Spirit City, Worship Hall.
"Xiao Xue, begin the Ninth Trial when you're ready. I will open the Inheritance Gate for you. Only you will know what the trial entails. No one can help you."
Qian Renxue nodded. "Grandfather, I'm ready."
Qian Daoliu looked at Qian Renxue standing before him, his gaze lingering on her face for a long while, as though he wanted to preserve every detail of it in his memory. It had been a long time since he had looked at her so closely.
Once the Inheritance Gate opened, she would have to walk the road ahead alone.
He wanted to tell her that her father, Qian Xunji, had not died at Tang Hao's hands, but at Bibi Dong's.
He wanted to tell her that Bibi Dong loathed her because every glimpse of her brought back memories of being forced against her will.
But the Angel God's Ninth Trial allowed not a single distracting thought. Learning these truths would only break her concentration.
He hesitated for a long time before speaking.
"Xiao Xue, whatever you learn in the future, don't hate your mother."
Qian Renxue had not expected her grandfather to bring this up so suddenly. She neither agreed nor said anything.
Seeing this, Qian Daoliu sighed. "What she did may have been wrong, but she had her own painful reasons."
"If you discover that she's done something insane in the future, stop her. Don't let Spirit Hall be destroyed in her hands."
He paused here, as though weighing whether he should say what came next.
Then he continued, "There's one more thing. Heaven Beyond Heaven is not our enemy."
Qian Renxue's brows furrowed slightly, as though she wanted to ask something, but Qian Daoliu gave her no chance.
"You don't need to understand that now," he said.