Chapter 287
Angel’s Ninth Trial, Inheriting Divinity
(TL by Bagelson)
Seeing the shock in Xiao Wu’s eyes, so much so that there was even a bit of worry and fear, Tang San laughed despite himself,
“Silly girl, don’t get nervous, listen to the end first! I’m talking about a very short time.”
“But, ge, don’t you need us to become Seagod? I still want to complete the Seagod Trials with you!”
Tang San smiled:
“Of course. Not just you, Mubai and the others have to go too. Didn’t senior Bo Saixi say that without all your help, I can’t become Seagod. The separation I mean is that I have to go to Star Dou Great Forest first, and then the Seagod Island. You know my flight speed. It’s much faster than ordinary. If you followed me to the Star Dou Great Forest and then to the Seagod Island, it might be a bit slow. It would be better if you first went to the coast where we returned and waited for me, and also had Xiao Bai gather enough Devil Spirit Great White Sharks. Once I’ve completed adding spirit rings to the Clear Sky Hammer in the Star Dou Great Forest I’ll join up with you. That way we can save the most time. We might not even be apart for ten days.”
Listening to Tang San’s explanation, Xiao Wu sighed and softly hit Tang San’s chest,
“You really are rotten, you just have to scare me.”
Tang San laughed out loud:
“Unfair! Who knew you’d react so strongly, not even waiting for me to finish?”
Xiao Wu pouted, thumping Tang San’s shoulder without letting him off. Seeing her tender appearance, Tang San couldn’t help his heart filling up, and he heavily kissed Xiao Wu’s pouting lips.
There were no more delays. After saying farewell to his father, Grandmaster and Xue Beng, the Shrek Seven Devils split into two teams, taking advantage of the night to quietly leave the Heaven Dou Empire camp. This was Xue Beng’s plan. Tang San’s position in the army was too lofty, if the soldiers knew he’d left, it might influence morale. Therefore he had to leave quietly, tightly blockading the news. Partly not to influence morale, and at the same time also to avoid the Spirit Empire’s scrutiny.
But at the same time as Tang San and the others left the camp, Tang San preparing for the last dash to become Seagod, in the Spirit Empire, in Spirit City, in Elder Palace, someone else was already at the final juncture.
……
Spirit City, Elder Palace.
Standing quietly in the heart of the palace, facing that enormous six winged angel statue, Qian Renxue’s entire body emanated a golden light.
Entirely different from when she originally came here, right now she was no longer a person who could kneel and pray before the angel statue, but rather just like it, she had become the heart of the great palace.
“You have already prepared?”
An aged voice calmly asked.
Qian Renxue slowly raised her head. One could see how her eyes were actually completely golden, radiating light filled with the aura of divinity.
“Yes, I’m ready.”
Qian Renxue’s voice lacked the moodiness from before, it seemed apathetic and cold, as if it no longer came from a human mouth.
Another figure slowly walked up from behind the angel statue. Tall, stalwart, the aged voice also became clear as he revealed himself,
“My existence is for the sake of this day. For this day, I have already waited more than a hundred years. Come with me.”
The person walking out from behind the statue was precisely the Spirit Empire high priest, once one of the three exceptional Douluo, Angel Douluo Qian Daoliu.
Suddenly, light flashed behind Qian Daoliu, completely surrounding him as a ball of golden light. Nine spirit rings were neatly arranged over him. Appearing at the same time was also three pairs of pure white wings. This was that super spirit, Seraphim.
Besides the wings, Qian Daoiliu’s entire body was wrapped up in gold, but it seemed to lack something compared to Qian Renxue’s golden color. But after he released the spirit, he replaced Qian Renxue and the angel statue, becoming the heart of the entire Elder Palace.
On Qian Daoliu’s forehead appeared a rhombic golden gem. Without him making any movement, instantly, he had arrived before the angel statue, a bizarre golden ray of light shooting out from that rhombic gem, just shining on the spot between the angel statue’s eyebrows.
