Bibi Dong's Protection!

Ning Jiujiu felt a chill run through her body, as if she had fallen into an ice pit...

Several Golden Armor Knights quickly stepped forward.

"By the Papal Decree! Kill!"

"No!"

Ning Jiujiu squeezed her eyes shut in terror, her little face turning deathly pale.

Several flashes of snowy-white blade light swept past. Ning Jiujiu was so frightened that tears spilled from her eyes, yet after waiting for a long time, the pain she expected never came.

Instead, painful groans came from beside her, followed by the sound of blood splattering onto the ground.

"Child, open your eyes. Don't be afraid."

The voice belonged to the powerful woman known as the Pope.

But unlike before, her voice was now filled with gentleness.

Ning Jiujiu trembled as she opened her tearful eyes, her body shaking in fear. "D-Don't kill me."

"I won't kill you. You did nothing wrong, child. Get up."

Bibi Dong set her scepter aside, bent down, wrapped an arm around Ning Jiujiu's waist, and held her in her embrace.

Unlike the cold beauty she had displayed before, her body was incredibly warm.

Ning Jiujiu's hands were covered in frostbite, but as Bibi Dong held her, the pain gradually began to heal, as though endless warmth had enveloped her.

Yet Ning Jiujiu did not dare enjoy it at all. She was filthy, while the Pope's clothes were so magnificent. What if she dirtied them...

Trembling, she nervously spoke. "Your Holiness, your clothes..."

"It's all right, child. You've suffered."

Bibi Dong covered Ning Jiujiu's eyes with one hand and gently tapped her knees with the other.

"Hiss..."

Ning Jiujiu's body shuddered instinctively. Her knees had long since festered from the rough journey, but with that single touch from the woman, fresh pale flesh immediately began growing over the wounds.

"If it hurts, cry out. You can bite me if you want."

Ning Jiujiu's little face flushed red, but she still nodded softly. "Mm."

Bibi Dong gave the people beside her a look, then carried Ning Jiujiu into Papal Hall.

On the open ground they had left behind, several Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect disciples had already been beheaded...

Inside Papal Hall, Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo stood on either side. The moment they saw Bibi Dong enter, they immediately bowed in salute.

"Greetings, Your Holiness."

"Dispense with the formalities."

Bibi Dong held Ning Jiujiu as she sat upon the papal throne. Her cold eyes seemed utterly devoid of emotion whenever they looked at others, yet whenever she looked at Ning Jiujiu, there was always an extra trace of tenderness.

Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo exchanged glances, both slightly stunned.

Even when facing Saintess Hu Liena, Her Holiness rarely showed such a smile, much less such tenderness in her eyes.

It was exceedingly rare for her to treat someone this way.

A teasing smile curled Chrysanthemum Douluo's lips. "Your Holiness, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's hostage has arrived. Should we first inspect her Martial Soul? We should make sure the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect didn't just grab some random person and send her to fool us."

Ning Jiujiu's body visibly trembled at his words.

Bibi Dong noticed her reaction and tightened her grip on her little hand. "Don't be afraid. It's only a test."

"I..."

Ning Jiujiu gritted her teeth.

Her father had said the same thing before, but the result...

Why! Why was it Seven Treasures Glazed Tile again...

Could it be that if she did not possess the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Martial Soul, then her life had no meaning at all?

Thinking of this, Ning Jiujiu steeled herself and slowly opened her scar-covered little hand, frozen red from the cold.

A dim, gray little pagoda appeared before everyone. Though it had nine tiers, no one could sense even the faintest trace of aura from it. It was clearly a worthless Martial Soul.

"A worthless Martial Soul! It's completely useless!"

Ghost Douluo cried out, then clenched his fists tightly. "Damn it! Those damned Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect bastards! They actually dared send us a fake! Your Holiness, please allow me to..."

"Shut up!"

Bibi Dong's sharp rebuke sent Ghost Douluo stumbling back several steps. He immediately dropped to his knees to beg forgiveness.

Bibi Dong shot him a cold glance. "What I do is not for you to interfere with!"

With that, she turned and gently stroked Ning Jiujiu's long hair, speaking softly. "Don't be afraid. In Spirit Hall, no one will dare touch you."

"I..."

Ning Jiujiu had clearly not expected this outcome and was momentarily stunned.

Once she came back to herself, her nose stung. She gently hugged Bibi Dong and burst into tears.

