Qian Renxue's steps faltered slightly. She turned to look.
Not far away stood a man dressed in white, with strikingly handsome, delicate features. His eyes were filled with uncertainty and astonishment. He was none other than Yue Guan, an elder of the Spirit Hall and the Titled Douluo known as Chrysanthemum Douluo.
Yue Guan's heart was in turmoil too.
He had just finished taking care of some administrative matters and was on his way back to his residence when he unexpectedly encountered the Saintess.
When Qian Renxue had left the Spirit Hall, he had not yet fully pledged his loyalty to Bibi Dong, but he had seen this granddaughter, so dearly doted on by the High Priestess and the previous Pope.
Twelve years had passed. The little girl from back then had grown into a woman of breathtaking beauty. Her noble, sacred bearing had only grown more pronounced, making her almost impossible to look at directly.
He quickly hid his surprise, stepped forward, and respectfully bowed to Qian Renxue. His tone held just the right measure of respect and caution. "Your subordinate Yue Guan greets you, Miss. You... have returned to the Spirit Hall so suddenly. Is there something important you need to take care of?"
Yue Guan was a shrewd man. He knew that the relationship between the Saintess and the current Pope, Bibi Dong, was complicated—indeed, exceedingly cold.
But he also knew that Qian Renxue was the purest-blooded heir of the Angel Clan, the only biological granddaughter of Qian Daoliu, the High Priestess, and, in theory, the most legitimate successor to the Spirit Hall.
In terms of identity, status, and the forces behind her, she was beyond comparison with a mere Titled Douluo elder like him—or with Hu Liena, the Pope's disciple.
That was why he addressed her as "Miss" with such deep respect and lowered himself so completely.
Qian Renxue's gaze settled calmly on Yue Guan. Her violet eyes held no emotion, as if she were looking at an ordinary subordinate.
She gently shook her head, her voice clear and distant. "Nothing in particular. I've been away for a long time, so I came back to retrieve some old belongings."
She paused, then added as if offhandedly. Her gaze swept over Yue Guan with a subtle hint of meaning. "Also, I haven't been home in a long time. I wonder... is everything all right at home? Has anything happened?"
She hadn't said "the Spirit Hall." Instead, she had deliberately used the word "home."
The word seemed ordinary, yet carried a powerful sense of belonging and a declaration of ownership.
Through Yue Guan, she was sending a clear message to certain people: the Spirit Hall belonged to the Qian family!
It belonged to the Angel Clan. It was her, Qian Renxue's, home!
It wasn't a place where some woman and her disciple could do as they pleased!
At her words, Yue Guan's heart gave a sudden leap.
He was shrewd enough to grasp their deeper meaning at once, and a fine sheen of cold sweat broke out across his back.
The Saintess truly wasn't someone to take lightly. She had only just returned, and already she was issuing a warning.
He didn't dare let anything show on his face. Lowering his head at once, he replied respectfully, "Everything at home is well, Miss. Nothing major has happened. Please rest assured."
"Mm." Qian Renxue had received the answer she wanted and had no more to say to Yue Guan. She gave a faint acknowledgment, then turned and strode toward the Worship Hall with elegant, resolute steps, leaving behind a proud and aloof figure.
Yue Guan remained bent over until the sound of Qian Renxue's footsteps faded. Only then did he slowly straighten up.
He gazed in the direction she had disappeared, his brows furrowing tightly. His handsome, delicate face was filled with worry and contemplation.
"Returned out of the blue... just to retrieve some old belongings?"
Yue Guan muttered to himself, then shook his head. "That young lady has come with trouble in mind, I'm afraid. The first thing she did was emphasize 'home'... She's taking a swipe at His Holiness the Pope."
He felt a headache coming on.
The conflict between Bibi Dong and Qian Renxue, mother and daughter, was an open secret among the Spirit Hall's upper ranks.
As an elder caught between them, he truly couldn't afford to get involved.
The Saintess had suddenly returned, and her attitude was so clear and forceful. The Spirit Hall was likely in for another upheaval.
