Favor

One breath.

Two breaths.

Three breaths.

Qian Daoliu's brows slowly furrowed.

The condition of this child's body was even more complex than he had anticipated.

Within him—there was indeed a force.

An extremely peculiar force.

It was not soul power, nor was it divine power. It was not any form of energy he had ever known.

That force was like a spring of living water, surging from the depths of Ning Zha's body and spreading along his blood vessels to every limb and bone. Wherever it passed, it left behind a trace of extremely faint life energy, like spring rain nourishing all things in silence. Wherever this life energy reached, failing organs were repaired, withered meridians were reshaped, and exhausted blood and qi were regenerated.

The entire process was slow and orderly, gentle and enduring.

But the problem was—

He could not discern the source of this power.

He could only perceive its "existence," yet he could not trace "where it came from."

With his level ninety-nine perception, his demigod-level soul strength, and the experience and insight accumulated over a hundred years of cultivation—

He was completely unable to see through it.

Qian Daoliu's brows furrowed deeper.

He had cultivated for nearly a century and was only one step away from that final threshold. Across the entire Douluo Continent, the things that could leave him unable to see through them could be counted on one hand.

Yet, the force within the child before him—

It did not belong to the mortal realm.

Or rather...

"Unless..."

Qian Daoliu's gaze flickered slightly.

"It is the handiwork of a god."

He spoke these words very softly, so softly that only he could hear them.

"High Priest—"

Watching Qian Daoliu's increasingly grave expression, the brothers Qian Jun and Jiang Mo felt their hearts grow more unsettled. Finally, Qiangu Po could not help but speak: "Can even you not find the problem?"

Qian Daoliu snapped back to reality.

He looked at Ning Zha, who was sleeping peacefully in his arms, remained silent for a moment, and slowly shook his head.

"Although I cannot investigate the source of this power either."

His voice remained steady, but it carried a trace of imperceptible gravity.

"However, you need not worry."

Qian Jun and Qiangu Po exchanged a glance, their suspended hearts settling slightly.

Qian Daoliu gently placed Ning Zha back onto the long table and straightened up. Standing with his hands behind his back, he lowered his eyes to look at the small figure and spoke:

"This force within the child is harmless."

"It seems to be continuously remolding this body, causing it to undergo a certain... transformation."

"He is currently unconscious, most likely because this transformation has not yet concluded."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the brothers Qian Jun and Jiang Mo.

"But this process is harmless to him. Perhaps he will only wake once this transformation is complete."

"Then how long will this take?"

Qiangu Jun could not help but ask.

Qian Daoliu shook his head.

"I do not know."

His voice was soft, yet carried an honesty that left no room for refutation.

"Perhaps a month, perhaps a year."

The brows of Qian Jun and Jiang Mo were tightly locked; clearly, they still could not set their minds at ease.

They worried whether Ning Zha might encounter any accidents during this process. Furthermore—

"Then... how should we take care of him?" Qiangu Po scratched his head, his tone tinged with helplessness. "The child remains unconscious; we can't just leave him like this, can we? Should we feed him some water? Should we..."

He stopped mid-sentence, suddenly stuck.

A level 96 Titled Douluo, yet at this moment, he had no idea how to take care of a seven-year-old child.

Just then.

A sudden change occurred.

Inside the main hall, that ten-meter-tall white jade statue of the Angel God—

Suddenly erupted with brilliant light.

The soft shimmer that usually veiled the statue's surface brightened instantly! It shifted from a faint moonlight hue to a dazzling, pure gold! The radiance burst forth from the center of the statue's brow like the rising sun, illuminating the entire main hall as if it were broad daylight!

Qian Daoliu snapped his head up.

The brothers Qian Jun and Jiang Mo both changed expression, instinctively taking half a step back.

"Lord Angel God?"

There was a rare tremor in Qian Daoliu's voice.

He knew the origin of this Angel God statue in the Offering Hall better than anyone—

It was a divine miracle left behind by the Angel God in the mortal realm.

Ordinarily, the faint light emitted by the statue was merely a constant, diffused power of blessing that covered the entire Offering Hall.

But right now—

The intensity and brightness of this light far exceeded the norm.

It was as if something had awakened a dormant consciousness within the statue.

Qian Daoliu stared at the pure gold radiance emanating from the Angel God statue, his hands clenching slightly of their own accord.

"Do you have some instruction for me?"

The next moment.

From the center of the statue's brow, where the six-winged angel mark was carved—

A wisp of pure golden light slowly detached itself.

The wisp was extremely thin and soft, like a thread pulled by an invisible hand. It drifted down from the statue's brow, light as a feather, silent and soundless—

Landing upon Ning Zha.

The golden light enveloped Ning Zha's small body.

It was as if it had draped a golden veil over him.

It felt as though a pair of invisible hands were gently caressing the sleeping child.

Qian Daoliu was slightly stunned.

He watched the golden light shrouding Ning Zha, a look of extreme complexity flashing through his eyes—shock, realization, confusion, and even a trace of... gratification?

"Lord Angel God..."

He murmured, his tone filled with a measure of incredulous reverence.

"Are you... bestowing your favor upon this child?"

The statue did not respond.

But that layer of pure golden light continued to softly envelop Ning Zha.

The light was not blinding; instead, it carried an indescribable warmth and tranquility. It was like sunlight, like a spring breeze, like the sum of all beautiful things.

Qian Daoliu watched the light in silence for a moment.

Then, he turned around to look at Qian Jun and Qiangu Po behind him.

His golden eyes held an unprecedented gravity and solemnity.

"Let us do this."

He spoke, his voice steady and decisive.

"For the time being, place this child upon the altar behind the Angel God statue."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the two men.

"With the protection of the Angel God statue, this child will be safe."

Behind the Angel God statue stood a stone dais.

The stone platform was small, but its location was unique—situated directly behind the statue, shrouded by its three pairs of outstretched wings. From the front, the platform was obscured by the statue's plumage, making it nearly invisible. Ordinarily, it was reserved for the highest-ranking elders of the hall to perform sacred rites, and it remained untouched at all other times.

Qian Daoliu stepped forward, stooping to lift Ning Zha gently into his arms.

His movements remained exceptionally light and slow.

As he placed the seven-year-old child onto the stone platform, his hands paused for a fleeting moment—as if he were offering some silent vow.

"Sleep well."

His voice was extremely low, barely audible even to himself.

"When you wake... everything will be different."