Investiture

Qian Daoliu stood in the hall, his expression calm and composed, and slowly spoke:

"Your Pope, this child has been recognized by the Angel God, and his talent is unparalleled throughout history. Therefore, in the name of the Great Enshrined, I hereby appoint Jiang Baiyu as the Holy Son of the Spirit Hall. What do you say?" It was said to be a discussion, but it was actually an announcement.

Bibi Dong understood perfectly well, but she simply rose slowly, staring at Jiang Baiyu bathed in Angel Divine Light, and said, "I see."

"To be able to invoke the blessing of the Angel God Statue, this kid's talent is truly astonishing. Moreover, with the Great Enshrined his endorsement, our Papal Hall naturally approves."

She paused, then looked outside the hall, "Yue Guan!"

Hearing the Pope call his name, Yue Guan hurriedly pushed open the door and entered. "Your His Holiness the Pope, you wanted to see me?"

Bibi Dong lightly tapped the Jiang Baiyu with her finger, spoke slowly, her smile gentle and her tone composed:

"From this day forward, this person will be the Holy Son of the Spirit Hall, the highest-ranking member of the Spirit Hall's younger generation. The Papal Hall will henceforth grant access to all corresponding resources, cultivation Secret Realm, and scriptures. And you, you will inform the entire continent of this news; come to my Spirit Hall in seven days to receive your investiture."

"Okay." Yue Guan glanced at the boy next to Qian Daoliu and nodded in agreement.

At this moment, Bibi Dong added, "Oh, right, this is the newly promoted Jade Douluo. You should register him as well. Alright, you can go now."

Seeing that Bibi Dong didn't make things difficult for him, Yue Guan glanced at Su Wu and then left the Papal Hall again.

Once Yue Guan left, the air in the hall became eerily quiet.

Bibi Dong's expression was indifferent as she lightly tapped her scepter, staring at the group.

Qian Daoliu, seemingly oblivious, continued, "Your Pope, your recent proposals are a bit too radical."

Bibi Dong sneered, "I'm waiting for Qian Renxue to succeed to the throne. After all, time waits for no one."

Upon hearing Bibi Dong's words, Qian Renxue's expression visibly changed, and she was about to speak, "Bibi Dong, I..."

Bibi Dong interrupted, "Failure is failure. Tell me when you succeed!"

Qian Daoliu retorted, "That's enough, Bibi Dong. You'd better watch yourself, or I won't be so polite."

Seeing that her words had been interrupted, Bibi Dong sneered, her powerful Soul Power erupting instantly to open the doors of the Papal Hall. "Take care, and don't bother seeing me off!"

Qian Daoliu said no more, and led the others away from the Papal Hall.

As the last footsteps faded into the distance...

Boom--!!

The atmosphere of the entire Papal Hall instantly became oppressive! All the dignity and majesty on Bibi Dong's face shattered! Her beautiful eyes were instantly filled with pitch-black ferocity and scarlet madness! The purplish-black Rakshasa mist around her surged violently, Entanglement the entire palace, and the stone pillars inside trembled slightly!

"It's the Angel God again... it's the angels' favor again..."

She gave a low, cold laugh, her voice hoarse, icy, and almost distorted.

"Qian Daoliu... you truly have impressive skills."

"They actually assigned me a Holy Son!"

"Bearing the divinity of Angel God, with Martial Soul Fusion... In the future, this Spirit Hall will still belong to your Angel Clan!"

She had long understood Qian Daoliu's intentions—to cultivate his angel successor and make her the Pope in the future. No matter how well she did, she would only be a puppet in the future. Qian Daoliu's appointment of her now was precisely to ensure that she would forever remain a puppet Pope!

At this moment, years of pent-up hatred, humiliation, despair, and resentment completely broke through the bottom line.

Bibi Dong's figure flashed, and she instantly disappeared from the main hall.

The next second, in the deepest part of the Papal Hall, a hidden chamber was slowly opened, and a rich aura of the Rakshasa God emanated from it. With a flash, the heavy black stone door slammed shut!

Darkness slowly swallowed everything.

"Aaaaaahh...

A shrill, oppressive, and frenzied scream exploded completely in the sealed room!

Bibi Dong frantically clawed at the void with her five fingers, while the Rakshasa purple mist raged wildly.

"Why?!"

"Why should Angel God enjoy eternal glory?!"

Why should I have to suffer like this?!

"Why should I be stopped just for pursuing my own love?!"

