The sky was just beginning to brighten. All the guests had taken their places.
The delegations from powerful factions, such as the two great empires, the Three Upper Sects, and the Lower Four Sects, had gathered in the plaza in front of the Papal Hall to offer their condolences. Other lesser powers could only wait at the foot of the mountain.
Qian Xunji's coffin was carried by a group of Red Cardinals, with four Titled Douluo—Chrysanthemum Douluo, Ghost Douluo, Magic Bear Douluo, and Ghost Leopard Douluo—escorting it in pairs at the front and back. The golden coffin was slowly carried from the Papal Hall down to the foot of the mountain. Once the procession through the inner ring of Spirit Hall City was complete, it would ascend the mountain again toward Douluo Hall at the summit of the Central Divine Mountain.
During this time, no guests were allowed to move freely, leave the venue, or make noise. Titled Douluo-level experts were even monitoring the crowds in secret. After all, during this exceptional period, most of the people in Spirit Hall City had gathered to see the Pope off, and security in various other locations had been weakened. However, with the Clear Sky School serving as a cautionary tale, no one dared to act out in Spirit Hall City at such a time.
A heavy atmosphere of solemnity and grief hung over the city. On a day like this, given the Pope's influence across the Pan Continent, many people even outside Spirit Hall City spontaneously mourned Qian Xunji. This included not just Soul Masters, but many commoners as well.
The Spirit Hall Elders and numerous Red Cardinals followed the procession the entire way. The funeral process was not particularly complex. The professional team of Red Cardinals, who were Soul Saints at the very least, carried Qian Xunji's coffin at a steady pace through the city. Once they reached halfway up the Central Divine Mountain, Chrysanthemum Douluo and the others took over the relay. All the Red Cardinals remained on the path to the summit, watching as the coffin departed.
A cold, pale sunlight pierced through the gray clouds, causing the edges of the mist to shimmer with a silvery light. As the light grew stronger, it seemed destined to eventually tear through the overcast sky and pour down upon the world.
As the four Titled Douluos in ceremonial dress took flight to carry Qian Xunji's remains to their final destination, the Red Cardinals remaining on the mountainside let out a collective final farewell.
"We respectfully bid farewell to His Holiness the Pope!"
The mournful cry rolled down from the mountainside. Upon reaching the front of the Papal Hall, the numerous Palace Knights and guests joined the shout. When the sound reached the foot of the mountain, it wasn't long before the entire Spirit Hall City echoed with the cry.
"We respectfully bid farewell to His Holiness the Pope!"
The towering city walls vibrated, and even the Central Divine Mountain seemed to tremble thrice.
At this moment, Ye Tian and his companions had just reached the grounds of Douluo Hall. From a distance, they could see over a dozen figures of varying heights standing before the ancient and solemn gates of the hall.
These were the seven Great Elders of Spirit Hall, along with four juniors led by Qian Renxue: Jin Yue'er, Yan, and Xie Yue.
As Ye Tian saw Qian Renxue, she naturally spotted the three of them as well. Even Jin Yue'er, who was usually the most energetic, was subdued today. Seeing Ye Tian from afar, she merely stood in place and watched him silently.
Qian Renxue first glanced at Ye Tian and gave him a slight nod. Then, her slightly reddened violet eyes fixed on Bi Bi Dong, who was leading the way. She seemed to want to find some trace of remorse on the woman's face to offer herself some small comfort.
But as it turned out, Qian Renxue was clearly overthinking things. Bi Bi Dong might have felt a sense of melancholy at how things had changed, but she did not feel a shred of regret for killing Qian Xunji.
Giving Qian Renxue only a silent glance, Bi Bi Dong led Ye Tian and Hu Liena forward without a word. She gave a slight nod to Qian Daoliu and the others before standing quietly on the left side of the Douluo Hall entrance, her eyes downcast as she waited in silence. She made a clear point of isolating herself from the group belonging to the Hall of Worship.
Qian Renxue gritted her teeth. No matter what, Qian Xunji was this woman's teacher and had raised her for decades. She hadn't expected Bi Bi Dong to be this perfunctory even during the final farewell!
Qian Renxue gripped the meticulously crafted white-gold wreath in her hands, her eyes filled with hatred. The arrangement in Bi Bi Dong's arms was just a large basket of unknown white wildflowers she had picked on the way, looking messy and showing no signs of effort.
Qian Renxue swore in her heart that when she was strong enough, she would definitely give Bi Bi Dong a painful lesson!
While everyone was more or less immersed in the funeral, Ye Tian was the exception. After greeting Jin Yue'er and the others with his eyes, he silently observed the Elders he had never met before. Aside from the Second Elder, Golden Crocodile Douluo, this was the first time Ye Tian had met the other six, including the Grand Elder, Qian Daoliu.
Naturally, their gazes fell upon Ye Tian as well. As an existence crucial to the future development of Spirit Hall, Azure Luan Douluo and the others could not ignore him; their eyes were filled with curiosity and anticipation.
