"Why… why is it you, Tang San…"
Every image that surfaced in the depths of Qian Renxue's soul was born from her most profound memories. Yet she never imagined that this third obsession—the deepest of them all—would stem from Tang San. The young man before her, gently strumming a harp—wasn't that exactly how Tang San had appeared during his performance at the Moon Pavilion graduation ceremony?
Only now did Qian Renxue realize that Tang San had already been etched into her heart all those years ago. She had attended that ceremony for the sake of Xue Qinghe's younger sister, even joking that the princess had taken a fancy to Tang San. She never suspected that she herself had fallen for him at that very moment. And in this instant, she finally understood why, during their battle, she had possessed every opportunity to win—yet kept hoping Tang San would submit to her. Deep within her heart, she had harbored such a fierce desire to conquer him. The only man who had ever truly entered her soul.
Hearing Qian Renxue's call, the phantom of Tang San in the depths of her soul slowly rose to his feet, a smile on his face as he opened his arms toward her. The harp vanished, and in Qian Renxue's eyes, there was nothing left but that warm embrace.
She threw herself into it without the slightest hesitation. A warmth that soothed the soul spread through her entire body in an instant, and all her pain seemed to vanish without a trace. She clung tightly to the elegant, noble man before her.
Since the day she was born, a shadow had always lurked in the deepest corners of Qian Renxue's heart. During the process of inheriting the mantle of the Angel God—a god of light—every last shadow had become an obstacle standing between her and divinity. But now, in this moment, being able to pour out all the anguish buried within her soul, the path to godhood had suddenly opened wide.
In the Temple of the Angel, Qian Renxue's physical body hovered in midair. The six wings behind her beat gently and ceaselessly, while her body writhed in convulsions, the golden light across her skin surging and ebbing. Through the glow, one could faintly see that her skin had turned an intense rose-pink. The flowing golden liquid that had spread across her body was now separating from her skin by about a centimeter, gradually taking shape.
"Ah—!" Qian Renxue suddenly cried out, her body seizing in violent spasms. The golden liquid erupted from her like a geyser. In the next instant, accompanied by a series of sharp, ringing clangs, her entire being began to undergo a wondrous transformation.
The golden liquid solidified in an instant, forming a dazzling suit of golden armor forged precisely to her proportions—the prominent breastplate, the slender waist guard, a golden battle skirt roughly a foot and a half in length, rounded pauldrons, and every other piece conforming perfectly to her body, encasing her completely. The small angel brand on her forehead blazed with golden light, transforming into a circlet that clasped her brow. At its center, a gemstone shaped like a tiny angel radiated brilliance, and above the circlet, seven crested waves rippled outward, forming a headdress resembling a princess's crown.
Feather-like engravings spread across every surface of the armor. The six wings behind her had become a resplendent gold, and with each gentle vibration, rings of golden ripples expanded outward from her body. The Angel Sword in her hand had likewise turned entirely gold; its crossguard unfurled like a pair of angel's wings. Towering golden flames surged up from beneath her feet, engulfing every inch of her body in an instant. Behind her, a towering phantom of an angel materialized with extraordinary clarity, enveloping her form before slowly contracting and merging completely into her body.
The angel-shaped gemstone atop her headdress flashed brilliantly and released a stream of frigid energy that pierced deep into the recesses of Qian Renxue's soul, then detonated in an instant.
All illusions vanished. The phantom of the man shattered within the golden light, and Qian Renxue's soul snapped back to clarity in a heartbeat. An incomparable surge of power replaced the emptiness that had come before, and the shock of it ran through her whole body like a shiver.
Her eyes opened slowly. Everything around her had become crystal clear. The sensation of commanding heaven and earth, of pointing at the stars—it was so overwhelming she nearly moaned aloud.
An illusion. Everything just now had been an illusion. Qian Renxue drifted there, momentarily dazed. She suddenly discovered that upon truly inheriting the mantle of the Angel God, there was no excitement as she had expected. Instead, she felt a strange sense of loss. In the depths of her soul, she yearned even more to sink back into that warm embrace.
"I… I was fantasizing about him…" Even Qian Renxue herself could not parse the tangle of emotions within her. But she understood with absolute clarity that the three figures who had appeared in her obsessions—the three obsessions themselves—represented the people who would be able to influence her even after she became a god.
Her grandfather had already sacrificed himself for her sake. Bibi Dong was, no matter how one looked at it, her mother. But that final figure—Tang San—had helped her complete the most profound obsession on the path to godhood. How was she to face him? He was the enemy. To break free of this obsession in her heart, there were only two possibilities: either she conquered him, or she destroyed him.
"Ah—!" Qian Renxue screamed once more. Brilliant golden runes rippled outward from her body. The Angel Set had now transformed into the true Divine Armor of the Angel God. Feather-like patterns of light drifted free and began spinning violently around her.
Wuhun City. The Hall of Elders.
At the center of the great hall, the colossal angel statue began to tremble without warning. Fine lines of golden light appeared across its surface, radiating layer upon layer of intense golden ripples.
BOOM—! The entire angel statue shattered in an instant, exploding into countless motes of golden light that scattered through the air. At the epicenter of the detonation, enveloped in golden armor, her six wings gently beating, Qian Renxue had returned. Or rather—to be precise, it was Qian Renxue, the Angel God, who had returned.
