Beneath Violet Eyes, the Hidden Angel

Two Temple Knights in gleaming silver armor, standing like statues, silently "escorted" Ling Feng through corridor after corridor, each one frighteningly long and absurdly tall. Massive stone pillars held up the vaulted ceiling, carved with angels battling and grandiose scenes of war, silently flaunting just how formidable Spirit Hall was. The air was so quiet he could hear his own heartbeat. Only the footsteps of the three of them echoed through the empty halls, tapping away with an unnerving rhythm.

At last, they stopped before a door. No, it was not a door—it was two damn walls! Dark Gold, ten meters tall, and covered in reliefs of angels descending upon the world. An invisible pressure rushed toward him, crushing the breath from his lungs.

An old man in a crimson robe, his face wrinkled like old tree bark, appeared beside the door like a ghost. His cloudy eyes swept over Ling Feng as though examining a freshly unearthed relic. He lifted a finger like a dead branch.

Rumble...

The heavy doors let out a muffled roar and slowly opened a crack, revealing the pitch-black, bottomless space beyond, like the maw of some monster.

"Go in, child. His Eminence the Pope is waiting for you." The old man's voice was dry and lifeless.

Ling Feng's heart thudded twice. It was not fear, but excitement mixed with caution. The person he was about to meet was one of the most powerful—and most tragic—women on Douluo Continent: Pope Bibi Dong! Whether his plan would succeed depended on this woman's first test!

He swiftly adjusted his breathing, completely burying the shrewdness that belonged to a transmigrator. All he left on his face was the nervousness, confusion, and faint sorrow of an orphan who had lost his parents. Straightening his still somewhat slender frame, he stepped forward and entered alone into the darkness that symbolized the pinnacle of power.

Bang! The enormous doors slammed shut behind him, cutting off all light and sound.

The hall was terrifyingly vast and dimly lit. Only a few shafts of colored light filtered down from the stained-glass windows high above, barely illuminating small patches of the space and making the rest seem even darker. The cold, expensive incense was so thick it stung his nose, but even stronger was an invisible pressure, so cold it felt capable of freezing one's soul solid.

Ling Feng's gaze was instantly seized by the figure seated high upon the Pope's throne at the deepest end of the hall!

Bibi Dong!

She was not wearing that dazzlingly extravagant papal robe. Instead, she wore a dark-purple everyday gown, exquisitely tailored to trace every curve of her mature, flawless figure. Her long purple hair cascaded loosely over her shoulders like a waterfall, with several strands falling over her smooth forehead. One hand propped up her chin and supported the side of her face, while the other rested on her knee, her fingertips tapping lightly now and then. She looked languid, even somewhat... absent-minded?

But the instant Ling Feng stepped into the hall with one foot!

Those half-lidded eyes suddenly flew open!

Ling Feng felt as though two invisible bolts of purple lightning had struck him! Those eyes... were as deep as an icy abyss that had not seen daylight for ten thousand years, yet as gorgeous as the most dreamlike amethyst! Too many emotions churned within them—boundless authority, icy scrutiny, a trace of faint pain? Reminiscence? Even a hint of... guilt that might have been an illusion? But above all, there was bottomless coldness and the indifference of someone who controlled everything!

The instant those eyes fixed on him, Ling Feng's blood seemed to freeze! It was as if his soul had been forcibly torn from his body and laid bare beneath those violet eyes, with no secret left to hide! The Judgment Angel Martial Soul within him reacted like a cat whose fur had stood on end, instinctively releasing a silent roar and trembling—the instinctive terror of an inferior being before an absolute superior!

He clenched his teeth, forcibly suppressing his near-rebellious Soul Power and racing heart. Following the behavior this identity should have had in his memories, he lowered his head deeply and dropped to one knee on the cold, polished obsidian floor with a thud. He did his best to make his voice sound like that of a stiff, frightened boy, with just the right amount of tremor. "Ling Feng... pays respects to His Eminence the Pope."

A deathly silence filled the hall.

Only the soft tap... tap... tap... of Bibi Dong's fingertip against her knee echoed rhythmically through the vast, silent space. Every sound struck against Ling Feng's taut nerves, which felt ready to snap. Time crawled by unbearably slowly.

