"Sword Ancestor."
She finally couldn't hold back any longer and spoke, her voice tinged with urgency.
"Time and again, Tang San has enjoyed an overwhelming tide of fortune. He's received Heavenly Dao rewards twice in a row, and his strength has skyrocketed."
"I'm worried that if this continues, he'll become a true thorn in our side."
Pressure filled Qian Renxue's voice.
Tang San was like a great mountain, weighing heavily on her heart.
She drew a deep breath, her gaze turning utterly resolute.
"I can't wait any longer."
"I've decided to enter seclusion at once. I'll go to the deepest part of the Angel Temple and use my bloodline to commune with the wills of the generations of Angel Gods sleeping within!"
"I have to gain greater power before Tang San comes to kill me!"
It was the only way she could think of to quickly improve her strength.
But after hearing her out, Qian Ye merely picked up the teacup on the table and gently blew the floating tea leaves aside.
"Commune with the former Angel Gods?"
He gave a soft laugh, unhurried and at ease.
"They're nothing but a band of failures who vanished long ago into the river of time. What could their wills possibly give you?"
Qian Renxue froze at his words.
Failures?
In her heart, those who had inherited the divine position of Angel God and guarded the continent for ten thousand years were all great, undying beings.
How had they become failures in Sword Ancestor's eyes?
Qian Ye set down his teacup. Its base struck the tabletop with a crisp clink.
He raised his eyes and calmly met Qian Renxue's gaze.
"Your path is to become a true god, not to pick up scraps of wisdom left behind by those who came before."
"As for Tang San—"
A faint, indifferent smile appeared at the corner of Qian Ye's mouth.
"He's nothing more than a slightly bulkier piece on someone else's chessboard."
"A pawn is still a pawn. It can never jump off the board."
"All you need to do is hone your sword and wait for the moment to swing it. That will be enough."
His words carried an indescribable sense of reassurance, instantly calming the agitation in Qian Renxue's heart.
That's right.
With Sword Ancestor here, what am I even worried about?
As Qian Renxue looked into Qian Ye's deep eyes, a thought suddenly arose in her heart.
Just what kind of Divine Artifact was Sword Ancestor's own sword?
For some reason, she found herself wondering whether his sword would appear on the Super Divine Artifacts List too.
Inside the main tent at the Shrek camp.
Tang San had just calmed his excitement and was about to order the army to make ready. Tomorrow, they would march on the city and wipe away the shame of their defeat.
Just then, a steady figure lifted the tent flap and walked in.
It was Grandmaster, Yu Xiaogang.
"Xiao San."
Grandmaster's face was somewhat pale, but his eyes were unusually clear.
He first glanced at the wood shavings on the ground, then swept his gaze over the feverish expressions of everyone in the tent. His brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
"Congratulations on inheriting two divine legacies and greatly increasing your divine power."
Grandmaster's voice was like a basin of cold water poured over their burning enthusiasm.
The arrogance on Tang San's face subsided a little. He still had some respect for his teacher.
"Teacher, you're here."
"Mm." Grandmaster nodded, walked straight up to him, and said gravely, "I heard you're planning to launch a full-scale attack tomorrow?"
"Exactly!" Tang San replied without hesitation. "My divine arts are now perfected, and Spirit Hall's morale is low. This is the perfect chance to wipe them out in one fell swoop!"
"Foolish!"
Grandmaster shouted sharply.
"Xiao San, you've let power cloud your judgment!"
"Tell me, has the Super Divine Artifacts List finished its rankings?"
Tang San froze.
"Not yet."
Grandmaster pressed on. "Your Asura Magic Sword ranked fourth. That means there are three even more terrifying Divine Artifacts above it. Do you know what those three are? Who holds them?"
Tang San fell silent. He had no answer.
Grandmaster said with anguished concern, "You know nothing! And you still dare launch a full-scale attack recklessly? What if the holders of those three Divine Artifacts are members of Spirit Hall, or on friendly terms with them? What will you do then?"
"The best course now is to wait!"
"Wait until the Heavenly Vault Golden List has finished ranking all the Divine Artifacts!"
"Then we can do our best to win over the holders of the Divine Artifacts ranked above yours—or even those ranked below you! We must unite every force we can. That's the way to win!"
Wisdom glimmered in Grandmaster's eyes.
He even imagined that someday his Martial Soul, Luo Sanpao, might evolve and make it onto some list. Even if it only came in last, it would be enough to make him happy.
"Teacher, you're worrying too much."
Tang San cut him off, his expression haughty.
"Wars these days aren't decided by numbers anymore. Before absolute power, every scheme is a joke."
"And I am absolute power!"
Looking at the disciple before him, Grandmaster felt that he was utterly unfamiliar.
He knew he could no longer talk him out of it.
The representatives of the affiliated forces standing to one side exchanged uneasy glances, worry written all over their faces.
Tang San had suffered heavy losses in his battle against the Silver Dragon King, and now he was acting so stubbornly and willfully. They were beginning to wonder whether betting everything on Shrek had been the right choice.
Tang San naturally noticed their wavering, but he didn't care in the slightest.
They were nothing but a bunch of fence-sitters.
Once he had crushed Spirit Hall and stood atop the continent, they would come crawling back like dogs, wagging their tails and begging for his forgiveness.
He had only one thought in his heart now.
Revenge!
Just then, the Heavenly Vault Golden List blazed with light once more!
The eyes of everyone across the continent were drawn to it again!
A new ranking was about to appear!
[Third Place!] Golden light flowed, and a new line of large characters slowly took shape. At the Shrek camp, Tang San raised his head, a hint of disdain in his eyes. He wanted to see just what kind of Divine Artifact dared to rank above his Asura Magic Sword. On the walls of Jialing Pass, the Spirit Hall Soul Masters held their breath, tense as they silently prayed. Inside the Angel Temple, in a quiet chamber. Qian Renxue's beautiful eyes were fixed on the sky without a blink. Only Qian Ye continued to sip his tea, unhurriedly, as though nothing in this world had anything to do with him. At last, the line of large characters appeared clearly before every living being! [Super Divine Artifacts List, Third Place: Angel Holy Sword!] [Holder: Angel God, Qian Renxue!]
Boom!
The moment the contents of the Golden List came into view, all of Jialing Pass fell deathly silent. Then an uproarious cheer erupted, like roaring waves!
"Angel Holy Sword!"
"It's Her Highness the Saintess's Angel Holy Sword!"
"Third place! Our Divine Artifact is third!"
"Angel God and Qian Renxue will surely triumph!"
In an instant, their low spirits reignited, soaring higher than ever before! ```
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