Qian Daoliu did not answer immediately.
Bibi Dong possessed Rakshasa Divine Power within her.
If she devoted herself fully to completing the Divine Examination, she indeed had a chance to reach God Level.
However, an inheritance from the Divine Realm was not easy to obtain.
The Rakshasa God Trial would magnify the resentment in her heart and continually erode her will.
As long as Bibi Dong could not control herself, hidden dangers would remain even after she inherited the Divine Position.
"Even if she inherits the Rakshasa Godhood, that doesn't mean she can defeat me."
Qian Daoliu spoke calmly.
Qian Renxue nodded.
"I believe in you, Grandpa."
She picked up the Silver Pick again.
"But I can't stop cultivating, either."
"Starting today, I'm going to cultivate the Divine Slaughter's Domain."
"I also need to familiarize myself with Angel True Body and Angel Gravity Domain."
"I'll cultivate Soul Power in the afternoon."
"And practice swordsmanship at night."
Watching her earnestly arrange her time, Qian Daoliu nodded slightly.
"Add one more thing."
"What?"
"Eat with me."
Qian Renxue's eyes lit up.
"What would you like to eat, Grandpa?"
"You decide."
"Then I'll go to the kitchen."
She stood, her long white dress falling from the edge of the chair.
She had barely taken two steps when Qian Daoliu caught her wrist.
"Finish the fruit first."
Qian Renxue looked back.
"The rest is all for you, Grandpa."
"I'm not eating it."
"That won't do."
She sat back down at the table.
Qian Renxue put the last few pieces of fruit into her mouth one by one.
After finishing, she took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped her fingers.
"Grandpa."
"Hmm?"
"Once I grow stronger, I'll protect you too."
Qian Daoliu looked at her.
"You still have a long way to go."
Qian Renxue did not get angry.
She linked her arm through Qian Daoliu's and rested her face against his shoulder.
"Then I'll keep working hard."
"One day, I'll stand beside you, Grandpa."
"Not hide behind you."
Qian Daoliu raised his hand and lightly tapped her forehead.
"When have you ever hidden?"
"I did before, in the Pope's Hall."
"That was because you didn't have any strength then."
Qian Renxue lifted her face and said earnestly:
"It won't happen again."
Sunlight from outside the hall fell by the window.
Golden light shone on the grandfather and granddaughter.
Qian Daoliu withdrew his gaze.
"Let's go."
"To the kitchen first."
Qian Renxue immediately stood and walked outside with her arm linked through his.
"Grandpa, I want to make steamed fish today."
"Do you know how?"
"No."
"Then you're still going to make it?"
"I can learn."
When she reached the hall entrance, she glanced back at the table.
"Remember to eat the fruit, too."
"I know."
Only then did Qian Renxue turn around in satisfaction.
The grandfather and granddaughter's figures gradually receded along the corridor.
Silence returned to the Elder Hall.
But the changes in Spirit Hall had only just begun.
Spirit City.
The rear courtyard of the Elder Hall.
Qian Renxue placed the cleaned fish on a jade platter.
It was her first time cooking, and her movements could hardly be called practiced.
She had cut several small nicks into the fish's previously intact skin.
Qian Renxue looked down at it for a while.
Grandpa probably won't mind.
She placed the jade platter in the steamer.
Golden Soul Power surged from her fingertips, and the flames in the stove immediately rose.
Qian Daoliu entered the kitchen.
The Heaven Dou Empire.
Outside the imperial palace.
A golden passage opened at the end of the long street.
Qian Daoliu emerged from it with Qian Renxue and Liu Erlong.
The three of them appeared without alerting the ordinary people on the street.
But the Soul Masters above the imperial palace had already sensed that vast Divine Might.
Figures rose from within the palace walls.
They wore the armor of the Heaven Dou Empire's imperial guards and held long spears.
The commander at the front raised his spear.
"This is the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace."
"Halt."
Qian Renxue looked at the commander.
She wore a long white dress, her long golden hair falling to her waist.
The Angel Runes between her brows glowed faintly.
"I want to see Xue Ye."
The commander did not step aside.
"His Majesty is resting."
"No one may enter the imperial palace without permission."
Qian Daoliu took a step forward.
Golden Divine Light spread from beneath his feet.
The imperial guard Soul Masters above the palace walls all fell to their knees.
The spears in their hands dropped to the ground.
The Soul Power within them was suppressed by sacred power, and they could no longer muster even a fraction of it.
The commander's face turned pale.
He wanted to keep blocking their way, but his body could no longer move.
Qian Daoliu waved a hand.
The palace gates slowly opened.
"Let's go."
Qian Renxue linked her arm through her grandfather's.
Liu Erlong followed behind them.
The three passed through the palace gates and proceeded along the broad white jade steps.
The guards and palace maids along the way knelt one after another.
No one dared to look up.
Qian Daoliu did not stop.
His spiritual perception already covered the entire imperial palace.
He had also clearly detected Xue Ye's location.