Immediately, the angel statue’s forehead showed a golden ripple, the entire idol seeming to slowly tremble once.
Observing this scene with completely golden eyes, Qian Renxue was also slightly astonished. Clearly, this was the first time she saw circumstances like these.
“Child, follow me.”
Qian Daoliu turned around, beckoning to Qian Renxue. Then suddenly accelerating, he shot towards that giant angel statue.
Qian Renxue didn’t release her spirit, but her body still floated up, shooting towards the angel statue after Qian Daoliu.
A strange scene appeared. As Xian Daoliu’s body violently struck that giant statue, there was no intense collision, instead he disappeared in a flash of light, just like entering a pond.
Qian Renxue’s circumstances was the same. Following closely behind Qian Daoliu, she disappeared into the angel statue.
The whirlpool between the eyebrows of the statue slowly disappeared, the illusory feeling also vanishing. With a flickering light, everything returned to normal. But the grandfather and child Qian Daoliu and Qian Renxue were also lost within that vanished golden light.
Everything around was golden. Qian Renxue discovered that she had entered a strange world. The first sensation was boundless warmth wrapping up her body, everything around clearly seemed so unreal, illusory golden light constantly rippling, as if she was in a tunnel made of illusory light.
Qian Daoliu was just ahead, pulling Qian Renxue to fly forward. It seemed like an aeon had passed before the surroundings finally cleared up, the illusory feeling disappearing, returning to reality.
Qian Renxue was astonished to find that she and her grandfather had reached a large palace. When her bod appeared here, she immediately sensed that this great palace was strange.
It was surrounded by endless night, speckled with myriad stars, and the palace where she stood seemed to float within this night space.
The palace was hexagonal, six giant golden pillars supporting the roof. There were no walls, and everything around was illusory. Whether it was the floor, ceiling or those six giant pillars, everything was carved with countless inscriptions. These inscriptions formed the appearance of angel feathers.
In the center of the palace was a three meter tall angel statue. It looked exactly the same as the one in Elder palace, only much smaller. This angel wasn’t made from gold, but was rather dull grey. In front of the statue, an equally grey longsword was stuck in the ground. Six wings spread out behind it, vivid and lifelike.
“Grandpa, where is this?”
Having arrived in this strange world, Qian Renxue’s voice was also finally a bit breathless.
Qian Daoliu’s face revealed a strange smile:
“This is the true Angel Shrine, the location of the Angel God’s inheritance. Child, come over.”
While speaking, he waved his hand to Qian Renxue.
Qian Renxue was guided to stand in front of that angel statue. Qian Daoliu pulled her hand, looking at the equally rhombic golden gem on her forehead,
“You will let the radiance here reappear, let angels once again appear in the human world. Here, is where you will complete the ninth Angel Trial. At the same time it is also the place of your true inheritance, where you will step into divinity. The Douluo Continent, nobody knows how many years it has been since gods appeared. You will become the strongest in the Continent, to lead the Spirit Empire to ascendancy.”
Listening to Qian Daoliu, Qian Renxue’s eyes gradually brightened, intense spirit glittering in the golden pupils. At this moment, a figure suddenly appeared in her mind, the figure of the one who had once defeated her.
Qian Renxue could never forget the man who defeated her back then. His intelligence and strength had made her consider him her greatest enemy.
“Tang San, I will become god of angels. And you? Haven’t you already been left far behind? I will definitely come find you. I will personally settle the matter between you and me. When we meet again you will only have two choices. Submit or be destroyed. Besides grandfather, you are the only man I do not loathe. I hope you won’t disappoint me.”
“Little Xue.”
Qian Daoliu’s voice woke Qian Renxue from her train of thought.
“Grandpa, what should I do?”
Qian Renxue’s gaze grew firm again. For some reason, as she recalled Tang San’s name, her entire heart burned. The first time she saw him was at Ning Fengzhi’s introduction, and the last time they had become enemies. For some reason, although Tang San had ruined her more than decade long effort of infiltrating the Heaven Dou Empire, Qian Renxue didn’t hate him, but on the contrary admired him even more. In her heart she didn’t want to kill Tang San, but rather conquer the only man she admired.