The Angel Sword, raised high above her head, erupted with surging golden flames that coalesced into a pillar of golden light shooting straight into the sky. It pierced through the roof of the hall in an instant, and the vast waves of energy that followed rippled outward in succession, so blinding that even the sun seemed to pale beside them.
……
Bibi Dong sat cross-legged in her carriage, meditating. Her body was simply too weak; she could not afford to push for greater speed. The empress of the Spirit Empire was now accompanied by nothing more than a hundred Soul Masters from the empire and Hu Liena.
Nearly three days had passed since their departure from Jialing Pass, yet the road back to Wuhun City still stretched endlessly before them. Bibi Dong's injuries had improved only marginally, and full recovery remained a distant prospect.
As the convoy pressed onward, the web-like markings on Bibi Dong's forehead suddenly blazed to life. She snapped her eyes open from her weakened meditative state, her gaze filled with undisguised horror. In a flash she burst from the carriage, staring in the direction of Wuhun City.
All she could see was the vast expanse of the horizon—yet it was as though she truly perceived something. Her body trembled uncontrollably, her fists clenched so tight that her nails dug into her palms without her even noticing.
"No… this is impossible. He's only the Angel God's guardian—how could he ascend to godhood? Why is there this kind of aura? Why?!"
"Teacher, what's wrong?" Hu Liena had been startled by Bibi Dong's sudden outburst and hurried over to support her.
Bibi Dong collapsed limply into Hu Liena's arms as though she had been drained of all strength, repeating over and over: this is impossible…
At the same time, another person sensed it as well.
After three days of rapid flight, Tang San had arrived at the Star Dou Great Forest. The moment his foot touched the forest's edge, a searing heat suddenly flared on his forehead, drawing his gaze toward a certain direction.
In the distance, Tang San seemed to glimpse a colossal phantom of an angel rising above the horizon. The enormous angelic figure blotted out the sky as though covering the entire firmament, and the crushing pressure it radiated caused the Sea God's Trident brand on his forehead to burn ever hotter. The blood within his veins seemed to boil.
This is…
Tang San halted in his tracks, his expression grave as he stared toward the source of the aura. Judging by the direction—it was Wuhun City! Could something have gone wrong inside the city? This energy felt remarkably similar to the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul Qian Renxue had displayed when they fought, yet it was vastly, incomparably more powerful. Could it be Qian Daoliu? But was this truly power that a human being could unleash?
Tang San's cultivation was, after all, still relatively young, and his understanding of the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul was far less profound than Bibi Dong's. As a result, his perception was not nearly as acute as hers—but he still felt as though a great stone had been pressing down on his chest, an indescribable heaviness. The sensation persisted until the phantom of the angel in the distance gradually faded.
His eyes flickered with uncertainty for a long while before Tang San finally steadied himself. No matter. Whatever had happened, his top priority right now was the inheritance of the Sea God's mantle. Only by becoming the Sea God would he possess the true ability to turn the tide.
With that thought, Tang San gripped the Sea God's Trident and strode into the Star Dou Great Forest.
His Clear Sky Hammer Martial Soul already bore three Soul Rings. The eighth trial of the Sea God's inheritance demanded that his martial soul be fitted with a full set of Soul Rings, complemented by complete Soul Bones, and that he slay the Deep Sea Demon Whale King. For this expedition to the Star Dou Great Forest, he intended to claim five more Soul Rings, bringing the Clear Sky Hammer's total to eight. The final Soul Ring and Soul Bone would be obtained only after the Deep Sea Demon Whale King had been slain.
The Star Dou Great Forest teemed with Soul Beasts. While those with a hundred thousand years of cultivation were rare, those exceeding fifty thousand years were considerably numerous. Leveraging the advantage his Blue Silver Domain provided within the forest, Tang San had come with the goal of acquiring five Soul Rings as quickly as possible, after which he would rendezvous with his companions, hunt the Deep Sea Demon Whale King, and then return to Sea God Island to complete the final stage of the inheritance.
The last time Tang San had encountered Tang Chen, his grandfather had mentioned his intention to visit Sea God Island as well. Tang San planned to bring his great-grandfather back this time. Tang Chen was at minimum a half-god; combined with the possibility that Tang San himself would inherit the Sea God's mantle, there should be no obstacles left on the continent. The day of the Spirit Hall's complete destruction was not far off.
And so, despite the heavy weight the aura from the direction of Wuhun City had placed upon his heart, Tang San pressed forward with unwavering confidence. With his great-grandfather at his side—or once he had completed the Sea God's inheritance—what was there to fear from Qian Daoliu?
The moment he stepped into the Star Dou Great Forest, a crisp breeze carrying the fragrance of countless plants washed over him, refreshing his senses. Tang San could not help but be moved. He still remembered vividly the trepidation and excitement he had felt the very first time he set foot in this forest. That experience had been pivotal to his growth. He held a special affection for this great woodland in his heart.
The very first time he came here, he had obtained the Thousand-Year Man-Faced Demon Spider Martial Soul—and it was also that encounter which had impressed upon him the bitter pain of insufficient strength. And, of course, it had been the first time he ever met Titan Giant Monkey, Er Ming.