Saintess Bibi Dong

Two days later, the Saintess Ceremony officially began!

Early in the morning, countless sects and factions from the two great empires gathered in the VIP seats before the Papal Hall, awaiting the start of the ceremony.

Dugu Bo had also brought Dugu Chen and Dugu Xin to seats near the front of the Papal Hall. With his strength and status as a level ninety-five peak Douluo, he naturally would not squeeze in with the other factions.

Of course, even seated here, he could not avoid the factions that came forward to curry favor and flatter him.

Dugu Bo found them endlessly tiresome and declined all their invitations and gifts. Even Dugu Xin beside him suffered from it.

Yet Dugu Chen lounged about as though he were an outsider with nothing to do, a faint smile on his lips, his hands behind his head as he watched the autumn moon and spring breeze with amusement.

It was not that no one tried, but once they came within thirty feet of him, a powerful pressure intimidated them so thoroughly that they could not entertain any other thoughts.

"Clang, clang, clang!"

As three ancient bell chimes rang out from within the Papal Hall, everyone held their breath and focused their attention on the hall.

A moment later, Qian Xunji, the Pope of Spirit Hall, emerged first. One step behind him stood a girl with delicate features and breathtaking beauty.

The girl wore a violet gown, fitted tightly at the waist to accentuate her graceful, curvaceous figure. Her temperament was ethereal and exquisite, while her long hair cascaded down her back to her waist, gently swaying with each step.

The girl was Bibi Dong, Qian Xunji's disciple and the Saintess about to be formally invested.

After the two emerged, the elders of the Papal Hall divided into two rows and filed out from Qian Xunji's left and right, standing side by side behind him.

All the elders of Spirit Hall were present!

"Greetings, Your Holiness!"

Once all the elders had taken their positions, the many factions in the VIP seats cried out in unison, their voices carrying traces of excitement and fervor.

Looking at the packed VIP seats before the Papal Hall, Qian Xunji smiled.

"Honored guests, I am deeply honored that you have traveled so far. Without further ado, let us begin the ceremony!"

As his words fell, the first Spirit Hall elder standing behind Qian Xunji stepped forward to his side and shouted toward the crowd below.

"The Saintess Ceremony officially begins!"

Qian Xunji took the Saintess Token from the elder. It was an ancient rhomboid crystal tablet engraved with Spirit Hall's distinctive patterns, and three ancient golden characters were carved at its center: "Saintess Token!"

The elder obediently stepped back. Qian Xunji walked to Bibi Dong's side and personally handed the Saintess Token to her.

"Dong'er, cultivate diligently. Do not disappoint your teacher's expectations!"

Qian Xunji gazed at Bibi Dong, a gentle smile in his eyes, though a trace of barely perceptible heat and desire was hidden deep within them.

"Thank you, Teacher!"

Bibi Dong was entirely unaware of Qian Xunji's unusual thoughts toward her.

She gladly accepted the Saintess Token from him, raised it high above her head toward the audience, and revealed a radiant smile.

Dugu Chen's gaze fell upon Bibi Dong, his eyes flickering slightly.

Who would have thought that this inexperienced, hazy young girl before him would one day become the Spirit Hall Pope whose name shook the continent?

He slowly withdrew his gaze from Bibi Dong, then swept his eyes across the surrounding VIP seats and discovered that there were truly quite a few factions attending the Saintess Ceremony today.

Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect, Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Haotian Sect...

The royal families of both empires, the upper three sects, and the lower four sects had all arrived. Today's Saintess Ceremony was truly grand.

Dugu Chen thought to himself, but for some reason, he vaguely felt that things might not be so simple...

On the other side, in the VIP seats belonging to the upper three sects.

"Big Brother, it's him!"

Sharp-eyed Tang Hao spotted Dugu Chen beside Dugu Bo at once. Seeing the two appear together also confirmed the identity they had guessed.

Tang Xiao followed Tang Hao's gaze and saw him as well. His eyes narrowed slightly, and a calm expression appeared on his face.

"Yes, I suspected as much. At such a young age, he is already so exceptional. He could not possibly have come from some unknown faction."

Tang Xiao was not surprised in the slightest. Since they had parted ways last time, they had returned early to the Haotian Sect in low spirits.

After several months of training, both of them had improved considerably compared to before.

Just as the ceremony was reaching its height, Qian Xunji suddenly raised his voice and called out.

"Since so many outstanding talents have gathered here today, why not take this opportunity to make friends through martial arts? I sincerely invite the younger generation of the major sects to let loose and compete before the Papal Hall. What do you say?"

Hearing this, the major factions in the VIP seats looked at one another. Some were confused, some calm, while others were excited...

Clearly, some truly powerful factions had received the news in advance. This was also an unspoken understanding between them and Spirit Hall.

As for the smaller factions, whether they knew beforehand or not made little difference!

Dugu Chen blinked as he looked at the calm Dugu Bo and Dugu Xin, and the corner of his mouth could not help twitching.

He finally understood. This was the old man's real purpose for tricking him into coming.

Thinking of this, Dugu Chen's eyelid twitched, and he could not help asking.

"Father, Big Brother, did you already know this would happen today?"

Dugu Xin chuckled. "It is not that we knew in advance. We knew from the very beginning; we just did not tell you!"

Dugu Chen's lips twitched several times. Where was the trust between family members?

Dugu Bo casually glanced at him. Dugu Chen instantly shut his mouth. Before Dugu Bo's powerful presence, he did not dare let out a single fart.

Perhaps... this counted as skill born of years of practice?

Soon, people continuously stepped forward in the square before the Papal Hall and began constructing the fighting stage.

Since preparations had been made beforehand, the speed was astonishingly fast!

One of the elders behind Qian Xunji approached his side and whispered something into his ear.

A glint flashed through Qian Xunji's eyes, and his gaze turned toward where Dugu Bo and the other two sat.

But his gaze quickly shifted and landed on Dugu Chen beside them.

"Interesting!"

He murmured softly, his voice so faint that even Bibi Dong standing beside him did not hear it.

Following her teacher's gaze, Bibi Dong immediately locked onto Dugu Chen, who stood out like a crane among chickens in the crowd.

His otherworldly appearance was enough to freeze anyone in place at a glance, making it impossible to look away.

With just one glance, her gaze seemed to freeze in that moment.

So... so handsome!

A faint blush unknowingly spread across her pretty face. Like a young maiden in love, she lowered her head slightly, afraid that others would see her embarrassment.

The flush on the girl's cheeks resembled peach blossoms in early spring, fair skin tinged with soft pink, beautiful yet innocent—lush peach blossoms, dazzling in their splendor.

Although the two had never formally met and had merely exchanged a few distant glances, it was enough to leave a deep impression on a young girl and quietly plant a seed in her heart.