Chapter 18: Father and Mother
In her past life, her mother's dying words had revealed a dreadful truth: the reason her mother despised her was because her teacher—her own father—had torn her and Yu Xiaogang apart, forcing her to bear a child against her will. From that moment onward, the image of her father had fractured in Qian Renxue's heart.
That scandal became Yu Xiaogang's infamous tale of "romantic conquest." After her mother's death, he glorified the incident in his writings, flaunting it as proof of his triumph over Spirit Hall's might. Because of him, the Angel Clan was shamed for millennia, nailed to the pillar of disgrace, their honor buried under history's mockery.
At first, Qian Renxue had hated her father for it—but two long millennia had given her time to think.
Was her mother blameless?
Why had she fallen for Yu Xiaogang in the first place? Spirit Hall had given her everything—her sanctity, her power, her very station. Yet she had loved him enough to defy that legacy. And it was she who had revealed countless secrets to him—Spirit Hall's inner workings, their sacred relics, even knowledge of soul bones. For the holy daughter of a great power, such betrayal was unthinkable.
Her father had every right to punish her—but his chosen method was monstrous.
There was no single guilty party; both had been wrong.
Even on her deathbed, her mother never recognized her mistake. She believed she had been a bird trapped in a cage, longing to fly away—to leave Spirit Hall behind and elope with her love. To her, it was Spirit Hall that ruined her, and Qiān Xúnjí who destroyed her life.
There are always two truths: the factual truth, and the truth one needs. People twist reality to fit their desires, until falsehood becomes conviction. That—was the "truth" her mother had passed on to her.
But what of the real truth? Now, reborn and returned, Qian Renxue resolved to witness it with her own eyes and uncover the origin of their tragedy.
…
Once, she had been a beggar girl in a small village—an orphan with no home, living on scraps from kind strangers.
At six years old, fate changed forever. During the annual awakening ceremony, she manifested two terrifying spider spirits—and not just that, her innate soul power was full.
When she realized that others possessed only one spirit mark, while she had two, the child raised her hand timidly. "Why do I have another martial soul?" she asked.
The presiding officer froze, then seized her hands in trembling excitement. "Child, what's your name?"
"My name is Bibi Dong."
"Bibi Dong," he said breathlessly, "would you like to join Spirit Hall?" His grip tightened in nervous urgency.
The little girl flinched but nodded quickly.
And so, her awakening caused an uproar in Spirit Hall. Reports surged upward through the chain of command until they reached the Pope himself, who immediately ordered that the girl be brought to the Holy City.
Escorted by the Douluo of the Golden Bell, she arrived in the magnificent city and caught sight of him.
Tall, commanding yet handsome, he stood before the angelic statue in the grand cathedral, hands clasped behind his back. When he turned and saw the girl, his stern features softened; he stepped forward, crouched down, and extended his hand.
"Would you like to become my disciple?" he asked gently. "I will make you the strongest in this world—stronger even than those who have walked beyond mortality."
Bibi Dong blinked innocently. "If I become strong… will I never go hungry again? Will I always have food to eat?"
He chuckled softly. "If you become my student, you will never go hungry again. Whatever you wish to eat, servants will bring it to you."
"Then I want to be your student!" the girl declared, placing her tiny hand in his.
"I am Qiān Xúnjí," he said warmly. "From today, you are my disciple—the Holy Maiden of Spirit Hall, Bibi Dong."
High above them, unseen, Qian Renxue sat silently on the shoulder of the great angel statue. Concealed by her Angel Spirit Bone's headpiece, her divine aura hidden, not even the three Titled Douluo could sense her presence. At rank 99—a quasi-god—she was invisible to the likes of Qiān Xúnjí, who was still merely at rank 91.
She watched the scene unfold—her mother meeting her father for the first time, the moment their fates intertwined. Qiān Xúnjí guided the little girl through the cathedral's gleaming halls, introducing her to Spirit Hall's symbols of power, his tone gentle, almost fatherly.
It was a tender scene—almost domestic, almost beautiful.
Who could have imagined that years later these two would become bitter enemies? That the teacher would violate the student, the student murder the teacher, and the hatred persist until death itself?
Could Yu Xiaogang truly have caused all of this?
Qian Renxue's brows furrowed. Something didn't add up. She observed her mother's spirit energy, noticing a faint flicker of golden flame within her mental sea—a gleaming candlelight of divine essence.
Her eyes widened. "That's…"
As an owner of the Angel Spirit and a once‑ascended deity herself, Qian Renxue recognized it immediately: the Flame of Spirit, formed from condensed Angel psychic power. Its function—to manipulate perception, cloud memory, and ensnare the mind. The power resided within the Angel's head soul bone—her father's soul bone.
Which meant—Bibi Dong had been enslaved spiritually.
Shock coursed through Qian Renxue. "If Father did that," she whispered, "Mother couldn't have escaped his control… then how did she ever come to meet Yu Xiaogang?"
Could it be… the Asura God's handiwork?
"You saw it too, didn't you?" a voice echoed in her mind—it was Huo Yuhao, speaking through the Divine Ring.
"Lord Eternal God… why?" she asked quietly.
"Wouldn't it mean more if you found the truth yourself rather than hearing it from me?" Huo Yuhao replied. "Every divine path requires understanding—whether one attains godhood through law, faith, or trial, harmony with the essence of the divine seat is key. The Sea God's path stems from faith in the ocean. The Asura's path arises from slaughter through the City of Killing. And as for the Angel God… well, you already know that better than I. I'll say no more."
"I understand," she said softly, deep in thought.
"One more thing," Huo Yuhao added. "Handle Spirit Hall as you see fit. But if one day Yu Xiaogang comes here, raise him to fame exactly as before. Do not kill him. Everything else… is up to you."
"It will be as you command," Qian Renxue replied.
…
Divine Realm, Eternal Temple.
After ending his link with Qian Renxue, Huo Yuhao's gaze turned once again toward the Douluo Continent below.
Power and divinity were intoxicating—but he was not yet in a position to descend freely as Tang San once had. The Asura God still watched him closely, waiting for the first slip, eager to rally the other God Kings against him, as they once condemned the Dragon God.
But Huo Yuhao was not unprepared.
Long before he ascended, he had left a spare body frozen by the Ice Empress in the Eternal Forbidden Land of the Extreme North—a vessel ready for his future return to the mortal world.
(END CHAPTER)
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/LightKira10