You Worrywart, You Little Rascal!

His Holiness the Pope heaved violently, his shoulders taut beneath his magnificent purple and gold robes.

The pent-up emotions, like a volcano on the verge of eruption, could no longer be contained.

"What if he/she dies?!"

She practically screamed those five words, her voice filled with a heart-wrenching despair.

"If anything were to happen to you... what would I do?! What would those... those who cherish you so dearly?!"

Bibi Dong's voice suddenly choked, as if an invisible giant hand had gripped her throat.

She tried her best to maintain the Pope's dignity and to force back the surging tears, but her beautiful eyes, which had once made mountains and rivers pale in comparison, were now quickly filled with a thick mist, like purple smoke covering the Milky Way.

Her eyes instantly turned red, and large, glistening tears rolled down her cheeks without warning, hitting the cold ground and striking Lin Xia's suddenly clenched heart.

"Xiao Xia..."

Bibi Dong's voice shattered completely, thick with nasal tone. All the rebukes and anger transformed into the deepest grief and plea at this moment.

"You're really no easy child... You're not alone... You have millions of followers of the Spirit Hall behind you, and even more... even more, your teacher, and all those elders who cherish you like a precious gem!"

"That girl Hu Liena talks about you all the time, and those people in the Worship Hall are always watching your progress... Before you act, can't you think more about us?!"

Hot tears streamed down her perfect yet pale cheeks, ruining her carefully crafted elegance.

At this moment, she was not the Pope the Spirit Hall who ruled the Soul Master World, but just an ordinary master who was terrified and heartbroken by her disciple's reckless behavior that nearly led to suicide.

That intense, paternal love, buried deep beneath power and authority, was laid bare in the cold air, and before the eyes of Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan, who stood there dumbfounded.

The smile on Lin Xia's face had vanished without a trace.

He looked at Bibi Dong's red eyes, at the crisscrossing tear tracks on her face, and listened to her broken, hoarse, and heart-wrenching questions.

An unprecedented, heavy, and bittersweet feeling instantly gripped his heart, making it almost impossible for him to breathe. The excruciating, soul-crushing pain he felt at the spring was nothing compared to the pain of seeing his master shed tears for him at this moment.

All his clever schemes, his confidence in his plans, and his unwavering pursuit of the "Tao" seemed so pale, so... reckless, in the face of this pure and profound love.

"Master..."

Lin Xia's voice lowered, becoming slightly hoarse.

Lin Xia slowly and solemnly raised her head. Her eyes, which had just been tempered by ice and fire and contained the birth and death of stars, now held only the deepest seriousness and regret.

Lin Xia spoke slowly and clearly, each word carrying the weight of a promise:

"I see."

Lin Xia paused slightly, took a deep breath, as if to etch this promise into the depths of her soul.

"I was wrong, Master. From now on... I, Lin Xia, will think twice before I act. I will never... let you worry about me again, never... shed tears for me again."

This "I know" and "I was wrong" is no longer a child's perfunctory response, but rather an awakening that comes from a true understanding of responsibility and ties after experiencing life and death.

Lin Xia realized that her reckless actions might cause irreparable harm to her loved ones.

Bibi Dong's tears flowed even more fiercely.

Looking at the unprecedented seriousness and remorse in her disciple's eyes, at the red mark on his forehead, at the still-present, terrifying aura emanating from him, all her lingering fear, anger, grievance, and heartache... burst forth like a flood, completely overwhelming her last line of defense.

"Waaah..."

An uncontrollable sob escaped from her tightly pursed lips.

The next second, she suddenly opened her arms wide, disregarding the Pope's majesty and the gazes of others, and tightly embraced that small body that had just returned from hell!

It's as if you need to meld him into your very bones to be sure he's still alive, still by your side!

"You troublesome little rascal!"

She buried her face deep in Lin Xia's hair, which carried the cool scent of spring water. Hot tears instantly soaked his hair and clothes. Her voice was muffled, filled with endless trembling and the relief of surviving a disaster.

"You scared me to death... you really scared me to death..."

Lin Xia was breathless from the sudden embrace, which was filled with despair and ecstasy, but he did not struggle.

He nestled quietly in his master's warm yet violently heaving embrace, his small hands hesitating for a moment before gently and clumsily wrapping around Bibi Dong's slender yet infinitely powerful waist.

He could clearly feel the trembling of the body in his arms, the burning wetness at the nape of the neck, and the powerful fluctuations of Soul Power —a heart that was shattered by fear because of him, yet pounded violently because he was unharmed.

The valley was silent, save for the gentle gurgling of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well Spring and Bibi Dong's suppressed but incessant sobs.

Not far away, Dugu Bo stood frozen in place, like a stone sculpture weathered for thousands of years. His emerald eyes, which had seen through the ways of the world and were accustomed to cunning and scheming, were now filled with an indescribable complexity.

Shocked by Lin Xia's madness and miracles, and terrified by Bibi Dong's unfathomable strength and the fury that erupted in an instant, enough to freeze space, what ultimately settled in his heart was the master and disciple duo tightly embracing each other before him.

His Holiness the Pope, who was high above and seemed like a god in the clouds, was now crying like a helpless mother for a child.

The young Holy Son, who had just accomplished an astonishing feat and whose aura was unfathomable, now nestled obediently against him, like a child who had done something wrong and finally found refuge.

Dugu Bo's throat Rollout, and he subconsciously looked at his granddaughter, Dugu Yan, who was also standing there, her eyes filled with tears.

He recalled the grief of losing his son and daughter-in-law at a young age, the endless worry he felt for his granddaughter's future when he was alone in his secret room on every full moon night, and the proud head he had finally lowered last night for Yanyan's life.

It turns out that no matter how powerful or prestigious one is, in the face of one's closest and dearest family, all outer shells will be stripped away, revealing the Limber and most vulnerable core.

Bibi Dong treated Lin Xia this way, and so did Dugu Bo treat Yan Yan.

An indescribable bittersweet feeling of resonance quietly broke through Dugu Bo's hardened defenses. He looked at the master and disciple embracing each other, and the complexity in his eyes gradually faded, leaving only a deep tenderness and understanding.

The pride of Titled Douluo seems so insignificant in the face of such pure and profound emotions.

Dugu Yan was already in tears.

She looked at Bibi Dong and Lin Xia embracing tightly, at His Holiness the Pope's trembling shoulders, and at the suppressed sobs, her heart churning with turmoil.

After an unknown amount of time, Bibi Dong's crying gradually subsided, eventually turning into silent sobs.

She held Lin Xia tightly, as if he would disappear if she let go.

Lin Xia quietly let her master hold her until he felt her tense body relax slightly, then she moved slightly and tilted her little face up.

He reached out his small hand, his movements a little awkward yet gentle, and carefully wiped away the remaining tear stains on Bibi Dong's cheek with his fingertips. His fingertips still carried a strange warmth, as if tempered by ice and fire.

"Master."

Lin Xia's voice was soft, carrying a soothing quality.

"I'm here, perfectly fine. It really won't happen again next time."