Ascending the Holy Light Stairway, Completing the Angel's First Trial
The next morning.
When Lin Chen arrived at the entrance of the Guest Courtyard, Qian Renxue was already standing inside.
Today she wore a plain white robe, her long golden hair tied back, without any extra decorations.
Sunlight streamed in through the courtyard wall, shining upon her and making her aura as Nine-Winged Angel even stronger.
Qian Renxue glanced at him, smiled, and nodded, saying, "Let's go."
The two walked up the stone steps toward the Angel Temple on the mountain.
Throughout the journey, Qian Renxue remained silent, and Lin Chen did not speak either, simply following quietly beside her.
The guards on both sides of the stone steps bowed to Qian Renxue when they saw her. Qian Renxue nodded and continued to walk slowly up to the Worship Hall.
When the two of them arrived at the entrance of the Worship Hall, Qian Daoliu was already waiting there.
He watched Qian Renxue approach, his eyes full of gentleness. "Xue'er, are you ready?"
"Yes, I'm ready." Qian Renxue nodded, a smile spreading across her face.
Qian Daoliu didn't ask any more questions, but simply reached out and patted her shoulder. His movements were very gentle, like an elder seeing off a daughter on her wedding day, carrying a hint of reluctance and a hint of expectation.
Lin Chen stood to the side, watching this scene, and suddenly felt that Qian Daoliu at this moment did not seem like a level 99 Peerless Douluo, but rather just a gentle elder.
Thinking this, Lin Chen smiled and waved to Qian Renxue, saying, "Go for it, Sister Xue! I believe you can pass!"
Qian Renxue looked at him for two seconds, then chuckled, "Thank you for your kind words."
Noon.
On the open ground outside the Angel Temple.
Qian Daoliu stood by the roadside, with several retainers lined up on either side. Mighty Lion Douluo and Demon Subduing Douluo stood at the front, their faces filled with anticipation.
Lin Chen stood slightly behind, his gaze fixed on Qian Renxue.
Qian Renxue took a deep breath, turned around, faced the Angel Temple, and released her Nine-Winged Angel Martial Soul.
Golden light emanated from her body, nine pairs of wings unfurled behind her, and a warm and sacred aura spread out, enveloping the entire square in holy light.
As if sensing this aura, the runes on the Angel God Statues inside the temple suddenly lit up.
Then, a golden ray of light shot into the sky from the statue.
The beam of light pierced through the temple dome and shot straight into the sky, so dazzling that it was impossible to look directly at it even under the midday sun.
The light rose into the air, then suddenly dispersed, turning into countless tiny golden specks that converged towards the direction of the main gate of the temple.
The points of light coalesced and merged, and a golden staircase appeared out of thin air from the temple entrance.
The steps were formed entirely of pure light, each step radiating a warm, holy glow.
It extends outward from the entrance of the palace, rising along the edge of the square and climbing towards the higher mountains.
The higher you go up the steps, the brighter the light becomes. The top few dozen steps are so bright that you have to squint to see them clearly.
Lin Chen looked up at the steps that had materialized from the void, estimated their height in his mind, and found that each step was higher than a normal step.
The entire staircase extends from the mountainside to the summit, culminating in an open-air platform formed by condensed golden light.
"Hoo..." Qian Renxue took a deep breath and slowly stepped onto the first step.
The moment she stepped onto the steps, holy light fell upon Qian Renxue, like a warm veil, comforting and soothing.
Qian Renxue began to walk slowly, and in half an hour she had climbed one hundred steps. She walked steadily on these one hundred steps, her pace neither fast nor slow, her breathing even, and the rate at which her Soul Power was consumed was also relatively slow.
Her figure ascended the steps one by one, her long golden hair swaying gently in the holy light.
Mighty Lion Douluo exclaimed excitedly, "Young Master, keep going! Keep climbing!"
Qian Daoliu remained silent, simply watching Qian Renxue's figure in quiet contemplation.
After reaching level 100, Qian Renxue clearly felt the pressure increasing, the holy light dissipating faster, and her pace slowing down considerably, but she still didn't stop.
By the time she reached level 150, fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, and her breathing became heavier.
"Go for it, Young Master!" Demon Subduing Douluo shouted excitedly from behind.
Mighty Lion Douluo also shouted, and the other elders followed suit.
That's how I climbed to level 200.
Qian Renxue's Soul Power had been depleted by nearly half, and each step required several times more effort than before. The pressure of the holy light caused her bones to make a slight cracking sound.
Her steps were no longer as light as they had been at the beginning; each step was heavy, and it took her almost ten seconds to climb one step.
Qian Renxue wiped the sweat from her face, and memories of the past flashed through her mind.
Lin Chen casually pushed open the door and walked into the study of the Crown Prince's Residence in Heaven Dou City, showing no respect whatsoever for the Crown Prince.
She rolled her eyes at him, but she didn't actually dislike his casual manner.
Thinking of this, Qian Renxue smiled and her steps became a little more steady.
She climbed to the three hundredth step, by which time her Soul Power was nearly exhausted.
Her body trembled, her robes soaked with sweat, and the holy light burned her veins; every step felt like walking on a knife's edge. Her vision began to blur, her eyes turning white.
Fragments of past memories resurfaced in her mind's eye.
When she faced Lin Chen in her true form for the first time in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, telling him that she was the Young Master of the Spirit Hall, Lin Chen's attitude remained unchanged, and their relationship became even closer.
When she reached the last thirty steps, the holy light was so heavy it almost pushed her off.
Her Soul Power was almost depleted, and she was relying solely on her willpower and physical strength to stay afloat. Each step she took felt like moving a mountain.
But she still didn't stop.
She thought of many things. She thought of the twelve years she had spent infiltrating the Heaven Dou Empire, of every time she appeared in court as Xue Qinghe, and of the moment she sat on the Dragon Throne on the day of her coronation.
By the time she reached the last step, Qian Renxue was completely exhausted.
For twelve years, she served as Xue Qinghe. It was impossible for Xue Qinghe to pass the assessment.
But now, she is Qian Renxue!
With that thought in mind, Qian Renxue mustered her last bit of strength and forced herself to take the final step.
She stood at the top of the steps, turned around, and sunlight shone down from the sky, falling on her.
Her face was pale and she was covered in sweat, but her golden eyes were full of bright light.
The Angel God Statue emitted a soft golden light, which fell upon Qian Renxue, radiating a holy yet powerful aura.
Qian Renxue knelt at the top of the steps, feeling the golden light merge into her body.
The depleted Soul Power began to slowly recover, the scalded meridians were gradually repaired by the holy light, and the Soul Power Level quietly increased at this moment.
"It's through!" Mighty Lion Douluo shouted excitedly upon seeing this.
The other worshippers also stepped forward, their smiles barely concealed.
Qian Daoliu stood at the bottom of the steps, looking at the figure at the top, his eyes filled with only satisfaction.
Seeing this, Lin Chen breathed a sigh of relief, and the tension on his face disappeared completely.
Pope Hall, Bibi Dong stood by the window, looking at the golden light coming from the direction of the Angel Temple. Her gaze was cold, but beneath the coldness was a hint of irritation that she herself was unwilling to admit.