Reincarnated as the Death Spider Queen, sacrificing Bibi Dong at the start.

Chapter 99 A fence-sitter, swaying with the wind

Chapter 99 A fence-sitter, swaying with the wind

The morning sun pierced through the thin clouds and shone on the majestic Elder Hall.

The usually solemn and even somewhat oppressive Elders' Hall was filled with an unprecedentedly eerie atmosphere today.

Bibi Dong, dressed in a magnificent papal robe, wearing a nine-curved purple-gold crown, and holding a scepter, walked in with a cold expression into the hall that symbolized the highest power of the Spirit Hall.

Behind her stood a ghost in a black robe and Yue Guan in golden armor.

Behind them was Tang Xiao, who had just joined the Spirit Hall and was already seated among the elders.

Demon bear, ghost leopard, porcupine, snake spear.

These four powerful elders, who once held sway in the Elders' Hall and even disregarded the Pope, were now sitting upright on one side of the conference table, each one sitting formally with their eyes downcast and not daring to breathe loudly.

Yesterday's conference has completely reshaped the landscape of the Spirit Hall.

The retreat of Qian Daoliu and the confinement of the six great masters, including Jin E, were like a sudden tsunami, instantly destroying the political foundation upon which they originally depended for survival.

Although the Elders' Hall nowadays claims that "elders are equal in status and discuss important matters together," everyone knows the truth.

In this dog-eat-dog world, strength and powerful backers are the only true voices.

Previously, the reason why Golden Crocodile Douluo was able to turn the Elder Hall into his personal fiefdom was not only because of his terrifying strength at level ninety-eight and his century-old prestige, but more importantly, because he represented the will of Grand Elder Qian Daoliu.

Therefore, Demon Bear and Ghost Leopard, as Qian Xunji's trusted confidants and as promising talents favored by Qian Daoliu, naturally followed Jin E's lead.

But now?

The world has changed.

Jin E has fallen and been put in solitary confinement; Qian Daoliu has vanished without a trace since he lost so much face yesterday, as if he had evaporated from the face of the earth.

This means they have lost their biggest backer.

Sitting opposite her, Bibi Dong not only possessed the terrifying strength of a 100,000-year soul ring, but also had the Clear Sky Sect, which she had just subdued, as an ally, and even two loyal followers, Yue Guan and Gui Mei.

Who's in charge in the Elders' Hall now?

Even a fool knows it's Bibi Dong.

"cough----"

The Demon Bear Douluo shifted uncomfortably, his gaze darting between Bibi Dong and the empty main seat.

Although, for powerful individuals of their caliber, changing bosses is not a big deal.

Anyway, I used to act according to Jin E's whims, now it's just that I'm acting according to Bibi Dong's whims. As long as the treatment is not bad and the status is not reduced, it's not a big deal.

But the problem is—

They were unsure of themselves!

Is Qian Daoliu really going to admit defeat like this? Is he really planning to ignore everything from now on and completely hand over the Elder Hall to Bibi Dong?

just in case----

What if they hastily side with Bibi Dong today to prove their loyalty, only to have Qian Daoliu change his mind tomorrow, or Jin E might be released and regain power?

Wouldn't these "fence-sitters" be pleasing to both sides?

In the vortex of power, choosing the wrong side is certainly terrible, but what is even more terrible is repeatedly switching sides.

Once labeled as "disloyal," whether it's Bibi Dong or Qian Daoliu, the first people they'll deal with will definitely be them!

For a moment, the four elders were lost in thought, their eyes meeting in the air, each seeing deep entanglement and unease in the other's eyes.

"What's wrong?"

Just then, Bibi Dong's clear, cold voice rang out in the hall.

"Elders, do you have any comments on the meeting I have convened today?"

Or perhaps—

Bibi Dong's gaze swept over the four members of the Demon Bear Clan, a half-smile playing on her lips: "Who are you waiting for?"

"Are we waiting for the Golden Crocodile to take charge?"

Upon hearing this, the four members of the Demon Bear Clan froze, and cold sweat instantly broke out on their backs.

"No! No!"

Demon Bear Douluo quickly stood up and said with a forced smile, "Your Holiness is too kind. Since the Second Elder has already been punished by the Grand Elder and is currently reflecting on his mistakes in seclusion, it is only natural that Your Holiness will take charge of the overall situation."

"We are just—just—"

The demon bear stammered for a long time but couldn't come up with a coherent explanation.

"You just don't know which side to choose, right?"

Bibi Dong directly exposed their little scheme.

She slowly walked to the main seat and sat down, slamming her scepter heavily on the ground with a dull thud.

"I know what you're worried about."

Bibi Dong's sharp gaze swept across the entire room: "You're worried that Qian Daoliu might come back to interfere one day; you're worried that Jin E might make a comeback one day."

"You're afraid that if you pledge allegiance to me today, you'll be purged tomorrow."

"Yes and no?"

