After whispering among themselves.
Bibi Dong quickly backed away to avoid hearing anything unpleasant from Bai Guyue.
Just as Bibi Dong had thought, Bai Guyue was already about to speak.
"I'll absorb the Soul Ring first, so we can talk later."
Bibi Dong went up to the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring, exhaled, placed the Soul Bones on either side of her, and sat down. She drew the Soul Ring toward her and began absorbing it.
Once she finished absorbing the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring, she would be able to enter the ranks of Titled Douluo.
When she returned to the Worship Hall, she had to make Qian Daoliu understand that no one could stop her from doing what she wanted.
As soon as Bibi Dong began absorbing the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring, she felt pain-a mental torment that was simply unbearable.
It was a fate worse than death.
The Death Spider Emperor's lingering resentment?
Could it be because it thought it had died too miserably?
Bibi Dong gritted her teeth.
I, Bibi Dong, absorbing your Soul Ring is your honor, yet you dare reject me like this? You really don't know what's good for you.
If I cry out in pain even once, I'll count it as your win.
"His Holiness the Pope is under attack from the Death Spider Emperor's lingering resentment."
Yue Guan had noticed it from where he stood nearby.
In this situation, there was nothing they could do to help. Bibi Dong could only get through it herself.
"Let her get through it herself. We shouldn't interfere."
Bai Guyue spoke calmly.
They had no heaven-reaching abilities that could spare Bibi Dong from the attack of the lingering resentment.
"Brother Bai, how do you feel about marrying the Pope?"
"You've risen from a guard to the Pope's husband."
That leap could be considered a single step to heaven; calling it a meteoric rise would be no exaggeration.
"How do I feel? It's a long story."
Bai Guyue looked at the gossip-loving Yue Guan and waved a hand, unwilling to say more.
What was there to say about it?
Bibi Dong was a woman of unpredictable moods, truly loving him to the point of life and death. Her fixation on the bridal chamber was utterly beyond his understanding.
"Then how do you plan to deal with the Worship Hall?"
"The people in the Worship Hall won't let this go."
Seeing that no one else was around and Bibi Dong was absorbing the Soul Ring, Yue Guan voiced the question on his mind.
He couldn't say it in Spirit Hall, but now he could speak without restraint.
Having followed the previous Pope for many years, he could naturally tell that the Worship Hall was deeply dissatisfied with Bibi Dong taking power.
The position of Pope had belonged to the Qian Family in the first place.
If Qian Xunji had not died, Qian Renxue would have been next in line, but she was still young and had no ability at all to take over the Pope's Palace.
Apart from Bibi Dong, almost no one was capable of filling the position.
"I already have a plan for that. I'll take two Immortal Herbs and appease two of the Worship Hall's worshippers."
"You need to use two?"
"Of course. One person's mouth won't keep the others shut, but two mouths are just enough to keep every mouth in line."
Bai Guyue had also wanted to use just one person, but two were a safer bet.
"Have you chosen who?"
Yue Guan was quite curious who the two people Bai Guyue had picked would be.
"Golden Crocodile Douluo and Azure Luan Douluo. Apart from Qian Daoliu, those two worshippers have the most seniority, and they have enough strength and status as well."
"Raise both of them by one level, and Qian Daoliu won't be able to say much. Even Golden Crocodile Douluo, who has the most objections, will keep his mouth shut."
As the saying went, a mouth that had eaten another's food spoke softly, and a hand that had taken another's gift came up short.
Once they had received a benefit, they would naturally have to keep quiet.
Those two would surely understand.
As for the other worshippers, there was no need to bother with them for now.
The whole point was to shut the Worship Hall's mouths; there was no need for everyone to receive an Immortal Herb.
"That's a good idea. Thank you for the effort, Brother Bai."
Yue Guan nodded and gave him a thumbs-up.
"Now we just wait."
Bai Guyue watched the sweat beading on Bibi Dong's forehead. She seemed to be going through some unprecedented pain.
As time passed, Bibi Dong stubbornly endured the most difficult part of the process.
Half a day... a whole day...
On the morning of the second day, the three finally saw the Hundred-Thousand-Year light enter Bibi Dong's body.
At that moment, the absorption was truly complete, and the fusion had succeeded. Bibi Dong's aura also entered the ranks of Titled Douluo.
"I... I did it."
Bibi Dong opened her eyes, feeling as though she had just had a nightmare.
A giant spider had been chasing her, and she had escaped only after going through untold hardships.
"Congratulations on breaking through to Titled Douluo, Your Holiness."
Yue Guan and Gui Mei bowed and offered their congratulations.
"Mm, rise."
Bibi Dong nodded in response.
She looked at Bai Guyue again, but he was the same as ever.
Bibi Dong was extremely displeased, but there was nothing she could do about it now.
Without rushing to celebrate, she sat down again to absorb the Death Spider Emperor's left and right arm bones.
Bibi Dong looked at the two Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bones before her, a left and a right arm bone glowing with a dark purple light. Her heart thumped hard, and she felt immensely inflated with pride.
When others hunted a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, getting even one Soul Bone counted as a stroke of extraordinary luck, yet she had obtained a matching pair.
Doesn't this mean that destiny is on my side, not the Qian Family's or the Worship Hall's? It has finally favored me, Bibi Dong.
All the forbearance and humiliation of the past had finally come to an end.
Her life had at last passed through the tribulations of its lowest point and was about to enter a truly glorious period.
Soon, she would also have her beloved by her side, and she could live happily from then on.
Putting those thoughts aside, Bibi Dong sat down again and placed the two Soul Bones against her left and right arms. She circulated her Soul Power and began absorbing them.
The Death Spider Emperor's lingering resentment burrowed through the Soul Bones into every limb and bone in her body, the piercing pain even worse than when she had absorbed the Soul Ring.
She clenched her teeth and endured the erosion without making a sound.
With the absorption of the Soul Ring as preparation, the pain this time was intense, but still within her ability to bear.
Yue Guan and Gui Mei did not dare make a sound as they stood guard quietly nearby.
Bai Guyue leaned against a tree trunk. His gaze swept over Bibi Dong's taut back before shifting into the distance, his expression calm.
A matching pair of Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bones was indeed rare, but not enough to surprise him.
Another day and night passed.
When the morning light of the third day fell upon the forest, two streams of pitch-black light burrowed completely into Bibi Dong's arms.
Bibi Dong slowly opened her eyes, raised her hands, and clenched them.
With a slight movement of her palms, the aura she released silently corroded scorch marks into the surrounding trees. The fusion of the Death Spider Emperor's two arm Soul Bones was complete.
She stood up and brushed off her robes, her face largely expressionless. But when she came up to Bai Guyue, she reached out and embraced him of her own accord.
Bai Guyue, however, pressed his hands against Bibi Dong's shoulders.
"You're the Pope now. What kind of conduct is all this hugging and embracing? Mind your image. Whatever you have to say, just say it now."
"So what? Who here would talk? Would Yue Guan and Gui Mei?"
Bibi Dong looked up at Yue Guan and Gui Mei.
"Your Holiness, please carry on. We didn't see anything."
The two hurriedly turned their heads away, whistling as they pretended not to have seen.
"See? They don't mind."
Bibi Dong tried to move again, but he stopped her once more.
With that, Bibi Dong had no choice but to give up.
But inwardly, she was thinking that she had to teach Bai Guyue a proper lesson when they got back.
"What level has your strength reached?"