Several more days passed.
When Bibi Dong's injuries had stabilized and she could barely manage to sit up, Lin Ye arrived.
He stood in the doorway without entering, leaning casually against the frame. His calm gaze swept over Bibi Dong on the bed, her complexion still ghastly pale but her eyes now settled into a deathly stillness, before resting on Qian Renxue beside her. She looked haggard, yet more resolute than ever before.
"All finished?" Lin Ye asked directly.
Qian Renxue rose and walked over to him, looking at him with a complicated gaze that held gratitude and a trace of something too tangled to put into words. "Yes. Mother... still needs time to recover."
Lin Ye nodded, unsurprised. He raised a hand and pointed toward the Papal Hall outside the window. "That seat is yours next."
Qian Renxue understood what he meant. She took a deep breath and straightened her back. Her mother had awakened, the knot in her heart had loosened, and most importantly, the Rakshasa's evil thoughts were gone. Spirit Hall needed strength and a clear direction. She looked at Lin Ye, determination flashing in her eyes. "I understand. I'll go."
Resistance from the Elder Hall and Worship Hall might remain, but her mother was no longer a threat, and he was here... Now, no one could stop her! Qian Renxue's gaze sharpened.
The Papal Hall.
Before the enormous throne of twin martial souls stood Qian Renxue, dressed in a brand-new, brilliant golden papal robe symbolizing supreme authority. Her long hair was pinned high, revealing her smooth, full forehead. Her face remained breathtakingly beautiful, but the gentle, refined air of her disguise was utterly gone, replaced by inviolable sacred majesty and a keen, cutting edge.
Below the dais, the elders and worshippers of the Elder Hall stood