Only Qian Renxue and Luo Chen knew what she had said to him during that visit. From Xiong Yue Douluo's attitude, Luo Chen had confirmed it.
So he had become much bolder about these matters.
He had even just stated it outright.
Since they had gone this far, neither of them hesitated. Xiong Yue Douluo took Luo Chen straight to their destination: the Spirit Hall.
More than ten minutes later, Luo Chen finally saw the Spirit Hall in its entirety for the first time.
"Prosperous" didn't begin to describe it.
But Xiong Yue Douluo didn't stop there. He took Luo Chen past Martial Soul Mountain and farther into the Spirit Hall, toward Worship Mountain.
Unlike the bustling Martial Soul Mountain, Worship Mountain was better described as imposing.
Before Luo Chen had even recovered from his amazement, they arrived at the true destination of their journey: the Worship Hall.
They landed steadily in front of the immense, towering palace. Luo Chen noticed that a figure had appeared there at some point.
He was another muscular man, only much older than Xiong Yue Douluo, and even taller.
"Second Worship."
Xiong Yue Douluo cupped his hands in greeting. Luo Chen followed his example beside him.
At the same time, he studied the man before him from the corner of his eye.
Golden Crocodile Douluo, the Spirit Hall's Second Worship, a level-98 Super Douluo. So this was him.
Luo Chen couldn't sense a trace of Soul Power from Golden Crocodile Douluo. He seemed no different from an ordinary person without Soul Power.
He was nothing like Xiong Yue Douluo.
After Golden Crocodile Douluo saw them bow, he casually waved a hand.
"Xiong Yue, you can go back. Your task is complete."
Xiong Yue Douluo nodded without a word. Once he'd received the order, he turned and walked down Worship Mountain.
Now, only Luo Chen and Golden Crocodile Douluo remained in front of the Worship Hall at the summit.
"You're Luo Chen, right?"
The two had remained silent until Xiong Yue Douluo had gone completely out of sight. Only then did Golden Crocodile Douluo speak with a smile.
He was completely different from before. He'd been stern with Xiong Yue Douluo.
But now, facing Luo Chen, Golden Crocodile Douluo had switched to a kindly demeanor.
Luo Chen was a little flattered, but when he remembered that his identity was under suspicion, he felt more at ease.
"Luo Chen greets the Second Worship."
Luo Chen bowed to Golden Crocodile Douluo again, his posture impeccably proper. The smile on Golden Crocodile Douluo's face grew wider.
"Good, good, good. Come with me. My big brother wants to meet you."
Laughing, Golden Crocodile Douluo said "good" three times, then turned and pushed open the Worship Hall's heavy doors.
Luo Chen sensibly followed him inside.
They didn't say another word along the way. When they reached the deepest part of the Worship Hall, Golden Crocodile Douluo stopped in front of a golden stone door.
He stepped aside and smiled at Luo Chen, then pushed the door open just enough to leave a gap wide enough for one person.
"Go on in. The Great Worship is waiting for you inside."
Luo Chen said nothing, only nodded.
He took a deep breath and strode forward, entering through the doorway.
The space beyond was vast. Everything around him was made of pure gold. A huge golden chandelier hung overhead, and countless steps stretched out before him. Without hesitation, Luo Chen climbed them one by one.
Soon, at the top of the stairs, he saw an enormous golden statue.
It was sacred and familiar. At a single glance, Luo Chen recognized it.
The statue was of his Martial Soul, the Six-Winged Angel. It was practically a perfect likeness.
But what caught Luo Chen's attention most was the figure in front of it, praying devoutly.
With golden hair cascading down his back, Luo Chen already knew who he was.
He said nothing, simply standing quietly to the side and waiting for the prayer to end.
Nearly ten minutes passed before Qian Daoliu finally rose. He turned around, his calm yet commanding gaze settling on Luo Chen, who had waited patiently nearby.
"Child, come here."
Qian Daoliu's voice brooked no refusal. Although he didn't say so, Luo Chen still noticed that Qian Daoliu had clearly faltered the moment he saw his face.
But Luo Chen didn't point it out. He obediently stepped forward.
Just as Qian Daoliu was carefully studying him and Luo Chen was still approaching, an unexpected change occurred.
The Angel Statue that had stood motionless suddenly manifested an omen.
Golden holy light enveloped the entire statue, and Luo Chen was bathed in it as well.
Qian Daoliu froze. He raised a hand as if to stop it, but it abruptly halted in midair. His eyes lifted to Luo Chen, wrapped in golden light and slowly rising until he was level with the Angel Statue. Qian Daoliu stared, stunned and bewildered.
He had worshipped the Angel God for so many years. Apart from the two times the god had bestowed divine trials, this was the first time he had ever seen the statue undergo such a change.
Meanwhile, Luo Chen, the one at the center of it all, was just as dumbfounded.
Who was he? Where was he? What was he doing?
This turn of events had been utterly beyond his expectations.
Before coming here, he hadn't even considered that he might react to the Angel God. After all, he was an outsider.
So it wasn't just Qian Daoliu—Luo Chen himself had no idea what to do.
And wrapped in the golden light, he couldn't move at all. He couldn't even speak.
The only thing Luo Chen could feel was warmth and comfort.
Gradually, he stopped trying to resist and began to accept it.
This state lasted for about half an hour. At last, the golden light surrounding the Angel Statue gathered into a single point at the statue's brow, then slowly merged into Luo Chen's body.
Then Luo Chen was lowered to the ground, and the golden light vanished.
Luo Chen: "???"
Once the omen had completely disappeared, Qian Daoliu was the first to recover. He rushed straight to Luo Chen.
Gripping Luo Chen's shoulders with both hands, he looked at him in shock.
"Child, how are you feeling?"
"..."
After a brief silence, Luo Chen gently shook his head.
"It just felt warm and comfortable a moment ago. Now I don't feel anything at all."
That was the truth. It was exactly what he had experienced from beginning to end.
But soon, his eyes suddenly lit up as an idea struck him. On the surface, however, he remained just as he was.
In his excitement, Qian Daoliu didn't notice the change in Luo Chen's expression. He continued examining Luo Chen and checking his body with Soul Power.
Now, in Qian Daoliu's mind, whether Luo Chen was a member of the Qian Family no longer mattered. He had made the Angel God's statue react.
Before you continue