Spirit City, Pope Hall.
The hall was deathly silent, broken only by the occasional soft crackle of candle flames.
Bibi Dong sat on the papal throne. On the long desk before her lay a thick stack of cultivation transmission reports sent by branch halls across the land.
Every time the Worship Hall opened a Cultivation Transmission Hall for the Angel Sacred Art in another city, every day it distributed the technique, another swath of seeds of faith was sown.
The invisible authority in Qian Renxue's hands grew that much weightier along with it.
In another few months, once the Angel Sacred Art had spread across the continent, people outside would probably know only Qian Renxue, the Saintess of Spirit Hall, and not Bibi Dong, its Pope.
Crack!
She crushed the report in her hand into a ball. A pulse of soul power sent scraps of paper fluttering like snow.
Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan stood to one side of the hall, even softening his breathing.
He watched with his own eyes as His Holiness the Pope's expression shifted from cold severity to a sickly flush.
The phantoms of her twin martial souls flickered behind her. Her furious pressure bore down even on the candle flames, leaving only bean-sized points of light.
"Qian Renxue!" Bibi Dong's killing intent erupted, and the words of the three-year pact flashed through her mind.
"You want to use faith to eat away at my foundation? Then let's see whether, three years from now, you have what it takes to withstand a single palm strike from me."
The Worship Hall.
When Qian Renxue walked through the Worship Hall's main entrance, every attendant she encountered along the way instinctively stopped in their tracks.
The girl before them had grown a little taller than she had been over two months ago, but her bearing was entirely different from six months before.
She was merely walking quietly past, yet everyone involuntarily held their breath, as though something invisible was spreading from her, making them instinctively want to step back.
Cheng Ran yawned. "All right, finally back at headquarters. These past two months and more have worn me out. I'm going to get some proper sleep. Don't disturb me unless something comes up."
At the end, he added another reminder. "Remember what I told you. For your sixth and seventh soul rings, go straight for hundred-thousand-year soul beasts. I, the Evil God, know your body very well. I know just how much you can take."
Qian Renxue flushed slightly, her thoughts taking a dirty turn again. "I know, I know."
The moment she finished speaking, she sensed that the Evil God had already fallen asleep.
Deep within the Worship Hall.
Qian Daoliu was looking through cultivation transmission reports submitted by branch halls across the land. When the door was pushed open, he did not even look up. "Put it on the desk."
"Grandpa, I'm back."
Qian Daoliu's hand paused, and he raised his head.
He saw Qian Renxue standing in the doorway, her robes whiter than snow, her long golden hair gleaming softly in the candlelight.
She still looked like his fifteen-year-old granddaughter, but what lay in her eyes was completely different.
Qian Daoliu rose. He had lived for over a hundred years and seen countless geniuses, yet he stared at his granddaughter for a long while before slowly speaking. "Xiao Xue, you seem to have gained an aura unique to the Angel God."
Qian Renxue smiled faintly. "It's the power of faith. It's all thanks to your hard work over these past two months and more, Grandpa. I've heard all about it."
Qian Daoliu extended his spiritual power toward the golden-white aura emanating from Qian Renxue.
His expression shifted despite himself. This aura carried countless people's thoughts and prayers, packed as densely as the stars.
Each was faint, but together they formed a torrent that could not be ignored.
"This..." His voice was somewhat hoarse. "All this power of faith was accumulated within two months?"
"Yes." Qian Renxue's tone was calm. "Every day now, I can feel new power of faith gathering around me. The farthest source is probably on the Star Luo Empire's border."
Qian Daoliu drew a deep breath. He had only ever seen this power of faith in the Angel God.
In all his years guarding the Angel Inheritance, he had never seen anyone bear the power of faith in a mortal body.
"Xiao Xue..." A complicated emotion colored Qian Daoliu's voice. "These past two months... were you all right in Slaughter City?"
"Slaughter City was the most fun place I've ever visited. The people there say such lovely things. I really liked it there." Qian Renxue smiled and raised her left hand. The sacred sword marking on its back flashed. "Grandpa, I'm already a Slayer now."
Qian Daoliu fell utterly silent. "..."
He turned, returned to the desk, and pulled a sheet from a stack of files. "Over these past two months, more than forty major cities within the Heaven Dou Empire have opened Cultivation Transmission Halls.
"It has spread to the Star Luo Empire too. Progress is somewhat slower there, but it has already gained momentum.
"The feedback on the simplified versions of the Five Great Cultivation Techniques has been very good, especially the Angel Sacred Guidance Art. Cultivation is three to five times faster than with ordinary techniques. Even young children who haven't awakened their martial souls can practice it."
Qian Renxue nodded. "What about Bibi Dong?"
The corner of Qian Daoliu's mouth twitched, and he grinned. "Pope Hall has sent over a dozen groups to ask about the techniques over these past two months. Bibi Dong didn't take it seriously at first, but later she couldn't sit still anymore. Just two days ago, she even sent someone to ask where you were, saying she wanted to talk face-to-face."
Qian Renxue raised her eyebrows. "About what?"
"About the cultivation technique attribution." There was a hint of amusement in Qian Daoliu's tone. "She thinks your name shouldn't appear on the title page."
Qian Renxue said, "Then whose name does she think should be there?"
Qian Daoliu said, "Whose do you think?"
Qian Renxue snorted coldly without committing herself either way.
Cheng Ran cut in. "Bibi Dong's getting anxious! You've caused such a stir that she can't sit still anymore."
Qian Daoliu said evenly, "I told her you created the techniques, so naturally your name belongs on them. If Bibi Dong wants that changed, she can come talk to you herself."
Qian Renxue replied, "Hmph! Bibi Dong wishes."
Qian Daoliu gave her another look. "Xiao Xue, what level are you now?"
"The soul power accumulated inside me should be enough to break through to Soul Saint or higher." Qian Renxue checked the state of her body. "I'm only missing two soul rings, the sixth and seventh. This time, I want to absorb hundred thousand year soul rings."
Qian Daoliu retreated into silence again. Only after a quiet moment did he speak. "Come with me."
Deep within the Worship Hall, all seven Consecrated Elders had gathered in an enclosed stone chamber.
Golden Crocodile Douluo, Azure Luan Douluo, Mighty Lion Douluo, Light Feather Douluo, Qian Jun Douluo, and Demon Subduing Douluo-the six Super Douluos sat in stone chairs along the two sides of the chamber.
As Qian Renxue entered, six gazes fell on her at once.
They all sensed it. The aura of this girl, who had still needed their protection just over six months ago, had completely changed.
Although Qian Renxue deliberately restrained that golden power of faith, at their level, even the slightest change in aura could not escape their perception.
Qian Daoliu walked to the center of the stone chamber and looked around. "I've gathered you here today for one matter. Xiao Xue needs to hunt for her sixth and seventh soul rings. The Worship Hall will accompany her throughout. Our targets are hundred-thousand-year soul beasts."
The stone chamber fell quiet for a moment.
Golden Crocodile Douluo was the first to speak, clear hesitation in his voice. "Grand Consecrated Elder, absorbing a hundred thousand year soul ring requires a Soul Master to be at least level 90..."
Qian Renxue offered no explanation. She simply released the aura of her Eight Wings Angel.
Holy light surged from her body. Unlike before, threads of golden faith and patterns of icy killing intent were interwoven with its radiance.
The three powers intertwined, forming an aura the Consecrated Elders had never encountered before.
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