Gu Yuena's Hopes Shattered (Continued)

If he were to become a god, given his character and methods, he would never sit idly by and watch himself be trapped here!

A faint light suddenly ignited deep within the Silver Dragon King's silent eyes.

Although she knew in her heart that the possibility was very low, it was hard to say whether Tang San could have survived in his condition back then, let alone now that he had become a god.

However, Gu Yuena could only grit her teeth and pray that Tang San would become a god, as this was her only chance to escape her current situation.

In the next cell, Bo Saixi's reaction was completely different.

In her deep, ocean-like eyes, there was surprise, understanding, and a faint, indescribable sadness.

Feel the divine power of true justice and light.

Almost subconsciously, she thought of her old friend, Qian Daoliu, whose fate was intertwined with hers but ultimately led to a different ending.

The man who dedicated his life to the God of Angels and placed all his hopes on his granddaughter.

"Did he... succeed?" Bo Saixi murmured to herself, her voice carrying a sigh that only she could hear.

She believed that this light of divine attainment belonged to Qian Renxue.

This means that the Angel Inheritance Qian Daoliu dedicated his entire life to protecting has finally been fulfilled in his granddaughter.

According to the rules of the Angel God Trial, Qian Daoliu, as the Great Enshrined of the Angel God Trial... then, he...

A complex and inexplicable emotion welled up in my heart.

As priests who both dedicated their lives to the gods, and as old friends who understood each other on certain levels, it was hard for Bo Saixi's heart not to be moved.

Bo Saixi also noticed the change in the previously dormant humanoid Soul Beast in the next cell.

During their time together, Bo Saixi also figured out that Gu Yuena was not a follower of the Sea God's Soul Beast, but instead always referred to herself as the Silver Dragon King, the sovereign of Soul Beast.

While Bo Saixi did coexist peacefully with the Soul Beast on Sea God Island, that was under certain conditions.

That is, these Soul Beast are all followers of Poseidon, the Sea God god, who believe in the Sea God and are willing to protect Sea God Island together.

Bo Saixi still rejected someone as strong, domineering, and aloof as Gu Yuena.

I simply cannot understand why the Lord Sea God sent her to support Sea God Island in the first place.

···································

Qian Daoliu pushed his speed to the limit. As his Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul unfurled, a stream of brilliant golden light tore through the sky, like a sacred arrow piercing through heaven and earth.

In a short while, he had approached the source of the golden pillar of light and felt the increasingly clear and powerful divine might of the newborn.

At the heart of the light, a blond boy stood suspended in mid-air.

The sunlight seemed to favor him, bathing him in a sacred halo.

The young man had a handsome face and bright eyes; it was Arthur.

But the man before him was no longer the calm and resolute youth in Qian Daoliu's memory. Behind him floated a magnificent golden halo, slowly rotating and woven from intricate sacred runes and law patterns. As the halo swirled, it exuded a majestic aura that inspired awe yet also a sense of warmth and peace.

The newly generated divine power flowed out of his body as naturally as breathing, subtly resonating with a certain rule of heaven and earth.

This is far beyond the divine power that the priests who worship these guardian deities can achieve.

Qian Daoliu hovered in the air not far away, its six wings flapping lightly to stabilize itself.

Upon seeing the true face of the one who had become a god, a complex emotion flashed across his majestic countenance—a sense of relief after the shock, a hint of understanding, but more than anything, a profound sigh of regret.

He recalled the indescribable excitement and anticipation he felt many years ago when he learned that his granddaughter Qian Renxue and the child named Xiang Yu both Martial Soul of Six-Winged Angel and that their Innate Soul Power had reached level twenty.

Later, he gradually learned that these gifted children seemed to have the attention and inheritance of gods behind them. Although he did not say it outright, he was always convinced that the ultimate leader would inevitably be either Xue'er or Xiang Yu, who had the highest talent.

Innate Soul Power, in a sense, represents talent.

However, fate often takes unexpected turns.

