The Bearing of a Celestial

"Second place! Second place is about to come out. I wonder if it'll be me?" Yan said, optimism written all over his face.

Hu Liena looked scornful. "You really have the nerve to say that. Are you worthy of second place?"

"Hehe, a man has to have a little ambition." Yan did not argue.

"Forget it. Whatever you say."

After watching this succession of entries on the Pride of Heaven Ranking, Hu Liena felt that the group from Shrek Academy was actually the most likely to produce more prodigies.

Among those at Shrek Academy, only Dai Mubai's looks truly satisfied her: double pupils, a tall build, and a handsome face.

Hu Liena could not help wondering how she should offer her congratulations if Dai Mubai became a ranked prodigy in a moment.

Meanwhile, at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Wang Qiye had no idea who the top two on the ranking could be either.

After all, the Douluo I characters he knew well were already on the ranking, while the remaining Douluo I characters seemed unlikely to make it no matter how he thought about it.

"Who could the remaining two be? How strange."

In Heaven Dou City, Qian Renxue, disguised as the eldest prince, instructed the two Titled Douluo, "When the prodigies in first and second place are revealed, if they're near our Heaven Dou City, you two elders must go immediately and bring them back to me."

"The Soul Hall sent word earlier that a prodigy had their Soul Bone stolen and their life taken after the rewards were distributed."

"I don't care about elsewhere, but here in Heaven Dou City, we must protect any prodigies who fall into danger. If we can bring them into our service, all the better."

"As you command." The two Douluo accepted their orders cautiously.

Watching the commanding air with which their young mistress issued orders, they felt the satisfaction of seeing their young mistress finally grow up.

The two of them had accompanied their young mistress here to impersonate the Heaven Dou Empire's eldest prince when she was very young, a disguise maintained for over a decade. They could truly say they had watched her grow up.

It seemed their young mistress was thinking of building her own faction.

Suddenly, the Pride of Heaven Ranking finished updating!

[Second place: immaculate immortal physique, Qian Renxue.]

The two Titled Douluo nearly threw their backs out.

Qian Renxue also looked toward the Pride of Heaven Ranking in astonishment. "I count as a prodigy too?"

Looking at the exceptionally young faces on the Pride of Heaven Ranking, then considering that she was already in her twenties, she felt like an adult fighting a bunch of children for candy.

Qian Renxue did not know whether to laugh or cry. "I actually became a ranked prodigy too."

But the Pride of Heaven Ranking paid no heed to Qian Renxue's feelings, and more words continued to appear.

[Reason for inclusion: divine-grade Martial Soul, Six-Winged Angel; innate full soul power at level 20; untouched by the dust of the world from the moment of her birth.]

[The Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul naturally possesses the power of purification, while innate full soul power at level 20 allows her to continually and unconsciously purify the environment she comes into contact with from birth.]

[Having never had the slightest connection with the mortal world since birth, she is what is known as a celestial.]

[Because her body has never suffered worldly contamination, she is highly receptive to any kind of energy. With all meridians open from birth, as long as she has enough energy, even becoming a god in a single day would be effortless.]

[However, this also caused her to be marked by the Angel God, reducing the types of energy she can accommodate.]

[Assessment: clear in spirit and energy, with the bearing of an immortal.]

The moment this assessment appeared, the entire Douluo Continent boiled over.

"What does becoming a god in a day mean?"

"To think someone like this actually exists, someone who can become a god just by being born. Surely no one can match that aptitude."

Qian Renxue was somewhat dumbfounded too. "Become a god in a day? Me?"

"Although I cultivate faster than others normally, it's never been fast enough to become a god in a single day."

Atop the mountain in Spirit City, Qian Daoliu, who was offering prayers as the High Priest, slowly closed his eyes.

Become a god in a day... just what had I done back then?

I sent a granddaughter with such aptitude to be a spy, and left her there for over a decade.

If I'd kept her by my side to cultivate, would she have become a god long ago and already led Spirit Hall to unite the Douluo Continent?

Just what have I been doing all these years?

Instinctively, he moved to leave the Worship Hall, the place where he had stayed for nearly twenty years. He wanted to bring Qian Renxue back to his side, to make up for the familial affection she had never had since childhood.

But just as he was about to step through the doorway, he stopped again.

"Master, what's wrong? Do you know this Qian Renxue?"

Bibi Dong slowly nodded.

