Just One Rank Above Her

Early summer had just begun, and the grass on the back hill was growing lush and green, soft beneath their feet. The setting sun dyed the horizon orange-red, while the evening breeze carried the scent of fresh grass, making one feel thoroughly at ease.

From afar, he saw a tiny figure in white sitting on the lawn.

Qian Renxue had her back to him, swinging her little legs as she plucked at a foxtail grass stem in her hand. From time to time, she looked back toward the path, clearly having waited for quite a while.

Hearing footsteps, she immediately turned around. Her golden eyes lit up at once, like two little lanterns being kindled.

"Ah Xu, you're finally back." She sprang to her feet and ran over quickly. "I've been back for several days already. I thought you wouldn't return for a few more days."

"I was delayed on the road." Bibi Xu smiled as he walked over and sat down on the grass. "How did the spirit hunt go? Judging by how you look, you must have gained quite a lot."

"Of course." Qian Renxue immediately raised her chin, her little face full of pride like a young peacock spreading its tail.

"Let me tell you, Grandpa originally wanted to choose Century Soul Rings for me, but I insisted on Millennium Soul Rings. Grandpa checked my body and said my physique could handle them, so he agreed!"

As she spoke, she stepped back two paces and focused on activating her Martial Soul.

With a soft hum, the golden phantom of the Six-Winged Angel slowly unfolded behind her, sacred golden light spilling across the entire lawn.

Two pale-purple Millennium Soul Rings rose and fell beneath her feet, their colors glossy and their aura steady. She had clearly absorbed them exceptionally well.

"Look, both of them are Millennium Soul Rings." Qian Renxue's voice was crisp, unable to hide her pride. "My First Spirit Ring is eleven hundred years, and my Second Spirit Ring is thirteen hundred years! I'm already a Rank Twenty-Four Soul Grandmaster. Impressive, right?"

She tilted up her little face and looked eagerly at Bibi Xu, waiting for his praise.

A six-year-old Rank Twenty-Four Soul Grandmaster with two Millennium Soul Rings.

Even across the entire Douluo Continent, she would have been a genius among geniuses, enough to make countless people's jaws drop.

Only a monster like Qian Renxue, with Innate Rank Twenty full Soul Power and the Six-Winged Angel Divine Martial Soul, could achieve such a thing.

Naturally, Bibi Xu would not spoil her excitement. Going along with her, he praised, "Impressive, extremely impressive. A six-year-old Rank Twenty-Four Soul Grandmaster—there probably isn't another one in the entire continent. Xiao Xue's talent is truly outstanding."

Qian Renxue's cheeks flushed slightly from the praise, and the corners of her mouth lifted high as sweetness filled her heart.

But after being happy for only a moment, she leaned closer curiously and blinked her golden eyes. "What about you? How are your spirit rings? I knew you would definitely choose Millennium Soul Rings too. Hurry up and show me."

She had long been certain that, with Bibi Xu's personality, he would never choose Century Soul Rings. His First Spirit Ring had to be a Millennium Soul Ring as well; she just did not know whether its age exceeded hers.

At that thought, she felt a little nervous and clenched the hem of her clothes.

Seeing her expectant yet anxious expression, Bibi Xu did not keep her in suspense. He nodded, and with a thought, the phantom of the Death Spider Emperor flashed behind him before vanishing.

Two purple spirit rings slowly rose from beneath his feet. Their colors were deep and rich, and each pulse gave off a heavy pressure.

Compared to Qian Renxue's pale-purple Millennium Soul Ring, Bibi Xu's Second Spirit Ring was more than a shade darker, and its aura was several times stronger.

The smile on Qian Renxue's face froze at once.

Her eyes widened as she stared at the two purple spirit rings, hardly daring to believe it. "Th... this second ring is?"

"Mm." Bibi Xu nodded and said casually, "The first ring is twelve hundred years, and the second is thirty-five hundred years. I got lucky and encountered a suitable spirit beast."

Thirty-five hundred years! Qian Renxue sucked in a cold breath.

She had originally thought her two Millennium Soul Rings were already impressive enough, and she had even wondered whether she might surpass Bibi Xu.