The four members of the Demon Bear group lowered their heads, none of them daring to speak, which was considered tacit agreement.

"Oh."

Bibi Dong chuckled lightly, leaned back in her chair, and her eyes became somewhat amused: "Then I'll tell you the truth."

"Why did Qian Daoliu back down? Why was Jin E imprisoned? You are all smart people; you saw it all clearly in the square yesterday."

"It is the trend of the times and the will of the people."

"The Spirit Hall of today is no longer a one-man show that can be easily manipulated by one or two peerless experts."

"All the Soul Masters in the world are watching, and the seven major sects are keeping an eye on it."

Bibi Dong tapped her fingers lightly on the armrest: "As long as I am the Pope universally supported by the world, as long as I hold high the banner of benevolence and righteousness."

"That old fox, Qian Daoliu—he wouldn't dare touch me."

"As for the golden crocodile?"

A hint of disdain flashed in Bibi Dong's eyes: "A watchdog who can't even protect his own master, do you think he has any chance of turning things around?"

These words were extremely blunt and domineering.

The four members of the Demon Bear were terrified, but upon closer examination, they realized that it made perfect sense.

Bibi Dong's power is now firmly established. Unless Qian Daoliu intends to completely destroy the Spirit Hall, he will have no choice but to accept this pope with a heavy heart.

And they—

If you still can't see the situation clearly and want to bet on both sides, then you're really being foolish.

"His Holiness the Pope is wise!"

Ghost Leopard Douluo, who had been silent until now, suddenly stood up, bowed deeply to Bibi Dong, and said in a loud voice, "As elders of the Spirit Hall, we naturally follow His Holiness the Pope's lead!"

"I am willing to serve Your Majesty with utmost loyalty!"

With someone taking the lead, the remaining three also stood up and bowed to express their agreement.

"I am willing to serve His Holiness the Pope!"

Bibi Dong watched this scene with a slight smile on her lips and a hint of satisfaction in her eyes.

Although I know these people are just opportunists who change their minds easily, sometimes being an opportunist has its advantages.

If the wind is strong enough, they'll fall faster than anyone else.

"very good."

Bibi Dong nodded slightly, withdrawing her gaze from the four elders. With a gentle wave of her hand, several thick plans, as if carried by an invisible hand, slid precisely to each elder.

"Since everyone has expressed their opinion, I won't waste any more words."

"The rules of the Elders' Hall must be changed from today onwards. The reckless behavior of those who only know how to fight and kill without any strategic vision must be completely abandoned."

Demon Bear and the others quickly opened the plan in front of them, but after only a few glances, their expressions became serious.

The first part of this plan is a brutal analysis of the Spirit Hall's current strength.

"As you can see."

Bibi Dong tapped her fingers lightly on the table. "Although the Spirit Hall claims to control nearly half of the soul masters on the continent and seems powerful, everyone here knows how much of that is just hype."

"The vast majority of registered Soul Masters are just low-level Soul Masters who live off subsidies. Not only is their Martial Soul quality generally poor, but they also don't have many decent Soul Skills."

"If we were to actually take them out to fight, their combat power would be completely different from that of the sect soul masters who have family traditions and receive systematic training from a young age."

Bibi Dong's gaze fell on Tang Xiao, and she said without any hesitation, "Take the Clear Sky Sect for example. Among those of the same level, a Clear Sky Hammer Soul Master can chase and beat an ordinary seven-person team from the Spirit Hall like dogs. Elder Tang Xiao should be the most qualified to speak on this point."

The demon bears and the others exchanged glances. Although they didn't want to admit it, it was indeed the truth.

The gap in the quality of a martial spirit and the depth of its heritage cannot be easily bridged by simply increasing the number of people.

A top-tier martial soul master would undoubtedly crush an ordinary martial soul master.

Take the Clear Sky Hammer for example. Within the same level, most ordinary Soul Masters cannot withstand even one hit from a Clear Sky Hammer Soul Master and have no chance against it.

Moreover, this gap will widen as cultivation level increases, especially after activating the Martial Soul True Body. The difference between a regular Martial Soul and a top-tier Martial Soul is almost like heaven and earth.

Furthermore, there is a difference in the quality of spirit rings. Most spirit masters in the Spirit Hall start with ten-year spirit rings, and many don't even have a thousand-year spirit ring. There are many spirit masters with two white and two yellow spirit rings.

Furthermore, there is the inheritance of cultivation. Whether it is a Soul Master family or a small sect, they all have a stable martial soul inheritance. Their ancestors' research on martial souls and cultivation directions have a huge impact on the strength of Soul Masters.

However, the Spirit Hall recruits a mixed bag of Spirit Masters, and to put it bluntly, only those without ambition would join the Spirit Hall to coast along. Which truly capable Spirit Master would willingly become someone else's lackey? Which one doesn't dream of making a name for themselves?

In short, regardless of individual talent for cultivation, the objective differences in martial soul quality, soul ring quality, and cultivation inheritance alone can create a huge chasm.