During the pivotal moment when Qingxue successfully obtained her second soul ring, forces far beyond mortal comprehension were set into motion across the dimensional barriers that separated the various planes of existence. Even with Tian Meng masterfully concealing his massive energy signature during the ritual of sacrifice, the sheer magnitude of power involved created tremendous fluctuations in the fabric of space itself. These ripples spread outward like stones cast into a tranquil pond, their effects reaching far beyond what anyone could have anticipated or prepared for.
The spatial disturbances attracted something ancient and powerful—a soul fragment that had been drifting through the void between realms for countless eons. As this ethereal remnant began its inexorable descent toward the Douluo plane, it actively searched for someone whose soul resonated with compatible frequencies, or perhaps it was being guided by some mysterious third-party interface that directed its trajectory toward another destination. The mechanics of this selection process remained shrouded in mystery, operating according to laws that transcended mortal understanding.
Rather than attaching itself to Qingxue as one might have expected given the circumstances of its arrival, the soul fragment was drawn elsewhere entirely, pulled toward a different beacon of power and potential. Its destination was a woman who had recently undergone one of the most grueling trials in existence—a test that pushed the boundaries of both physical and spiritual endurance. This person was none other than Bibi Dong, the formidable Pope of the Spirit Hall, whose very name commanded respect and fear across the entire continent.
As the soul fragment penetrated the protective barriers surrounding Bibi Dong's spiritual sea, it moved with the confidence of something that belonged to a higher order of existence. The intrusion did not go unnoticed by the entity that had taken up residence within her consciousness—the Residual Rakshasa God, a fragment of divine will left behind to oversee and guide her through the treacherous path of godhood.
The Rakshasa God's remnant, sensing the foreign presence invading what it considered its domain, immediately moved to eliminate what it perceived as a threat to its carefully orchestrated plans. This protective response was automatic, driven by eons of experience in dealing with spiritual parasites and malevolent entities that sought to interfere with divine trials. However, what happened next defied all expectations and conventional wisdom about the hierarchy of divine power.
The moment the Residual Rakshasa God made contact with the soul fragment, the newcomer erupted with an intensity of divine power that was both terrifying and awe-inspiring. The energy release was so overwhelming that it completely and utterly erased the Rakshasa God's presence from Bibi Dong's spiritual sea, leaving not even the faintest trace of its existence behind. This feat should have been impossible under normal circumstances—the Rakshasa God, even in residual form, represented divine authority that had ruled for millennia.
The key to this unprecedented victory lay in timing. Had this soul fragment arrived 10,000 years later, as originally intended by destiny, it would have found itself significantly weakened by the journey through the dimensional barriers. However, due to its early arrival triggered by the spatial fluctuations from Qingxue's ceremony, it still retained the larger portion of its divine power and ancient strength, making it more than capable of overwhelming even a god's remnant.
With the Rakshasa God having already departed the Divine Realm after assigning its residual essence to oversee Bibi Dong's examination, the entire trial system was now operating in completely automatic mode. This created an unprecedented situation where the god trial could potentially be interfered with or manipulated by outside forces, fundamentally altering the nature of the test and its intended outcomes.
Bibi Dong, whose mental energy had been severely depleted after successfully completing another grueling level of the god trial, observed this supernatural confrontation with a mixture of exhaustion and disbelief. The casual ease with which this foreign soul fragment had annihilated what she had believed to be an omnipotent divine presence left her in a state of complete shock. Her worldview, carefully constructed over decades of believing in the absolute nature of divine power, crumbled in an instant.
Then, cutting through the silence of her spiritual sea like a blade through silk, a distinctly female voice resonated within the depths of her consciousness. The tone carried an authority that seemed to echo from the very foundations of creation itself, speaking words that had clearly been spoken before in contexts of immense significance.
"My hand grasps the sun and moon and plucks the stars from the sky; this world has no one else like me."
(A/n- Yes, it is what you think, Female Electrolux.)
The declaration hung in the air like a challenge to the universe itself, carrying with it the weight of absolute confidence and transcendent power. When the voice continued, it carried a note of uncertainty that seemed almost vulnerable in contrast to the previous proclamation.
