novel-way Chapter 467 One Step Further
Chapter 467 One Step Further
A group of people followed Tang San and finally stopped at the entrance of the courtyard.
"what happened?"
Zhang Ping and Hu Liena both asked the question at the same time, their voices overlapping.
The group turned to look at Tang San at the same time, waiting for his answer.
Tang San shook his head, "I can only sense that Qi Qi is alright."
Jiang Qianjing looked at the courtyard with concern, "Can't even you see it?"
Tang San's eyes are no secret; they all know the general idea. If even Tang San can't see it, then they're even less capable.
Moreover, he doesn't know what's inside yet, so he doesn't dare to move around recklessly. If he accidentally interrupts something, it could lead to a major disaster.
The group turned to look at the courtyard. Since there was nothing urgent, everyone stood, sat, or leaned against something, waiting for the courtyard to calm down.
They waited for a whole day, but they still had some things to take care of, so they took turns leaving someone to guard the entrance of the courtyard, even though they knew that the courtyard was safe enough inside the Spirit Hall.
Bibi Dong also came to check on the courtyard during this time. After finding that everything was alright, she left, leaving the group of children to guard the courtyard.
When changes occurred in the courtyard, Jiang Qianjing immediately notified everyone, and soon everyone gathered together again.
But the white fog remained thick and unchanged, with only a faint light shining through it.
This faint light seemed to foreshadow what was to come; after flashing a few times, it dimmed, leaving only a tiny, shimmering glow that was barely noticeable unless you looked closely.
Immediately afterwards, the white mist gradually dissipated, very quickly, and in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, only a thin layer remained.
The group hesitated, unsure if they could go in now, and all looked at Tang San, waiting for his move.
Ignoring everyone's gaze, Tang San carefully sensed the surroundings before stepping inside first.
Seeing this, everyone immediately followed.
Before the group could make any further moves, the door opened from the inside.
"Brother? What are you all doing here?" Tang Qi looked at everyone in confusion. She had only been cultivating for a while.
Seeing what she was thinking, Hu Liena chuckled and poked her head. "You have no idea how much trouble you've caused. Even His Holiness the Pope came to see you."
Tang San didn't continue the topic. As long as everyone was alright, that was fine. He was more curious about why there had been such a big commotion this time. "Did you gain some new insight this time?"
Upon hearing Tang San's question, Tang Qi's eyes shone with an astonishing brightness. "It's because my two martial souls broke through at the same time, and they resonated with each other."
After saying that, she felt that just saying it might not be easy to understand, so she raised her right hand, and a misty flower appeared in her palm.
Seeing this, the group looked at the flowers in her hand with surprise.
"What's going on here?" Zhang Ping frowned as she looked at the flower, completely baffled by the situation.
Upon hearing this, Tang Qi shook her head.
Actually, she doesn't really know much about this flower.
As for its uses, it seems to be no different from Gem Orchid and White Mist. She feels that this one must have something to do with Xiangxiang.
However, she wasn't sure what the specific effects would be, and she didn't want to use it randomly in the courtyard; she still needed to go to the training room.
Knowing Tang Qi's plans, the group was curious but did not intend to follow.
They had other things to do, and they just wanted to know that she was really okay.
Soon, only Tang San and Jiang Qianjing remained in the courtyard.
Tang Qi picked up Xiangxiang and excitedly walked out of the courtyard. "Brother, Jiangjiang, let's go and see what use this flower is."
To facilitate their cultivation, there was a large training ground not far from their courtyard. After the three of them went in, they closed the training ground door and pressed the mechanism to seal it off.
Tang Qi didn't say anything, placed Xiangxiang in the center of the training field, and the flower reappeared.
She gently pushed the flower with her hand, and the flower slowly floated towards Xiangxiang, guided by the power of her soul.
Xiangxiang sat upright in the center, gently tapping her feet with her paws and flicking her tail slightly, looking a little nervous.
Tang Qi slowed the flower's advance again, finally controlling it to stop in front of Xiangxiang's forehead, waiting for it to be ready.
Xiangxiang stood up and gently touched the flower with her forehead.
The moment the two collided, the flower vanished like a bubble, gently enveloping Xiangxiang, its faint light obscuring the view of others.
