In Douluo Continent, he tricked Xiao Wu into giving him a soul ring.

Tang Ritian, standing to the side, didn't know whether to laugh or cry at this scene. He looked up at the starry sky and sighed in his heart, "Perhaps, Xiao San shouldn't have repeated the fate of Ah Yin and me."

"But Third Brother, even if you defeat Lan Si, what will we do against the Spirit Hall team? It's said they have three Soul Kings and four Soul Masters above level 45. Two of the Soul Kings even possess Spirit Fusion Skills. If you get entangled by their Spirit Fusion Skills, it will be difficult for me, Dai Mubai, Oscar, and me—three Soul Masters—to withstand the attack of the remaining five members of the Spirit Hall team." Xiao Wu raised her pretty face, looking worried.

Upon hearing this, Tang San fell silent again. After a long while, he turned to Tang Ritian with a solemn expression and suddenly said, "Dad, go and help me hunt down a spirit beast that's nearly ten thousand years old. Even if it doesn't allow me to break through the level 50 bottleneck in my spirit power, it should be very close. The finals are an elimination tournament. It will last for half a month, and there's still a week until the finals. My battle with the Spirit Hall Academy will definitely be saved for last, which means I have more than twenty days to cultivate. From now on, I won't do anything except compete; I'll focus all my efforts on breaking through the level 50 bottleneck. As long as I break through to the Spirit King level, the Spirit Hall Academy will no longer be a match for Shrek Academy."

Three days later, after numerous attempts, Tang San finally absorbed a spirit ring worth around nine thousand spirit rings. His spirit power broke through to level forty-nine. Escorted by Tang Ritian, a titled Douluo, he arrived at Spirit City in half a day.

............

The Papal Palace, the Pope's private office hall.

In the office hall, which spans over a thousand square meters, only Bibi Dong was present.

Two hours had passed since she sent her disciple Hu Liena to summon Lan Si. She sat on the central throne, her jade-like hand lightly tapping the armrest, appearing quite impatient.

"That damned old bastard Qian Daoliu, is he planning to leave Xue'er and Lan Si upstairs for dinner?" Bibi Dong cursed inwardly.

Just then, the door opened, and a gentle and respectful voice sounded from behind the screen, "Teacher, I have brought Sister Xue'er and Lan Si to you."

"Bring them in." Upon hearing this, Bibi Dong sat up straight, her expression returning to its usual calm and noble, and said calmly.

Behind the screen, Hu Liena led in a man and a woman. The woman held the boy's hand, her face full of vigilance as she stared at Bibi Dong ahead.

Rebirth of a Financial Tycoon

Bibi Dong's gaze swept over her disciple Hu Liena, then across Qian Renxue with a slightly complicated expression, finally settling on Lan Si. She frowned slightly, thinking to herself, "Could it really not be him? Or just someone with the same name?"

Seeing Bibi Dong frowning and staring at her boyfriend, Qian Renxue thought that Bibi Dong was going to harm Lan Si, so she protected him behind her, met Bibi Dong's gaze, and confronted her head-on.

Bibi Dong frowned again. If it were in the past, she wouldn't have attacked Qian Renxue for daring to treat her like this, but being even more powerful than Qian Renxue, she would definitely have unleashed the powerful aura unique to the Pope of the Spirit Hall and taught the other party a lesson. But now... after experiencing those ten wonderful years in her dream, she didn't seem to resent this daughter who shouldn't have been born as much.

P.S.: Third update.

Chapter 222 First Meeting with Bibi Dong

Bibi Dong said to Hu Liena, "Nana, you go down first. No one is allowed to come in without my order."

"Yes." Hu Liena replied respectfully, gave Lan Si and Qian Renxue a deep look, sighed softly, and then turned and left.

"Speak, what brings you here?" A cold voice suddenly rang out, and Qian Renxue showed no politeness towards Bibi Dong whatsoever.

After saying that, she didn't forget to add, "Sister."

"It's nothing, I just heard you have a boyfriend and I was a little curious. Why don't you introduce him?" Bibi Dong was unusually calm, which made Qian Renxue feel frustrated, like she had punched cotton. Did she really not care about her daughter?

"Haven't I already told you about the Serpent Spear? Do you still need to know about it?" Qian Renxue said coldly.

"Why is it unnecessary? Didn't you call me sister? What, can't I meet my brother-in-law?" Bibi Dong was getting angry.

"You..." Upon hearing this, Qian Renxue was so angry that she couldn't speak for a moment, and subconsciously wanted to step forward to argue.

Standing behind her, Lan Si saw that the mother and daughter were about to clash as soon as they met, so he quickly pulled Qian Renxue behind him and used the thick skin he had honed over the years by tricking Shrek Academy to show for it. He smiled and said, "Of course, of course. It is my great honor that Pope Sister can get to know me."

As he spoke, Lan Si bowed forward in a gesture of respect.

“It seems my brother-in-law is more polite, unlike my sister, who has no manners at all.” Bibi Dong smiled gently, seemingly implying something, which made Qian Renxue so angry that she stomped her feet in frustration.

