Light Goddess Butterfly

Ever since she was little, she had swallowed Whale Rubber alongside Lie Xu, eaten heavenly treasures, and tempered her body. Add to that her Eight-Winged Angel God-level Martial Soul, Innate Level 20 Soul Power, and Angel God Suit Torso Soul Bone...

With all these heaven-defying advantages piled together, this seemingly outrageous Soul Ring age limit actually seemed... possible to absorb!

Qian Daoliu took a long look at the unruffled Lie Xu behind them, and in the end, all he could do was let out a silent sigh.

These two children could no longer be measured by ordinary standards...

"Grandpa?"

Qian Renxue knew that the Soul Ring Configuration she had proposed far exceeded the normal limits. She also had no idea whether her grandfather would agree, so she felt a little uneasy and could only ask timidly.

"Is there something wrong with this Soul Ring Configuration?"

"There's nothing wrong with it, but, Xiao Xue, are you sure you want to risk absorbing a Soul Ring with such a high age limit?"

There was a kind of worry called "the elders think..."

Qian Renxue looked at Lie Xu.

Lie Xu nodded. "Believe in yourself. You're a candidate to become the Angel God, after all."

"Mm!"

The girl's gaze was resolute.

"Grandpa, I believe in myself."

The Sunny Canyon, east of the Star Dou Great Forest.

In the broad canyon, golden Blazing Sun Flowers always bloomed toward the sun. Blue-and-gold butterflies flitted incessantly through the sea of flowers. As their wings beat, V-shaped golden patterns stirred the surrounding light energy, leaving streaks of golden afterimages. Amid the interplay of reality and illusion, they outlined one breathtaking figure after another, dancing in a dazzling display.

"Wow, it's so beautiful~" Qian Renxue jumped down from Xiao Jiu and stood at the edge of the cliff. Gazing at the dreamlike scene in the canyon below, she couldn't help losing herself in it for a moment.

"Xiao Xue, don't go any farther." Standing at the edge of the canyon, Qian Daoliu grabbed her just as she was about to run toward the sea of flowers below, which radiated intense heat.

"Light Goddess Butterflies love sunlight and warmth, and feed on Blazing Sun Flower pollen. They excel at group attacks. A few hundred-year-old Light Goddess Butterflies working together with the Blazing Sun Flowers can even rival thousand-year Soul Beasts.

"They're also extremely territorial. If we barge in recklessly, we could alarm the swarm. Most of the butterflies near the outskirts are only ten or a hundred years old. If we can't take one down in a single strike, finding a suitable one afterward could be even more troublesome."

After explaining the Light Goddess Butterfly's habits, Lie Xu stood beside Qian Renxue, taking in the picturesque scenery of the canyon below with her.

"So, Xue'er, just wait here quietly for Great Grandpa to bring one up for you."

"Mm-hmm!"

Qian Renxue gazed at the butterflies fluttering below and nodded eagerly in anticipation.

Before the words had even faded, Qian Daoliu instantly activated Martial Soul Possession. Six pure-white wings unfurled behind him, radiating a sacred, luminous aura. His figure flashed as he flew straight toward the heart of the butterfly swarm in the middle of the canyon below.

The moment Qian Daoliu entered, the swarm burst into flight. Butterflies of every size blotted out the sky, and as their wings beat, blades of light fell like rain, streaking toward him.

"Fourth Soul Skill, Holy Light Protection!"

The instant the attacks reached Qian Daoliu, he released the Soul Skill. A golden, spherical shield enveloped him completely.

The startled swarm was then drawn in by the sacred, luminous Angel aura around Qian Daoliu. Calmed by Angel Holy Light, the butterflies settled down one after another on the Blazing Sun Flowers, enjoying this brief moment of sacred peace.

Qian Daoliu seized the fleeting opportunity. Among a nearby group of roughly thousand-year-old Light Goddess Butterflies, he immediately fixed on the one with a wingspan close to two meters and the brightest glow, then pointed a finger at it.

"Angel Domain, suppress!"

