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"Are you saying… in the end, I have to… completely give myself to… Dai Chengfeng?"
Bibi Dong, clinging to her last shred of hope, asked uncertainly.
This answer, which she had vaguely guessed but always refused and dared not deeply contemplate, was now revealed by the Rakshasa God in such a straightforward manner.
It made the Pope, who was accustomed to controlling everything, feel an unusual sense of panic in her heart.
The shadow of the Rakshasa God twisted slightly.
"Otherwise, what?"
The Rakshasa God's counter-question was simple, direct, and even carried an air of obviousness. "Bibi Dong, let me ask you again. Do you really think inheriting a god position is a child's play?"
"To maintain so-called dignity and bottom lines while effortlessly gaining supreme power."
"Do you think that's possible?"
"But..."
Bibi Dong instinctively wanted to refute; she wanted to say that wasn't their previous intimacy considered a form of sacrifice?
She wanted to ask why the rules couldn't be different?
But thousands of words were stuck in her throat, ultimately turning into a single sentence of resistant struggle: "No…"
"No?"
The voice of the Rakshasa God suddenly turned cold, and the temperature in the secret chamber seemed to drop instantly to freezing point. That sinister presence pressed down on Bibi Dong like a tangible force.
"Then fail the divine trial."
These few simple words hit Bibi Dong's heart like a heavy hammer.
She knew all too well the cost of failure, which she could not bear. After all, to achieve her goals, she had to become a god.
Seemingly sensing Bibi Dong's momentary wavering, the tone of the Rakshasa God took on a hint of seduction.
"Bibi Dong, this god is helping you, for your own good."
"As long as you can successfully complete this fifth trial, fully accept this 'destiny,' your connection with the Asura God's Power will truly stabilize, and your future potential will be limitless."
"Cross this hurdle, and the sky will be the limit. The position in the God Realm awaits."
The words of the Rakshasa God were filled with temptation. "Do you want to cling to your meaningless persistence, lose everything, and even pay a more painful price?"
"Or put down your burdens, embrace power, and stride toward supremacy?"
"The choice is yours."
The voice of the Rakshasa God gradually became ethereal, and the blurred shadow began to dissipate. "Think it over yourself."
Before the words faded, the eerie glow on the altar completely dimmed, the wriggling runes on the walls returned to silence, and the suffocating evil aura in the secret chamber receded like a tide.
Only Bibi Dong remained, standing alone, her mind in chaos.
The Rakshasa God left her no room for negotiation, only presenting a brutal either-or choice.
"No…"
Bibi Dong muttered to herself, but this time, her voice lacked the previous resolve, carrying more confusion and struggle.
She slowly walked out of the secret chamber and returned to the brightly lit bedchamber.
The lavish decorations and warm lights could not dispel the unease in her heart.
She dismissed all the servants and sat alone in front of the dressing table, looking at the reflection of her still stunningly beautiful face, yet tinged with an unmasked fatigue and bewilderment.
Really… no other way?
She repeatedly questioned herself in her heart.
Between her and Dai Chengfeng, from initial use and testing, to later habit and closeness, and now… the complex and indescribable emotional entanglement had long surpassed the simple relationship of master and disciple or collaborators.
Dai Chengfeng's forceful entry not only disrupted her plans but also cast a huge stone into her frozen heart lake.
She admitted that Dai Chengfeng's kisses and embraces could already make her heart race and her body react.
She enjoyed the feeling of being needed and loved, making her feel no longer like the aloof, lonely and icy Pope, but a woman with flesh and blood, with desires.
So, what was she hesitating about?
Was it the master-disciple relationship?
Indeed, she was his teacher, and he was her disciple.
But in this world where strength was paramount, on the path to pursuing godhood, was this identity so insurmountable?
Moreover, they had already crossed many boundaries, leaving only the final self-deceptive line of defense.
Was it the age gap?
She was indeed much older than Dai Chengfeng, and even her daughter Qian Renxue was several years older than him.
This had been a difficult-to-mention thorn in her heart.
But for soul masters, especially for someone pursuing godhood like her, did age really matter?
After a hundred or a thousand years, would this difference mean anything?
Was it the lingering attachment to Yu Xiaogang, which had long soured but still left traces?
No, Bibi Dong shook her head vigorously.
Yu Xiaogang was the past. How could that weak man, who couldn't protect her, compare with the strong, aggressive, and secure Dai Chengfeng who brought her pleasure?
One by one, reasons were proposed and then refuted by herself.
She realized that her so-called "no" was more like a psychological barrier formed over a long time, an instinctive resistance to completely letting go and giving her body and soul entirely.
She was used to control, used to hiding her true self...
Even facing Dai Chengfeng, with whom her relationship had become so intimate, she still retained her last bit of territory.
But now, the Rakshasa God tied this multiple-choice question directly to her most desired inheritance of godhood.
Giving up her resistance might gain her power and complete the divine trial.
Holding onto her bottom line would inevitably lead to failure and even worse consequences.
The balance between the two options was starkly uneven.
Unconsciously, the figure of Dai Chengfeng floated into Bibi Dong's mind.
His handsome face, his aggressive kisses, his smug and lazy smile, his undisguised possessiveness toward her…
Even recalling his occasional display of maturity beyond his years and unique care for her.
"I... seem to not dislike him, even..."
Bibi Dong whispered to her reflection in the mirror, admitting softly, "I somewhat like him, right?"
Since her heart wasn't entirely repelled, and there was even some affection, why continue to gamble her future and life on that pointless dignity and outdated psychological barriers?
The Rakshasa God's words, though harsh, perhaps...
Indeed gave her a way out, an excuse to convince herself to put down all burdens and follow her true inner desires.
"For the divine trial... for power..."
She kept telling herself, as if this could make the upcoming decision seem more justified.
Struggle, entanglement, bewilderment... various complex emotions intertwined and collided in her eyes.
Ultimately, all hesitation gradually gave way to determination.
That pair of beautiful purple eyes once again shone with the sharpness and resolve of Pope Bibi Dong.
She had figured it out.
Since there was no avoiding it, since her heart was inclined, then there was no need to hesitate any further.
Rather than passively waiting for the judgment of the rules, it was better to take the initiative and bring everything under her control.
This last step was not submission, but a choice made by her, Bibi Dong...
Actively!
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