Chapter 20 – Conflict
Boom!
Qian Renxue's trembling voice shattered the still air — like a boulder hurled into a tranquil lake, sending violent ripples across the surface.
In an instant, the air itself grew sharp and heavy. Murderous intent burst forth like a tidal wave, surging straight into the sky.
When Bibi Dong turned around, the calm in her eyes had vanished —replaced by a pair of blood-red pupils, blazing with hatred and rage.
Cold sweat rolled down Lin Beiya's back.
Every instinct screamed danger, yet his body moved on its own. He stepped protectively in front of the little angel, arms spread wide.
A flash of golden light erupted — the Aries Gold Cloth enveloped his body, forming in an instant. A translucent Crystal Wall rose between them and Bibi Dong, shining faintly like glass.
The boy's sudden movement made Bibi Dong pause — for half a heartbeat. Then her eyes regained their icy calm, as if she hadn't even noticed him.
Her voice pierced the air, cold and contemptuous, slipping through the barrier and stabbing into their ears.
"Didn't I tell you… not to call me that?"
"You filthy offspring of the Angel Clan. The blood flowing in your veins disgusts me."
"It seems only an unforgettable lesson will make you remember your place."
Behind him, Lin Beiya could feel Qian Renxue trembling uncontrollably. His brows furrowed deeply — his thoughts, however, were anything but calm.
Seriously? This woman's got issues. If you've got grudges, take them out on those who wronged you! Why vent your anger on a child?
Though he couldn't deny that there was pain buried deep in Bibi Dong's eyes, her oppressive aura left him no choice. As she stepped forward, the killing intent grew so thick it almost suffocated him.
Lin Beiya clenched his fists. Golden energy surged.
"Starlight Extinction!"
Crossing his arms before him, he gathered his cosmo into a blazing golden beam and launched it straight toward Bibi Dong.
For an instant, surprise flickered across her beautiful eyes — followed by a faint trace of envy, then disdain.
"Hmph. A mere grain of sand dares to shine? Just another dog of the Angel Clan. Disgusting."
A wave of dark crimson soul power rippled outward. Bibi Dong raised one hand and crushed the golden energy as if it were dust.
The Crystal Wall shattered immediately afterward, scattering into countless fragments of light before fading from existence.
Lin Beiya's heart sank. This was the first time his Crystal Wall had ever been destroyed — not even the fierce beasts he'd faced could do that.
Now, he could only hope the protector watching over Qian Renxue from the shadows would intervene. Whether that person could match Bibi Dong's current strength… was another matter.
If that hidden protector failed, then Qian Renxue might only suffer a beating — but he himself might not leave with his life intact.
Fortunately, his worries were unnecessary.
Just as Bibi Dong's next attack flew toward them, a golden rod etched with dragon patterns suddenly descended from the sky, shattering her attack in midair before embedding itself halfway into the marble floor.
The Coiling Dragon Staff.
A weapon well known throughout Spirit Hall.
Lin Beiya couldn't tell whether it belonged to Thousand Ton Douluo or Demon Suppressing Douluo, but either way, both were Rank 96 Super Douluo — existences far beyond Bibi Dong's current power.
"Bibi Dong, you've gone too far."
A calm yet commanding voice echoed from above.
"Tch."
Realizing her chance had slipped away, Bibi Dong didn't even glance back. With a disdainful snort, she turned and strode toward the Pope's Palace, her cloak fluttering behind her like a shadow fleeing the light.
Only after she disappeared from view did Lin Beiya release a long, shaky breath.
He dismissed the Gold Cloth, his shoulders finally relaxing.
The Coiling Dragon Staff vanished in a flash of gold, replaced by a middle-aged man descending slowly from the air — his robes similar to Qian Daoliu's.
"You're not hurt, are you, Xiaoxue?"
"I'm fine, Seventh Grandpa," Qian Renxue replied softly, shaking her head.
"Good."
His brief reply was calm, but his gaze soon shifted to Lin Beiya.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips — satisfaction gleaming in his eyes. Clearly, the boy's earlier courage had left an impression.
"You did well, kid. If you run into problems with cultivation in the future, you can ask Xiaoxue to come find me."
"Many thanks, Seventh Worship. I won't be polite then," Lin Beiya said with a grin.
