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A moment later, Qian Renxue slowly raised her head, killing intent appearing in her eyes. "Tang San has truly gone mad."
Qian Daoliu said in a deep voice, "It's not that he's gone mad. He has completely fallen into the Rakshasa path."
A High Priest couldn't help but speak up. "High Priest, Tang San already had a deep grudge with Tang Chen. Now, while Tang Chen is on Sea God Island, Tang San is slaughtering cities all over the continent. If we let him continue like this, I fear the entire continent will be dragged into his demonic ritual."
Another High Priest gritted his teeth and said, "The real trouble is that Bibi Dong, Yue Guan, and Gui Mei have all been resurrected as undead puppets. If those undead truly have the power of a Titled Douluo, ordinary cities can't stop them at all, especially Bibi Dong."
When Bibi Dong's name was mentioned, the atmosphere in the hall grew heavy. Bibi Dong was once the Supreme Pontiff of Spirit Hall. Even though her relationship with the Hall of Worship was complicated, no one dared to underestimate her strength. Now that she was brought back from the dead as an undead puppet in Tang San's hands, it was not just a threat to Spirit Hall, but a complete humiliation.
Qian Renxue's gaze turned even colder. "Bibi Dong..."
Her voice was soft, showing little emotion on the surface. But Qian Daoliu, who knew her well, understood that her heart was in turmoil. No matter how Bibi Dong treated her when she was alive, she was still her mother. Now Tang San actually dared to turn Bibi Dong into a mindless puppet. This was ruthlessly trampling on the last bit of family affection in Qian Renxue's heart.
Qian Daoliu looked at Qian Renxue and said slowly, "Xue'er, now's not the time to be angry."
Qian Renxue raised her eyes. "What do you mean, Grandfather?"
Qian Daoliu stood up from the main seat. He walked over to the statue of the Angel God and looked up at the giant Seraphim. The golden light fell on his white hair, making the High Priest of Spirit Hall look even older and more majestic.
"Tang San's city massacres and soul collecting aren't just to resurrect a few undead. His true goal is to use those dead souls to speed up his Rakshasa God inheritance. The more people he slaughters, the stronger the hatred becomes, and the deeper his connection to the Rakshasa God position grows. If we wait until he fully inherits the Rakshasa God position and pairs it with those seven undead Titled Douluo, the entire continent will be destroyed."
Qian Renxue said in a deep voice, "Then let's go kill him right now. I'll go personally."
She turned to leave, but Qian Daoliu shouted, "Stop!"
Qian Renxue paused in her tracks.
Qian Daoliu looked at her back, his voice low and stern. "If you go now, you can't kill him."
Qian Renxue turned back sharply. "Do you think I'm weaker than him, Grandfather?"
"It's not that you're weaker," Qian Daoliu shook his head. "It's because you aren't a true god yet. Although Tang San hasn't fully become a god either, he can already use the Rakshasa Space to travel anywhere across the continent, and he has countless dead souls as sacrifices. If you chase him recklessly, he won't fight you head-on. He'll just keep running away while slaughtering more cities. You can't save every city, nor can you stop him from growing stronger."
Qian Renxue fell silent. She knew Qian Daoliu was right. The most terrifying thing about Tang San right now wasn't his direct fighting power, but the fact that he had completely abandoned all human moral limits. He didn't care about the lives of ordinary people, he didn't care about the destruction of cities, and he didn't even care if those resurrected people had any awareness left. As long as it made him stronger, he would do anything. Since she was still only at the half-step Divine Rank, she could never completely suppress and kill Tang San inside his Rakshasa Space.
Qian Daoliu slowly walked over to stand in front of Qian Renxue. "Xue'er, it's time to start the Angel Ninth Trial."
As soon as he spoke, the expressions of all the High Priests in the hall changed. Although they had long known this day would come, their hearts still sank when Qian Daoliu actually said it. The Angel Ninth Trial meant inheriting the Angel God position. To truly open the gate of inheritance, the final trial had to be initiated by the guardian of the Angel God position.
Qian Renxue naturally understood what this meant. She looked at Qian Daoliu, her voice tightening. "Grandfather, it hasn't come to that yet."
Qian Daoliu said calmly, "It already has. Tang Chen is on Sea God Island taking the Sea God inheritance, while Tang San is on the continent slaughtering cities using the power of Rakshasa. The three major God powers on the Douluo Continent have all awakened: Life, Rakshasa, and Angel. Xue'er, if you hesitate any longer, once Tang San truly becomes a god, what you'll have to face won't just be a fallen Spirit Master, but a Rakshasa God forged from the dead souls of the entire continent."
