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Just then, the doors of the Papal Palace were pushed open, and Yue Guan and Gui Mei walked in looking disheveled.
Their robes were covered in dust, and their faces were pale, clearly indicating that they had just been in a fierce battle and had suffered losses.
"Your Holiness the Pope!"
Yue Guan and Gui Mei walked up to Bibi Dong, knelt on one knee, and said to her with a hint of guilt in their voices:
"Your subordinate is incompetent and failed to complete the task you assigned. Not only did I fail to kill Xue Tianxing and Tang San, but I was also stopped by others."
Upon hearing this, Bibi Dong's previously calm gaze instantly turned icy, her tone tinged with anger, and she spoke:
"Oh? Who is so bold as to dare to block the people of my Spirit Hall?"
Yue Guan dared not hide anything and quickly recounted everything that had happened in the canyon, including encountering Liu Tianfeng, Dugu Bo, and the Serpent Spear Douluo, as well as Yu Tian's sudden appearance to stop them.
"Yu Tian?"
Upon hearing this name, Bibi Dong frowned deeply, and then continued:
"The head of the Two-Winged Angel lineage? How did he suddenly appear there and even protect Xue Tianxing?"
She was filled with doubts—Yu Tian had always been a man of few words and rarely concerned himself with outside affairs, so why would he suddenly get involved in this matter?
Could there be some connection between Xue Tianxing and Yu Tian?
"Yes, Your Holiness the Pope."
Yue Guan lowered his head and said respectfully:
"Lord Yu Tian is incredibly powerful. The two of us are no match for him. We have no choice but to retreat temporarily and return to report to you."
Bibi Dong remained silent for a long time, her gaze growing increasingly profound.
She knew that Yu Tian's appearance had disrupted her plans. With Yu Tian secretly protecting Xue Tianxing, it would likely be much more difficult to harm him again.
"Alright, you can go now."
Bibi Dong waved her hand and said in a calm tone:
"I understand about this, and I'll think of another way."
Yue Guan and Gui Mei dared not say anything more, and quickly got up, bowed and withdrew.
Silence returned to the Papal Palace. Bibi Dong sat in her chair, a complex light flickering in her eyes. Looking at Hu Liena below, she slowly spoke:
"Nana, it seems we need to change our plans. With Yu Tian protecting Xue Tianxing, it's impossible to eliminate him halfway."
Next, we must ensure his complete defeat in the finals, so that everyone knows the consequences of offending the Spirit Hall.
Hu Liena's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly said:
"Don't worry, teacher, I will definitely defeat Xue Tianxing on the field and win the championship!"
Bibi Dong nodded, a ruthless glint flashing in her eyes:
"Okay. I'll have the referees 'take care' of Barak Academy during the game, and create trouble for them whenever possible."
"I'd like to see if Xue Tianxing can still be so arrogant without external protection!"
A conspiracy surrounding the Continental Soul Master Tournament is quietly unfolding once again.
At this time, Xue Tianxing was unaware that he had become a thorn in Bibi Dong's side, and even less aware that a conspiracy against him was slowly brewing in Wuhun City.
All he knew was that he had to unleash his full potential in the upcoming finals, lead Barak Academy to victory, and prove his strength.
As the carriage wheels rolled, the participating teams finally arrived at Wuhun City.
This city, centered around the Spirit Hall, is far more magnificent than Tiandou City—its towering walls are built of pure white stone, and intricate angel patterns are carved on them. When the sunlight shines down, the entire city glows with a faint, sacred light.
The streets were bustling with pedestrians, mostly Soul Masters from all over the continent, each with an expression of anticipation for the upcoming finals.
Sitting inside the carriage, Xue Tianxing looked out the window at the scene of Wuhun City and sighed inwardly—this was the core territory of the Wuhun Hall, and also a key place in the future continental landscape.
Unbeknownst to him, Qian Renxue, disguised as Xue Qinghe, was secretly leaving the group while everyone was packing their luggage, heading towards the most central hall of the Spirit Hall.
The Hall of Worship is located at the highest point of Wuhun City. The entire hall is covered with golden glazed tiles, and a statue of a six-winged angel stands outside the hall, exuding an aura of majesty and holiness.
As soon as Qian Renxue reached the entrance of the hall, the soul master guarding the hall bowed respectfully, clearly having been notified beforehand. Inside the hall, Qian Daoliu was sitting on a stone chair in the center, resting with his eyes closed.
This Grand Elder of the Spirit Hall had snow-white hair and beard, and his body emanated unfathomable soul power fluctuations. Behind him, the faint phantom of a six-winged angel appeared.
Hearing footsteps, he slowly opened his eyes. When he saw that it was Qian Renxue, a hint of warmth flashed in his eyes, and a rare smile appeared on his face.
"Xue'er, you're finally back. How did things go with Tiandou?"
Qian Renxue had no intention of answering her grandfather's question. She quickly walked up to Qian Daoliu and asked urgently:
"Grandpa, I have something to ask you—why did the Spirit Hall send people to intercept and kill Xue Tianxing?"
On our way to Wuhun City, Yue Guan and Gui Mei suddenly attacked the Barak Academy team, targeting Xue Tianxing. If it weren't for Senior Yu Tian of the Twin-Winged Angel lineage arriving in time, Xue Tianxing would probably be in serious trouble!
Upon hearing this, Qian Daoliu's smile faded slightly. He tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest of the stone chair, pondered for a moment, and then said:
"This matter must have been ordered by Bibi Dong."
As for why she did that, I'm not quite sure either.
"But don't worry, Xue Tianxing possesses the Angelic Martial Soul, so he's essentially one of our Spirit Hall members. I'll remind Bibi Dong to stop targeting Xue Tianxing in the future."
In fact, what Qian Daoliu said was not the truth.
As the Grand Elder of the Spirit Hall, he was under the surveillance of almost every move in Spirit City. How could he not know what Bibi Dong was thinking?
Qian Daoliu knew perfectly well that the reason Bibi Dong had killed Xue Tianxing was partly because Xue Tianxing had turned Yu Xiaogang into a eunuch—Bibi Dong's old lover, whom she had kept hidden in her heart for many years, and she could not tolerate it.
On the other hand, it was also because Xue Tianxing's talent was too amazing that Bibi Dong was worried that he would become an obstacle to the Spirit Hall's unification(Destruction of Spirit Hall) of the continent in the future.
But looking at his granddaughter, Qian Daoliu ultimately chose to keep it a secret.
Qian Renxue grew up without a father, and her mother, Bibi Dong, was extremely cold towards her, even using her as a tool to achieve her ambitions.
Over the years, Qian Renxue has been trying to disguise herself and infiltrate the Tiandou Empire, all in order to gain her mother's approval.
Qian Daoliu felt sorry for his granddaughter and did not want her to know the truth that Bibi Dong had disregarded the interests of the Spirit Hall for the sake of her former lover. He also did not want to shatter the last glimmer of hope she had for her "family"—he was afraid that Qian Renxue would fall into utter despair after learning the truth.