Angel Inheritance

Above the sea of clouds in the God Realm, a gentle golden glow drifted year-round. Yet today, an exceptionally dazzling figure stood atop the clouds. She was a woman in a long white dress that trailed through the sea of clouds. Layer upon layer of golden patterns were embroidered along its hem, resembling spread angel wings as they fluttered softly with her breathing. Her long hair was a pale golden brown, cascading over her shoulders, its ends adorned with tiny motes of light that rustled down in the wind and turned into sparks upon landing in the clouds.

Most eye-catching were the enormous wings behind her. They looked as though they had been forged from pure gold, every feather gleaming with a lustrous sheen. When spread, they seemed to blot out the sky; when folded, they rested against her back, exuding an indescribable majesty. Her features were hidden behind a faint layer of golden light, making her face impossible to see clearly. Only her gentle yet solemn outline could be discerned. A warm aura radiated from her body, yet it carried the oppressive presence unique to a deity, making others afraid to approach lightly.

The woman stood atop the clouds, her gaze passing through layer after layer of cloud sea before settling on a small forest at the border of the Sun Moon Empire in the lower realm. Her voice was gentle, yet filled with unquestionable resolve. "After lying dormant for so many years, it is time for the light to return." The moment she finished speaking, her body transformed into a brilliant golden beam that pierced through the cloud sea and plummeted toward the mortal world.

At the same time, in the small forest at the Sun Moon Empire's border, Ye Guyi held her Sacred Angel Martial Soul as she searched for a spirit ring alongside Huo Yuhao. She had just broken through to rank forty, and her Martial Soul emitted a faint white glow that blended with the aura of the surrounding vegetation. Huo Yuhao followed at her side, vigilantly scanning their surroundings, when he suddenly caught sight of a golden streak tearing across the sky. It was astonishingly fast, flying straight toward them.

"Watch out!" Huo Yuhao instinctively pulled Ye Guyi behind him.

The instant the golden light landed, it did not stir up the slightest speck of dust. Instead, it took the form of the woman from atop the clouds. She stood more than ten paces away from them, her golden wings slightly folded. The golden radiance around her had softened somewhat, but it was still impossible to look directly at her.

Ye Guyi poked her head out and stared at the fairy-like woman before her, utterly captivated. She could not help tugging Huo Yuhao's sleeve as she whispered, "Huo Yuhao, who... who is she? She's way too beautiful, isn't she? And those wings... are they a Martial Soul?"

Huo Yuhao's pupils suddenly contracted. Records from his memories as an Earthling flashed through his mind, and his heart pounded wildly. Staring at the woman's golden wings and the aura of light surrounding her, his voice tightened. "She isn't an ordinary person, nor is she a Soul Master... She is the Angel God."

"The Angel God?" Ye Guyi froze, her face full of confusion. "What is that? A deity?"

"Yes, a deity who commands light and justice." Huo Yuhao nodded firmly. "I never expected to see her in person."

The moment he finished speaking, the woman opened her mouth. Her voice flowed like a clear spring, yet it carried a deity's majesty. "Correct. I am the Angel God."

Ye Guyi hurriedly stood straight, instinctively tightening her grip on the Sacred Angel Martial Soul in her hand. Her face was filled with nervousness and curiosity. "Lord Angel God, did you... did you come looking for us?"

The Angel God's gaze passed over Huo Yuhao and landed on Ye Guyi. There was scrutiny in her eyes, along with a measure of satisfaction. "The one I came for is not him. It is you, Ye Guyi."

"Me?" Ye Guyi pointed at her own nose, even more bewildered. "I'm only a Soul Ancestor who just reached rank forty. Why would you be looking for me?"

The Angel God slowly stepped closer to Ye Guyi. The golden light around her gently enveloped Ye Guyi, warm enough to calm much of her nervousness. "Because of your Martial Soul, and because of your heart." She paused, and her voice gained a trace of ancient weariness. "Back then, I created the Angel Godhood and established the Angel Lineage with my own hands. In those days, how glorious was the Angel Clan in the God Realm? Revered by countless gods, the power of light spread across the three realms. There were even more believers of light on the Douluo Continent than could be counted. Every city had a shrine devoted to angels, and their incense offerings were so abundant that even the sea of clouds could smell them."

"In those days, the Angel Martial Soul was one of the noblest Martial Souls on the Douluo Continent. Its possessors were all upright in character and pure in light. They guarded peace in their lands and drove away darkness and evil. How magnificent they were."

Ye Guyi was completely absorbed in the story and could not help asking, "What happened afterward? Why have I never heard of such a powerful Angel Lineage?"

