Chapter 357: Meeting Qian Daoliu
"I have never disclosed my identity. I have no idea how Nana found out. This can only mean that your arrangements had a flaw, allowing information to leak," Dai Yao said calmly, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth.
Upon hearing this, Bibi Dong let out a cold laugh. "You think the issue lies on my end? Do you know that everyone aware of your identity as the 'Shura Emperor' is already dead? Only your personal attendants and Snake Spear Douluo were spared. But I explicitly ordered them to never speak a word of it."
"Furthermore, none of them actually know that you're the 'Shura Emperor'—only that you practiced spear techniques for a time. Do you think they would dare betray me?"
Considering this, Bibi Dong concluded that Dai Yao must have revealed his identity of his own volition.
Dai Yao felt as if he was grasping at something through the fog in his mind, some elusive clue. Yet he couldn't piece it all together here and now. "I assure you," he explained, "I never once told Hu Liena who I am. If you doubt me, call Nana here to confront me."
But Bibi Dong's face was a picture of bitter disappointment. She had already given Dai Yao a chance. If he admitted his mistake, she could have forgiven him. Yet he continued to insist otherwise, refusing to take accountability.
Looking at him with heartbreak, Bibi Dong clutched her scepter tightly. She had trusted Dai Yao completely, viewing him as someone who gave her reason to live. She breathed in deeply, closing her eyes as she whispered in a voice heavy with disappointment, "Dai Yao, even now, you won't admit your wrongs? If I summon Nana, she will only shield you and take all the blame."
Dai Yao held Bibi Dong's gaze, unable to understand why she would mistrust him so utterly.
"Do you truly have no faith in me?" His voice echoed in the vast, empty hall, where only silence replied.
Bibi Dong opened her eyes, staring hard at him. After a long pause, she replied, "The evidence is right here. Tell me, how am I to believe you?"
If this were the cold and aloof Supreme Pontiff of Spirit Hall, she would have been far more controlled, less convinced of Dai Yao's betrayal. But this matter involved two people she deeply cared about, especially Dai Yao. She had placed all her trust in him, relying on him as a lifeline. His presence had melted the coldness in her heart, replacing despair with hope, even allowing her to feel like that naive girl she once was.
Now, those emotions left her vulnerable and unable to contain her anger and disappointment.
In front of Dai Yao, Bibi Dong was not the unfeeling Supreme Pontiff but a woman, vulnerable and hurt. Dai Yao took a deep breath, inhaling the cold air deeply into his lungs. He felt an overwhelming sense of injustice; part of him wanted to walk away. But thinking of what Bibi Dong had endured, his heart softened.
"I repeat: I never told Hu Liena my identity, and I don't know how she found out." He looked at Bibi Dong, sensing the widening gap between them, then bowed respectfully. "Regardless of your beliefs, I still urge you to investigate, Supreme Pontiff."
Hearing the words "Supreme Pontiff" caused Bibi Dong's body to tremble slightly. Without the support of her scepter, she might have staggered. His words felt like they tore a piece from her heart. She hadn't heard him call her that in a long time, and now it seemed like an unbearable reminder of the distance growing between them.
As the doors shut behind Dai Yao with a loud boom, the ice in Bibi Dong's heart, once thawed by Dai Yao, began to freeze over once more.
Dai Yao walked out alone, an inexplicable heaviness clouding his heart. The unique connection he had shared with Bibi Dong was perhaps over for good. Though he felt bitter about her lack of trust, he tried to understand. Bibi Dong had never been given a reason to trust others easily.
Standing on the mountainside, Dai Yao looked down on the bustling Spirit City below. A cold night breeze brushed against him as he glanced back at the closed doors of the Supreme Pontiff's palace.
"I hope Bibi Dong investigates this carefully. I will be looking into this matter as well," he murmured. "But I can't continue seeing Hu Liena. That would only provoke Bibi Dong further."
This realization made Dai Yao shake his head, contemplating the strange situation. Both he and Bibi Dong had no motive to reveal his identity, and all parties with any knowledge were tightly controlled. His identity as the 'Shura Emperor' should have been impenetrably secure.
"It's almost as if someone deduced it," he mused. "But to piece everything together would require immense resources. Whoever did this is formidable enough to operate right under Bibi Dong and me."
The thought made Dai Yao wary. "But why go through such effort? How does it benefit them to drive a wedge between Bibi Dong and me?"
As he wrestled with these questions, the sound of heavy footsteps approached.
"Who's there?" Dai Yao called out, every nerve on edge. Even from a distance, he sensed an oppressive aura emanating from the approaching figure. Had he been anywhere other than Spirit Hall, he would have fled.
"Haha, no need to be so tense—I mean no harm." A hearty laugh rang out, and a large figure stepped from the shadows into the moonlight, his chestnut-colored hair gleaming like a lion's mane.
Dai Yao's eyes narrowed. "Fourth Consecration?"
Indeed, it was the fourth Consecrator of Spirit Hall, Lion Douluo.
Lion Douluo was an immensely powerful figure, a ninety-seventh-ranked Douluo. Dai Yao regarded him cautiously but maintained his composure. "Honored Fourth Consecrator, how may I assist you?"
Lion Douluo laughed. "It's not me who seeks you, but the Grand Consecrator."
"The Grand Consecrator?" Dai Yao's surprise was evident. Since joining Spirit Hall, he'd never once met the Grand Consecrator. Even during his visits to see Qingluan Douluo, the Grand Consecrator had been nowhere in sight. And now, of all times, he was being summoned by him?
