Hu Liena grabbed a handful of green plums and placed them into Bibi Dong's hand, her face still carrying a hint of disbelief. However, Bibi Dong showed no fear of the sourness—instead, she seemed to grow more and more addicted as she continued eating them.
This left Hu Liena completely stunned. She turned and looked toward Qian Renxue, who was quietly sitting in a secluded corner beneath a red maple tree.
"Senior Sister Xue'er, you try?"
Qian Renxue didn't even raise her head.
"Boring, no."
She sat under the maple tree, quietly flipping through the Heart of Fire manual. Her expression was calm, but her mind was far from peaceful.
She was still considering the two cultivation paths Teacher Xin had shown her.
The ultimate Holy Angel path.
And the more unpredictable Fallen Angel path.
Was it really true that going dark made one three times stronger?
Her brows furrowed slightly as she thought back to Xin's demonstration.
The Teacher's words had been too convincing.
Among the five Law Enforcement Gods of the God Realm, only the Goddess of Goodness ranked among the top in combat power. Meanwhile, the strongest three positions were all tied to destruction, darkness, or deviation from pure order—Asura, Destruction, and Evil.
Strength seemed to favor extremes.
However, the Holy Angel inheritance was fundamentally incompatible with darkness. It could not be tainted, corrupted, or reversed. Once chosen, it meant walking a fixed path of purity without deviation.
Qian Renxue closed the book slightly.
"Still… no conclusion."
At that moment, Hu Liena leaned closer again, holding another plum directly in front of her face.
"This is what Teacher Xin recommended for us to eat. Senior Sister Xue'er, are you really not going to try?"
Hearing that it was from Teacher Xin, Qian Renxue's expression finally changed.
She hesitated for a moment.
Then reached out, took one from Hu Liena's hand, and gently bit into it.
"…"
The instant the juice burst open, her expression froze.
"So sour!"
Even the usually calm and composed Qian Renxue frowned tightly, her eyes narrowing as she struggled to swallow.
After a long pause, she looked at Hu Liena with deep suspicion.
"Senior Sister Hu Liena… is there something wrong with your taste buds?"
Hu Liena blinked.
Before she could respond, her attention was drawn back toward Bibi Dong.
"Is that so?"
Bibi Dong had initially not paid attention to their conversation. However, whether it was because she had eaten too many plums or for some other unknown reason, a strange sour sensation suddenly spread through her abdomen.
Her expression shifted slightly.
"Ugh…"
She pressed a hand to her lower abdomen.
Another wave of discomfort surged up.
"Ugh—"
This time, she could no longer suppress it.
Bibi Dong turned and quickly walked toward the pond behind the hall, where she bent over and began to vomit.
Hu Liena and Qian Renxue exchanged a glance, both confused.
"Teacher… what's wrong?" Hu Liena quickly ran after her, concern evident in her voice.
"It's nothing," Bibi Dong replied weakly, wiping the corner of her lips. "Perhaps I just ate too many plums and feel a little unwell."
Her voice was steady, but her hand unconsciously rested over her lower abdomen again.
A strange feeling lingered there—faint, unfamiliar, yet oddly persistent.
And somehow…
It felt familiar.
Very familiar.
Bibi Dong's gaze slowly shifted toward Qian Renxue standing at the hall entrance.
Her eyes darkened slightly.
Qian Renxue, who had followed them out, also looked at her silently.
Her expression was cold, but her gaze was sharp.
What is this woman up to again?
She is a peak powerhouse. How could a few plums make her vomit from sourness?
Something is wrong.
The air between the two instantly grew tense.