The secret discussion within the Supreme Pontiff Palace lasted for a long time.
Low and serious sounds of debate faintly drifted out until the sun approached the zenith, and the palace doors finally opened again.
Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan and Ghost Douluo Gui Mei were the first to walk out, their faces grim and brows furrowed; clearly, the matter discussed was extremely thorny.
Then, several Elders and Bishops filed out.
No one spoke, and each left in a hurry, the air filled with the oppressive feeling of an impending storm.
Su Xu, like a standard statue, bowed to every big shot who passed, his gaze lowered, hiding all emotions and thoughts deep in his heart.
He knew that the core of this high-level meeting must have revolved around the ‘unknown attack’ suffered by Her Holiness and how to find that invisible ‘enemy’.
Su Xu did not act for the time being, still waiting patiently for an opportunity.
The next three days were calm on the surface, yet undercurrents were surging.
The alert level for the Supreme Pontiff Palace and its core areas was raised to an unprecedented level.
The density of hidden sentries and patrols increased greatly, and he could even occasionally feel powerful mental force sweeping through the periphery, clearly Titled Douluo-level experts monitoring in secret.
Su Xu stood guard, changed shifts, went to the canteen, and returned to the dormitory to meditate and Cultivate every day on time.
His life was regular to the point of being rigid.
He behaved even more silently and cautiously than before.
He merely gave simple agreements to Luo Ge’s occasional complaints or discussions, never saying much.
To outsiders, this young knight who had gotten in through connections seemed frightened by the suddenly escalated tension and was trying hard to play the role of an insignificant minor character.
However, only Su Xu knew that beneath his calm exterior, a certain restless desire and accumulated ‘energy’ were burning like a hidden fire, almost ready to overflow.
He was waiting, patiently waiting for the next suitable opportunity to use his energy to wash sister Bibi Dong’s face and rinse her mouth, as well as…
for possible changes in the environment.
The turning point appeared on the morning of the fourth day.
Lei Meng, the vice-captain of the Guard Knight squad, personally found Su Xu and Luo Ge as they were preparing to go on duty at the Supreme Pontiff Palace.
“You two, your posts are being adjusted today,” Lei Meng said concisely.
“Go to the entrance of the Eastern Corridor on the periphery of the Popes Palace to stand guard.
Be on duty promptly at 2:00 PM until 10:00 PM.
Go rest now and gather your strength.”
Upon hearing this, Luo Ge’s expression turned solemn, and he immediately stood tall and replied, “Yes!”
The importance and sensitivity of posts on the periphery of the Popes Palace far exceeded that of general guarding in front of the Supreme Pontiff Palace.
Being assigned there was, to some extent, a form of recognition or a test.
This was simply like someone handing him a pillow just as he wanted to sleep!
But he also showed a serious, even slightly nervous expression on his face as he replied, “Yes, this subordinate obeys!” The gaze he turned toward Vice-Captain Lei Meng appropriately revealed a hint of gratitude.
This post adjustment was likely further care from Lei Meng for him, the ‘connected guy’.
It was also possible that the security level in front of the Supreme Pontiff Palace had been raised, requiring higher-level spirit power and more senior knights.
As a result, Spirit Ancestor “duos” like him and Roger were rotated to other important, but non-frontline positions.
Lei Meng met Su Xu’s gaze, stepped forward, and patted his shoulder, his tone becoming a bit more serious: “Su Xu, the rules outside the Popes Palace are ten times stricter than in front of the main palace.”
Every blade of grass, every tree, every sound, and every movement there requires extra attention.
Remember, keep your eyes on your nose and your nose on your heart; do not look at what should not be seen, and do not let what should not be heard enter your ears.
Focus your mind and do not be the least bit slack, understand?
If something goes wrong, even I won’t be able to protect you.”
“This subordinate understands!
I will fulfill my duties faithfully and would never dare to be the least bit negligent!” Su Xu replied with absolute certainty.
Lei Meng nodded, gave Roger a few more instructions, and then hurried away.