"Waaah... Your Holiness, why? Is the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda really that important? Why, why does everyone revolve around it? Is the meaning of my existence really because of it?"

"Of course not."

Bibi Dong gently patted Ning Jiujiu's back and soothed her softly. "Seven Treasures Glazed Tile is only an empty reputation. There are countless Martial Souls better than it. And you possess one that is even stronger."

As she spoke, Bibi Dong's gaze sharpened, and she suddenly grabbed Ning Jiujiu's other hand.

"Ah—"

Ning Jiujiu cried out in pain, feeling a tearing agony spread through her entire body.

At the same time, an intensely murderous aura descended.

Under that terrifying pressure, even Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo felt their hair stand on end, their minds shaken as if their bodies and souls were enveloped by that soul-chilling killing intent!

And within that killing intent lurked an even more terrifying evil aura!

Though it was still very weak, the purity of that evil aura was unlike anything they had ever seen!

"This is..."

"What Martial Soul is this? Its killing aura is actually comparable to the Clear Sky Hammer! And this evil aura... no, this is..."

"The Fallen Angel Martial Soul."

Bibi Dong tapped Ning Jiujiu's little hand and said calmly, "This Martial Soul is extremely powerful. Ordinary awakening methods cannot awaken it at all. Only a Titled Douluo examining her at close range could detect it."

"Hmph! Ning Fengzhi is truly laughable. It seems that when he sent you here, he did not even dare tell Sword Bone Douluo. What a useless fool."

Ning Jiujiu looked at the angel behind her, with countless dark wings and a black greatsword in its hand, and could not react for a while.

Carefully, she asked Bibi Dong, "Your Holiness, is my Martial Soul very powerful?"

"Powerful." Bibi Dong nodded, then repeated herself.

"It is far stronger than the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Martial Soul, and..."

Before Bibi Dong could finish, a streak of golden light whistled through the air. In an instant, it obliterated all the murderous aura in the hall, replacing it with an overwhelmingly sacred and powerful presence.

"Your Holiness, must you hide everything you do from this old man now?"

Amid countless drifting golden feathers, an elderly man with golden hair and golden eyes appeared out of thin air within the hall. The aura he emitted was far more powerful than Bibi Dong's.

"G-Grand Elder!"

When Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo saw Qian Daoliu arrive, they were so frightened that they immediately bowed. "Greetings, Grand Elder!"

Qian Daoliu did not spare them even a glance. He walked directly beneath the papal throne, his golden eyes fixed upon Ning Jiujiu in Bibi Dong's arms.

"Ah... I... can't breathe."

From the moment that sacred aura appeared, Ning Jiujiu felt as though someone were gripping her neck tightly, leaving her unable to draw breath.

"Enough!"

With a wave of Bibi Dong's hand, Divine Slaughter's Domain erupted with a boom, confronting Qian Daoliu's Angel Domain.

"Grand Elder, she is only a six-year-old child."

"A child? Your Holiness, have you forgotten that the Fallen Angel Martial Soul is recorded in Spirit Hall's archives as one of the strongest evil Martial Souls? It is also opposed to the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul! If she is allowed to grow, the entire continent will be overturned by her!"

Qian Daoliu refused to yield and took a fierce step forward.

"As the guardians of the continent, Spirit Hall's duty is to protect its safety. Evil Soul Masters are Spirit Hall's greatest enemies. Pope, are you going to violate this iron rule?"

"Hmph! Iron rule? Hahahaha!"

Bibi Dong covered her face and let out a mocking laugh. "Back then, when you and Qian Xunji caused trouble together and took six-year-old Qian Renxue away from my side, did you ever think about Spirit Hall's iron rules?"

"You!"

Qian Daoliu clenched his fists, but after a moment, slowly relaxed them. "Qian Renxue is doing very well now. She sends you letters every month, yet you have never replied to a single one. Do you really think this is entirely our fault?"

"You are her mother! Could you really bear to be so heartless?"

"I don't care about that!"

Bibi Dong scooped Ning Jiujiu up and protectively held her in her arms. "No matter what, I will protect this child today. No one is allowed to touch her!"

"Utter nonsense!"

Qian Daoliu swept out his hand, and the light of his Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul instantly surged to a thousand zhang high!

At the same time, Bibi Dong unleashed both the Soul-Eating Spider Emperor and Death Spider Emperor Martial Souls. A battle between supreme powerhouses was on the verge of erupting.