Deep within the imperial palace.
Xue Ye lay in his bedchamber.
His face was aged, and his chest rose and fell very slowly.
Several court Soul Masters stood guard on either side of the bed.
Several jade bottles also stood in the room.
One of the jade bottles had already shattered.
Black medicinal liquid dripped from the corner of the table.
Xue Ye opened his eyes.
Sensing the commotion outside, he immediately sat up.
"What's happening outside?"
A court Soul Master hurried to his bedside.
"Your Majesty, people from Spirit Hall have entered the imperial palace."
"Their leader is Qian Daoliu."
Xue Ye pressed his palm against the edge of the bed.
"Qian Daoliu?"
Of course he knew that name.
The Great Enshrined of Spirit Hall.
The most powerful Soul Master on the continent.
Now, he had even surpassed level ninety-nine and entered the Level 100 God Level realm.
A powerful figure like him coming to the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace in person could not possibly be merely paying a visit.
Xue Ye looked at the Soul Master beside him.
"Notify Prince Xue Xing immediately."
"Have him lead the imperial capital's guards to protect my bedchamber."
The Soul Master was just about to turn.
The bedchamber doors had already opened to either side.
Qian Daoliu walked inside.
Qian Renxue stood beside him, her arm linked through his.
Liu Erlong stopped outside the doors and came no closer.
Xue Ye looked at Qian Renxue.
Golden hair, a white dress, and the aura of the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul.
His pupils abruptly contracted.
"You're Xue Qinghe?"
"That's right."
Qian Renxue raised her eyes to look at him.
"And the crown prince of the Heaven Dou Empire."
Xue Ye looked at Qian Daoliu.
"Qian Daoliu, have you brought Spirit Hall's people into the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace to declare war on the empire?"
"The Heaven Dou Empire is not qualified to wage war against me."
Qian Daoliu approached the bed.
"I came today only to send you on your way."
Xue Ye's expression changed.
He reached up and grabbed the jade bell at his bedside.
Before the jade bell could make a sound, a beam of golden light shattered it.
"I am the emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire."
"If you kill me, the Heaven Dou Empire will never let Spirit Hall off."
"The Heaven Dou Empire?"
Qian Daoliu looked at him calmly.
"The empire you speak of relies on the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan to sustain it."
"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has already been destroyed."
"The imperial guards within the imperial city are likewise powerless to act before me."
Xue Ye looked at Qian Renxue.
"Qinghe!"
"You are the crown prince of the Heaven Dou Empire."
"Are you going to stand by and watch Spirit Hall kill your own father?"
Qian Renxue did not respond.
She stood beside Qian Daoliu, her gaze resting on Xue Ye.
This man was her father in name.
He was also someone she had to face after spending years undercover in the Heaven Dou Empire.
In the past, she had sat in the crown prince's residence under Xue Qinghe's identity.
She had handled affairs of state for the Heaven Dou Empire.
She had also come to the palace in person to obey Xue Ye's commands.
Yet from beginning to end, Xue Ye had never truly trusted her.
He had groomed Xue Beng while guarding against Xue Qinghe.
Even as his life neared its end, he still wanted to use the empire's power to stop Spirit Hall.
Qian Renxue withdrew her gaze.
"You are not worthy of being my father."
Xue Ye went still.
"What did you say?"
"I said, you are not worthy."
Qian Renxue looked at him.
"You sit on the throne, yet lack the strength to protect the empire."
"You have several sons, yet all you know is how to maintain power through suspicion."
"You raised Xue Beng into a wastrel prince."
"You sent Xue Qinghe from place to place to win over the nobles."
"You have never truly cared about any of your children."
Xue Ye raised a hand and pointed at her.
"You are not Qinghe!"
"Who exactly are you?"
"She is Qian Renxue."
Qian Daoliu answered for her.
"Spirit Hall's young master."
"And the heir to the Six-Winged Angel lineage."
Looking at the Angel Runes between Qian Renxue's brows, Xue Ye finally understood everything.
The talent Xue Qinghe had shown over the years, his composure when handling affairs of state, and his closeness to Spirit Hall.
That was no crown prince raised by the Heaven Dou Imperial Family.
It was the heir Spirit Hall had planted at his side.
"You deceived me for all these years."
"You were the one who tried to use me first."
Qian Renxue said, "I am merely taking back what belongs to me."
Xue Ye forcibly summoned his Soul Power.
A faint surge of Soul Power flowed from his meridians.
Qian Daoliu raised his right hand.
Golden divine power landed on Xue Ye's chest.
That surge of Soul Power dissipated on the spot.
Xue Ye fell back onto the bed.
"Qian Daoliu, if you kill me, the Heaven Dou Empire will fall into chaos."
"Xue Beng is still in Heaven Dou City."
"He is a prince of the Heaven Dou Empire."
"As long as he ascends the throne, the empire will never submit to Spirit Hall."
Qian Daoliu said, "Xue Beng has already left Heaven Dou City."
