Atop the towering golden throne, Bibi Dong slowly rose to her feet. Her nearly flawless beauty remained devoid of emotion, but just one glance from her carried a sacred and overwhelming pressure that made Ye Chen's heart involuntarily tremble.
Without saying a word, Bibi Dong raised the scepter in her hand, preparing to swing it toward Ye Chen.
Suppressing the anxiety rising in his chest, Ye Chen steadied his voice and asked, "Still planning to kill me? If so… could I at least make one last request before I die?"
His voice echoed through the grand hall, but Bibi Dong's expression remained unchanged—cold and distant.
The three Titled Douluo who had escorted Ye Chen stepped forward, bowing respectfully. One of them, a bald man with a fierce glare, said coldly, "Your Holiness, this ant isn't worthy of your personal attention. Allow us to handle him instead."
The bald man sneered. Ye Chen had made their journey miserable—using all sorts of dirty tricks: gravity manipulation, sword ambushes, even a second mysterious martial soul that summoned chains to break through their soul suppression. If not for all three of them working together, Ye Chen might have escaped already.
Now that the Pope herself had issued judgment, the bald man was eager to personally end this nuisance.
"Damn it! The Pope hasn't spoken, and you bastards already want me dead?"
Ye Chen's heart pounded as he watched the bald man draw a short dagger. But when he glanced toward Bibi Dong again, he saw her scepter already in motion, releasing a beam of pitch-black energy directly toward him.
The three soul masters smirked cruelly. "Die, insect."
"Die your *ss!"
Ye Chen cursed out loud, his fists clenched. The ominous black light was speeding toward him—death was imminent.
Rongrong… Zhuqing… Hu Liena… sorry. I may not be able to see you again.
If I had another chance, no matter the cost, I'd come to the Spirit Hall earlier and finish the mission properly.
His thoughts roared with unwillingness. He knew clearly—under a Title Douluo like Bibi Dong, death was certain. One casual strike from her was far beyond his ability to dodge.
Is this really the end? Damn it, I'm not ready to die!
As the black light closed in, memories flashed through Ye Chen's mind like a film reel. He regretted everything—especially getting involved with Hu Liena, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ning Rongrong. If he'd known things would end this way, maybe he wouldn't have touched the mission at all.
He shut his eyes, waiting for the end.
Suddenly—
Thud!
Clang!
Splat!
Heavy sounds of bodies collapsing onto the marble floor echoed in the chamber. Blood splashed across Ye Chen's face. Oddly enough, there was no pain… only warmth and the nauseating stench of blood.
"So… this is it. A painless death. Guess I got off easy…"
Ye Chen murmured, accepting his fate.
But then—
"You really want to die that badly?"
A voice rang out next to him. Soft and melodic, but laced with coldness and distance. It wasn't hostile—but it wasn't exactly warm either.
His eyes snapped open.
Ye Chen found himself lying in a pool of blood—next to the lifeless bodies of the three Soul Douluo. Their eyes were wide open, faces filled with confusion and disbelief. They were dead.
"What… happened?"
He slowly stood up, breaking the shackles that bound his soul power. Still dazed, he turned toward the throne, staring at the woman who sat there like a goddess.
Why had she killed her own men to spare him?
As if reading his thoughts, Bibi Dong spoke in a calm, icy voice, "I know you have questions. But for now… it's better if you don't ask."
She sat back down on her throne and continued, "Ye Chen, would you be willing to become my disciple?"
Ye Chen's eyes widened in shock.
"You and Liena… I'm well aware of what's between you two. If you don't want to disappoint her, then kneel and accept me as your master."
So that was it.
It wasn't just because of Su Yuntao. Hu Liena had brought him here. That made much more sense.
Bibi Dong was known for her cold demeanor, but she treated Hu Liena better than even her own daughter. If anyone could sway her decision, it was Hu Liena.
Still… even if they had that kind of relationship, shouldn't she want to kill him even more?
Was this her twisted way of protecting Hu Liena?
Looking up at the throne, Ye Chen couldn't begin to guess what kind of thoughts lay behind those icy eyes. But at this point, survival was all that mattered.
He kneeled without hesitation.
"Disciple Ye Chen… greets Master."
He could feel the pressure building in her scepter again. One wrong word, and he'd be reduced to ashes. Better to play along until the mission was complete. He could endure. He had to.
"Rise."
Bibi Dong raised her hand slightly. Her voice remained calm. "Liena will take you to the academy. As long as your progress satisfies me… I won't pursue your past."
Her voice turned sharp. "But if you fall short…"
She didn't finish. She didn't have to.
Ye Chen nodded immediately. "I will not fail your expectations. I will train with everything I have."
Before he could finish his vow, Bibi Dong's figure vanished, leaving only a faint trace of fragrance lingering in the air.
Moments later, Hu Liena entered the hall. She kept her head down, her expression unreadable.
[System Notification: Goddess Sign-In Task Activated! Target: Hu Liena | Objective: Become #1 in Spirit Hall Academy]
Ye Chen ignored the system's voice. The woman in front of him wasn't just a mission. She was the first person he had truly cared for.
"It's been a while. You been doing okay?" he asked gently.
He stepped closer, reaching out for a hug.
But Hu Liena stepped back and said coldly, "If you don't want to die, you'd better behave. Master made it clear—if you step out of line before meeting her expectations, you'll suffer a fate worse than death."
With that, she turned and walked away, expression like frost.
Ye Chen stood frozen, but deep down, he knew—if she truly hated him, she wouldn't have warned him.
She still cared.
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