The afternoon sun bathed the Supreme Pontiff's private residence in a lazy, golden haze. It was the kind of warmth that seeped into the bones, urging even the most disciplined warriors to close their eyes and drift away.
Inside the opulent sitting room, Bibi Dong reclined on a velvet chaise lounge, watching her children with a gaze that was soft, possessive, and infinitely calculating. The remnants of a sumptuous lunch had been cleared away by the silent servants, leaving only the scent of jasmine tea and sweet pastries in the air.
Renxue, unable to sit still for more than five minutes, jumped up from the plush carpet. Her golden hair bounced with her movements, and her eyes sparkled with restless energy.
"Mother!" she chirped, striking a clumsy but enthusiastic combat pose. "The food has settled! Yorrichi and I should go to the training grounds now, right? I want to try summoning my Spirit again! I bet I can make the wings flap properly this time!"
Yorrichi, who was sitting quietly with a book on basic geography in his lap, looked up. His expression was calm, almost impassive, but his hand instinctively twitched toward the wooden practice sword leaning against the wall. The discipline of his past life was a hard habit to break; idleness felt unnatural to him.
Bibi Dong chuckled, a melodious sound that hid the weight of the secrets she carried. She reached out and gently pulled Renxue back down to the carpet.
"Not today, my little angel," Bibi Dong said, smoothing Renxue's hair. "Today is for resting. You have just awakened your spirits moments ago. Your meridians need time to adjust to the influx of soul power. Pushing too hard now could damage your foundations."
Renxue pouted, crossing her arms. "But resting is boring! Yorrichi is reading a book about rocks! Rocks, Mother!"
"It is geography, Sister," Yorrichi corrected calmly, turning a page. "Knowing the terrain is essential for survival."
Bibi Dong smiled at their banter. "Besides," she continued, her voice taking on a teasing lilt, "you two need to enjoy this freedom while it lasts. From next week onwards, your schedule will be quite full. You will be starting at the Spirit Hall Primary Academy."
The room went silent. Renxue blinked, her mouth forming a small 'O'. Yorrichi stopped turning the page, his brow furrowing in genuine confusion.
"School?" Renxue asked, tilting her head. "Like... where the other noble kids go?"
"Exactly," Bibi Dong nodded. "You will be busy from morning to evening. Studies, theory classes, meditation sessions, and combat spars with other children. So, let your mother spoil you for these few days. Once the academy starts, you won't have time to play with me."
Renxue groaned dramatically, flopping back onto the cushions. "Morning to evening? That sounds like torture!" But her eyes betrayed her; there was a spark of excitement there. The prospect of an audience, of other children to lead and impress, appealed to her Seraphim pride.
Yorrichi, however, was silent, his mind churning with foreign concepts.
School... The word tasted strange on his mental tongue.
In his previous life, in the era of warring states and demons, there was no such thing as a "school" for a child. If you could walk, you could work. He remembered children his age carrying heavy baskets of charcoal, tilling the hard earth until their hands bled, or worse—being handed a spear and told to defend their village. Childhood was not a phase of learning; it was a phase of survival.
To spend days just... learning? To play and spar without the threat of death? Yorrichi thought, looking at the luxurious room around him. Again, this world structure is strange. It is soft. But... perhaps that is a good thing.
"Mother," Yorrichi asked, his voice steady. "What exactly do we do in this... Academy? Do we learn to kill demons or anything?"
Bibi Dong's smile faltered for a fraction of a second before recovering. She looked at her son, seeing the ancient soul hiding behind those young eyes.
"No, my sun," she said softly. "There are no demons here. You will learn about Martial Souls, about the history of the continent, and how to control your power. You will learn to read, to write poetry, and to understand the politics of the world. You will make friends."
"Playmates?" Renxue sat up, eyes gleaming. "Will they be strong? If they are weak, I don't want to play with them."
"They will be the talented children of our Spirit Hall subordinates," Bibi Dong explained. "Some will be strong, some will be smart. It is your job to find the ones worth your time."
Renxue nodded decisively. "I will make them my minions! The Seraphim needs a retinue!"
Yorrichi sighed, shaking his head. "Sister, you are not a queen yet. Don't be a tyrant."
"Hmph! You're just jealous because you'll be my head knight!"
As the siblings bickered, a comfortable silence settled over the room. But the curiosity of the newly awakened was hard to suppress. After a few minutes, Renxue tugged on Bibi Dong's sleeve again.
"Mother, look at my Spirit again!" she demanded. "Grandpa Daoliu said it was perfect, but I want you to see it properly!"
Bibi Dong nodded. "Very well. Release your spirits. Let me take a closer look."
Renxue didn't need to be told twice. She jumped up, took a deep breath, and channeled her soul power.
Buzz—!
The room was instantly flooded with a warm, blinding gold light. Six magnificent wings of pure energy unfurled from Renxue's small back, casting holy shadows across the walls. The aura was pure, domineering, and undeniably divine. The Seraphim. The ultimate symbol of the Qian lineage.
Bibi Dong narrowed her eyes, her spiritual sense scanning the manifestation. It was flawless. The innate Level 20 power rolled off the girl like waves. She is indeed the perfect vessel, Bibi Dong thought, a flicker of cold calculation mixing with her maternal pride. The Angel God has blessed her. But this power... it is the power that shackled me. I must ensure she controls it, not the other way around.
"Beautiful," Bibi Dong praised. "Your control is already improving, Renxue. The light is steady."
Renxue beamed, retracting the wings with a flourish. "Now Yorrichi! Show yours!"
Yorrichi stood up. He didn't shout or pose. He simply exhaled a long, thin stream of breath.
