Bibi Dong's Dilemma

Su Chen's heart leaped with joy. He was finally about to complete the Second Trial of the Dragon God’s Nine Trials. He had already taken first place in this year's Four-Academy Friendship Tournament. All that remained was for Bibi Dong to accept him as her disciple! Then he could complete the Second Trial of the Dragon God’s Nine Trials!

When he completed the First Trial, Su Chen had received the chance to obtain a God-Given Soul Ring. His soul power had risen ten ranks, from rank twenty to rank thirty. He had also received an external Soul Bone as a reward. What wonderful things would the Dragon God's Second Trial grant him this time?

Huh!

As Su Chen looked at Bibi Dong, his heart jolted. A trace of disgust had unmistakably flashed through her eyes as she looked at him.

What was going on? Wasn't this Su Chen and Bibi Dong's first meeting? How could she already feel disgust toward him?

Bibi Dong sighed inwardly and thought, What a pity he isn't a girl. Otherwise, with proper training, he could certainly shoulder great responsibilities and become a pillar holding Spirit Hall steady against the current.

Bibi Dong was extremely satisfied with Su Chen's talent. But that beast Qian Xunji had left an indelible shadow in her heart, giving her a deep-seated prejudice against men. It was precisely this prejudice that made Su Chen seem like a flaw in an otherwise perfect gem, stirring resistance within her.

Bibi Dong shifted her gaze away from Su Chen and toward the runner-up of the Four-Academy Friendship Tournament. "Your name is Hu Liena?"

"Yes, Your Holiness!" Hu Liena looked at Bibi Dong in stunned disbelief, overwhelmed by the unexpected favor. She respectfully lowered her gaze rather than looking directly into Bibi Dong's eyes.

In Spirit Hall, only bishops and elders were entitled to look the Pope directly in the eye. Although the Pope of Spirit Hall would not punish anyone for it, doing so was still considered extremely disrespectful.

"Child, I see Spirit Hall's future hope in you! Would you be willing to take me as your master and become my direct disciple?" Bibi Dong asked gently.

"You want to take me as your disciple?" Hu Liena raised her head in astonishment, looking at Bibi Dong in disbelief.

"Yes." Bibi Dong nodded slightly.

Hu Liena: "..."

Hu Liena turned to look at Su Chen beside her, utterly bewildered. His talent surpassed hers. He was the one-in-ten-thousand prodigy, the champion of this Friendly Tournament, and the best candidate to become Bibi Dong's direct disciple. Why had Bibi Dong passed over Su Chen and chosen her, the mere runner-up?

"I'm willing! But why? Could you tell me why?" Hu Liena asked in confusion. Everyone else believed Su Chen was the best candidate to become Bibi Dong's direct disciple, and she herself felt the same. When Bibi Dong arrived in person, she had even been envying Su Chen!

"Your talent is more than sufficient for you to become my direct disciple!" Bibi Dong did not directly answer Hu Liena's question. Instead, her gaze returned to Su Chen.

Whew...

Bibi Dong, the Pope standing before them, was breathtakingly beautiful. Noble, elegant, serene-every lovely word seemed suited to this woman. Although she was no longer young, the years seemed to have left no marks upon her. She discreetly released a slow, fragrant breath, deeply torn over whether to accept Su Chen as her disciple. Not only to Bibi Dong, but to every man beneath the heavens-including Qian Daoliu, the Grand Worshipper of Douluo Hall-calling his son Qian Xunji a beast would undoubtedly have been paying him a compliment!

As Bibi Dong's teacher, Qian Xunji had acted purely out of selfish desire, wanting offspring with greater talent. He had not hesitated to strike apart a pair of mandarin ducks, separating Bibi Dong and Yu Xiaogang. Worse still, he had wickedly violated Bibi Dong's body, stolen her chastity, and ruined her life. If that did not make him a beast, what did!

Su Chen's talent surpassed not only Hu Liena's, but even her own. Yet Bibi Dong feared that another Qian Xunji might be born. That was also why she felt such resistance toward Su Chen.

Was he being rejected?

Su Chen was stunned. Didn't that mean six years of preparation were about to be washed away down the river?

Meanwhile, after wrestling with herself for a long time, Bibi Dong finally said slowly, "Child, would you be willing to become my direct disciple, a member of Spirit Hall's Golden Generation, and its future ruler?"

Su Chen's heart leaped with joy. Was Bibi Dong extending an olive branch to him? He was finally about to complete the Dragon God Second Trial!

"If you want me to become your direct disciple, I have three conditions. If you accept them, I'll be willing to become your direct disciple!" Su Chen replied.

What?

He actually had three conditions for becoming the disciple of Spirit Hall's Pope?

Countless Soul Masters yearned to become the Pope's direct disciple without ever getting the chance, yet Su Chen was courting disaster by demanding three conditions?

Stunned gazes landed on Su Chen from every direction. No one could understand why he would insist on conditions when this was such a glorious honor!

Bibi Dong met Su Chen's gaze. He had maintained eye contact with her the entire time, never shrinking back. She privately sensed that this child was very different from the others.

Bibi Dong felt no resistance or displeasure at Su Chen's words. If she had also set some conditions when she became the Holy Maiden and took Qian Xunji as her master, perhaps the tragedy that befell her would never have happened!

"Tell me, then. What are these three conditions?" Bibi Dong asked curiously.

Seeing how approachable and gentle Her Holiness was, the spectators' favorable impression of Bibi Dong rose to even greater heights.

"Spirit Hall issued a number of Pope Tokens in the past. Some of those Pope Tokens may already have fallen into the hands of petty villains. How can the prestige of Spirit Hall's Pope be sullied by such people? My first proposal is to recall all Pope Tokens. Any that cannot be recovered must be declared invalid. Furthermore, stop issuing Pope Tokens to the Upper Three Sects. They are not the Pope of Spirit Hall, and many of their actions and ideas cannot represent the Pope of Spirit Hall at all," Su Chen said solemnly.

He knew fifty thousand years into the past and fifty thousand years into the future. Su Chen knew that Tang Hao possessed a Pope Token from Spirit Hall and had given it to Yu Xiaogang. With that Pope Token in hand, Yu Xiaogang had secured many conveniences for himself and Tang San. It was not that Su Chen did not want to become Bibi Dong's direct disciple. But if Spirit Hall made no changes, everything would simply unfold along the existing timeline. In that case, becoming Bibi Dong's disciple would doom him to a tragic end.

If Bibi Dong refused his three conditions, Su Chen would rather leave the Dragon God's Second Trial unfinished than become a tragic figure!