Douluo: Emerald Poison Emperor

The Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo reported the news of Qian Renxue's ambush. Upon hearing this, Bibi Dong's fists clenched involuntarily. She couldn't quite describe the feeling in her heart. She believed she should hate that abomination, but when she heard that Qian Renxue had narrowly escaped death, it felt as though her heart was being squeezed.

Could it be that she truly cared about that abomination?

 Bibi Dong pondered. Within her spiritual sea, the Rakshasa God's divine trial unconsciously released evil divine power. This power, like an unbreakable brand of thought, rooted itself deeply in Bibi Dong's mind, forcing her to recall her humiliating past.

Her original, complex concerns were rapidly distorted under this influence. Bibi Dong's thoughts veered uncontrollably toward hatred. The malice deep in her heart was awakened, magnified infinitely, and quickly overwhelmed the vague, unclear emotions within her.

Yes, she did care about that abomination—and why hadn't that abomination died yet?!

 Such a perfect opportunity, and yet she was still alive?!

 Bibi Dong recognized her true feelings. A flash of killing intent appeared in her eyes, and her grip on the scepter tightened even further. If it weren't for the scepter being made of the finest special metals, tempered by thousands of years of faith, her strength alone would have left deep imprints on it.

Despite her inner malice being stirred by the Rakshasa God's power, Bibi Dong still keenly noticed something while looking at the Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo standing before her.

She had just sensed the soul power of the Golden Crocodile Douluo nearby, and shortly after, the soul power fluctuations of Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo disappeared. Yet, in such a short time, they had already learned about Qian Renxue's ambush and her secret plan to usurp the throne from within the palace.

In Bibi Dong's eyes, the current Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo were untrustworthy. They might have secretly sided with that old man Qian Daoliu.

Bibi Dong asked herself honestly: if she were Qian Daoliu, why would she reveal this information?

 Of course, it would be for the sake of so-called familial affection!

Bibi Dong felt nothing but disgust in her heart, but she also sensed an opportunity for herself.

The Rakshasa God's eighth trial required her to take away what Qian Renxue valued most and make her experience unbearable pain.

And now, she could use this opportunity to feign closeness with Qian Renxue, pretending to draw the two of them closer, while secretly discovering what Qian Renxue held most dear. Then, with one act of betrayal, she could utterly destroy what Qian Renxue cherished in front of her.

This way, she could immediately complete the Rakshasa God's eighth trial and move on to the ninth trial—the final step to becoming a god.

Betrayal by someone akin to a parent—Bibi Dong knew all too well how agonizing that was.

Bibi Dong understood Qian Daoliu's character well. As long as she didn't harm Qian Renxue or endanger her life, with their complicated relationship and her awkward position, Qian Daoliu could do no more than place her under house arrest. He wouldn't be able to punish her further.

But once she completed all nine Rakshasa God trials, she would become a true god. At that point, she wouldn't need to hide anything anymore. She could let the entire Douluo Continent feel her pain.

By then, not even Qian Daoliu could stop her. She would realize her wish to make the Spirit Hall—and the entire world—experience her suffering.

What Bibi Dong didn't know was that deep within her spiritual sea, the cocoon of light representing the Rakshasa God's divine trials quivered slightly, as if alive. Twisted, evil divine power seeped into her spiritual sea, subtly altering her thinking, making her already extreme mindset even more radical and crazed.

Logically speaking, if the trials were truly overseen by the Rakshasa God herself, even as an evil god, she wouldn't resort to such deceitful methods for someone who had already reached the eighth trial. However, the trials were now under the control of the Asura God.

To the Asura God, the Rakshasa God's successor was merely a pawn to be discarded. In the end, she would undoubtedly be crushed to prove the Asura God's innocence.

The more insane Bibi Dong became, the more useful she was to the Asura God. A crazed Spirit Hall Supreme Pontiff was far more valuable than an incompetent one.

Feigning concern, Bibi Dong inquired further about the events, but as Chen Ming's mentors, Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo deliberately omitted Chen Ming's involvement. They described him as someone who had coincidentally passed by and helped Qian Renxue escape.

As a woman with a romantic disposition, Bibi Dong immediately noticed Chen Ming's existence.

When she learned that Chen Ming was their disciple and that their recent leave of absence had been to help him hunt soul rings, Bibi Dong smiled kindly at the two of them.

"A twelve-year-old Soul Ancestor at the fortieth rank—such talent is unprecedented. A gem like this, why not bring him into our Spirit Hall?"

"Elder Chrysanthemum, Elder Ghost, could you bring your disciple here for me to meet? As the Supreme Pontiff of the Spirit Hall, I should personally encourage such a talented soul master."

Bibi Dong thought her words were perfectly reasonable, but Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo, having been by her side for so long, could sense something was amiss. Though they couldn't discern her exact intentions, they instinctively felt wary.

The two of them, having worked together for years, shared an unspoken understanding. Without needing to speak, they knew each other's thoughts.

In response to Bibi Dong's request, they began making excuses. These excuses included, but were not limited to, claiming the disciple was injured and needed rest, had a special status that made it inconvenient, or that the Spirit Hall required the Supreme Pontiff to address the current crisis.

Each excuse sounded more convincing and reasonable than the last. Even though Bibi Dong knew they were stalling, she couldn't directly expose their lies. She could only feign regret and express disappointment, instructing them to convey her encouragement verbally.

Yes, verbal encouragement.

Forget about precious treasures like soul bones—Bibi Dong didn't even plan to give a single gold soul coin.

This was typical of Bibi Dong's usual behavior. However, because Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo had just received four high-quality, high-age soul bones from Qian Daoliu, they couldn't help but feel that Bibi Dong's stinginess was excessive.

At the same time, they were even more certain that something was off with Bibi Dong's emotions.

After withdrawing, Chrysanthemum Douluo glanced at Ghost Douluo, who nodded silently. Ghost Douluo restrained his soul power and quietly slipped into the Worship Hall, where Qian Renxue and the others were waiting. He relayed Bibi Dong's demeanor and behavior.

To Ghost Douluo, Bibi Dong's ill intentions were obvious. However, to Qian Renxue, the absence of outright insults or hostility was already a significant improvement in their relationship.

Ignoring Ghost Douluo's speculations, Qian Renxue felt a renewed sense of hope for her mother, Bibi Dong.

Watching this unfold, Qian Daoliu wanted to say something but refrained. Considering the complicated and tragic relationship between Bibi Dong and Qian Renxue, he felt powerless to intervene. Instead, he turned to Chen Ming with a pleading look, silently hoping this clever young man could help Qian Renxue.