The moment the light disappeared, Xiangxiang also vanished.
Unlike before, this time Tang San and his companions were completely unable to sense Xiang Xiang's presence.
Just as Tang San and Jiang Qianjing were still in surprise, they both felt a weight on their heads at the same time, and they instinctively reached up to grab the top of their heads.
But to their surprise, they missed their target.
The two looked at each other, and saw in each other's eyes what they wanted to know.
They couldn't have misjudged, but they definitely didn't catch Xiangxiang, and the weight on her head never changed from beginning to end.
Unlike the two others, Tang Qi clearly knew Xiang Xiang's movements and could sense the changes in its soul power.
In fact, Xiangxiang never moved her position. Instead, she used the flowers to deceive the two people's senses and completely hide herself.
Instead of explaining immediately, she let Xiangxiang launch the attack.
Tang San and his companion prepared themselves, watching for any movement above their heads.
Xiangxiang flicked its tail, bent its hind legs slightly, and suddenly jumped up from the spot.
It fell freely without any deliberate control of its body.
At the same time, both Tang San and Jiang Qianjing felt a heaviness on their heads, but when they raised their hands to grab it, they still found nothing.
"Qiqi?" Tang San looked at Tang Qi, his eyes questioning her.
Tang Qi shook her head, her eyes brightening slightly. "We'll talk about it later. Let's see if we have any other abilities."
Now, Xiangxiang's abilities will probably increase many times over.
After trying many attacks and various applications, Tang Qi finally understood the flower's abilities, but at the same time, her soul power was almost completely depleted.
"No, using this continuously will consume too much soul power." Tang Qi sat on the ground; she hadn't felt this exhausted in a long time.
Jiang Qianjing looked at her helplessly and let her lean on him. "Alright, rest for a while. If there's anything you don't understand, we'll have to wait until you've rested before continuing."
Tang San tapped her on the head with his finger, not forgetting Xiangxiang who was slumped to the side, "I told you not to listen, you had to rush to try it all at once."
Tang Qi covered her forehead and dared not utter a sound.
Xiangxiang closed her eyes, pretending she knew nothing, and her tail remained completely still.
Fearing that Tang San would say something else, Tang Qi hurriedly began to explain what had just happened.
After she finished speaking, she added with some regret, "It's a pity that my soul power was consumed too much, otherwise I would have liked to try with you guys."
If used properly, this could be fatal.
The two instantly understood her thoughts. Their minds raced, but they urged Tang Qi to go and rest.
During their break, Tang San and Jiang Qianjing began their own cultivation to prepare themselves for the upcoming experiment.
After some time, a bell rang in the training room.
Knowing who it was, Tang Qi quickly controlled the gem, Youlan, to open the door.
Hu Liena and the others came in together. Seeing that the other two were still cultivating, they didn't rush to ask them anything and simply found their own places to cultivate.
Finally, Tang Qi stretched her body and felt that she had recovered almost completely, so she carried Xiangxiang to the side.
Hearing the commotion, the crowd opened their eyes one after another and quickly gathered together.
Only then did Hu Liena speak up to inquire about the results of the three people's experiment.
Upon learning that there would be further experiments, Yan stared intently at Tang Qi, practically begging for the words "Choose me" to be plastered on her face.
Jiang Qianjing glanced at him expressionlessly, too lazy to say anything more to this person, and simply took a step back.
Hu Liena sighed, looked away, gave Jiang Qianjing an apologetic smile, and then silently retreated, leaving Yan with the space.
The others had no objections and followed suit, stepping back to sit down and waiting to see what would happen next.
They weren't particularly keen on getting the first chance to try it out, since it's not easy to experiment when you don't know anything. Only Yan was eager to try it out when he heard it could increase growth.
Tang Qi kindly reminded Yan, who was standing ramrod straight, "Brother Yan, are you ready? I'm about to begin."
"Come!"
His voice was full of energy, and his eyes were brimming with excitement.
Seeing this, Tang Qi no longer hesitated. The flower bloomed in her palm and, guided by her soul power, fell into Yan's brow.
In the next instant, Yan's figure completely disappeared.