Qian Daoliu narrowed the Domain to less than two cubic meters, instantly suppressing the Light Goddess Butterfly. He swiftly wrapped it in Soul Power, then lightly tapped the ground and flew steadily up from the canyon with it.

"About nineteen hundred years."

Under Qian Daoliu's pressure, the nearly two-thousand-year-old Light Goddess Butterfly clung to the ground, its faintly quivering wings shedding blue-and-gold powder. It seemed to be resisting its predetermined fate.

Qian Daoliu looked at Qian Renxue with some concern. "Xiao Xue, it's about a hundred years over the limit. Could that be dangerous?"

Qian Renxue gently shook her head. Her gaze rested on the Light Goddess Butterfly lying prone on the ground, its wings shattered. There wasn't the slightest trace of retreat in her eyes; instead, they held even greater resolve.

Although this Soul Beast had about a hundred years more cultivation than she'd expected, someone else had already taken care of the hardest part—the hunt. But she didn't want to always be sheltered behind others, like some ornamental flower. After all, there was someone dazzling as the sun itself...

"It's only a little over a hundred years beyond the limit. That won't scare me."

As soon as she finished speaking, Qian Renxue didn't hesitate any longer. She raised her small hand, and golden Angel Soul Power quietly gathered.

There was no savagery, no violence—only gentle yet resolute holy light, slowly enveloping the wounded Light Goddess Butterfly.

Perhaps it had sensed the light within Qian Renxue's Martial Soul, or perhaps it had already accepted its fate. It suddenly stopped struggling and quietly welcomed the arrival of its final moment.

"I won't let your sacrifice be in vain."

"I'll carry your power with me and reach even greater heights."

The next moment, golden light flashed. After its wings shuddered violently, the brilliant blue and gold gradually lost their luster, turning gray and white.

A dark-purple Soul Ring slowly floated above the dim butterfly corpse.

After one last glance at Lie Xu, Qian Renxue sat cross-legged and closed her eyes. She summoned her Martial Soul and used her Soul Power to draw the Soul Ring toward her Angel Martial Soul. The Eight-Winged Angel Martial Soul hovered quietly behind her, rising and falling along with the Soul Ring...

Her First Soul Ring absorption began...

Three hours later, a fine sheen of sweat had appeared on Qian Renxue's forehead. Her breathing grew heavier, and her brows furrowed.

"Is this still a little too much for her?"

Qian Daoliu was tense as well. He stepped in front of Qian Renxue, the Soul Power in his hand flickering, ready to intervene and stop the absorption at any moment.

An incense stick's time had passed. Just as Qian Daoliu was about to interrupt the absorption, Qian Renxue's tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed, and her breathing steadied. The dark-purple Soul Ring slowly solidified beneath her Eight-Winged Angel Martial Soul.

"Grandpa, Brother Xu, I did it!"

The moment she finished absorbing the Soul Ring, Qian Renxue leaped excitedly to her feet.

"That's amazing, Xue'er! You've made history. Wonderful!!!"

Lie Xu stroked Qian Renxue's bright, silky golden hair.

"Of course. Do you even know who I am?"

Qian Renxue puffed out her perfectly flat chest with a smug look.

"Yes, yes, our Xue'er is a talented, beautiful genius girl all in one.

"But you've taken the lead this time. I'll catch up next time."

The hand stroking her head gently pinched Qian Renxue's soft little cheek.

"All right, Xiao Xue, quit fooling around. You've only just finished absorbing your Soul Ring. Rest for a bit, then we'll look for a Soul Beast for your second Soul Ring."

Qian Daoliu gave a light cough and spoke helplessly to the two of them as they played around.

While everyone was still basking in the afterglow of joy over Qian Renxue absorbing a Soul Ring beyond the usual age limit, deep in the forest, a beastly silhouette lay hidden in the heavy shadows. Its eyes quietly watched the group ahead. A fine line at the very center of its forehead glimmered with a faint rose-gold light. Strangely, the two Limit Titled Douluo hadn't noticed it at all...