"Becoming a god in a day-what terrifying aptitude. I heard our Spirit Hall has an angel lineage, and they all have the surname Qian. Could this Qian Renxue be one of them too?"

Bibi Dong's expression was grave, and she nodded again.

Among those present, Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo knew what had happened back then. To stop Hu Liena from asking more reckless questions and uncovering something, Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan hurriedly spoke up.

"If second place can become a god in a single day, how incredible must first place's aptitude be?"

Sure enough, everyone's attention was diverted.

"Exactly. Could first place be a god from birth? That's unbelievable."

Over at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, however, the subject was not brushed aside. Wang Qiye gave Ning Rongrong a fierce scolding.

"By rights, your aptitude is high enough that this Qian Renxue couldn't possibly surpass you, yet now you've only managed a second. You really are... you really are..."

Knowing she was in the wrong, Ning Rongrong dared not make a sound and could only kneel obediently on the ground to ask for punishment.

Ordinarily, she was lazy, fishing for three days and drying her nets for two. It was only because she was gifted and clever enough to grasp anything with a single hint that she seemed like a genius.

In reality, however, her own aptitude had never been fully put to use.

"Once this Pride of Heaven Ranking is over, your punishment is to enter seclusion. Until you've thoroughly mastered those cultivation manuals, don't even dream of coming out."

Ning Rongrong pursed her lips. "I know, I know. The Pride of Heaven Ranking isn't finished yet anyway. It won't be too late to enter seclusion after I finish watching."

Wang Qiye sighed helplessly.

"Master, who do you think the first-place prodigy will be?"

Wang Qiye shook his head. "I really have absolutely no idea. During this period of Douluo I, who could have greater aptitude than Qian Renxue?"

"Unless it's Bibi Dong with her twin Martial Souls, but is that possible?"

"The Pride of Heaven Ranking, the Pride of Heaven Ranking-at the very least, you ought to be a little young to count as a prodigy. As far as I know, Bibi Dong must be at least fifty by now."

"As for anyone else, I honestly don't think anyone has greater aptitude than Qian Renxue."

They were openly passing judgment on Spirit Hall's reigning Supreme Pontiff, yet no one present paid it any mind.

Beside Ning Rongrong, the little dog with blue scales gave a bark, as though he had remembered something.

"You're still conscious? Then it looks like you can still be saved. This true dragon bloodline really is a little tricky. Don't worry, Sect Master Yu. Let me study it."

Ning Rongrong smiled slyly. "Master, I happen to know who it is. If I guess right, how about rewarding me with a few fewer days in seclusion?"

Wang Qiye did not indulge her in the slightest. "Then guess. If you get it right, I'll reward you with negative seven fewer days in seclusion. If you get it wrong, I'll punish you with positive seven more days in seclusion. How does that sound?"

Wang Qiye's tiger-like eyes held a smile. Under their gaze, Ning Rongrong did not even dare to wisecrack.

Nearby, the sisters Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er came up from halfway down the mountain after finishing their morning practice. By now, Wang Qiye had taken them as disciples.

"Master, there are still some parts of the Five Elements Fist you taught us this morning that we don't understand. Could you teach us again?"

Wang Qiye sighed helplessly. All he could say was that some died of drought while others drowned in floods.

The lovely sisters Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er were extremely diligent in their training-truly, exceptionally diligent. Even the announcement of the Pride of Heaven Ranking could not stop them from finishing their practice first. But how should he put it?

Their minds simply were not very quick. They had spent an entire day practicing a mere basic introductory version of the Five Elements Fist, yet still could not master it completely.

Ning Rongrong hurriedly spoke up. "Junior sisters, please help me plead with Master. I'll teach you afterward."

Shui Bing'er found that rather hard to believe. After all, ever since they had arrived at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, every time they encountered Ning Rongrong, she was either being punished or on her way to being punished. Deep down, they felt this senior sister was particularly unreliable.

To their surprise, Wang Qiye raised his eyes and actually agreed.

"You happen to be very proficient in the Five Elements Fist too, so you'll be responsible for teaching the two of them. Your seclusion is waived, but if I test your studies in seven days and you can't answer, don't blame your master for being merciless."

Ning Rongrong instantly followed the snake up the offered pole. She sprang to her feet and wrapped both hands around Wang Qiye's arm. "I knew Master doted on me the most. Don't worry, I'll absolutely teach my two junior sisters until they understand everything clearly."