A Nighttime Talk!

"You!" Qian Daoliu trembled with rage, even the hand he pointed at her shaking!

"Bibi Dong, don't even think about using Xiao Xue! Otherwise, even if it costs me this old life of mine, I will never let you have your way!"

The atmosphere in the hall instantly dropped to freezing point. The senior figures fell silent as winter cicadas, none daring to speak.

"Great Enshrined, this is a price we must pay for Spirit Hall's great cause."

Bibi Dong's voice held not the slightest ripple, as though she were discussing something that had nothing to do with her.

"If Hu Liena or Su Yu had this ability, I would make exactly the same decision, without a moment's hesitation."

"You dare bring that up!"

Qian Daoliu's voice abruptly rose, his aged face filled with incredulous fury.

"Bibi Dong, how can your heart be so cruel! Xiao Xue is your own daughter!"

"She is flesh of your flesh! How can you be so heartless toward her and make her take such a risk?"

He advanced step by step, golden Soul Power surging around him, nearly breaking free of his control:

"Infiltrating the Heaven Dou Imperial Family means mountains of blades and seas of fire! One wrong step, and she'll be smashed to pieces!"

"You know perfectly well how proud she is, yet you want her to hide every sharp edge and scrape out a living under the enemy's very nose for years-you're asking for her life!"

Bibi Dong slammed her hand on the armrest and rose, her purple-black robes stirring without a breeze:

"I am the Pope. My first consideration must be Spirit Hall's future! An individual's safety is nothing beside our great cause!"

"Nothing?"

Qian Daoliu trembled all over with rage!

"She is your daughter! Not a tool you can sacrifice at will!"

"For what happened back then, I admit that our Qian Family owes you!"

"But Xiao Xue is innocent! How can you shift your hatred of the Qian Family onto her?"

"Shift?" A flicker of pain crossed Bibi Dong's eyes, only to be covered by an even deeper chill.

"I am merely making the decision a Pope should make.

She is a member of the Qian Family, the Angel God's successor. Sacrificing herself for Spirit Hall is her destiny!"

"Nonsense!" Qian Daoliu roared.

"Her destiny is to inherit Godhood and bring glory to the Qian Family, not to become a sacrifice in your schemes for power!"

Their gazes clashed fiercely in midair, one carrying anguish and resolve, the other concealing coldness and stubbornness.

Candlelight flickered across their faces, illuminating a relationship long since twisted by hatred and responsibility, with not the slightest room for reconciliation in sight.

Seeing the two with swords drawn and bows bent, the atmosphere on the verge of exploding, Golden Crocodile Douluo hurried forward. He forced a conciliatory smile onto his rugged face and tried to persuade Qian Daoliu:

"Big Brother, calm down! His Holiness the Pope may only have mentioned it in passing. How could she really let Koyuki take such a risk?"

"She merely wanted everyone to put their heads together and see whether there was another way!"

He then turned toward Bibi Dong, his tone somewhat cautious:

"Your Holiness, isn't that right?"

"Koyuki is the Angel God's successor, a future pillar of Spirit Hall. How could we lightly send her to such a place?"

"In my opinion, this needs further deliberation. We can surely find a more suitable candidate."

Caught between them, Golden Crocodile Douluo had fine beads of sweat seeping from his forehead.

On one side was the highly respected Great Enshrined; on the other, the Pope whose word was law.

If these two truly fell out, all of Spirit Hall would be thrown into turmoil with them.

Bibi Dong did not answer. She merely looked coldly at Qian Daoliu, the chill in her amber eyes undiminished. Clearly, she had no intention of backing down.

Qian Daoliu's chest heaved, his anger clearly not yet settled, but Golden Crocodile Douluo's words had had some effect.

He drew a deep breath and stared fixedly at Bibi Dong:

"I don't care what you're planning. Xiao Xue must have absolutely nothing to do with this plan!"

"Otherwise, you'd better abandon this idea while you can. If you won't bow out with dignity, don't blame me for helping you do so!"

With that, he swept his sleeve, turned, and strode out of the Pope Hall, leaving behind a hall full of silence and people exchanging looks.

Golden Crocodile Douluo inwardly sighed in relief, only to see Bibi Dong slowly settle back onto her throne, her fingertips tapping the armrest once more.

Her amber eyes looked toward the hall doors. No one could guess what she was thinking at that moment.

Meanwhile, after Su Yu left, Qian Renxue stayed alone for a while before returning to the Worship Hall as well.

As soon as she entered, Qian Renxue saw her grandfather sitting in his seat with an angry expression.

"Grandpa?"

Seeing Qian Renxue, Qian Daoliu suppressed his anger and let a faint smile appear on his face.

"Xiao Xue, you're back."

"Grandpa, you're angry. What exactly happened?"

"Nothing, Xiao Xue. Just a few minor matters."

"It's been a long time since Grandpa checked your progress, Xiao Xue. Come, Grandpa has nothing to do today. Let's go check!"

"All right!"

Though Qian Renxue had doubts, seeing that her grandfather did not want to talk, she asked no further questions.

That night-

Once Qian Renxue had gone to sleep, Qian Daoliu came to the Worship Hall's main hall.

Seeing Qian Daoliu approach, Golden Crocodile Douluo hurried forward.

"Big Brother, is Xiao Xue asleep?"

"Yes, she's already asleep!"

"Big Brother, about what happened in the Pope Hall today!"

"Say no more. I will never agree to let Xiao Xue go to the Heaven Dou Empire!"

"That woman has simply gone mad. Xiao Xue is her own daughter, yet she wants to send her to that place!"

"Ah, exactly! Big Brother! I'm just afraid that woman will approach Xiao Xue in private. With Xiao Xue's temperament, she might very well agree on the spot!"

Neither of them noticed a pair of pale purple eyes appearing at the back of the hall.

Inside the Pope Hall-

Bibi Dong sat before a mirror, brushing her hair, when a pair of purple eyes appeared in the mirror.

"Bibi Dong, it seems you completed your Divine Trial quite successfully!"

"Cut the nonsense. I've already completed so many Divine Trials. Why hasn't my strength increased, and why have you restricted it so much instead?"

"Don't be impatient. All of this is only temporary. Once you've completed every Divine Trial, my Godhood will be yours!"

"It had better be just as you say!"

"Don't be impatient. Your 'daughter' is here!"

With a laugh, those eyes disappeared from the mirror.

With a soft creak, the door to the Pope Hall's inner chamber was pushed open from outside.

Qian Renxue appeared in the doorway, a hint of nervousness in her pale purple eyes, her hands clutching the hem of her clothes turning slightly white.

"What are you doing here?" Bibi Dong did not even look up, her voice as cold as ice.

"Didn't I tell you never to come to my Pope Hall again?"

Qian Renxue took a deep breath, stepped forward twice, and asked in a trembling voice:

"Do you... do you really want me to go to the Heaven Dou Empire?"

Bibi Dong finally raised her eyes, her gaze falling on Qian Renxue's face with a trace of mockery:

"Did that dear grandfather of yours tell you?"

"No!" Qian Renxue immediately retorted, stubbornness in her voice. "I heard it myself outside."