like a verdict chilled to the bone, sealed Yu Xiaogang's career as a "Grandmaster" with a final, shameful mark.
After saying that, Lin Xia didn't even bother to look at Yu Xiaogang's ashen face again.
His disdainful gaze swept over the human figure on the ground as if it were trash, and then he turned away without hesitation.
Without bidding farewell to Qian Renxue or paying attention to anyone's gaze, he stood tall with his back straight, exuding a chilling aura and lingering confusion and bewilderment, striding towards an exit that was completely different from the Bibi Dong had left in.
Each step was heavy and firm, as if to leave the suffocating banquet hall behind.
The Holy Son is gone too!