Just like Xiangxiang, her aura and soul power are completely undetectable.
Hu Liena sat up straight.
Although Tang Qi had already given a general overview, the effect was still amazing.
"Xiao Qi, your new soul skill is really amazing!" Zhang Ping stared at Tang Qi with shining eyes.
She could already imagine how much her combat power would increase if this ability were used on her, allowing her to take lives silently.
But the next moment she noticed the change in Tang Qi's expression and instantly realized that this self-created soul skill must consume a lot of soul power.
Tang Qi ignored the changes in the expressions of the others and focused solely on the experiment.
Following Tang Qi's instructions, Yan quickly completed a series of actions.
"No, the soul power consumption is still quite high. I need to practice more." Tang Qi stopped using it and frowned in reflection.
Yan lay down on the ground and said, "I really need to practice. Not only you, but I've also consumed a lot of soul power."
His voice was no longer as strong as before, and had become somewhat weak.
Hu Liena went over and helped the person up, leading them to sit in the remaining empty seat.
Xie Yue was even more curious about what form that flower actually took.
It does fit the description of a self-created soul skill, but the flower looks more like a fusion of a gem orchid and white mist.
Upon hearing Xie Yue's question, Tang Qi lowered her head in thought.
"I guess it should be considered a Martial Soul Fusion Skill?" That's what he said, but his tone was uncertain.
"Hiss, why didn't we have this before?" Yan's eyes widened slightly, her envious gaze falling on Tang San. "Doesn't that mean we can have mistresses too?"
Could people with dual martial souls really have such a big advantage?
Tang San rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Even if it were possible, it wouldn't be that easy to have."
If it were really that simple, Qiqi wouldn't have taken so long to understand it.
However, he did agree with this point.
Logically speaking, if a person has two martial souls, then in a sense, these two martial souls are indeed the most compatible.
But it seems they've never actually tried it from this angle.
If it weren't for Qiqi's breakthrough this time, he might never have thought of this.
Thinking of this, Tang San suddenly stood up, greeted everyone, and turned back to his room.
Now that we have a new goal, let's try it right away.
The group that remained looked at each other. Hu Liena suddenly remembered that besides their curiosity, they had come to report the latest news to Tang San.
Well, the general direction has already been agreed upon, and there shouldn't be any major changes unless something unexpected happens. We won't be in a hurry to get the news.
Back in his room, Tang San left a message on Tang Qi's door, closed the door, and immediately began cultivating.
He wanted to make a breakthrough while the insights in his mind hadn't faded yet, hoping to break through the bottleneck that had been holding him back for so long.
Tang Qi, who was a step behind, returned to find only a note on the door and could only cultivate in silence.
With Tang Qi's breakthrough ahead of everyone else, they were all energized and, after arranging the remaining trivial matters, entered into seclusion for cultivation.
Time passed little by little, and during this time Tang Qi spent more time working through her newly acquired abilities.
Xiangxiang was not left behind either. With Tang Qi's training, the two of them quickly mastered the new ability, and their soul power consumption decreased significantly.
Several more days passed, and finally, a different kind of soul power fluctuation emanated from Tang San's room.
Tang Qi opened her eyes, holding Xiangxiang, and sat quietly on the swing in the courtyard, protecting her brother.
However, compared to her dramatic and lengthy process, Tang San's change was obviously very rapid and silent.
Tang San opened his door just as the teacup he had prepared was less than half full.
"Brother?" Tang Qi got up and ran to Tang San's side. "How is it?"
Tang San lowered his eyes and stood still without saying a word.
"It's okay if it doesn't work out, we can wait a while..."
"Pfft! Just kidding." Before Tang Qi could finish speaking, Tang San couldn't help but chuckle, his eyes brimming with undisguised amusement.
Tang Qi snorted and turned to leave.
Fearing he might really anger her, Tang San swallowed back the laughter that hadn't yet spilled out and quickened his pace to catch up. "Alright, don't you want to see what kind of skill you've gleaned from the inspiration you gave me?"
Upon hearing this, Tang Qi stopped and looked back before silently turning around.
"Are you really angry?" The last syllable was drawn out slightly, as if teasing a child.
Tang Qi understood, turned her head and glared at him, "Brother, I'm not a child anymore."
