Inside the Worship Hall, Qian Renxue slowly opened her eyes. Overflowing soul power flowed through her meridians like a tide, eventually returning to the slowly rotating golden soul core deep within her dantian. With each rotation of the soul core, pure sacred power was released, fusing into her limbs and bones.
Her aura gradually stabilized until it finally broke through an invisible barrier, stepping into an entirely new realm.
Level 97 — the pinnacle of Douluo.
"I've finally broken through," a smile appeared on Qian Renxue's face.
Ever since returning to the Spirit Hall, she had worked tirelessly to complete the remaining Angel God trials. In less than a year, she had finished the seventh trial. At that moment, the six-winged angel phantom behind her became even more solid, and visible radiance poured from each wing. Every gesture she made naturally emanated a sacred aura, as if resonating with the laws of light in this world.
However, when her consciousness turned toward the sacred trials deep within her mind, her smile vanished instantly. After the seventh trial, the eighth trial — "Destruction of the Inner Demon" — and the ninth trial — "Inheritance of the God Position" — were prominently listed.
Chen Yi had solemnly warned her: "There is a problem with the Angel God trials. After completing the seventh trial, she must not continue."
Qian Renxue naturally understood that Chen Yi was doing this for her own good. Moreover, she herself had noticed strange changes in the Angel God trials during this period. It was impossible to believe that no one was tampering with them.
She stood up slowly. The sacred aura disappeared, leaving only the immeasurable soul power of a Level 97 pinnacle Douluo.
Having been in seclusion for so long, the war in the outside world must have reached its climax. It was time for her to join the battle.
Just as she was about to leave the shrine, the tall angel statue overhead suddenly emitted a faint light. Qian Renxue stopped and turned her sharp gaze toward it.
The God Ancestor had died tens of thousands of years ago, and her divine position had remained vacant. It was impossible for her to perform divine acts. So who was controlling the statue at this very moment?
Before she could think further, an irresistible force erupted from the statue. Qian Renxue's consciousness was seized as if by an invisible hand, instantly separating from her body and vanishing into the statue.
When Qian Renxue regained consciousness, she found herself inside a magnificent and sacred temple. Everything here was arranged exactly like the worship halls on the Douluo Continent. The soaring dome was painted with scenes of stars and angels in battle. Twelve white jade pillars supported the hall. In the center stood an even larger and more majestic angel statue.
Unlike other places, every corner here was filled with rich sacred aura, as if the laws of light had materialized within it. Fine particles of dust danced in the air, and the ground beneath her feet was as smooth as jade, emitting a soft glow.
"Where… is this?" Qian Renxue looked around, unable to hide her shock and confusion.
"This is the Angel Temple," a gentle voice suddenly sounded from behind her.
Qian Renxue turned around abruptly and saw a woman in green robes standing in the center of the temple. She had a soft and gentle demeanor. Her appearance was breathtakingly beautiful, radiating reassurance and warmth. What stood out most were her eyes—emerald-green irises that seemed to reflect the life and death of all things, as if witnessing the entire cycle of life in the universe.
A god. Moreover, a very high-ranking one.
"Child, there's no need to be so flustered," the woman in green noticed Qian Renxue's panic and smiled faintly. "I am the Goddess of Life. In the mortal world, I am considered Chen Yi's senior."
The Goddess of Life!
Chen Yi had spoken to her in detail about the Divine Realm, especially about the Goddess of Life, who had secretly helped him many times. She was a close friend of one of the two God Kings on the Divine Realm Committee and their most powerful supporter. As long as it wasn't Poseidon or Asura God, there was no problem.
"Qian Renxue greets Your Majesty the God King." She quickly bowed respectfully.
The Goddess of Life waved her hand and swept her gaze across the entire temple. A complex emotion flashed in her eyes. "The Angel Temple is the private domain of the Angel God, so after the Angel's fall, other gods should not visit. However, there is a reason for this, so please forgive the intrusion, successor of the Angel God."
"I cannot accept that," Qian Renxue replied immediately upon hearing this. "Your Majesty the God King has helped Chen Yi and the Angel Clan many times. We are deeply grateful. Compared to that, this is truly nothing."
She spoke from the heart. If the Goddess of Life had not secretly protected them, the Spirit Hall would have long been destroyed by Asura and the Sea God's schemes. This mercy was far more important than any so-called private matter of the temple.
The Goddess of Life nodded and said nothing more. She looked at Qian Renxue, her gaze turning solemn. "The reason I came to find you is simple. After defeating the Demon Realm, you must enter there."
"There is an opportunity waiting for you."
Qian Renxue narrowed her eyes. Sure enough, this God King also knew the inside story of the Demon Realm—perhaps even more than the Rakshasa God.
