When Bibi Dong spoke, her tone was ice-cold, as if the worshipers were already meat on the chopping block.
However, in reality, within the Pope Hall, the only one capable of matching the Seven Worshipers was likely Bibi Dong herself.
It had been a long time since she last took action, and no one truly knew her current strength.
Even Ye Tian could only speculate that Bibi Dong had already stepped into the ranks of Super Douluo.
As for her true power, he wasn't entirely sure.
Standing to the side, Hu Liena was hearing for the first time that Bibi Dong intended to take action against the Elder Hall.
Her heart suddenly pounded, and she murmured,
"The Seven Worshipers have known each other since their youth, and their friendship has lasted nearly a hundred years."
"Trying to sow discord is impossible... The only option left is force."
At this point, Hu Liena abruptly shut her mouth.
To be honest, as part of the Spirit Hall's Golden Generation, the Seven Worshipers had always treated her fairly well.
In her impression, they could even barely be considered grandfathers to her.
However, as she grew older, she became aware of the conflict between the Elder Hall and the Pope Hall.
To avoid displeasing Bibi Dong, she had distanced herself from the Seven Worshipers.
She had originally thought that the conflict between the Pope Hall and the Elder Hall was just a family dispute over inheritance.
She never imagined that the internal strife would escalate to a battle of life and death.
Seeing the disbelief in Hu Liena's eyes, Bibi Dong realized that involving her in this matter might be too cruel.
She patted Hu Liena's shoulder and said,
"I've assigned you the mission to go to the Barak Kingdom. Go and carry it out immediately."
"Ye Tian and I can handle things here."
However, Hu Liena stubbornly shook her head.
"No, Teacher. I want to stay."
"Please rest assured, I will always stand by your side."
Hu Liena knew that since her teacher had made this decision, there was no avoiding it.
The only thing she could do was silently accept it.
After all, her teacher's kindness to her was unmatched.
That kindness was enough for her to give up her life in return.
Seeing Hu Liena's firm decision to stay, Bibi Dong revealed a rare, loving smile and gently stroked Hu Liena's soft hair.
"It seems you've truly grown up. My care for you wasn't in vain."
Despite saying this, Bibi Dong understood that deep inside, Hu Liena was struggling and hesitant.
But this was the cruel reality of political and power struggles.
Forget longtime friends—even blood-related brothers could only have one survivor when power was involved.
As the Pope's successor, this was a lesson Hu Liena had to learn.
To wear the crown, one must bear its weight!
The path of power was not paved with flowers, only with blood and bones.
Unlike Hu Liena, whose expression changed several times in a short span, Ye Tian remained much calmer.
It wasn't that his emotions were unaffected—he simply concealed them well.
After their conversation two days ago, Ye Tian knew that Bibi Dong was brewing a storm in her heart.
He was well aware that, though Bibi Dong sometimes showed fatigue and vulnerability in front of him, deep down, she was incredibly strong.
Bibi Dong slowly raised her gaze and looked at Ye Tian, asking softly,
"Xiao Tian, which Worshiper should we target first?"
Ye Tian pondered for a moment before locking eyes with Bibi Dong.
"Qianjun Douluo."
"Oh?" Bibi Dong raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
Recently, Qianjun Douluo had been at the center of the conflict with the Spirit Hall.
She thought for a moment and asked,
"Should we not be concerned that Qian Daoliu will become suspicious afterward?"
Ye Tian confidently tapped the table and leaned toward Bibi Dong.
"I have a way to divert Qian Daoliu's attention—at least for two months."
"Two months is more than enough time for us to eliminate two Worshipers."
Hu Liena's heart trembled.
"Ye Tian, are you saying… you plan to take down both Qianjun Douluo and Jiang Long Douluo?"
"That's right," Ye Tian replied bluntly.
"I've been observing these past few days. Qianjun Douluo is determined to avenge his disciple and interferes with any matter related to the Pope Hall."
"Such behavior is irrational, giving us the perfect opportunity to act."
"And Jiang Long Douluo is Qianjun Douluo's younger brother. Their bond is unbreakable."
"If something happens to Qianjun Douluo, Jiang Long Douluo will be the first to rush to his aid."
"As long as we control the timing of the information, we can take them down in succession."
After listening to Ye Tian's explanation, Hu Liena's face paled.
She couldn't believe how casually they decided the life and death of two Super Douluo.
Was the struggle for power really this cruel?
For a moment, Hu Liena felt lost.
Seeing his disciple's stiff expression, Bibi Dong secretly sighed.
This lesson was something Hu Liena had to experience and understand on her own.
No one could help her.
Mercy towards the enemy was cruelty to oneself.
She only hoped that Hu Liena would come to understand this.
Ye Tian also noticed that his wife was struggling to accept this harsh reality.
He walked over to Hu Liena and embraced her.
"Don't overthink. We will minimize bloodshed as much as possible."
Then, Ye Tian gestured.
"Come, take the Holy Maiden back to rest."
Two cold-faced maids in pale yellow palace robes approached immediately.
Only those absolutely loyal to Bibi Dong could remain by her side.
The two maids stood beside Hu Liena and turned to Bibi Dong, awaiting her final command.
"Take her to my room to rest," Bibi Dong waved her hand.
Only then did the two maids bow and gently support Hu Liena.
"Your Holiness, please follow us."
"I can walk by myself," Hu Liena said stubbornly, her eyes red, as if she could burst into tears at any moment.
She then got up and walked ahead of the maids, leaving the study.
Watching her disciple's departing figure, Bibi Dong's expression softened with a hint of sorrow.
"To be honest, I really don't want her to go through all this."
"The Seven Worshipers may be my sworn enemies, but they have treated her well… The betrayal of emotions is the most painful thing."
Once the study's door was closed again, Bibi Dong turned back to Ye Tian.
"What's your plan?"
Ye Tian pulled out a book detailing the power distribution of the Pope Hall and Elder Hall.
After flipping through it for a while, he finally found the page he was looking for.
Pointing at it, he said,
"The key lies here."
Bibi Dong followed his gaze and saw that it was an introduction to the Elephant Armored Sect, the strongest of the lower four sects.
Ye Tian said calmly,
"Qianjun Douluo has a deep connection with the Elephant Armored Sect."
"And if I'm not mistaken, the entire sect is already under your control, isn't it?"
"That's right."
Bibi Dong admitted without hesitation.
"Over the years, I've secretly supported both the Elephant Armored Clan and the Flame Leopard Sect, hoping they would grow strong enough to challenge the upper three sects."
"But in the end, they turned out to be nothing but useless mud that can't stick to the wall."
"Still, they're better than nothing. At least they are among the few forces I can fully control."
(End of Chapter)