“Use your blood.”
Qian Daoliu pointed to the round transparent gem on the hilt of the dark and dull longsword.
Qian Renxue drew a sharp breath. She knew the last moment was before her. Slowly raising her right hand, she covered that gem. Suddenly, her thumbnail slashed, and immediately a stream of bizarrely colored blood flowed from her middle finger, moistening the gem on the sword hilt.
Qian Renxue’s blood was quite strange, not the red of humans, but more like faint pink mixed with faint gold. This strange blood even smelled somewhat sweet.
Suddenly, Qian Renxue felt her right hand twitch, the cut on the middle finger sucked against that clear gem. The glossy stone was now unexpectedly like a starved leech, Madly swallowing Qian Renxue’s blood. Blood madly spurted from the wound, making Qian Renxue tremble unconsciously.
One spirit ring after another appeared from Qian Renxue’s body. With a crash, six giant wings extended behind her, unfurling in the air. While her blood was being sucked, her spirit automatically forced its way out.
Qian Daoliu stood aside, nervously watching everything.
As more and more of Qian Renxue’s blood trickled out, the gem on the longsword’s hilt gradually brightened. Just at the start, it sparkled with the same pink golden color as Qian Renxue’s blood, but as more time passed, the brilliant pink gradually faded, becoming purely golden. Golden light roamed, spreading down along the gem, bit by bit permeating that bizarre sword.
A weak feeling began to appear in Qian Renxue’s consciousness. But she unflinchingly kept it up, and even urged her spirit power to speed up the blood flow.
Gradually, Qian Renxue discovered that her body had become unable to move. The feeling of weakness grew stronger and stronger, but the golden light the sword in front of her released also began to grow more and more intense, the surging right rendering the entire Angel Shrine golden. The carvings in the surrounding shrine began to come to life. Faint light roamed, as if alive. The faint golden light was gradually strengthening.
Qian Daoliu smiled, his eyes revealing a zealous light as he muttered:
“I’ve waited far, far too long for this moment, Tang Chen, in the end you were one step behind me! Even though I can’t reach rank one hundred to become god, my posterity has still reached it. I didn’t think I would be defeating you at this time. Unfortunately, I don’t know whether you’re still alive. If you are, what face will you make when you see my granddaughter become god? Haha, hahahaha.”
Qian Daoliu with difficulty raised his leg, taking one step forward to stand in front of that grey angel statue and the longsword gradually becoming golden.
The zealous light in his eyes gradually became gentle, gazing at Qian Renxue,
“Child, this is your final juncture. It’s also grandpa’s final juncture. No matter how painful it is, you will definitely succeed. In the future, if you meet an exceptional Douluo called Tang Chen, you have to defeat him for grandpa. That’s grandpa’s lifelong opponent.”
“Grandpa, what are you doing?”
Qian Renxue managed to open her mouth to yell. An intense feeling of unease suddenly rose in her heart. Its source was Qian Daoliu’s kindly and benevolent gaze.
Qian Daoliu smiled slightly,
“Silly child, there will always be loss. This is my karma. As the Angel God’s guardian, I exist in order to pass on the the Angel God’s inheritance. Without me, you couldn’t possibly complete the last step. Don’t feel sad, you can’t move now, it’s impossible to stop me. Remember my words, lead the Spirit Empire to glory. If you meet Tang Chen, help me beat him.”
As he spoke, an intense golden flame abruptly surged from Qian Daoliu’s body with a loud explosion, That flame had no heat, but at this moment it still brightened the entire shrine, and the faintly golden inscriptions now turned intensely bright. Qian Daoliu even replaced the angel statue to become the heart of the shrine.
“Grandpa, don’t——”
Qian Renxue did her utmost to shout, to struggle. But just like Qian Daoliu said, she was basically unable to move an inch, she was completely absorbed by the gem on the sword, unable to budge.
