Chapter 130: Qian Daoliu’s Dilemma

"Are you saying that the Titan Giant Ape was captured by Ye Hao?" Qian Daoliu asked.

Snake Spear Douluo nodded and replied truthfully, "Yes, the Titan Giant Ape was indeed captured by Ye Hao. He was also the one who came up with the idea that day. The Death God's Heart belongs to him as well. The reason the Young Mistress instructed us to bring the Titan Giant Ape back to Spirit Hall first was also due to Ye Hao's suggestion."

For a moment, Qian Daoliu actually smiled.

But the next second, his expression darkened, and he gave the two Douluo before him a sharp look.

"Is that all? There's nothing else you wish to report?"

The two hesitated, exchanging glances.

Then, Blood Thorn Douluo suddenly blurted out, "Oh! Also… The Young Mistress and Ye Hao seem to get along… very well."

Qian Daoliu's brow furrowed slightly.

"How well?" His tone was stern.

Snake Spear Douluo immediately clarified, "They refer to each other as brother and sister—nothing more than that."

Hearing this, Qian Daoliu finally exhaled in relief.

"Good. You may leave. And remember—do not mention today's conversation to anyone."

Blood Thorn Douluo hesitated. "But… what if Her Holiness the Supreme Pontiff asks about it?"

Qian Daoliu's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Don't tell her." His voice was firm.

"If Bibi Dong was the one who sent him, then she must already be aware of what happened in Star Dou Forest. Your priority right now is to return to Xiaoxue immediately and ensure her safety."

Receiving their orders, the two saluted and left quickly.

As they walked away, Qian Daoliu sighed deeply, rubbing his temples.

"Now what? Out of nowhere, I suddenly have a grandson…"

Meanwhile—Outside the Elder's Hall

As Snake Spear Douluo and Blood Thorn Douluo made their way back, they were suddenly intercepted.

Two figures stood in their path—

Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo.

"Chrysanthemum?"

"Ghost?"

The moment they saw these two, they immediately understood why they were here.

"Her Holiness the Supreme Pontiff requests your presence." Chrysanthemum Douluo smiled, stepping aside to clear the way to the Supreme Pontiff's Hall.

Blood Thorn Douluo frowned. "Chrysanthemum, we know what Her Holiness wants to ask. But we have been assigned a greater responsibility—protecting the Young Mistress. Before we left, Grand Worshipper specifically instructed us to return to her immediately."

Snake Spear Douluo added, "So instead—why don't we tell you two what happened? You can relay the information to Her Holiness for us. If we delay our mission, neither you nor we can afford to bear the consequences."

Hearing this, Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo glanced at each other—then nodded.

"Alright, tell us everything."

Inside the Supreme Pontiff's Hall

Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo carefully relayed everything they had learned.

But when they finished, Bibi Dong simply stared at them, her eyes filled with skepticism.

She did not believe it.

Because no one knows a daughter better than her mother.

Even though her relationship with Qian Renxue had always been strained—

Qian Renxue was still her own flesh and blood.

And besides…

That strange purple artifact that had sealed the Titan Giant Ape—that so-called "Death God's Heart"—

Bibi Dong had never heard of it before, let alone seen anything like it.

If Chrysanthemum Douluo's report was to be believed—

Then during her Seventh Soul Ring Hunt, Qian Renxue had been attacked by the Titan Giant Ape—

And had captured it using the artifact.

Then, Snake Spear Douluo and Blood Thorn Douluo were tasked with delivering it back to Spirit Hall.

Something about this didn't add up.

Something felt off.

"Your Holiness, I… I feel like something isn't right here."

Chrysanthemum Douluo hesitated.

Bibi Dong shot him a sharp look.

"You think there's something wrong?"

Chrysanthemum Douluo nodded.

At this moment, Ghost Douluo stepped forward.

"Your Holiness, should I go to Heaven Dou City to investigate?"

Bibi Dong waved her hand dismissively. "Forget it. Even if you go, you won't find anything."

She sighed, then continued, "You both know what she's like. She won't talk. Right now, our priority should be preparing for the upcoming Continental Advanced Spirit Master Elite Tournament."

"Go inform Hu Liena—this tournament's champion prize has been specially prepared for them. They must ensure victory. The championship must belong to Spirit Hall."

"Understood!"

Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo bowed before turning to leave.

"Wait."

Bibi Dong's voice stopped them in their tracks.

"Your Holiness, is there something else?" Chrysanthemum Douluo asked respectfully.

"Make an official announcement—in the name of Spirit Hall."

"Declare that the King of Star Dou Forest, the Titan Giant Ape, has been captured by Spirit Hall and is now imprisoned within Spirit City."

"Allow all Spirit Masters to freely enter Spirit City if they wish to see it for themselves."

Bibi Dong's intentions were crystal clear.

She wanted to use the Titan Giant Ape's reputation—

To publicly demonstrate the power of Spirit Hall and attract more free Soul Masters.

As one of the rulers of Star Dou Forest, the Titan Giant Ape was already a legend.

If Spirit Hall had the means to capture such a powerful beast—

Then who in this world would dare to doubt Spirit Hall's power?

It was a brilliant move—

One that would allow Spirit Hall to expand its influence across the continent.

"Understood!"

Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo exchanged glances—they understood immediately.

Without another word, they left to carry out Bibi Dong's orders.

And Then—Bibi Dong was alone.

She rose from her seat and glanced around.

The Supreme Pontiff's Hall was grand, luxurious—

But also empty.

Cold.

Lonely.

She turned back to face her throne—

The symbol of absolute power on this continent.

When she sat upon it, she was bathed in glory.

But when she stood up…

She realized—

There was no one beside her.

No one to talk to.

After a long silence—

Bibi Dong let out a soft, lonely sigh.

