The Papal Palace.
Bibi Dong sat high upon her throne, her legs slightly raised, her crystal high heels swaying in the breeze.
When the sounds from Spirit Hall Academy reached her, she listened closely, a flicker of astonishment crossing her lovely eyes. She summoned someone to question them and soon learned what had happened.
"This Lin Qian truly is extraordinary. He has won everyone's hearts just after arriving at the academy."
In all fairness, even though she had mistaken him for someone in the same line of work and taken him as her disciple, she had not paid him much attention. Otherwise, she would not have angrily washed her hands of him after he shattered Yu Xiaogang's Soul Ring theory.
Ever since her attempt to elope with Yu Xiaogang had failed, and that scum Qian Xunji had raped her, leaving her to give birth to Qian Renxue, her heart had fallen into eternal night, never to brighten again.
After devouring Qian Xunji's soul and entering the Rakshasa Secret Realm, the influence of Rakshasa Divine Power had sent the malice buried deep within her heart running wild like an unbridled horse. She had slid ever further into the abyss of depravity, allowing the darkness to swallow her.
The more outstanding Lin Qian was, the happier she became. He was her disciple in any case. Once he matured, he would surely become a staunch source of support. Unifying the Douluo Continent and wiping out the Angel Clan would all depend on him.
At this thought, a red gleam flashed through her eyes, and Rakshasa Divine Power spilled out uncontrollably. Her beautiful, noble face instantly twisted into a hideous expression. She tightened her grip on her scepter, her full bosom heaving unbearably, as though something were about to erupt.
Only with immense effort did she barely suppress it. When she opened her eyes again, she was once more the unapproachable Pope.
A guard reported, "Your Holiness, the Worship Hall has sent a letter."
"It's her..." After reading the letter, a trace of surprise and gloom crossed Bibi Dong's beautiful face. "After all these years, she's still so relentless. How annoying!"
Provoked by this letter, madness flashed across her face once more, and the letter scattered into ashes on the wind.
She struggled to steady her voice. "Tell the messenger I'm very busy and have no time to see her."
The guard departed with his orders, leaving Bibi Dong alone in the hall once more.
She gazed up at the sky. "Qian Daoliu, oh, Qian Daoliu, you never expected this, did you? The granddaughter you poured your heart and soul into raising is less talented than a disciple I happened to find. You had better be careful. Once my grand undertaking succeeds, the destruction of your Angel Clan will be within reach!
"Just wait. That day... won't be far off..."
If the plans she had previously envisioned had been too distant, then Lin Qian's appearance was the catalyst for it all.
Infiltration, destruction, unification...
All manner of plans intertwined in a complex web, their implementation long hindered by Spirit Hall's strength. Under the original plan, she would have needed to wait at least several more years before putting them into action became possible, but the talent Lin Qian had displayed had already shown her the first light of dawn.
Her high heels touched the floor, and Bibi Dong walked slowly into the depths of the hall with elegant Mystic Steps.
Her voice drifted back from afar-
"The first step of the plan can begin..."
Within the Worship Hall, solemnity filled the room.
Compared with the bustling Papal Palace, this place was more mysterious and little known.
Even so, no one dared look down on it. When Soul Masters gazed into the distance with reverence in their hearts, this was usually where they looked.
For Spirit Hall had an unwritten rule: anyone who reached the rank of Titled Douluo could have their memorial tablet enshrined here after death, to be revered by countless generations to come.
Not only that, the threshold for entering the Worship Hall was such that only Super Douluos whose Soul Power had reached rank ninety-six were qualified to enter and become one of its members.
There were no fewer than seven enshrined masters of such strength. Apart from the Great Enshrined, they were-
Golden Crocodile Douluo, Azure Luan Douluo, Mighty Lion Douluo, Light Feather Douluo, Qian Jun Douluo, and Demon Subduing Douluo.
While Bibi Dong imagined the future, a man with long golden hair who looked only in his thirties or forties knelt upon a prayer cushion before the Six-Winged Angel statue, his palms pressed together and his expression utterly devout.
This man was the master of Douluo Hall, high priest of the Angel Temple, and Great Enshrined, Qian Daoliu.
There were many legends about him, but they all dated back a hundred years. The legends of the three great sovereigns of sky, ocean, and land had also become ever less widely known as those figures of old disappeared or withdrew into seclusion one after another.
Tap, tap, tap.
Clear footsteps sounded outside the door, drawing nearer from afar until they stopped behind him.
Qian Daoliu did not turn around, but maintained his posture of prayer. "Xiao Xue, your heart is not at peace."
The young woman called Xiao Xue slowly raised her head.
She looked only eighteen or nineteen, dressed in a long, one-piece court gown. Her phoenix eyes were slender, her skin fairer than snow, and her long golden hair danced in the breeze. Her beauty was breathtaking.
At Qian Daoliu's words, she raised her head, then lowered it again, letting out a discouraged sigh. "She... still won't see me."
Only before her own grandfather would she reveal her vulnerable side. After being turned away yet again, she had naturally come seeking comfort.
"I can't even remember the last time we met. Does she hate me that much? Even her own daughter..."
By the end, Xiao Xue was on the verge of tears. They filled her eyes, stubbornly refusing to fall.
Qian Daoliu finally turned around, his tall figure towering like a mountain, enveloping her completely.
He reached out both hands and rested them on her shoulders. "Xiao Xue, this isn't your fault. Your mother is simply too busy. Once she has some free time, she will certainly come to see you."
"..."
This young woman was Qian Renxue, the biological daughter of the previous Pope, Qian Xunji, and the current Pope, Bibi Dong.
Ever since Qian Xunji had "died of severe injuries," her grandfather had taken her in and raised her to adulthood. Yet her birth mother, who had become Pope, was nowhere to be seen. She had never set foot in the Worship Hall over all these years, and the number of times mother and daughter had met could be counted on one hand.
She was, after all, only an eighteen-year-old girl. Not long before, unable to bear her longing, she had once again mustered the courage to write Bibi Dong a letter, hoping to see her mother again.
As expected, it had once again been read without reply. The letter she sent had sunk like a stone into the sea, with only a guard's coldly delivered message in return.
Waking from dreams at midnight, she did not know what she had done wrong to make her mother despise her so!
As Qian Daoliu comforted her, she could no longer hold back her tears, and they surged forth like waters bursting through a breached dam.
A quarter of an hour later.
Only after she had cried enough did Qian Renxue wipe away her tears and speak in a muffled voice. "I'm sorry, Grandpa. I'm too weak. I started crying again."
Qian Daoliu looked lovingly at his granddaughter, his gaze incomparably gentle. "Silly child, you haven't done anything wrong. There's no need to blame yourself. If my prediction is correct, your mother will see you very soon."
Qian Renxue's eyes lit up. "Really? When?"
Qian Daoliu changed the subject, bringing up someone unrelated. "Do you remember Lin Qian?"
"I know him!"
The name of this new disciple Bibi Dong had taken was thunder in her ears as well.
Qian Daoliu continued, "According to news from Spirit Hall Academy, Lin Qian returned from the Star Dou Great Forest with three Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings. News has also just come from the Papal Palace that your mother seems interested in having him take part in the plan."
Qian Renxue's attention was fixed solely on the first part. "Three Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings!" She turned her head toward Spirit Hall Academy-
"I'm looking forward to it..."