"Hahaha! I like your spirit!"
The hearty laugh of the Seventh Worship — Demon Suppressing Douluo — echoed across the courtyard, washing away the lingering chill that Bibi Dong had left behind.
After offering Lin Beiya a few words of encouragement, Demon Suppressing Douluo vanished once more — whether he had returned to the Douluo Hall or resumed his secret watch, no one knew.
The brief encounter had completely drained Qian Renxue's mood for sightseeing. Her eyes were red as she looked at Lin Beiya and whispered,
"Beiya… let's go back."
"Alright."
He didn't ask foolish questions like whether she still wanted to go shopping. Without another word, Lin Beiya quietly followed the little angel back toward Douluo Hall.
The small figure walking ahead kept her head bowed, shoulders trembling slightly.
Lin Beiya didn't try to speak — he simply walked beside her in silence.
After a while, Qian Renxue's soft voice broke the quiet.
"That woman… She's my mother. Funny, isn't it? She actually wanted to kill me."
"Maybe."
Lin Beiya neither denied nor agreed with her. In the timeline he remembered, Qian Renxue had survived perfectly fine —
It was hard to say whether she had been protected well, or if Bibi Dong had never truly meant to kill her at all.
As they returned to the central garden pavilion, the little angel's tone grew heavier.
"Do you… want to hear the story?"
"Uh…"
Lin Beiya really wanted to refuse.
If only you knew — I probably understand your family drama better than you do.
But when he saw her tear-filled eyes, he couldn't bring himself to say no.
He simply nodded.
"Actually, I don't know much myself," Qian Renxue began softly.
"But for as long as I can remember, my parents' relationship was… awful. Whenever Mother looked at Father, her eyes were filled with hatred — as if she were staring at her greatest enemy."
"And when she looked at me… I could feel that same hatred. No matter what I did, no matter how hard I tried, she never once looked at me with warmth."
As she spoke, tears slipped down her cheeks — glistening like dew on petals.
The sight of her delicate, tear-streaked face left Lin Beiya completely at a loss for words.
"Maybe your father did something unforgivable to her," he finally murmured.
"And because of that, she transferred her hatred to you."
"Maybe…"
Qian Renxue's voice trembled. Lin Beiya sighed quietly. This family… if not for Qian Daoliu protecting her, she might have had it worse than an orphan like him.
He couldn't tell her the truth — not yet.
All he could do was stay by her side, keeping her company as she quietly wept.
As the golden glow of dusk spilled through the garden, their two shadows slowly overlapped. Eventually, Qian Renxue, exhausted from crying, drifted to sleep — her head resting lightly against Lin Beiya's shoulder.
Only when her breathing steadied did Lin Beiya finally exhale in relief. Two lifetimes, and he still has no idea how to comfort a crying girl.
As night fell, he gently handed the sleeping Qian Renxue to her maid before returning to his own quarters.
Sitting cross-legged on the bed, Lin Beiya felt a surge of urgency within his heart.
His first encounter with Bibi Dong had gone far worse than he'd hoped. She was the future ruler of Spirit Hall — whether or not she bore ill will toward him, he needed to grow stronger. Fast. Strong enough to protect himself.
---
The next morning, after training through the night, Lin Beiya attended his usual morning classes at Spirit Academy.
He shared lunch with Shi Nuo, then hurried straight to the training grounds.
Part of him worried that Qian Renxue might still be affected by yesterday's events.
But to his surprise — and relief — the little angel was full of energy. Whether she had buried her pain or simply grown used to it, she trained with fiery determination,
throwing herself into both physical conditioning and sparring with newfound vigor.
In the past, she would tire easily and ask for breaks. But today, even when Lin Beiya was gasping for breath, Qian Renxue showed no sign of slowing down.
"Xiaoxue, that's enough for today," he said finally, panting.
"Too much training can be counterproductive."
"Alright."
She blinked in surprise, then smiled — bright and captivating.
"Don't worry, I'm fine. I've already gotten used to things like that. I was just sad for a while yesterday… but now, I'll train hard.
I want her to look at me and realize how wrong she was."
Her golden eyes burned with quiet resolve
And in that moment, Lin Beiya couldn't help but think that this girl's light was far stronger than even the angels' divine glow.
—
End of Chapter