"How can you not be? No matter how old you are, you're still a child to your brother," Tang San continued to tease.
Tang Qi didn't want to talk to him anymore, so she quickened her pace into the training room and whispered, "Then brother is a kid too!"
Tang San raised an eyebrow and smiled, finally stopping his teasing.
It seems there must have been some new information during their cultivation these past few days; I'll have to go check on them later.
Upon entering the training room, Tang San's expression became noticeably more serious.
Unlike Tang Qi's flowers, Tang San's flowers appeared in two forms, one dominated by the Blue Silver Emperor and the other by the Clear Sky Hammer, each forming a different state.
Tang Qi moved closer to examine the vines and hammer more closely.
Actually, the change isn't that big; it's just that the Blue Silver Emperor has a faint metallic sheen, which is almost unnoticeable if you don't look closely.
The Haotian Hammer, on the other hand, has an added layer of Blue Silver Grass wrapped around its handle, making it appear as if the Blue Silver Grass is actively wrapping around it.
Out of curiosity, Tang Qi couldn't resist reaching out and touching the blue silver grass on the handle.
Tang San waited helplessly until she finished being curious before removing the Clear Sky Hammer. "Alright, go sit over there."
After saying that, Tang San prioritized testing the Clear Sky Hammer on the test stake.
He was clearly much faster. Through continuous testing, Tang San quickly figured out the more detailed usage. All that was left was further practice and sparring.
Real-world experience is the fastest way to increase your strength.
After finishing these tasks, Tang San immediately went to find out the latest news that had been sent over this period.
Tang Qi followed him like a little tail. When they arrived at the conference room, she quickly recounted the latest news from the past few days.
Tang San's expression didn't change much as he quickly flipped through the pages, rapidly organizing the information.
Qian Daoliu suddenly launched a large-scale attack on the Spirit Hall, but hasn't taken any other action. We need to find a way to investigate and see if we can get any other information.
However, before that, let's create some trouble for him first, so that he won't keep his eyes on the Spirit Hall.
The clicking sound stopped, and Tang Qi knew that Tang San had finished planning the next steps. "I've already sent people to investigate, but there's still no news. However, Qian Daoliu should have sent out another retainer."
"Let's see if we can find out who it is." That's what he said, but he knew that finding out wouldn't be easy.
Moreover, since the last time, the elders in the Hall of Elders have rarely appeared.
The sound of the door opening broke the silence of the space.
The two looked up at the same time, and it was Jiang Qianjing who entered.
"Why is it so quiet?" Jiang Qianjing walked over and naturally sat down next to Tang Qi.
Tang Qi relayed the information she had just received.
"I've also sent someone to investigate, but there's a high probability we can't determine who it is."
"It's alright, let's check it out first." After saying that, Tang San left.
Only then did Tang Qi ask Jiang Qianjing if he had gained anything from this short retreat.
Jiang Qianjing nodded, "It's improved a bit, so it's a gain. Let's not continue."
Over the next week, the others also emerged from their brief period of seclusion, and each of them gained something, more or less.
That day, the group reunited, their eyes gleaming with excitement as they eagerly anticipated a sparring match, in addition to catching up on the latest news. This time, instead of choosing the training grounds, they agreed to head to the Star Dou Great Forest.
They haven't been there in a long time either.
In the afternoon, they strolled over there.
The weather wasn't very good today; the sky was rather gloomy, and there was a thin layer of mist in the forest.
This time, the seven people were divided into two groups of three or four. One group consisted of Tang Qi, Tang San, and Jiang Qianjing, while the other group consisted of the remaining four people.
Yan looked at the three people standing on the rock and his lips twitched slightly. "I said, what are you three doing? What's the point of standing so high up!"
Before he could finish speaking, Moonblade had already silently appeared behind the three of them.
The three reacted quickly and scattered.
Zhang Ping seized the opportunity and rushed towards Tang Qi, who was alone, without hesitation.
The Purple Demon Eye had already been activated, taking in Zhang Ping's every move.
The white mist suddenly dispersed, quickly enveloping Tang Qi, who was retreating, and then the remaining people.