"Forget it. Let His Holiness the Pope worry about this." Yue Guan shook his head with a bitter smile. He decided to report Qian Renxue's return, along with her exact words, to Pope Bibi Dong at once.
Whatever happened after that was beyond the say of a mere elder like him.
He turned and hurried toward the Pope Palace, his figure soon vanishing into the building's shadows.
Meanwhile, Qian Renxue entered the Worship Hall without hindrance.
Unlike the Pope Palace, with its grandeur and majesty, the Worship Hall was more spacious and solemn, steeped in an ancient, sacred atmosphere.
A colossal Six-Winged Angel statue stood deep within the hall, casting a gentle yet awe-inspiring radiance.
As Qian Renxue entered the great hall, she immediately spotted the towering figure standing beneath the statue, his back to her.
He, too, had long golden hair and wore a plain gray robe. Even from behind, he gave the impression of a mountain's solidity and an abyss's unfathomable depth, as if he were one with the statue.
Hearing footsteps behind him, the figure slowly turned around. It was Qian Daoliu.
His face was still handsome, and the years seemed to have left few marks upon it. But his golden eyes were deeper than before, as if they could see through every illusion in the world.
Now they held an indescribably complex emotion as he gazed at the granddaughter he had not seen for so many years.
Looking at her face, reminiscent of his son Qian Xunji's yet more exquisitely beautiful and aglow with sacred light, Qian Daoliu was overcome by a jumble of emotions.
He knew all too well the hardships and dangers she had faced during those twelve years in hiding.
But for the glory of the Angel Clan and the future of the Spirit Hall, he had had no choice but to agree to let his granddaughter walk this most arduous path.
"Grandpa." Qian Renxue hurried over and stopped before Qian Daoliu.
Facing the close family member who had raised her from childhood, she finally let the cool mask slip from her face. Sincere concern and confusion showed in her violet eyes as she asked, "You summoned me back in such a hurry. Has something major happened to the Spirit Hall? Or... is it your health?"
A hint of tension crept into her voice.
Her grandfather was the most important person in the world to her—and the only family she had.
Seeing the undisguised worry in his granddaughter's eyes, warmth filled Qian Daoliu's heart, and a gentle smile appeared on his face. He softly shook his head, signaling that she needn't worry. "Xue'er, don't worry. Everything at the Spirit Hall is as it should be, and I'm in good health."
Hearing this, Qian Renxue's taut nerves relaxed a little, but her confusion only deepened. "Then... what happened that made you summon me back so urgently?"
The smile gradually faded from Qian Daoliu's face, replaced by a solemnity he had never shown before.
He stepped forward, fixed his golden eyes on Qian Renxue, and spoke slowly, each word clear. "Nothing has happened to the Spirit Hall. But something has occurred that will affect the Spirit Hall's future for a hundred years, perhaps even a thousand."
"What is it?" Qian Renxue's heart leapt into her throat again. Her violet eyes fixed intently on her grandfather.
Qian Daoliu drew a deep breath, then slowly let out news that would shake the entire continent. "A new inheritor has appeared on Sea God Island. The Sea God's Godhood... has found its master."
"What?!" Qian Renxue's body jolted as if she had been struck by lightning!
Her violet eyes flew wide, her pupils contracting sharply. Utter shock and disbelief filled her peerlessly beautiful face!
She even took half a step back instinctively, as if she needed the movement to absorb this earth-shaking news.
"An inheritor? The Sea God Godhood?!"
Her voice rose slightly with shock, trembling as she asked, "H-how is that possible? The Sea God Godhood has been vacant for ten thousand years! Grandpa, are you sure?!"
Qian Daoliu nodded firmly, his gaze utterly certain. "Absolutely! I went to Sea God Island and confirmed it myself. The Sea God's Light descended, and the God-Bestowed Mark appeared. There's no doubt about it. A six-year-old child awakened a divine-grade Martial Soul unlike anything seen before, and was personally chosen by the Sea God, Poseidon, to become the new Sea God Inheritor!"
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