Qian Renxue clenched her fists tightly. She could feel the Angel mark on her forehead burning hot, as if the Angel God position itself was urging her to take the final step. But she looked up at Qian Daoliu. "If I start the Angel Ninth Trial, you'll die, Grandfather."
The hall became completely silent.
Qian Daoliu simply smiled. It was a soft smile, carrying a peaceful calmness of someone who had long accepted life and death. "Xue'er, from the day I became the guardian of the Angel God position, my fate was already decided. I exist to die for this moment."
Qian Renxue's eyes turned red. "I don't want to trade your life for a God Position."
"This isn't a trade," Qian Daoliu looked at her, his tone softer than ever before. "This is the duty of the Qian family, and it's the last thing I can do for you."
Qian Renxue said nothing. She had experienced too much coldness, betrayal, and dark moments in her life. From childhood to adulthood, the only person who stood by her without any conditions was Qian Daoliu. She could face Tang San, she could face Tang Chen, and she could face any enemy on the continent, but she couldn't calmly accept that her final step to becoming a god required watching her grandfather sacrifice his life.
Qian Daoliu seemed to see her pain. He reached out and gently placed his hand on Qian Renxue's shoulder. "Xue'er, don't view this as a loss. After you become a god, I'll still be with you in another way. The Angel Holy Light carries the will of all the Qian family's past guardians. I won't truly leave you."
Qian Renxue whispered, "But I won't be able to see you anymore."
Qian Daoliu was silent for a brief moment, then said softly, "You've grown up, Xue'er. Those who grow up must eventually learn to step forward on their own."
Qian Renxue closed her eyes. After a long time, she opened them again. The sadness in her eyes was forced down bit by bit, replaced by absolute coldness, majesty, and resolve. She turned her gaze to the statue of the Angel God.
"Tang San turned my mother into a puppet, slaughtered the innocent, and devoured souls to become a monster. I'll settle this debt with him myself. Tang Chen walks the Sea God path, and Tang San walks the Rakshasa path. I'll use the Angel Holy Light to judge every bit of darkness on this continent."
Hearing this, a look of pride appeared in Qian Daoliu's eyes. "That's the true successor of the Angel God."
He turned to the High Priests in the hall and ordered, "Pass down the command! Spirit City is now under highest alert. No Spirit Master is allowed to leave the city without permission. For the various Spirit Hall branches across the continent, evacuate if you can. If you can't, organize the local people to take shelter immediately. If you run into Tang San, don't fight him to the death, just buy time."
A High Priest asked in a deep voice, "High Priest, what if the undead Bibi Dong leads Yue Guan and Gui Mei to attack us?"
Qian Daoliu's eyes turned cold. "Delay them as best as you can, but don't try to kill them. Those undead aren't living people anymore. They feel no pain, no fear, and they won't retreat. Before Xue'er becomes a god, any full-scale battle with them is pointless."
The High Priests answered together, "Yes!"
Qian Daoliu turned back to Qian Renxue. "Xue'er, follow me to the Angel Secret Realm. The Ninth Trial can't wait any longer."
Qian Renxue nodded. "Okay."
As soon as she spoke, the statue of the Angel God erupted with blinding golden light, and the entire Hall of Worship began to tremble. Golden flames rose from the base of the statue, spreading across the floor along ancient carved patterns. One by one, the divine Angel symbols lit up, and a golden altar slowly rose in the center of the hall. Above the altar, a faint phantom of the Seraphim flickered.
"Follow me," Qian Daoliu said as he walked to the front of the Seraphim statue. On his forehead, a diamond-shaped golden mark glowed brightly. The next second, a beam of pure golden light shot out from between his brows and hit the center of the statue's forehead.
The entire Hall of Worship shook violently as a golden vortex slowly opened on the forehead of the Angel statue. The vortex spun silently, acting like a portal to another realm.
Qian Renxue's eyes narrowed slightly. Even though she had completed the Eighth Trial, she had never seen the secret hidden deep inside the Hall of Worship.
Qian Daoliu looked back at her. "The true Angel God Temple isn't here. This is just the entrance."
Without hesitating, his body turned into a beam of golden light and flew straight into the vortex. Qian Renxue took a deep breath. Golden wings unfolded behind her back, and she turned into a stream of light, following Qian Daoliu into the portal.
In an instant, all sounds from the outside world vanished. Qian Renxue felt as if she were passing through a long golden tunnel filled with flowing light. There was no concept of direction, only endless warmth wrapping around her body.