Xue Ye raised his head.
"What did you do to him?"
"He is still alive."
"However, he will never return to the palace."
Xue Ye looked at the white-haired man before him.
He understood that his life had reached its end.
"I can abdicate."
"Let Qinghe inherit the throne."
"Your Spirit Hall can have the empire's support."
"As long as you spare me."
"Do you think I need the Heaven Dou Empire's support?"
Qian Daoliu raised his palm.
A wisp of golden divine power condensed in his palm.
"Xue Ye."
"You have sat on the throne for too long."
"It is time you rested."
Bracing himself against the bed, Xue Ye retreated.
He wanted to call for the guards.
But the golden divine power had already landed between his brows.
Sacred radiance passed through his body.
Xue Ye's Soul Power, spirit, and aura of life all stopped at once.
His body fell back down.
His eyes remained open, but their light was already gone.
Xue Ye, emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire, died in his bedchamber within the imperial palace.
Qian Daoliu withdrew his hand.
"Let's go."
Qian Renxue glanced at Xue Ye on the bed.
She felt no sorrow, nor did she linger.
"Grandfather, is the coronation ceremony next?"
"Summon the empire's ministers first."
"I want them to watch you take the throne with their own eyes."
Qian Renxue nodded.
"All right."
The palace's great hall.
The Heaven Dou Empire's civil and military ministers arrived one after another.
They still did not know that Xue Ye was dead.
Only when Qian Daoliu entered the great hall with Qian Renxue did everyone's gaze settle on the two of them.
Prince Xue Xing stood before the assembled ministers.
He glanced at Qian Renxue, then looked at Qian Daoliu.
"What exactly do you intend to do by entering the palace?"
Qian Daoliu did not answer.
He raised his hand and waved it.
Golden Divine Light formed a screen of light.
The image of Xue Ye lying on his bed appeared in the center of the great hall.
Every minister's expression changed at once.
"Your Majesty!"
"His Majesty has already..."
Prince Xue Xing took a step forward.
"Qian Daoliu, how dare you murder His Majesty in the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace!"
Qian Daoliu looked at him.
"Is there a problem?"
Prince Xue Xing froze in place.
He tried to release his Soul Power, but the Soul Rings behind him failed to appear.
A sacred pressure descended from above his head.
Prince Xue Xing's knees slammed into the floor.
"You..."
"Xue Ye is dead."
"The Heaven Dou Empire needs a new emperor."
Qian Daoliu turned to Qian Renxue.
"Xue Qinghe."
"Step forward."
Qian Renxue let go of her grandfather's arm.
Her long white dress trailed down the stone steps.
Step by step, she walked to the center of the great hall.
The ministers watched her with varying expressions.
Some lowered their heads in silence.
Some looked terrified.
Others looked outside the hall, seemingly waiting for Xue Beng to appear.
Qian Renxue stood before the throne.
She turned and looked at everyone in the great hall.
"From this day forth, I am the emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire."
"All armies, cities, and officials of the Heaven Dou Empire will obey my commands."
"Those willing to swear allegiance may remain in their current positions."
"Those who refuse must leave the Heaven Dou Empire immediately."
Silence filled the great hall.
An elderly minister stepped out of the crowd.
"Your Highness, His Majesty has only just died. Succession to the throne requires deliberation by the imperial family and the ministers."
"The throne of the Heaven Dou Empire is not for Spirit Hall to decide."
Qian Renxue looked at the elderly minister.
"I did not ask Spirit Hall to decide for me."
"I am merely telling you that I have already decided."
The elderly minister was about to speak again.
Qian Daoliu raised his eyes.
Golden Divine Light descended.
The elderly minister's body went limp, and he fell to his knees on the stone bricks.
"The Heaven Dou Empire needs an emperor who can defend the empire."
"Not a pack of powerless people who do nothing but argue over rites and laws."
Qian Daoliu swept his gaze across the great hall.
"Who else objects?"
No one answered.
Prince Xue Xing lowered his head.
He saw it all clearly.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had already been destroyed.
Spirit Hall had a Level 100 God Level expert.
After losing Xue Ye, the Heaven Dou Empire had no force capable of stopping Qian Renxue from ascending the throne.
Continuing to resist would only get him killed here.
A general was the first to kneel.
"This subject pays his respects to Your Majesty."
Immediately afterward.
The civil and military officials in the great hall fell to their knees one after another.
"We pay our respects to Your Majesty!"
"We pay our respects to the Heaven Dou Emperor!"
Qian Renxue stood before the throne.
She looked at the officials kneeling at her feet and reached out to touch the throne's armrest.
The throne was carved from white jade.
In the past, she had stood below it countless times.
Now, she had finally come before the throne.
Yet she did not sit down immediately.
Qian Renxue turned to look at Qian Daoliu.
"Grandfather."
Qian Daoliu came up to her.
"Sit on it."
"From now on, you are the emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire."
Before you continue