In no time, the white mist completely enveloped the space, and combined with the existing fog, everyone could only see a small area around them.
Taking advantage of this, Tang Qi hid in the white mist and continuously used the Gem Orchid to interfere with Hu Liena and the other three.
Zhang Ping warily surveyed her surroundings, constantly trying to detect Tang Qi's presence through subtle changes in her surroundings.
Meanwhile, Xie Yue and Hu Liena launched an attack on Jiang Qianjing.
Nine fox tails swayed with Hu Liena's movements, and a pair of eerie pink eyes shone with a faint light.
Jiang Qianjing was prepared. He leaned back to dodge the flash of silver light in front of him, while at the same time glancing to the side to try to avoid Hu Liena's soul skill.
Unfortunately, Hu Liena's mastery of the charm soul skill was truly superb, and even with prior precautions, she still couldn't dodge it.
The next instant, Jiang Qianjing felt the greenery in front of her vanish completely, replaced by a sea of flowers, beautiful and alluring, captivating all who beheld it.
Immediately afterwards, a blurry figure appeared in the distance, a slender arm gently raised, silently beckoning Jiang Qianjing to come over, and there seemed to be a kitten crouching beside it.
He bit his tongue, forcing himself to wake up, and rolled on the ground with his keen intuition, narrowly dodging the moon blade that attacked from behind.
At the same time, white mist spread out, successfully blocking Hu Liena from using her charm again.
Seeing this, Hu Liena and her brother exchanged a glance, not wanting to get any more entangled, and then unleashed their Martial Soul Fusion Technique.
The roc bird let out a long cry as a warning.
Tang Qi used the white mist as cover to quickly approach Jiang Qianjing's location.
The jeweled orchid had already wrapped itself around his wrist.
Feeling the coolness on his wrist, Jiang Qianjing's lips unconsciously curled up, and he retreated in coordination with Gem Orchid's movements.
Just then, the burning sensation of flames came from the side, and Jiang Qianjing immediately changed direction again.
Knowing they had missed their chance, Hu Liena and the other person dispelled their spirit fusion technique.
The white mist suddenly dissipated, and Yan was standing not far from Jiang Qianjing at that moment.
Jiang Qianjing made the first move, and the Peng bird rushed to Yan's face in the blink of an eye.
Yan instinctively clenched his fist and attacked, the flaming fist already radiating scorching heat even before it fully approached.
Tang Qi retreated uncomfortably, and the battle resumed.
This time, however, they no longer split up and instead engaged in a complete melee.
The sky grew darker and darker as the seven fought, until it was completely pitch black, with only the faint glow of the gemstone blue radiating from it.
Just then, a sudden downpour caught the seven people off guard, drenching them completely.
Tang Qi reacted quickly, wrapping everyone up and running towards the hotel.
However, this time only the hotel staff were on duty inside.
The seven people went inside and asked for rooms to tidy themselves up.
After fighting for so long and knowing each other so well, they had not only exhausted their physical and spiritual strength, but also their mental energy. They tacitly ate a little something and then rested in their room.
The next day at noon, after having lunch, the group leisurely returned to the Spirit Hall.
After sitting down in the meeting room, the group didn't immediately discuss matters related to the Elders' Hall, but instead inquired about everyone's latest situation.
I originally wanted to use this sparring session to get to know them better, but unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate, so it's better to just tell them directly.
Tang Qi sighed, slumped over the table, "I should have just come over."
Hearing this, Tang San lightly tapped her on the head, "You haven't moved in so long, this is a good opportunity to get some exercise, so you don't get rusty."
"No way?" Tang Qi wrinkled her nose. She would occasionally go to the academy to guide the children who were going to participate in the competition, although this year's competition might not be able to be held.
After a brief exchange of jokes, the group shared their latest updates and quickly quieted down again.
Tang Qi listened quietly to everyone's speeches throughout, only sitting up straight when it was her turn, and then lying back down.
Tang San and Jiang Qianjing simultaneously raised their hands to pat her head, but then withdrew them after seeing each other's actions. They only looked at her with concern, and only looked away when she shook her head to indicate that she was alright.
After a moment of silence, Tang Qi remained slumped over the table, her eyes fixed on the scene before her. "How long do you think it will take us to reach the level of becoming a god?"