Breath of the Sun... Focus.
The atmosphere in the room shifted instantly. The warmth of the Seraphim was replaced by a sharp, dry heat—the feeling of opening an oven door. A shadow coalesced in Yorrichi's right hand, solidifying into the pitch-black Nichirin Katana.
The blade was stark against the opulent furniture. The jagged red pattern along the edge seemed to pulse like a heartbeat.
Bibi Dong leaned forward, her eyes locked on the sword. Unlike the Seraphim, which projected power outward, this sword seemed to swallow light. It was heavy with intent.
She reached out, her pale finger gently touching the flat of the black blade.
Zap.
A microscopic jolt of energy stung her fingertip. It wasn't electricity; it was killing intent. Pure, distilled judgment.
This sword... Bibi Dong mused internally, hiding her shock. It thirsts. It is not a tool of defense. It is a weapon of absolute slaughter. And yet, it feels... righteous? How can a darkness feel so warm?
"It is a formidable weapon, Yorrichi," she said quietly. "It feels heavier than it looks. Does it burden you?"
"No, Mother," Yorrichi replied, looking at the black steel with a gaze that seemed decades old. "It feels like... an old friend. It is part of my arm."
"Good. Keep it close. But be careful," she warned. "A sword like this... it has a destiny of blood."
The intimate family moment was interrupted by the shifting of the sun. The afternoon light turned to the burnt orange of dusk.
Outside the residence, the Spirit Hall was unusually quiet. The bustling noise of patrols and low-level deacons was absent. Bibi Dong knew why. The secret mission to hunt the Blue Silver Empress had drained the Hall of its active manpower. Most of the Soul Saints and Soul Douluos were currently scouring the Heaven Dou Empire or setting up perimeters around the borders.
However, the silence of the residential district was broken by a pressure that made the air tremble.
"The Grand Worship has arrived," the head maid announced from the doorway, her voice trembling slightly.
Qian Daoliu walked in, accompanied by the hulking, armored figure of the Second Worship, Golden Crocodile Douluo.
Bibi Dong rose immediately, pulling the children to stand beside her. She bowed her head slightly—a gesture of respect to the strong, not submission to the family. "Grand Worship. Second Worship."
Qian Daoliu's face was unreadable, bathed in the soft glow of his own immense cultivation. He looked at Renxue, and his eyes softened visibly.
"Little Xue," he rumbled, his voice like grinding stones. "How are you feeling after the awakening?"
"Grandpa!" Renxue ran to him without fear, hugging his leg. "I feel strong! Mother says I'm going to school soon!"
Daoliu laughed, a rare sound. He patted her head with a hand that could crush mountains. "Yes. School is important. You must learn to lead."
He then turned his gaze to Yorrichi. The warmth evaporated, replaced by a critical, measuring stare. Beside him, Golden Crocodile Douluo snorted, eyeing the boy.
"Level 8," Golden Crocodile grunted. "Not bad for a tool spirit. But he looks... frail."
Yorrichi met the Golden Crocodile's gaze. He didn't flinch. He didn't look away. He simply stood there, his breathing steady, his hand resting casually by his side where his sword would be.
Frail? Yorrichi thought, analyzing the massive man's stance. Openings at the neck, the knees, the underarm. He is strong, but arrogant.
Qian Daoliu noticed the lack of fear in the boy's eyes. A flicker of interest passed through him. "He is quiet as always," Daoliu noted. "And Quiet men are dangerous. Take care of them, Bibi Dong. With Xunji absent on... matters... the safety of the heirs falls to you."
"Of course, Grand Worship," Bibi Dong replied smoothly. "They are my life."
The visit was brief. Daoliu gave a few more instructions regarding their education and handed Renxue a small pouch of gold soul coins as a gift ("For sweets," he claimed), before departing with his silent shadow, the Golden Crocodile.
As the sun began to dip below the horizon, painting the sky in bruises of purple and red, a few other visitors arrived.
These were not the titans of the Worship Hall, but the political opportunists—Cardinals and Bishops who hadn't been deployed for the hunt. They came in a steady trickle, about six of them, bearing gifts and honeyed words.
"Congratulations on the young master and miss!"
"Truly a golden generation!"
"A small gift from the Western Branch!"
Bibi Dong accepted the gifts with a practiced, polite smile, while Renxue soaked up the attention like a flower in the sun. Yorrichi, however, stood in the corner, observing them. He watched their eyes—calculating, greedy, fearful.
These are the people who run the world? he thought, unimpressed. They smell of fear.
By the time the last guest departed, night had fully fallen. The room was filled with wrapped boxes and the scent of expensive perfumes left by the visitors.
"Tired?" Bibi Dong asked, closing the door and locking out the world.
"Exhausted," Renxue yawned, rubbing her eyes. "Being famous is hard work."
"It is only the beginning," Bibi Dong murmured, picking Renxue up. She looked at Yorrichi. "Come. To bed."
As she tucked them in, Bibi Dong felt a deep, resonating satisfaction. The stage was set. The children were awakened, the school arc was approaching, and outside these walls, the chaos she desired was beginning to brew.
But as she extinguished the lamp, her mind drifted to the Black Stone she had bought. She needed to investigate it further. And she needed to check on the "progress" of her husband's hunt.
Tomorrow, the real game would continue. But for tonight, in the quiet dark, she was just a mother guarding her cubs.
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Dear Readers,
I know that i have been uploading less and can't give excuses. I actually am writing a new series 'The Rise of Dark Sovereign'. Hope u guys give it a try and support me as I have improved the writing and make it more fun and interesting to read.