Bibi Dong thought to herself, "It shouldn't be A Si. A Si is a shy boy who never has much contact with any girls except me. This little guy in front of me isn't satisfied with having Xue'er, and he's also provoking a little girl from the Zhu family of the Star Luo Empire. It shouldn't be him."

"Um, Pope, you see, we've met, can I leave now?" Lan Si asked hesitantly. The woman before him was beautiful, but she had gone mad, and he really didn't want to stay any longer. If she noticed anything amiss and connected it to Yu Xiaogang's castration, he'd be in deep trouble.

"You can leave now." Knowing that the Lan Si in front of her was not the one from her dream, Bibi Dong had no intention of letting him stay any longer. For her, apart from the boy in her dream, she would not feel comfortable being with any other man, no matter how handsome or outstanding he was.

"Then we'll take our leave." Upon hearing this, Lan Si was taken aback, bowed respectfully, and hurriedly pulled Qian Renxue away.

Bibi Dong closed her beautiful eyes slightly, rested her cheek on her hand, and once again entered that wonderful memory.

As she stepped out from behind the screen, Qian Renxue finally couldn't resist. She reached into Lan Si's waist and twisted it hard. Lan Si gasped and cried out in pain, "Damn it, are you trying to murder your husband?"

As soon as Lan Si finished speaking, Bibi Dong, who had just closed her beautiful eyes, felt a slight tremor in her heart and suddenly opened her eyes.

"You know who she is, yet you actually call her 'sister'," Qian Renxue said in a low voice, feigning annoyance.

Just then, Bibi Dong's voice rang in both Lan Si's and Qian Renxue's minds, "Lan Si, come in alone. I have something to ask you."

Changxiang Chinese Website

Upon hearing this, both of them were stunned. Lan Si looked at Qian Renxue and said in disbelief, "Xue'er, did you just hear your sister's... oh no, your mother's voice?"

Qian Renxue nodded solemnly, took Lan Si's hand, and said seriously, "I'll go in with you."

Lan Si shook her head. "Forget it. I don't want you two to start fighting later. I don't want you to get hurt."

“But…” Qian Renxue held Lan Si’s hand, looking somewhat worried.

"Don't worry. After all, I'm practically her son-in-law. What mother-in-law would kill her son-in-law?" Lan Si patted Qian Renxue's hand lightly, giving her a reassuring smile. Although he said this, he was actually quite uncertain inside.

"Then be careful." Qian Renxue said solemnly, "If she dares to do anything to you, I will rush in immediately."

Lan Siwei nodded and re-entered the Pope's office hall.

The door closed automatically the moment he entered.

Lan Si frowned, took a deep breath, and then carefully stepped out from behind the screen.

"You seem to be afraid of me." Seeing Lan Si's wary look, Bibi Dong's lips curled into a faint smile.

"Look at what you're saying. You're my mother-in-law. I respect and love you enough, so why would I be afraid of you?" Upon hearing this, Lan Si quickly changed her expression and forced a dry laugh.

“Mother-in-law…” A hint of melancholy flashed across Bibi Dong’s eyes, but she quickly regained her composure, staring intently at Lan Si, and said seriously, “I’m asking you, just now outside, did you say the word ‘Holy shit’?”

"Really?" Noticing Bibi Dong's gaze, Lan Si knew he couldn't fool her anymore, so he could only nod slightly and subconsciously ask, "Is there a problem?"

"No...it's nothing, I just wanted to confirm something." Bibi Dong shook her head, recalling the boy in her dream when he was annoyed or surprised. It seemed that the novel word 'Holy crap' had become commonplace.

"Alright, now revert to your pre-evolution form."

"Oh..." Lan Si thought to herself, "I guess they want to see my Azure Lotus Domain." She snapped her fingers, and with a flash of blue light, her appearance changed back to her black-haired form.

Familiar features, a familiar voice, and those deep, soulful black eyes...

Upon seeing this, Bibi Dong abruptly stood up, her entire body instantly stiffening. Her hand loosened, and the angelic scepter fell to the ground, sliding down the high platform where the throne stood with a series of clanging sounds. She remained oblivious as the scepter slid down the steps.

With a flash, Bibi Dong arrived in front of Lan Si. Lan Si was secretly shocked. As expected of the Limit Douluo, even though she could only exert the strength of level 98 due to the Rakshasa God Trial, she was still far superior to Tang Ritian, Chen Xin and others. He had not even seen her movement trajectory clearly.

"I'll ask, you answer." The gentle voice rang out again, but her beautiful voice was now trembling violently, and tears streamed uncontrollably down her perfect face. She was completely overwhelmed with emotion.

"Uh..." If Lan Si was puzzled when Bibi Dong showed interest in the word "Holy crap" earlier, he was completely baffled now. Why did she suddenly start crying?

"Before Xue'er and that little girl from the Zhu family, have you ever liked any other girls?" Bibi Dong asked, her voice trembling as she struggled to control her emotions.

P.S.: First update, please vote for me! Please give me your monthly tickets!

Chapter 223 His Holiness the Pope is acting strangely

"There should be...yes." Lan Si was taken aback, and two figures surfaced from the deepest part of her memory.