After an unknown amount of time, that gaze, which had nearly crushed him flat, finally moved away. A clear, pleasant yet icy voice drifted down from above, like a chunk of ice striking jade, entering Ling Feng's ears with perfect clarity.

"Raise your head."

Ling Feng obeyed and slowly raised his head, but his gaze remained dutifully lowered toward the cold floor. He did not dare meet those unfathomable violet eyes.

"Adjudicator Elder Ling Zhan..." Bibi Dong's voice was as calm as though she were reciting a eulogy. "He was this seat's most loyal right hand." She paused, and her voice, like ice against jade, showed not the slightest fluctuation. "His sacrifice was for Spirit Hall's great cause, and for this seat."

Her gaze settled on him again. The complex emotions from before seemed to have sunk away, leaving only pure scrutiny, as though she were assessing the value of an object. "Since you are his only bloodline, from this day forth, you shall be this seat's adopted son. Spirit Hall will grant you protection and resources."

Adopted son! Protection! Resources!

Every word landed like a block of ice striking the ground. There was no warmth in them. It sounded more like a cold transaction. Ling Feng sneered inwardly. Sure enough, the original story had not lied to him. Bibi Dong's heart had long since frozen into a lump of iron. "The son of a benefactor"? He was nothing more than a useful chess piece, perhaps mixed with a little... responsibility toward a dead confidant.

Ding! A key plot point detected: the Pope's "bestowal"! God-Tier Choice triggered!

Choice One: Actor Mode! Overflow with gratitude, pledge loyalty, and declare your willingness to sacrifice everything for His Eminence! Reward: Bibi Dong's preliminary approval; authorization as the "Pope's adopted son" unlocked (may mobilize low-level resources).

Choice Two: Thorn Mode! Silence is golden. Let your face say, "I don't believe this! I want the truth!" Stir the ripples in Bibi Dong's heart. Reward: Greatly increased attention from Bibi Dong (vigilance + deep investigation); obtain the special item "Soul Glimmer Fragment" (can slightly weaken Spiritual Power erosion).

Choice Three: Value Mode! Take the initiative, mention your Martial Soul, demand resources, and pave the way for your rise! Reward: A designated first Soul Ring acquisition mission unlocked; initial cultivation resources doubled!

The system's prompt was like a basin of cold water, instantly clearing Ling Feng's mind. Overflow with gratitude? That would be lowering himself to become a dog! Question her in grief? Without enough strength, that was simply courting death! Only strength! His first Soul Ring! Becoming stronger! Only then would he have the qualifications to speak of intercepting opportunities and defying fate!

"Thank you for Your Eminence's grace!" Ling Feng's voice carried the gratitude expected of a young boy, as well as the dependence of someone who had lost his support. He lowered his head again, cleverly concealing the flash of sharpness in his eyes. "Ling Feng... will certainly not disappoint Your Eminence's expectations. It is only..." At the right moment, he revealed a trace of exhaustion. "Today's Martial Soul awakening consumed far too much of my mind and spirit. I beg Your Eminence to permit me, once my body has recovered somewhat, to immediately obtain my first Soul Ring! So I may serve Spirit Hall and ease Your Eminence's burdens as soon as possible!"

He avoided the trap of directly pledging loyalty, deftly steering the topic toward his Martial Soul and his "loyal" urgency to increase his strength. At the same time, he naturally made his request—give me resources; I want to hunt for a Soul Ring!

Sure enough, a faint, almost imperceptible ripple passed through Bibi Dong's unfathomable violet eyes atop the throne. She seemed somewhat surprised that Ling Feng had not immediately thrown himself at her feet in tearful gratitude. His mention of "awakening a Martial Soul" and "obtaining my first Soul Ring" had also precisely piqued her interest.

"Oh?" The slightly rising note carried a trace of nearly imperceptible inquiry. "What did you awaken?"

The crucial moment had arrived!

Ling Feng's thoughts raced. The Judgment Angel Martial Soul? Its potential was too great. Revealing his hand now would be suicide! He had to hide it! Hide something major!

