Chapter 58: The Truth Revealed
Spirit City—Rear Courtyard of the Hall of Elders.
The Training Ground.
The ground was paved with the hardest blue granite; having endured countless battles and the impact of countless Spirit Skills, its surface was now scarred with etchings and scorch marks of varying depths.
At this moment, in the very center of the training ground, two figures—one old and one young—were locked in a fierce, intense clash. "Fifth Soul Skill: Holy Sword!"
A cool, clear female voice rang out, carrying an indisputable majesty.
Clad in a form-fitting battle gown of platinum-white, Qian Renxue gripped a massive golden greatsword with both hands and slashed down ferociously at the elderly man standing opposite her!
Faced with this strike of astonishing power, the old man across from her merely raised his right hand with perfect composure.
He was an elder whose hair and beard had turned completely white, clad in magnificent robes of gold embroidered with silver—a figure of imposing dignity, his eyes as deep and profound as ancient wells.
The instant Qian Renxue launched her attack, a brilliant golden radiance erupted around him. Fine, dense golden scales swiftly enveloped his entire body; his hands transformed into razor-sharp crocodile claws, and from his back extended a massive, scaly tail bristling with spikes!
The Golden Crocodile King!
A Level 98 Super Douluo, the Second Enshrinement of the Hall of Enshrinement—Golden Crocodile Douluo!
"Fourth Soul Skill: Rending Crocodile Claw."
Golden Crocodile’s voice was as steady and resonant as a tolling bell. With a casual flick of his right claw, five streaks of golden claw-light shot forth to intercept the Holy Sword.
"Boom—!!!"
A deafening crash—like the violent collision of metal against metal—exploded through the air! At the point where the massive golden greatsword met the crocodile claws, a blinding ball of light erupted!
Qian Renxue let out a muffled grunt, staggering back several steps before finally steadying herself.
Her hands, still gripping the sword, felt slightly numb, and a stinging sensation radiated from the webbing between her thumb and forefinger. Yet, there was not a shred of retreat in her eyes; instead, an even more blazing battle intent ignited within them.
"Sixth Soul Skill: Angel’s Roar!"
An invisible mental shockwave erupted from her body, sweeping out toward Golden Crocodile!
However, Golden Crocodile merely frowned slightly. With a flash of golden light in his eyes, the mental shockwave—powerful enough to affect even Soul Saints—felt to him like nothing more than a gentle breeze brushing against his face; it failed to make him retreat even a single step.
The disparity in power levels was simply too vast.
A Level 98 Super Douluo’s mental energy had long since been tempered into something as unyielding as adamantine; how could a mere six-ringed Soul Emperor hope to shake it?
Yet, Qian Renxue did not give up just yet. Gritting her teeth, she once again raised the Sacred Sword; like a tireless warrior, she launched another furious, storm-like assault!
Slash, hack, thrust, parry... The simplest sword maneuvers, yet in her hands, they unleashed astonishing power.
Every swing of the blade was infused with the entirety of her Soul Power and willpower, sending golden streaks of sword-light crisscrossing across the training grounds.
Golden Crocodile offered no counterattacks, merely evading or parrying with unhurried composure.
His movements appeared casual, yet each shift of his body precisely dodged the blade’s sharpest point, and every parry perfectly deflected the bulk of its force.
Occasionally, he would offer a word of guidance.
Qian Renxue remained silent, quietly adjusting her attacks in response.
Her gaze was terrifyingly focused, as if the entire world had ceased to exist, leaving only the opponent before her—and the singular objective: to grow stronger.
An hour later.
On the training grounds, Qian Renxue finally halted her offensive, gasping for breath.
Sweat drenched her battle skirt and hair, dripping down her cheeks. Her arms trembled slightly; her Soul Power was nearing total depletion.
"That’s enough, Xue’er. Let’s call it a day for training."
Golden Crocodile dispelled his Martial Soul Incarnation, reverting to his usual persona: that of a majestic, distinguished elder.
Observing Qian Renxue’s weary yet unyielding appearance, a flicker of heartache crossed his eyes.
"Thank you, Grandpa Golden Crocodile." Qian Renxue sheathed the Sacred Sword and bowed respectfully toward him. Her voice was hoarse, yet her adherence to etiquette remained impeccable.
"Oh, it’s nothing." Golden Crocodile waved his hand dismissively, though his gaze never left Qian Renxue.
This child... The murderous aura emanating from her Angel Martial Soul was growing heavier with every passing day.
