Chapter 486: Secrets of the Past
"Don't worry, this time I won't leave."
Dai Yao's words resonated in Bibi Dong's heart like a muffled thunder, flooding her with a warmth as intense as a volcanic eruption, filling every corner of her once broken and desolate heart.
Her heart, riddled with wounds and devoid of life, suddenly stirred back to life.
"I... I will never let you leave again..." Bibi Dong murmured, her voice trembling.
Her beautiful eyes stayed fixed on Dai Yao, as if afraid he might disappear.
Dai Yao's hand was resting around Bibi Dong's waist, but he felt a bit stiff. Moving his hand upwards would bring him into contact with her smooth back, while moving it downwards would inevitably touch her round, raised hips.
Bibi Dong was his close friend, but wasn't this posture a bit too intimate? No matter which direction he moved, it wouldn't be appropriate.
Dai Yao glanced at the blood-seeping wound on Bibi Dong's chest and, clearing his throat, said, "You should sit up first and use your soul power to heal your wound."
To his surprise, Bibi Dong nodded obediently, then directed her soul power to heal her wound. The bloody hole in her chest began closing at a pace visible to the naked eye.
This was the current Pope of the Spirit Hall, who would soon be the ruler of the entire continent, yet here she was, showing such a gentle side in front of him. It was truly unbelievable.
In the original story, Bibi Dong was known for her unyielding nature and absolute authority, with no one daring to contradict her. The events in the secret chamber had deeply scarred her, making her actions domineering. Only Yu Xiaogang could influence her, if only slightly.
But now, a single suggestion from him made her follow his lead. The experience stirred a subtle sense of satisfaction in Dai Yao.
He quickly banished this feeling. He had been fortunate to reach Bibi Dong's wounded heart, to gain her trust and dependence. How could he let himself grow complacent because of that? If he acted as though Bibi Dong was his possession, it would be disrespectful.
He would only feel unworthy for her.
Under Dai Yao's gaze, Bibi Dong's wound gradually healed, her fair skin restored to flawless smoothness, as white as freshly fallen snow.
The sight was rather dazzling, especially her high, alluring curves. Although Dai Yao had been through this scenario countless times, and should have been used to it by now, he remembered that they were merely friends. Covering his eyes, he turned his head away, determined to avoid anything inappropriate.
"Please put something over yourself!" Dai Yao urged.
Hearing this, a deep tenderness appeared in Bibi Dong's eyes. Dai Yao's respectful behavior made her feel an unexpected joy and relief.
She gently moved his hand away from his eyes and said softly, "It's alright, the tear in my clothes isn't that big, so nothing is showing. And even if it is you looking, I don't mind."
Dai Yao opened his eyes slowly, looking into Bibi Dong's warm gaze, as if seeing a youthful girl, full of life, who trusted him completely.
"Thank you."
Dai Yao paused, then replied heavily.
Bibi Dong smiled. She hadn't smiled like that in years.
Holding Dai Yao's hand, she led him to the steps below the Pope's throne, her high heels echoing with a hint of joy.
"Let's sit here," she said, looking back. Her long hair, free of the purple-gold crown, cascaded down like a waterfall, her smile radiant.
Her face, shut away from joy for decades, was now aglow with warmth, like a flower blooming under the morning sun—vibrant and full of life.
Dai Yao nodded.
The two sat on the steps. Usually, all the bishops and elders would have to stand below, looking up at the cold and distant Pope. None of them would have imagined that Bibi Dong could look so happy.
She didn't sit on the Pope's throne, symbolizing her power and status as well as her painful past. Instead, she chose to sit on the floor beside him, as though a few rays of sunlight had penetrated her inner darkness.
"Now, tell me, what happened in these past years? Why did you let the soul beast hidden in the Temple of Worship go?" Dai Yao asked, looking into Bibi Dong's eyes.
Bibi Dong hesitated, then relaxed, leaning against Dai Yao as her gaze turned distant.
"After you left, I read the letter you left for me and understood the hidden truth within it."
"At the time, I wanted to kill Lion Douluo directly. Even though he had the Temple of Worship's protection, I was confident I could eliminate him. But just as I was about to act, someone made me change my mind."
At that time, the Spirit Hall was already on the verge of war with the two empires, and Bibi Dong had been preparing for a long time. But if she attacked the Temple of Worship preemptively, it would be tantamount to self-destruction.
If the Spirit Hall's two main factions turned on each other, it would greatly weaken its power, and war would no longer be possible.
