Bibi Dong grew curious. What other form could angels have besides the winged human form she knew?
"What form?"
"Before you look, you'd better prepare yourself. The two versions look rather different."
When Tang Fan said that, everyone on the Douluo Continent grew curious.
"Father, what do you think the angels over there look like?"
"They probably don't look very good. Look at that brat's expression. He's clearly teasing Bibi Dong."
"Huh? But didn't he say the angels over there were God's messengers? God should mean a deity, right? Would a deity's messengers look bad?"
Qian Daoliu shook his head. He didn't know either.
Tang Fan searched on his phone, and another version of the angels soon appeared.
"Look, these are the other versions of the three great angels."
This time, Tang Fan didn't hand Bibi Dong his phone. He was afraid she would throw it away.
When Bibi Dong saw the Seraphim, she was utterly dumbfounded. It had six wings and no human form. Its main body was a row of eyes, and it was covered in crimson markings and burning flames.
She swallowed and said with difficulty, "Th-this is an angel?"
"Yes. That's how the original religious texts described the Seraphim. There are also the Cherubim and the Thrones. Together, they're the three great angels under God.
"You can't see the Seraphim's face. Supposedly, that's because mortals can't bear to look at it."
On the Douluo Continent, Qian Xunji could scarcely stomach the sight of the angel, which was even more abstract than a Soul Beast.
"Impossible! Impossible! How could an angel possibly look like that?"
"Calm down. You're a grown man. How can you have so little composure?
"There are no gods in that world. That's just how some ordinary people imagined angels."
"But Father, why would people over there imagine a god's messenger looking so... abstract?"
Qian Daoliu glared at Qian Xunji without answering. He thought, There's no saving this son of mine. He can't read the room at all. How would I know the answer to that?
Tang Fan pulled up a picture of the Cherubim. It looked even more abstract.
Four faces-a human, a lion, an ox, and an eagle-stared at you from four directions. It had a body, but most of it was hidden by wings, beneath which faintly burning flames could also be seen.
Tang Fan swiped to the next page, and the image of the Thrones appeared.
The Thrones didn't even have wings anymore. Its main body was one enormous eye, surrounded by four huge rotating wheels, each densely studded with countless eyes.
"Well? What do you think of this version of the angels? To be precise, these were the original angels. The winged humanoid angels only evolved later."
"Stop, give me a moment. I can't quite take it. My head's full of eyes now... It's too terrifying!"
"Hmm... Is it really that bad? Plenty of Soul Beasts on the Douluo Continent look abstract too. You don't have to react so strongly, do you?"
"That's completely different!"
"Sorry, my mistake. I shouldn't have shown you something so abstract."
What Tang Fan didn't know was that he had frightened more than just Bibi Dong. Through the heavenly screen, he had also frightened many people on the Douluo Continent.
Now, whenever many people on the Douluo Continent closed their eyes, an image of an angel made up of countless piled-up eyes appeared in their heads. It was such a sanity drain.
Qian Daoliu could still bear the first two, the Seraphim and the Cherubim. At least they had wings to cover them, to some extent.
But what the hell was that Thrones? Even the most abstract Soul Beast couldn't compare to a ten-thousandth of that thing.
Qian Daoliu had even noticed a person in the images Tang Fan showed. Comparing them made it clear that all three great angels were enormous.
An abstract form and a gigantic body-if that thing appeared before him, even he might not have the courage to draw his sword. An ordinary person who wasn't scared to death on the spot would count as brave.
"Feeling better? Want to watch a cartoon to settle your nerves?"
"I'm not a child. I'm fine. People over here really do have rich imaginations."
"Imagination is the foundation of creativity. Everything you see couldn't have been made without imagination and creativity.
"By the way, I just remembered a joke. Want to hear it?"
"What is it?"
"When an angel appears before a mortal, its first words are always: 'Child, don't be afraid. I'm an angel.'"
At first, Bibi Dong didn't get it. Then she remembered the angels Tang Fan had shown her, and the meaning immediately dawned on her.
A mortal who saw an angel like that would surely be scared half to death, which was why the angel's first words had to be: "Child, don't be afraid. I'm an angel."
Pfft! Once Bibi Dong understood the joke, she couldn't help laughing.
"You're terrible!"
"It's just a joke people tell."
On the Douluo Continent, Qian Daoliu, like Bibi Dong, understood the point and gave a helpless, wry smile.
"People over there really have no reverence for the gods at all."
Qian Xunji said, "Father, do you think the angels he described might really exist in some world?"
"Perhaps!"
Seeing that Bibi Dong had recovered, Tang Fan resumed chatting with her.
"Actually, the word 'angel' has another meaning in my country."
"It's not something scary again, is it?"
"Of course not. In my country, the word literally means a messenger from heaven.
"In Journey to the West, the Great Sage calls Taibai Jinxing 'old heavenly messenger.'"
Bibi Dong blinked, not understanding. Only then did Tang Fan realize that Journey to the West, the Great Sage, and Taibai Jinxing-figures and images familiar to everyone in his country-were all very foreign to her.
"Journey to the West is a mythological novel. It tells the story of immortals and gods.
"The Great Sage is a mythological figure known in every household here.
"He wears a Phoenix-Winged Purple Gold Crown on his head, Lotus-Fiber Cloud-Treading Boots on his feet, and Golden Chainmail Armor on his body, and carries the Compliant Golden Cudgel in his hand."
"That description sounds rather like the sixth and seventh priests."
The corner of Tang Fan's mouth twitched.
"Comparing Qian Jun Douluo and Demon Subduing Douluo to the Great Sage is a bit too insulting to the Great Sage. He's someone who wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace."
"Huh? Wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace?! Is he really that powerful?"
"To be precise, the Great Sage is a monkey named Sun Wukong. Let's leave it there for now. If you're interested, I can buy you a copy of Journey to the West."
"Oh..."
"Back to angels. In the book, the Great Sage barged into the Dragon Palace and caused an uproar in the Underworld. The Heavenly Court's Jade Emperor sent Taibai Jinxing down to the mortal world to recruit him, and that was how Taibai Jinxing became the 'old heavenly messenger' the Great Sage spoke of."
The image of the Great Sage Sun Wukong that Tang Fan described also left everyone on the Douluo Continent shocked.
He wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace, barged into the Dragon Palace, and caused an uproar in the Underworld. Though they didn't know exactly what those things meant, they could tell just from hearing them that he was formidable.
It was a pity that Tang Fan hadn't shown them what the Great Sage looked like, but they could still look forward to it.