Chapter 341: The Ninth Angelic Trial
Angel God's Trial, Angel Temple
The Angel Temple was located in the endless starry sky. The hall was empty, shaped like a hexagon, with six towering golden pillars supporting the dome. There were no walls—only void in every direction. On the floor, the ceiling, and the pillars themselves, countless mysterious patterns were engraved, all based on the shape of angel wings.
At the center of the hall stood a three-meter-tall statue of the Angel God, identical in design to the one in the Elder Hall, only smaller. However, this statue was not golden, but a dull, lightless gray.
After Qian Daoliu burned himself into golden droplets to open the Angel Temple's gate, Qian Renxue arrived with tears in her eyes and stood at the center, in front of the gray statue, surrounded by the six golden pillars.
Upon her arrival, the gray statue began to glow faintly with golden light. A projection identical to her own Six-Winged Angel Spirit appeared. The once inanimate statue became alive.
The golden light expanded, forming a hundred-meter-tall half-body figure of a Six-Winged Angel. Its eyes shone with divine light, radiating sacred, overwhelming pressure.
The Angel God.
Qian Renxue wiped her tears and said, "Greetings, honorable Angel God. I didn't expect you to personally preside over the inheritance ceremony."
"My descendant, my successor. Why do you not kneel upon seeing me?" the Angel God's ethereal voice rang out, full of divine authority.
Qian Renxue replied coldly, "If you truly are my ancestor, then why did you ignore another one of your descendants—my grandfather—who devoted his entire life to guarding your legacy, only to burn himself away and perish completely?"
"It is the duty of the Angel High Priest to make such sacrifices in exchange for the power they received."
Her voice trembling, Qian Renxue asked, "So that means my grandfather had to vanish forever from this world? You speak of duty—of exchanging power for a price. But my great-grandfather and forefathers retired peacefully because they didn't live to see my inheritance. If I refuse the Angel God's position, can you bring my grandfather back?"
"Are you truly prepared to make such a choice? Douluo Continent has not seen the birth of a god in 20,000 years. So many brilliant soul masters fell at the final step. You're going to give this up?"
The Angel God's voice was solemn, severe, and echoed throughout the hall, heavy with pressure.
"I gained this power by sacrificing my grandfather. Do you think I could ever use it happily? I'll probably live my life surrounded by grief."
Qian Renxue didn't hesitate. She no longer cared much about the Angel God's position. After all, her younger brother could also become a god. He could defeat Bibi Dong, protect Spirit Hall, and do everything she would've done. If giving up her godhood meant bringing her grandfather back—why not?
The Angel God smiled gently. "You're right. Life or death—what does it matter? Sometimes, living can be more painful than death. Even gods are not exempt from this."
"Each Angel High Priest gained strength in exchange for the duty to guard the Angel inheritance. Since Qian Daoliu sacrificed himself to open the gate to the Angel Temple, naturally, I must offer something in return."
"Death is simply the separation of body and soul. Qian Renxue, tell me—what's more important: the body or the soul?"
She paused briefly, then replied, "Of course, the soul. The body is merely its vessel. As long as the soul, memories, and consciousness remain unchanged, the person remains the same—no matter how many bodies they go through."
The Angel God nodded. "Correct. Normally, when humans die, their souls quickly dissipate. Even soul masters are no exception. But Qian Daoliu, after his sacrifice, though his body perished, his soul will not fade. Guided by my power, he will reincarnate, forgetting everything, starting life anew."
"Reincarnate without memories or awareness? That's not my grandfather! Can't he be revived with his memories intact?"
The Angel God shook his head. "As High Priest, Qian Daoliu's mind and actions were shaped by duty. His life was filled with regrets and restrictions. If revived with memory, he would only relive those pains."
"Through reincarnation, under my guidance, Qian Daoliu will be reborn with great talent, free of past burdens. He'll finally be able to live a life of his own choosing."
The Angel God smiled. "So tell me, would you rather he return as he was, or be reborn to live freely?"
Qian Renxue was speechless. Of course, reincarnation was better. Her grandfather would finally have a life of freedom. And her own fighting style—more in line with her father's teachings—came from following her heart.
"Since you've made your decision, the Angel Inheritance begins."
As the Angel God's divine consciousness faded, six soul bones detached from Qian Renxue's body. Then, before she could react, a sharp, tearing pain exploded across her body, sending her vision spinning.
It felt as if her body were being dissected alive. The screeching sound behind her came from the removal of her external soul bone—the one fully integrated with her flesh.
The six Angel Inheritance bones, passed down by each High Priest, could be removed without pain. But external bones like her Snow Empress Jade Crown had merged completely with her body. Removing them was like ripping out her actual bones—especially the headpiece, which felt like her skull was being torn open.
Her screams echoed endlessly through the Angel Temple.
By the time the Snow Empress Jade Crown was finally removed, her eyes were bloodshot, her golden hair in disarray, her face deathly pale. She was barely alive—teetering on the edge of unconsciousness. The pain from losing her skull bone was worse than losing a spine.
"Angel God Trial: Begin. Shatter your inner demons."
Did Qian Renxue have inner demons? Absolutely. They stemmed from the brutal training Qian Xunji had subjected her to—pairing her with imbalanced soul masters from Spirit Hall and getting her beat down repeatedly. At one point, she hid in the Elder Hall, pretending to be sick and begging for protection.
Tormented from the soul bone removal, barely recovering her senses, Qian Renxue now saw the faces she'd long forgotten reappear. Rage filled her eyes.
Her power restricted to five soul rings, she raised her Holy Sword and charged, releasing her fury on those who had hurt her.
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