"I don't remember much about myself, but I was called Electrolux in ages past. You may address me by this name if you wish. And you, little girl," the voice paused, as if processing vast amounts of information in an instant, "I have inadvertently read through your entire memory during my arrival. While I cannot claim to sympathize with your circumstances, I can offer this counsel—work done with resentment poisoning the heart is always doomed to produce bitter fruit."
The measured, almost condescending tone of this advice struck Bibi Dong like a physical blow, igniting the carefully suppressed rage that had been building within her for over two decades. Her response erupted from the depths of her soul with all the fury of a woman who had endured more betrayal and humiliation than any single person should be forced to bear.
"WHAT COULD YOU POSSIBLY UNDERSTAND??" she screamed into the void of her spiritual sea, her mental voice cracking with the strain of emotions held too long in check. "YOU ARE A GOD WITH THE ABILITY TO DO ANYTHING YOU DESIRE, BUT I AM JUST A NORMAL MORTAL WHO HAS BEEN SUFFERING IN THIS WRETCHED EXISTENCE!!"
The words poured from her like blood from a wound that had never properly healed, carrying with them years of accumulated bitterness, disappointment, and soul-deep pain that had festered in the darkness of her heart.
Electrolux's response came without the slightest hint of offense or anger, delivered with the patient tone of someone who had witnessed countless similar outbursts across the span of eternity. "You little girl, the person you are speaking with was also once a mortal, struggling and clawing her way through existence just as you are now. I climbed my way to godhood through trials that would have broken lesser souls. And regarding your suffering, I have three questions that you must answer honestly, first to me, and then to yourself."
The ancient being paused, allowing the weight of anticipation to build before continuing. "Did you sacrifice anything meaningful for your lover?"
"SACRIFICE?!" Bibi Dong's mental voice reached a pitch of hysteria that seemed to shake the very foundations of her spiritual sea. "I LOST MY CHASTITY TO THAT BEAST QIAN XUNJI FOR THE SAFETY OF MY BELOVED! I GAVE MY LOVER EVERY POSSIBLE ASSISTANCE TO GAIN ACCESS TO SECRET KNOWLEDGE FROM THE MOST RESTRICTED SECTIONS OF THE LIBRARY! I PROVIDED HIM WITH CULTIVATION RESOURCES THAT TOOK ME YEARS TO ACCUMULATE! WHAT HAVE I NOT DONE FOR HIM?!"
The litany of her sacrifices spilled forth like water from a broken dam, each item on the list representing a piece of herself that she had willingly given away in the name of love. The memory of each sacrifice burned in her mind with renewed clarity, magnified by the divine presence now sharing her consciousness.
"I see," Electrolux acknowledged with neither judgment nor absolution in her tone. "Then answer this—did he reciprocate with sacrifices of his own? Did he ask about your difficulties and struggles? Did he bring you precious gifts or offer you anything of comparable value to what you provided him?"
For the first time since the conversation began, Bibi Dong's rage faltered, replaced by something far more dangerous—the creeping realization of truth. Her mental voice, when it came, carried a tremor of uncertainty that hadn't been there before.
"HE... He always brought me flowers," she began, her voice growing smaller with each word. "Beautiful wildflowers that he would pick during his travels. He complimented my appearance and my abilities regularly. He also promised me that we would see the outside world together once his research was complete, that we would explore distant lands and discover new wonders side by side. But..."
The word hung in the air like an executioner's blade, poised to sever the last threads of the illusion she had maintained for so many years. In that moment of suspended realization, Bibi Dong began to see the vast disparity between her concrete sacrifices and his empty gestures, between her tangible losses and his cost-free promises.
"And my final question," Electrolux continued with the relentless precision of a surgeon cutting away diseased tissue, "is this: Was it worth it? You understand exactly what I am asking. Love is something that must be mutually reciprocated to have any real meaning or value. Considering everything you have given and everything you have received in return, was it truly worth the price you paid?"
For the first time in over twenty-five years—or perhaps for the first time since the elimination of the Rakshasa God's corrupting influence—Bibi Dong found herself thinking about her situation with complete mental clarity. The fog of resentment, the haze of divine manipulation, and the comfortable lies she had told herself all fell away like scales from her eyes.
The silence that followed stretched for what felt like an eternity, filled with the sound of a woman's heart breaking not from fresh pain, but from finally acknowledging pain that had been festering for decades.
