Qian Daoliu was overwhelmed with mixed emotions. But this was his own granddaughter—his precious Xue'er—only just returned to Spirit Hall from Heaven Dou. How could he possibly blame her when he hadn't even had the chance to dote on her yet?
He let out a shallow sigh and turned his gaze toward the sky.
"Have you ever heard of the Angel God, Your Excellency?"
Aether tilted his head slightly in confusion, shaking it gently.
"Is that the deity this statue represents?"
Qian Daoliu did not answer directly. Instead, he turned to look at the broken angel wings behind the statue, a sense of melancholy in his tone.
"The Qian clan has long been the most faithful guardians and inheritors of the Angel God's will. Because of this, we have earned Her trust."
"At the same time, our clan serves as the vessel to preserve the Angel God's might and divinity upon this continent. Just like the Clear Sky and Seven Treasure Glazed Tile sects have their own unique martial souls, ours is the Angel Martial Soul."
"In every generation of the Qian family, one heir is chosen—someone with extraordinary talent—to continue the divine legacy of the Angel God."
"By my generation… I've lost count of how many cycles we've upheld this tradition."
As he spoke, Qian Daoliu's voice grew fainter, the pride and honor in his eyes gradually giving way to helplessness and sorrow.
"With the shattering of the Angel Statue, the divine inheritance might be severed… in Xue'er's generation."
"…"
That serious?
Aether listened silently, then turned his gaze to the statue behind him. He still remembered that when he first arrived at this hall, he could sense a potent, unfathomable power lurking within the statue.
But now… it was no different from any ordinary sculpture.
Perhaps the divine power had leaked out entirely when the statue broke?
"Eh? If it's broken, why not just fix it?" Paimon blinked her large eyes and muttered innocently.
But aside from Qian Renxue, everyone present was at least a Title Douluo—and not a word Paimon said slipped past their ears.
"Heh."
An elderly man behind Qian Daoliu let out a light chuckle. "Little girl, repairing a statue is easy. But what of the divine power… and the inheritance contained within?"
"Ah?…"
Paimon, realizing her words had been heard and questioned, grew a bit embarrassed. But she still mumbled, "Well, I don't know about that… maybe just call the Angel God over and ask her?"
"…"
Her words dropped like a stone into still water, stirring a thousand ripples. Other than Qian Renxue and Aether, everyone in the hall turned to look at Paimon with expressions of utter disbelief.
"E-Eh? Did I say something wrong?" Paimon shrank behind Aether, intimidated by their gaping stares.
"Gods are not beings we can casually call upon…" the elderly man sighed, then looked toward Qian Daoliu. "No one can establish contact with the Angel God anymore. Only Big Brother…"
"It's no use," Qian Daoliu said with a complicated look in his eyes.
Long ago, he'd already lost the ability to sense the Angel God. Only a trace of divine power had remained within the statue.
Now that even that had dissipated with the statue's destruction… their Qian family's link to the Angel God was down to one last thing.
A secret that only he knew.
He dared not speak of it—doing so would mean the Spirit Hall would lose its final trump card.
"Enough. Since our guests have traveled so far, Xue'er, why don't you see to their needs first?"
Clearly, Qian Daoliu didn't want Aether and his companions getting involved in the Qian family's internal affairs. In truth, he still didn't fully trust them.
"Grandfather…"
"Grand Worship…"
Qian Renxue and Bibi Dong spoke almost at the same time, interrupting him.
Bibi Dong gave her daughter a subtle nod, signaling for her to speak first.
"Grandfather, the Lord Aether and Paimon are really strong. Maybe… maybe they can reach the Angel God."
She leaned close to Qian Daoliu's ear and whispered her suggestion.
"Ahem."
Qian Daoliu cleared his throat, then waved his hand.
"Xue'er, just entertain our guests for now."
He also gave her a meaningful look.
"Yes, Grandfather."
Though she didn't fully understand the expression he gave, Qian Renxue nodded obediently.
"Grand Worship, are you aware of the mysterious Title Douluo who recently appeared on the continent?" Bibi Dong suddenly asked, her voice icy and calm as it echoed through the shrine.
"Oh? So even though you're always away from Spirit Hall, you're still aware of such matters?" Qian Daoliu's eyes narrowed slightly, a complicated emotion flashing across them as he looked at her.
The two had always been at odds—and that had everything to do with Qian Xunji.
The true core of Spirit Hall's strength lay with the Worship Hall, and Qian Daoliu stood above them all.
Even after Bibi Dong became Pope, her ambitions to dismantle Spirit Hall were hindered by this unshakable pillar.
And Qian Daoliu… had always felt guilty toward her because of the sins committed by his son. Her talent was undeniable, and she had earned the position of Pope.
So in the end, he handed Spirit Hall to her.
Even now, they avoided each other as much as possible—speaking only when absolutely necessary.
Qian Daoliu oversaw the foundation of Spirit Hall through the Worship Hall. Bibi Dong wielded control over its operations.
"Hmph."
Bibi Dong snorted. She had originally wanted to share information with the old bastard, but seeing his attitude, she thought better of it.
Instead, she turned to Aether.
"Your Excellency, since you've come all this way, please allow me to act as your host."
"Why should you be the one?" Qian Renxue interjected sharply.
"Lord Aether, Paimon, thank you both for coming to see me. Let me show you around! There are tons of delicious things here in Spirit City—my treat!"
Her final sentence was directed at Paimon. She knew exactly how to win over that little heart.
Sure enough, the moment she said it, Paimon's face lit up in delight. She put on a bashful grin and said coyly:
"Th-this is probably not proper, but… hehe~"
"I'm also familiar with Spirit City, Your Excellency," Bibi Dong added, clearly unwilling to yield after her clash with Qian Daoliu.
"Uh…" Aether raised an eyebrow, glancing between the two women, unsure how to respond.
"Why don't we all go together?" Paimon chimed in, her small brain working quickly to find a win-win.
Since both of them wanted to come… why not bring them both?
"I have no objection," Bibi Dong said quickly.
She had been irritated by Qian Daoliu, and after arguing with her daughter, she realized she might have overstepped. But having already spoken up, she couldn't just back down now. Fortunately, Paimon had given her a way out.
"Hmph~" Qian Renxue snorted. She didn't agree, but she didn't object either.
"Then let's go~"
Seeing that neither of them spoke again, Paimon took charge and cheerfully issued the command.
The two women glanced at each other, then flanked Aether—one on each side—as they strode out of the Worship Hall, completely ignoring the astonished gazes of the many worship elders behind them.
_
(CAUGHT UP WITH THE RAWS IN MY PATREON)
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