"It's been almost a year. I thought you were planning to hide forever, but I never expected you would dare to come back."
Bibi Dong's soft voice rang out, slowly echoing through the empty walls of the main hall.
Her voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached Xiao Yan's ears, each word carrying an undeniable air of authority.
She looked down at Xiao Yan in the center of the hall, her gaze as if she were examining a precious treasure that had been lost and found again.
Bibi Dong's gaze slowly swept over Xiao Yan Xiao Yan, and when she sensed the aura emanating from him, a hint of undisguised surprise flashed in her deep eyes.
Back then, Xiao Yan was nothing more than an ant who had just advanced to the Soul Emperor in front of her.
At that time, Xiao Yan couldn't even withstand one of her palm strikes. He could only dodge left and right in a sorry state, and finally managed to escape by opening a spatial gate.
Now, after nearly a year, Xiao Yan's Soul Power has actually reached level sixty-five.
Increasing Soul Power by five levels in a year is an astonishing cultivation speed in the Douluo Continent.
But what truly caught Bibi Dong's attention was the subtle, almost imperceptible aura emanating from Xiao Yan.
That was a subtle intuition that only her powerful perception as a level 99 Peerless Douluo could detect; this young man harbored something that could threaten her.
"The power of this other world has indeed made you much stronger."
Bibi Dong slowly strode forward, gently raising the scepter in her hand.
The dark purple Soul Core at the top of the scepter gleamed eerily in the dim light.
Her steps were neither fast nor slow, each step making a crisp sound as she stepped into the air.
Bibi Dong's tone remained icy cold:
"However, do you think you can be so presumptuous in front of me with this little bit of improvement?"
As Bibi Dong finished speaking, nine Soul Ring suddenly appeared beneath her feet.
Yellow, purple, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, red!
Especially that last red Soul Ring, which was the Soul Ring of Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. There are only a handful of Titled Douluo on the entire Douluo Continent who can possess a Soul Ring of this level.
Nine Soul Ring were arranged vertically around Bibi Dong's body, enveloping her entire body.
With each pulse, the light of the Soul Ring would brighten briefly, then slowly dim, repeating the cycle endlessly.
With such a terrifying configuration, even among those at the same Titled Douluo level, Bibi Dong is among the strongest.
Now, her terrifying aura as Titled Douluo is crushing down on Xiao Yan.
The oppressive force surged in like a tangible force, compressing the air in the hall until it emitted a faint buzzing sound.
Xiao Yan felt a weight on his shoulders, as if an invisible mountain was pressing down on him, gradually pushing his back down.
" Xiao Yan, I have been waiting for your return all year."
I am very curious about that other world.
What kind of continent could transform you so completely in just one year?
What kind of cultivation system could give a Soul Emperor the means to threaten Titled Douluo?
Bibi Dong's tone carried an undisguised desire to investigate, and her deep eyes were fixed on Xiao Yan, her gaze intense.
"Now that you're back, stay and tell me all about that world."
If you cooperate, I might consider sparing your life.
After all, you were once a member of the Spirit Hall, and I don't want to be too ruthless.
"Boom!"
As Bibi Dong finished speaking, she slammed the scepter in her hand down onto the floor of the Pope's Palace.
The moment the base of the scepter collided with the stone slab, a visible black shockwave of Soul Power spread wildly outwards from the point of impact.
The stone floor cracked inch by inch under the impact of this force, and the cracks spread rapidly like a spider web.
A surge of Soul Power roared out from the crack, transforming into countless jet-black sharp beams that tore towards Xiao Yan in front of him.
Each of those sharp blades contained terrifying power enough to instantly kill Soul Douluo, and the air was cut apart wherever they passed, emitting a sharp whistling sound.
Xiao Yan did not speak.
He never intended to waste words with Bibi Dong.
He knew very well that there was no room for negotiation between him and Bibi Dong.
This woman didn't want his cooperation; she wanted his secrets.
Once she gets what she wants, he'll suffer a much worse fate than if he'd died from that attack.
Therefore, he chose the most direct and forceful response.
Feeling Bibi Dong's overwhelming Soul Power attack, violent flames instantly erupted from Xiao Yan's body.
Green and pure white flames erupted from his palms, spreading upwards along his arms and then bursting forth behind him.
The left-wing Bone Spirit Cold Flame was pure white like snow, exuding a chilling aura. Moisture in the air condensed into countless tiny ice crystals the moment it came into contact with the left wing, which then fluttered down.
The right-wing Green Lotus Core Flame was lush and vibrant, surging with scorching heat that distorted and warped the surrounding air.
The two flames shone brightly in the dim light of the Pope's Palace, casting the entire hall in an intermittent glow.
Xiao Yan gently spread his wings, and the extreme cold of his left wing and the extreme heat of his right wing exerted their power simultaneously, generating a powerful thrust from behind him.
He stomped his legs hard on the ground, shattering the stone slab beneath his feet and sending shards of stone flying everywhere.
He was like a bolt of lightning, a streak of blue and white, soaring through the air from the entrance of the Pope's Palace.
The black, sharp rays emitted by Bibi Dong grazed past his feet, shearing several stone pillars behind him into pieces. The broken edges were smooth and clean, still bearing traces of hissing, corrosive venom.
"Where do you think you're going!"
Upon seeing this, Bibi Dong revealed a look of disdain.
She's just a Soul Emperor; no matter what tricks Xiao Yan has up his sleeve, he can't escape from her grasp.
With a flick of her left hand, the Soul Power behind her surged violently like boiling water, transforming into a series of fierce attacks that enveloped Xiao Yan in mid-air like a net.
The attacks were so dense that they almost completely blocked all of Xiao Yan's possible escape routes.
Even a Soul Douluo- level powerhouse wouldn't be able to escape unscathed from her attack.
At this moment, Yue Guan and Gui Mei, who arrived late, landed not far away and stood on the roof of the side hall of the Pope's Palace, watching Bibi Dong attack Xiao Yan. The two of them looked like they were watching a show, with calm expressions.
Yue Guan even leisurely dusted off the cuffs of his golden robe, a slight, disdainful smile playing on his lips.
Even though they were all Titled Douluo, His Holiness the Pope was no match for him.
Moreover, what about Xiao Yan, who is only at the Soul Emperor Realm?
In Yue Guan and Gui Mei's eyes, Xiao Yan's fate was already sealed.
What kind of trouble can a Soul Emperor possibly cause when faced with the enraged attack of a level 99 Peerless Douluo?