Her eyes were bloodshot, her hair flew wildly, and her stunningly beautiful face was completely distorted.

In this detestable chamber, unbearable scenes slowly surfaced in her mind. The surrounding Rakshasa Divine Power continuously eroded her body, making her mind even more chaotic. The Rakshasa's whisper echoed in her mind, "That's right, weakness is the original sin. When you become the new Rakshasa God, everything will be yours. Accept my power."

The whispers kept echoing in my mind--

The happy times of his childhood, the ferocious expressions of the respected person, the days he was imprisoned in this secret room, and the scene of Qian Daoliu personally bestowing the title of Holy Son upon him.

Every scene was like a sharp blade, piercing her soul.

"Angel God divinity... the new Holy Son..."

Her teeth were clenched until they bled, her voice was cold and piercing, carrying a chilling madness.

"Great... that's wonderful."

"Qian Daoliu, Qian Family families, the Angel Clan, one day..."

"All your glory, all your Divine Grace, all your status..."

"Tomorrow!"

"I will personally crush them all!!"

"The legacy of the Angel God, the favor of the Angel God, everything of the Angel lineage!"

"I, the Rakshasa, will annihilate them all!!"

"All of this will belong to me!"

The purple mist slowly gathered into Bibi Dong's body, Rakshasa Divine Power continuously condensed, slowly revealing a dark purple scythe phantom.

"Yes, let this world continue to hate, and then, accept my power, fall into utter madness, into complete chaos!" Rakshasa's whispers drifted slowly through the secret chamber.

On the other side, Qian Daoliu's face Bibi Dong's attitude just now showed that she didn't take him seriously at all. Even her daughter had spoken ill of him. But after thinking about it, he still sighed. In the end, it was his Qian Family who had wronged her. Oh well, he would deal with it after Xue'er achieved her Title Douluo.

"Grandpa." Qian Renxue's eyes were slightly red as she looked at Qian Daoliu. Qian Daoliu looked at his granddaughter. "Sigh. Xue'er, it's alright. This is a matter for our generation. I'll tell you."

Seeing that her grandfather remained silent, Qian Renxue didn't say anything either, just nodded, her right hand tightly gripping Jiang Baiyu.

"Alright, you all should go and rest now." Seeing his granddaughter's discomfort, Qian Daoliu gave them some space and urged Jiang Baiyu and Qian Renxue to leave. "Xiao Su, come with me, I'll give you a few pointers."

Seeing this, Qian Renxue perked up, grabbed Jiang Baiyu who was bowing, and prepared to take him to see the place where she grew up.

Watching his granddaughter's departing figure, and glancing once more at the Papal Hall he had just left, Qian Daoliu's expression was complex. "An evil aura... Sigh, I hope I won't have to lift a finger later."

Meanwhile, Yue Guan also sent his men to spread a message, a simple sentence that shook all the major powers. "Seven days from now, the Spirit Hall will confer a new Holy Son."

The news caused an uproar throughout the entire Soul Master World.

In the Worship Hall Spirit City, the night was still and quiet. The cool moonlight shone on a small courtyard made of bluestone. Calling it a small courtyard was a bit of a stretch, as there was only a poorly maintained hut surrounded by a simple wooden fence. The courtyard was overgrown with weeds and looked desolate.

At this moment, Qian Renxue moved a few small chairs out of the hut and sat in the courtyard, slowly saying, "I am the young master of the Spirit Hall, and also the daughter of the current Pope."

She looked at Jiang Baiyu's expression, trying to discern a hint of shock, but Jiang Baiyu simply stared quietly at Qian Renxue, waiting for her to continue.

"Aren't you surprised!"

Jiang Baiyu said, "I can see that, but it seems like you two don't get along very well."

At this point, Qian Renxue's mood sombered. "Yes, my father has been gone since I can remember, and my mother was extremely cold to me. I've lived with my grandfather since I was little. When I was a child, I would run to the Papal Hall hoping she would hug me, but all I got in return was her indifference and scolding." As she spoke, her eyes filled with tears.

Jiang Baiyu didn't say anything, but simply patted her shoulder reassuringly. After all, the matter Bibi Dong and Qian Xunji was too complicated, and all he could do was stay by her side.

Surrounded by the scent of herbs and plants emanating from Jiang Baiyu, Qian Renxue felt an unprecedented sense of peace. After all, since meeting this guy, she had someone else she could confide in, and even a partner who had grown stronger along the path of Martial Soul cultivation.