In the afternoon, Su Xu and Roger arrived at the designated area ahead of schedule.
It was clearly not Roger’s first time performing such a task, and he whispered the precautions to Su Xu: “The Popes Palace area is vast.
We are guarding the entrance to the Eastern Corridor, which is considered a gateway within the outer perimeter.”
Although we cannot see the inner palace, we must pay attention to any person or matter heading in that direction.
When on guard, your spirit power must always remain steady and restrained; there must be no violent fluctuations, and you must control your breathing.
Visibility is poor at night, so you must be even more alert.
I heard Her Majesty the Supreme Pontiff has been in a terrible mood lately, so we must make sure not to cross her.”
Su Xu listened intently and noted everything down, but in his heart, he was quickly calculating.
From the corridor entrance where they stood guard to the core inner chambers of the Popes Palace, the straight-line distance was probably several hundred meters, perhaps even close to six hundred meters.
This was completely within the one-kilometer range of his Time Stop!
The opportunity was even better than he had anticipated!
The two arrived at their designated sentry positions.
This was the starting point of an exquisite white stone corridor, with intricate Spirit Hall patterns carved on both sides.
The corridor wound inward, connecting to deeper courtyards and building complexes.
The field of vision was open, allowing them to see sentries in other directions not far away, echoing each other to form a tight protective net.
The air was filled with a sense of solemnity that was quiet to the extreme; even the birdsong seemed sparser than elsewhere.
Su Xu composed himself and stood firm with Roger, one on the left and one on the right, their postures as straight as pines, beginning their long and tedious guard duty. The source of this chapter is novelping.com.
His gaze calmly scanned the front, but his ears sensitively captured every minute sound, while his brain coolly planned: calculating possible distances, assessing the time gaps before and after shifts, and simulating the paths for entering and leaving using Time Stop…
Time flowed slowly amidst high concentration and the surging expectations in his heart.
Meanwhile, inside the Supreme Pontiff Palace.
Only Bibi Dong remained in the vast hall, sitting upon her throne.
The scrolls in front of her were piled as high as a mountain, but she was unusually restless.
Her exquisite face was shrouded in a layer of thick gravity and doubt.
Several days had passed.
She had secretly arranged several layers of monitoring: the overt security was raised to the limit, while in the shadows, the Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluos, along with several other trusted experts, took turns using mental force or Spirit Abilities to scan the Supreme Pontiff Palace and its surroundings from a distance and intermittently, especially during the periods when she handled official business alone.
She herself also maintained the highest vigilance at all times, with her spirit power and mental force in a semi-activated state, being extremely sensitive to even the slightest abnormal fluctuation.
However, all was calm.
That mysterious “intruder” seemed to have completely vanished, without any further action.
She had not encountered that bizarre, memoryless “interruption” again.
No new suspicious traces were found, and she hadn’t even captured the slightest bit of unusual energy residue or the feeling of being watched.
Could it be…
the other party noticed my arrangements and went into hiding?
Bibi Dong’s slender fingers unconsciously tapped the armrest of the throne, a cold light flashing in her purple eyes.
Or was the last time…
just an accidental, difficult-to-replicate mishap?
Or perhaps his goal…
was not me, but something else, and last time was just a convenient act?”
Various speculations churned in her mind, yet all lacked supporting evidence.
This feeling of the enemy being in the dark while she was in the light, with unknown methods and motives, made the Supreme Pontiff, who was used to controlling everything, feel extremely uncomfortable and angry.
There was also a faint unease that she forcibly suppressed.
Although the marks of shame once left on her perfect body had been eliminated with spirit power and ointments, the memory and those bizarre physical sensations were like a thorn in her side, constantly reminding her of the unbearable desecration she had suffered.
“No matter who you are or where you are hiding…” Bibi Dong slowly closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
When she opened them again, only a bone-chilling killing intent remained in her gaze.
“This seat will surely drag you out and make you pay a price you will never forget.”