When You Wake, Someone Will Protect You

Ning Zha was laid flat upon the stone dais.

His small body lay there quietly, his pale face appearing to gain a hint of color under the reflection of the golden shimmer. The vermilion mark between his brows grew increasingly vivid in the golden light, like a red plum blossom blooming in the snow.

The pure golden shimmer released by the statue was currently enveloping him in a gentle embrace.

It was as if the Six-Winged Angel had unfurled its three pairs of wings, shielding the child beneath them.

At this very moment.

A faint, strange look flashed through Qian Daoliu's eyes.

He had sensed it.

Nourished by that layer of pure golden shimmer, the mysterious power within Ning Zha's body—

Was being released even faster.

The restorative process, which had originally been as slow and gentle as spring rain moistening the earth, had now clearly accelerated its pace. The speed of blood regeneration, the speed of meridian reconstruction, the speed of organ repair... all of it had improved by more than just a single level.

But—

It had not become violent.

On the contrary.

Under the harmonization of this golden shimmer, that mysterious power had become even milder. It was as if it were being gently soothed by an invisible pair of hands, the originally somewhat impatient rhythm becoming relaxed and orderly.

"The divine power of the Angel God..."

Qian Daoliu whispered.

"Is helping this child smooth out the power within his body."

He turned around to look at the brothers, Qian Jun and Jiang Mo.

"You need not worry any longer."

"With the protection of the Angel God statue, the transformation process within this child will be much smoother. And besides..."

He paused, his gaze falling upon the child sleeping quietly on the stone dais.

"Since the Angel God has bestowed her favor, this child must be extraordinary."

"His future..."

Qian Daoliu did not finish his sentence.

But deep within his golden pupils, an indescribable light flickered faintly.

Inside the main hall.

The Six-Winged Angel statue stood silently, its three pairs of wings spread wide, shrouding the small figure on the stone dais behind it in a golden halo.

The eternal lamps burned without a sound.

Qian Jun and Jiang Mo stood side by side in the hall, quietly gazing at the scene.

They did not know what this child would become after he woke up.

They did not know where the mysterious power within him had originated.

They did not know why the Angel God would bestow her favor upon a child from a branch family of the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect who had not even awakened his martial soul.

But they knew—

This child had survived.

Under the protection of one of the most powerful existences in this world, he had survived, quiet and still.

Qiangu Po watched the small figure on the stone dais, his throat bobbing.

"Good child."

Qiangu Po's voice was low and soft.

"Sleep well."

"When you wake up..."

"There will be someone in this world to protect you."

Deep within the main hall.

The Six-Winged Angel statue stood silently.

The golden shimmer flowed without a sound.

It wrapped the sleeping child in a gentle embrace.

Until the first ray of dawn filtered in from the high windows of the Offering Hall.

It landed upon the shoulder of the Angel God statue.

It landed upon the stone platform.

It landed upon the face of the small child with the vermilion mark between his brows.

A new day had begun.

Spirit City, Central Holy Mountain.

Pope Palace.

This grand hall sat at the summit of the Holy Mountain, its imposing aura overlooking the thousands of spirit masters and believers below.

Constructed from white jade and gilded gold, with soaring vaulted ceilings and intricately carved beams, the architecture manifested the supreme majesty of Spirit Hall.

Upon the throne in the center of the great hall.

A woman sat poised.

Her appearance was frozen in her early twenties; time seemed to have left not a single trace upon her.

Her skin was snow-white, and long, wavy hair—a gradient of purple and gray—cascaded over her shoulders. Her deep brown eyes were calm and profound, her features exquisitely beautiful, exuding a coldness tinged with a hint of allure.

Most peculiar of all was the way two diametrically opposed temperaments intertwined around her.

One was divine, like a goddess high above the clouds, looking down upon all living things.

The other was dark and cold, like a ruthless monarch from the abyss, capable of mercilessly erasing everything in her path.

The two temperaments wove together—contradictory, yet eerily harmonious.

She held a Pope scepter over two meters in length, wore the Pope crown symbolizing supreme authority, and was draped in elaborate, magnificent ceremonial robes.

This was the current Pope of Spirit Hall—

Bibi Dong.

One of the strongest in the world. The true ruler of the entire Spirit Hall.

Below the dais, two men stood respectfully.

One had long, wavy light-gold hair, delicate and vibrant features, and skin as white as jade. His face was adorned with heavy smoky makeup, making his gender difficult to discern. His prominent Adam's apple betrayed his identity as a man, yet his face was as alluring and moving as a stunning beauty. His figure was tall and slender, and his every movement carried an indescribable, bewitching charm.

The other.

He had short, pitch-black hair, a rigid face, and sharp, defined features. A hideous old scar ran down half his face, stretching from his brow bone to his jaw. His expression was icy, his gaze grim; he looked like a malevolent ghost crawled out from hell.

These two were none other than the two other renowned Title Douluo of Spirit Hall, outside of the Offering Hall—

Chrysanthemum Douluo, Yue Guan.

Ghost Douluo, Gui Mei.

Both were the confidants Bibi Dong relied upon most.

"How are things over at the Offering Hall?"

Bibi Dong's voice drifted down from the throne, cold and languid, carrying an unquestionable majesty. "I heard that the two offerings, Thousand Might Douluo and Demon Subduing Douluo, have returned."

Yue Guan bowed slightly, his posture composed.

"Yes, Your Holiness. The two offerings, Thousand Might and Demon Subduing, have indeed returned."

He paused, the corners of his lips curling upward.

"However..."

"However what?" Bibi Dong's voice was unhurried, revealing no emotion.

"However, it seems the two of them brought a child back with them?" Yue Guan tilted his head, seemingly finding the matter quite curious himself.

"A child?"

Bibi Dong's beautiful dark brows furrowed slightly.

Thousand Might, Demon Subduing?

A child?

For a moment, even she was left bewildered by this information.

She knew the brothers Thousand Might Douluo and Demon Subduing Douluo better than anyone. One was as steady as a mountain, the other as unyielding as iron. Having cultivated for nearly a century, they were obsessed day and night with studying their Coiling Dragon Staff Technique, their minds as simple as they were rigid.

For such men to go on a trip to the Far North and return with a child in their arms?

No matter how she looked at it, the image felt bizarre.

Still, Bibi Dong did not dwell on it.

Perhaps it was some genius seedling the brothers had discovered while abroad.

Perhaps it was the offspring of some old acquaintance.

Perhaps it was for some other reason...

This information might be worth noting.

But it was not enough to warrant her serious concern.

In the eyes of the Pope of Spirit Hall, there were far too many things to worry about. A child of unknown origin, even if they were important enough for two offerings to make an exception and bring them into the hall, ultimately held limited weight.

Bibi Dong lifted her eyes slightly, shifting the topic.

"Has anything happened on the continent recently?"