Conflict

"Boom!"

Qian Renxue's call was like a boulder dropped into a calm lake, instantly stirring up a thousand waves.

The killing intent materialized and surged toward the sky. When Bibi Dong turned back, what met the two of them was a pair of scarlet pupils.

Cold sweat broke out on Lin Beiya's back, his heart screaming that disaster was imminent, yet his body instinctively blocked the path in front of the little angel. Simultaneously, the Aries Gold Cloth silently manifested, and a Crystal Wall appeared before Bibi Dong.

The actions of the brat before her only caused Bibi Dong to pause for half a second before she completely ignored him, her icy voice piercing through the Crystal Wall to reach their ears.

"I believe I told you never to call me that, didn't I?"

"Filthy Angel clan, the blood flowing through your veins only makes me sick."

"It seems you will only learn your lesson if I give you a memory that lasts a lifetime."

Lin Beiya's brows furrowed tightly. Feeling the little angel trembling behind him, he cursed inwardly at how excessive this woman's words were. If you have a grudge, go settle it with the person responsible; why take it out on a child?

Although the woman radiating murderous aura before him had her pitiful aspects, as she continued to press forward, Lin Beiya had no choice but to swing his fist at her.

"Starlight Extinction."

Lin Beiya crossed his palms before him, golden radiance converging into a single point as he blasted it fiercely toward Bibi Dong.

A flash of surprise crossed Bibi Dong's eyes, accompanied by a hint of envy, before she said disdainfully:

"Hmph, a firefly daring to compete with the moon? The lackeys of the Angel clan are equally repulsive."

With a surge of dark red soul power, Bibi Dong shattered Lin Beiya's full-force strike with a single hand, simultaneously pulverizing the Crystal Wall.

Since he had obtained his soul ring, this was the first time the Crystal Wall had shattered from an enemy's attack, dissolving into specks of starlight that vanished into the air.

Lin Beiya's heart sank to the bottom. He could only pin his hopes on the powerhouse secretly guarding Qian Renxue. He didn't know if that person was a match for the current Bibi Dong; if they were defeated, the little angel might just get a beating, but he himself might be skinned alive if he didn't die outright.

Fortunately, Lin Beiya's worries were unnecessary. As the soul power attack Bibi Dong had casually unleashed reached them, a golden iron staff engraved with dragon patterns descended from the sky, instantly crushing her attack before embedding itself halfway into the ground.

The Coiling Dragon Staff was easily recognizable within Martial Soul Hall, though he didn't know if it was Thousand Jun or Falling Devil. Regardless of who it was, their safety was now guaranteed.

Both brothers were level 96 Super Douluo, not opponents the current Bibi Dong could contend with.

"Bibi Dong, you've gone too far."

"Tch."

With her plans thwarted, Bibi Dong refused to say another word. Hearing the voice from mid-air, she turned and walked directly toward the Pope Hall.

Watching the woman gradually move away, Lin Beiya finally retracted his Gold Cloth and let out a long breath.

The Coiling Dragon Staff vanished, and in its place, a middle-aged man dressed similarly to Qian Daoliu appeared before them.

"Are you alright, Xiao Xue?"

"Seventh Grandpa, I'm fine."

"Mm."

Through this brief exchange, the man's identity was obvious: he was the Seventh Elder of Douluo Hall, Falling Devil Douluo.

Seeing that the little angel was unharmed despite her poor mood, this Super Douluo finally took a moment to shift his gaze toward Lin Beiya.

The corners of his mouth curled slightly; the Seventh Elder seemed quite satisfied with Lin Beiya's performance just now.

"You're a good lad. If you have any questions regarding your cultivation in the future, feel free to have Xiao Xue bring you to me."

"Many thanks, Seventh Elder. This humble one will not stand on ceremony."

"Hahaha, you're an interesting kid!"

After offering a few words of encouragement to Lin Beiya, Falling Devil Douluo vanished again, though it was unclear if he had returned to Douluo Hall or continued to hide in the shadows.

After such a small interlude, Qian Renxue had completely lost the desire to go shopping in Martial Soul City. With red-rimmed eyes, she looked at Lin Beiya and said:

"Beiya, let's go back."

"Alright."

Lin Beiya didn't ask any brainless questions about whether she still wanted to go shopping; he simply followed the little angel back toward Douluo Hall.

The petite figure ahead kept her head low, and Lin Beiya found it difficult to strike up a conversation, so he could only accompany her in silence.

"That is my mother. It's ridiculous, isn't it? She actually wanted to kill me."

"Perhaps."

Regarding Qian Renxue's statement, Lin Beiya neither agreed nor disagreed. In any case, in the timeline without him, Qian Renxue had always lived just fine. It was hard to say whether the little angel was well-protected or if Bibi Dong had never truly intended to kill her.

As they spoke, the two returned to the pavilion in the Central Garden. The little angel said with a desolate expression:

"Do you want to hear about it?"

"Uh..."

Lin Beiya wanted to say no—he likely knew more inside information than she did—but looking at her red eyes, he couldn't bring himself to refuse and could only nod silently.

"Actually, I don't know much either. I only know that for as long as I can remember, my parents' relationship was never good."

"Especially the way Mother looked at Father; it was as if she were looking at an enemy."

"That hatred extended to the way she looked at me. No matter how hard I tried, it seemed I could never earn her approval."

As if recalling those unbearable memories from the past, tears slowly slid down Qian Renxue's cheeks; her tear-streaked, delicate appearance left Lin Beiya at a loss for what to do.

"Perhaps your father did something that wronged her? Out of hatred for him, she harbors some malice toward you as well."

"Perhaps."

Lin Beiya sighed. Given the little angel's family situation, if not for the support of her grandfather, Qian Daoliu, her living environment might have been even worse than his own as an orphan.

Knowing the truth, he could not bring himself to tell the little angel; all Lin Beiya could do was silently accompany the heartbroken girl. Under the glow of the twilight, their two shadows slowly overlapped, and a weary, tear-exhausted Qian Renxue leaned against Lin Beiya's shoulder to doze off.

Only when her breathing became steady did Lin Beiya slowly let out a breath; having lived two lifetimes, he had no experience in coaxing women.

As night began to fall, Lin Beiya handed Qian Renxue over to a maid to be taken away, and he returned to his own quarters.

Sitting cross-legged on his bed, a sense of urgency stirred in Lin Beiya's heart; regardless of the circumstances, his first meeting with Bibi Dong had not been pleasant.

She was the future ruler of Martial Soul Hall, and whether or not Bibi Dong intended to harm him in the future, he had to grow stronger as quickly as possible and possess the power to protect himself.

The next day, having cultivated throughout the night, Lin Beiya went to his morning classes at Spirit Academy as usual. After eating lunch with Shi Nuo, he headed straight to the training grounds, still somewhat worried about whether Qian Renxue would be affected by yesterday's events.

Whether the little angel had grown accustomed to it or had simply buried the matter deep in her heart, today's Qian Renxue did not look dejected in the slightest. On the contrary, she was full of vigor during her physical training and soul combat, appearing as if she were turning her grief into motivation.

In the past, the little angel would always complain of fatigue after training with Lin Beiya for a while, but today, even when he began to pant heavily, she remained full of spirit.

"Xiao Xue, let's stop here for today; too much is as bad as too little."

"Alright."

Qian Renxue paused for a moment, then flashed a charming smile at Lin Beiya.

"Don't worry, I'm fine. I'm used to that kind of situation; I was just feeling a bit sad at the time. I want to cultivate well and make her look at me with new eyes."