Childhood Qian Renxue

Along the way, Lin Beiya looked left and right like a country bumpkin entering a grand garden, curiously examining everything that seemed so fresh to him. The Angel stone carvings visible everywhere filled the path with a sense of holiness.

Qian Daoliu's mood was somewhat heavy. Lin Beiya had been able to resonate with the Angel statue; logically, as someone possessing the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul, he should have been able to sense something extraordinary about the boy.

Yet, throughout this journey, the impression Lin Beiya gave him was no different from that of an ordinary person.

What on earth is going on? Could the Angel God's induction have been wrong? That shouldn't be possible, right?

Even so, Qian Daoliu still intended to take Lin Beiya before the Angel statue to test him; after all, it had been a long time since he had received a calling from the Angel God.

Following Qian Daoliu to the front of the Angel Temple, the aura of holy light rushed toward them. The stone doors, engraved with ancient reliefs, stood dozens of meters high, exerting a palpable sense of oppression.

As Qian Daoliu waved his hand, the stone doors creaked open in response.

"Go in, child!"

"Alright."

Without much hesitation, he figured that if the other party wanted to do something to him, he would be powerless to resist anyway.

Even without sunlight shining in, the interior of the Angel Temple did not appear dim.

Colorful stained glass dyed the great hall in shades of shattered gold, and the light falling upon the massive Angel statue in the center of the hall was filled with a sacred charm.

Bringing Lin Beiya before the statue, Qian Daoliu looked at him with eyes full of expectation.

"Child, try summoning your Martial Soul and let's see."

"Alright."

Though he felt some confusion as to why Qian Daoliu would ask him to do this, he had no intention of refusing.

He guessed that it must have been his Martial Soul that triggered the special reaction from the Angel statue, which was why Qian Daoliu held him in such high regard.

With a flash of light, the Athena stone carving appeared in Lin Beiya's hand. Throughout this process, Qian Daoliu stared at him without blinking, fearing he might miss a single detail.

But unfortunately, the old man who had served the Angel God his entire life did not feel any further movement from the Angel statue.

"Sigh, I must have lost my mind, actually pinning my hopes on a child who has just awakened his Martial Soul."

"..."

Lin Beiya was speechless. His guess seemed to be correct; his Martial Soul had indeed triggered the statue during his awakening, but he couldn't be blamed for the current lack of results.

Tentatively glancing at Qian Daoliu, Lin Beiya said weakly:

"Grand Pontiff, should I go back to the orphanage to pack my bags and report to the Spirit Academy?"

At Lin Beiya's words, it was now Qian Daoliu's turn to be speechless. Just because it couldn't trigger the statue now didn't mean it wouldn't in the future. Who knew what kind of power this unprecedented Martial Soul might unleash after absorbing spirit rings?

Having lived for a hundred years, Qian Daoliu still had that much patience. He could wait for Lin Beiya to grow up.

"No matter. You shall stay here in the Douluo Hall. You may attend classes at the Spirit Academy, and I will notify them. You may also peruse any of the texts within Martial Soul Hall."

Having said this, Qian Daoliu tossed a token engraved with an angel pattern to Lin Beiya.

Seemingly not expecting the other party to keep him, Lin Beiya scrambled to catch the token. After examining it, he cupped his hands and bowed.

"Many thanks, Grand Pontiff. I will strive to cultivate."

"Mm."

Regardless of the reason, Qian Daoliu intended to put effort into nurturing him, which was a good thing for him, so basic courtesy was still necessary.

As Qian Daoliu ordered someone to arrange living quarters for Lin Beiya, the meeting between the two came to an end.

Lin Beiya followed the maid, stepping in time as they walked toward the side of the great hall.

Passing through the hall, the scenery outside was like a small garden. The flowers and birds visible everywhere added a touch of vitality to the sacred atmosphere of the entire Douluo Hall.

After bidding farewell to Qian Daoliu, Lin Beiya began to ponder the development direction of his Martial Soul, completely failing to notice a small golden head peeking out from the bushes near the pavilion in the center of the garden.

"Lord Lin, per the Grand Pontiff's arrangements, you will reside here."

Those capable of living within the Douluo Hall were no ordinary people. As a servant, the woman dared not slight a child like Lin Beiya; her manners were extremely thorough, clearly the result of a good upbringing.

"Many thanks. Please take care of me in the future."

"It is no trouble. Lord Lin, you may summon me whenever you have need."

Once the maid left, Lin Beiya did not hesitate and pushed open the door to enter the room.

The room combined a bedroom and a living area, designed in a style reminiscent of his past life's European aesthetic. The area of about a hundred square meters might not be remarkable within Martial Soul Hall, but for Lin Beiya, who had spent six years squeezed into a communal dormitory at the orphanage, it was already quite good.

After spending a few hours adapting to the layout and furnishings of the room, Lin Beiya was urged out by his rumbling stomach to forage for food.

Since it was a new environment, Lin Beiya intended to trouble the maid who had brought him here; after all, this wasn't like the orphanage north of the city, where he could just walk into the woods to hunt game to fill his belly.

Turning back to close the door, Lin Beiya, just about to go find the maid, turned around and locked eyes with a pair of deep blue pupils.

"Ah!!"

Startled by the face that had appeared out of nowhere, Lin Beiya gasped and stumbled back several steps, slamming into his own door with a "bang."

"You... you... are you human or a ghost? How do you walk without making a sound?"

"You're the ghost! This young lady flies, so of course I don't have footsteps!"

A crisp, slightly childish voice rang out, and only then did Lin Beiya have the chance to size up the figure before him.

A pristine white dress extended from her calm chest down to her calves, her fair, tender skin peeking through the gaps in the fabric.

As his gaze traveled upward, an exquisite face appeared before him, golden hair cascading over her shoulders, with a headband featuring a Six-Winged Angel motif adorning her forehead.

If his guess was correct, this was the little blonde Qian Renxue he had been looking forward to meeting; judging by her appearance, she was roughly his own age.

At this moment, Lin Beiya confirmed the timeline: he was the same age as Qian Renxue, which meant he was nearly nine years older than God King Tang, implying that the current Tang San was indeed still in Shu, stealing the secret arts of the Tang Sect.

"Hey, what are you staring at!"

"This young lady is asking you, who exactly are you? What makes you worthy of Grandfather bringing you to live in the Douluo Hall?"

Pulled back to reality by her arrogant voice, Lin Beiya met Qian Renxue's eyes once more. He hadn't expected this girl to have such a spoiled, second-generation attitude in her childhood; with her hands on her hips, she looked for all the world like she would make him regret it if he didn't give her a proper explanation.

After a moment of thought, Lin Beiya decided to tell the truth; there was nothing worth hiding, anyway.

"Uh, I am Lin Beiya, who just awakened my Martial Soul today. My Martial Soul is the Statue of the War Goddess."

"As for why the Grand Pontiff let me move into the Douluo Hall, I am not entirely sure myself."

The little angel was clearly dissatisfied with Lin Beiya's response, pouting her small lips and saying fiercely:

"Are you trying to brush this young lady off? Do you believe I'll make you regret it!"

"Tch."

Lin Beiya sneered, thinking to himself that such a cute little girl would probably cry for a long time if he punched her. They were both six years old and had just awakened their Martial Souls, so who was afraid of whom? He had even exercised regularly back at the orphanage!

Lin Beiya was filled with confidence about defeating the current little angel, until the little blonde summoned her Angel Martial Soul and two yellow spirit rings rose silently, causing his smile to freeze instantly.