Dai Yao couldn't help but feel a chill down his spine, as if a shadowy conspiracy was closing in on him.
"Come to think of it, the only ones capable of slipping past Bibi Dong and me unnoticed would be those in the Elder Hall."
Dai Yao's suspicions mounted. Still, what could the Elder Hall hope to gain by creating conflict between him and Bibi Dong? Could it be an attempt to win him over?
Dai Yao's mind raced. If he wanted to uncover the truth and prove his innocence, he would have to confront the Elder Hall directly. Yet he couldn't simply agree; doing so would mean losing any control over the situation and placing himself in their hands. He furrowed his brow, saying, "Apologies, Fourth Consecrator, but as I am under the Supreme Pontiff, it's not appropriate for me to meet the Grand Consecrator alone."
Lion Douluo chuckled. "What's there to worry about? The true leadership of Spirit Hall resides in the Elder Hall."
Seeing Dai Yao's hesitation, the Fourth Consecrator dropped his friendly demeanor, his tone turning cold. "Bibi Dong has abandoned you. Do you really think she will tolerate your existence after you've violated her boundaries? Your only chance at survival now is with the Grand Consecrator. Think of yourself—or at the very least, think of those women close to you."
Dai Yao's expression tightened. Though his relationship with Bibi Dong was strained, he was certain she wouldn't harm those important to him. She understood how much Zhu Zhuqing and Feng Wutong meant to him and would never act against them.
It was clear that Lion Douluo misunderstood his bond with Bibi Dong, assuming she valued only his potential and would dispose of him now that he'd crossed her. Furthermore, Dai Yao sensed something deeper from the Fourth Consecrator's words: they knew exactly when he had left the Supreme Pontiff's palace and swiftly capitalized on his conflict with Bibi Dong. This was not a chance encounter but a carefully laid plan.
Feigning reluctance, he gritted his teeth and agreed, "Fine. I'll go with you to meet the Grand Consecrator."
Satisfied, Lion Douluo nodded, gripping Dai Yao's arm and dashing towards the Elder Hall. The powerful pressure from his passage carved a deep trench through the forest, leaving the surroundings in an eerie silence.
Inside the Elder Hall, the doors of the sacred Angel Temple slowly opened, and Fourth Consecrator led Dai Yao inside. Lion Douluo glanced at the golden figure beneath the towering statue of the Angel God and said respectfully, "Big Brother, he's here."
Qian Daoliu turned, his gaze as warm as sunlight but intensely focused on Dai Yao. Though Qian Daoliu exuded no overt aura, Dai Yao felt as if a mountain weighed upon him, crushing his breath.
"So, this is the power of a rank ninety-nine peerless Douluo—a mere glance, and I can barely move," thought Dai Yao, deeply shocked.
"Fourth Brother, leave us," Qian Daoliu instructed. With a respectful nod, Lion Douluo departed, closing the great doors behind him. Alone with Qian Daoliu, Dai Yao felt a ripple of golden energy emanate from the elder's body, surging toward him in waves.
As the golden aura struck him, Dai Yao grunted, feeling his bones and muscles cry out in pain. Without hesitation, he unleashed his Sacred White Tiger martial soul to alleviate some of the pressure. But as soon as he did, Qian Daoliu increased the intensity of his aura. Cold sweat broke out on Dai Yao's forehead, and he was unable to utter a word. With no other option, he summoned his external spirit bones and his array of rings—releasing everything he could except for his Chaos Green Lotus spirit and the Killing God Domain.
The blood-red aura from his rings finally dimmed the golden glow of the Angel Temple slightly. Seizing this momentary relief, Dai Yao gritted his teeth and managed to ask in a strained voice, "Elder, what do you want from me?"
Qian Daoliu gazed in astonishment at Dai Yao's blood-red spirit ring. He had never imagined that Dai Yao would possess a hundred-thousand-year spirit ring on his sixth ring. Even he had only gained his own red ring after becoming the guardian of the Angel God and receiving divine blessing.
Moreover, according to Fourth Consecrator, Dai Yao was a twin-spirit wielder. If he became a Titled Douluo and added rings to both spirits, he could become terrifyingly powerful—even Qian Daoliu himself felt a shiver at the thought. Yet this was not the time to stop.
Qian Daoliu slowly extended his hand, and the golden aura intensified further, reaching three times its previous strength. Any ordinary Titled Douluo would have collapsed under such force, yet Dai Yao, though shaking, still stood firm.
"Now, Dai Yao, show me everything you're hiding, everything that only Bibi Dong knows," Qian Daoliu said coldly.
With the pressure mounting, Dai Yao felt as though he were being torn apart. Revealing the Chaos Green Lotus was not an option, and he was uncertain if using the Godslayer Spear would draw Qian Daoliu's attention to its unique properties. His only choice was to use a power he hadn't activated since leaving the City of Slaughter—his domain.
With a chilling hum, an icy killing aura exploded around him, coating the Angel Temple in frost. White killing intent clashed with the golden aura, producing a hissing sound.
"So, it really is the Shura Domain," Qian Daoliu murmured, astonished. Lowering his hand, he released Dai Yao from the crushing pressure. Dai Yao slumped to the ground, drenched in sweat and gasping for breath.
Though drained, Dai Yao's mind raced. Qian Daoliu's true intention had been to force him to reveal the Shura Domain. But how did Qian Daoliu know he possessed such a power?
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