[Disciple identity reward:] [Soul power level unconditionally increased by 1!] [Granted one supreme-grade Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring (can perfectly fit any vacant soul ring slot of any martial soul)!] [Master identity reward:] [Granted one supreme-grade Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring!] [Semi-Divine Artifact—Evil Spider Demon Scythe! (Includes execution and defense-ignoring effects, with a considerable chance of advancing into a divine artifact)]
As those two beams of divine light descended, Great Enshrined Qian Daoliu was leading Second Worship Golden Crocodile Douluo and a host of Worship Hall experts through the doors of the Papal Hall, brimming with murderous intent.
The moment they entered, they saw Bibi Dong suspended in midair, her eyes lightly closed as she bathed in the baptism descending from the sky screen.
Bibi Dong's soul power broke through to level 97, but it did not stop there.
Two blood-red Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings merged into her second martial soul, the Soul-Eating Spider Emperor, whose soul ring slots had remained vacant.
The immense energy contained within the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings once again turned into pure soul power, fanning the flames of her ascent.
Bibi Dong's aura climbed again, settling firmly at level 98.
Two consecutive breakthroughs!
The Soul-Eating Spider Emperor martial soul spread menacingly behind her, and the soul rings rising beneath her feet now formed a scalp-prickling configuration-five black and two red!
But what most unsettled the enshrined elders was the weapon Bibi Dong held.
It was an enormous demon scythe, dark purple throughout, radiating a dense, evil aura.
The Semi-Divine Artifact rewarded by the sky screen—the Evil Spider Demon Scythe!
Qian Daoliu's brows knitted tightly, his expression dark.
This woman had already possessed extraordinary talent, and now the sky screen's generous rewards had sent her strength soaring.
For the Worship Hall, which had come to call her to account, this was terrible news.
"Great Enshrined, what brings you here, mobilizing so many elders of the Worship Hall to see me?"
Bibi Dong descended from midair, casually toying with the Evil Spider Demon Scythe that radiated an eerie glow, a mocking half-smile on her stunning face.
Facing the assembled enshrined elders, Bibi Dong no longer showed her former respect and wariness.
Qian Daoliu suppressed his unease. An enormous phantom of a Six-Winged Angel appeared behind him, its dazzling golden light illuminating the entire Papal Hall.
"Bibi Dong, the scandal between you and Xunji all those years ago has been revealed to the world by the sky screen. The entire continent knows."
"You murdered your master and usurped his position. Your methods were brutal, gravely sullying the sanctity and glory of Spirit Hall. By unanimous decision of the Worship Hall, you are hereby temporarily stripped of your position as pope."
"Hand over the Pope Token and await your punishment!"
Had this been half an hour earlier, Bibi Dong would have chosen to endure and compromise under pressure from Qian Daoliu and the Worship Hall.
But now, fighting spirit blazed in Bibi Dong's eyes.
"Strip me of my position as pope? Qian Daoliu, do you think you're still the Great Enshrined who could twist me around his finger? If I refuse to step down, what can you do to me?"
"Insolence!" Second Worship Golden Crocodile Douluo, the most hot-tempered of them, flew into a rage.
He stepped forward, dazzling golden light erupting from his body.
An enormous Golden Crocodile King covered in thick golden scales roared behind him.
Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, red!
"Bibi Dong, you've grown far too full of yourself! Do you really think a few rewards from the sky screen give you the right to look down on everyone? Today, I'll personally teach you a lesson, you venomous woman who knows neither the height of heaven nor the depth of earth!"
The sky screen seemed intent on exposing the infighting among Spirit Hall's highest ranks to the public.
The confrontation within the Papal Hall, swords drawn and bows bent, was projected into the sky with perfect clarity.
A battle between two level 98 Super Douluos!
Facing Golden Crocodile Douluo's attack, Bibi Dong advanced instead of retreating, her Evil Spider Demon Scythe tracing an eerie dark-purple arc.
Clang!
Both were level 98, but Bibi Dong had the foundation of twin martial souls, and her Soul-Eating Spider Emperor possessed two Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings.