Qian Daoliu’s entire body had become golden. That golden flame was something he had ignited automatically, it didn’t just burn spirit power, but also his body, his soul, and his everything. This purest angelic flame gradually consumed him. And behind him, that grey angel statue was frantically absorbing the energy erupting from the flame.
“Little Xue, listen. There’s something I never told you. The reason your mother is always unkind to you, even abandoning you as a child, isn’t her fault. Only, it’s also because of you that I haven’t killed her. Your father really didn’t die by Clear Sky Douluo Tang Hao’s hand. Back then Tang Hao only injured him, the person who truly killed your father, was your mother Bibi Dong.”
“What?”
Qian Renxue looked stupidly at her grandfather, even forgetting the golden flame rising from his body.
Qian Daoliu sighed,
“The past is already the past. I know the whole story. Bibi Dong is a genius, only, your father’s methods to keep her were a bit devious. But nobody expected her to bear silently for so many years before moving. At that time you no longer had a father, so I didn’t want to leave you without a mother as well. Once you become god of angels, think clearly how you will face her. There’s one thing I must warn you of. It there is one more person on the Douluo Continent who has a chance of becoming god, then that’s your mother. Her heart is already swallowed by wickedness. If she successfully breaks through and becomes god of rakshasa, she will be the antithesis of you as Angel God. But you are her daughter, deep in her heart she has always loved you. You must seize rulership of the Spirit Empire, decide for yourself how to act with Bibi Dong. Grandpa suggests you don’t make things difficult for her, if you and she can join hands, then sweeping the Continent will be even easier.”
“She killed my father, she killed my father?”
Qian Daoliu stood there absentmindedly, not even reacting to the weakness in her body or the surge of energy disappearing within her. Qian Daoliu also smiled with satisfaction. He of course had a reason for telling Qian Daoliu this important news now, only with this would his granddaughter disperse the energy, and not feel sad for his death.
“Ch…...ild…… you….. were….. alwa….. ys grand…… pa’s……. pride…... Definitely…… with…… stand….. this fi…… nal……. trial……. become……. an…… gel……”
Qian Renxue only woke up once Qian Daoliu’s voice grew intermittent. In front of her, Qian Daoliu’s body had gradually been swalloed by that golden flame. The last thing she saw was her her grandfather’s kind eyes.
“Grand——pa——”
Qian Renxue shouted in pain, struggling to her utmost. Suddenly, her hand was pulled by that bizarre suction, from the gem on the hilt down to the hilt. With a ringing sound, the longsword stuck before the angel statue was unexpectedly pulled from the ground.
Golden light exploded in an instant, and the entire Angel Shrine became a dazzling sphere of golden light. It was like a sun illuminating the night sky, illuminating everything around it, and also swallowing Qian Daoliu.
Inside the Angel Shrine, all the carvings ignited with intense golden flame. Qian Renxue only felt her body sway, already changing position. That grey angel statue was now completely golden, opening it arms it embraced her tightly.
The next moment, Qian Renxue instantly felt something blend into her body. The rhombic gem on her forehead radiated resplendent light. Enormous energy waves constantly erupted into the air. Within waves upon waves of violent explosions, her heart could no longer manage to be sad, the shocking scene made everything she saw turn golden, even her soul turned golden. She temporarily lost the capability of thought.
A dignified voice echoed from all around, all the golden light in this moment freezing within the Angel Shrine.
“An——gel—— De——scent——.”
The golden light above the shrine suddenly dulled, the angel statue in the middle of the shrine had already disappeared, leaving Qian Renxue alone. Behind her, those three pairs of wings extended, having turned completely golden. Closing her eyes, letting her golden hair fly behind her, her right hand raising that strange longsword she just drew, her entire body blossomed with an intense golden flame.
Starting from the tip of the sword, feather shaped inscriptions began to spread downwards. Spreading over the sword, gradually passing on to Qian Renxue’s body, extending to her face, extending all over her. With a soft jingling sound, all her clothes completely disappeared, exposing her perfect naked body.
