Chapter 304: "Chrysanthemum Douluo, Say Something!"
The Pope's Hall, Spirit Hall.
Bibi Dong sat on the papal throne, her beautiful eyes narrowing as her brows furrowed tightly.
Her slender fingers lightly traced the papal scepter, yet her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts.
"Where... are you?!"
After a long silence, Bibi Dong murmured under her breath.
So many days had passed, yet there was still no news of the heir to the Asura God. It left her restless with anxiety.
Suddenly, three figures entered the grand hall. Among them, the young man with fiery red hair stood out the most—he was Yan, one of the Golden Generation of Spirit Hall.
Standing in the center was Hu Liena, while to her left was her brother, Xie Yue.
"Greetings, Your Holiness (Teacher)!"
The three spoke in unison. Hu Liena was Bibi Dong's disciple, and in private, she addressed her as "Teacher."
"Hmm~"
Bibi Dong snapped out of her thoughts and glanced at the trio below. "Nana, Xie Yue, Yan, you've done well. Breaking through to the Soul Emperor level before the age of thirty—you are all the pride of Spirit Hall!"
Hearing this, the three couldn't help but smile, though their expressions soon turned bitter as if recalling something.
What did achieving Soul Emperor before thirty even matter?
That one... had already shattered the limits of Title Douluo and ascended to godhood at just eighteen.
"Thank you for your praise, Your Holiness (Teacher)."
The three sighed, their enthusiasm dampened.
Bibi Dong was no ordinary person—she instantly saw through their insincerity.
"There's no need for self-deprecation. A being like that... there will never be a second in the Douluo Continent."
"Even she..."
Bibi Dong thought of her daughter, Qian Renxue.
"...could never possess such talent."
Even with Qian Renxue's gifts, she couldn't hope to match Kong's footsteps, let alone these three...
They were still far behind.
A heavy silence fell. After a long pause, Yan's eyes suddenly lit up as he spoke. "Your Holiness, now that Nana has broken through to the Soul Emperor level, with her spirit power reaching rank 65..."
"The position of Holy Maiden in our Spirit Hall..."
Before Bibi Dong could respond, Hu Liena quickly interjected, "Yan, shut up!"
The three hadn't come to the Pope's Hall for this reason—they were merely reporting back after completing a mission.
Hu Liena hadn't expected Yan to speak out of turn for her sake.
Of course, within Spirit Hall, many already saw Hu Liena as the future Holy Maiden.
She was the Pope's only disciple—who else would the position go to?
Though Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan never voiced it, they all thought the same.
With Hu Liena's talent and status as the Pope's direct disciple, how could she not become the Holy Maiden?
In the original timeline, after the Golden Generation's defeat in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament, the three had not only been denied rewards but were also punished.
Hu Liena had been the harshest on herself—she chose to go to the City of Slaughter!
A place from which few ever returned.
But now, things were different. Despite their loss in the tournament, they hadn't been punished. Instead, each had received a spirit bone as a reward...
Without punishment, why would Hu Liena seek out danger by going to the City of Slaughter?
Bibi Dong observed Yan, Hu Liena, and Xie Yue—who remained silent but wore a faint look of expectation.
Her expression remained unchanged, as calm as before.
Yet her silence unnerved them.
"Teacher, Yan speaks without thinking, you mustn't—"
"Nana, what do you mean 'without thinking'? Shouldn't the Holy Maiden position rightfully be yours?"
That was just Yan's nature. For Hu Liena's sake, he dared to speak boldly even before the Pope.
"Yan, enough! The Holy Maiden isn't as simple as you think—it requires discussion with the elders!"
As the two continued their "argument," Bibi Dong's expression remained unreadable.
She simply clapped her hands and called out, "Chrysanthemum Douluo!"
At her words, Chrysanthemum Douluo stepped out from the shadows nearby.
This scene made Hu Liena and Yan quiet down, unsure of Bibi Dong's intentions at this moment.
"Your Holiness!"
Yue Guan cupped his hands respectfully as he spoke.
"Elder Chrysanthemum, you are a veteran of Spirit Hall and one of the representatives of the Elder Hall."
"You've watched Nana grow up."
Hearing this, Yue Guan instinctively stiffened - this was bad, there was definitely a trap here!
But he had no choice but to respond to Bibi Dong's words.
"Yes, Your Holiness! Nana is outstanding!"
"She has inherited nearly all of Your Holiness's teachings."
"At such a young age-"
Before Yue Guan could continue showering praise, Bibi Dong waved her hand and said, "Elder Chrysanthemum, do you think Nana is outstanding?"
"Outstanding! Extremely outstanding!"
"There are hardly any young women in the entire Douluo Continent as outstanding as Nana!"
"Then, Elder Chrysanthemum, would you support Nana becoming the Holy Maiden?"
Bibi Dong spoke with an indifferent expression.
Xie Yue, Yan, and Hu Liena were utterly baffled - what did the Pope mean by this?
Elder Chrysanthemum had watched them grow up and had often given them guidance.
He had always treated Nana very well.
How could he not support Nana becoming the Holy Maiden?
What confused them was why the Pope would even ask such a question.
The three of them looked at Yue Guan, waiting for him to say the words: Of course I support-
"???"
Yue Guan let out a bitter laugh - he knew there was a trap here!
If it weren't for Qian Renxue, he would absolutely support Hu Liena becoming the Holy Maiden.
If Qian Renxue's man weren't Kong, he might have supported Hu Liena becoming the Holy Maiden.
If Qian Renxue's grandfather weren't...
As for Hu Liena, what did she have besides a teacher?
As for contributions to Spirit Hall - that was complete nonsense.
They were only Soul Emperors at this point - how much could they really have accomplished?
After a long silence, as Yue Guan remained quiet, the confidence and anticipation on Hu Liena and the others' faces gradually turned to confusion.
"???"
What was going on?
"Elder Chrysanthemum, say something!"
Yan said in bewilderment.
Hearing this, Yue Guan sighed and finally spoke:
"Your Holiness, please don't put this old bone in a difficult position. I'd like to live a few more years."
"Nana, it's not that I don't favor you. Your talent and strength would have been more than enough for the Holy Maiden position a hundred years ago."
"But you were born at the wrong time. Strength, background, talent, contributions..."
"You fall short in all of them!"
"???"
Hu Liena, Yan, and Xie Yue blinked, wondering if they were hallucinating.
What had Elder Chrysanthemum just said?
"Strength, talent, background, contributions..."
Similarly, Bibi Dong fell into deep thought.
(End of Chapter)
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