"I don't think it will be long." Yan's eyes were still shining, filled with a thirst for strength. "We're so young and we've already become Douluo, that's a goal that so many people can only dream of."
"If it's not possible at this stage, we will definitely achieve our goal after we deal with that old bastard Qian Daoliu."
As he spoke, he slammed his fist on the table to demonstrate his fighting prowess.
Zhang Ping shook her head, "Becoming a god isn't that easy."
"Back then, Senior Tang Chen was also one of the best in his era, but in his search for the opportunity to become a god, he made himself neither human nor ghost."
It wasn't that she wanted to discourage people; it's just that the path to godhood is incredibly difficult.
Hu Liena smiled slightly, "What's there to be afraid of? As long as we have no worries, we can definitely do it. We are geniuses, one in a million."
“That’s right, but our primary target is still Qian Daoliu.” Xie Yue nodded in agreement and then brought up Qian Daoliu again, “Opportunities don’t come easily, and the worst thing is that even if an opportunity comes, Qian Daoliu might still be around.”
He would definitely stop it at all costs.
Tang Qi sighed slightly. Sure enough, she still had to deal with Qian Daoliu first.
Putting aside how difficult Qian Daoliu is to deal with, Qian Renxue is indeed exceptionally talented. The only way for them to dismantle Qian Daoliu is to use her to restrain him.
However, Qian Renxue, who was undergoing the test of the angels, was also a sword hanging over their heads, constantly threatening them.
The difference between level 99 and a god is probably like heaven and earth. Once Qian Renxue becomes a god first, even if they can kill a god, they will have to pay a considerable price.
Everyone understood her worries, but so far, among the seven of them, Tang San and Jiang Qianjing were the most likely to become gods. There was no use in worrying about the remaining five.
Tang San chuckled, and the Blue Silver Emperor appeared in his palm, radiating golden light. Then he turned to look at Tang Qi.
The next instant, the mist flower appeared in Tang Qi's palm.
The mist flowers seemed to be responding to the Blue Silver Emperor, gradually turning golden. The edges of the mist blurred, yet they seemed to connect everyone in a subtle way.
Immediately, everyone felt the resonance emanating from the martial spirit.
"Our martial spirits may not be able to merge, but we trust each other and each perform our own duties."
"With me as the core and Qiqi as the assistant, we can unite all of us."
Yan couldn't help but interject, "Could it be a fusion technique?"
Hu Liena pulled him back, "Quiet!"
Tang San shook his head slightly, "It's a bond skill, a formation built on the foundation of mutual trust among us."
Everyone's eyes lit up, and Yan excitedly stood up and slammed his fist on the table, "Xiao San, why didn't you bring out this good stuff sooner?"
“If we were going to work things out, we would have started doing so much already. This is obviously a recent realization.” Zhang Ping was too lazy to pay attention to him. This guy always had his mouth first, and no matter how many times she told him, he couldn’t change.
Yan looked at the mist flower in Tang Qi's hand, touched his nose, and sat down awkwardly.
He just blurted it out and forgot that the mist flower was created by Tang Qi.
"Hey, don't worry about the details." Yan chuckled and brushed it off, looking at the Poseidon's trident faintly emerging in the golden light and sighing, "Luckily we went to Poseidon Island first."
This statement won everyone's approval.
Indeed, if they hadn't gone to Poseidon Island first, they might have been the ones being suppressed.
At this point, Hu Liena looked at Tang San and asked, "Little San, have you decided to let Bing Linghai take your place?"
Tang San and Tang Qi nodded simultaneously, without the slightest hesitation, and began to speak one after the other.
“Bing Linghai is the best choice, especially since he has Su Qi by his side, the two of them are enough.”
"We can't think of anyone else besides him. Everyone else is a little bit inferior to Bing Linghai. Either they don't have enough talent, or their personalities are not suitable."
"If one does not have sufficient power to sit on the throne of the Pope, he will become a sitting duck once those around him go out."
Zhang Ping suddenly interrupted the two, "But then again, it seems we still don't know the exact strength of Bing Linghai and the others."
