Amid his demanding daily cultivation, Lin Beiya always felt a trace of heaviness deep in his heart.
That feeling reached its peak when Qian Renxue told him that Qian Xunji would lead four Titled Douluo to a border town in the Heaven Dou Empire to capture a Soul Beast that had taken human form.
Lin Beiya knew that the great event destined to shake the entire continent was quietly approaching, and that God King Tang, whose reputation was less than stellar, would soon descend upon Douluo Continent.
"Bei Ya, once our cultivation improves, we should go capture the Soul Beasts and fallen ones causing trouble in the human world, too."
That was, after all, Spirit Hall's duty. It was only natural that Little Angel would take it upon herself. Looking at the young girl, whose eyes shone with anticipation for the future, Lin Beiya felt a pang of sympathy.
"Sure. We'll capture those fallen ones together someday."
Qian Renxue's enthusiasm didn't last long. Ten days later, news spread that the Pope had fought Tang Hao, one of the Clear Sky Twin Stars, and had been gravely wounded.
Two of the four Titled Douluo who had accompanied him were dead. The survivors were likely Chrysanthemum and Ghost.
Including the gravely wounded Qian Xunji, Spirit Hall had suffered devastating losses on this expedition.
The Clear Sky Sect and Tang Hao's fame reached unprecedented heights, while Spirit Hall's prestige plummeted to rock bottom. Fallen ones across the continent, who had once been too afraid to show their faces, seized the opportunity to emerge and unleash a storm of bloodshed.
Lin Beiya didn't see Qian Renxue again until three days after Qian Xunji had returned to Spirit Hall, dragging his badly injured body behind him.
The little blonde's eyes were bloodshot. She had clearly gone several nights without sleep.
"Is the Pope badly hurt?"
"Mm. The healing Soul Masters said he'll need at least a year to recover, and even then, he might not return to his peak condition."
"Father is so proud. For him, this..."
Lin Beiya nodded. It was only natural that Qian Xunji had been badly injured. Otherwise, how could Bibi Dong have devoured him despite being only a Soul Douluo? Even if he had let down his guard, that was no small feat.
For some reason, seeing Qian Renxue so dejected sent a pang of heartache through Lin Beiya.
After thinking it over, he came up with a way to break the deadlock.
"Xiao Xue, the Gold Cloth can improve the body's ability to recover. The effect isn't very strong right now, but it's better than nothing."
At his words, Qian Renxue's swollen eyes immediately lit up. She sprang to her feet and darted into Lin Beiya's arms.
After freezing for a moment, Lin Beiya tightened his arms around her and patted her slender back.
A while later, Qian Renxue's cheeks flushed faintly, and she pulled away from Lin Beiya. Then she said excitedly,
"Bei Ya, I'll go lend the Aries Sacred Cloth to Father right away. I'm sure it'll help."
"Mm, go ahead."
Watching Little Angel hurry away, Lin Beiya felt a jumble of emotions.
He hadn't done this simply to help Qian Xunji recover from his injuries. He wanted to see whether Qian Xunji, with the strength of a Titled Douluo, could use Crystal Wall to withstand the coming calamity.
If Qian Xunji survived, Qian Renxue might not go to the Heaven Dou Empire as an undercover agent just to prove herself. And Qian Daoliu wouldn't be afraid that Bibi Dong would harm his granddaughter, so he wouldn't tacitly allow it.
Douluo II had already proven that even without Qian Renxue's interference, the nobles of the Heaven Dou Empire were perfectly capable of bringing about their own downfall.
Even if Spirit Hall didn't crush them with force and instead waited for them to tear themselves apart before making a move, that would still be better than Little Angel wasting the best years of her life.
In a side hall on the eastern side of Pope Hall, Qian Xunji was recuperating from his injuries.
Qian Renxue made her way there without hindrance and soon knocked on the door.
"Father, are you all right?"
"Xiao Xue? Cough... cough... C-come in."
As the door opened, Little Angel hurried to her father's side. Seeing Qian Xunji's bloodless face, Qian Renxue felt another pang of pain in her heart.
But she hadn't forgotten why she had come. She quickly took out the Gold Card representing Aries.
"Father, try channeling Soul Power into this."
"Cough... cough... What is this?"
"It's Bei Ya's Sacred Cloth. It can improve the body's recovery by nearly twenty percent. Wearing it for a long time might help your injuries."
"Oh? That little fellow's Martial Soul has an effect like that?"
Qian Xunji struggled to sit up. His pale face couldn't hide the surprise in his eyes.
Though he didn't believe the Martial Soul of a mere Soul Grandmaster could do anything for his injuries, he still decided to give it a try. At the very least, he didn't want to dampen his daughter's enthusiasm.
"Good. It's nice to know Xiao Xue is worried about her father."
"Father, if you keep teasing me, I won't talk to you anymore. Hurry up and try it."
Qian Renxue pouted, clearly displeased by her father's teasing.
Qian Xunji nodded and didn't hesitate any longer. He channeled his Soul Power directly into the Gold Card in his hand.
As the Aries Gold Cloth covered him, Qian Xunji's expression slowly shifted from indifference to utter astonishment.
The armor covering his whole body boosted him in every way, and that wasn't all. He could feel a force slowly helping his injuries heal on their own. This must have been the increase in recovery that his daughter had mentioned. The wounds were healing very slowly, but they were indeed mending.
"I didn't expect it to actually work."
"Really, Father? That's wonderful!"
Hearing that the Aries Sacred Cloth could truly help her father's injuries, Qian Renxue leapt for joy. Then, as if she'd suddenly remembered something, she stamped her foot and glared at Qian Xunji.
"Father, what do you mean, 'it actually works'? So you didn't believe me when I told you about it?"
"Uh..."
Qian Xunji knew he'd put his foot in his mouth. For a moment, he was at a loss as to how to placate a child, and could only sit there awkwardly.
Fortunately, seeing that her father was still recovering from his serious injuries, Qian Renxue decided not to throw a tantrum. She gave a cold snort and said,
"Since it works, keep wearing it for now. Give it back as soon as you've recovered. I need the Sacred Cloth to cultivate!"
"Hahaha! All right. I'll recover soon."
Perhaps he could feel his daughter's concern, or perhaps it was the effect of the Sacred Cloth, but some color returned to Qian Xunji's face. The father and daughter chatted for a while before Qian Renxue finally said her goodbyes.
After returning to the Training Ground to find Lin Beiya, Qian Renxue excitedly recounted what had happened.
"Bei Ya, the Sacred Cloth really is helping Father's injuries! Thank you so much."
"That's good."
Seeing Little Angel's spirits clearly improve, Lin Beiya felt a little relieved.
I've lent you the Sacred Cloth. Whether you can cling to life with its battle skill is up to fate now.
Qian Renxue refused Lin Beiya's suggestion that she go back and rest. She immediately began following him through that day's training.
At the same time, in Saintess Hall, not far from Qian Xunji's residence, Bibi Dong sat with bloodshot eyes, deep in thought.
"I didn't expect Tang Hao to be so powerful. It looks like my plan to get my hands on a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring is going to fall through."
"But Qian Xunji, once I confirm you're truly gravely injured, we can settle this score properly."
"My dear teacher..."
Gloomy and bloodthirsty—those negative words were hard to associate with the breathtakingly beautiful Bibi Dong. But the truth was exactly that.
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