Feeling the soft hair beneath her palm, Qian Renxue thought that she should never have blamed him in the first place.
He was not the one at fault. What bad intentions could he have had?
From then on, their relationship gradually improved.
With their past grievances laid to rest, Qian Renxue had fully taken on the role of an older sister.
In her spare time, she would sit with Lin Yuan at the stone table in the garden and take the initiative to teach him how to read.
Not only that, she patiently and meticulously taught Lin Yuan the basics of sensing Soul Power and cultivating it, holding nothing back.
The peaceful, heartwarming days flew by.
In the blink of an eye, Lin Yuan turned six.
At that age, he was about to undergo the most important Martial Soul Awakening ceremony on the Douluo Continent.
Faced with this momentous occasion, Bibi Dong issued a direct order.
She would personally oversee Lin Yuan's awakening ceremony.
Spirit City, Pope's Palace.
The magnificent hall soared into the clouds, and its massive stone pillars were carved with intricate sacred designs.
The atmosphere in the Pope's Palace today was far different from usual.
That was because today was Spirit Hall's annual Martial Soul Awakening ceremony.
Many children who had just turned six had already gathered inside the hall, all waiting for the moment that would change their fates.
According to Spirit Hall's usual rules, ordinary children's awakening ceremonies were handled by designated stewards.
But this time, things were entirely different.
Bibi Dong was Spirit Hall's Holy Maiden, and now held great power. She had announced her intentions well in advance.
She would personally oversee this awakening ceremony.
Not only that, she had also sent out grand invitations to the continent's greatest powers, asking them to attend as witnesses.
Such a display was naturally not for the ordinary children.
Everyone knew the truth: Bibi Dong was making such a fuss for one person alone.
The child she had personally brought back from Slaughter City many years ago.
Lin Yuan.
Bibi Dong had poured her heart and soul into this child, treating him as her own and cherishing him above all others.
She firmly believed that a child born in a place as desperate as Slaughter City, with a special bloodline coursing through his veins, was no ordinary person.
His future was destined to stand at the pinnacle of the Douluo Continent.
The various powers had already gathered in the hall.
The invited guests were all prominent figures of great influence across the continent.
On the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's side, Sword Douluo Chen Xin stood in white, his hands clasped behind his back.
Beside him stood a little girl who had just turned three.
She was Ning Rongrong, the cherished daughter of Ning Fengzhi, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's leader.
In the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's seats, a burly middle-aged man sat upright.
He was Yu Luomian, an elder of Yu Xiaogang.
The representative sent by the Heaven Dou Empire's royal family was Prince Xue Xing, who had always placed great importance on the dignity of the imperial house.
The Star Luo Empire had gone even further, sending its young and hot-blooded prince, Dai Weisi.
The gathering was grander than ever. The eyes of all the various powers were fixed on the Pope's Palace.
Behind the raised platform in the hall,
Qian Xunji stood in the shadows, staring intently through layers of gauze at the small figure in the center of the hall.
As he looked at Lin Yuan, a powerful sense of wariness welled up inside him.
Over the past few years, Lin Yuan had continued to grow, and his astonishing talent—far beyond that of ordinary people—had already made Qian Xunji feel gravely threatened.
On top of that, Bibi Dong's strength was growing by the day, and her influence was steadily expanding.
If this unknown country boy awakened a top-tier Martial Soul, would there be any place for Qian Xunji to speak in Spirit Hall from then on?
Qian Xunji gave a cold snort, a murderous glint flashing deep in his eyes.
He had arrived at Spirit Hall early today for a reason. He was certainly not there to watch Bibi Dong bask in the limelight.
He had already made arrangements in secret.
During the awakening ceremony, he would appear in person in his capacity as the Pope.
He would wield Angel Divine Power, claiming that he was blessing the children participating in the ceremony.
On the surface, this was the Pope's benevolence, meant to help ordinary children awaken better Martial Souls.
In truth, when Lin Yuan's turn came, he would secretly reverse the flow of divine power.
He would use the backlash of the Angel Divine Power to suppress Lin Yuan's Martial Soul quality—and perhaps even destroy the boy's foundation entirely.
In the center of the hall,
Lin Yuan stood quietly in place, perfectly composed despite the scrutinizing gazes of the prominent figures around him.
At his side stood a golden-haired girl.
It was Qian Renxue.
Qian Renxue had changed into a luxurious long dress for the occasion. As she looked at the densely packed crowd in the hall, her brows furrowed slightly.
She turned to Lin Yuan, who was a little shorter than her, and spoke softly.
"Your awakening is about to begin."
"With so many people watching, are you nervous?"
At her words, Lin Yuan turned and glanced at Qian Renxue.
He shook his head without hesitation, not the least bit intimidated.
"What's there to be nervous about?"
Then Lin Yuan asked her in return,
"Big sister."
"What kind of Martial Soul do you hope I awaken?"
Qian Renxue thought for a moment, then a smile bloomed across her delicate face.
"If you're going to awaken a Martial Soul, it should be the strongest one."
"You have to show everyone here today just how formidable you are."
Qian Renxue looked at Lin Yuan, her eyes filled with anticipation.
She had once been intensely jealous of this boy for taking their mother's affection away from her, and had even scolded him harshly.
But after spending these past few years together, especially when Lin Yuan had brought her top-grade ointment to heal her after she injured herself from overtraining, the two had long since put their past grievances behind them.
Now, she truly regarded Lin Yuan as her younger brother.
Hearing Qian Renxue's words, Lin Yuan grinned.
"Sure."
"Then I'll awaken the strongest one."
Lin Yuan's voice was not loud, but his tone brimmed with unquestionable confidence.
Then Lin Yuan raised his head and looked toward Bibi Dong, who stood near the edge of the raised platform not far away.
Bibi Dong wore a purple-and-gold robe, elegant and dignified. The moment her stern gaze met Lin Yuan's, it softened at once.
She stepped forward with graceful strides.
In front of the guests from all the great powers, Bibi Dong made no attempt to hide her affection. She reached out and gently patted Lin Yuan's head.
Her eyes were filled with tenderness.
"Yuan'er."
"Relax."
"No matter what happens, you're my son, Bibi Dong's."
Bibi Dong comforted him softly, her touch tender beyond measure.
Just then, a series of crisp footsteps came from the other side of the hall.
Three-year-old Ning Rongrong was as delicate as a doll, dressed in a refined little skirt.
She was every bit the Little Demoness, completely unrestrained by rules.
Sword Douluo Chen Xin had only looked away for a moment, and she had already slipped away from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's seats.
She was always eager to run around, and seemed to take an instant dislike to everyone she saw.
Ning Rongrong trotted straight up to Lin Yuan.
She stopped, planted her hands on her hips, and tilted up her fair little face, her big eyes sizing Lin Yuan up from head to toe.
"Hey."
"Are you the child Bibi Dong picked up?"
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