The one who first pushed open the gates of the Divine Realm and triggered this magnificent celestial phenomenon was neither his granddaughter on whom he had placed high hopes, nor the valiant overlord Xiang Yu, but the man before him— Arthur.

This seemingly calm and sunny young man always manages to unite his unruly companions and silently take control of the situation.

He became a god, in such a magnificent and righteous way.

Qian Daoliu suppressed all distracting thoughts. Facing this newly ascended deity, he was no longer the supreme Great Enshrined of the Spirit Hall, but a cultivator in the mortal world meeting a being who had already transcended.

He concealed the brilliance of his Angel Martial Soul, his expression becoming extremely solemn. He slowly bowed in mid-air, performing a standard salute to a deity. His movements were filled with respect for divine authority, and also carried a sense of awe at witnessing the birth of a myth.

Just then, the golden pillar of light that pierced through the heavens and earth began to slowly recede and dissipate, as if it had completed its mission.

Arthur also clearly sensed that the planetary will of the Douluo Continent beneath his feet exerted a gentle yet undeniable repulsive force on him, an existence that was already "above the norm".

This power was slowly but steadily increasing, reminding him that, as a god, he could no longer remain in the mortal realm.

A look of helplessness flashed across his eyes.

Then, looking at Qian Daoliu who was bowing respectfully, he slowly descended and landed on solid ground. His face still wore that signature, warm and infectious sunny smile. However, the invisible divine majesty emanating from him, and his eyes that seemed to see into people's hearts, made anyone standing in front of him involuntarily restrain their mind and dare not be negligent or impolite in the slightest.

He remains the perfect "king," only now the crown of this "king" has been transformed from a mortal's crown into the authority of the Divine Realm.

He gently raised his hand, and a soft yet irresistible invisible force supported Qian Daoliu's bent-over body.

"Great Enshrined, no need for such formalities." Arthur's voice rang out, still clear and melodious, but now carrying a divine resonance.

Qian Daoliu straightened up. After all, he had watched Arthur grow up and knew the core beneath the boy's gentle appearance—seemingly easy to talk to, but actually extremely principled, with his own inner thoughts, and once he made a decision, he was as firm as a mountain and left no room for doubt.

He was the kind of person who could issue the most insubordinate orders in the gentlest tone, and was the undisputed core and leader among his comrades.

Now that he has become a god, this trait will likely only become more pronounced.

"Congratulations, Arthur... no, I should now address you as Your Majesty." Qian Daoliu smiled sincerely, temporarily setting aside his complicated emotions, and offered his congratulations. "Having endured trials, you have finally ascended to godhood; truly a cause for celebration."

He believed that Arthur had passed the rigorous test of a powerful god through his own efforts and talent.

Arthur's smile remained unchanged, but a hint of helplessness, only he himself could understand, flashed in his eyes.

However, he did not explain how outrageous this "divine position" was, and that revealing the complicated details would only add to the trouble and discourage the old man who was genuinely happy for him.

He simply nodded slightly, accepting the congratulations, and replied in a calm and humble tone, "It was just a coincidence."

He immediately abandoned his pleasantries, his gaze becoming clear and focused, and got down to business. "Great Enshrined, now that I have become a god, I am bound by the rules of heaven and earth and cannot remain in the mortal realm for long. Before I depart, there are still some matters that I need to explain to you and the Spirit Hall."

His tone was natural and composed, without the ethereal and distant air often seen in the new gods. Instead, he sounded like a responsible leader who, even as he was about to leave, was carrying out a thorough handover of his work.

This composure and sense of responsibility dispelled the last vestiges of distance in Qian Daoliu's heart.

"Your Majesty, please speak," Qian Daoliu said solemnly.

Without further delay, the two exchanged brief words as they flew towards the Spirit Hall.

··································

The other heroes on Douluo Star also learned of Arthur's ascension to godhood.

They didn't react much. Compared to this forced initiation into a divine position, they were more eager to comprehend the rules and create a divine position that better suited them.

Deep in the dungeon, every second in the darkness was agonizing.