Light had already begun to spill from the heavens, drapes of gold falling upon the spires of Douluo Hall. The golden coffin drifted slowly toward them from the horizon, accompanied by the first rays of the morning sun.
Chrysanthemum Douluo and the others finally arrived within the vicinity of Douluo Hall. The four Titled Douluos slowly descended to the ground. Ghost Douluo and the others bore solemn expressions as they carried the coffin forward step by step. As the light washed over the top of the hall, they drew closer to the gates.
While Magic Bear and Ghost Leopard kept their eyes fixed ahead, Chrysanthemum Douluo's gaze drifted, as if searching for a specific target. He hadn't forgotten what Bi Bi Dong had ordered him to do at the end of the meeting seven days ago.
Just as he was wondering how he would explain it to Bi Bi Dong if he couldn't identify which Immortal Herb Qian Renxue had consumed, they drew closer. Before he even saw his target clearly, he sensed an aura that made even his heart tremble.
His pupils shook as he instantly realized where that aura—which made his own Martial Soul shudder—was coming from! It was coming from Qian Renxue, the very person the Pope had told him to watch.
Lovesick Heartbreak Red! That was the aura of the Lovesick Heartbreak Red!
Chrysanthemum Douluo was absolutely certain he hadn't mistaken it. Qian Renxue had definitely become the Flower Master of the Lovesick Heartbreak Red and had consumed it. Otherwise, there was no other Immortal Herb in this world, besides the King of Immortal Herbs, that could cause his Chrysanthemum of Marvelous Velvet and Celestial Connection Martial Soul to fluctuate like this.
Furthermore, with his eyes that shimmered with a purple hue like the stamens of his Martial Soul, he could clearly see the enchanting bloody glow radiating from Qian Renxue. Realizing the conditions required to pluck the Lovesick Heartbreak Red, Chrysanthemum Douluo was shocked to his core.
However, he didn't dare look further. He quickly gathered his composure and followed his three colleagues to deliver Qian Xunji's coffin to the front of Douluo Hall. They lowered the coffin from their shoulders. Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo bowed their heads in perfect unison and began a moment of silence.
With the exception of Qian Daoliu, the other six Elders also lowered their heads, as did Hu Liena, the other juniors, Jin Yue'er, and Ye Tian.
Bi Bi Dong stepped forward and gently placed the woven flower basket onto the lid of the coffin. "Teacher, have a safe journey. With Dong'er in charge of the Papal Hall, you can rest in peace."
Bi Bi Dong's face showed neither joy nor sorrow. In her eyes, reflecting the edge of the coffin, a brief, complex light flickered before turning into resolve. At this moment, the past seemed to dissipate like the wind.
Ye Tian was right; she should think about the future. She was no longer alone. She had new concerns and goals. Her grudge with Spirit Hall should end with Qian Xunji's death. Of course, that was provided that those currently alive didn't try to disgust her again!
After placing the flower basket, Bi Bi Dong looked up at Qian Renxue, who was facing her across the coffin, and stepped back expressionlessly.
Qian Renxue's lips pressed together, wanting to say something but stopping herself. Staring at Bi Bi Dong, the resentment in her eyes was unconcealed. After being ignored, she could only lower her reddened eyes to look at the golden coffin. She gently placed the wreath she had personally woven onto it.
However, the messy flower basket next to it was an eyesore. The pain in Qian Renxue's heart, which had been somewhat dampened, erupted once more upon sharing this funeral space with Bi Bi Dong!
With a sharp motion, Qian Renxue couldn't help but reach out and grab the basket from the lid, acting as if she were about to throw it away! Bi Bi Dong's brows knitted together.
"Little Xue, the time has come."
In that instant, Qian Daoliu's voice rang in everyone's ears. The light shining from the dome had already illuminated the entire Douluo Hall. Golden specks of faith flickered, making this building—older than the history of Spirit Hall itself—look divinely extraordinary.
The area before the hall was lit by the sun, and the light gradually enveloped the entire summit of the Central Divine Mountain. Ye Tian and the others raised their heads. Under the worried or confused gazes of the crowd, Qian Renxue bit her lip and ultimately put the basket back down, slowly stepping back. Her reddened eyes remained fixed on Bi Bi Dong, who was dressed in plain white.
Ye Tian's expression was somewhat complex. He could roughly guess what Qian Renxue had wanted to do just now. But compared to that, he was more concerned with whether Qian Xunji had died in vain. In truth, there were some things he had never actually done. Qian Renxue was not Bi Bi Dong's daughter!
But in the current situation, even if Ye Tian knew the truth, he would have to wait until he became stronger before he could explore it further. Perhaps his pills would be able to help in the future.
Thinking of this, Ye Tian looked at Bi Bi Dong's profile again. The more he looked, the more he felt that these two women didn't seem to share much of a resemblance at all.
As his thoughts drifted, the ancient, heavy gates of Douluo Hall opened. Qian Xunji's coffin was lifted by Qian Daoliu's powerful Soul Power. Finally, under the gaze of Bi Bi Dong, Ye Tian, Xie Yue, and the others, it followed Qian Daoliu into the depths of Douluo Hall.
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