The hidden danger lingering within Bibi Dong!
"Teacher!"
Bibi Dong arrived at the torture chamber.
"Xiao Dong, come here."
Qian Xunji beckoned, motioning for Bibi Dong to approach.
When Bibi Dong saw the two people in the gloom clearly, she immediately recoiled a little in fright.
Just then, a large hand pressed against her back, stopping her retreat.
"Xiao Dong, do you recognize those symbols?"
Qian Xunji's voice rang out.
Bibi Dong turned to look at Qian Xunji, a trace of fear and timidity in her large eyes.
"Teacher, I'm scared..."
"Don't be afraid. I'm here. It doesn't matter if you don't recognize them."
With Qian Xunji's encouragement, Bibi Dong stepped forward and looked at the tadpole-like runes.
Just then, the tadpole-like runes on the two people's bodies suddenly seemed to come alive, writhing, and almost simultaneously, both people let out agonized screams.
"Aah!"
Their faces rapidly withered. Having sucked away their lives, the tadpole-like runes actually peeled off their bodies and swam toward Bibi Dong.
"Angel Judgment!"
An icy voice rang out, and dazzling light immediately shone from behind Bibi Dong.
Struck by the light, the tadpole-like runes rushing toward Bibi Dong began to sizzle and smoke. The instant they dissipated completely, a shrill, agonized cry rang out.
"Xiao Dong, how are you? Are you all right?"
After destroying those runes, Qian Xunji looked at Bibi Dong, who was still standing in place. Thinking she had been frightened, he hurried forward to check on her.
He took hold of Bibi Dong and turned her around, only to find that her eyes had rolled back and threadlike black markings were spreading continuously across her cheeks.
Qian Xunji's heart abruptly sank.
"Everyone, leave the torture chamber!"
Although the Soul Masters did not know what had happened, they obeyed the order and swiftly left the torture chamber.
Inside the torture chamber, Qian Xunji's Soul Power surged. Soul Power brimming with a sacred presence poured into Bibi Dong's body, and the threadlike black markings on her cheeks gradually faded until they vanished completely.
Clarity returned to Bibi Dong's eyes.
"Teacher."
The word had barely left her lips when Bibi Dong went limp and fainted. Qian Xunji hurriedly caught her in his arms.
A few minutes later, Qian Xunji left the torture chamber carrying Bibi Dong.
In a room, Bibi Dong slept quietly on the bed while Qian Xunji stood by the window with his hands behind his back.
What had just happened made him realize that the evil power within Bibi Dong had not been completely expelled, but had been lurking inside her all along.
Had those runes not happened to trigger the abnormality within Bibi Dong today, there was no telling how much longer that evil power would have remained hidden.
"What happened to Xiao Dong?"
A voice came from behind him. Qian Xunji turned to see Qian Daoliu looking at him solemnly.
Qian Xunji was not surprised that Qian Daoliu had learned of this so quickly. Although he was the Pope of Spirit Hall, Qian Daoliu, a level 99 Peerless Douluo, was Spirit Hall's greatest foundation.
Nor was all of Spirit Hall loyal to him, Qian Xunji.
Qian Xunji then told Qian Daoliu about Bibi Dong's secret and what had happened in the torture chamber.
After hearing him out, Qian Daoliu's expression immediately grew grave.
As a level 99 Peerless Douluo, Qian Daoliu keenly perceived the enormous potential threat posed by this so-called Crimson Mother.
"This organization of Fallen Soul Masters who worship the Crimson Mother must be eradicated!"
"Order every subsidiary hall and branch hall of Spirit Hall to spare no effort in tracking down this organization of Fallen Soul Masters. Notify the two great empires as well. They must also contribute to the search!"
Qian Daoliu issued his instructions in a grave voice.
"Understood!"
With that, Qian Xunji turned and left the room. Watching Qian Xunji leave so coldly, Qian Daoliu felt a faint bitterness in his heart!
