Qian Anci put away the Scythe of Death and stepped aside.
The gray-white mist inside the hall gradually dissipated.
Yet that aura of deathly solemnity seemed to linger in the air, weighing heavily on everyone's hearts.
"Anci, come stand beside your grandfather."
Qian Daoliu beckoned, but his gaze remained fixed on the center of the magic array.
There, Qian Renxue had already stepped forward.
The golden-haired girl wore a white dress, appearing especially sacred in the great hall.
She gave Qian Anci a light nod, a hint of excitement in her golden eyes. Then she closed her eyes and placed her small hand on the Awakening Stone.
"Begin."
Qian Daoliu's voice was even more solemn than before.
The cardinal drew a deep breath and repositioned the Awakening Stone.
The strange phenomenon that had accompanied Qian Anci's awakening had left him shaken. Now, facing Qian Renxue, he dared not show the slightest negligence.
"The ritual begins!"
The six Awakening Stones glowed with golden light once more, enveloping Qian Renxue.
The next instant—
"Boom!"
A pillar of golden light shot into the sky, piercing straight through the glazed roof of the domed Sacred Hall!
Behind Qian Renxue, the phantom of a Six-Winged Angel slowly appeared. Sacred pressure spread through the entire hall like a tsunami.
"Such a powerful sacred aura..."
Qian Daoliu murmured to himself, his eyes growing damp. "At last, someone in this generation of the Qian Family can inherit the legacy."
The cardinal had already dropped to his knees, forehead pressed to the ground as his whole body trembled uncontrollably.
In the face of this divine might, he lacked even the courage to raise his head and look.
Standing beside Qian Daoliu, Qian Anci was also rocked to the core by this sacred aura.
The light radiating from the Six-Winged Angel was so dazzling that it seemed capable of purifying every shadow in the world.
Yet, at that very moment—
"Roar!"
The dormant Death Dragon Power inside Qian Anci suddenly erupted!
He had no time to suppress it before the Scythe of Death appeared in his right hand, beyond his control.
Gray-white Death Qi swirled around the pitch-black blade. A dragon-shaped phantom coursed along the shaft, letting out a low, majestic dragon's roar.
The roar was not loud, yet it seemed to come from the depths of the netherworld, carrying a deathly stillness that could bring all things to an end.
More astonishing still—
The instant the Scythe of Death appeared, the Six-Winged Angel Phantom behind Qian Renxue faltered.
Sacred golden light and gray-white Death Qi clashed in the air. Two utterly opposing forces collided within the awakening chamber, casting the entire hall in an eerie, shifting light.
"This..."
Qian Daoliu whipped around to stare at the Scythe of Death in Qian Anci's hand, his eyes filled with uncertainty.
He could feel that some kind of conflict seemed to exist between his granddaughter's Martial Soul and Anci's.
Qian Anci was just as shaken.
He gripped the Scythe of Death tightly and tried to withdraw it, but the Death Dragon Power inside him seemed to have been provoked by something and refused to settle down.
"Castorice, what's going on?"
He called to her silently, his voice edged with urgency.
"..."
After a brief silence, that gentle voice rang out in his mind. It was still warm, but now carried a hint of gravity.
"The aura that child carries is this world's authority over the 'sacred.'"
"It naturally counters my 'death.'"
Qian Anci gritted his teeth. "What do I do now? I don't want to expose my Second Martial Soul!"
"Don't be afraid."
Castorice's voice gradually lowered, yet carried a reassuring strength. "In their eyes, your First Martial Soul was merely provoked by the sacred aura and resisted instinctively."
"However... Anci, I must warn you."
"That girl's power is utterly incompatible with my authority. If you ever become her enemy, be sure to take care."
As her voice faded, the Death Dragon Power finally began to subside.
Qian Anci let out a long breath and forcibly withdrew the Scythe of Death into his body.
He looked up just as Qian Renxue opened her eyes.
There was a hint of uncertainty in her golden eyes as well.
She looked at Qian Anci, then at the Angel Phantom still lingering behind her. A complex expression appeared on her little face.
For that brief moment, her Angel Martial Soul had seemed to feel... wary?
"Xue'er, test your Soul Power."
Qian Daoliu spoke in a low voice, drawing their attention back.
The cardinal shakily lifted the crystal ball, and Qian Renxue placed her hand upon it.
"Boom!"
The crystal ball burst into light as dazzling as the blazing sun. The intense surge of Soul Power even caused fine cracks to appear on its surface.
"Innate... innate twentieth-level full Soul Power!"
"Another one with innate twentieth-level Soul Power!"
The cardinal cried out, his face full of disbelief.