After an unknown amount of time, the bright light dispersed, and she landed on the floor of a strange, grand hall. The hall seemed to float in the middle of a starry sky. There were no walls, only six massive golden pillars holding up the high ceiling. Beneath her feet was a clear golden floor, showing countless stars floating underneath.
Ancient feather patterns were carved into each pillar, glowing with sacred energy that seemed to hold the faith of the Angel lineage over countless years. In the center of the hall stood a three-meter-tall Seraphim statue. Unlike the huge statue in the main hall, this statue wasn't glowing. It was completely gray, looking like it had been asleep for thousands of years. In front of the statue, a plain gray longsword was stuck straight into the ground.
When Qian Renxue looked at that sword, the Angel spirit power inside her body began to surge uncontrollably.
Qian Daoliu stood before the statue, excitement showing in his voice. "This is the real Angel God Temple, and this is where you'll face the final challenge of the Angel Ninth Trial. Xue'er, starting today, you'll no longer be just an heir. You will truly become the Angel God."
Qian Renxue looked at the gray statue, feeling a massive pressure resting on her chest. Becoming a god was something she had heard about since childhood. Everyone told her she was born to inherit the Angel God position for Spirit Hall, for the Qian family, and for her grandfather's expectations. But standing inside the Angel God Temple, she finally realized how heavy those words really were.
Qian Daoliu pointed at the gray longsword. "Use your blood to wake it up."
Qian Renxue stepped forward. She saw a clear gemstone embedded on the sword's handle. Raising her right hand, a flash of golden light sliced her fingertip, and fresh blood dripped out. Her blood wasn't normal; it glowed with a soft golden light and contained pure Angel divine energy.
The moment the blood touched the gemstone, the stone lit up brightly. A powerful pull immediately came from the gemstone, locking Qian Renxue's finger in place. Fresh blood flowed into the gemstone without stopping.
Her face grew pale as her spirit power was rapidly drawn out. Her Seraphim Spirit summoned itself automatically. Nine spirit rings rose from beneath her feet, and golden wings spread behind her back. The gray sword began to transform, starting from the handle. Golden light spread along the blade, waking the weapon from its long sleep.
At the same time, the entire Angel God Temple began to react. The feather patterns on the six pillars lit up one by one, and the stars beneath the floor seemed to move closer. Qian Renxue felt her blood, spirit power, spirit, and life force being drawn into the sword. Weakness hit her in waves, but she gritted her teeth and didn't back away.
Qian Daoliu watched from the side, his eyes filled with pride and affection. "I've waited for this day for so long," he said softly, as if speaking to her and to himself at the same time.
He took a step forward, standing right between the gray Angel statue and the glowing sword.
Qian Renxue felt a sudden wave of panic. "Grandfather?"
Qian Daoliu looked at her with a gentle smile. "Don't be afraid, Xue'er. This is your final trial, and it's mine as well."
Qian Renxue's eyes shrank. "Grandfather, what are you doing?"
Qian Daoliu didn't answer right away. He looked up at the gray Angel statue with a look of pure relief. "Inheriting the Angel God position isn't something done by the heir alone. The position needs a successor, but it also needs a guardian to make the ultimate sacrifice. I am the guardian of this generation. My entire life was meant for this moment."
Qian Renxue's face turned pale. She tried to pull her hand back, but the gemstone held her tight. She couldn't move or break free, while her spirit power was continually drained by the sword. "Grandfather, no! Stop!"
Qian Daoliu just smiled warmly. "Silly child, to gain something great, something must be given up. Our family has protected the Angel God position for generations, and someone has to complete the final step. Your father couldn't do it, and I can't become a god myself, but you can."
Golden flames suddenly burst out from inside Qian Daoliu's body. The flames didn't burn hot, but they lit up the entire Angel God Temple like daylight. His nine spirit rings appeared one by one: black, black, black, black, black, black, black, black, red.
The next second, all nine spirit rings began to burn together. His spirit rings, his spirit power, his physical body, his soul, and everything he possessed as a Peak Douluo burned away, turning into the purest Angel divine fire.
Qian Renxue cried out in despair, "Grandfather!"
She struggled with all her strength, but her body was pinned down. She could only watch as golden flames consumed Qian Daoliu. Meanwhile, the gray Angel statue rapidly absorbed the energy from Qian Daoliu's sacrifice. The statue began turning golden, starting from the forehead down to the wings, until the entire statue glowed with divine light.
Qian Daoliu's voice echoed from within the golden flames. "Xue'er, listen to me. There's one thing I never told you."