"My goodness! So you're the real tycoon!" Dugu Yan exclaimed exaggeratedly. "One Soul Bone is enough to bribe a Soul Master!"
"What nonsense are you talking about!" Qi Ling flicked Dugu Yan's forehead helplessly. "If I did that, I'd be going against the world!"
Just as everyone was discussing animatedly, there was a knock at the door. Dugu Yan went to open it and found a cardinal from the Spirit Hall standing outside with a serious expression.
"May I ask which one of you is Mr. Qi Ling?" the cardinal asked.
"That's me, so what?" Qi Ling stood up and said.
"Mr. Qi Ling, the Pope requests your presence! Please come with me; the Pope wishes to see you," said the Cardinal.
Hearing that it was the Pope had extended the invitation, Qi Ling was quite surprised. Since arriving in Spirit City, the Pope hadn't received anyone, not even the princes of the two countries. So why would he invite her at this time?
However, since they were on someone else's turf, Qi Ling had no reason to refuse the invitation. So he greeted the others and told them to be patient before following the cardinal to meet the Pope.
Bibi Dong, the Pope the Spirit Hall, not only possesses unfathomable strength, but as the first female Pope in the history of the Spirit Hall, she is also hailed as the most wise and greatest leader in history.
It was under her leadership that the Spirit Hall achieved its current success, becoming a power that surpasses the two great empires. Regardless of how the world evaluates her, two words always come to mind: exceptionally talented and stunningly beautiful.
After passing through layers of checks, the cardinal led Qi Ling to the Pope's Palace, the highest governing body of the Spirit Hall, and they entered the vast council hall to await the Pope's audience.
Looking around at everything, Qi Ling couldn't help but marvel at how wealthy the Spirit Hall was. She had never seen such luxurious decorations even in the imperial city, yet she was fortunate enough to witness them in the Pope's Palace.
So engrossed in watching, Qi Ling didn't even notice a figure appearing behind her. The figure crept up behind Qi Ling and suddenly shouted, "Hey!"
"Whoa! Who?" Qi Ling was startled and immediately went on alert. Although he was distracted, it was not an ordinary person who could get close to him, which made him both surprised and suspicious.
"Hehehe, little brother, you're really something, how can you be so easily scared?" Behind Qi Ling, a stunningly beautiful woman laughed heartily, and for a moment, even the magnificent golden hall around them seemed to lose its color.
"Sister? What are you doing here?" Qi Ling asked happily when she saw the person, because she was the one Qi Ling had met in the Star Dou Great Forest before, and the two of them had recognized each other as siblings. In Heaven Dou City, the two of them had even been lovers for a day.
The mysterious woman smiled and then said, "Hehe, little brother, do you think I'm here? With your intelligence, you should be able to guess, right?"
"Haha, don't be silly, sister. I came here to see the Pope, how could I possibly guess who you are..." Instantly, Qi Ling froze, then he opened his mouth wide and looked at the woman in front of him.
A woman, residing in the Pope's Palace, possessing the most stunning beauty, the noblest temperament, and unfathomable strength in the world—even a fool could guess her identity!
More importantly, at that moment, Qi Ling also recalled what that person had said to her in the Star Dou Great Forest —it was exactly the same thing! However, this was so unbelievable that Qi Ling didn't react immediately.
That's right, the person Qi Ling always called "sister" was Bibi Dong, the Pope of the Spirit Hall and the most legendary woman in this world!
Seeing Qi Ling's expression, Bibi Dong knew that he already knew her identity, and her heart tightened, because she didn't know how Qi Ling would view her after learning her true identity.
Will she act like those others, treating me like a high and mighty Pope, or will she still call me "sister"?
"So you're the Pope, sister!" Qi Ling said happily. "Oh, that's great! I was worried the Pope wanted to get rid of me, but it turns out you're one of us!"
"Seriously, sister, if you wanted to find me, you should have at least given me a heads-up. I could have been mentally prepared. I've missed you so much since I last saw you!"
Seeing Qi Ling complaining to his older sister like a younger brother, Bibi Dong felt something stir within her, a special kind of emotion welling up inside her.
Sometimes, people are such peculiar creatures; the less you treat someone as a special person, the more special you become to them.
"That's wonderful, little brother. I was worried you might have reservations if you knew I was the Pope," Bibi Dong said. "Aren't you angry that your sister kept it from you?"
"How could that be? It's because you still acknowledge me as your brother, sister, that makes me happy," Qi Ling said with a smile. "To me, before all your other identities, you are first and foremost my sister!"
"Hehe, it's been a while, and you've gotten quite the charmer with girls," Bibi Dong laughed. "I wonder how many girls will fall for you!"
Qi Ling was about to say how could that be, but then it suddenly occurred to her that the situation seemed to be exactly as Bibi Dong had described!
"Um, well..." Qi Ling smiled awkwardly and said, "Oh, right, sister, why did you suddenly call me here? Is there something you need?"
Bibi Dong said slowly, "It's nothing. It's just that rather than letting you know Heavenly Thrust, it's better for me to come and find you today. Otherwise, I'm worried that if you get too excited, something might go wrong."
As the Pope, Bibi Dong was naturally not afraid of such a disturbance. She was only worried about Qi Ling, which was why she specially called him over, and also to prevent Qi Ling from feeling deceived.
After all, the situation is completely different when you tell someone voluntarily and when they are discovered passively. Qi Ling felt a warmth in his heart as he sensed Bibi Dong's care for him.
"There's one more thing, little brother," Bibi Dong said, "I know you lead a team called the Qilin Team. They're very strong and are one of the favorites to win this championship."
But did you know that the team the Spirit Hall sent this time consists of our most prized disciples, including my only true disciple? We are determined to win this championship, and the prize was even prepared specifically for them."
Hearing this, Qi Ling thought that Bibi Dong would ask her to give up her plan to compete for the championship. If she really said that, Qi Ling might actually agree.
To Qi Ling's surprise, Bibi Dong then smiled and said, "So, I want to ask you, if you encounter them, please don't hold back!"