With a Semi-Divine Artifact bearing an armor-piercing effect as well, Golden Crocodile Douluo gained no advantage whatsoever from that exchange.
Not only that, but after their clash, the Golden Crocodile King scales Golden Crocodile Douluo took such pride in had been sliced open by the Evil Spider Demon Scythe.
"Hiss-" Golden Crocodile Douluo staggered back dozens of steps.
Looking down, he saw a wound on his right arm so deep it exposed the bone.
More terrifying still, an evil dark-purple toxin was spreading through the wound.
The flesh there was rotting and dying at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"This... this accursed weapon." Shocked and furious, Golden Crocodile Douluo hurriedly channeled his soul power to suppress the wound.
But unwilling to accept defeat, he roared and prepared to charge forward again in a desperate attack.
"Enough, Golden Crocodile. Stand down!" Qian Daoliu's authoritative voice rang out.
In a flash, he stood in front of Golden Crocodile Douluo, staring gravely at Bibi Dong.
"Golden Crocodile, you are no match for her," Qian Daoliu said solemnly.
"Her current combat strength is already on par with a Peerless Douluo like me."
Hearing Great Enshrined Qian Daoliu's assessment, the spectators sucked in a breath of cold air.
To think that this woman, Bibi Dong, had already grown so powerful.
Qian Daoliu knew that unless he brought out his true strength today, he would not be able to subdue Bibi Dong.
Eight black and one red! Nine soul rings rose from beneath Qian Daoliu's feet.
A sacred, boundless golden radiance, seemingly capable of purifying all evil in the world, erupted with him at its center.
Angel Domain!
Under the domain's suppression, Bibi Dong's evil aura weakened by thirty percent.
Holy Sword in hand, Qian Daoliu unleashed strikes that each contained the power of light to destroy heaven and earth.
Meanwhile, Bibi Dong wielded the Evil Spider Demon Scythe, becoming a dark-purple phantom as she darted wildly through the golden light and counterattacked.
Finally, after one collision, both shot backward.
Qian Daoliu panted, his sword hand trembling.
Opposite him, a glaring trickle of blood seeped from the corner of Bibi Dong's mouth, her face pale.
In this duel, Qian Daoliu had relied on his deep reserves and unleashed true angel divine power to narrowly best Bibi Dong.
Bibi Dong wiped the blood from her mouth. There was not the slightest discouragement in her eyes; instead, they glittered with excitement.
Through this battle, she had thoroughly gauged the baseline of her strength.
Qian Daoliu could injure her with divine power, but killing her was nothing more than an idiot's dream.
"Heh... Great Enshrined, you certainly live up to your reputation. Angel divine power is impressive indeed."
Bibi Dong sneered repeatedly. She put away the Evil Spider Demon Scythe and swept a proud gaze over the surrounding enshrined elders, who stood as though facing a formidable enemy.
"Since my skills fall short and I'm no match for the Great Enshrined, I'll simply resign as pope today."
She strode toward the exit of the Papal Hall, then suddenly stopped as she stepped through its doors:
"But remember this, Qian Daoliu. Once I break through to level 99, I'll come find you again... and seek your instruction properly."
Watching Bibi Dong's resolute departing figure, several enshrined elders instinctively moved to stop her, only for Qian Daoliu to raise a hand and halt them.
"Great Enshrined! Are we really letting that venomous woman leave?!" Golden Crocodile Douluo roared, clutching his injured arm, unwilling to accept it.
Qian Daoliu let out a long sigh. "Stop her? With what?"
"It's already almost impossible to keep that woman here. If we truly held nothing back and fought her to the death here today, the ultimate result would only be grievous losses on both sides, or even mutual destruction."
Qian Daoliu looked at the devastated Papal Hall and continued:
"Right now, the continent's powers are all watching the sky screen, watching our Spirit Hall. If we suffer a crippling loss at a time like this, we'll only give the Clear Sky Sect, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and the two great empires an opening."
"Spirit Hall's foundation must not be destroyed by internal strife."
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