Seeing Qianjun Douluo's arrogant and commanding demeanor, Bibi Dong clenched her scepter so tightly that her nails dug into her flesh.
A surge of anger welled up within her.
As expected—so long as the Elder Hall continued to exist, she would always be nothing more than a puppet with her hands and feet bound, unable to act freely.
Yet, Bibi Dong had no intention of openly tearing off all pretenses.
The current Pope Hall was still no match for the Elder Hall.
She understood deeply that any words spoken in anger without the backing of strength were nothing more than impotent fury.
With a heavy thud, Bibi Dong struck her scepter against the ground.
A deep, echoing sound resounded through the grand hall.
"When did the Pope's affairs require the Elder Hall's approval?"
Her voice was cold and sudden.
Clearly, this was a warning to Qianjun Douluo to mind his own business.
However, Qianjun Douluo showed not a trace of fear.
Instead, he crossed his arms and sneered,
"Heh, have you been revered for so long that you truly think yourself the sole ruler of the Spirit Hall?"
"In the end, the one who truly holds power here is still the Grand Worship."
His words were deliberate, meant to mock and provoke.
It was his way of avenging his beloved disciple, whom Bibi Dong had executed publicly.
That disciple of his had merely abducted a common woman.
It wasn't even a major issue.
His disciple was a once-in-a-century genius, while that woman?
Nothing more than a lowly commoner.
Being taken by his disciple should have been an honor for her, a fortune earned over eight lifetimes.
Yet, upon hearing of this matter, Bibi Dong had dispatched Chrysanthemum Douluo to publicly execute his disciple.
Three months had passed since then, but Qianjun Douluo's rage had not diminished in the slightest.
To him, Bibi Dong's actions had nothing to do with justice; it was a blatant challenge to both him and the Elder Hall.
Naturally, he couldn't back down.
Seeing Bibi Dong remain silent for a long while, Qianjun Douluo sneered again and issued his final threat:
"Your Holiness, if you refuse to listen to the Grand Worship, then just wait for him to come find you himself!"
With that, Qianjun Douluo's goal was achieved.
As for how Bibi Dong would respond, he didn't care.
A smirk played at the corner of his lips as he turned and walked out of the hall.
As Qianjun Douluo departed, the officials in the grand hall exchanged uneasy glances.
"This is infuriating! The Elder Hall is too much!"
"They're trampling all over the Pope Hall!"
"We must complete the selection of officials for the Balak Kingdom this time—if only to uphold our dignity!"
Several senior officials of the Pope Hall spoke out in anger.
However, more remained silent.
After all, their opponent was the far more powerful Elder Hall.
Though they served the Pope Hall, most were merely seeking a stable position in life.
Getting caught up in the internal struggle between the Pope and the Elder Hall wasn't worth the risk.
At that moment, Elder Ghost, his dark eyes sunken and eerie, stepped forward and bowed.
"Your Holiness, in my opinion, there is no need to pay any heed to the Elder Hall."
"If the Worshipers dare to intervene directly, our Pope Hall is not to be trifled with!"
Bibi Dong glanced at Elder Ghost but gave no response.
Instead, she turned to Ye Tian and asked flatly,
"Xiao Tian, do you have any countermeasures?"
Hearing his name called in such a formal setting, Ye Tian was slightly surprised.
Of course, he had a plan, but with so many eyes and ears in the grand hall, revealing it prematurely would render it ineffective.
"I think Elder Ghost's suggestion is quite reasonable."
Ye Tian offered a slight bow and responded casually.
His words immediately drew Elder Ghost's gaze, to which Ye Tian simply responded with a faint smile.
Elder Ghost's expression darkened.
He had only spoken in anger—his words weren't meant to be taken seriously.
If the Worshipers truly decided to intervene, the Pope Hall wouldn't stand a chance against them.
If Bibi Dong really acted upon his words, it would only result in humiliation for the Pope Hall.
Yet, once spoken, words were like spilled water—impossible to take back.
This left Elder Ghost feeling rather uneasy.
He could only hope that someone else would step forward to offer Bibi Dong a better plan.
But after waiting for some time, no one did.
Seeing this, Elder Ghost let out a quiet sigh.
If this discussion had been about general affairs of the Spirit Hall, the room would have been filled with loud debates by now.
Yet, despite the many officials present, how many were truly loyal to Bibi Dong?
"It seems Elder Ghost's strategy is quite sound. You are all dismissed."
Bibi Dong's expression remained authoritative as she waved her hand.
Then, after sharing a meaningful glance with Ye Tian, she turned and walked toward the rear hall.
"We respectfully see Your Holiness off!"
The officials in the hall bowed in unison.
Ye Tian, amidst the crowd, naturally noticed Bibi Dong's glance.
He knew she wanted him to stay behind for further discussion.
So, he deliberately slowed his steps, letting the other officials leave first.
To his surprise, Hu Liena and Elder Ghost had done the same.
Hu Liena playfully walked up to him, wrapping her arms around his left arm and whispering with a teasing smile,
"I saw the look Teacher gave you just now. Seems like she has something important to discuss with you."
She pouted slightly and murmured,
"Ever since Teacher started treating you like a younger brother, she never discusses important matters with me anymore."
"Sigh… I guess the Saintess has become a mere bystander now."
Ye Tian chuckled and lightly flicked her delicate nose.
"How about you take over my work, then?"
Hu Liena immediately pouted in protest, then smirked mischievously,
"I think it's better if you handle it, dear husband—I wouldn't be able to manage it."
"Ahem."
A dry cough interrupted them from a short distance away.
Ye Tian looked up and saw Elder Ghost still standing there.
"Elder Ghost, do you need something?" Ye Tian asked.
Elder Ghost gave an awkward smile, scratched his head, and said,
"Apologies for interrupting your little love scene."
He then pulled Ye Tian aside and spoke in a low voice,
"What I said earlier was just to provoke discussion."
"I didn't expect it to become the final decision."
"The Elder Hall currently holds the upper hand over the Pope Hall. Please, Ye Tian, persuade Her Holiness not to engage in open conflict just for the sake of pride."
Ye Tian nodded in agreement.
"Elder Ghost, your concerns are well thought out. I'll make sure to convey them to Her Holiness."
In truth, even if Elder Ghost hadn't come to him, Ye Tian had already planned to reject his suggestion.
Directly clashing with the Elder Hall would be reckless.
"Thank you."
Elder Ghost bowed slightly in gratitude, relief evident on his face.
Had he gone to Bibi Dong himself to retract his statement, it would have been as good as slapping his own face.
Though he and Bibi Dong were quite familiar, and she wouldn't punish him for it, the sheer embarrassment of it was something he preferred to avoid.
(End of Chapter)