At this, the Angel God's tone darkened. Her golden wings trembled faintly, revealing her unwillingness. "Later, an unforeseen change occurred. Tang San, the Sea God you speak of, fought a great battle against the Rakshasa God. That war shook heaven and earth, and he showed no regard for other deities or clans. In order to completely defeat the Rakshasa God, he wielded the combined divine powers of the Sea God and the Asura God. That power was far too tyrannical. It not only destroyed the Rakshasa Godhood, but also affected my Angel Godhood, shattering it into pieces."

"After the war, he feared the Angel Lineage's power of light. He feared that if we rose again, we would threaten his position. He actually sealed the remaining power of my Godhood and ordered the suppression of Angel Martial Soul possessors across the Douluo Continent. As time passed, the Angel Lineage's inheritance was severed, its shrines fell into ruin, and its believers scattered. Fewer and fewer people possessed Angel Martial Souls, until in the end, almost no one remembered the once-glorious Angel Clan."

Huo Yuhao frowned at the side. These events perfectly matched the records in his memories. He had never expected there to be such a history behind them.

Ye Guyi clenched her fists as she listened, both angry and regretful. "How could he do that? The Angel Lineage clearly protects the light. Why would he do something like this?"

"This is simply how struggles for power are." Weariness filled the Angel God's voice. "All these years, I was sealed deep within the God Realm, unable to move. I could only watch helplessly as the Angel Lineage declined day by day, while my resentment and obsession grew deeper. Not long ago, Tang San unlawfully interfered with matters of the lower realm and violated the laws of the God Realm. He was captured by the enforcers, and only then did the seal he placed upon me finally loosen."

"After finally breaking free, the first thing I did was sense the aura of light in the lower realm. And your aura is the purest and strongest I have sensed in all these years." The Angel God looked at Ye Guyi with deep expectation. "Your Sacred Angel Martial Soul is the most orthodox inheritance of the Angel Lineage. Your character is upright, your heart is kind, and you have not been tainted by the darkness of the world. You are the best candidate to inherit my Godhood."

Ye Guyi blinked, taking a long time to react. "Inherit your Godhood? I... I can do that?"

"You can." The Angel God's voice became solemn. "I will set nine divine trials for you. These nine trials will test your character, your strength, your will of light, and your courage when facing darkness. Every trial you pass will grant you a portion of the Angel Godhood's power, and your Sacred Angel Martial Soul will evolve along with it."

"As long as you pass every trial, I will pass the Angel Godhood to you in its entirety. You will possess supreme divine power, lead the remaining possessors of Angel Martial Souls, restore the glory of the Angel Lineage, let the light illuminate the three realms once more, and bring the Angel Clan's former splendor back to life."

She looked at Ye Guyi, her eyes filled with hope. "Ye Guyi, I ask you this: are you willing to accept these nine divine trials, become my successor, and revive the Angel Clan?"

Ye Guyi looked into the Angel God's solemn eyes, then turned to Huo Yuhao beside her. Huo Yuhao nodded at her encouragingly, telling her to follow her heart. Ye Guyi took a deep breath and tightened her grip on the Sacred Angel Martial Soul in her hand. Her gaze became resolute. "I am willing! No matter how difficult these nine divine trials are, I will try! I want the Angel Lineage to rise again!"

A relieved smile appeared on the Angel God's face, and the golden light around her became even gentler. "Good! As expected of the successor I chose. You have just reached rank forty and need a spirit ring to break through, so I will give you a gift upon our meeting."

As she spoke, a soft golden light lit up at her fingertip. It slowly condensed into a gleaming golden spirit ring, which floated before Ye Guyi and rotated lazily, radiating a pure aura of light. "This is a God-Given Spirit Ring. It is perfectly compatible with your Sacred Angel Martial Soul. Absorb it, and this will count as the first of your nine divine trials."

God Realm: A strange man with hair that was half red and half blue spoke. "Damn it! The God of the Douluo Plane is truly detestable! Because of him, my ten-thousand-year plan has changed. I am a dignified God King—shouldn't everything listen to me? A mere Plane God thinks he can fight me? You are only a second-class god. Just watch how I seize your Godhood! Forget it, I'll think about that later. Right now, I need to figure out how to deceive the God of Destruction and the Goddess of Life into letting me go."

"Tang San, the God of Destruction and the Goddess of Life have decided to release you, considering this your first offense. However, we will seal part of your divine power. You may no longer use the Asura God's power, and you must promise not to interfere with the lower realm again."

"Fine, fine, fine. I agree to all of it." Tang San agreed readily on the surface, but inwardly he thought, God of Destruction, Goddess of Life, you have chosen the path of death! I will not let you off easily.

"Ah, I'm finally out. I'm going to find Xiao Wu right now. Wait, no—why has the seal I placed on the Angel God disappeared? Could this be the work of the God of the Douluo Plane again? That detestable Plane God, you have chosen the path of death."