That strange pattern was like clothes to Qian Renxue, gradually sliding until it enveloped her completely, strange golden light constantly sparkled in dazzling bursts.
Her consciousness gradually recovering, her soul awakening in pain, Qian Renxue only felt her entire body itch, as if she was being bitten by millions of ants.
Pain could be easily endured, but this itchy feeling was far worse than pain. The terrifying itch made Qian Renxue feel worse than death, so much that she even lost the capacity for thought. That itchy feeling seemed to emanate from the marrow in her bones, and her entire body suffered the extremely terrifying itch.
She wanted to shout, but she couldn’t give voice. She wanted to scratch, but her body wouldn’t move. This never before experienced thrill left her in infinite pain. Her mind was on the verge of collapse.
At this moment, she no longer had any opportunity to reflect on what Qian Daoliu said, she couldn’t even give vent to the sorrow of her grandfather sacrificing himself for her to become god. But she understood one thing, if her soul couldn’t endure this pain, then she would completely collapse. Not only would she fail to inherit divinity, she would become dust in this Angel Shrine.
Gradually, Qian Renxue’s consciousness began to grow fuzzy. Suddenly, a figure appeared in the depths of her soul, wearing long robes, the grand Bibi Dong.
Bibi Dong was watching her with a cold and noble expression, her voice also resonated deep in Qian Renxue’s soul;
“Don’t you want to surpass me? Don’t you hate me? I’m waiting. I kill Qian Xunji. If you want to avenge him, just come find me.”
Qian Renxue’s consciousness shook violently, even shaking off some of that brutal itch,
“Bibi Dong, I hate you, I hate you. You’re not suited to be my mother. But I won’t kill you, I will steal the authority you want the most, to let you taste suffering.”
Bibi Dong’s figure gradually grew vague before her, gradually disappearing into nothingness. What Qian Renxue saw was her disdainful gaze.
The strength of her soul suddenly increased, and Qian Renxue’s willpower immediately grew stronger. The soul previously on verge of collapse solidified again, frantically blocking the pain from the itchy feeling.
Time passed second by second, and the pain she suffered also grew more and more violent. The just painstakingly condensed willpower began to break down again, and her soul also began to falter anew.
No, I have to endure, Qian Renxue shouted desperately in the depths of her soul. But that constantly increasing pain made her soul like a leaf tossed in a tempest.
Her soul grew vague once again, but at this moment, yet another faint silhouette appeared in the depths of her mind.
“Child, don’t give up, you must endure. This is the chance grandpa traded his life for!”
This time, the figure that appeared was Qian Daoliu, his body burning with golden flame, his gaze filled with hope and encouragement stimulating Qian Renxue’s soul, once again condensing that tattered soul.
“Grandpa, I won’t give up, I’ll definitely succeed. Don’t worry. I’ll definitely become the strongest. I’ll complete your last wishes. Grandpa, give me strength, let me withstand this pain.”
In the Angel Shrine, Qian Renxue’s body shuddered violently. Each time she shuddered, that golden pattern would become a bit more intense. Her body was also constantly changing with that golden pattern and rising golden flame.
Already in her thirties, Qian Renxue gradually became younger, now she already looked eighteen, but her body was even more ample than she had been back then, her waist extremely slender, her chest towering, perfectly curved hips, perfectly round butt and long slender thighs stretching out below, especially hidden from view under that golden pattern of light grew even more fantastic.
On her forehead, that golden rhombic gem had already shattered at some point, becoming a golden brand on her forehead. That brand was in the shape of a six winged angel. Like a small sized Angel God implanted on her forehead.
When this brand appeared was the first time Qian Renxue’s soul was unable to endure, and when her body changed, growing younger, was the second time.
Qian Renxue had now already become divine, her whole body erupting with golden flames. Especially the six wings on her back seemed more like cast from golden flame, and each time they flapped the surroundings would distort with gold.
Suddenly, a piercing shriek exploded from Qian Renxue’s body. The itch she felt redoubled in intensity, putting her just stabilized spirit in crisis again.
