The six Grand Worship elders looked at one another with uncertainty upon hearing Qian Renxue's proposal. At their level of cultivation, unless they encountered a truly beloved partner, such matters rarely crossed their minds.
Moreover, the stronger one's bloodline, the harder it became to produce offspring. Wasn't Qian Renxue's request essentially forcing the impossible?
"Young Mistress, we truly have no such intentions," said the Lion King Worship with a wry smile.
The others also shook their heads in unison.
Qian Renxue then retrieved several pearls from her soul tool, different from the ones before, and said, "These are Soul-Raising Pearls. When used on existing soul rings, they can increase the ring's age by 20,000 years. Except for Grandpa and Grandfather Tian'e, none of you have a 100,000-year soul ring. That has always been your greatest regret, hasn't it? With these pearls, your ninth rings could all reach the 100,000-year level."
The worship elders' eyes instantly lit up with intense desire.
A 100,000-year soul ring—who wouldn't want one? Every person present had once been a genius of their generation, cultivating without bottlenecks all the way to their current level. Yet the chasm between Rank 97 and Rank 98 had long separated them from the true apex of power. What happened today in the Hall of Worship—with Yue Guan, Guimei, and Xiong Ju obtaining 100,000-year rings and consuming immortal herbs—meant they would surpass the elders eventually. Jealousy was inevitable, but a soul ring couldn't be casually replaced. Once absorbed, there was no turning back.
Qian Renxue continued, "As long as you produce an heir, I will grant you a Soul-Raising Pearl."
Hearing this, the worship elders no longer resisted the idea of having children and immediately began considering suitable partners.
Only Tian'e appeared deeply conflicted. Was he tempted by the Soul-Raising Pearl? Of course he was. His eighth ring was already 80,000 years old—just one pearl would allow him to wield two 100,000-year soul rings. That extra layer of power could possibly help him break through the bottleneck. But he was of a generation even older than Qian Daoliu. At this stage of life, even if he wanted to, he simply couldn't.
"Um, Young Mistress... how about this—we make a little deal. I happen to have a son. Let him take my place in this matter. Would that be acceptable?"
Qian Renxue smiled, not forcing the issue. "That's fine."
"Thank you, Young Mistress!"
While Tian'e went to arrange a marriage for his son and the other elders dispersed to find partners, Qian Daoliu, who had remained silent until now, finally asked:
"Xue'er, since you have Soul-Raising Pearls, why not use them for yourself? If you could elevate all your soul rings beyond 100,000 years, your foundation for godhood would be even more solid."
Qian Renxue explained, "I was once a god, and all my soul rings were already enhanced by divine bestowal. The Soul-Raising Pearls no longer work on me. These pearls were bestowed by the Divine Ancestor to strengthen the foundation of Spirit Hall as a whole."
Hearing this, Qian Daoliu couldn't help but feel a bit ashamed. "I was too cautious back then. Had I not held back after your martial soul awakened, perhaps your foundation would've been even stronger."
"Grandpa, the me from this timeline hasn't even been born yet," Qian Renxue laughed.
"Haha, but the me from that timeline is still me," Qian Daoliu chuckled.
Qian Renxue nodded. "Don't worry about my foundation. I'm currently absorbing the Divine Seed. It's being transformed into my foundation as we speak. My soul ring ages are steadily increasing. It won't be long before I surpass even Tang San's past accomplishments."
As she spoke, Qian Renxue summoned her martial soul. Her Six-Winged Fallen Angel had evolved—now sporting eight wings. Unlike the six pitch-black wings from before, the newly grown pair radiated a sacred, snow-white light.
After decades of absorbing the Divine Seed, her soul ring configuration had reached four black rings and five red rings. Her eighth and ninth rings had even reached ferocious beast level.
This configuration was already unmatched in this era, though still not quite on par with Tang San's limit-breaking feats.
Having returned to this time, and under her leadership, Spirit Hall's strength far exceeded that of her previous life. But Qian Renxue knew clearly—the true deciding factor in the coming war would be divine power.
But so what if one became a god?
She and her mother had both ascended as first-tier gods, and yet they were still nothing more than pawns on the board of ancient deities.
Only a God King could escape the fate of being a mere piece in someone else's game.
Qian Renxue tilted her head upward and closed her eyes. She thought of the man who had fished her broken soul out of the river of time and given her a second chance—a "regret pill."
They shared a common enemy: Tang San.
But the Tang San she faced had just started his journey. She had even become a god before him, yet had still lost to him in the end.
He, on the other hand, was born into a world where Tang San was already a God King. From birth, he was trapped in Tang San's grand scheme. He endured ten thousand years of silent suffering, only to strike at the critical moment and destroy Tang San.
Qian Renxue knew he hadn't done all that for her—but how could her heart not be moved by the one who had saved her?
Still, she also understood: he had broken free from his fate as a chess piece, while she was merely a drowning girl who had just crawled back to shore.
"I once swore to protect all, and I once yearned to destroy it all. My heart has known both kindness and darkness. Within me flow two opposing powers. Only by balancing them and accepting the full legacy of the Angel God can I step once more into godhood—and eventually enter the domain of God Kings."
Only by becoming a God King! Qian Renxue's gaze sharpened with unshakable determination.
Just then, Huo Yuhao's divine voice interrupted her thoughts:
"Qian Renxue!"
She gently stroked the Ring of Divinity on her finger, a soft expression in her eyes, wondering what he would say next.
"Here's a tip: Yu Xiaogang—that man who had your mother utterly enthralled—has already left the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. He'll soon come into contact with your mother."
In an instant, all warmth in Qian Renxue's expression vanished. A cold glint flickered in her sharp eyes.
"Let him come. I'm ready for everything. This time, I'll erase him completely from my mother's heart."
In her past life, one of Qian Renxue's deepest regrets was that, even at the moment of her death, her mother still loved Yu Xiaogang.
But Qian Renxue knew exactly what kind of man Yu Xiaogang really was.
Heaven had given her the truth, but not the chance to act. Now, the chance had finally arrived.
And thus, under Qian Renxue's grand orchestration, Spirit Hall's strength surged across the board—all while the three giants of the Hall of Pontiffs—Qian Xu
nji, Elder Jinzhong, and Elder Yinchui—remained completely in the dark.
(End of Chapter)
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