As soon as Li Xun entered the study, Qian Renxue noticed and looked up, giving him a glare: "If I said you were disturbing me, would you leave?"
Qian Renxue had been on the throne for a long time now, and most of the people in the palace had already been replaced. Now, except for when she appeared as Xue Qinghe during court sessions, she mostly maintained her original appearance.
Compared to a few years ago, Qian Renxue now possessed more womanly charm, but incongruously, she still retained a hint of youthfulness.
"When did Senior Sister learn to chase people away?" Li Xun chuckled and sat down in a spot close to Qian Renxue.
"Because whenever you come, you definitely have something to say, and it's usually not good news."
Qian Renxue put down her pen and stretched her tired body backwards, catching Li Xun's restless gaze from the corner of her eye. Her lips curled into a smile: "Go ahead, what bad news have you brought this time?"
"Senior Sister, that's pure slander. Teacher has always called me a lucky star." Seeing that Qian Renxue seemed to notice his gaze, Li Xun decided to openly admire her.
Qian Renxue still couldn't match Li Xun's thick skin, and after a moment, she conceded defeat, slowly sitting up straight: "Since you're a lucky star, then tell me what good news you've brought. Don't tell me you're here to help me."
"I actually do have some good news." Li Xun immediately recounted the story of Sword Douluo's breakthrough.
"Really!" Qian Renxue's heart leaped with joy, and her tone couldn't help but become more upbeat. Seeing Li Xun nod, a smile spread across her face.
She knew why Chrysanthemum Douluo had come to Heavenly Dou, and she had clearly expressed that Bibidong didn't need to interfere. But in reality, she wasn't as confident as she appeared.
No one knew the internal power of Spirit Hall better than her. If Bibidong and her grandfather stood together, even the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School couldn't withstand the pressure from Spirit Hall.
But now, with Sword Douluo breaking through to level ninety-eight, everything would change. Even her grandfather, for the future of Spirit Hall, couldn't solely favor Bibidong anymore.
Qian Renxue stood up happily, took the food box from the table, and placed it in front of Li Xun: "This is indeed good news. Here's your reward."
"Senior Sister, don't get too excited yet. You should also be prepared for Pope Crown to continue putting pressure on us," Li Xun poured cold water on her enthusiasm when he saw Qian Renxue's eager demeanor.
"It's fine, just keep doing what you're doing. Leave the rest to me." Upon hearing the words "Pope," Qian Renxue's joyful mood instantly halved.
Li Xun nodded, not saying much more. Too much eye medicine could backfire.
After that, the two seemed to forget about Bibidong and started chatting about everyday matters, just like when they were young. However, when they talked about their cultivation levels, some unpleasantness occurred.
It started when Li Xun learned about Qian Renxue's current cultivation level and inappropriately rolled his eyes, which was caught by Qian Renxue, who had just reached level sixty-nine in Soul Power.
This was like poking a hornet's nest, and Li Xun suddenly found himself under a barrage of attacks.
But their dispute quickly subsided when two red Spirit Rings flashed beneath Li Xun's feet.
In Heavenly Dou City, at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's residence, this was already Chrysanthemum Douluo's third visit.
Bibidong's order was for Heavenly Dou to remain silent and wait for Spirit Hall's command to act.
But Qian Renxue's side had already clearly expressed their refusal to this order. Chrysanthemum Douluo had no choice but to take a roundabout approach, focusing his main target on Ning Fengzhi.
However, in the previous two visits, Ning Fengzhi had been evasive. This time, he was determined to get a clear answer, if only to appease Pope Crown back home.
Chrysanthemum Douluo impatiently put down his teacup: "Old Poison, I've been waiting for two hours. Is Ning Fengzhi playing games with me? Why hasn't he returned yet?"
"The Sect Master went out on business. He'll naturally return when it's done," Dugu Bo replied in a flat tone.
Chrysanthemum Douluo was taken aback by this response. He felt something was off today and squinted, looking Dugu Bo up and down: "Old Poison, what do you mean? I'm here on Pope Crown's orders."
"I know you were sent by the Pope, but what can I do if the Sect Master is out?" Dugu Bo, noticing Chrysanthemum Douluo's gaze, returned the favor in kind.
Since breaking through to level ninety-five, he had wanted to settle scores with Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo more than once, but had held back for the greater good.
Now that both Ning Fengzhi and Li Xun approved of his actions, it suited him perfectly.
However, after some thought, Dugu Bo felt he shouldn't make things too obvious, so his words still carried some restraint and didn't directly provoke.
But Chrysanthemum Douluo was no ordinary person. Having followed Bibidong for many years, he had honed his ability to read between the lines. Poison Douluo's poor act instantly put him on alert.
His mind quickly began analyzing the current situation.
Before he could come to any conclusions, he noticed Poison Douluo's unconcealed gaze and frowned: "Old Poison, what do you mean?"
"What's the matter, Juhua Guan? You can look at me, but I can't look at you?" Poison Douluo showed no fear, meeting Chrysanthemum Douluo's gaze.
For a moment, the two just stared at each other, creating a tense atmosphere around them.
After a long while, as if by mutual agreement, they both stood up simultaneously.
"Old man, I see you're deliberately picking a fight. Haven't you had enough losses in the past?" Chrysanthemum Douluo's lips curled into a cold smile.
Dugu Bo snorted coldly: "I think you're the one looking for trouble. But since you mentioned the past, why don't we go outside and try it out?"
A spark seemed to flash in their eyes. Without another word, they pushed open the window and flew out one after the other.
Outside Heavenly Dou City, the two faced off in mid-air.
"Old man, I've long known you broke through to level ninety-four in Soul Power, but if you think that's enough to be my match, you're greatly mistaken."
"Spirit Avatar." Chrysanthemum Douluo's eyes flashed coldly as a giant Marvelous Velvet Sky-Reaching Chrysanthemum bloomed in the sky.
Poison Douluo laughed loudly, his Soul Power surging as a pitch-black, dark green giant snake about twenty-five meters long appeared from the ground: "Juhua Guan, your intelligence is outdated."
With that, the giant snake's tail lashed out with a whistling sound, aiming straight for Chrysanthemum Douluo's face.
"When did you break through to level ninety-five?" Chrysanthemum Douluo was stunned as he sensed Poison Douluo's current Soul Power fluctuations. He hadn't expected the other to have made such a big improvement in just a few years.
But the current situation left no room for further thought: "I was wondering why you were acting so strange today. So you want to avenge yourself for what happened years ago. But do you think breaking through to level ninety-five is enough to defeat me?"
"Fifth Soul Skill, Gathering of Frosty Brilliance."
A sky full of petals appeared, and then a gentle breeze passed by. Chrysanthemum Douluo's figure instantly vanished from its original spot, easily avoiding the incoming attack.
Bang—
The snake's tail struck with irresistible force, scattering petals along its path with the shockwave.
"Sixth Soul Skill, Golden Stamen Overflowing Hues."
Chrysanthemum Douluo appeared behind Dugu Bo. The Marvelous Velvet Sky-Reaching Chrysanthemum slowly bloomed, and crescent-shaped petal blades flew towards Dugu Bo.
(End of Chapter)