The Nine Angel Trials

Hearing the string of prompts in his mind, Qian Xunji froze for a moment. Then an irrepressible surge of delight welled up inside him.

His entire set of Spirit Rings would improve by five thousand years? His Angel affinity would rise by a full fifteen percent?

How was this an exam? It was practically spoon-feeding him!

In the original story, Tang San had to painstakingly climb the steps for a five-hundred-year Spirit Ring upgrade in the Sea God Trial. His own ancestor had started him off with five thousand years! So the short-tempered Angel God King was actually this generous—and this protective of her own!

"Don't get too excited." The God King watched Qian Xunji's ecstatic expression and snorted, dousing him with a little cold water.

"Actually, your cheap old man, Qian Daoliu, had already struggled his way through the Inheritance Secret Realm and completed the Eighth Trial of the Angel trials. He was only one step away from triggering the Godhood Inheritance, but that disgusting Phantom Butterfly ambushed him, and all his efforts came to nothing."

The God King looked down at him from on high. "Now I've forcibly transferred the God Trial to you and made you start over from the First Trial. It's not really doing you a favor. In fact, I'm making things difficult for you. But this is a trial meant to test you.

"After all, you're no longer young. If you can't even break through to Peerless Douluo in six years, then hurry back and take up farming.

"As for your son... Since he's a genius with Twin Martial Souls and has you for a father, if he still can't beat that trash who plays with Hidden Weapons and weeds, he might as well give up his Angel Martial Soul!"

"I will obey the God King's decree! I swear I will never bring shame to the name of Angel!" Qian Xunji clasped his hands in a solemn salute, his eyes brimming with absolute confidence.

With a max-level cheat for a father personally carrying him to victory, if Qian San could still lose to the twelve-year-old Tang San from the original story, Qian Xunji might as well find a block of tofu and smash himself to death.

"That's enough. Go back." The God King seemed to remember the eye-searing scene in the light screen and waved impatiently.

"I'll lend you the [Oath of the Angel] for self-defense, for now. Don't embarrass me with it!"

Just as Qian Xunji's soul was about to be completely drawn away by the pillar of light, the Angel God King's initially irritable voice suddenly fell silent. Then a bone-chilling divine voice, carrying a palpable killing intent that pierced straight into his soul, boomed through the entire space.

"One more thing, Qian Xunji."

The God King's towering phantom leaned forward slightly. Her enormous eyes, ablaze with dark golden flames, bore down on him, revealing an ambition that sent shivers down his spine.

"The world in your memories and ours share the same origin. They are two sides of the same coin, yin and yang, inside and out. Since our planes share a common source, the barrier between the two worlds... isn't impossible to break." The God King's voice held the merciless chill of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.

"Someday, this seat and the other God Kings may join forces to tear the barrier apart and forcibly draw that hypocritical, disgusting plane into our world!"

"When the two worlds clash and the gods settle accounts..." The God King's voice turned as cold as ice that had lain untouched for ten thousand years.

"I want you to carry the fury of my Angel Clan and crush every last shred of their pride with your own hands. I hope you won't disappoint me."

As her voice fell, Qian Xunji felt the world spin around him.

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself still standing in the empty main hall of Healing City. Silence surrounded him. Only the Oath of the Angel, humming in his hand, and the faint golden Mark between his brows reminded him that the incredible encounter had truly happened.

Feeling the surging divine aura within him and recalling the God King's final declaration of war, dripping with bloodlust and ambition, Qian Xunji's lips curled into that signature, cackling villainous grin.

"Forcibly drawing them in and starting a war between two worlds? Interesting..."

He rubbed the cold hilt of his sword and murmured softly:

"Break through to level ninety-nine in six years... Looks like it's time to stir up a storm."

The next morning, just as Qian Xunji was preparing to go into seclusion, the golden feather he used to communicate sent out a pulse of Soul Power.

He flickered away and appeared at their usual spot on the back mountain. Qian San stood alone beneath a tree, solemnly holding several thick notebooks.

"What's wrong, San?" Qian Xunji walked over.

"Nothing dangerous, Dad." Qian San shook his head and handed over the notebooks with both hands. His eyes held nothing but sincerity.

"These are some things I've figured out on my own over the past few years... an internal cultivation method, along with some techniques for channeling force and some footwork. Also, this book is an Immortal Herb Catalog I drew from memory. It describes many peerless Immortal Herbs that can completely transform a person. I hope they'll be of some help to you."

Qian Xunji looked down. The notebooks were labeled: Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record—Heart Method, Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon, Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, Purple Demon Eye... Qian San had quite naturally left out the words "Tang Sect."

Qian Xunji's heart leaped with joy, and the corners of his mouth rose uncontrollably.

What a good son!

These were the Tang Sect's core secret arts, which Tang San had guarded so jealously in the original story that he hadn't even taught them to his own father, Tang Hao. And now he was offering them up without hesitation! It seemed the image of the perfect father Qian Xunji had built over this period had truly sunk into his son's bones. He'd gladly accept this heartfelt filial devotion.

"You've put a lot of thought into this. These things will be a great help to me." Qian Xunji smiled as he put the notebooks into his storage ring, then ruffled Qian San's hair with his broad hand.

"Practice hard at the academy. Don't cause trouble, but don't be afraid of it either. Dad has some proper business to take care of. I'll come see you again in a while."

High above, Qian Xunji pulled the Immortal Herb Catalog Qian San had drawn by hand from his ring and fixed his gaze on a familiar name.

"Falling Moon Forest, Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well... It's time to collect some interest."

Three days later, deep in Falling Moon Forest.

Unlike the Sunset Forest in the original story, the poisonous miasma here wasn't green. It was a dense, blood-red cloud of poison, radiating terrifying heat and a pungent stench.

Without the slightest hesitation, Qian Xunji let a faint, holy golden glow rise around him. The Six-Winged Angel naturally countered all evil and poison. He strolled through the blood-red miasma, which could melt a Soul Sage, and arrived deep within a valley.

Where's my hotpot? How'd it turn into a taiji symbol?

At the center of the valley, a strange spring bubbled with yang and yin energy. Its waters were split in two: one half was searing white, while the other was a black that swallowed everything.

The Light and Dark Yin-Yang Eye!

As Qian Xunji surveyed the surrounding exotic flowers and plants in speechless disbelief, a rough, hoarse voice suddenly came from the cliff behind him.

"Who's there? How dare you trespass in my herb garden? You're asking for death!"

With an angry roar, the phantom of a giant poisonous snake more than thirty meters long appeared in the air. Red scales covered its body, and flames flickered around its venomous fangs.

The intruder was the overlord of Falling Moon Forest, the Poison Douluo, Dugu Bo. In this world, his Martial Soul wasn't the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor, but the supremely yang and venomous Red Phosphorus Snake Emperor!