Douluo: The Venom System is Awesome

In reality, tears flowed uncontrollably from Bibi Dong's tightly closed eyes, dampening her temples.

Her brows were furrowed deeply, as if she were enduring a difficult internal struggle, yet her body gradually began to relax.

Mu Junyu maintained the symbiotic state, carefully guiding this new emotional imprint. As he felt the violent changes in Bibi Dong's mental world, his own spiritual power was being consumed at a rapid pace.

I do not know how much time passed before the overlay was finally complete.

Mu Junyu quickly withdrew from the symbiotic state and returned to his human form. He stumbled, his face pale and his forehead covered in beads of sweat.

Damn it... I didn't realize using the system could almost drain me dry...

He looked nervously at Bibi Dong, who was lying on the ground.

Bibi Dong's long eyelashes fluttered a few times, and she slowly opened her eyes.

Those purple eyes no longer held the previous pain, coldness, or detachment, but were instead filled with confusion, a daze, and a kind of...

Unprecedented softness and sorrow. She raised a hand to touch her damp cheek, seemingly unable to understand why she was crying.

She looked at Mu Junyu, her gaze complex. She opened her mouth, but for a moment, she did not know what to say.

That deep-seated rejection and resentment toward Qian Renxue seemed to have been temporarily sealed away, replaced by a sharp heartache and longing.

"...Xiao Xue."

She murmured the name unconsciously. For the first time, it spilled from her lips with such clear and profound maternal tenderness.

Mu Junyu let out a sigh of relief, knowing that they had succeeded for the time being.

He smiled weakly, "Teacher, do you feel better?"

Bibi Dong did not answer, only staring blankly at the ornate reliefs on the ceiling of the hall, as if seeing into her own heart for the first time.

Those heavy shackles seemed to have loosened somewhat. Although the scars left by the past remained, at least... a ray of light had shone through.

The midday sun was somewhat scorching. On the training grounds, Qian Renxue was practicing newly comprehended combat techniques alone.

The golden figure shed sweat under the sun, every move and stance carrying a stifled, fierce intensity.

Suddenly, she keenly sensed two familiar auras approaching.

She finished her stance and turned around. When she saw who it was, she froze completely.

Mu Junyu was pulling...

Bibi Dong's wrist.

With a mix of force and encouragement, he led the usually majestic Pope to the edge of the training ground.

Qian Renxue's gaze turned sharp instantly, filled with wariness and confusion.

She subconsciously tightened her grip on the Angel Holy Sword, her eyes locked onto Bibi Dong as if looking at an incomprehensible intruder.

However, deep beneath that cold guard, there was a tiny, subtle struggle—and perhaps... expectation?—that even she herself had not noticed.

Being stared at by her daughter like this, Bibi Dong was clearly at a loss.

She stood there, half-pushed and half-pulled by Mu Junyu. She wasn't even wearing her Pope robes.

She wore only a simple, plain-colored dress, her long purple hair draped loosely over her shoulders, making her look unexpectedly... soft?

Being stared at by her daughter like this, Bibi Dong was clearly at a loss.

She stood there, half-pushed and half-pulled by Mu Junyu. She wasn't even wearing her Pope robes, only a simple, plain-colored dress, her long purple hair draped loosely over her shoulders, making her look unexpectedly awkward.

She subconsciously wanted to avoid Qian Renxue's gaze, but Mu Junyu gave her a light poke from behind.

Mu Junyu's encouragement felt more like a prod. Under his gaze, Bibi Dong took a deep breath, as if she had made a great resolution.

She looked at Qian Renxue hesitantly, her lips moving a few times before she managed to utter a dry, somewhat stuttering sound.

"...Xiao Xue... has your... cultivation... been going smoothly lately?"

The question was incredibly stiff, sounding nothing like concern, but rather like the most formulaic inquiry from a superior to a subordinate.

As the words fell, even the air seemed to freeze in embarrassment.

Qian Renxue was completely stunned.

Chapter 30: I Want a Mother's Love Too!

She widened those amber eyes, looking up and down at Bibi Dong as if meeting this person for the first time.

Had the sun risen in the west? This woman was actually taking the initiative to talk to her? And in this... extremely clumsy tone, attempting to express concern? Her guard still held the upper hand; Qian Renxue did not answer immediately. Instead, she gripped her sword hilt tighter and said coldly.

"Does the Pope have time to care about my cultivation amidst her busy schedule?"

The thorns in her words were undisguised.

Bibi Dong choked, a flash of hurt crossing her purple eyes, and she subconsciously wanted to retreat.

Mu Junyu quickly tugged at the corner of her clothes from behind, signaling frantically with his eyes: Persist! Teacher! Say something specific!

Bibi Dong seemed to receive the signal. She pursed her lips and let her gaze drift to the spot where Qian Renxue had just been practicing, trying to make her voice sound more natural. "Just now... that sword strike... if you compress your soul power a bit more when gathering it, the speed will be faster, and the power... will be greater."

Mu Junyu was stunned.

Wait... didn't I drag you over here to reconcile with your daughter?

What are you even saying...

How did this turn into a lesson on cultivation techniques?

Just then, something Mu Junyu never expected happened.

When Qian Renxue heard Bibi Dong's blunt "instruction," she froze for a moment, a flash of disbelief crossing her amber eyes.

Given her usual temper, she would have sneered and retorted immediately.

But today, for some reason, that dry, technical advice felt more... real? ...than any deliberate show of affection.

At the very least, this was a familiar domain, the kind of thing Bibi Dong had always done as Pope and a powerhouse.