Although he had forced Qian Xunji to send away that Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, their relationship as father and son had also fallen to freezing point.
Qian Daoliu sighed. For the angel lineage and Spirit Hall, even if he had to choose again, he would still put Spirit Hall first.
As Qian Xunji's orders went out, Spirit Hall's subsidiary halls and branch halls across the land intensified their searches for traces of the black-robed people.
The two great empires, however, made no move at all. They had eyes only for supremacy over the continent and cared nothing about the Fallen Soul Masters, so long as they posed no threat to them.
The crow flew and the rabbit ran; time sped past.
More than ten years later, at the Great Soul Arena in Spirit City.
"Death Spider Emperor, Third Soul Skill, Death Spider Web Restraint!"
A vast expanse of spiderwebs shot forward.
"Fifth Soul Skill! Gathering of Cold Blossoms!"
Yue Guan released petals that filled the sky around him, then gathered into a tornado to intercept the vast expanse of spiderwebs.
As the sharp petals filling the sky sliced the spiderwebs apart, a figure had already appeared behind Bibi Dong before she could react.
Standing sideways, Yue Guan raised his hand, and a golden chrysanthemum appeared in it. With the flower aimed squarely at Bibi Dong's body, Yue Guan's lips curved upward as he said softly,
"Your Highness the Saintess, you've lost!"
"I've lost? That's not certain yet!"
A smile likewise curled across Bibi Dong's small face.
"Fifth Soul Skill! Thousand Blades, Ten Thousand Shields!"
A mass of sharp spider legs pierced through the ground and spread around Bibi Dong, forming a chilling thorn forest.
Yue Guan hurriedly darted aside to evade them!
"Sixth Soul Skill! Blood-Sucking Spider Thorn!"
Curved, diamond-shaped spider thorns shot toward Yue Guan, leaving him no choice but to dodge repeatedly as patches of diamond-shaped spider thorns kept appearing across the ground.
"Your Highness, I concede!"
Finally forced to the edge of the Soul Fighting Arena, Yue Guan spoke helplessly.
As Yue Guan conceded, the diamond-shaped spider thorns still pursuing him instantly dissipated.
Bibi Dong spoke with a slightly displeased expression.
"Conceding again! Can't you fight me seriously for once?"
"You concede every time. I haven't learned any practical combat techniques at all."
Yue Guan raised both hands and repeatedly begged for mercy.
"Your Highness, your combat experience is already very extensive. If I use my eighth and Ninth Soul Skills, I really can't beat you, Your Highness!"
"Tch, you're lying to me again!"
"You always say I'm impressive, but Teacher criticizes me every time!"
Bibi Dong pouted. On her small face, which still held a hint of childishness, her peerless beauty had already begun to reveal itself.
"Your Highness, His Holiness the Pope may be strict with you on the surface, but he actually praises you often in private."
Yue Guan walked over and said with a soft chuckle.
"Really? Teacher really praises me?"
Hearing this, Bibi Dong immediately pressed him impatiently for an answer.
"Of course!"
"His Holiness the Pope has only taken you as his disciple. If you weren't outstanding, Your Highness, why would His Holiness have accepted you?"
Hearing this, Bibi Dong immediately beamed with delight.
Meanwhile, inside the Pope Hall, Qian Xunji was listening to Gui Mei's report with a grave expression.
"Your Holiness, another sacrificial site dedicated to the Crimson Mother has been discovered in the southwest of the Heaven Dou Empire. Among the black-robed Soul Masters, there is no shortage of Soul Douluo-level experts."
Ever since Qian Xunji had ordered the pursuit of the Black Robe Organization that worshipped the Crimson Mother ten years ago, although quite a few black-robed Soul Masters had been captured, the number of Fallen Soul Masters worshipping the Crimson Mother had continued to grow.
Without Spirit Hall's continued pursuit and suppression, they would probably have long since brought disaster to regions across the continent.
And the Black Robe Organization's major strongholds were precisely these sacrificial sites dedicated to the Crimson Mother.