"But what can we do if we don't leave?"
Dai Mubai's voice also turned somber.
"Stay here and wait to die? Tang San, I admit, we all underestimated Ning Lin. But now, the facts are clear: we've lost, utterly and completely!"
"It's all your fault!"
Tang San suddenly pointed at Dai Mubai and shouted at the top of his lungs.
"If you hadn't insisted on provoking him in the first place, none of this trouble would have happened!"
Upon hearing this, Dai Mubai flew into a rage, slammed his hand on the table, and stood up abruptly.
"Tang San! Explain yourself! We only went with you because you said you'd stand up for Fatty! Now that something's happened, you're blaming everything on me?"
"Isn't that right? If you hadn't been so arrogant and made such a big deal out of it from the start, things wouldn't have come to this!"
"Bullshit! I think it's your own incompetence that's the problem. You can't even handle Ning Lin, and you've dragged all of us down with you!"
Just as the two were about to start arguing, Zhu Zhuqing, who had been silent all along, finally stepped forward.
"Enough!"
Her cool voice made the temperature in the entire hall drop a few degrees.
"Is this the time to blame each other? We are a team! Any problems should be faced together, not like this, where we pass the buck!"
Tang San and Dai Mubai were both panting heavily, their chests heaving, but they ultimately stopped arguing.
A suffocating silence fell over the hall once again.
The shadow of failure loomed over everyone's heart.
The Shrek Seven Devils, who were once full of vigor and claimed to be able to create miracles, looked so pathetic and miserable at this moment.
...
In stark contrast to the gloomy and desolate atmosphere of the Tang Clan.
The back garden of the city lord's mansion was bathed in moonlight, with the fragrance of flowers wafting through the air.
Ning Lin and Bibi Dong walked side by side on the cobblestone path, enjoying this rare moment of tranquility.
"This place is still the same as before, nothing has changed."
Bibi Dong looked at the familiar scenery around her, a hint of nostalgia in her eyes.
"If you like it, then keep it."
Ning Lin responded softly.
Bibi Dong stopped in front of a field of blooming violets.
She stretched out her slender hand and gently stroked the delicate petals, a gentle smile unconsciously appearing on her lips.
"I remember, this is where we first met."
She said.
"Um."
Ning Lin's thoughts seemed to drift back to more than twenty years ago.
At that time, he was just a young man who had just awakened his martial spirit.
She was the exceptionally talented Holy Maiden of the Spirit Hall, who came to Heaven Dou City on a mission.
A chance encounter brought two people who should never have crossed paths together, and their fates became intertwined.
"You were such a fool back then."
Bibi Dong turned around and looked at Ning Lin with a hint of mockery in her eyes.
"I'm admiring the flowers here, and you just walk right up to me and ask if I'm trying to steal my flowers."
Ning Lin chuckled upon hearing this.
"Back then, I thought you were a spy sent by some organization to gather intelligence."
"Hmph, are there really spies this pretty?"
Bibi Dong gave a soft hum, but her brows held a hint of girlish naiveté.
In front of Ning Lin, she never needed to pretend to be that ruthless pope.
She can simply be herself.
It's just Bibi Dong.
The two of them chatted back and forth about the past.
The sweetness and bitterness buried deep in our memories have transformed into the joy of reunion tonight.
Under the moonlight, Bibi Dong's stunningly beautiful face seemed to be bathed in a holy glow, breathtakingly beautiful.
Ning Lin's gaze gradually deepened.
He stopped, turned around, and looked intently into Bibi Dong's eyes.
"Dong'er".
"Um?"
Bibi Dong's heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason.
"I won't let you leave again."
Ning Lin's voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable firmness.
Bibi Dong's eyes instantly reddened.
She had waited for those words for far too long.
She didn't say anything, but simply stood on tiptoe, stretched out her arms, and tightly wrapped them around Ning Lin's neck.
Then, she kissed him.
This kiss was no longer the fleeting one in the room.
Instead, it carried with it twenty years of longing, the ecstasy of regaining what was lost, and a resolute determination to do whatever it took.
Ning Lin hugged her tightly and responded passionately.
It was as if the blank of the past twenty years was being filled in at this moment.
Moonlight and flower shadows intertwine to create a moving picture.
After a long while, their lips parted.
Bibi Dong's cheeks were flushed, her breathing was rapid, and her beautiful purple eyes were shimmering with a natural allure.
She leaned against Ning Lin's chest, her voice trembling almost imperceptibly.
"Forest..."
"This time, it's my turn to protect you."
"From this day forward, you will be my man, Bibi Dong's man, and the future consort of my Martial Soul Empire."
Her voice was filled with the domineering and possessive nature of an empress.
"Anyone who dares to touch you, I will annihilate them completely!"
The next day, early morning.
A message powerful enough to shake the entire Douluo Continent swept through every corner like a hurricane, centered on the Spirit Hall.
The Martial Soul Pope, Bibi Dong, proclaims this to the world with a papal decree!
She will marry Ning Lin, the Lord of Tiandou City and the Marquis of Zhenguo!
The wedding date is set for January!
Location: Wuhun City, Papal Palace!
This papal decree was not a discussion, nor a request, but a notification.
It was with the majesty of the entire Spirit Hall that Bibi Dong announced to the whole continent that she wanted Ning Lin!
The news caused an uproar!
"My God! Did I hear that right? His Holiness the Pope is getting married?"
"It's still that Ning Lin! The same ruthless guy who beat Tang San to a pulp at Tiandou Square yesterday!"
"Good heavens! This is an incredible alliance! One is the ruler of the number one power on the continent, and the other is a formidable figure who dares to judge even the Haotian Douluo!"
"I noticed it a long time ago! His Holiness the Pope looked at Lord Ning with a strange expression yesterday! He was so affectionate!"
"A hero and a beauty, a perfect match! I support this marriage!"
"That's right! How could a hypocrite like Tang San be worthy of a hero like Lord Ning! His Holiness the Pope has a discerning eye!"
For a time, teahouses, taverns, and soul master academies all over the mainland were buzzing with discussion about this earth-shattering event.
The vast majority of commoners and ordinary soul masters viewed this marriage with a mix of blessing and spectator mentality.
After all, Ning Lin's performance yesterday had already earned him enough prestige.
His tough stance against the Tang Clan, his benevolence in protecting the people of the city, and his legendary relationship with Bibi Dong are all topics that people love to talk about.
The two great empires and the remaining forces of the three upper sects reacted to this matter in completely different ways.
Heavenly Dou Imperial Palace.
Xue Qinghe looked at the intelligence in his hand, his face so gloomy it was almost dripping with water.
"You bastard!"
He slammed the rubbing of the papal decree in his hand to the ground.
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(End of chapter)