Inherited Soul Bone!

Qian Renxue looked at her grandfather's grief-stricken face, and a wave of heartache washed over her.

Still, she gritted her teeth, took a small step back, and dropped to her knees with a thud.

Her knees struck the icy floor, sending a dull ache through them, but it was nothing compared to the struggle in her heart.

"Grandpa, Xue'er has been unfilial."

She lifted her head, her eyes reddening. Her voice caught with tears, yet remained exceptionally firm.

"Xue'er can't stay by your side forever, nor can I always hide beneath your wings. Please... let me go!"

Qian Daoliu's pupils abruptly contracted as he watched his granddaughter suddenly kneel. He hurriedly reached out to help her up.

"Xiao Xue, what are you doing? Get up!"

But Qian Renxue stubbornly remained on her knees, refusing to move. Her hands pressed tightly against her sides, her knuckles white with strain.

"If you won't agree, Grandpa, Xue'er won't get up."

"You child..."

Qian Daoliu was both anxious and angry. Seeing her kneeling there so stubbornly, his heart ached beyond measure.

He knew Qian Renxue's temperament. Once she made a decision, even ten oxen could not drag her back.

But whenever he thought of her heading into that dragon's pool and tiger's den, the Heaven Dou Empire, he felt as though he were sitting on a bed of needles.

Beneath the light, Qian Renxue's back remained perfectly straight. Even kneeling, she exuded an unyielding pride.

She knew this decision would hurt her grandfather, but that faint hope concerning her "mother" was like an invisible thread, tugging her forward.

"Grandpa!" She drew a deep breath, her voice steadying a little.

"I know you're worried about me, but I'm the Angel God's successor. I can't always remain a child who needs your protection!"

"This journey to Heaven Dou is both for Spirit Hall and for myself. I want to try, to see whether I can... whether I can untie the knot in her heart."

Seeing the determination in her eyes, Qian Daoliu finally, slowly relaxed his hands. His aged face was filled with helplessness and tender concern.

He remained silent for a long time, so long that Qian Renxue's knees began to go numb, before she finally heard his heavy sigh.

"Very well... very well... That temperament of yours takes after your father, and after me!"

"Since you've already decided, nothing else Grandpa says will get through to you."

Qian Renxue abruptly raised her head. A flicker of delighted surprise flashed through her eyes, only to be swiftly replaced by guilt.

"Grandpa..."

"Get up."

Qian Daoliu reached out and helped her up. As his fingertips touched her slightly cool arms, he could not help reminding her again.

"Once you're there, be careful in everything you do. If there's any danger, come back immediately!"

"None of Spirit Hall's grand ambitions matter more than your safety. Do you understand?"

Qian Renxue nodded hard, her tears finally spilling uncontrollably.

"Yes! Xue'er understands!"

Looking at his granddaughter's tear-reddened eyes, Qian Daoliu gently wiped the tears from their corners.

He knew that from this moment onward, his Xiao Xue would have to face those winds and storms alone.

"Xue'er, I'll have She Long and Ci Xue protect you. If there's any danger, contact them immediately!"

As Qian Daoliu spoke, he slowly pressed his hand to his waist, where his Soul Tool suddenly shone with a soft, warm light.

Then a soul bone shimmering with a lustrous white glow emerged from the light and settled securely in his palm.

"This is the Inherited Soul Bone passed down through generations of our Qian Family!"

His fingertips gently traced the patterns on the soul bone's surface, his voice steady and solemn.

"This soul bone's Soul Bone Skill can help you change your Martial Soul's form and your own appearance at will!"

"Xiao Xue, promise Grandpa that no matter what happens, you'll protect yourself first."

An almost imperceptible tremor ran through Qian Daoliu's voice. Those eyes that had seen through the ways of the world were now brimming with worry.

"Even if... even if the mission really fails, it doesn't matter. Grandpa only wants you to return safe and sound."

He paused, his rough palm resting gently on Qian Renxue's head with unprecedented tenderness.

The years had carved deep furrows into his hand, yet now it radiated boundless warmth.

"Promise Grandpa!" His voice sank even lower, carrying an indescribable plea!

"Don't make Grandpa... bury the young with his white hair again."

Those last few words pressed upon Qian Renxue's heart like a heavy stone.

She could feel the warmth of her grandfather's palm and see the cloudy tears quietly slipping from the corners of his eyes.

The Great Enshrined, who was always so imposing before the world, was now merely an old man afraid of losing his granddaughter.

Qian Renxue bit down hard on her lower lip, forcing back the tears welling in her eyes, and nodded firmly.

"Grandpa, I promise. I'll definitely come back."

"All right, Xiao Xue'er. It's late. Go to sleep."

Qian Daoliu's voice was much gentler than it had been during the day, with an almost imperceptible hoarseness.

"Okay!"

Qian Renxue lay back down on the bed. He reached out and tucked the quilt around her, his fingertips brushing its surface so lightly that he seemed afraid of disturbing something.

He carefully smoothed every corner of the quilt, even taking care to cover the small stretch of exposed ankle.

It was as though she were still that little girl who used to act spoiled on his lap.

Qian Renxue snuggled farther beneath the covers, her gaze falling on the few more strands of silver at his temples, and said nothing else.

Only after watching her close her eyes did Qian Daoliu slowly rise, keeping his footsteps exceptionally light, as though afraid of treading the hall's stillness to pieces.

When he reached the hall's doorway, he glanced back at the figure on the bed.

In the dim light, the curve lifting the corners of his mouth was visible, carrying a measure of comfort while concealing an almost imperceptible heaviness.

He pushed open the door and stepped outside. Moonlight spilled over him, stretching his silhouette out long, long behind him.

Whether because the night wind was cold or because the years spared no one, his back seemed a little more stooped than it had during the day.

The next morning-

Dressed in heavy ceremonial robes, Qian Daoliu stood with his head bowed before the Angel God Statue at the center.

His long golden hair gleamed in the morning light, and the staff in his hand rested lightly against the floor, producing a dull echo.

Bibi Dong entered the hall in high heels. Her long black dress swept over the cold floor tiles with a faint rustle.

She stood near the entrance, her gaze resting on Qian Daoliu's back, a barely perceptible sneer curling her lips.

That smile concealed complicated emotions: disdain, mockery, and a trace of deeply buried resentment.

"Hmph."

She gave a soft scoff, not loud, but enough to break the silence within the hall.

"Can showing devotion to a cold piece of stone bring you the outcome you want?"

Qian Daoliu slowly turned around. His aged face held little expression; only the ripples in his eyes betrayed his emotions.

"What are you doing here?"

Bibi Dong approached slowly, her gaze sweeping over the holy Angel God Statue as the mockery in her eyes deepened.

"If this statue truly had a spirit, how could your son have met such an end back then?"

She deliberately emphasized the words "your son," like a needle piercing precisely into Qian Daoliu's sore spot.

Qian Daoliu's grip on his staff abruptly tightened, his knuckles turning white.

"Insolence."