And then—

She vanished.

...

Thus, News of the Titan Giant Ape's Capture Spread Across the Douluo Continent.

"Did you hear? Spirit Hall captured the King of the Forest—the Titan Giant Ape!"

"Really? But that's the King of the Forest! The Titan Giant Ape is a ruler of Star Dou Forest—does Spirit Hall really have such power?"

"It's true! Why would I lie? They say the Titan Giant Ape is imprisoned in Spirit City. I'm planning to go see it myself—wanna come?"

"Of course! I've never even seen the Titan Giant Ape before. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

As the rumor spread like wildfire, Spirit Hall actively fueled it, ensuring that the entire Douluo Continent knew—

The Titan Giant Ape had been captured by Spirit Hall.

Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect

Within the main hall of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Bone Douluo spoke with intrigue.

"Fengzhi, have you heard? The King of the Forest, the Titan Giant Ape, has been captured alive by Spirit Hall! They're even publicizing it! Now, nearly every Soul Master on the continent is heading to Spirit City!"

At his desk, Ning Fengzhi was diligently handling sect affairs.

He had already heard the reports from his disciples.

"Uncle Bone, I already received word about it."

Finishing his paperwork, Ning Fengzhi rubbed his temples, exhaling softly.

"I never expected Spirit Hall to actually capture the Titan Giant Ape. That thing isn't something one or two Titled Douluo can deal with. To this day, only Tang Hao has ever defeated it. Now, who knows how many free Soul Masters will be drawn to Spirit Hall because of this?"

Ning Fengzhi glanced at Bone Douluo teasingly.

"Uncle Bone, why don't you go take a look?"

Bone Douluo scoffed.

"Ha! A bunch of fools with no knowledge. You think I've never seen a Titan Giant Ape before? What do I need to go to Spirit Hall for?"

"If I go, wouldn't that just make it seem like the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect lacks knowledge? That would only boost Spirit Hall's prestige. I'm not about to fall for their trap."

Ning Fengzhi chuckled but suddenly frowned.

"Uncle Bone, I haven't seen Rongrong in the past few days. Do you know where she is?"

Since Ning Rongrong had joined Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, she had been returning home more frequently than before.

But today, she was nowhere to be seen, which concerned Ning Fengzhi.

Bone Douluo sighed.

"Rongrong, Zhuqing, and the other Heaven Dou Imperial Academy students all went to Spirit Hall."

"They went to Spirit Hall?!"

Ning Fengzhi's expression darkened.

"Don't tell me they're going to see—"

A bad feeling crept over him.

Bone Douluo nodded helplessly.

"Exactly. As soon as Spirit Hall announced they had captured the Titan Giant Ape, Rongrong and her little friends left to see it."

Ning Fengzhi: "…"

Meanwhile, in the wooden cabin behind Shrek Academy…

"HAHAHAHA!"

Ma Hongjun slapped his chest, laughing heartily.

"This is amazing! The Titan Giant Ape finally got captured by Spirit Hall!"

"Remember the last time we were in Star Dou Forest? We almost died to that monster!"

Dai Mubai grinned, nodding.

"I didn't expect Spirit Hall to become so powerful. Even the King of the Forest, the Titan Giant Ape, has been captured!"

"These past few days, Spirit Hall has been flooded with Soul Masters wanting to see it. Not to mention the number of Soul Masters joining them must be skyrocketing. The major powers of the continent must be green with envy."

Dai Mubai turned to Oscar, smirking.

"Xiao Ao, how about we go check it out in a few days? Thinking about how that beast acted so arrogantly back in Star Dou Forest still makes my blood boil."

Oscar's eyes lit up, nodding excitedly.

"Good idea! I'm really curious. Fortunately, last time, the Titan Giant Ape only took Xiao Wu and left. Otherwise, we'd all be dead."

"Now that that beast has been captured by Spirit Hall… there's only one outcome for it—"

"It will be killed, and its soul ring and bones will be absorbed."

At the mention of Xiao Wu, the three of them turned toward the silent figure sitting in the corner.

She had remained expressionless and silent for days.

Ever since she heard about the Titan Giant Ape's capture, Xiao Wu had neither eaten nor spoken.

She locked herself in her room, refusing to interact with anyone—as if deliberately shutting herself away.

The others didn't care.

To them, the only thing that mattered was the Titan Giant Ape's fate.

Suddenly, Xiao Wu stood up.

Her expression was dark, and she glared at Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar.

"Have you said enough?" she said coldly.

Dai Mubai frowned, confused.

"Why are you upset? The Titan Giant Ape's capture should be good news for us."

"Back in Star Dou Forest, that thing nearly killed all of us!"

"We're lucky to be alive."

Ma Hongjun, never one to let things go, added fuel to the fire.

"Xiao Wu, why aren't you happy? That beast was captured! Its only fate is—"

"Shut up!"

Xiao Wu's furious roar echoed through the cabin, stunning everyone.

Ma Hongjun's face twisted with embarrassment and anger.

"Xiao Wu, are you out of your mind?!"

"Are you treating me like air?!"

"That beast captured you back then! If you weren't lucky, you'd be dead by now!"

"If it weren't for us, you wouldn't even be standing here today!"

Xiao Wu clenched her fists, her lips trembling.

She wanted to say something.

But she couldn't.

She couldn't afford to.

Because if the truth came out, she would be in unimaginable danger.

Ma Hongjun wasn't finished.

"I was giving you face, but you don't appreciate it!"

"Did you forget that all of Shrek Academy almost died in Star Dou Forest because of that thing?"

"And now, instead of celebrating, you're feeling sad for that beast?"

He pointed at her, his voice rising with fury.

"Xiao Wu—are you even human? Or are you just a beast like it?"