The barrage exploded once more, unleashing a frenzy unlike anything that had come before.
"Two hundred thousand years! And another two hundred thousand years of cultivation! That's insane!"
"My God, that's the Sea God Torso Bone! Lord Sea God is still alive and well!"
"This is too thrilling. Is the Sky Screen really taking the Sea God's bones right in front of him and handing them out as a reward?"
"Hahaha, now the Sea God can only put up with it. He should've shown himself and saved them earlier!"
Soul Masters across the continent gleefully traded remarks, the atmosphere reaching a fever pitch.
They were beginning to realize just how terrifying these Sky Screen rankings were.
They even dared to hand out the gods' possessions as they pleased.
Yet on Sea God Island, the scene was entirely different.
In front of Sea God Hall.
Bo Saixi's face went ashen. The Sea God Scepter slipped from her hand and clattered to the ground.
"The Sea God Torso Bone..."
Sea Horse Douluo clapped a hand over his mouth in horror. His legs gave out, and he fell to his knees.
The other Sacred Pillar Guardians nearby were just as dumbfounded.
They looked at one another, their breathing growing ragged.
To take Lord Sea God's divine bone and use it as a reward—what an utter humiliation!
Bo Saixi's chest heaved, fierce anger flashing in her eyes.
But she quickly forced that anger back down.
The Sky Screen represented the supreme Heavenly Dao of Douluo Continent.
Even mighty Lord Sea God could only glare helplessly at it.
If even a god had to endure this, what chance did they, mere servants of the Sea God, have?
Everyone on Sea God Island was seething with frustration.
They could only swallow their anger, though it stuck in their throats, and dare not speak out.
Inside Pope Palace in Spirit City.
Bibi Dong lounged lazily against the broad papal throne.
She wore a luxurious purple robe, its skirt slit high up her thighs.
Her long, shapely legs, clad in black stockings, were crossed, pale skin peeking through.
Her flawless curves radiated a deadly allure.
She had already heard that Qian Renxue had returned to Spirit City.
But it was of no concern to her.
Bibi Dong's beautiful eyes remained fixed on the Sky Screen hanging in the air.
When she saw the reward of the Sea God Torso Bone, she abruptly sat up straight.
"To bestow a divine bone—and forcibly take it away, ignoring the god's very existence..."
Bibi Dong drew a deep breath.
Her slender fingers clenched around the armrests.
The being behind the Sky Screen was undoubtedly far more powerful than the so-called gods!
An immense ambition began to grow wildly within her.
If she could uncover the Sky Screen's rules and obtain power that surpassed the gods...
Then all of Douluo Continent would bow at Spirit Hall's feet.
In the plaza outside Angel Temple.
Qian Renxue stood quietly at the foot of the stairs, dressed in a white gown.
She looked up at the golden words on the Sky Screen, shock filling her golden eyes.
"Two hundred thousand years of cultivation, plus a divine bone as a reward."
"The Sky Screen is being far too generous."
She sighed softly, her awe of the Sky Screen deepening.
But there was something more important she needed to confirm.
Qian Renxue lowered her gaze, her expression resolute.
She gathered up her skirt and started forward.
Following the long flight of steps, she strode without hesitation into the solemn Angel Temple.
The inside of Angel Temple was vast and sacred.
Soft footsteps echoed over the white jade floor.
Qian Renxue walked past towering white marble pillars until she came to a series of weathered, ancient murals.
Gentle golden Divine Light bathed the temple, illuminating the images on the murals with striking clarity.
She raised her beautiful eyes to the mural at the very front.
It depicted the legendary Angel God.
The goddess was peerlessly beautiful, with a full, slender figure. Her pale, shapely legs showed faintly beneath golden angel feathers, and her waist was slender. An air of nobility and overwhelming allure surrounded her.
Even as nothing more than a painting, she left Qian Renxue, herself a woman, staring in a daze.
Still somewhat spellbound, she shifted her gaze to the next mural.
This one recorded the founder of the Qian Clan, Qian Renhan.
The woman in the painting had a pair of enormous Seraph wings and features so exquisite they seemed almost unreal. Her sacred presence made it impossible to entertain even the slightest disrespect.
But when Qian Renxue's gaze fell on the figure beside Qian Renhan, she felt as if she'd been struck by lightning. She froze in place.
It was a man dressed in rainbow robes.
He stood with one hand behind his back, his expression untroubled, the faintest hint of a smile on his lips.
That face, that otherworldly bearing...
He looked exactly like Long Yun!
Qian Renxue's lips parted as she sucked in a sharp breath.
She even rubbed her eyes, staring at the ancient portrait that had been sealed away for who knew how many tens of thousands of years.
"This... how is this possible?"
"He was the husband of the Qian Clan's founding ancestor?"
Qian Renxue's mind went blank. She could barely remain standing.
The man she had always admired, the one she had fallen so deeply in love with, was actually the most ancient ancestor of her own clan?
At the thought, Qian Renxue's already tense expression crumpled. Her heart was in turmoil.
What did this make her?
Didn't that mean her feelings for Long Yun were outrageously improper?
"No. The next time I see him, I have to ask him directly."
Qian Renxue gritted her teeth, her clear eyes filled with confusion and mortification. Then she turned around in a hurry and strode out of Angel Temple.
Not long after she left...
The Angel God Statue, which had long lain dormant, gave a faint shudder. A thin layer of light rippled across it.
An ancient and mighty consciousness quietly awakened deep within the temple.
The traces of the fluctuation that had just lingered in the temple were faint, yet they made that consciousness tremble violently.
"This aura..."
"My husband!"
"Husband... you really didn't abandon me. You're still alive!"
A whispering voice echoed through the empty temple, but no one could hear it.
Meanwhile, in a tower on the other side of Spirit Hall.
Great Enshrined Qian Daoliu stood with his hands behind his back, gazing solemnly at the sky.
"Two hundred thousand years of cultivation, plus an entire divine-grade Sea God Torso Bone."
"The rewards from the Sky Screen have already surpassed the limits of the mortal world."
Qian Daoliu sighed softly, his eyes full of worry for the future.
The Qian Clan's ancestral precepts had always charged them with maintaining the balance among the forces of Douluo Continent.
Now the Soul Beasts dwelling in remote mountains and forests—even those in the deep sea—had suddenly grown stronger. For all of humankind, this was an unpredictable disaster.
But before he could think further...
Humm—
A dazzling golden pillar of light suddenly burst forth from the direction of Angel Temple.
Qian Daoliu trembled all over, turned at once, and dropped to both knees without hesitation.
"We welcome the Angel God's descent and divine oracle!"
The next moment, a voice filled with supreme majesty and unmistakable urgency exploded in his mind.
"Qian Daoliu, immediately send people to find the being in the mural."
"My husband has appeared in the mortal world."
"Once you find him, show him not the slightest disrespect. Even if you must stake everything Spirit Hall possesses, you are to honor him as the one true god of this world!"
Before you continue