Pressure from a Limit Douluo, Bibi Dong's Confidence

The moment he set foot on the Holy Mountain, his grandfather had forced that pressure upon him.

Was it punishment for leaving without a word all those years ago? Or for vanishing without a trace ever since?

Or perhaps his grandfather's intentions were simpler: to see how much he had grown, and to help him establish his authority before Spirit Hall's leaders.

Yet the sight made many of the elders and senior figures present frown. They knew Qian Daoliu could not simply be making things difficult for Qian Juechen.

After all, Juechen was now his only biological grandson.

But it was hard to believe that Qian Daoliu was merely testing a grandson he had not seen in years.

"Big Brother, isn't this a little too harsh? You're one of the three Limit Douluo alive today. Putting Juechen under pressure in front of everyone like this—isn't that asking too much of him?"

"Juechen is only twenty-five, after all. Even with Innate Full Soul Power, his life has barely begun. How strong could he be? Reaching Soul Saint would already make him a prodigy, but how could even a Soul Saint withstand this?"

Golden Crocodile had thought the matter was about to be settled. Who would have expected Qian Daoliu to come up with another test for Juechen?

If he had known Juechen's strength beforehand and arranged this test to let him shine before Spirit Hall's leaders, that would have been fair enough.

But Juechen had only just returned. They knew nothing of his strength or abilities, and Qian Daoliu had immediately used the power of a Limit Douluo against him. Was this a test, or was he simply making things difficult?

They had no idea what Juechen had endured out in the world all these years. The boy had barely come home. Rather than welcome him or show him any care, they had set him a trial before he could even drink a cup of hot tea. What kind of welcome was that?

More importantly, any of the other elders could have tested him. They knew their own limits, and they were still a long way from reaching the Limit Douluo level. With their strength, they could have tested Juechen without putting him in such a bind.

Golden Crocodile's words echoed what the other elders were thinking.

If they wanted to test the boy, they should at least have prepared for it. They believed he had gained much over the years and had surely grown strong.

But however strong he was, a twenty-five-year-old could hardly stand against a Limit Douluo.

And the question today was not simply whether Qian Juechen could endure it. If he did, everyone would be delighted.

But what if he could not? This was Juechen's first day back at Spirit Hall, and all its leaders were watching.

If his own grandfather reduced him to a sorry state before them all, the little authority he had just begun to establish as their young master would suffer a heavy blow.

It would also send a message that the Qian family's grandfather and grandson were at odds. Everyone would think Qian Daoliu would not support his own grandson.

That would only add obstacles if Juechen sought to reclaim the Pope's Position or take control of Spirit Hall in the future.

And whatever the boy might think of it, that madwoman in the Papal Palace had been watching this place all along.

The elders could already imagine the ugly smile she would wear when she saw it.

Yet Qian Daoliu's gaze did not waver. He watched the figure climbing steadily beneath his pressure and said only, "He thought my Spirit Hall offered him no future, so he ran off to travel the continent alone. Let me see what he has gained over the years."

Those words silenced the other elders.

They knew that once Qian Daoliu had made up his mind, nothing they said would change it.

But they also understood that he was looking for more than the boy's current strength. He wanted to see what attitude and character Juechen would show after facing this trial.

Had the child the Qian family abandoned for failing to awaken the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul finally emerged from that shadow?

What sort of person had he become while making his way alone across the continent?

Had he returned to the Qian family to shoulder its burdens?

Or had life outside worn him down, driving him back to Spirit Hall and the Qian family to enjoy the wealth and privilege his birth afforded him?

That was the answer Qian Daoliu wanted. Of course he was worried, but he was determined to find out today.

Could Spirit Hall and the Qian family produce another person capable of leading them, or merely an ordinary man who would carry on the bloodline?

If Juechen passed this test, he would prove that he possessed not only exceptional talent and strength, but also the character and resolve to match.

From then on, Qian Daoliu would leave him everything he had built over his lifetime. The resources and connections he had amassed, even the power of the entire Worship Hall, could gradually pass into Juechen's hands. Qian Daoliu would stand behind him as he took control of Spirit Hall.

Once that was settled, he could devote more of his energy to Xue'er, helping her wholeheartedly through the Angel God's trials so the Qian family could produce another god.

But if Juechen could not pass even this test, Qian Daoliu would have his answer.

He would not force the boy to take on anything. At the very least, he would let his grandson live securely in Spirit Hall and enjoy everything his position brought him.

He would not need to bear heavy responsibilities or fight for power. He could marry, have children, carry on the Qian family bloodline, and live a happy, peaceful life.

Those were the two best paths Qian Daoliu, as his grandfather, could offer his only grandson. Now the choice lay with Qian Juechen.

In the Papal Palace, a breathtakingly beautiful woman wearing the Pope's crown and holding the Pope's Scepter also gazed toward the foot of the Angel Sacred Mountain. At the sight of that vaguely familiar young man, memories drew her in.

Twenty years was a long time for anyone. For Bibi Dong, it was longer still.

The child who had been so young back then was grown now.

But it was his face that stirred her emotions most fiercely.

He looked far too much like his father had in his youth.

One glance was enough to bring back the memories she had tried to bury. The experiences that had nearly driven her mad seemed to surge up again.

All because she had looked at that familiar face.

A flash of purple crossed Bibi Dong's eyes, and her expression slowly turned cold. "You could have come back any other time. Why now? What are you after?"

Bibi Dong spoke softly to herself.

The child abandoned by the Qian family, the child who had fled Spirit Hall, had returned. Qian Daoliu had appeared in person, too. He seemed to be pressuring the boy, but anyone with eyes could see there was more to it.

If Juechen proved his strength, Qian Daoliu would certainly bring him back into prominence. He might even have him replace her as the Qian family's next Pope.

"Back the moment you return, and already you want to fight me for power? After all these years, I'd nearly forgotten about you, you little bastard. But since you're here, let me see what you've learned out there."

Madness returned to Bibi Dong's eyes. A faint current of Divine Power began to rage through her body and mind.

She was no longer the woman others could bend to their will. She had become a Titled Douluo and inherited the Rakshasa God's legacy.

Even Qian Daoliu himself did not dare attack her lightly.

How far could a young man in his twenties, newly returned to Spirit Hall, have come? Perhaps he had found some extraordinary opportunity over the years, but that could only take him so far.

To think he could take the Pope's Position from her on the strength of a few years' progress—wasn't that far too naive?