He took a deep breath, letting an expression of a young boy's unease and subdued excitement toward his own power appear on his face at just the right time. With a thought, he cautiously controlled his Soul Power output, mobilizing only a small fraction of it.

Golden light emerged again, but it was more than a level weaker than before in the sleeping quarters and far more restrained. Only a pair of solid golden wings of light slowly unfolded behind him. The arcs of lightning dancing around the edges of the feathers were also small and gentle, making it look more like a powerful, top-tier light-attribute beast Martial Soul and perfectly concealing the fatal aura of destruction at the core of the Judgment Angel.

"Reporting to Your Eminence," Ling Feng said, his voice carrying a little excitement and uncertainty, "it seems to be... a rather powerful light-attribute beast Martial Soul, with a bit of lightning power as well. But... as for exactly what it is, Ling Feng has little knowledge, so I... I still do not really understand."

However, at the very instant those wings of light, threaded with tiny arcs of lightning, unfolded!

Bibi Dong, seated high upon the throne, abruptly stopped tapping her fingertips against the side of her face!

Within the depths of her dark-purple pupils, like a bottomless icy pool struck by a ten-thousand-ton boulder, monstrous waves suddenly surged! Shock! Disbelief! Even... a violently pounding sensation from the deepest reaches of her soul that she forcibly suppressed, along with some unforgettable, agonizing memory, instantly shattered the frozen disguise in her eyes!

This aura... this pure and majestic power of light! Though it was far inferior to the vast holiness she remembered, and that hint of destructive judgment was so weak as to be nearly nonexistent, the feeling of that core origin... could not possibly be mistaken!

An angel! And something that stood above ordinary six-winged angels!

Ling Zhan... your son... actually...

The hand Bibi Dong rested on her knee unconsciously clenched tight, her knuckles turning pale blue from the force! Her stunning face still maintained the Pope's dignity and calm, but her unfathomable violet eyes locked tightly, tightly onto the wings behind Ling Feng, as if trying to pierce through the disguised golden light and see the essence deep within—the essence that made even her soul tremble!

The air inside the hall seemed to solidify into steel.

The invisible pressure suddenly increased tenfold, like a tangible giant hand madly crushing every inch of Ling Feng's bones and nerves! He could clearly "hear" his heart pounding like a war drum, and he could feel Bibi Dong's terrifying gaze, nearly piercing through his soul and carrying a violent storm of emotion! Stimulated by the horrific aura she unconsciously emitted, the Judgment Angel Martial Soul within him reacted like a vicious beast whose tail had been stepped on, instinctively ready to erupt in full resistance!

Damn it! Hold steady! Ling Feng roared inwardly, mobilizing every ounce of his will to suppress the Martial Soul's upheaval. Cold sweat silently soaked through the clothes on his back once more. This time, it was not an act! It was a physical reaction!

Ding! Detected intense emotional fluctuations in target "Bibi Dong"! Fate Fragment Peering passive effect triggered!

Warning: The target's Spiritual Power level is too high! Peering has suffered intense interference! The images are extremely blurred! Information fragmented!

Fragmented information acquired: a blood-soaked altar... a bloodstained, shattered six-winged silhouette... heart-rending cries of despair... a trembling hand tightly gripping a bloodstained angel scepter...

Several twisted, shattered, horrifying images, as though soaked in blood and forcibly ripped apart, crashed into Ling Feng's mind like heavy hammers alongside sharp, piercing static and massive Spiritual Power backlash!

"Urgh!" Ling Feng could no longer endure it. He let out a suppressed groan of pain, his face turning paper-white in an instant. His body swayed violently, and he nearly collapsed to the floor! The wings behind him, which he had barely managed to maintain, flickered wildly as well, flashing in and out of existence as though they were about to dissipate!

This sudden change made Bibi Dong's violet eyes narrow sharply! To her, Ling Feng's pained reaction and unstable wings looked more like the consequences of a newly awakened Martial Soul, his mind and spirit overtaxed and unable to bear the burden.

The turbulent waves in her eyes seemed to be forcibly pressed down by an invisible hand, swiftly covered by deeper coldness and scrutiny. Yet beneath that coldness seemed to be an extremely obscure, indescribable... complexity? As if she had seen some... shadow from the past?