Gu Yuena's initial hope, ignited by the perception of the birth of a new god, gradually dimmed and flickered like a candle in the wind as she waited day by day, yet it never truly died out.

Her amethyst-like eyes were fixed on the heavy door.

A day passed, and only the regular footsteps of the guards could be heard outside the cell.

Two days have passed, and even the sound of footsteps seems to have become sparse.

Three days...

Hope gradually turned into an even heavier despair.

The anxiety born of anticipation began to transform into doubt and unease.

Could it be Tang San? Then who could it be?

Or was Tang San unaware that she was imprisoned here, or... was there another reason?

Finally, when the small window in the cell door was opened once again and the guard silently handed in some coarse food and water, Gu Yuena could no longer restrain herself.

She lunged at the fence, her fingers gripping the cold metal tightly. Her voice, hoarse from the long silence and her inner urgency, carried an undisguised longing. "Outside... has anything happened lately?"

She asked subtly, but her gaze was fixed intently on Guard Arthur, wanting to hear the name she most longed to hear, the news she most wanted to confirm— Tang San a god.

The guard who was able to protect important prisoners like Gu Yuena and Bo Saixi here must have been of extraordinary status.

His ancestors all served the Spirit Hall. His grandfather was a high-ranking hall master, his father was a loyal steward, and he himself was a trusted and upright member of the direct line.

He was well aware of the significance of these prisoners and kept in mind the instructions from above.

Upon hearing Gu Yuena's question, the guard stopped what he was doing, looked up, and said in a tone that was both somewhat proud and deliberately nonchalant, "Recently? Naturally, something of great joy has happened."

Gu Yuena's heart skipped a beat, her body leaned forward almost unconsciously, and she held her breath. It's here! Is it news from Tang San?

The guard, seemingly oblivious to her eagerness, continued, even with a hint of boastfulness, "His Highness Arthur of our Spirit Hall Empire attained godhood a few days ago! The entire empire is celebrating this moment. His Holiness the Pope has personally ordered the creation of a magnificent statue and the construction of a temple to honor His Highness Arthur..."

He became more and more enthusiastic as he spoke, his eyes revealing undisguised reverence and longing. "Ah, if it weren't for my duties, I would also like to go to the newly built temple and properly pay my respects to Arthur's statue! He is a living god, a deity who came out of our own Spirit Hall Empire!"

"Arthur...?" Gu Yuena's face drained of all color instantly, her lips trembling slightly as she repeated the unfamiliar name.

It wasn't Tang San... not the destined one who would become a god in her memories!

"How could this be..." she murmured, her voice filled with disbelief, shock, and bewilderment.

In his past life, Tang San should have become a god!

The last vestige of hope that sustained her through this dark and hopeless prison shattered in the face of this cruel truth.

The light in his eyes was completely extinguished, replaced by an emptiness that had lost all its luster.

She slowly released her grip on the fence, as if all her strength had been drained from her body. She staggered back a step and fell to the ground.

It's over... all hope is gone.

The Spirit Hall Empire's imprisonment of her and Bo Saixi is not merely a simple matter of captivity; their delay in killing them suggests a far more terrifying scheme.

Just then, the heavy door deep inside the dungeon creaked open again with a dull, grating sound.

New light and airflow rushed in, followed by the ear-piercing sound of chains dragging on the ground, and... two new, disheveled figures.

The guards escorted the two men in.

The man on the left was a fat man with red hair, but at this moment his appearance could only be described as "miserable".

The body was abnormally swollen, the skin had a lifeless bluish-white color, the eyes were filled with alarming bloodshot veins, and there were heavy, almost blackish bluish shadows under the eyes.

His aura was extremely weak, and his Soul Power was fluctuating chaotically, like a deflated balloon, continuously and visibly dissipating and falling. Even more strangely, there seemed to be some kind of sinister and fiery aura surging uncontrollably within his body, forming a bizarre contrast with his constantly dissipating Soul Power. He looked as if he would be completely exhausted and collapse to the ground and die at any moment.