Chapter 52

**Chapter 52: One Mountain Cannot Hold Two Tigers**  

After the morning's ring match ended, Bibi Dong walked down from the ring, beaming as she approached Zhao Ling. Her expression turned concerned as she asked,  

"That guy, Yu Xiaogang, tried to sneak attack you earlier. Were you scared? Fortunately, Qian Hu stepped in and dealt with him in time.  

It's such a pity I was in the ring then; otherwise, I'd have beaten him so badly he wouldn't even recognize his own father!"  

"Scared? Me? By that fool?" Zhao Ling curled his lip in disdain. "Don't be ridiculous. That guy isn't even qualified to scare me."  

Yu Xiaogang with his wooden chair? Zhao Ling scoffed inwardly. Did that clown think he was made of mud?  

"It's good that you weren't scared," Bibi Dong said, shifting her gaze to Yin, who was nestled in Zhao Ling's arms. With exaggerated concern, she asked, "Sister Yin, you weren't frightened, were you?"  

Since Zhao Ling had sealed Yin's soul power and aura with the soul-sealing secret method, anyone who saw her would naturally assume she was an ordinary person with no soul power. Bibi Dong, however, suspected the earlier incident might have startled her. Of course, her feigned concern was also a jab—an excuse to tease her rival.  

Bibi Dong's true intention wasn't lost on Yin, who smirked inwardly. She knew full well they were rivals in love. Zhao Ling might hope to catch them both, but which woman would willingly share her man?  

Not one to back down, Yin shot back with deliberate sweetness,  

"Don't worry, sister. With Brother Ling protecting me, how could I possibly be scared? Isn't that right, Brother Ling?"  

To drive her point home, Yin snuggled closer to Zhao Ling, resting her head against his chest, her expression blissful and victorious.  

Bibi Dong's irritation spiked. While she couldn't openly admit her feelings for Zhao Ling—they'd only known each other a week—watching Yin flaunt their closeness in front of her was unbearable.  

Her patience snapping, Bibi Dong grabbed Yin by the arm and yanked her out of Zhao Ling's embrace. Without missing a beat, she latched onto Zhao Ling's arm, her posture bold and defiant as she glared at Yin with fiery determination.  

Yin, equally displeased, shot Bibi Dong a frosty look. 'How dare she pull me away when I was perfectly comfortable?'  

Watching the escalating tension between the two women, Yue Guan frowned slightly. What's the young miss thinking? he wondered. Could she really be interested in this man she's only known for a week?  

Then again, Zhao Ling's achievements spoke for themselves. A Titled Douluo at his age was nothing short of astonishing. If Bibi Dong managed to win his favor, the Spirit Hall could potentially gain a powerful ally. Still, it seemed prudent to inform the Pope about this situation immediately…  

Meanwhile, Zhao Ling, watching the drama unfold, sighed and summoned his diary panel, muttering internally.  

---

[Here we go again. I don't know if it's because Bibi Dong and Ah Yin are natural rivals or if they just can't stand each other, but they've been secretly competing since the moment they met.]  

[You're both beautiful women. Why make things difficult for each other? Can't we all just get along?]  

[Nope, apparently not. These two are always at odds. I dream of making them sisters one day, but that feels like wishful thinking. If I ever did manage to bring them together, I'd probably spend the rest of my days breaking up their fights.]  

[There's truth in the saying, "One mountain cannot hold two tigers." Unless, of course, they're one male and one female. Those harem novels where all the female protagonists coexist peacefully? Complete nonsense.]  

[Look at Bibi Dong and Ah Yin—always at each other's throats. If I want to unite them, I'm clearly dreaming.]  

[Still… giving all the beautiful women of Douluo Continent a warm, loving home together sounds like a noble goal. Too bad it's probably impossible.]  

[Should I just settle down with one woman? Isn't lifelong love what people truly desire?]  

[No, no, that's too boring. I didn't come to Douluo Continent to live a mundane life. If word got out that I only loved one person, other travelers would laugh me to death.]  

]Let's face it: I'm a scoundrel, a beast. Why pretend otherwise? I deserve my fate.]  

[Scoundrels should act like scoundrels. Beasts should embrace their beastly nature…]  

---

After finishing his rant, Zhao Ling clicked the upload button and received his system reward: a thousand-year upgrade to all his soul rings.  

His eyes gleamed. Combined with the previous 500-year upgrade, his soul rings had now advanced by 1,500 years. The power boost thrilled him.  

Simultaneously, Bibi Dong and Ah Yin noticed their exclusive diary copies update.  

Bibi Dong, who was still glaring at Ah Yin, glanced at Zhao Ling. 'This guy is actually updating his diary while we're fighting over him? Can't he show a little more awareness?'  

Ah Yin, too, snuck a look at Zhao Ling before quietly opening the diary in her mind, its voice function reading the latest entry aloud.  

As she listened, her expression soured. When she read Zhao Ling's grand dream of creating a "warm family" for all the beautiful women in Douluo Continent, her hand reflexively pinched his waist.  

'This scoundrel! He's even more ambitious than I thought!' she fumed. 'He's not content with three or four women—he wants the entire continent? Isn't he afraid of biting off more than he can chew?'  

Despite her frustration, Ah Yin grew tense as she read further. Zhao Ling's musings about choosing a lifelong partner struck a nerve.  

'What if he really does settle down with just one woman?' she thought, anxiety bubbling up. 'I may be beautiful and gentle, but the Douluo Continent is full of exceptional women with better family backgrounds and talents. Even Bibi Dong overshadows me in many ways.'  

Ah Yin couldn't help but feel her confidence waver. The only advantage she had was meeting Zhao Ling before Bibi Dong, but even that seemed negligible compared to Bibi Dong's overwhelming assets.  

When she reached the part where Zhao Ling declared, "Beasts should behave like beasts, and scoundrels should accept their nature," she exhaled in relief.  

Good, she thought. Better a beast than an overly sentimental fool. Stay true to your nature, Zhao Ling. Forget about lifelong love…  

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(End of this chapter)