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Nearly twenty days had passed.
Qian Renhan remained secluded in a secret chamber, patiently awaiting the soul masters' preparations to wipe out the Clear Sky Sect.
With the augmentation of the Titan Giant Ape's hundred-thousand-year-old torso bone and Tang San's hundred-thousand-year-old Blue Silver Emperor right leg bone, Qian Renhan's soul power had surged to Level 98.
Furthermore, his cultivation method had changed. No longer did he meditate by forming a six-winged angel shape with his fingers to absorb soul bone energy. Instead, he placed both hands upside down on his knees, drawing in the surrounding spiritual energy, which condensed into a dark, swirling mass. This energy then formed a Three-Flower Gathering Crown phenomenon before being absorbed into his body.
This technique was the result of Qian Renhan merging Angel Meditation with Xuan Tian Gong, creating a new cultivation art. The new method was three times faster than Xuan Tian Gong alone. He named it Heavenly Nether Art (Tian Ming Gong).
During these twenty days, news of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament had spread across the land. The deaths of Clear Sky Douluo and Sword Douluo—two of the continent's most renowned Titled Douluo—at the hands of the reigning Pope inside the Papal Palace had sent shockwaves throughout the world, marking the most intense upheaval in a hundred years.
While Spirit Hall's authority reached unprecedented heights, its reputation plummeted like never before. After all, the former Pope's son had deposed his own mother, the previous Pope. To uninformed outsiders, the entire Qian family—Qian Xunji and Qian Renhan—seemed like the epitome of cruelty and treachery.
With the Heaven Dou Empire strategically amplifying the scandal, the news had spread far and wide. The Star Luo Empire followed suit, seeing Heaven Dou as an ally in their mutual goal of eliminating Spirit Hall. Weakening Spirit Hall's reputation and strength was a move that benefitted both empires.
Within Spirit Hall, Qian Daoliu and his faction were seething, barely restraining their fury. However, to Qian Renhan, this was nothing more than a fleeting storm.
He had long dismissed public reputation as meaningless. To the high-ranking members of Spirit Hall, Bibi Dong's betrayal and Qian Xunji's cruelty were common knowledge. Many of them shared Golden Crocodile Douluo's disdain for Bibi Dong.
With Xuan Tian Gong, an art that granted anyone innate full soul power, combined with the inheritance of the Divine Hall and Spirit Hall's overwhelming elite force, including Level 99 Ultimate Douluo, their high-end combat power would never be lacking.
With high salaries and luxurious benefits, there was no shortage of soul masters willing to serve Spirit Hall. Their strength remained unshaken.
Reputation meant nothing. Whether the people worshipped or despised Spirit Hall, they would still be forced to kneel before it. And not just kneel—they would kneel willingly. Otherwise, their fate would be worse than that of a stray dog, crushed beneath the boots of nobles, soul masters, or even fallen soul masters who slaughter entire villages.
To kneel before Spirit Hall meant survival. To kneel before the empire meant suffering all three of those horrors.
---
Holy Soul Village
All the elderly villagers had gathered together.
An old man asked, "Village Chief Jack, have you heard about Spirit Hall?"
Village Chief Jack, his face filled with anger, replied, "Who hasn't? Everyone's been talking about it since morning. I never imagined Spirit Hall could be such a monstrous organization. Two generations of Popes—both inhuman scum. I must have been blind to ever believe in them!"
Another elderly man huffed, "Village Chief Jack, I swear I won't contribute a single coin to build that damn angel statue. Holy Soul Village cannot afford such disgrace!"
"That's right! I won't donate a single cent or give up even a fraction of my land for some ridiculous angel statue. Just seeing Spirit Hall's people makes me sick! They're nothing but a bunch of rapists! I, Xiong Dazhuang, will never bow to those bastards!" A middle-aged man spat on the ground in disgust.
"But… if we refuse, the soul masters will just come to our village, freeloading off our food and drink. And what about our children's Martial Soul Awakening Ceremony next year?" A middle-aged woman spoke up hesitantly.
The moment she finished speaking, the crowd fell silent for a full second.
Xiong Dazhuang's face darkened with rage. "Men are speaking—women shouldn't interrupt!"
The woman, feeling wronged, quietly stepped away. The remaining villagers exchanged uneasy glances, looking at their noses, their mouths, and finally, their hearts, before collectively turning their eyes to Village Chief Jack.
