Douluo Continent: My Martial Soul is the Black Dragon, I am the Lord of the Gods

Chapter 344 Contradiction, Hesitation, Weakness
……

"He...he's always trained people like this?" Seahorse Douluo asked in a dry voice.

No one answered. Everyone was speechless, stunned by the simple, brutal, yet extremely efficient fighting style.

The battle, or rather, the one-sided crushing defeat, continued until evening.

The afterglow of the setting sun dyed the ice field a poignant crimson.

Bibi Dong has been broken down and rebuilt countless times, leaving her utterly exhausted.

Her eyes were unfocused, and her body swayed precariously, sustained only by an indomitable will.

Xuanming's blood spear broke through her defenses once again, and it looked like it was about to pierce her through again!
at this time--

Om-!
A layer of gray-black light shield suddenly and automatically activated from Bibi Dong's body, firmly protecting her within it!

The evil god protects! Passive trigger!
Xuanming's blood spear struck the light barrier with a dull thud, causing the barrier to tremble violently, but it did not break.

Xuanming's attack abruptly ceased. He expressionlessly withdrew his blood spear, and the terrifying killing aura surrounding him receded like a tide.

He glanced at Bibi Dong, who was breathing slowly under the protection of the evil god and whose eyes were gradually regaining their clarity, and knew that today's "teaching" had reached its limit.

Then, he slowly turned his head, his cold gaze sweeping across the vast distance to land on Hu Liena, Ning Rongrong, Xiao Wu, and the others watching from afar.

His voice was calm and even, yet it sent chills down the spines of everyone who heard it.

"Would you like to experience it too?"

"..."

"no need!"

"We still have assessments to do!"

"Farewell!"

Almost unanimously, everyone refused and fled without looking back.

What a joke! Just look at Bibi Dong's miserable state, and you'll know that this so-called "teaching" is nothing short of playing with fire!

Moreover, they knew very well that Xuanming was truly capable of such a thing! When he said he wanted to "experience it," he was definitely not joking!

Poseidon shook his head with a wry smile and left with the Seven Pillars Guardians.

Biji and Ziji slowly approached, but they were also somewhat flustered and hid behind Gu Yuena.

"Bijie, thank you for your trouble." Xuanming withdrew his blood spear.

Brigitte nodded quickly, and emerald green light emanated from her hands, gently enveloping Bibi Dong.

The life-giving energy rapidly repaired Bibi Dong's damaged body and alleviated her mental exhaustion.

Bibi Dong slowly opened her eyes in the healing light. Although her purple eyes were tired, they were also clearer.

She could sense that under the pressure of Xuanming's violent killing intent, her Killing God Domain, which had been corrupted by Rakshasa's evil thoughts, had indeed undergone a subtle change. Many of those sinister auras had been forcibly dispersed, and the core of the domain seemed to have become purer.

"Why have you been hiding?" Xuanming asked, puzzled.

Bibi Dong's expression froze, and she couldn't help but look at her as if she were an idiot. "Don't you want to listen to what you're saying?"

That bastard went for the kill!

Moreover, his terrifying strength made it seem as if every strike could break her bones!

Why isn't she hiding? Is she just waiting to die?
Xuanming looked at Bibi Dong's resentful eyes and calmly explained, "I'm not telling you not to hide, but you can't be afraid."

"The essence of the God of Slaughter Domain lies in using offense as defense, crushing everything with the most ferocious killing intent. And every time you dodge, the power of the domain retreats. Even though your strength is above mine, I can even sense that you have developed fear of me. What are you afraid of me for?"

"Even defense should be a preparation for offense, but you..."

"No wonder you have such a weak presence."

If Bibi Dong goes all out, even under restrictions, as long as he doesn't use those few rogue million-year soul skills, with her strength, she can definitely defeat him.

However, from the very beginning of this battle, Bibi Dong's momentum was off.

She was overly cautious, or you could say she was timid.

"..."

Xuanming looked at Bibi Dong's eyes, which were filled with resentment yet also held a hint of barely perceptible evasion, and remained silent for a moment. A hint of understanding seemed to flash deep in his eyes, but in the end he simply calmly withdrew his gaze.

He did vaguely guess the underlying reason for Bibi Dong's "cowardice," but it involved her most unbearable past, the most vulnerable and untouchable scars in her heart.

He didn't know how to begin, nor how to "resolve" the shattering and shadows already deeply rooted in his soul. "Bi Ji, Zi Ji, Xue Di, Bing Di," Xuan Ming turned around, "Let's go."

Biji nodded gently, and Ziji, Xue Di, and Bing Di followed silently.

They could sense the subtle tension in the atmosphere and didn't ask any further questions.

Xuanming glanced one last time at Bibi Dong, who was sitting on the ice, her breathing still somewhat disordered. He then nodded slightly to Gu Yuena, and with a flash, he led the four of them away from the edge of the ice field, leaving this vast and cold world to Gu Yuena and Bibi Dong.