Jiang Qianjing spoke calmly, "He and Su Qi are both titled Douluo, but Bing Linghai's combat ability is somewhat lacking."
They weren't surprised by the first sentence, but they couldn't quite believe the second.
Seeing what they were thinking, Jiang Qianjing naturally answered their questions, "When he was in the Elder Hall, he was restricted from going out most of the time. Even when he was allowed to go out later, it was basically Su Qi who did the work."
"Hiss—" Yan gasped, "In some ways, it's not so bad."
Hu Liena, unable to bear it any longer, slapped him on the forehead. "What nonsense are you spouting!"
Yan covered his head and curled up into a ball, not daring to meet her gaze.
He just said it casually; he didn't really think it was anything good.
Tang Qi noticed that he secretly stroked the spot where Hu Liena had patted her, and immediately looked away, unable to bear it any longer, and washed her eyes with Jiang Qianjing beside her.
Jiang Qianjing, who was keeping a close eye on Tang Qi's movements, naturally also saw Yan's actions and was satisfied that he had Tang Qi take the initiative to approach him.
Knock knock knock!
"Your Highness, His Holiness the Pope summons you to the main hall."
The sound outside the door interrupted their conversation. Tang Qi and his sister greeted everyone and then hurried to Bibi Dong's location.
The brother and sister looked on with confusion as they walked.
Bibi Dong rarely summoned them; more often, they went to Bibi Dong, and no one knew what had happened.
Upon arriving at the main hall, they found only Bibi Dong inside. She simply waved for the two of them to follow.
The two exchanged a glance and silently followed behind her.
Bibi Dong led the two at a fairly fast pace, and soon they arrived at a forbidden area in the back mountain of the Spirit Hall.
She casually sat down beside the cold jade, watching the two of them, and the Rakshasa Demon Scythe appeared in her hand.
She gently stroked the nine purple lines on it with her other hand; those lines seemed to move almost imperceptibly, like snakes.
"Just one step away." Bibi Dong's voice was soft, but it was particularly clear in the exceptionally quiet space.
Footsteps sounded behind her, as light as falling leaves, but they couldn't escape her senses.
The newcomer was Chrysanthemum Douluo, his golden armor gleaming coldly in the moonlight. "Your Holiness, the Elders' Hall..."
“No rush.” Bibi Dong looked up at Chrysanthemum Douluo, her eyes filled with a deep purple light. “Qian Renxue is still far from ready. Qian Daoliu would never dare to make any bigger moves for her sake. Right now, no one can stop me. I am at ease leaving the Spirit Hall’s affairs to Xiao San and the others.”
"Besides, with you and Ghost Douluo around, nothing will easily go wrong."
She raised her hand, and a jet-black spirit ring appeared in her palm—it was the Shadow Demon Spider from the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest, a 100,000-year-old spirit beast she had just hunted.
A faint, mournful cry emanated from the spirit rings, but she crushed them all with a single clench of her fingers.
Her expression remained unchanged, but her voice carried a hint of coldness. "The ninth test of the God of Slaughter requires the use of the Myriad Spiders Devouring Heart Technique to completely fuse one's martial soul with one's divine sense."
At this point, she slowly rose, her black robe cascading down like a waterfall in the night, her eyes unfathomable. "This method is perilous, a near-certain death. But if it succeeds—"
The jade beneath her feet cracked inch by inch, and spiderweb-like cracks spread across the entire mountaintop.
“I will no longer be human, and Qian Daoliu will be nothing more than an ant under my feet. At that time, nothing will be of any concern.”
Without needing to say anything more, the three of them could already sense Bibi Dong's determination.
Chrysanthemum Douluo finally looked away from Tang Qi.
Over the years, he had known exactly how much His Holiness the Pope loathed Qian Daoliu. Now, with an opportunity to advance further right in front of him, how could he possibly give it up?
Even if this opportunity has a slim chance of survival.
Tang Qi looked at Bibi Dong with concern, but from beginning to end she did not have the slightest thought of stopping her.
She knew that Chrysanthemum Douluo wanted to be more cautious, not only for Bibi Dong, but also for them.
But she also knew what the teacher had gone through; the teacher had endured and waited for far too long. How could she bear to stop her?
