"Second Young Master shouldn't still be here, right?"
Bibi Dong continued walking toward the palace. "Whether he's here or not doesn't matter. If we bring back Qian Renxue, he'll show himself."
At this moment, she had completely abandoned her plans to unify the continent. With the two titled Douluo's reports, Qian Renfeng's power had reached a terrifying level. No wonder she halted the Divine Trial to come personally.
It wasn't just Renxue's talent that concerned her—it was Renfeng's growth. Only fourteen years old, yet he defeated two Titled Douluo and earned their respect. At this rate, even if he didn't achieve godhood, the Spirit Hall's future would slip from her grasp.
So she brought her full strength to Tiandou City to kill Qian Renfeng. Tigers don't eat their cubs…but spiders do.
The three approached the palace. Ghost Douluo chuckled softly, and they vanished within seconds. The guards only sensed a shift in the air—no visible intruders.
Crown Prince's East Palace
Here, only Xue Qinghe and her servants were allowed. Even the guards couldn't enter without imperial summons. Besides Xue Qinghe, Porcupine Douluo stood guard.
"Your Highness, shall we urgently request a Spirit Hall Titled Douluo?" he asked anxiously.
"If they're targeting you, you'd be in danger," he warned.
Xue Qinghe shook her head. "No. The more reinforcements I bring, the greater the risk of exposure. Besides, I'm not necessarily their target."
Porcupine Douluo was about to argue, but Xue Qinghe cut him off: "Let's instead prepare to replace all the palace guards with our own."
The palace's corridors were brightly lit, patrolled by double the usual guards. Tiandou City was unstable since a royal guest had been wounded. In such times, palace security must be tighter.
Tiny spiders scuttled out from masonry cracks. Guards stomped them flat:
"What's with all these spiders tonight? The cleaning staff must've slacked off."
"Over there—step on them!" Another guard stomped a spider before three black figures slipped in behind them, heading straight for the East Palace.
Inside, Xue Qinghe was studying palace plans, marking layout and guard locations.
"Piglet Herald—"
She was about to direct a guard, but he silently pressed a finger to his lips. Xue Qinghe instantly recognized the warning, folding the plans and straightening her robes.
Something's here—someone important, maybe even the Snow Night Emperor.
At the door, three figures appeared: a woman flanked by two Titled Douluo.
"Xue'er, are you here? Mommy's come to get you~" The voice was a mocking maternal tone.
Qian Renxue visibly bristled and stepped behind the Porcupine Douluo.
The door creaked open. Three entered.
The central figure, wearing black robes, was none other than Spirit Hall's leader, Pope Bibi Dong.
Qian Renxue sneered. "What do you want? This is the Tiandou Imperial Palace. How dare the Spirit Hall's Pope show up uninvited?"
Bibi Dong smiled warmly. "I didn't come alone," she said with a gesture; the two Douluo behind her were unmistakable.
"And why am I here? To see you, of course~"
Renxue's eyes flashed. "I have no interest in seeing you. If there's nothing else, go back to your temple."
Bibi Dong chuckled. "There's something I need your help with."
"Your younger brother...he has progressed remarkably. His Soul Power must be around 96th level by now, right?"
"I want to see his strength—if he can protect himself, then I can rest easy."
Renxue scoffed. "You want to test him? Go to the Shrine of Tributes! He isn't here."
Her tone remained cold and composed—but only until Bibi Dong stood before her. Thoughts tangled, emotional responses flared. Having been raised by her grandfather and trained to infiltrate the empire, she nonetheless faltered before the Pope.
"I did look for him," Bibi Dong said smoothly. "On my first day here, I went to that small building in the Inner Courtyard. The two strong Douluo said his favorite was that maple tree?"
"I saw the tree—it was beautiful. So I had it uprooted," she added, chuckling. "Poison Douluo Du Gubo was nearby, so naturally, I severely injured him. Heh heh heh."
Her voice turned earnest. "Xiaoxue, can you do me a favor?"