Chapter 35: Shadows Beneath the Sun, A Crisis Spreading in the Darkness
"Xiao Xue, don't you feel like someone's been watching us this whole time?"
Fan Chen leaned close to Qian Renxue and spoke with a serious expression.
Hearing this, Qian Renxue lifted her small head and curiously scanned their surroundings.
"I don't think so? Xiao Bai, did you sense anything?"
She gently patted Xiao Bai, who had grown noticeably larger, and asked.
To be honest, Xiao Bai's touch felt better and better. Especially after growing bigger, it was even more comfortable to hold.
"Nope, big sister."
Xiao Bai's detection ability was stronger than Fan Chen's when he wasn't using soul skills or in a fused state—Qian Renxue knew this very well.
Since Xiao Bai said there was nothing, then there was probably nothing.
Still, Fan Chen's words couldn't be ignored either.
"If you feel like something's wrong, Brother Fan Chen, then let's go find Grandpa."
Ever since that previous incident, Fan Chen had stopped taking Qian Renxue out.
He always felt like someone was watching him, and the feeling refused to fade.
That sense of being observed was still there now, and he didn't believe it was caused by being overly nervous.
After all, what kind of anxiety fluctuated like this—sometimes strong, sometimes weak—like riding a roller coaster?
Meanwhile, Di Tian, watching from afar, was genuinely at his wits' end.
Fan Chen simply refused to give him even the slightest opportunity.
How could someone be this cautious? You're just a kid—can't you be a little more playful?
Just give him one chance. Was that so hard?
Wherever Di Tian went, Fan Chen avoided that area entirely. These past few days had nearly driven Di Tian insane.
Several times, he had wanted to just rush in and snatch the target away, but the Angel Temple nearby made him hesitate.
On top of that, the surrounding human powerhouses were also a major headache.
While they couldn't kill him, it wasn't as if he could leave easily either—and a confrontation could easily lead to serious consequences, such as drawing them toward the Star Dou Forest.
Causing destruction would be a minor issue, but if it disturbed his lord's slumber, that would be a real disaster.
"Brat, I refuse to believe you don't have even the slightest lapse."
Di Tian had completely locked horns with Fan Chen at this point. After all, the Auspicious Beast only ever appeared near him or near that other little girl.
He truly didn't dare touch the girl's side. There was god-level power within her—clearly a divine chosen. If he acted, he would undoubtedly draw the gaze of a god.
As for Fan Chen, he was cautious to an absurd degree. Di Tian couldn't deal with either side.
What he still hadn't realized was that Xiao Bai was actually Fan Chen's martial soul. Otherwise, he wouldn't be suffering this much.
Or rather, his frustration would have instantly turned into sheer shock.
"Go find Qian Dao… uh, your grandpa? Yeah, let's forget about that."
Just hearing the name Qian Daoliu made Fan Chen feel uneasy, all because he had learned that Xiao Bai had marked a location beneath the Angel God statue.
He didn't know why Qian Daoliu hadn't come to trouble him over it, but every time he saw the man, he could sense a faint trace of killing intent coming from him.
"I'd rather keep lying low than go find your grandpa. Who knows if he'll beat me up?"
As he spoke, Fan Chen shot a vicious glare at Xiao Bai. This whole mess was entirely his doing.
As someone who knew the inside story, Qian Renxue could only cover her mouth and laugh softly at his reaction.
"Xiao Bai, you can't do things like that again. If Grandpa really gets angry, I won't be able to feed you anymore."
The moment he heard that, Xiao Bai panicked.
Qian Renxue was his biggest food supplier.
If she stopped feeding him, just how much food would he be missing out on?
That single sentence struck straight at his weakness, and he hurriedly spoke up.
"I won't! Xiao Bai won't ever do it again!"
Seeing Xiao Bai's flustered reaction, Fan Chen felt utterly helpless. He no longer had the energy to comment.
Meanwhile, Qian Renxue gently stroked Xiao Bai's head and said softly,
"I know Xiao Bai is the most well-behaved. Here—your reward."
She took out a candy she had prepared in advance and popped it into Xiao Bai's mouth.
"Mmm, strawberry flavor—this one's delicious."
Xiao Bai looked utterly blissful. It seemed his fondness for candy far surpassed that for any other kind of food.
"Eat a little less, you glutton."
Fan Chen stood up and stretched. To be honest, after resting for these past few days without training, he actually felt a bit out of sorts.
"I wonder what the training after this will be like?"
Fan Chen was genuinely looking forward to it. For him right now, getting stronger was the only thing that truly mattered.
"Let's go take a look around somewhere else. If I stay here any longer, I'm going to start growing mold."
Hearing this, Qian Renxue hugged Xiao Bai and followed behind Fan Chen like a little shadow.
The two walked slowly along the path, Fan Chen in front and Qian Renxue behind.
Qian Renxue's golden eyes were fixed tightly on Fan Chen's back.
"If only things could always stay like this…"
She murmured in a voice so soft that only she herself could hear, her eyes unconsciously curving into beautiful crescent moons.
Before they realized it, Fan Chen and Qian Renxue had arrived in the area of the Pope's Palace.
The environment here was different from that of the Douluo Hall, and there were noticeably more people around compared to that side.
Fan Chen didn't continue forward. He simply stopped and stood quietly in place.
There was no physical barrier between the Douluo Hall and the Pope's Palace, yet very few people ever crossed between them.
It was as if an invisible wall separated the two.
Not far away lay the residence of the Pope, also the place where Qian Renxue had lived before.
Ever since that incident, Qian Renxue had never returned here.
After awakening her martial soul, Qian Daoliu had paid her extraordinary attention, essentially keeping her by his side at all times.
'I wonder how Bibi Dong is doing now?'
Thinking back to that day still left Fan Chen with lingering fear. The pressure Bibi Dong had exerted on him had been overwhelming.
It was the first time in his life he had truly felt the threat of death.
Yet ever since that incident, he had never seen Bibi Dong again, nor had he heard his master or the others mention her even once.
It was as if she had vanished from the world entirely.
Fan Chen had almost forgotten about it, but passing through this place inevitably brought those memories back.
"Brother Fan Chen…"
At that moment, Qian Renxue softly called out to him and gently tugged at the hem of his clothes.
Fan Chen snapped back to his senses and turned to look at her.
He was just about to ask what was wrong when he saw the unease on her face.
Understanding dawned instantly.
He reached out and gently rubbed Qian Renxue's head, comforting her.
"It's okay. I won't leave you—ever."
Bibi Dong was an unhealable wound in Qian Renxue's heart. Fan Chen didn't know how to explain everything to her.
Perhaps only time could fill that pain.
Fortunately, there wasn't much that needed filling yet. Everything was still on time.
After lingering only briefly, Fan Chen led Qian Renxue away from this place filled with unpleasant memories.
…
Deep underground, within a dark and gloomy secret chamber.
The long-vanished Bibi Dong sat cross-legged inside. Around her body, layers of black mist coiled and churned.
The black fog was extraordinarily eerie, seemingly possessing form. Within it, a human face flickered in and out of view.
The face formed by the mist hovered near Bibi Dong's ear, as if whispering something to her.
Bibi Dong, who had been sitting with her eyes tightly shut, slowly opened them.
Within her gaze, there was nothing but venomous hatred and madness.
—
End of Chapter