"Understood." She asked no further questions. Since it was something she would be involved in anyway, the result would be the same whether she acted or not.
Seeing her calm reaction, a flash of approval appeared in the Goddess of Life's eyes before her expression turned serious. "There is one more thing I want to discuss here. I just investigated the current state of the Angel position…"
At this moment, the Goddess of Life's complexion darkened, and a coldness crept into her voice. "I discovered something wrong."
It was far more than a "minor issue."
The moment the Goddess of Life probed the inner state of the Angel God position, a storm had raged in her heart.
A first-class god position like the Angel God should possess complete holy, judgment, and purification powers, along with a stable foundation and perfect law chains. Yet what she saw was almost completely hollow—an empty shell!
The authority to judge had been stripped away! The power of purification had been taken! The remaining divine rights were slightly distorted, and cracks had appeared in the foundation of the god position. The current Angel sacred position was inferior even to a powerful second-class sacred position. If not for the lingering traces of its origin maintaining it, this sacred position would have collapsed long ago.
In a major battle, even a slight but powerful blow could be fatal.
The Goddess of Life suppressed the chill in her chest and did not tell Qian Renxue these details. Revealing them too early might only add to her burden.
"In short, the current state of the Angel position is by no means optimistic," the Goddess of Life said after a moment of silence, choosing a relatively gentle approach. "If you wish to inherit it, you must be mentally prepared."
Qian Renxue nodded. Chen Yi had already warned her, and she had her own guesses. Since a major problem had occurred in the divine trials, the condition of the god position was naturally not good either. She was prepared for all of this.
"Understood."
Seeing this, the Goddess of Life nodded and said nothing more. She raised her hand and grasped the void. In her palm condensed a massive golden sphere of light filled with countless intricate rune characters, emitting a warm and powerful aura.
"This is…" Qian Renxue looked at the sphere of light with curiosity.
"Power of faith," the Goddess of Life explained concisely. "I have refined it to remove impurities. Keep it. It will surely be useful later."
Power of faith!
Qian Renxue's heart trembled. The notes left by the Angel God stated that the power of faith was the foundation of divine cultivation and the core energy for condensing divinity and maintaining the god position. Even for first-class gods, pure faith power was an extremely precious resource. The purity and quantity of the energy mass casually released by the Goddess of Life would likely be enough to instantly elevate a third-class god to second-class.
"Thank you, Your Majesty the God King." Qian Renxue solemnly accepted it.
The sphere of light felt warm and smooth in her hand. It began to rotate immediately, melting into her consciousness and sinking deep into her sea of consciousness.
"There's no need to be so polite. Chen Yi and I share a deep connection. Since you are his partner, I cannot simply stand by and watch."
The Goddess of Life smiled faintly, her gaze turning toward the depths of the temple. "Additionally, I will leave a branch of the Tree of Life here. When you inherit the Angel position, it will ensure there are no major problems."
An expression of ecstatic joy appeared in Qian Renxue's eyes.
The ancient Tree of Life!
It was the true form of the Goddess of Life and a supreme artifact. If its branch suppressed the Angel position, even if the position was incomplete, there would be no great risk during the inheritance process.
Chen Yi had said he would find a way to help her, but it would have to wait until he inherited the Thunder God position. Now, with the Goddess of Life's promise, she could finally lay down the last heavy burden in her heart.
"This junior is extremely grateful!"
The Goddess of Life waved her hand. Her gaze suddenly turned toward a certain point in the void, where a battle was unfolding in a corner of the Douluo Continent. "Chen Yi will soon emerge from seclusion."
She shifted her gaze and looked at Qian Renxue. "You may go now."
Her delicate hand gently stroked the ground. In the next instant, Qian Renxue lost consciousness for a moment, and the surrounding scenery rapidly blurred and receded. The Angel Temple, the white jade pillars, and the Goddess of Life's figure all vanished into a streak of light.
The next moment, she regained consciousness. When she opened her eyes again, she realized she was still standing inside the shrine, with the same angel statue quietly standing before her. The light that had illuminated the statue's surface had disappeared, as if everything that had just happened was an illusion.
However, the warm golden light deep in her consciousness and the emerald-green branch that had somehow appeared on the statue's pedestal both told her: It was not a dream.
Qian Renxue took a deep breath. A light of determination shone in her eyes. When she turned around, six wings spread behind her. Her sacred soul core operated at full power, and infinite soul energy soared into the sky.
…
Meanwhile, on Sea God Island, deep within the Sea God Temple… Surrounded by thunder and sitting cross-legged, Chen Yi slowly opened his eyes.
…
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