Several hours quietly passed. The flush around Qian Renxue gradually faded, and her skin returned to its original fair, delicate complexion.
The sound of her surging blood and qi grew increasingly steady, while her spiritual power gathered anew. Not only had she returned to the second level of Spirit Refinement, but she had also steadily advanced from the initial stage into the middle stage.
"Phew—"
Qian Renxue opened her eyes and abruptly sprang to her feet. She hopped around the hall a few times, light and nimble, then skillfully hooked an arm around Chen Qingxuan's, exclaiming with delight, "Master! Xue'er's body has broken through to the peak of Organ Refining and reached the initial stage of the first level of the Mountain Moving Realm!"
The Mountain Moving Realm was the first major realm for body cultivators, corresponding precisely to the first level of Qi Refining.
Chen Qingxuan glanced down at her, his tone calm. "Very good. But do not become impatient or arrogant. You may be a genius here, but once you leave this place, you may amount to nothing."
"I know, I know!" Qian Renxue shook his arm, a trace of impatience appearing on her little face, though she still looked obedient after being scolded.
"Master has said it so many times already. Xue'er remembers." As she spoke, she mischievously stuck out her tongue, unable to conceal the liveliness in her eyes.
Chen Qingxuan shook his head helplessly and turned to Qian Daoliu. "Grand Elder, it is time to bring out the God-Bestowed Soul Ring."
Qian Daoliu immediately pulled a bitter face and cupped his hands. "Senior, you may not know this, but Xiao Xue must first initiate the Angel Divine Examination before this junior has the authority to create a God-Bestowed Soul Ring."
"And to initiate the Divine Examination, she must pray to the Angel God for one hundred and eight days before she can receive a divine oracle... As for this..."
"I see." Chen Qingxuan's gaze fell upon the Angel God Statue several zhang tall in the center of the hall. Carved from white jade, its wings were spread wide and its face solemn, seemingly wreathed in eternal holy light. "The Angel God's inheritance is hidden within this statue, then."
"Precisely." Qian Daoliu nodded. "Every inheritor of the Angel Clan throughout the ages has had to use this statue to receive the Divine Examination."
"Simple." Chen Qingxuan spoke indifferently and extended his right hand, making a grasping motion at empty air.
An irresistible force enveloped Qian Renxue and slowly lifted her into the air.
"Master, what are you doing?" Qian Renxue swayed uneasily in midair.
"Initiating your Divine Examination," Chen Qingxuan said.
As his words fell, Qian Renxue's body had already been sent to the Angel God Statue's chest.
The Angel God Armor appeared upon Qian Renxue's body. A dazzling golden beam shot out from the armor and precisely merged into the indentation in the statue's chest.
"Buzz—"
The Angel God Statue suddenly erupted with blinding golden light.
The statue's eyes seemed to come alive, flowing with sacred radiance. A vast will descended, making even Qian Daoliu unable to resist bowing in salute.
Nine ancient cards flew out from the statue and hovered before Qian Renxue. The words "First Examination" through "Ninth Examination" were inscribed upon them, each card emanating layer upon layer of pressure.
"Top-tier Nine Examinations, descend."
An ethereal yet majestic female voice echoed through the hall, as though it had descended from the heavens.
The nine cards instantly closed together, becoming a stream of light that condensed into an exquisite Angel Mark. Like a living thing, it burrowed into Qian Renxue's brow and vanished.
"An Angel Nine Examinations! It is a top-tier Nine Examinations!" Qian Daoliu abruptly raised his head, his face filled with wild joy and shock, his voice trembling.
Since the Angel Clan's inheritance began, no one had ever triggered the Angel Nine Examinations. Xiao Xue, she...
Qian Renxue slowly descended to the ground and curiously touched her forehead. A trace of warmth still lingered there, as though something was slowly operating within it, forming a wondrous connection between her and the massive statue.
"Grand Elder, it is your turn." Chen Qingxuan's voice pulled Qian Daoliu back to reality from his excitement.
Qian Daoliu took a deep breath, suppressing his surging emotions. His hands rapidly formed seals as he began chanting an ancient prayer.
Following his movements, the Angel God Statue lit up once more. This time, countless tiny motes of light condensed within the golden radiance. They gathered into a stream and formed a golden soul ring in the statue's palm.
The soul ring was crystal-clear throughout, lacking the age markings of ordinary soul rings. It possessed only pure sacred aura. It was precisely a God-Bestowed Soul Ring!
Several breaths later, the soul ring flew from the statue's palm and landed in Qian Daoliu's hand.
Cradling the soul ring, he hurried to Chen Qingxuan and respectfully said, "Senior, please look. This is the God-Bestowed Soul Ring."
Chen Qingxuan looked at the soul ring, extended a hand, and grabbed it in his palm.
"Senior, you..." Qian Daoliu had just begun to speak when he saw Chen Qingxuan clench his five fingers.
Crack!
A crisp shattering sound rang out. The God-Bestowed Soul Ring, condensed from the Angel God's power, was crushed apart in his hand, turning into countless golden fragments that drifted through the air.
"Senior, what are you doing?" Qian Daoliu felt his heart tighten abruptly and his pupils shrink. It hurt so much that his heart seemed to bleed.
That was a God-Bestowed Soul Ring! And it was just... shattered?
The golden fragments swirled around Chen Qingxuan's fingertips, broken down and analyzed by an invisible force, leaving behind only the purest sacred essence, like scattered stars.
"Grandpa, do not act like you have never seen the world." Qian Renxue tugged at Qian Daoliu's sleeve and gave him a disdainful look. "Master must have a profound reason for doing this. We just need to watch."
Qian Daoliu opened his mouth. Looking at his granddaughter's utterly matter-of-fact expression, then at Chen Qingxuan's calm profile, he ultimately swallowed the words at his lips. Still, the muscles in his face twitched slightly.
That was a God-Bestowed Soul Ring...
Half an incense stick later, the golden essence at Chen Qingxuan's fingertips gathered into a single mass. He raised his hand and made a grasping motion toward the Angel God Statue. Holy light surged from the statue again as he extracted an even purer power and fused it into that mass of essence.
As the light flickered, two new God-Bestowed Soul Rings condensed into being.
"Grandpa, look! Master made two God-Bestowed Soul Rings!" Qian Renxue's eyes lit up as she grabbed Qian Daoliu's arm and shook it.
Qian Daoliu stared at the two brand-new soul rings and went completely numb.
He opened his mouth, only to realize that he could not utter even a single word of amazement.
Crushing a God-Bestowed Soul Ring and then remaking it?
Such methods had already surpassed the limits of his understanding.
Chen Qingxuan, however, did not care in the slightest.
Having absorbed five years of Qian Renxue's fortune, his strength had now stabilized at the initial stage of the sixth level of the Spirit Transformation Realm.
Aside from teaching his disciple these past few years, he had not been idle. He had devoted himself to studying this world's laws and discovered that they were far more "flexible" than those of his original world.
Creating something from nothing and exchanging life and death were feats that required extremely high cultivation in his original world. Here, they could be achieved merely by invoking the laws.
To put it bluntly, one's strength might not be enough, but there were plenty of tricks.
He handed the two condensed God-Bestowed Soul Rings to Qian Renxue. "Absorb them, and you can continue cultivating qi."
Qian Renxue accepted the soul rings and nodded vigorously. "Mm! Thank you, Master!"
Qian Daoliu stood to the side, watching his granddaughter eagerly begin absorbing the soul rings. Then he looked at Chen Qingxuan's calm profile, and only one thought remained in his heart: with this senior here, the Angel Clan would surely welcome unprecedented glory.
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