Bibi Dong felt a quiet surge of satisfaction, in the sea of admiration.
'Soon… soon I will have complete control. The Spirit Hall, the Douluo Continent, everything shall be unified under my will…'
Her smile deepened, faint yet commanding — but suddenly, her thoughts froze.
Between the endless rows of faces, through a small gap in the crowd, she saw a young girl standing silently.
Golden hair that shimmered like divine light beneath the lights of soul guides, purple eyes that gleamed with a gaze so familiar that it pierced her very soul.
The girl was smiling… softly, gently as if mocking her..
For a single heartbeat, the world fell silent.
Bibi Dong's fingers trembled against the scepter. Her lips parted as a whisper escaped almost unconsciously.
"...Renxue?"
Her heart pounded. But before she could take another breath, the crowd shifted — the girl was gone.
Bibi Dong's composure shattered for a brief moment. Without a word, her figure blurred, leaving only a faint purple streak as she soared from the platform, her Pope's robe fluttering in the night wind.
She descended rapidly into the crowd, startling the gathered citizens. Her spirit power — vast and suffocating — swept through the square as her eyes darted left and right, searching desperately.
But there was no trace of the Qian Renxue.
The crowd, however, thought this was an act of grace — their Pope descending to bless them.
They bowed and reached out eagerly, voices full of devotion:
"Your Holiness!"
"Long live the Pope!"
"Your Holiness, thank you for saving my son!"
"Spirit Hall's glory forever!"
Their gratitude and excitement surrounded her — hands reaching, eyes shining — but all Bibi Dong felt was suffocation.
Each smiling face blurred into the next; each word of praise echoed hollowly in her mind.
She walked through the sea of people like a ghost, her expression turning colder and more distant with every step.
When she finally realized she was just searching in vain, something inside her cracked. A dark purple light flickered in her eyes — faint at first, then growing sharper, more violent.
The pressure around her increased; the nearby crowd began to tremble unconsciously, their souls shaking under her presence.
Her breath came shallow—
'Why… why do you after not meeting me for 6 years ....appear now..... … to haunt me?'
Just as the purple aura threatened to erupt, a soft yet anxious voice called from behind.
"Teacher…!"
The sound pierced through her storming thoughts.
Her head turned sharply — and there stood Hu Liena, dressed in ceremonial robes, her delicate face filled with concern.
Bibi Dong blinked once then twice.
The purple light vanished from her eyes, leaving behind a faint exhaustion.
"Teacher," Hu Liena said hesitantly, "are you… are you alright? You suddenly flew down from the platform…."
Bibi Dong didn't answer immediately. She looked at her new disciple — and for an instant, Hu Liena's innocent eyes overlapped with the image of the girl she could not find.
Her fingers tightened around her scepter, and she slowly turned toward the horizon — the sun had already vanished, leaving only traces of red fading into night.
Her voice, when it finally came, was calm… yet distant.
"It's nothing."
She stood there silently, her gaze fixed on the last streaks of sunset — as if she could still see the shadow of golden hair dancing in the dying light.
(Author notes: Which abilities due you think Qian Renxue used when their eyes met)
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Star Dou Forest – Night
Night in the Star Dou Forest was never truly dark.
Under the silver moonlight and the faint shimmer of countless stars, the forest seemed to breathe — every leaf glowed faintly, every patch of mist carried an ethereal hue. Fireflies drifted lazily between ancient roots, illuminating trails deep into the heart of the wilderness.
And amidst this tranquil splendor, a golden shadow darted across the undergrowth — fast, graceful, and radiant.
It was a creature of beauty and majesty — its fur shimmered like molten gold, every strand gleaming with brilliance. Its body bore the proud form of a lion, yet upon its forelimbs were draconic claws, wrapped in thin streams of golden flame that hissed and rippled in the air. Beneath its soft fur, delicate golden scales reflected moonlight ..
But what made it truly breathtaking was the vertical eye at the center of its forehead — a crimson slit that pulsed faintly, radiating a mysterious and regal aura.
This was the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, the Auspicious Emperor of the Star Dou Forest.
A being blessed with the Golden Dragon King's bloodline, and the vessel of the luck and fate of all soul beasts in existence.
Though only five thousand years old, its intelligence far surpassed that of ordinary beasts — equal to that of a clever ten-year-old human child. It wielded the elements of light, fire, and spirit, and its presence alone inspired both reverence and awe.
No soul beast dared to block its path.
The Titan Giant Ape, the Azure Bull Python, and even the strong soul beasts of the had an unspoken order — avoid the Auspicious Emperor.
However some soul beasts after seeing her arranged Campanula, Yellow Roses, Jasmine flowers and bowed their heads as if a ritual.
Thus, the golden creature moved through the ancient forest as if the entire world bowed before it. The underbrush parted, the birds silenced their calls, and weaker soul beasts slinked away, trembling from an instinctive respect embedded deep within their bloodlines.
To the Auspicious Emperor, however, this was merely a night stroll — a moment of freedom stolen from the eternal vigilance of those older, overbearing guardians.
Her third eye glowed faintly as it leapt gracefully over a small stream, golden claws tapping the stones like music.
'Hmph… Ditian is full of nonsense,'
the little lion thought irritably, its mental voice brimming with indignation.
'Even that annoying Scarlet King agrees with him now. Always acting so mysterious and serious, as if I don't know anything.'
She flicked her golden tail in annoyance, leaving a faint trail of flame in the air.