This decision was nothing short of madness, typical of Bibi Dong.
However, her next words shocked Dai Yao. Someone had actually persuaded Bibi Dong to change her mind, a nearly impossible feat.
He knew her character well; she was the type to go through with things to the bitter end. Once she set her mind to something, she wouldn't back down easily. For someone to make her change her decision, they had to be incredibly powerful. Frowning, he asked, "A person? Who was it?"
A flicker of heaviness passed through Bibi Dong's gaze.
"Golden Crocodile Douluo."
Dai Yao's heart skipped a beat.
Golden Crocodile Douluo, the second consecration of the Temple of Worship, a level-98 powerhouse. His strength was among the best on the continent. If Golden Crocodile Douluo had blocked Bibi Dong, her decision to spare Lion Douluo made sense.
But why would Golden Crocodile Douluo step in to protect Lion Douluo?
"What connection is there between Golden Crocodile Douluo and Lion Douluo? Why did your attempt on Lion Douluo's life end up involving him?"
Bibi Dong's expression darkened slightly, shedding the warmth of moments earlier and reverting to the cold Pope she was known to be.
"Do you remember the day of the Heaven Dou Palace upheaval? The Temple of Worship had supposedly sent Golden Crocodile Douluo to block the road to Clear Sky Sect, preventing them from coming down the mountain, but the five titled Douluos of Clear Sky Sect still appeared in Heaven Dou City, causing our plans to fall through?"
"Of course I remember."
A shadow crossed Dai Yao's face. If Clear Sky Sect hadn't suddenly appeared, the coup would never have failed. He wouldn't have been dragged into the conflict with Qian Renxue, which eventually led to his fallout with Bibi Dong.
In some sense, the direct cause of his departure from Spirit Hall was the failed Heaven Dou Palace coup, a failure brought about by Golden Crocodile Douluo's inability to contain Clear Sky Sect's forces.
"If I recall correctly, Golden Crocodile Douluo was said to have been ambushed by a mysterious figure, seriously injured, and barely made it back to Spirit City. This allowed Clear Sky Sect to intervene, and our coup attempt failed. But wasn't the mysterious figure reportedly a level-99 powerhouse?" Dai Yao recalled.
Bibi Dong spoke with a heavy tone: "You're correct. Back then, we all believed that the person who injured Golden Crocodile was Tang Chen."
"But later on, I discovered a few inexplicable doubts about this matter."
"What doubts?" Dai Yao asked.
"First, although Tang Chen is indeed a Level 99 peerless Douluo, Golden Crocodile is still a Level 98 Douluo and hardly defenseless. How could he have been beaten so badly that he couldn't even send out a message?"
"Our Spirit Hall has branches all across the continent. How could he not have had an opportunity to communicate? It's impossible that he didn't understand the critical importance of Clear Sky Sect's re-emergence to Spirit Hall."
"This would change the entire power structure of the continent!"
"If you had received this information, you wouldn't have been caught unprepared in Heaven Dou City, and we certainly wouldn't have only dispatched Serpent Spear and Porcupinefish Douluos. While the coup plan might still have failed, it wouldn't have been so disastrous, forcing you and Xue Qinghe to flee for thousands of miles."
"I even suspect that Golden Crocodile Douluo intentionally withheld this information."
"Furthermore, if that mysterious figure really was Tang Chen, he would have known the second consecrator's identity. Injuring the second consecrator would mean forming an irreconcilable enmity with the Temple of Worship, leading to a full-scale war between Clear Sky Sect and the Temple. For a sect that had been in hiding for so many years, such a conflict would be disastrous."
"Tang Chen, though domineering, would never act without considering Clear Sky Sect's well-being."
"And most importantly, if Tang Chen had truly decided to declare war on Spirit Hall, he wouldn't have spared the second consecrator. He would have killed him outright."
"Then if it wasn't Tang Chen, who else could have injured the second consecrator? If there really is such a powerful figure, it's unlikely that we in Spirit Hall wouldn't know of them. But we truly know nothing. This raises the possibility that Golden Crocodile Douluo is lying!"
"Though I can't determine Golden Crocodile's motives, considering the fourth consecrator's aim to drive you out of Spirit Hall and his intent to ally with soul beasts, Golden Crocodile's actions seem to support the fourth consecrator's goal."
Bibi Dong's gaze fixed sharply on Dai Yao. Though she stopped speaking, her meaning was crystal clear.
Golden Crocodile Douluo and Lion Douluo were working together!
Dai Yao felt as if a bomb had gone off in his mind!