The cold wind howled, blowing their hair.

A long silence fell over the ice field, with only the faint sound of waves crashing against the edge of the ice in the distance.

Bibi Dong sat on the cold ice, hugging her knees, her purple eyes gazing at the horizon dyed red by the setting sun, her expression empty and complex.

After Xuanming left, her tense nerves seemed to relax a little, but the helplessness and confusion she felt after being seen through became even clearer.

Gu Yuena sat quietly beside her, her silver-purple eyes calmly gazing ahead. She offered neither urging nor comforting, but simply kept her company in peace.

After a long while, when the sun had completely sunk below the horizon and the icy plains were shrouded in darkness, Gu Yuena's clear, cold voice slowly broke the deathly silence:

"You're afraid he'll see, aren't you?"

Bibi Dong's body trembled almost imperceptibly. She didn't turn around or answer, but simply tightened her arms around her knees.

Gu Yuena didn't look at her and continued, "I'm afraid to let him see your shattered dignity, afraid to let him know how wretched and helpless you were in the past."

"You desperately try to maintain your current strength, ruthlessness, and arrogance, wrapping yourself in the madness and resentment of a Rakshasa, because only by immersing yourself in that extreme hatred and destructive desire can you temporarily forget that unforgettable humiliation and vulnerability."

"The power of the Rakshasa is not just a power to you, but also a kind of... camouflage. A mask that allows you to hide within it and avoid facing the madness of that ravaged past."

"So you're unwilling to give it up, even dependent on it. Because once you peel away this crazy shell, you'll turn back into that helpless, desperate girl in the locked room... something you absolutely cannot accept."

Bibi Dong's breathing became rapid, her nails dug deeply into her palms, and her purple eyes surged with pain, humiliation, and a trace of panic after being completely seen through.

Yes... she was afraid! Afraid that after Xuanming found out everything, he would look at her with pity, sympathy, or... contempt!

She would rather he always think of her as the cold, powerful, and even somewhat insane Pope of the Spirit Hall than let him see her most vulnerable and fragile side!
That shattered dignity is a scar that will never heal for her.

“However,” Gu Yuena’s tone shifted, her voice still cold, “Xuanming hopes you can break free. He hopes you can escape the corruption of Rakshasa, truly control your own power, and embark on a path that may be more difficult, but one that truly belongs to you.”

"He can see your pain and struggle, but he doesn't know how to help you. He's afraid that any mention or touch will hurt you again. So he can only use this clumsy and brutal method to try to forcefully help you forge a new possibility."

"He gave you the choice, but you... are stuck in the middle."

Gu Yuena slowly turned her head, her silver-purple eyes fixed on Bibi Dong's slightly trembling profile.

"Because of him, you cannot completely succumb to the madness of the Rakshasa and embrace the darkness with a clear conscience. Nor can you muster the courage to break free from the shackles of the past and step into the sunlight."

"You've trapped yourself in a gloomy quagmire. You're caught in a dilemma."

"Therefore, your power is contradictory, your domain is hesitant, and your aura... is naturally weak."

Bibi Dong abruptly closed her eyes, and two lines of clear tears silently slid down from the corners of her eyes, instantly freezing into ice crystals in the cold air.

She couldn't let go of the hatred, couldn't let go of the power armed with madness, yet she also vaguely longed for some kind of redemption, some kind of... change that Xuanming desired.

This contradiction tore her apart, leaving the very foundation of her power cracked.

Silence returned, leaving only the faint, suppressed sobs of Bibi Dong.

Gu Yuena didn't speak again, but simply stayed quietly by her side. Some wounds must be faced alone. Some choices must be made by oneself.

After a long while, Bibi Dong slowly raised her head, her eyes blurry with tears, and looked at Gu Yuena, her voice hoarse and almost broken:
"Then...what should I do?"

Her voice was filled with confusion and helplessness; this was the first time she had shown such vulnerability since becoming pope.

Gu Yuena looked at her, a subtle hint of tenderness flashing in her silver-purple eyes.

"The answer is not with me, nor with Xuanming," she said softly. "The answer is in your own heart."

"Is it to continue hiding behind the Rakshasa's madness, numbing yourself with hatred and destruction? Or... try to believe once, believe in the world that may have changed, believe in the person who is willing to help you in a clumsy way, and believe... that you yourself have the power to be reborn from the ashes."

“Broken dignity cannot be repaired by covering it up or running away. Only by facing it, accepting the past, and then rebuilding new dignity for yourself.”

"It hurts, it's hard, and there's even the possibility of getting hurt again. But it's the only way to truly get through it."

Gu Yuena stood up and patted off the non-existent ice shards on her dress.

"Think it over carefully. No matter which path you ultimately choose, you need an unwavering heart. Hesitation and fear are your greatest enemies."

(End of this chapter)