A few days later…
The moon hung high, its pale light filtering weakly through the latticed windows of Spirit Hall. The corridors leading to the Pope's Hall were eerily quiet, guarded yet hollow.
Finding an opportunity when Qian Xunji's most trusted attendants were absent. Bibi Dong moved like a shadow, her steps soundless, her destination: the secret chamber behind the Pope's Hall.
But what she did not know was that another pair of eyes lingered in the distance, watching her every step.
---
The secret chamber was suffocatingly still. Faint torches lined the walls, their flames flickering low, casting jagged shadows that crawled across the stone floor. A heavy smell of blood, herbs, and faint rot filled the air, evidence of treatments that had failed.
Bibi Dong walked deeper. At the end of the chamber, she found the person she was looking for Qian Xunji.
The once-majestic Pope of Spirit Hall now lay on a bed of silken sheets, his robes loose and crumpled, his complexion pallid. Bandages wrapped around his chest and arms, but beneath them his skin was marked by faint, blackened veins, as if some malignant energy gnawed at him from within.
Even in his weakness, his golden eyes still burned with venom and pride.
He stirred at her presence, his gaze narrowing."So… it's you," he said, his voice hoarse but laced with authority. "Why are you here, Bibi Dong?"
Bibi Dong's lips twisted in disdain. Her voice was cold, almost trembling from years of suppressed hatred."I came to collect my debt."
Her aura surged. The sickly-sweet stench of death filled the chamber as her Martial Soul: Death Spider Emperor emerged behind her, its grotesque form flickering with a sinister glow. Eight sharp, glistening spider legs burst from her back, each dripping with lethal poison.
Qian Xunji's eyes hardened. In his weakened state, his body protested as he forced spirit power to circulate. His fifth spirit ring shone dimly, and in his grasp materialized a radiant golden blade.
"5th Soul Skill: Holy Sword."
Even half-dead, the aura released by a Level 95 Super Douluo was not weak. The sacred aura of the sword filled the chamber, clashing violently with Bibi Dong's deathly miasma.
"You wouldn't dare," he spat, raising the blade toward her as if purposely trying to make her angry. "Without me, without Spirit Hall, what would you even be? A stray picked from an unknown village. Don't forget who gave you everything!"
Bibi Dong's eyes blazed with fury. She lunged forward, her spider legs striking with blinding speed.
Shhk! Shhk!
The golden sword swung, but his weakened body was too slow. Her spider legs pierced his wrists and ankles, pinning him like a specimen to the bed. Qian Xunji gasped in pain, blood staining the sheets, but his pride forced him to grit his teeth.
Bibi Dong leaned closer, her voice dripping with venom."Shameless monster. You speak of giving me everything? All you gave me were chains. You ruined my future, my very soul."
Qian Xunji sneered despite his agony"And yet, here you are. This is your destiny, Bibi Dong. My possession, my woman. You will never free yourself."
Her face twisted in hatred, and for a moment her spider legs pressed deeper, making him wince."You dare speak of destiny? No. You are nothing but rot.. Do you know what it feels like to live every day remembering your filth crawling under my skin? You are not a Pope… you are a beast in human skin."
Qian Xunji chuckled darkly, blood spilling from his lips."Beast? Perhaps. But even beasts… mark what is theirs."
The words sent a shiver down her spine—not of fear, but of revulsion so deep it almost drowned her reason.
Her grip tightened, and for a moment, it seemed as though she would pierce his heart.
Just as Bibi Dong was about to stab her right hand through his chest—ready to let the Death Spider Emperor devour both body and soul—
BOOM!
The heavy stone doors of the secret chamber blasted open with a thunderous crash. Blinding golden light surged in, forcing both Qian Xunji and Bibi Dong to squint.
From the entrance stepped two figures, their auras like blazing suns against the suffocating darkness of the chamber.
Qian Daoliu, his Seraphim Martial Soul already released angelic wings spread wide, golden radiance cascading like a divine waterfall.Qian Renxue, copied most of Qian Daoliu's release with use of her 3rd Soul skill- Illusion.
The oppressive light clashed against the dark, poisonous aura of the Death Spider Emperor, causing the chamber walls to tremble.
For a moment, the silence was deafening.
Bibi Dong's gaze hardened. Her spider legs twitched dangerously, and her right hand clenched tighter—ready to plunge into Qian Xunji's chest regardless of the interruption. Her instincts screamed that she would rather fight to the death than back down.
Just as the atmosphere was about to erupt into battle, Qian Renxue's voice cut through.
"Saint Lady, while I stand with you on the truth—that Pope Qian Xunji deserves punishment—why don't you hear what we have to say first?"
Her voice was calm, layered with subtle authority.
Bibi Dong's eyes widened ever so slightly. 'She knows…?'
Her gaze darted toward Qian Daoliu, searching for denial or anger. But the High Priest's face remained an unmoving mask, cold and unreadable, though his clenched fists betrayed his struggle.