Jiang Ci'an truly had no idea why he could fuse with the Angel Divine Set.
Naturally, he knew that only someone who possessed the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul could fuse with the Angel Divine Set, and that there were certain limits on talent, too. Otherwise, they still wouldn't be able to fuse with too many pieces.
But,
he was already here.
Besides, this was the Virtual World. Even if the fusion failed and his whole body exploded, he could use "Time Control" to rewind to the state he'd been in before the fusion.
He wouldn't lose anything throughout the entire process. He could even use "Indifference" to mask the pain completely.
Since that was the case, why not give it a try?
Besides, experiencing the Angel Divine Set firsthand would clearly help his research later on, so he'd gone ahead and tried it without hesitation.
But who could have guessed—
he'd actually fused with it successfully?
Jiang Ci'an lowered his head and glanced at his left arm again. Feeling the power it contained, he was genuinely surprised.
Was his constitution special? Or did his Martial Soul have some hidden trait?
Jiang Ci'an wasn't sure.
But he knew one thing:
the research ahead would be much, much easier.
Ignoring Qian Renxue, who was still dazed, Jiang Ci'an's pupils shimmered faintly as he studied his own left arm.
He wasn't concerned with what Soul Skill this Left Arm Bone contained. Instead, he focused on its structure.
As a true, complete set of Soul Bones, the most fascinating thing about the Angel Divine Set wasn't the high quality of each individual piece or the strength of its accompanying Soul Skills. It was the way the Soul Bones worked together.
Only when the Head Bone, the four limb bones, and the Torso Bone had all been absorbed could they truly be called a "Divine Set."
This synergy wasn't a simple 1+1=2. It was a deeper transformation born of their combined effects.
If he could thoroughly understand the principle behind the interaction between Soul Bones and apply it to the development of "Self-Condensing Soul Bones," he would effectively possess a unique Divine Set of his own that could continue to grow!
And if he combined that with "Spirit Aperture"... it wouldn't just increase his cultivation speed. His chances of becoming a god would rise considerably, too!
Jiang Ci'an quietly collected his thoughts and shifted his attention from his arm to the second Soul Bone in his hand.
It was a Torso Bone.
It was more than twice the size of the Left Arm Bone, and golden light rippled across its surface, nearly covering the entire Soul Bone.
Together with the Head Bone, Right Arm Bone, and Left and Right Leg Bones already fused with Qian Renxue, as well as the Left Arm Bone he'd fused with and this Torso Bone,
all six pieces of the Angel Divine Set were now here.
The final condition for fusing every piece of the Angel Divine Set was to fuse the last Soul Bone at level 100—in other words, one had to become a god.
Judging by how Qian Renxue had absorbed the Soul Bones, she'd probably intended to fuse the Head Bone and all four limb bones first, then the Torso Bone. In that final ascension, she would unite her whole body and link the power of all six Soul Bones into a complete system, fully achieving godhood.
Jiang Ci'an considered this, then lifted his eyes to Qian Renxue once more.
At that moment, Qian Renxue still looked a little dazed.
She was still processing the fact that "this guy can fuse with the Angel Divine Set," struggling to recover from her shock.
First, he'd suddenly taken control of her and torn off her disguise. Then he'd toyed with her as he pleased while she could do nothing. And now, an outsider could even fuse with the Angel Divine Set.
She'd gone through too many things that defied her understanding in such a short time. She was utterly bewildered.
Still dazed, she suddenly felt the man's gaze fall on her.
She looked up and met those golden eyes again.
At that moment, he was studying her thoughtfully, his gaze sweeping between her head, right arm, and legs. His stare was just as intense as before.
Qian Renxue felt her hair stand on end, and her eyes instantly grew guarded.
"What are you planning?"
Looking at the Angel Lady, bristling like a cat, Jiang Ci'an replied gently,
"Relax. It's nothing. I just want to remove the Soul Bones from your body."
Qian Renxue's gaze froze again.
She knew better than anyone what the words "remove the Soul Bones" meant, especially since she'd already fused with the Head Bone.
There was usually only one way that could happen.
She clenched her teeth and glared at Jiang Ci'an. Resentment, fury, and some indescribable emotion churned in her green eyes.
Once again, she summoned every last bit of Soul Power in her body, trying to break through that invisible restraint.
But in the very next moment, Jiang Ci'an's domain had already spread over her.
A force acted upon her, gentle yet impossible to resist.
Qian Renxue could clearly feel her Soul Power rapidly draining away, in a way that could not be reversed.
It felt as if the floodgates of a dam had opened. Years of stored-up energy came pouring out in a thunderous rush, never to be reclaimed.
Her body was growing weak.
Her strength was fading.
Her consciousness was growing hazy, too.
Was this what death felt like?
Qian Renxue's green eyes reflected the boy's figure as countless thoughts raced through her mind.
Her grandfather, Qian Daoliu; her years-long plan to infiltrate the Heaven Dou Empire; the Angel God Trial she had yet to complete... and that woman she supposedly called her mother...
There was still so much she hadn't done.
She was so unwilling to accept this.
Her strength drained away, clearly and swiftly, beyond recovery.
At last, Qian Renxue closed her eyes.
"..."
One second, two seconds, three seconds...
After quite a while,
just as the humiliation she'd expected earlier hadn't come to pass, the complete darkness she'd anticipated this time never arrived, either.
Qian Renxue frowned slightly and tentatively opened her eyes.
Then she froze.
Before her, five Soul Bones floated above the boy's hand.
Apart from the Torso Bone from earlier, the Head Bone, Right Arm Bone, and Left and Right Leg Bones—the four Soul Bones that should have been on her body—were all hovering above his palm, not one missing.
Qian Renxue's mind went blank for a moment again.
She instinctively tried to feel her body, attempting to sense her Soul Bones, but her gaze, fixed on the boy, stopped involuntarily... She noticed something was wrong.
Why did this guy seem taller?
No.
He hadn't gotten taller.
She had gotten shorter.
Qian Renxue's pupils contracted sharply as she sensed the fluctuations of Soul Power inside her.
The Soul Power that had once been considerable had vanished without a trace. In its place was a far weaker level of Soul Power, one so unfamiliar that she could barely recognize it.
Maybe a Soul Ancestor? She seemed to have only just broken through recently.
She'd neglected her cultivation while undercover in the Heaven Dou Empire, but thanks to the powerful talent of the Six-Winged Angel, her Soul Power Level hadn't been low.
Now, however, her Soul Power Level had fallen far below what it had been at her peak.
Qian Renxue abruptly turned to look at the full-length mirror not far away.
In the mirror was a slightly petite girl, her face still carrying a hint of childishness.
She looked no more than eleven or twelve. Her long golden hair fell in a tangle over her shoulders, and she wore a lavish-looking, moon-white robe that was clearly several sizes too big.
Her body was held suspended in midair. The wide collar of her garment had slipped slightly, revealing one pale, rounded shoulder. The hem hung below her knees like a skirt, while the sleeves completely swallowed her arms, leaving her unable to pull them out.
Qian Renxue was utterly stunned.
"I... got smaller?"
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