A gentle breeze blew past, rustling the treetops of the surrounding ancient trees and making a soft, swishing sound.
Two hours passed quietly. Seeing Qian Renxue and Ye Xi finish paying their respects to Qian Xunji, Qian Daoliu stood up from beside Qian Xunji's tombstone.
"Xue'er, Ye Xi."
"Since you have finished paying your respects, let us return to the Hall of Offerings. We can come back to pay our respects again when we have time in the future."
As his voice fell, Qian Daoliu brushed the dust off his body and began walking in the direction they had come from.
Watching Qian Daoliu leave, Qian Renxue and Ye Xi exchanged a glance before quickly catching up to his pace and heading in the direction they had come.
On the way back to Spirit Hall, the atmosphere among the group was somewhat silent. Qian Renxue, in particular, kept looking back at the location of Qian Xunji's tombstone.
Returning to the Supreme Pontiff Palace, Qian Daoliu, Qian Renxue, and Ye Xi did not make any stops at the Supreme Pontiff Palace, proceeding directly towards the Hall of Offerings.
Just as they arrived at the Hall of Offerings, seeing Bibi Dong sitting inside and Hu Liena standing beside her, Qian Renxue's brows furrowed involuntarily.
Ye Xi merely glanced silently at Bibi Dong and Hu Liena, then quietly withdrew her gaze.
Qian Daoliu led Qian Renxue and Ye Xi into the Hall of Offerings, and the three of them sat down in front of Bibi Dong.
"Supreme Pontiff, what brings you to the Hall of Offerings today?"
Qian Daoliu looked at Bibi Dong sitting before him and asked in a lukewarm tone.
Qian Renxue and Ye Xi did not speak, waiting quietly for Bibi Dong's answer.
Given the relationship between the Hall of Offerings and the Supreme Pontiff Palace, unless there was something major, it was absolutely impossible for Bibi Dong, as the Supreme Pontiff, to come to the Hall of Offerings.
"High Priest, I have come this time to discuss something with you."
"It concerns the Holy Maiden of our Spirit Hall."
While speaking, Bibi Dong glanced calmly at Qian Renxue and Ye Xi.
As Bibi Dong finished speaking, Qian Daoliu calmly swept a glance at Hu Liena, who was beside her.
Qian Renxue and Ye Xi looked directly at Hu Liena, their pale golden and azure eyes narrowing almost simultaneously.
Seeing the gazes of Qian Renxue and Ye Xi, Hu Liena couldn't help but feel a chill in her heart.
Her intuition told her that the gazes of these two might be somewhat dangerous.
"Supreme Pontiff, who is the candidate in your mind?"
Although Qian Daoliu was asking, he already had the answer in his heart.
"My Disciple, Hu Liena."
Bibi Dong answered straightforwardly, without any hesitation.
After answering Qian Daoliu's question, Bibi Dong observed the expressions of Qian Daoliu, Qian Renxue, and Ye Xi calmly.
She saw that Qian Daoliu's expression did not change at all, as if he had known the result long ago.
Qian Renxue cast a look of contempt at Hu Liena, with no intention of speaking at all.
Ye Xi's expression was calm, but a trace of hidden killing intent flashed quietly in her azure eyes.
"Supreme Pontiff, does she possess any talent that would astonish everyone?"
"Or, what indispensable contributions has she made to Spirit Hall?"
"If neither is the case, then there is no need to bring this matter up again."
Qian Daoliu glanced at Bibi Dong indifferently and flatly rejected her proposal.
In terms of talent, both Qian Renxue and Ye Xi were superior to Hu Liena.
In terms of contributions, Qian Renxue had gone to the Heaven Dou Empire to act as an undercover agent from a young age, while Ye Xi had also assisted Qian Renxue in the Heaven Dou Empire and established the Frost Snow Pavilion, which was comparable to the Upper Three Sects.
As for Hu Liena, in terms of contributions to Spirit Hall, she was also incomparable to Qian Renxue and Ye Xi.
Facing Qian Daoliu's refusal, Bibi Dong seemed not at all surprised; she just nodded slightly and did not speak again.
However, Bibi Dong's gaze swept over Qian Daoliu, Qian Renxue, and Ye Xi quietly.
The expressions of the three just now were all taken in by Bibi Dong, including the flash of killing intent in Ye Xi's eyes.
"The resistance to pushing Nana into the position of Holy Maiden seems to be even greater than I imagined."
"It seems I need to plan this carefully. Regardless of the outcome, the next Supreme Pontiff of Spirit Hall must absolutely not be surnamed Qian."
"Hmm, being surnamed Ye is also absolutely out of the question."
Bibi Dong calculated secretly in her heart, with a look of contemplation appearing in her eyes.
"Spirit Hall belongs to our Qian family. For you, this woman, to actually want to push your Disciple to the top is simply dreaming."
"Not just Spirit Hall, the two great Empires of Heaven Dou and Star Luo also belong to our Qian family."
Qian Renxue thought to herself, her gaze sweeping calmly over Hu Liena, with deep contemplation appearing in her golden eyes.
"The next Supreme Pontiff of Spirit Hall can only be my sister."
"You want to push Hu Liena to the top? That is impossible."
"Should I get rid of Hu Liena in advance, or find an opportunity to take out Bibi Dong as well?"
Ye Xi thought silently to herself, her gaze gradually turning towards Hu Liena. Her azure eyes were filled with calmness, devoid of any other emotions.
"Something is wrong. Why does it feel a bit off?"
"Why do the gazes of Young Miss Qian and Second Miss Ye feel a bit creepy?"
"However, by comparison, I feel that Second Miss Ye is easier to get along with."
Looking at the gazes of the others, Hu Liena only felt somewhat creeped out and muttered secretly in her heart.
The vast Hall of Offerings fell silent at this moment.
Qian Daoliu was closing his eyes to rest.
Bibi Dong, Qian Renxue, and Ye Xi were each calculating something in their minds.
While Hu Liena was observing everyone's expressions.
Time passed bit by bit.
After a long while, Bibi Dong rose from her seat, glanced at Qian Daoliu, and said, "Since that is the case, I will return to the Supreme Pontiff Palace first."
"Nana, let's go."
As her voice fell, Bibi Dong stepped out and walked towards the outside of the Hall of Offerings.
"Alright, Teacher."
Hu Liena answered and quickly followed in Bibi Dong's footsteps.
Qian Renxue and Ye Xi silently watched Bibi Dong and Hu Liena leave, not saying a word from beginning to end.
After Bibi Dong took Hu Liena and left the Hall of Offerings, she headed straight towards the Supreme Pontiff Palace.
On the way back to the Supreme Pontiff Palace, Hu Liena looked at Bibi Dong in front and asked with some confusion, "Teacher, if you want to appoint a Holy Maiden, I feel that those two in the Hall of Offerings are more suitable."
Hearing Hu Liena's question, Bibi Dong's footsteps did not pause at all.
"The Holy Maiden can inherit the position of Supreme Pontiff in the future."
"And the next Supreme Pontiff of Spirit Hall must absolutely not be surnamed Qian."
After speaking, Bibi Dong seemed to have thought of something and added, "Being surnamed Ye is also out of the question!"
------------------------
I've posted 40+ chapters in advance on Patreon.
Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right now but who knows what the future holds?
[email protected]/DaoistRoeoNQ
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"