She remained silent for a moment, then actually followed the advice and raised the Angel Holy Sword once more.

As her soul power slowly condensed, she tried to compress the surging light energy as hard as she could, just as Bibi Dong had instructed.

On her first attempt, her soul power control was unstable, and the light on the blade flickered violently.

"Calm your mind. Guide the soul power along your meridians instead of forcing it down." Bibi Dong's voice rang out again, still devoid of warmth, yet it pinpointed the crux of the issue with precision.

This was purely her instinct as a strict mentor.

Qian Renxue bit her lower lip. She didn't argue; instead, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and tried again.

This time, the light on the blade was much more stable, and the speed of condensation increased by a fraction.

"Shift the angle by half an inch. Your point of leverage is wrong."

Bibi Dong's gaze was as sharp as a hawk's, immediately pointing out the next problem.

She seemed completely immersed in the role of "instructor," temporarily forgetting the awkward relationship between them.

Qian Renxue adjusted her wrist as told, and the Angel Holy Sword carved out a more perfect arc.

The golden light shone brilliantly, and the power had indeed increased significantly.

A flash of surprise crossed her eyes, and she subconsciously looked up at Bibi Dong.

Bibi Dong was also watching her movements intently, her purple eyes filled with a pure, perfectionist focus on the craft, devoid of the usual coldness and distance.

One taught with seriousness, the other learned with focus.

Sunlight spilled over the mother and daughter; one in a simple dress with purple hair, graceful and poised; the other in golden armor with golden hair, full of heroic spirit.

Although there was still no excessive verbal communication between them, the ripples of soul power and the precise adjustments created a strange and harmonious tacit understanding.

Standing to the side, Mu Junyu was completely dumbfounded.

He stood with his mouth agape, watching this completely unexpected development, his jaw nearly hitting the ground.

The touching scene he had envisioned—of them weeping in each other's arms and pouring out their hearts—hadn't happened; instead, it had turned into a large-scale soul skill training session?

But this scene... it didn't seem so bad, did it?

He rubbed his nose, a wry expression on his face, and then, very tactfully, tiptoed backward.

He tried his best not to disturb this hard-won "communication" established in such an unconventional way.

He left the space entirely to the awkward mother and daughter, hiding behind a large tree and peeking out with only half his head, muttering to himself.

"Well... even if it's not the script I expected, at least... it counts as breaking the ice, right? A special way of communicating is still communication..."

On the training ground, only the sound of the blade cutting through the air remained, along with the occasional concise and precise instruction and response.

The setting sun dyed the training ground in a warm golden hue.

Qian Renxue finally exhausted her strength, leaning on the Angel Holy Sword to support her trembling body. Sweat soaked her golden hair, sticking to her smooth forehead, and her breathing was somewhat rapid.

But those amber eyes were startlingly bright, filled with a pure radiance she hadn't felt in a long time.

For the entire afternoon, Bibi Dong had stood there, her gaze never leaving her.

Every piece of advice was incredibly precise, and every demonstration was textbook-perfect.

In Qian Renxue's memory, this was the first time her mother had been so focused, so patient... looking only at her.

Bibi Dong also stood quietly to the side, her simple dress edged with gold by the setting sun.

She watched her daughter's exhausted yet excited appearance, watching that longing and satisfaction in those eyes—things she had never given her before.

A sour, aching ripple stirred in the soft place in her heart that had been forcibly awakened.

The transformative effect of [Family Above All] continued to work in this atmosphere, diluting the estrangement of the past.

The silence of the training's end descended quietly.

Qian Renxue caught her breath and slowly straightened up.

She looked at her mother a few steps away, the setting sun outlining a figure that was slightly thin yet remained upright; that focus and companionship felt so real, and yet so... unfamiliar.

The complex emotions that had been building up all afternoon, along with the grievances and longings buried deep in her heart for over a decade, finally broke through all her defenses at this moment.

Tears welled up without warning, sliding down her cheeks which were stained with sweat and dust.

"Why..."

Her voice was choked with sobs, making it almost impossible for her to speak.

"Why... for so many years... have you never... never accompanied me like this?"

She raised her teary eyes, bravely meeting the gaze of Bibi Dong's suddenly constricted purple eyes, as if she wanted to pour out all the questions and pain that had been pent up for over a decade.

"I also wanted to be like other children... to have a mother wipe my sweat when I'm tired, to have a mother feel heartache when I'm hurt, and when I make progress in my cultivation... to be the first to receive my mother's praise..."

Her voice grew louder, filled with unspeakable sorrow and accusation. "I also wanted my mother to hug me and smile at me... I also wanted my mother's love! Is it really that hard?! What did I do wrong to make you hate me so much?!"

Chapter 31 So Soft

She practically screamed the last sentence, then used all her strength to throw the Angel Holy Sword onto the ground, where it landed with a crisp "clang."

It was as if she had also shattered all her pride and pretenses.

Like a lost child, she crouched down, hugged her knees, buried her face in them, and began to sob uncontrollably.

That crying was filled with helplessness and over a decade of loneliness.

Bibi Dong stood completely frozen in place.

Every word of her daughter's tearful complaint was like the sharpest needle, piercing densely into her heart.

Those surging tears didn't seem to fall onto the ground, but rather scalded her soul, burning her self-righteous coldness and avoidance until they were riddled with holes.

Under the influence of [Family Above All], those maternal instincts that had been covered by hatred and fear surged with unprecedented intensity.

She looked at her daughter's trembling shoulders and listened to those desperate cries, feeling a pain in her chest so intense she couldn't breathe.

She was wrong.