Every training session was a desperate struggle for survival; every thrust of her sword carried a ruthless resolve—a determination to fight to the bitter end.
The light in her eyes was no longer that pure, unadulterated yearning for power she once possessed; instead, it had become a cold, burning flame—one tainted by an overwhelming blend of hatred, pain, and obsession.
Golden Crocodile sighed inwardly.
He knew just how devastating the death of that boy, Jiang Bai, had been to Qian Renxue.
She threw herself entirely into her cultivation and the Divine Trials, as if only by constantly growing stronger could she fill the gaping void within her heart.
Revenge... Golden Crocodile understood Qian Renxue’s desire to avenge Jiang Bai.
Yet, watching her so consumed by hatred and the pursuit of power—cultivating with a frenzied intensity that seemed to burn away her very essence—he was deeply worried.
This path was fraught with peril; the slightest misstep could lead to qi deviation, or worse, leave her mind eroded by the negative emotions inherent in the Angel God’s Trials.
Golden Crocodile stepped down from the training grounds and approached Qian Renxue, who was sitting on a stone bench at the sidelines, sipping water.
He was just about to offer a few words of counsel when Qian Renxue spoke first.
Her voice was calm—so calm, in fact, that it was unsettling.
"Grandpa Golden Crocodile... could you tell me about... Bibi Dong’s past?"
Golden Crocodile froze at her words.
Instinctively, he raised his head and glanced toward the direction of the main hall of the Hall of Elders.
This matter...
Qian Daoliu had given strict instructions to avoid revealing too many details to Qian Renxue. After all, those events of the past were too sordid; the more she knew, the greater the potential for emotional trauma.
But as he gazed into Qian Renxue’s violet eyes—which were fixed upon him with a quiet intensity—he saw neither pleading nor impulsiveness, but rather a composure bordering on the ruthless.
Golden Crocodile knew then that the girl had made up her mind. Even if he refused to speak, she would simply investigate on her own—pursuing the truth in her own way, a way that would likely be far more dangerous.
So be it.
Golden Crocodile steeled his resolve. Since the truth could no longer be concealed, it was better that he be the one to tell it; at least that way, he could control the narrative and temper the details.
He began to speak slowly, his voice low and heavy with the weight of years.
"Bibi Dong... was originally an orphan. Because of her extraordinary innate talent, your grandfather brought her back to Spirit City to be groomed. She was only six years old back then—a frail, tiny little thing..."
Golden Crocodile drifted into his memories.
"Later, your father, Qian Xunji, took her in as a disciple and appointed her as the Saintess of the Spirit Hall. You hadn’t been born yet at that time; your grandfather doted on her as if she were his own granddaughter, and your father groomed her to become the next Supreme Pontiff. In Spirit City, she enjoyed treatment fit for a princess—one could truly say she was the object of boundless affection."
Qian Renxue listened in silence, yet the fingers clutching her water skin tightened unconsciously until her knuckles turned white.
An orphan? Doted upon by Grandfather and Father? Treated like a princess?
By what right...?
It felt as though an invisible hand had clenched around Qian Renxue’s heart, the pain so acute she could barely breathe. Yet, her face remained expressionless; only the look in her eyes grew colder.
Golden Crocodile failed to notice Qian Renxue’s distress and continued speaking.
"Later... Bibi Dong met a man named Yu Xiaogang. And she... fell in love with him."
At this point, Golden Crocodile’s voice turned abruptly cold, his tone laced with undisguised loathing and contempt.
Qian Renxue keenly sensed the shift in his emotions. "Who is Yu Xiaogang?"
"A piece of trash! An utter, absolute waste of space!" Golden Crocodile gritted his teeth, as if merely uttering the name sullied his tongue.
"He is an outcast from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan—a reject who, due to a failed Spirit mutation, is doomed never to break past Rank 30 in his entire life. Yet, a man like that has the audacity to style himself a ’Theoretical Master,’ spending his days dabbling in dubious, unorthodox paths while going around swindling people!"
He took a deep breath, composing himself slightly.
"Naturally, your father, Qian Xunji, could not tolerate seeing the successor he had so meticulously groomed being snatched away by such a worthless wretch. Especially since that wretch happened to be the scion of a rival clan. So... he resorted to the most extreme measures to forcibly tear the two of them apart."
Golden Crocodile paused, turning his gaze toward Qian Renxue; a flicker of pained reluctance flashed in his eyes.
"And then... your father... what he did to Bibi Dong..."