Two of the Temple of Worship's consecrators, one of the highest sanctums for human soul masters, had been infiltrated by soul beasts. It was unbelievable! And not just any consecrators—this involved Lion Douluo, the fourth consecrator, and Golden Crocodile Douluo, second only to Qian Daoliu!
"If this is true, we're in deep trouble."
Dai Yao muttered to himself, sinking into thought.
Although Bibi Dong's reasoning process might be flawed, her conclusion had some merit.
As far as he knew, besides Qian Daoliu, only two individuals on the continent at that time could have injured Golden Crocodile Douluo.
One was Tang Chen, and the other was Di Tian.
But Tang Chen was ruling the City of Slaughter, claiming his title as Hell's King. It seemed impossible for him to have left the city… Or perhaps, Dai Yao wondered, his presence had triggered a butterfly effect, causing Tang Chen to awaken earlier. Still, that possibility seemed slim.
Di Tian was a more plausible culprit, as this could very well be a soul beast conspiracy meant to drive him into a corner. It wouldn't be surprising if Di Tian took action.
But then, why had Golden Crocodile Douluo returned severely injured?
If Di Tian had truly appeared, Golden Crocodile would have felt his superior power immediately. Knowing he couldn't stop Clear Sky Sect's descent, he could have retreated, acknowledging mission failure. Furthermore, with five of Clear Sky Sect's titled Douluos present, if Golden Crocodile were injured by Di Tian, his life would have been in jeopardy!
Thus, it would have been wise for him to withdraw as soon as he identified Di Tian.
Yet Golden Crocodile had not only returned seriously wounded but also failed to mention Clear Sky Sect at all during subsequent questioning.
This was inconsistent with Dai Yao's deductions.
And even if Clear Sky Sect had refrained from chasing a critically injured Level 98 Douluo out of caution, fearing he might retaliate, why would Di Tian, having injured him, then let him escape?
According to Golden Crocodile, he was utterly outmatched by his mysterious opponent.
In other words, Di Tian could have killed him outright!
But if Di Tian's aim was to allow Clear Sky Sect's forces to descend, a display of overwhelming strength would have sufficed to compel Golden Crocodile to withdraw. Why go so far as to injure him critically?
Thinking further, if the goal was secrecy, wouldn't letting Golden Crocodile go risk leaking information anyway?
The best way to keep a secret is through silence.
Killing Golden Crocodile Douluo would have been the best way to ensure confidentiality. Di Tian would have understood this but still let him go.
The more Dai Yao speculated, the more doubts arose. Each individual inconsistency might not matter, and on their own, the points seemed unrelated. But in Dai Yao's analysis, the pieces started connecting, gradually converging on one person.
Golden Crocodile Douluo!
Di Tian injuring Golden Crocodile was likely a staged act!
Golden Crocodile's departure from Clear Sky Sect had simply provided a plausible cover!
"Although Bibi Dong's reasoning process was mistaken, her conclusion might actually be correct. Golden Crocodile Douluo is also a soul beast, the very soul beast hidden deep within the Temple of Worship!"
"No wonder Lion Douluo dared to reveal his identity to me so fearlessly—they had a backup plan!"
"Even if I chose to go down with Lion Douluo, the soul beasts wouldn't suffer significant losses. And Lion Douluo, by exposing his identity so openly, appeared trustworthy enough to win anyone over..."
"But that supposed sincerity was just an act!"
Suddenly, everything made sense to Dai Yao!
All those minor inconsistencies now stood out in his mind, flashing with clarity. Each previously unexplainable anomaly now made perfect sense in light of these deductions.
There's no such thing as so many coincidences!
Dai Yao's expression turned cold. After a prolonged silence, he finally smiled, muttering with a hint of dark amusement, a black flame seeming to ignite within his golden pupils.
"Well done… Turns out they've been treating me like a puppet all along!"
As Bibi Dong looked on in shock, Dai Yao's golden hair slowly turned an intense black, seeming to absorb all light around him.
His once-golden pupils darkened as well.
Dai Yao's entire aura transformed, and the slight curve of his mouth now conveyed an eerie, chilling presence.
"Yes, they've toyed with us long enough. Now, it's time for them to pay the price."
The relaxation on Bibi Dong's face vanished instantly, and the imperious queen returned. She sprang up, her nine spirit rings circling her body, her Pope's scepter aimed at Dai Yao. Her voice was sharp and icy with suspicion:
"Who are you?! Where is Dai Yao?!"
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