Things Are Really Good Now

Her voice was filled with genuine happiness, without the slightest trace of pretense.

In her eyes, it was a good thing that Ah Xu was so talented. They were friends; growing stronger and working hard together could not have been better.

"Mm, we'll cultivate together." Bibi Xu followed her lead. "And in the future, I'll have to ask Xiao Xue to guide me."

"I can't guide you at all." Qian Renxue's face reddened slightly as she waved her hand. "Grandpa said my martial soul is an inherited type, so I just need to cultivate step by step. Your Twin Martial Souls are much harder to cultivate. Mom will definitely teach you personally. Mom is so amazing—you'll definitely become super strong."

At the mention of Bibi Dong, her gaze dimmed again. Twisting the hem of her skirt between her fingers, she said softly, "Mom didn't scold me today. She even talked to me. I'm so happy."

Bibi Xu looked at her dejected expression and sighed inwardly.

This child truly lacked a mother's love too much. Just one indifferent "Mm" was enough to make her this happy.

"Mom... she's just stubborn." Bibi Xu chose his words carefully and spoke slowly. "She doesn't hate you in her heart. It's just that there are some things she can't get past. You'll understand when you grow up."

"I know." Qian Renxue nodded, but she still looked somewhat lost. "But when will I grow up? I really want to grow up quickly, become really, really strong, and help Mom shoulder some of her burdens. Then... will Mom like me?"

"She will." Bibi Xu looked at her and answered earnestly. "She definitely will."

Qian Renxue immediately smiled, her eyes curving like crescent moons, like a little sun.

The two sat beneath the lamplight, chatting on and off.

Qian Renxue talked about amusing things at the Worship Hall, about the legends of the Angel God that Qian Daoliu had told her, and about how she wanted to travel across the continent someday—see the icy plains of the far north and the eastern sea.

Bibi Xu listened quietly, occasionally adding a few words and telling her strange tales he had read in the Library Pavilion.

The night grew deeper, and the moon outside had risen high into the sky.

Qian Renxue let out a small yawn, tears even welling in her eyes. She rubbed them, only then realizing belatedly that she should be heading back.

"Ah, it's so late." She hurriedly rose to her feet, looking a little flustered. "I have to go back. If Grandpa finds out I'm gone tomorrow morning, he'll be angry."

"I'll walk you to the foot of the mountain." Bibi Xu stood as well.

"No, no." Qian Renxue waved her hands. "I can get back myself. I know the way well. Don't see me off—it wouldn't be good if someone saw us."

She knew her mother did not like her coming to see Ah Xu so often. If anyone found out she had secretly run over to see him in the middle of the night and word reached her mother's ears, her mother might become angry again and take it out on Ah Xu as well.

Bibi Xu thought for a moment and did not insist. "Then be careful on the way. Don't catch a chill after you get back."

"Got it." Qian Renxue walked to the doorway, then stopped and turned around.

Moonlight fell over her, outlining her in a silver glow. She looked at Bibi Xu standing inside the room, the lamplight reflected in her golden eyes—along with his figure.

After a few seconds of silence, she softly said, "Ah Xu, things are really good now."

Without waiting for Bibi Xu to respond, she turned and ran off. Her tiny figure quickly vanished into the night, leaving behind only the soft rustle of her skirt brushing through the grass.

Bibi Xu stood in the doorway, staring in the direction she had disappeared, unmoving for a long time.

Things were really good now.

Yes. There was no war, no hatred, no entanglement over divine positions, no opposition between life and death.

She was still a little girl who secretly hid snacks and sneaked out in the middle of the night. He was still a boy who had just awakened his martial soul and was full of expectations for the future. Mom was still here. There was still time for everything.

Days like these truly were wonderful.

"They'll keep getting better." Bibi Xu murmured, his gaze incomparably resolute.

He would not allow the tragedies of the original story to repeat themselves. He would not let Bibi Dong fall into the Rakshasa Abyss, would not let Qian Renxue's divine position shatter and leave her alone for the rest of her life, would not let Spirit Hall be destroyed overnight, and would not let those unbearable endings fall one by one upon the people he cared about.

He had Three-Life Martial Souls, foreknowledge, and the entirety of Spirit Hall at his back.

He had more than enough confidence to rewrite it all.