A flash of delight crossed Qian Daoliu's eyes. He raised the corners of his mouth, then turned to Qian Anci. "Excellent! Two prodigies in one generation of the Qian Family, both with innate full twentieth-level Soul Power. What need has Spirit Hall to fear decline?"
He strode forward, taking Qian Renxue's hand in one of his and Qian Anci's in the other, and brought the two children before him.
"Anci, Xue'er, you've both exceeded your grandfather's expectations today."
Qian Daoliu's gaze burned brightly. "Especially the clash between your Martial Souls. You must investigate it thoroughly in the future."
"Perhaps... you might gain some insight from it."
Qian Anci and Qian Renxue exchanged a glance and nodded together.
They both understood that what they had just experienced was no ordinary response between Martial Souls.
It was a clash between two extreme powers.
"All right, the awakening ritual is over."
Qian Daoliu released their hands and turned to the cardinal beside him. "Go invite Azure Luan Douluo and Golden Crocodile Douluo here. Three days from now, they'll take Anci and Xue'er to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt for their First Soul Rings."
"As you command, Grand Worship Elder."
The cardinal bowed and withdrew.
Qian Anci followed the attendants out of the awakening chamber and returned to his quarters.
As soon as he shut the door, he sat cross-legged on the bed and sank his mind into his body.
"Castorice, come out. We need to talk."
Gray-white mist churned through the Sea of Consciousness, and a faintly purple figure slowly appeared.
Her violet eyes held a tender smile.
"Anci, what did you call me for?"
"How should I obtain Soul Rings for my Second Martial Soul?"
Qian Anci asked directly.
Castorice gently shook her head, her hair drifting lightly through the gray mist. "As the heir of Thanatos, why worry over such a trivial matter?"
"Pollux is connected to my authority. How could mere worldly rules bind it?"
"When you add a Soul Ring to your First Martial Soul, I'll condense the most suitable Soul Ring for Pollux myself."
"No need to hunt. No need to absorb."
"It will be a supreme Soul Ring formed from the source of the underworld, perfectly suited to 'death.'"
Qian Anci's heart jolted. "It condenses automatically?"
Wouldn't that make it a God-Bestowed Soul Ring?
"Exactly."
Castorice's voice was warm. "And this Soul Ring isn't fixed."
"The more deaths you reap, the more its age will increase on its own."
"A hundred years can become a thousand, a thousand can become ten thousand, and ten thousand... can become a hundred thousand or even more."
"That is the true 'harvest of death.'"
Qian Anci's pupils contracted slightly.
Could the Soul Rings of his Second Martial Soul really grow without limit as he reaped death?
"However..."
Castorice paused. "I must warn you."
"With your body as it is now, at only six years old, using your Second Martial Soul will come at a considerable cost."
"Every time you use it, it will consume some of your vital energy."
"But that cost isn't permanent. Once your body and Soul Power are strong enough, it will no longer consume your vital energy."
Qian Anci fell silent for a moment, then slowly nodded.
When his strength was insufficient, there would be a cost. Once he was strong enough, he could use it freely.
That was reasonable.
"I understand."
The First Martial Soul was his strength in plain sight.
The Second Martial Soul was his hidden trump card.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
That morning, at the main gate of Spirit City—
Azure Luan Douluo and Golden Crocodile Douluo stood with their hands behind their backs, clad in the uniforms of Worship Hall elders. Their auras were as unfathomable as the depths of the sea.
Behind them, three luxurious carriages stood ready to depart.
Qian Anci wore a plain white robe, while Qian Renxue wore a golden dress. The two children stood in front of the carriages.
Qian Daoliu had come in person to see them off.
"Anci, Xue'er, they'll keep you safe on this trip to the Star Dou Great Forest."
Qian Daoliu patted their shoulders. "Choosing your First Soul Ring is extremely important."
He looked at Qian Renxue first. "Xue'er, your Six-Winged Angel is the family's inherited Martial Soul. Your First Soul Ring should primarily have a sacred attribute."
Then he turned to Qian Anci. "Anci, your Scythe of Death focuses on extreme offense. I recommend a First Soul Ring that focuses on speed or sharpness, to bring out your Martial Soul's strengths."
Qian Anci nodded respectfully.
But in his heart, he had already made his decision.
Last night's conversation with Castorice had given him another direction.
"Your First Soul Ring should ideally come from a Soul Beast with a 'slaying' or 'dark' attribute."
"Only then will Pollux's Soul Ring become more powerful."
Azure Luan Douluo climbed into the carriage and looked back. "Young Masters, it's time to set out."
Qian Anci and Qian Renxue said their goodbyes to Qian Daoliu, then turned and boarded the carriage.
The carriages slowly set off, heading toward the Star Dou Great Forest.
Before you continue