One of them was pure and lovely, and her appearance was in no way inferior to that of the beautiful pope in front of her. In fact, they even looked somewhat alike. She had been with her since elementary school, all the way through high school, and finally, they met each other's parents and shared a bed... Ten years had passed in the blink of an eye.

The two, who were about to get married, were separated into two different worlds because of that blue lotus that even it didn't know what it was. Now, nearly twenty years have passed, and if nothing unexpected happens, she should be married by now.

There was another woman, whose appearance, though not as striking as the former, was still stunningly beautiful. She was tall, with an oval face, a red headband, and her hair styled in a high bun. She loved painting. She was the sister of a feudal lord. At that time, her brother had not yet fled, and she met him as an envoy from a neighboring country.

But fate is cruel. After parting ways, before he could express his feelings, he was targeted by a powerful enemy and died, falling off a cliff and leaving behind a resentful sentence before arriving in this Douluo world.

Fifteen years have passed. She should have replaced her brother and become the queen of that vassal state.

Having learned the wondrous uses of the Azure Lotus, perhaps the two will meet again in their lifetime. However, neither of them will be the same person they once were, and will she... still be the same person she once was? Will she, like in the original story, fall for that hopeless, good-for-nothing prince?

"Then why didn't you stay with her? Is it because she doesn't like you?" Just then, Bibi Dong's gentle and melodious voice rang out again, interrupting Lan Si's thoughts.

"Which one are you talking about?" A hint of pain flashed across Lan Si's eyes. He raised his handsome face and gazed at Bibi Dong's almost perfect and noble appearance, asking with some surprise.

At this moment, he seemed to realize that the woman with the tragic fate in front of him was not as terrible as he had imagined.

"What? Isn't there more than one?" Bibi Dong frowned.

"Yes. There are two. The first is that we were mutually in love. We were even close to getting married. The second is, I guess it was just unrequited love on my part." Lan Si gave the first bitter smile of her life.

"Then let's talk about the one who was mutually in love." Bibi Dong thought for a moment and continued, "Why didn't you end up with her? Was it because she fell in love with someone else? Or did you abandon her?"

“No…it’s not her fault, it’s mine.” Lan Si shook her head, a hint of sadness flashing in her eyes. “I’m the one who wronged her. She just disappeared without a trace. I thought about going back to find her, but I found…there was no way to find her. Now, although there are some clues about that path, it’s all too late…she must have already married someone else.”

Unlike Douluo Continent, it's difficult to maintain a single-minded devotion on Earth. No matter how sincere the love, it's hard to persevere if you're separated for too long, and it will eventually be defeated by reality.

"Can you tell me...her name?" Bibi Dong asked somewhat nervously.

"Telling you won't hurt, her name is..." Lan Si smiled faintly, just as he was about to say the girl's name, a cold voice suddenly rang out from outside the door: "Get out of the way..."

"No, young master. Her Holiness the Pope has ordered that no one may enter without her permission."

"Get out!" With a sharp shout, beams of brilliant golden light burst forth from the door behind the screen. Amidst the screams of the guards, the door shattered instantly, and the guards crashed into the screen along with the shards of the door.

Outside the gate, a stunningly beautiful figure shrouded in a faint golden light appeared. At this moment, she raised her right arm, and intense golden light pulsed in her palm. Clearly, all of this was her doing.

Her gaze swept across the hall, and she saw Bibi Dong standing in front of Lan Si, but she didn't notice the tears sliding down the latter's beautiful face. In a flash, she reappeared and was already between Lan Si and Bibi Dong, protecting Lan Si behind her.

Bibi Dong, realizing what was happening, turned around, wiped away her tears, and with a flick of her wrist, the angel's scepter automatically fell into her hand. In a flash, she returned to the high platform where the throne was located in the center, her back to Lan Si and Qian Renxue.

As for Lan Si, he had already deactivated the Azure Lotus Domain before Qian Renxue broke through the gate. His ability to transform must not be easily revealed to anyone other than the few people who already know about it.

"Ah Si, are you alright? This woman didn't do anything to you, did she?" Qian Renxue glanced warily at Bibi Dong on the high platform, then asked Lan Si.

A hint of bitterness appeared on Lan Si's face, and he shook his head with a wry smile.

"Let's go." Seeing that Lan Si was alright, Qian Renxue couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. She took another deep look at Bibi Dong, snorted coldly, and pulled Lan Si away.

Before leaving, Lan Si turned his head to look at Bibi Dong on the high platform. For some reason, Bibi Dong gave him a sense of déjà vu today.

Is it just my imagination?

With her questions in mind, Lan Si followed Qian Renxue out of the Papal Palace.

As soon as Qian Renxue left, the guards hurriedly stood up, knelt down, and begged for forgiveness: "Your Holiness, please forgive us, our young master just now..."

"I understand. It's not your fault. Go now. Find someone to repair this place." Bibi Dong gently raised her hand.

"Yes." Upon hearing this, the guards felt as if they had been granted a pardon, and respectfully responded before dragging their injured bodies away from the hall.

Bibi Dong was the only one in the hall at that moment. She turned around, looked up at the ceiling, and murmured, "Could it be him?"

.................

Three days later, the finals officially began.