Closing the door and returning to his bed, Bibi Xu sat cross-legged and entered a meditative state once more.

Within his dantian, the Spider Sovereign lay dormant, a dragon's shadow slumbered, and the Green Lotus swayed gently.

The three powers circulated slowly, generating and restraining one another to form a perfect cycle. His Soul Power grew bit by bit, while his foundation was tempered bit by bit.

The boy's breathing was steady and deep. Outside the window, the river of stars shone brilliantly, and the night was at its darkest.

The road ahead was long, with obstacles at every turn.

But he was not afraid.

Step by step, day by day, he would cultivate.

One day, he would stand at the summit of this continent, protect the people he wished to protect, and preserve this hard-won peace.

As the night deepened, the final lamp in the Holy Maiden Hall slowly went out as well.

Only the wind gently brushed through the parasol leaves, carrying the boy's unspoken vow far, far away.

Morning light filtered through the carved window lattice, scattering like broken gold across the plain tablecloth in the eastern side hall of the Holy Maiden Hall.

Several simple breakfast dishes sat on the table. Green-stalk congee gave off faint steam, while a plate of crystal steamed dumplings was arranged neatly—but barely touched.

Bibi Dong set down her silver chopsticks, took a brocade handkerchief to wipe the corner of her lips, then looked up at the boy sitting upright across from her. Getting straight to the point, she said, "Ah Xu, I called you here today to settle the matter of your first two Spirit Rings. You possess Innate Rank Twenty full Soul Power, so you can obtain two Spirit Rings in succession and step directly into the realm of a Soul Grandmaster. What are your thoughts on the soul beasts you should choose?"

Hearing this, Bibi Xu set down his bowl of congee and straightened his posture.

The boy wore a moon-white casual robe. His features were refined, but his gaze was far too composed for a six-year-old child.

After pondering briefly, he began to explain in a clear and orderly manner. "Mom, I've considered this carefully. My main martial soul is the One-Soul Two-Forms Spider Sovereign, divided into the Death and Soul Devouring branches. Naturally, spider-type soul beasts should be the priority. They have the greatest source compatibility, ensure the most stable evolution of soul skills, and are least likely to cause rejection."

"More specifically, the Death Spider Emperor governs death and lethal poison. For its First Spirit Ring, a dark-attribute spider species with neurotoxin should be the priority."

In the early stages, there was no need to pursue overwhelming power in a soul skill. Practicality was what mattered. If it could paralyze an opponent and restrict their movements, it would provide the greatest margin for error, whether in future soul beast hunts or real combat.

"As for the Soul Devouring Spider Emperor, it governs the mind and corrosion. For the Second Spirit Ring, it would be best to choose a control-oriented spider species—one capable of spitting tough spider silk, for example. It could trap enemies while coating them with corrosive Soul Power for sustained damage, forming the perfect synergy with the Death Spider Emperor's poison."

He did not speak quickly, but every word struck precisely at the heart of the matter. From martial soul attributes to the role of soul skills, then to the priorities of early development, his analysis was thorough and logical—nothing like what a six-year-old who had just awakened his martial soul should have been capable of saying.

Bibi Dong raised her brows slightly as she listened, and an undisguised trace of gratification flashed through her eyes.

She had thought she would need to slowly break it all down for her son, but he had already figured everything out himself. He had even considered the "soul skill synergy" that many soul masters who had cultivated for years would never think of.

Looking at Bibi Xu's composed manner, Bibi Dong was dazed for an instant, inexplicably reminded of someone from her past.

Yu Xiaogang had been the same back then. He had always loved studying martial soul theory while clutching stacks of ancient books, and he could always offer perspectives that were novel yet reasonable.

She had been young then, and had always felt that he was overflowing with knowledge. Even the theories the world refused to acknowledge had seemed especially appealing because of him.

But times had changed. Decades had passed in the blink of an eye, and those hazy youthful feelings had long since been worn away completely by hatred, humiliation, and time.

Especially after she had found Bibi Xu, she had placed all her emotional devotion upon this child. Day and night, she worried over his food, clothing, shelter, cultivation, and growth. How could she have had any spare thought for old matters from years ago?

Now, when she thought of Yu Xiaogang again, her heart remained utterly calm. All that was left was a faint, insignificant sense of reflection.