Along with a golden mist abruptly erupting outside her body, from within her body, as well as out of nowhere, altogether six strange golden bones appeared around her.
The golden pattern on Qian Renxue’s body instantly scattered, exposing her smooth tender body. All of the golden pattern transformed into lines of golden light that blended into those six strange bones.
Indeed, these six golden bones were the world famous Spirit Hall’s paramount treasure, the Angelic Raiment. Before coming here, Qian Renxue had fused five of them, but had not yet dared fuse one. Now in the process of inheritance, whether fused or not, they all appeared by her side.
Each of the spirit bones began to show strange changes as they were immersed in that golden pattern. Spirit bones were no longer bones, but rather gradually merged, fusing together with the surrounding golden lines of light, slowly turning into watery, becoming a large stream of golden liquid, condensing into a giant ball of light that floated three meters in front of Qian Renxue’s chest.
Qian Renxue strenuously endured, the sudden increase in pain almost making her collapse. But her mind was filled with the courage her grandfather gave her, as well as the shock of his sacrifice, constantly provoking her soul to endure.
But how long could it go on?
Boom——
That ball of golden light formed from the six spirit bones of the Angelic Raiment shot straight at Qian Renxue like a shooting star. In that instant, the liquid quickly flowed along her curves to envelop her entire body.
It was also in that instant that incomparable pain suddenly exploded in Qian Renxue’s soul. In practically an instant, her soul was making sounds of collapse.
The painful feeling redoubled yet again, and even Qian Renxue’s solid willpower could no longer endure.
“Finished.”
Qian Renxue felt cracks start to appear in her soul, and these cracks were quickly spreading, as if it would collapse in the next moment.
Will it end like this? In the end I can’t become god of angels? Unwillingness gnawed at her heart like ants, No, I won’t give up like this. I will succeed, I will succeed——
Qian Renxue shouted madly in her heart, but she still couldn’t stop the collapse of her soul. But in this extremely critical moment, suddenly, in the depths of her soul, a third figure appeared.
Qian Renxue was stupefied. The shadows that appeared before were Bibi Dong and Qian Daoliu, that had also helped her form two obsessions, thereby passing two crises. She understood that, even though she deeply hated Bibi Dong, Bibi Dong was like her grandfather, both held extremely important roles deep in her heart. But, besides them, could there still be someone who could form an obsession? This third shadow, who was it? Could there be a person even more important to her than her grandfather and Bibi Dong?
The third shadow gradually grew distinct in her mind. It was a man, a young man.
Long blue hair scattered over his back, blue eyes that seemed to see through everything, filled with deep wisdom, a slender figure with grace and nobility, and in front of him quietly floated a standing harp.
He slowly raised his hands, slender fingers caressing the strings, crisp jingling turning into a perfect melody that permeated Qian Renxue’s soul. Like the sounds of her soul’s collapse.
It’s him, why is it him? Qian Renxue’s heart was shocked to the extreme. She very clearly understood that, the later these obsessions appeared, the more important the person was to her. This was also the reason she didn’t understand how he appeared after Qian Daoliu. She had believed that there was nobody more important than her grandfather.
But now she understood that, a very, very long time ago, another person had quietly infiltrated her heart, and at the same time also branded the deepest depths. It was at this moment that he quietly appeared, forming the third obsession helping her reach divinity.
Qian Renxue wanted to weep. Right now her soul was in an extremely brittle state, she even wanted to give up on everything. But, the harp constantly saturating her heart still helped her to bit by bit erase the signs of collapse from her soul.
That man always had a faint smile, gracefully and softly plucking the strings, as if narrating Qian Renxue’s thoughts.
Light and shadow flashed, and Qian Renxue appeared inside her own soul, stark naked, step by step approaching the man by the harp. Here, in the depths of her soul, was the source of her soul. And this source, was just being plucked by that man’s fingers. This moment, all the itching pain was alleviated. Tears, flowed down the face condensed in Qian Renxue’s soul.
Vermillion lips softly parting, she sobbed out…...
“Tang San, why is it you……”