Chapter 333: The Fall of the Angelic God
In response to Qian Renxue's questioning, Yang Potian merely gave a slight smile without answering.
However, Qian Renxue was not satisfied and continued, her face icy with determination. "What exactly do you mean? How did my father die?"
Yang Potian studied her eyes, seeing an endless mix of frustration, unease, and sorrow within them. Clearly, she suspected something, or perhaps she had already pieced some things together but lacked confirmation.
"Even if I told you, it wouldn't do much good. You might not believe me. It would be better if you saw it with your own eyes, uncovered the truth for yourself."
Qian Renxue's eyes welled up with tears. "What do you know? How can you say it's useless? Do you have any idea what it's like for a girl to grow up without a single person's care or support? My father is dead, and my own mother treats me as an enemy. Do you have any idea what my life has been like, the pain I've endured?"
Yang Potian gently held her face, wiping away her tears, and sighed softly. He then wrapped her in his arms, offering her warmth and comfort. "Silly girl, if you need to cry, go ahead. As long as I'm here, no one will ever threaten you."
After a while, Qian Renxue remained buried in his embrace, her sobs soft and quiet, her tears soaking into his robes.
As he looked down at her, dazed and vulnerable, Yang Potian lifted her up in his arms and quickly left Douluo Hall. By the time Qian Renxue snapped out of her thoughts, they were both atop the highest point of the hall, sitting upon the massive head of the angel statue.
She looked up, blushing slightly. "What are you doing? This is the tallest point in Douluo Hall, the greatest symbol of our Wuhun Empire. No one is allowed to come up here."
Yang Potian gazed at her with a hint of indulgence. "What's the harm? It's just a statue. The Angelic God has long since fallen. This statue is no big deal."
Her face changed with shock. "What did you say? Why would you claim that the Angelic God has fallen?"
Yang Potian shook his head. "If my guess is right, the Angelic God from the Divine Realm has been gone for a long time. All you have left here is an empty statue."
Qian Renxue swallowed, her voice quivering. "That's impossible! The Angelic God is the symbol of endless light and the progenitor of the Angel Clan. I won't allow you to slander her!"
"Yes, the Angelic God was indeed great. Under her watch, the world found peace, and the land enjoyed a thousand years of stability, while the soul beasts were forced into hiding. But all things are bound by their limits. The Angelic God may have been compassionate and powerful, but her strength was not limitless. I can't say when she fell, but I suspect it happened long ago."
"Do you have any proof that the Angelic God has fallen? If so, how would she have bestowed the Angelic Nine Trials upon me?"
"If I'm right, the Angelic God of the Divine Realm has been gone for ages. What remains in the Angel Shrine is merely a remnant of her spirit or some kind of safeguard left behind. If she were still present, why hasn't anyone felt her calling after all these millennia?"
Qian Renxue hesitated, doubt flickering across her face. "Even if that's true, perhaps she chose not to appear because our Angel Clan hasn't produced a genius like me in so long. Now that I've emerged, I can unlock the Angelic God's legacy."
Yang Potian stroked her cheek gently, looking at her with a trace of pity. "Think about the legacy of the Sea God. Anyone on Seagod Island can receive his inheritance and undergo trials to boost their strength. I took those very trials myself and obtained a flawless ninth ring for my Soul-Breaking Spear. Besides you and your grandfather, has the Angelic God ever given instructions to anyone else?"
As he spoke, Yang Potian considered the machinations of the gods in the Divine Realm. In the original story, Tang San should have been defeated many times over, but the Asura God stepped in to revive him and granted him the Asura God's position, giving him the power to turn the tide. Both the Sea God and Asura God repeatedly lowered the standards for Tang San's trials, leading one to suspect their intentions.
Then there was Tang San's claim to the Sea God's mantle thousands of years later, establishing the so-called Sea God Pavilion. Yet neither the Heaven Dou nor Star Luo Empires, both land-based nations, had any connection to the sea. The Sea God's involvement in the affairs of the Douluo Continent seemed to stem solely from his overwhelming power.
Throughout it all, the Angelic God never appeared, even as Qian Renxue was manipulated from the shadows. It seemed increasingly likely that the original Angelic God had long since perished.
Even the Rakshasa God chose Bibi Dong as her successor, a talent arguably superior to Tang San's in every way. And yet, the fact that a Rakshasa God heir gave birth to an Angelic God heir was both tragic and farcical.
Suddenly, Qian Renxue spoke up. "Potian, I've found some information about my father's death. I have some guesses but no proof. I still don't understand why Bibi Dong would harm him. Why would my grandfather ignore his death?"
Yang Potian let out a cold laugh. "In the end, it was a choice. Back then, Qian Xunji was gravely wounded, practically a cripple. His full recovery was unlikely. A crippled Pope versus a saintess with twin martial souls… your grandfather chose the saintess, your mother, for the sake of Wuhun Hall."
"But how could everyone turn a blind eye to my father? Did he deserve to die?" Qian Renxue's face was full of rage as she pressed him for answers.
Yang Potian ignored her questions, replying instead, "All people face the consequences of their actions. Your father's mistakes needed to be redeemed by his own life."
Qian Renxue looked at him, perplexed. "What mistakes? Why did both my mother and my grandfather hate him so much? Potian, do you know the truth?"
Instead of answering her question, Yang Potian asked her one of his own. "Xue'er, in your eyes, what kind of person was your father?"
A wistful look crossed Qian Renxue's face. "My father passed away when I was very young, but to me, he was the high and mighty Pope, a kind father, and the greatest man in the world."
As she leaned against Yang Potian, her gaze softened, filled with innocence and longing, as if she were once again a child seeing her father in the best possible light.
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