Father and Mother

Father and Mother

In her previous life, her mother's final words revealed the truth to her: her mother had despised her because her teacher—her father—had torn apart her fate with Yu Xiaogang and forced her to give birth to her. From that moment on, the image of her father in her heart had cracked.

This matter also became one of Yu Xiaogang's romantic tales. After her mother died, Yu Xiaogang triumphantly embellished it in his biography, using what her father had done to her mother as a victor's tool to humiliate the defeated. The Angel Clan was disgraced as a result, nailed to the pillar of shame for tens of thousands of years, unable to recover.

At first, Qian Renxue had also resented her father, but she had twenty thousand years to reflect on everything that had happened.

Was her mother truly without fault?

Why had her mother fallen in love with Yu Xiaogang? Spirit Hall had made her what she was; no matter what, she should not have loved Yu Xiaogang enough to elope with him. Yet much of Yu Xiaogang's knowledge—even secrets of Spirit Hall such as the status of worshipper and Angel Spirit Bones—had been revealed to him by her mother. For the Saintess of a faction, these were things she should never have done.

Her mother had not realized that her actions had long since betrayed Spirit Hall. Her father had a legitimate reason to punish her, but he had chosen the wrong method.

The blame for a mistake could not rest on only one side.

Even on her deathbed, her mother had still not realized her own mistakes. In her eyes, she should have left Spirit Hall and eloped with Yu Xiaogang. She believed her father had destroyed her life and Spirit Hall had trapped her.

People had two truths: the truth of facts, and the truth they needed. In their subconscious, people often distorted the truth into something favorable to themselves and then believed it wholeheartedly. That was the truth they needed.

What her mother had told her before dying was the truth she needed. But what was the factual truth? Given another chance, Qian Renxue would use her own eyes to uncover the source of this grievance.

Once, she had been a beggar in a village. Her parents were nowhere to be found, and she had grown up eating meals provided by different families.

However, when she was six years old, her life took a turn. During the annual Spirit Awakening, she awakened a terrifying spider, and she possessed Innate Full Soul Power.

When she saw that others had only one martial soul imprint while she had two, she innocently asked the Steward, "Why do I have another martial soul?"

She still remembered how the Steward had frozen for a moment, then grabbed her hand and asked excitedly, "What is your name?"

"My name is Bibi Dong."

"Bibi Dong, are you willing to join Spirit Hall?" The Steward's question carried an urgency that brooked no doubt, and even the force with which he gripped her hands increased.

Bibi Dong nodded in pain.

Thus, her Spirit Awakening shocked the entire Spirit Hall. After report upon report was submitted, the Pope learned of her and personally ordered that she be brought to Spirit Hall.

Escorted by Golden Bell Douluo, she arrived at the towering, magnificent Spirit City and saw him within the city.

He was tall and imposing, with handsome features. His hands clasped behind his back, he stood beneath the Angel Sacred Statue in Pope's Palace. Suddenly, he turned around, walked over to Bibi Dong, crouched down, and extended his hand to her. In a gentle voice, he said, "Are you willing to become my disciple? I will train you into the strongest person of this era, perhaps even beyond the step mortals find impossible to cross."

"If I become the strongest, will I no longer go hungry and be able to eat my fill every day?" Bibi Dong asked.

"Hehe." He chuckled softly. "As long as you become my disciple, whatever you wish to eat will be brought to you by servants."

"Alright, I'm willing to become your disciple." Bibi Dong reached out and placed her hand in his.

"My name is Qian Xunji. From now on, you are my disciple and Spirit Hall's Saintess: Bibi Dong."

Qian Renxue sat atop the Angel Sacred Statue, using her innate Angel Head Spirit Bone to conceal herself. With her current strength as a level 99 quasi-god, even the three great Limit Douluos might not have detected her without using divine sense, much less Qian Xunji, who had only just entered the Title Douluo realm at level 91.

Qian Renxue quietly watched the scene of Bibi Dong meeting Qian Xunji for the first time. She watched the moment she became his disciple, watched Qian Xunji take Bibi Dong's tiny hand and walk through Spirit Hall, introducing her to everything around them. The scene was incomparably warm; they looked just like a pair of parents.

Who could have imagined that over a decade later, father and mother would become irreconcilable enemies? Her father would rape her mother, her mother would kill her father, and even at her death, she would still hate him to the bone.

Could one Yu Xiaogang really have such destructive power?

Qian Renxue could not understand it no matter how much she thought. Looking at her young mother, she saw a flame swaying within her spiritual sea. It resembled the flame of a lit candle.

"This is..." Qian Renxue was startled inwardly.

As the possessor of the Angel Martial Soul—and one who had ascended to godhood—Qian Renxue instantly recognized the essence of that flame. It was Spirit Fire condensed from angel spiritual power. It could interfere with a person's perception and trap them in an illusion; it was an ability of the Angel Head Spirit Bone.

"This..." Qian Renxue was filled with doubt. Although she found her father's actions disgraceful, if this was the case, then her mother should have been even less capable of escaping his control. How had she ultimately met Yu Xiaogang...

Could this have been Shura God's handiwork again?

"You saw it too." Huo Yuhao's voice came from the God Ring.

"Your Majesty, God King, why is this?" Qian Renxue asked.

"Rather than having me tell you the factual truth, wouldn't it be better for you to discover the truth yourself and make your own choice?" Huo Yuhao asked in return.

He continued, "To attain a corresponding Divine Throne, whether through comprehending laws, becoming a god through faith, or becoming a god through a Divine Trial, one must align with the path of that divine spark and gain affinity with the Divine Throne. The Sea God became a god through the faith of the ocean, while Shura God began with slaughter. Therefore, clearing the City of Slaughter and obtaining Divine Slaughter's Domain is the first step of the Shura God Trial. As for how to become an Angel God, you understand that better than I do. That is all I can remind you of."

"Thank you." Qian Renxue nodded thoughtfully.

"You will handle matters on Spirit Hall's side, but I have one objective. First, if Yu Xiaogang comes to Spirit Hall in the future, then elevate him into a master just as in your previous life. Then, do not kill Yu Xiaogang. The rest is up to you," Huo Yuhao said.

Qian Renxue said, "Yes. On behalf of Spirit Hall, I guarantee that your request will be fulfilled."

Divine Realm, Eternal Temple

After finishing his conversation with Qian Renxue, Huo Yuhao turned his gaze toward Douluo Continent. Though the sensation of being endowed with divine power and authority was wonderful, he still could not descend to the Lower Realm as easily as Tang San had in that era. After all, that fellow Shura God was still watching him, waiting for him to make a mistake so he could join the other God Kings in judging him as they had judged the Dragon King.

However, Huo Yuhao had made preparations as well. Before ascending, he had left behind a spare body, which Snow Empress had frozen within the Eternal Forbidden Land of the Far North. This was his preparation for traveling the continent in the future.