Lin Yuan: Mother, I Will Protect You!

After Qian Xunji left.

The Saintess Palace fell back into a deathly silence.

Bibi Dong walked alone to the window, watching the bright sunshine outside, yet her back appeared incredibly lonely and desolate.

She understood that narrow-minded beast Qian Xunji all too well.

Since he hadn't managed to snatch Lin Yuan away today, he would never let the matter rest and would certainly resort to underhanded tactics in the future.

Bibi Dong's slender fingers gripped the edge of the windowsill so tightly that her knuckles turned white from the exertion.

She swore to herself in her heart that as long as she had a single breath left, she would never allow anyone to harm a single hair on Lin Yuan's head.

I do not know how much time had passed.

A burst of light footsteps echoed from the corridor.

Lin Yuan pushed open the half-closed door and poked his black-haired head inside.

"Mother!"

Seeing Bibi Dong standing by the window, Lin Yuan ran over quickly.

He dove straight into Bibi Dong's arms, wrapping his hands around her slender waist.

Bibi Dong snapped out of her thoughts, looking at the clingy little one in her arms; the coldness in her eyes vanished instantly, replaced by an extremely gentle expression.

She reached out a jade-like hand and gently smoothed the hair on the back of Lin Yuan's head.

"Why aren't you playing with them in the Guidance Room?" Bibi Dong asked softly.

Lin Yuan looked up, keenly catching the trace of exhaustion and gloom hidden deep in the depths of Bibi Dong's eyes.

"Mother, are you not feeling well?" Lin Yuan asked, knitting his little brows together.

Bibi Dong shook her head, forcing a faint smile.

"I'm fine, just a bit tired from reading, I'll be better after a rest."

Lin Yuan looked at her attempt to act strong, his heart as clear as a mirror.

When he arrived just now, he had bumped into Qian Xunji on the way, who had left with a livid face and in a fit of rage.

It didn't take much brainpower to know that the old man must have come to cause trouble for Bibi Dong.

Lin Yuan stepped back half a pace from Bibi Dong's embrace.

He clenched his small fists tightly, lifted his fair, delicate face, and stared straight into Bibi Dong's eyes.

"I will strive to become strong."

"Strong enough to shield you behind me, strong enough to overturn all the rules of this Douluo Continent."

The childish voice echoed through the spacious hall.

Yet, it carried an unwavering, invincible momentum.

Bibi Dong stared blankly at the Lin Yuan before her.

The calm facade she had maintained on the surface was shattered into pieces at this very moment.

A mist of water instantly welled up in her beautiful eyes, and her gaze was filled with an unconcealable sense of being moved and shocked.

Although these were just the words of a child who likely didn't understand how terrifying the enemies he would face in the future were.

Yet, this was the first time in her life she had truly and clearly heard someone say with such conviction that they would protect her.

She couldn't help but think of the man named Yu Xiaogang.

He only knew how to escape when faced with trouble, lacked the courage to confront power, and eventually disappeared without a trace, wallowing in self-pity and leaving her to struggle in this abyss alone.

This six-year-old child before her was truly a thousand times stronger than that cowardly man who only knew how to retreat.

Bibi Dong crouched down.

She stretched out her arms and, regardless of everything else, pulled Lin Yuan tightly into her embrace.

A moment later, Bibi Dong loosened her arms.

She looked at Lin Yuan's exquisite face, her eyes slightly red, yet she beamed with a smile.

"Mother, I said I would protect you, why are you crying?" Lin Yuan raised his hand to wipe the moisture from the corner of her eye.

Bibi Dong held Lin Yuan's hand, her tone gentle to the extreme.

"Mother isn't crying, I'm just very happy to hear what you said."

She stood up, pulled Lin Yuan to the sofa to sit down, and then shifted the topic, asking about serious matters with concern.

"How is your cultivation progressing? With innate full soul power at level twenty, you need to obtain a soul ring as soon as possible to continue breaking through."

Lin Yuan nodded and said straightforwardly:

"I have already touched the bottleneck and am planning to go hunt for my first soul ring. I have been consolidating my cultivation for the past two days, and now that I am in a good state, I am ready to head out."

Hearing this, Bibi Dong took a dark gold token from her storage soul tool and handed it to Lin Yuan.

The token was engraved with intricate patterns and featured the unique emblem of the Martial Soul Hall in the center, exuding an extraordinary aura.

"This is the highest-level Soul Hunting Forest token," Bibi Dong said softly, instructing him. "With it, you can enter any large Soul Hunting Forest controlled by Martial Soul Hall without obstruction. The garrison personnel inside will all be at your command."

Lin Yuan took the token and toyed with it casually. Just as he was about to reply, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly sounded from outside the main door.

Immediately after, Hu Liena ran in, panting for breath.

The little girl was drenched in sweat from running, but her large golden eyes were filled with a radiant glow of excitement.

"Lin Yuan! Teacher!" Hu Liena called out. "I've broken through! I've finally reached level ten!"

"I can go obtain my first soul ring now! Lin Yuan, the cultivation methods you taught me these past few days were so effective; I feel like my soul power is circulating many times faster than before!"

Hearing this, a trace of approval flashed in Bibi Dong's eyes.

Hu Liena's talent was already extremely high, and with Lin Yuan's guidance, it was only logical that she would break through to level ten so quickly.

Lin Yuan stood up from the sofa and tucked the soul hunting token into his pocket.

"That works out perfectly. I was just about to head to the Soul Hunting Forest to find a soul ring, so I'll take you along with me."

Hu Liena was so happy she nearly jumped, grabbing Lin Yuan's arm and shaking it.

"That's great! With a Big Brother like you leading me, I'll definitely be able to find the most powerful soul beast!"

The large Soul Hunting Forest exclusive to Martial Soul Hall was not far from Martial Soul City.

Half a day later, Lin Yuan and Hu Liena successfully presented the token, passed through the towering steel fence, and officially stepped into the dense, primitive forest.

All around them were towering trees that blocked out the sky and sun.

Occasionally, the roars of beasts echoed from the far distance, startling a flock of birds into flight.

Hu Liena followed closely behind Lin Yuan, her small hand clutching the corner of his clothes. She appeared somewhat nervous, but was mostly excited.

"Lin Yuan, what kind of soul beast are we looking for?" Hu Liena asked, looking around.

Lin Yuan casually pushed aside the thorns blocking their path.

"One that suits you. Your martial soul is a Demon Fox, so your first soul ring should ideally lean toward mental control or charm attributes, and naturally, the higher the age, the better."

The two wandered the outer perimeter for over half an hour.

During this time, they encountered a few ten-year soul beasts that didn't know any better; the moment they approached, they were forced to the ground by the sheer blood energy radiating from Lin Yuan, and he dispatched them with a wave of his hand.

As they walked, the bushes ahead suddenly shook.

A snow-white fox-like soul beast with two tails darted out. Seeing the two of them, it bared its teeth and let out a threatening cry.

Hu Liena's eyes lit up, and she immediately tugged on Lin Yuan's sleeve.

"Lin Yuan, look at that Two-Tailed White Fox! I feel like its attributes are a perfect match for my martial soul!"

She seemed very agitated, even wanting to rush forward directly.

Lin Yuan pressed down on her shoulder, pulling her back to where she stood.