"Consider carefully what I have asked you today," Electrolux said, her voice taking on a gentler tone that spoke of genuine concern rather than cold analysis. "I am going to rest now to restore my strength after the journey and the... altercation with your previous divine overseer. Contact me again after a week's time has passed, or if you wish to accelerate my recovery, you could assist me by providing soul-nourishing treasures."
As Electrolux's presence faded into dormancy, Bibi Dong was left alone with her thoughts for the first time in years. Her eyes stared blankly into the darkness of her private chambers, but what she was truly seeing were the memories that had been illuminated by the ancient god's merciless questions.
She found herself doubting everything—her entire quarter-century of decisions, motivations, and beliefs. Was any of her effort truly worth the devastating price she had paid? The question felt like a knife twisting in her chest, but she could no longer avoid confronting it honestly.
At first, she tried to maintain her anger, to hold onto the familiar comfort of righteous indignation. How dare she doubt her own love? How could she question the purity of emotions that had driven her for so long? But even as she attempted to summon her old defenses, another, more insidious question crept into her consciousness: Whether Yu Xiaogang had truly loved her with the same purity she had brought to their relationship, or whether there had been something more calculating, more self-serving in his affections.
Initially, she had been excited by the prospect of learning from this unknown soul fragment, of perhaps gaining the power to become the most formidable force in the entire world. The promise of transcendent strength had seemed like the answer to all her problems. But as Electrolux's questions shattered the foundations of her reasoning, she began to wonder what there was to achieve through gaining such power. What was the point of becoming invincible if the reasons driving that desire were built on lies and self-deception?
Then, like dawn breaking through storm clouds, she remembered something that had been buried beneath years of rage and resentment. She had sworn to destroy the entire Seraphim Spirit lineage, to make them pay for the crimes committed against her. Her life, she thought, had nothing to do with Yu Xiaogang anymore. But was that really true?
That night proved to be one of the longest of Bibi Dong's life. Sleep eluded her completely as she wrestled with thoughts and emotions that had been suppressed for far too long. With the Rakshasa God's corrupting influence finally purged from her mind, her consciousness became clearer than it had been in decades, and long-buried feelings began to surface from the depths of her heart.
As the hours passed in sleepless contemplation, she found herself thinking not of revenge or power, but of someone she had tried desperately to forget—her daughter. The hidden feelings she had suppressed, the maternal love she had denied, began to take root in her heart like flowers blooming after a long winter.
She realized, with a clarity that was both beautiful and heartbreaking, that she missed her daughter terribly. She regretted every moment she had lost, every milestone she had missed, every opportunity for connection that had been sacrificed on the altar of her quest for vengeance. The weight of these realizations pressed down upon her like a physical burden, but unlike the crushing weight of her anger, this burden came with the possibility of redemption.
As dawn painted the sky in shades of gold and rose, Bibi Dong remained alert and clear-headed despite her sleepless night. The mental clarity that had come with the removal of divine manipulation sustained her far better than rest ever could.
In the growing light of morning, Bibi Dong finally understood the truth that had been hidden from her for so long. She couldn't bring herself to even consider destroying her daughter, let alone follow through with such an unthinkable act. More than that, she realized she couldn't even summon the courage to face the child she had abandoned, so great was her shame at the choices she had made.
The memories came flooding back—how she had sent her daughter away because she understood, in some still-rational corner of her mind, that the Rakshasa God's influence might harm the innocent child. But over time, as she became increasingly clouded by resentment and divine manipulation, she had allowed herself to forget even this noble motivation, burying it beneath layers of anger and self-justification.
Standing at the window of her chambers, watching the world wake up to a new day, Bibi Dong made a decision that would have seemed impossible just hours before. She would step away from her responsibilities as Pope, at least temporarily. She would travel throughout the world, not as a conqueror or destroyer, but as a seeker trying to understand herself and what she truly wanted from life.
For the first time in decades, Bibi Dong felt something she had almost forgotten existed—hope. The path ahead was uncertain and fraught with difficulty, but it was her own path to choose, free from the manipulations of gods and the chains of bitter resentment that had bound her for so long.
(A/n- Sorry for uploading it late. I completed two chapters and forgot to upload and slept. Then the next day I checked for the comments finding that I had not even uploaded the chapter.)