As Long As I Have Mom

Pope Palace, Side Hall garden.

The night breeze was slightly cool, rustling the leaves in the garden with a soft, rhythmic sound.

"Mama, look, that star is so bright!"

Qian Renxue nestled in the arms of Nan Feng (Spider Emperor Avatar), her small hand pointing toward the brightest star in the night sky, her face glowing with a happiness she had never known before.

"Mm, it is very bright."

Nan Feng gently swayed the swing, resting his chin on the crown of Qian Renxue's soft hair. A gentle smile hung on his lips, but deep within his purple eyes, they reflected the gradually thickening gloom of the distant night.

"Xue'er."

Nan Feng spoke suddenly, his tone laced with a hint of confusion and curiosity. "Mama has always had a question she wanted to ask you."

"Hm? What question, Mama?" Qian Renxue turned her head, her large eyes blinking.

"Although I cannot remember the past clearly, I vaguely heard the palace maids mention that your father... is the current Pope?"

Qian Renxue's body stiffened abruptly, her small hands instinctively clutching Nan Feng's lapels.

"And, isn't the Pope still alive and well in the Pope Palace? Why did you... tell Mama that day that he was already dead?"

"This..."

Qian Renxue panicked.

For the past few days, she had been immersed in the bliss of "having a mother," completely forgetting this fatal logical loophole.

Grandfather had said that she must never let Mama know that Father was still alive, otherwise, Mama would revert to that cold, terrifying version of herself!

Qian Renxue stammered, her eyes already brimming with tears, stubbornly clinging to the lie. "Father... Father is really dead! He died a long, long time ago!"

"That Pope... he is... he is not my father!"

"Really?" Nan Feng pressed.

"Really! Xue'er isn't lying to Mama!" Qian Renxue cried out, her voice thick with sobs.

In order to keep this hard-won maternal love, this poor child had no choice but to curse her own biological father over and over again.

Hidden in the shadows, Qian Daoliu heard this conversation, his heart filled with a complex mix of emotions.

He sighed, preparing to send a voice transmission to Xue'er to tell her not to panic, when suddenly—

Thump!

His heart gave a violent jolt.

An unprecedented sense of palpitations struck without warning, a feeling as if... something extremely important, something connected to his very bloodline, had shattered completely in this instant!

"Not good!"

As a Peerless Douluo, Qian Daoliu's intuition was incredibly sharp. He whipped his head toward the direction of the Pope's Bedchamber. Though it appeared calm, in his eyes, an extremely evil and oppressive aura was slowly rising!

That was... Bibi Dong's aura!

"A diversion?!"

Qian Daoliu's expression changed drastically. He no longer cared about hiding his presence, not even having time to bid Qian Renxue farewell, as he transformed into a streak of golden light and vanished from the spot instantly!

"Alright, alright, don't cry, don't cry."

Nan Feng hurriedly pulled Qian Renxue closer, gently patting her back to soothe her. "Mama believes you. I'll listen to whatever Xue'er says."

"If he's dead, then he's dead. Someone so insignificant doesn't matter even if they die."

"As long as Mama is here, no one will ever be able to bully Xue'er again."

Qian Renxue sobbed, burying her small face into Nan Feng's chest, and nodded vigorously: "Mm! As long as I have Mama, that's all that matters!"

However, at this very moment, Qian Renxue did not know that this phrase, "it doesn't matter if he dies," was becoming reality in the most tragic way possible just a few hundred meters away in the Pope's Bedchamber.

Through the connection of the Soul Blood Pact, Nan Feng clearly felt the emotional fluctuations coming from Bibi Dong's side.

It was extreme madness, gratification, and... the relief of a successful revenge!

"It seems it has already begun over there."

Nan Feng lowered his head, looking at the still-sobbing Qian Renxue in his arms, a meaningful glint flashing in his eyes.

"Little Xue'er, congratulations."

"Your prophecy has come true."

"Your dear father... is truly dead."

The first ray of morning sunlight pierced through the clouds, spilling onto the swing in the Side Hall garden.

Qian Renxue rubbed her sleepy eyes, nuzzling against Nan Feng's chest like a lazy little kitten.

"Mama... good morning."

"Morning."

Nan Feng's voice was hoarsely strained, his violet eyes hollow and vacant, his entire being radiating a sense of hollowed-out exhaustion.

Only the heavens knew what he had endured throughout the night!

As a soul entity, he truly had no need for sleep.

Yet last night, through the connection of the Soul Blood Pact, the mental fluctuations transmitted from Bibi Dong's side were akin to an endless mental tsunami!

As Bibi Dong devoured Qian Xunji to open the Rakshasa Secret Realm, that malicious intent from the Evil God surged along the soul contract, pouring into Nan Feng's consciousness without reservation.

It was not mere killing intent, but the most primal, direct, and nauseating malice imaginable!

Cruelty, greed, lust, destruction...

Countless frenzied voices shrieked within his mind, magnifying the darkest aspects suppressed in the deepest recesses of his heart to an infinite degree.

He felt like a drunkard tossed into a tumble dryer—one filled with broken glass—his brains nearly shaken into a pulp!

The most absurd part was that he had only been caught in the crossfire as a "bystander," yet he was already on the verge of a mental breakdown.

And Bibi Dong, who stood at the center of the vortex, had not only forcibly withstood the impact of this malice but even had the spare capacity to leverage this power to break through her bottleneck!

This woman was truly fucking incredible!

"Mother, what's wrong? Your complexion is so poor..." Qian Renxue was fully awake now, and seeing the pale, slightly twisted expression on Nan Feng's face, she immediately grew anxious.

"It's nothing, Mother just... had a nightmare all night long."

Nan Feng managed to squeeze out a smile and reached out to stroke Qian Renxue's head. The sense of irritation threatening to spiral out of control told him he had to leave immediately, or this avatar might shatter on the spot due to his unstable mental state.

"Xue'er, Mother is tired and needs to go back and rest."

"Then... may I see you off, Mother?" Qian Renxue asked, clearly reluctant.

"No need, you stay here and cultivate obediently."

Nan Feng stood up and hurried out of the courtyard as if fleeing a disaster. "Mother will come to see you another day."

Just as he turned the corner of the corridor, confirming he was out of Qian Renxue's sight.

Hum—!

The Spider Emperor Avatar controlled by Nan Feng instantly disintegrated, transforming into countless violet-black motes of light that dissipated into the air.

At the same time, his primary consciousness instantly traversed space, slamming back into his true body within the bedchamber of the Saintess Hall!

Saintess Hall, secret chamber of the bedchamber.

The previously calm space suddenly rippled violently, and a space rift, pitch-black as ink and exuding a heart-palpitating aura, tore open out of thin air.

Clack.

A foot clad in a violet high-heeled shoe stepped out, followed by a long, straight calf, and a violet robe stained with a faint scent of blood and the aura of the Evil God.

Bibi Dong.

She had returned.

At this moment, her body was wreathed in flickering violet-green mist, and her originally cold and elegant features now possessed an added touch of bewitching, evil charm.

Her eyes were as deep as a bottomless abyss; merely meeting her gaze was enough to make one's soul tremble.

Level ninety-seven!

Having devoured Qian Xunji and endured a night of baptism by malice within the Rakshasa Secret Realm, her soul power was not only completely stabilized but had advanced even further, stepping into the ranks of the level ninety-seven peak Douluo!