"You!" Qian Daoliu trembled with rage, his pointing hand shaking uncontrollably!
"Bi Bidong, don't you dare scheme against Xiao Xue! Otherwise, even if it costs me my old life, I will never let you succeed!"
The atmosphere in the hall instantly dropped to freezing point. The high-ranking officials held their breath, not daring to make a sound.
"Grand Elder, this is a necessary sacrifice for the greater cause of the Spirit Hall."
Bi Bidong's voice showed no fluctuation, as if she were discussing something unrelated to herself.
"If Hu Liena or Su Yu possessed such capability, I would make the same decision without the slightest hesitation."
"How dare you mention them!"
Qian Daoliu's voice suddenly rose sharply, his aged face filled with unbelievable fury.
"Bi Bidong, you have such a cruel heart! Xiao Xue is your own daughter!"
"She came from your own flesh and blood! How can you be so heartless as to make her take such risks?"
He stepped forward aggressively, golden Soul Power surging around him, nearly breaking free from his control:
"Infiltration into the Heaven Dou Imperial Family is like walking through mountains of knives and seas of fire! One wrong step means certain death!"
"You know full well she has a proud nature, yet you want her to suppress all her brilliance and survive under the enemy's nose for years—you're asking for her life!"
Bi Bidong slammed the armrest and stood up, her purple-black robe billowing without wind:
"As the Pope, my primary concern is the future of the Spirit Hall! Personal safety is insignificant compared to our great cause!"
"Insignificant?"
Qian Daoliu trembled with rage!
"That's your daughter! Not some tool to be sacrificed at will!"
"What happened back then, the Qian family owes you, I admit that!"
"But Xiao Xue is innocent! How can you transfer your hatred for the Qian family onto her?"
"Transfer?" A flicker of pain flashed in Bi Bidong's eyes, quickly replaced by deeper coldness.
"I'm merely making the decisions befitting a Pope.
She is a member of the Qian family, the successor to the Angel God. Sacrificing for the Spirit Hall is her destiny!"
"Nonsense!" Qian Daoliu roared.
"Her destiny is to inherit the Godhood, to bring glory to the Qian family, not to become a sacrificial pawn in your power games!"
"Bi Bidong, even if I have to take the papal throne from you, I will never let you do this!"
Their gazes clashed violently in the air—one filled with heartache and determination, the other concealing ice-cold stubbornness.
The flickering candlelight played across their faces, illuminating this relationship already twisted by hatred and responsibility, showing no room for compromise.
Seeing the two at daggers drawn, with the atmosphere about to explode, Golden Crocodile Douluo quickly stepped forward. His rugged face forced into a conciliatory smile as he tried to calm Qian Daoliu:
"Big brother, calm your anger! His Holiness the Pope probably just mentioned it casually. How could she really let Xiao Xue take such risks?"
"She merely wants everyone to brainstorm and see if there are other methods!"
He then turned to Bi Bidong, his tone cautious:
"Your Eminence, isn't that right?"
"Xiao Xue is the successor to the Angel God, the future pillar of the Spirit Hall. How could we easily send her to such a place?"
"In my opinion, this matter requires careful deliberation. We can surely find a safer candidate."
Sandwiched between them, Golden Crocodile Douluo had fine sweat beading on his forehead.
On one side was the highly respected Grand Elder, on the other the decisive Pope who never went back on her word.
If these two were to truly fall out, the entire Spirit Hall would be thrown into turmoil.
Bi Bidong didn't respond, merely staring coldly at Qian Daoliu. The chill in her amber eyes hadn't dissipated, clearly showing no intention of backing down.
Qian Daoliu's chest heaved, his anger still not fully subsided, though Golden Crocodile Douluo's words had some effect.
He took a deep breath, glaring intently at Bi Bidong:
"I don't care what schemes you're plotting, but Xiao Xue must not be involved in this plan!"
"Otherwise, you'd better abandon this idea of yours right now. If you don't want to do this the proper way, then don't blame me for making you do it properly!"
With that, he flicked his sleeve and turned around, striding out of the Papal Hall with large steps, leaving behind a hall full of silence and people exchanging uneasy glances.
Golden Crocodile Douluo secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but then saw Bi Bidong slowly sit back on her throne, her fingers once again tapping on the armrest.
Her amber eyes looked toward the hall entrance, no one could guess what she was thinking at this moment.
Meanwhile, after Su Yu left, Qian Renxue stayed alone for a while before returning to the Hall of Worship.
As soon as she entered the hall, Qian Renxue saw her grandfather sitting in his seat with an angry expression.
"Grandfather?"
Seeing Qian Renxue, Qian Daoliu suppressed his anger and showed a slight smile.
"Xiao Xue, you're back."
"Grandfather, you're angry. What exactly happened?"
"Nothing, Xiao Xue, just some minor matters."
"It's been a long time since grandfather checked on Xiao Xue's studies. Come, I'm free today, let me check your progress!"
"Okay!"
Although Qian Renxue had doubts in her heart, seeing that her grandfather didn't want to talk about it, she didn't press further.
That evening—
After seeing Qian Renxue to bed, Qian Daoliu came to the main hall of the Hall of Worship.
Seeing Qian Daoliu approach, Golden Crocodile Douluo quickly walked up to him.
"Big brother, is Xiao Xue asleep?"
"Yes, she's already asleep!"
"Big brother, about what happened in the Papal Hall today!"
"Don't mention it. There's no way I would agree to send Xiao Xue to the Heaven Dou Empire!"
"That woman is simply mad. Xiao Xue is her own daughter, yet she wants to send her to that place!"
"Sigh, who says otherwise! Big brother! I'm just afraid that woman might approach Xiao Xue privately. With Xiao Xue's temperament, she might very well agree directly!"
...
The two completely failed to notice a pair of light purple eyes appearing behind the hall.
In the Papal Hall—
Bi Bidong sat before a mirror, combing her hair. A pair of purple eyes appeared in the mirror.
"Bi Bidong, it seems your God Trials are progressing quite successfully!"
"Enough nonsense. I've completed so many God Trials, so why hasn't my strength improved? Instead, you've restricted me so much!"
"Don't be impatient. This is all temporary. Once you complete all the God Trials, my Godhood will be yours!"
"It had better be as you say!"
"Don't worry, your 'daughter' is here!"
Accompanied by a laugh, the eyes disappeared from the mirror.
With a light "creak," the door to the Papal Hall's inner chamber was pushed open from outside.
Qian Renxue's figure appeared at the doorway, her light purple eyes carrying some tension, her hands clutching the hem of her clothes turning slightly pale.
"What are you doing here?" Bi Bidong didn't even look up, her voice cold as ice.
"Haven't I told you not to come to my Papal Hall anymore?"
Qian Renxue took a deep breath, took two steps forward, and asked in a trembling voice:
"You... do you really want me to go to the Heaven Dou Empire?"
Bi Bidong finally lifted her gaze, her eyes falling upon Qian Renxue's face with a trace of mockery:
"Did your dear grandfather tell you?"
"No!" Qian Renxue immediately retorted, her voice tinged with stubbornness, "I heard it myself outside."