After all, he was the village chief—it was his problem to solve.
Village Chief Jack let out a long sigh and said, "I'll head to the city to gather information. If the empire still refuses to help us awaken our Martial Souls, then we'll have no choice but to pool our money and build Spirit Hall's statue." He paused, then added, "The children need their futures. If kneeling before a statue ensures their survival, then so be it. At least it's just a statue and not Spirit Hall itself."
Two and a half years ago, when the villagers of Holy Soul Village refused to build the Angel Statue, they were barred from participating in the Martial Soul Awakening Ceremony.
A Year and a Half Later
By this time, the people of Holy Soul Village had learned their lesson. They decided to request Spirit Hall to build the Angel Statue. However, the construction costs had to be covered by the village itself—a staggering fifty gold soul coins, plus an annual maintenance fee of ten gold soul coins. The exorbitant expense nearly made the villagers cough up blood.
With no other options, Village Chief Jack had to take a different approach. Every morning at dawn, he led all the five-year-old children of Holy Soul Village to Spirit Hall's Nouding City branch, where they were required to kneel before the Angel God's statue for twenty minutes before 8 AM. This ritual had to be performed every single day, year-round, regardless of the weather. Failure meant disqualification.
As a result, the five-year-olds had to wake up before six every morning, while their parents had to get up even earlier to prepare breakfast. When winter came, the frigid winds were unbearable—some children simply couldn't endure the cold, and those with weaker constitutions even froze to death.
But this was the path the villagers had chosen. If they wanted their children to become soul masters, no amount of hardship could deter them.
Meanwhile, villages that had built the Angel Statue were far better off. A shelter was constructed around the statue to shield the children from wind and rain. The kids could sleep in, bring blankets, and remain comfortable while kneeling. Moreover, those villages were exempt from the annual maintenance fee.
Realizing they had no other choice, the villagers of Holy Soul Village were finally forced to gather funds. With hundreds of households, if every family tightened their belts, they could scrape together enough money.
Upon hearing Village Chief Jack's words, the villagers could only nod in resignation, comforting themselves: "At least we're kneeling before a statue, not those Spirit Hall rapists."
---
Spirit Hall – Douluo Palace
Within the Douluo Palace, Qian Renxue had finally passed the Seventh Angel Trial, earning the acknowledgment of the Angelic Holy Sword.
At this moment, though her appearance and martial soul remained unchanged, her heart had undergone a drastic transformation. Ever since merging with Hei Xue, the latter's influence had deeply entrenched itself within her soul. However, in order to complete the Seventh Angel Trial, Hei Xue had been forced into a dormant state, as Qian Daoliu would never allow Qian Renxue to fall into darkness.
But dormancy was just that—dormancy. As long as the right stimulus appeared, the evil slumbering within Qian Renxue would inevitably awaken, leading to her complete corruption.
Qian Daoliu's face was filled with satisfaction. Now that Qian Renxue had gained the recognition of the Angelic Holy Sword, her chances of completing the Angel God's Trials were almost guaranteed. With this, Qian Daoliu could finally die in peace.
Qian Renxue immediately asked, "Grandfather, I've passed the Seventh Angel Trial and fulfilled my promise to my brother. Can I bring my father out now?"
Qian Daoliu nodded slightly and said, "I'll go with you."
---
Spirit City – Deepest Level of the Underground Prison
In the deepest part of Spirit Hall's underground prison lay a lavish chamber, comparable to a six-star luxury hotel suite. Inside, a man with disheveled golden hair, his locks matted like a bird's nest, sat hunched over a sewing machine, mechanically weaving fabric. He wore a prison uniform, his hollow eyes staring blankly, and his once-handsome face was now stiff and lifeless.
This man was none other than Qian Xunji, the former Pope of Spirit Hall.
Ever since Qian Xunji was imprisoned, the very moment he first sat before the sewing machine, his expression had turned into a permanent zombie-like mask.
Even though his food and living conditions were top-tier, the psychological blow was far too devastating. Once a lofty Pope, a supreme member of the Angelic Bloodline, he had now fallen to the status of a mere prisoner, endlessly working a sewing machine.
At that moment, all the pride within his heart had completely shattered.
(End of Chapter)