Bibi Dong's gaze swept over Tang Qi and Tang San one by one, and suddenly a smile appeared on her lips, "Little Qi, Little San, I'm leaving the Spirit Hall to you."
"You don't need to worry about Qian Daoliu for now; I've dealt with the retainers he sent."
"As long as you keep Qian Renxue on Seagod Island occupied, he will not make any major moves in the short term."
She chuckled softly after saying that, "If she gets out, you know what to do."
Tang San nodded.
Tang Chen was a sword they had prepared long ago, intended for use against Qian Daoliu in case of emergency.
Once she was sure they all understood, Bibi Dong regained her usual dignified demeanor, sat down again, and waved for the three to leave.
Before leaving, Tang Qi looked back once, her eyes filled with nothing but anticipation, hoping that Bibi Dong would complete the final step soon.
After everyone left, Bibi Dong transformed into a streak of light and disappeared, arriving at the Rakshasa Secret Realm, a thousand feet underground from the Spirit Hall, from the other side.
There was no light here, not even a sliver, only countless pairs of scarlet spider eyes blinking in the void.
Bibi Dong walked barefoot on the steps paved with bones, each step making a creaking sound as she stepped on countless bones.
Those were all the remains of those who had failed the Rakshasa God Trial throughout history. Their soul power was absorbed by the secret realm and became nourishment for the divine positions.
"The Ninth Trial, Devouring the Heart." A voice echoed in the void, neither male nor female, like the chorus of ten thousand spiders, "Strip away your mortal heart, implant divine thoughts. Are you willing?"
Bibi Dong stared straight ahead, her expression unchanged, her voice as still as water, "Mortal desires? I no longer have them."
She pointed her fingers like a knife and cleanly plunged them into her own chest.
In an instant, purplish-black soul power surged out, like a splash of ink that captivated the viewer.
However, in the next instant, she actually dug out her own heart—a strange heart made of something indistinct and entangled with spider webs, beating and making a sound like jade shattering, crisp and fragile.
"This is the origin of my martial soul, the fusion of my twin martial souls." She held her heart above her head, her voice filled with a resolute determination to survive against all odds. "Today, I will offer it as a sacrifice to the gods."
The spider eyes blinked frantically, and a crack appeared in the void. A giant Rakshasa spider extended its forelimbs and wrapped the heart inside its belly with incredible speed, as if it had been preparing for this moment, waiting for the sacrifice to appear.
Endless pain clung to every corner of Bibi Dong's body, leaving her no room to breathe.
She collapsed to her knees, feeling something reborn within her chest.
That wasn't a heart, but a burning purple flame, each beat releasing a divine pressure, each beat deepening her resolve.
Her skin began to crack inch by inch, revealing the jade-like bones beneath. In this dark, secluded realm, these bones emitted a faint glow, and with this light, the dense divine patterns that appeared on them were clearly visible.
"Just... a little bit more." She gritted her teeth, her expression contorted with pain, and golden blood spilled from the corner of her mouth.
Painful whimpers swirled in his throat, only to be crushed and swallowed, with sporadic sounds escaping uncontrollably from his throat.
Nevertheless, her gaze became even more resolute.
In her eyes, these pains were whetstones, and she was the divine sword that was about to be forged.
Time passed slowly like that of an old man in his twilight years amidst Bibi Dong's suffering, every minute and every second a torment.
Finally, Tang Qi, who was outside, couldn't resist coming to the main hall.
She did not go any closer, but simply stood in the hall looking up at the throne above.
"Your Majesty will succeed."
Ghost Douluo's voice came from behind her. Feeling a large hand pat her shoulder, Tang Qi slowly turned her head. "Of course, Teacher will succeed."
Her tone was very firm, without the slightest hesitation.
"Then what are you doing?" Chrysanthemum Douluo also arrived, standing on the other side, his gaze sweeping over the throne before finally landing on Tang Qi's somewhat tense face.
Tang Qi looked at the throne again, "That doesn't contradict being worried."
“We could all see when my brother was taking the exam, but the teacher was facing the demon all by himself.”
She shook her head, as if trying to shake these random thoughts out of her head. "Let's go, we need to hurry up and cultivate too." (End of Chapter)