Qian Xunji.
Even though Su Linfeng had only seen him twice in the past six years—the first time when he was brought here, and the second when Qian Xunji took Qian Renxue away—this was now their third meeting.
Looking up at the man standing in the light above, Su Linfeng felt not the slightest reverence.
He knew this man all too well—an ambitious tyrant, obsessed with power, authoritarian, arrogant, hypocritical, and utterly devoid of humanity.
Bibi Dong was the most vivid example of his cruelty.
When Qian Xunji's gaze fell upon Su Linfeng, a flicker of panic flashed in Bibi Dong's crimson eyes.
No one understood his obsessive need for control better than she did. If he were to discover Su Linfeng's innate talent and terrifying abilities, he would surely go back on his promise to give him to her as a ninth spirit ring. Instead, he would rush to kill him and strip his bones for power.
"I already told you! I don't know!"
The moment Qian Xunji's attention wavered, Bibi Dong erupted. Her Killing God Domain surged out like a broken dam, tangible and suffocating. "Are you ever going to stop?!"
Buzz!
The violent clash of domains caused the Angel Domain to tremble.
Qian Xunji's focus snapped back immediately.
"Courting death!"
He snorted coldly and casually swung his arm in the air.
A massive golden hand, condensed from spirit power, materialized and smacked across Bibi Dong's face, slamming her to the ground.
Blood trickled down the corner of her lips.
Yet even so, her eyes showed not an ounce of fear—only icy hatred and boundless killing intent.
"Do not think that just because you survived Slaughter City, you now have the right to defy me!"
"Light will always suppress darkness!"
From above, Qian Xunji's voice carried the weight of judgment. "This is the last time I tolerate your rebellion. Your freedom was permitted only because your task was complete. From now on, you will devote yourself entirely to Spirit Hall. Otherwise…"
He paused deliberately, his tone twisting into a sickly, almost deranged laugh. "Otherwise, I will personally kill that man!"
Bibi Dong trembled violently at his words, the murderous glint in her eyes scattering slightly.
Even Su Linfeng clenched his fists. At last, he understood why Bibi Dong would one day devour Qian Xunji.
The man standing in the light before him was far more terrifying than anyone imagined.
Not only had he crushed Bibi Dong's dignity and emotions with violence, turning her into a mere tool, but he also shamelessly wielded Yu Xiaogang's life as leverage, constantly threatening her into obedience—all to guarantee her eternal servitude to Spirit Hall.
It was a crushing assault on both her dignity and her spirit.
This man pursued ultimate power with a ruthlessness beyond cruelty—he had no bottom line.
Su Linfeng even began to wonder whether Qian Xunji was capable of familial love at all. If he had no affection for Bibi Dong, what about Qian Renxue?
Was she nothing more to him than Spirit Hall's heir, to be raised and molded as a tool?
"So many years have passed, yet you still haven't grown in the slightest."
Seeing Bibi Dong finally quiet down, Qian Xunji gave her a cold glance, his face filled with arrogance. "You should understand—you are not qualified to negotiate with me."
Bibi Dong clenched her teeth, kneeling weakly on the ground. Her fingers pressed into the dirt, pale from the strain.
It was true.
She could not bargain with Qian Xunji now. She could only bury her pain and hatred deep within her heart.
When she finally lowered her head in submission, Qian Xunji's insatiable need for control was satisfied. A sly smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "That's more like it."
"Recently, I discovered the trail of a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast that has taken human form. I'll be leaving for a while. In the meantime, some promising children have entered Spirit Hall Academy. You will personally select a few to train and strengthen Spirit Hall's foundation."
A hundred-thousand-year transformed spirit beast?
Su Linfeng's heart stirred.
Judging from the timeline, the spirit beast he referred to was none other than the Blue Silver Emperor—the mother of Tang San.
So it was finally about to begin.
But this time, Qian Xunji would pay the price for his arrogance.
Faced with his command, Bibi Dong dared not resist. She could only lower her head in resignation. "As the Pope commands."
How does a person go insane?
Like this.
At last, Su Linfeng fully understood the true weight of Bibi Dong's years of torment. Her hatred wasn't born of a single impulse—it was cultivated over years of relentless oppression.
Prejudice is like a mountain. In the past, even he had held a simplistic view of Bibi Dong, seeing her as nothing more than a tragic background character, her every action serving only to highlight the protagonist group.
But now, living through it himself, he realized that Bibi Dong was no different from any ordinary person—she had real emotions. Yet her life was one of suffering beyond what most could bear.
As the saying goes: Three feet of ice does not form in a single day.
Do not urge others to be kind if you have never tasted their suffering.
Only after Qian Xunji left did Bibi Dong's suppressed aura fully explode. The Killing God Domain erupted outward like a volcanic blast, shrouding a thousand meters in a crimson haze. Even Su Linfeng, watching from a distance, was engulfed within it.
The red mist blotted out the sun. The air thickened with killing intent.
Bibi Dong's eyes were now completely blood-red, her pupils drowned in scarlet. Black-violet miasma swirled around her, making her look eerie and terrifying.
She had lost control again.
Yet at the same time, Su Linfeng confirmed his suspicions—Bibi Dong's aura of ultimate evil truly stimulated his Golden Crow power. Under this overwhelming pressure, his spirit power condensed dozens of times faster than normal.
He couldn't let this chance go to waste!
Without hesitation, Su Linfeng charged straight into the Killing God Domain.
"Qian… Xun… Ji!"
Bibi Dong's voice was ragged, her words squeezed out through clenched teeth. "One day, I will—"
But before she could finish, her body trembled. A familiar warmth suddenly flowed from below.
She looked down in shock.
Su Linfeng was hugging her leg. A flickering golden light glowed faintly in the suffocating domain, pushing back the miasma around her.
Soft. Warm. Supple.
Still as springy as before—and today she was even wearing black undergarments.
That was Su Linfeng's honest evaluation. At his current height—barely a meter tall—he could only cling to her thigh like a pendant, forced to look up at her.
But he knew this was no time for distractions. His Golden Flame Domain burst forth, tearing at the Killing God Domain bit by bit.
Blinking his large, innocent eyes, he gazed up at the rampaging Bibi Dong with a childlike sincerity. "Big Sister, you look really angry. But Xiao Jie-jie said, When you're angry, you need a hug."
With that, he hugged her leg even tighter, his little face rubbing against it.
"Get away!"
Bibi Dong's voice was cold. "Didn't I tell you to stay far away? Aren't you afraid I'll make you my spirit ring and spirit bone?!"
She was about to release a wave of spirit power to push him back when she noticed Su Linfeng trembling under the Killing God Domain's pressure.
Even so, he extended his hand, offering her a sparkling Sunstone.
"How could Linfeng ever be afraid of Big Sister?"
He shook his head firmly, then suddenly grabbed her hand and placed the glowing stone in her palm.
Look, Big Sister—before, it never glowed. But see? Light can only be seen in the darkness. I'll give it to you. So please, don't be angry anymore, alright?