"In front of the Almighty Angel's light… all people are equal."
"Prepare yourself well," Qian Daoliu added in a calmer tone. "The Fifth Trial will not be as forgiving as the previous ones. The closer one gets to divinity, the harsher the scrutiny becomes."
Julia nodded obediently, yet her thoughts did not slow.
'Qian Renxue… what exactly are you planning?'
The more she observed the unfolding situation from death of Hu Liena to the provoked fury of Bibi Dong which might lead to a war between Clear Sky Clan and Spirit Hall—the event seemed like a carefully placed piece on a vast board.
And yet, the timing felt… accelerated.
'At this moment Qian Renxue should have been accumulating more power by using the time difference between the Divine realm and the mortal realm. Using this loophole she can persist for much longer before the 20 year time on that seal is up.'
Even with such time difference, rushing in conflicts with Clear Sky Clan where Asura God was already paying attention due to Tang San might escalate things.
'Is she forcing the pace… or has something changed?'
Julia suppressed the thought. As a clone, her purpose was execution, not comprehension. Still, a subtle unease lingered.
Qian Daoliu, unaware of the storm in her mind, turned his gaze toward the horizon beyond the Elder's Hall. Though the walls stood tall, his perception extended far beyond them, brushing against the distant, violent aura that still lingered from Bibi Dong's outburst.
----
In the mountains bordering the Star Dou Forest within the Heaven Dou Empire, the ancestral grounds of the Clear Sky Clan stood hidden among towering peaks and drifting clouds.
The path down the mountain was steep and narrow, carved into the rock over generations. Two clan members walked along it, their robes fluttering lightly in the mountain wind as their conversation drifted from whispers into open gossip.
Tang Yu lowered his voice slightly, though there was excitement in his tone. "Did you hear? When Young Clan Leader Tang Xiao brought Tang Hao and his son back, the Third Elder openly humiliated them in the main hall."
Tang Rin, who belonged to the Third Elder's lineage, snorted with clear dissatisfaction. "Hmph! And rightly so. Have you forgotten what the clan suffered because of Tang Hao's recklessness? How many of our brothers died back then?"
Tang Yu fell silent for a moment, his expression tightening. The memory was not something easily dismissed. Still, he clicked his tongue and replied stubbornly, "What you said isn't wrong… but strength has always been the law of our clan. Anyone who stands in the path of the Clear Sky Hammer is bound to be crushed."
His tone grew more disdainful as he continued, "That Pope, Qian Xunji, was nothing but a weakling. To die after a few hammer strikes—what kind of Pope was that? Look at his father, Qian Daoliu. Even after being defeated by the Old Clan Leader, he still lives."
Tang Yu's eyes gleamed with pride. "Doesn't that just prove it? The superiority of our Clear Sky Hammer. One strike is enough to shatter the so-called Angel lineage of the Qian family."
Tang Rin did not argue this time. Even he could not deny the deep-rooted pride that ran through every member of the clan. Instead, he shifted the topic, his tone becoming more measured.
"Now that the clan's situation is improving, allowing Tang Hao to return can be seen as magnanimity—especially in front of the Old Clan Leader." He paused before adding, "Besides… his son, Tang San… a twin martial soul, and now even tied to that hundred-thousand-year soul beast. That kind of talent is unprecedented."
Tang Yu nodded slowly, his earlier irritation fading into confidence. "Exactly. With someone like him, our clan's future is secure. Once we step out again, the continent will remember what the Clear Sky Clan stands for."
He clenched his fist slightly, as if already imagining the battles to come.
"Don't worry," Tang Yu said with certainty, his voice carrying a hint of arrogance. "Soon enough, the Spirit Hall will face our wrath…"
His words never reached their end.
The sky above the mountain range dimmed abruptly, as though an unseen hand had drawn a veil across the heavens. What replaced the daylight was not darkness, but a suffocating violet hue that bled into the clouds like ink in water.
A moment later, an overwhelming pressure descended.
Thud.
Both Tang Yu and Tang Rin were slammed to their knees, their bones creaking under the invisible weight. Around them, the entire Clear Sky Clan suffered the same fate. Clan members who moments ago had stood proud now lay pressed against the ground, unable to even lift their heads.
"W-what… is this…?" Tang Rin struggled, his voice trembling as he forced his eyes upward.
High in the sky, above the ancestral lands, a lone figure floated.
A woman clad in loose papal robes, her purple rose hair drifting gently despite the absence of wind. Behind her, faint purple rings shimmered like distorted halos, and in her hand rested a scythe that seemed to devour even the light around it.
At this moment, it seemed rage consumed Bibi Dong completely.
The grief of losing Hu Liena had already shattered the restraint she had cultivated over the past years. Yet what she did not realize was that her fury was no longer entirely her own.
Something unseen had fanned the flames, magnifying her anger into something far more violent and uncontrollable.
----
(AN: Anyway readers must have understood that someone is messing around and Qian Renxue is editing the script she has written with the same speed)