"Put away your Martial Soul." Bibi Dong's voice returned to its previous cold clarity, but if one listened carefully, there seemed to be an almost undetectable trace of... fatigue? "It seems the awakening did indeed exhaust you greatly."

The terrifying pressure vanished abruptly. Ling Feng felt as though he had suddenly surfaced from the deep sea. Gasping for air, he endured the stabbing pain in his mind and the dizzying sensation of the world spinning around him. He immediately withdrew the flickering wings of light as instructed, lowered his head, and replied hoarsely, "Yes, Your Eminence." Even his voice had weakened considerably.

"Since you have awakened your Martial Soul, obtaining a Soul Ring is now the most urgent matter." Bibi Dong's voice rang out once more, carrying the Pope's unquestionable decisiveness. "In three days, Elder Ghost Leopard will personally lead the team and escort you to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt your first Soul Ring. All necessary resources will be prepared for you."

Elder Ghost Leopard? A Titled Douluo personally escorting him?! Just to help a newcomer obtain his first Soul Ring?!

Ling Feng's heart shook violently! This treatment... was far beyond the norm! It seemed that his identity as the Son of Judgment, along with the disguised Martial Soul he had just displayed, had indeed drawn this Pope's extraordinary attention! But was that attention a blessing or a curse?

"Thank you, Your Eminence!" Ling Feng suppressed the turmoil in his heart, his voice remaining respectful.

"You may leave." Bibi Dong waved her hand and leaned back against the broad Pope's throne once more, closing those violet eyes that seemed capable of seeing through hearts. A trace of weariness truly seemed to settle between her brows.

Ling Feng felt as though he had been granted a pardon. He bowed again, turned around, and slowly retreated from the hall that had nearly made his heart stop. Only when the heavy Dark Gold doors behind him finally slammed shut with a rumble, cutting off that invisible gaze, did he feel alive again. The cold sweat on his back had already turned icy.

Once he stepped beyond the enormous shadow cast by the Pope's Palace, the somewhat harsh afternoon sunlight fell across his body, bringing a false hint of warmth. Ling Feng narrowed his eyes slightly as he adjusted to the shifting light, but his pace quickened. He needed to familiarize himself with the surroundings as soon as possible, especially... in preparation for the crucial Soul Ring hunt three days from now.

Just as he turned a corner in a corridor guarded by enormous angel statues, his path ahead was completely blocked by a figure.

It was a young girl.

She looked no older than twelve or thirteen, yet her figure was already tall and graceful, her youthful beauty beginning to emerge. She wore a plain golden court outfit tailored perfectly to her body. It bore no unnecessary patterns, yet exuded an innate nobility and aloofness, as though an invisible barrier separated her from everything around her. Her long golden hair resembled molten sunlight flowing in waves, loosely gathered behind her head with a simple jade hairpin. Several loose strands fell across her smooth, jade-like forehead, adding a touch more cool elegance.

Most captivating of all were her eyes.

They were an exceedingly rare pair of pure golden eyes, like molten liquid gold, brilliant to the extreme yet so cold that they held not the slightest trace of human warmth. At this moment, those emotionless golden eyes were looking down upon Ling Feng, openly scrutinizing him. Her gaze was filled with assessment, investigation, and... a faint yet unmistakably clear rejection originating from the deepest part of her bloodline!

She merely stood there casually, yet despite her young age, an invisible, mountain-like pressure radiated from her entire body. Sunlight fell upon her golden hair and eyes, seemingly cloaking her in a layer of divine radiance, so dazzling that one scarcely dared look directly at her and might even feel the impulse to kneel in worship.

Qian Renxue!

The name instantly flashed through Ling Feng's mind. At this point in time, should she not have been in the Heaven Dou Empire, acting as its Crown Prince "Xue Qinghe"? Why had she suddenly appeared in Spirit Hall's core territory? And judging by her stance, she had clearly come here specifically to block his path!

"So you are Ling Feng?" A cold, melodious voice rang out, like fine jade lightly striking jade, yet carrying a chill capable of freezing the air as it entered Ling Feng's ears with perfect clarity.