But Bibi Xu's second ring was directly thirty-five hundred years. That was an age only a Soul Ancestor could absorb.

She instinctively extended her spiritual power and sensed Bibi Xu's Soul Power Level. The instant she did, her little mouth pouted.

Rank Twenty-Five.

No more, no less—exactly one rank higher than hers.

"What is this?" Qian Renxue turned her face away and sat down on the grass in a huff, her cheeks puffed out. "You're obviously stronger than me, yet you deliberately praised me just now. You were clearly humoring me! Were you making fun of me?"

The little girl's temper came quickly and suddenly. A layer of moisture clouded her golden eyes as she looked utterly aggrieved.

She had thought she might finally win once, but she still lost—and by quite a lot.

What angered her most was that Bibi Xu had praised her along with it, making her think she was truly impressive. It turned out he had only been letting her have her moment.

Seeing her puffed-up appearance, Bibi Xu felt both exasperated and amused.

Qian Renxue was rather competitive.

"Who said I was humoring you?" Bibi Xu moved beside her and patiently coaxed, "Xiao Xue is already very impressive. The Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul, Rank Twenty-Four Soul Grandmaster—if it were anyone else, they would not even measure up to half of you. I was just lucky enough to encounter a suitable spirit beast and gain a small advantage. If we're talking about talent, you're still stronger."

"Really?" Qian Renxue turned her head and eyed him sideways, suspicion still lingering in her eyes.

"Of course it's true." Bibi Xu looked utterly serious. "Think about it. Your Martial Soul is a Divine Martial Soul, and the farther you progress, the faster you'll improve. Once your spirit ring ages increase in the future, you'll definitely be far stronger than me. My Spider Empress Martial Soul is fierce in the early stages, but how could its later potential compare to the Six-Winged Angel?"

His words were half true and half false.

The Six-Winged Angel was indeed a Divine Martial Soul, with a complete divine inheritance and terrifying explosive power in the later stages. But he possessed a Three-Life Martial Soul, whose potential far surpassed that of ordinary Martial Souls. If one truly compared their limits, his would only be higher than the Six-Winged Angel's, never lower. But when coaxing a little girl, naturally he had to say what she liked to hear.

Hearing him say that, more than half of Qian Renxue's anger vanished at once.

She pursed her lips, still a little awkward. "Th-then you still can't deliberately let me win. We're friends, so we have to compete fairly."

"Alright, alright, fairly compete." Bibi Xu went along with her. "Next time, I definitely won't hide anything. I'll have a proper, honest match with you. How about it?"

"Now that's more like it." Qian Renxue finally smiled, her brows and eyes curving like a little sun.

She was not truly angry. She was only a little unconvinced, and a little afraid that she was too weak to keep up with Bibi Xu in the future.

Now that Bibi Xu had said her talent was better, that small knot in her heart immediately disappeared.

The two sat side by side on the lawn, watching the sunset slowly sink beyond the horizon.

Qian Renxue swung her legs and said softly, "Grandpa said that when I'm a little older, he'll take me to the Angel Temple to undergo the Angel God Trial. He said my talent is good enough that I can at least reach Red Level, and maybe even touch the threshold of a God-Level Trial. Once I pass the Divine Trial, I can inherit the Angel Godhood and become a god."

Her eyes shone as she spoke, filled with longing.

But as she continued, her voice gradually lowered. "When I become a god, will Mom finally acknowledge me? Will she be willing to... acknowledge me as her daughter?"

The evening breeze brushed past, lifting her golden hair. The little girl's small back carried a trace of loneliness, but also determination.

Bibi Xu looked at her and sighed inwardly.

It's not that you aren't good enough. The grievances of the previous generation are simply too heavy.

"She will." Bibi Xu said softly. "When you grow up and become stronger, Mom will definitely see you."

What he did not say was that it would take more than her growing up. They would also have to wait for those old grievances to be resolved, for the scars in her mother's heart to slowly heal.

"Mm!" Qian Renxue nodded forcefully, turning all her grievances into motivation. "I'll definitely cultivate properly. I'll become the strongest Soul Master on the continent and make Mom proud of me."

The sun completely sank beneath the horizon, and night slowly descended.