Chapter 63: Qian Renxue's Martial Soul Awakening
Seven Treasure Hall.
Bone Douluo carried the child out. Sword Douluo, seeing only Bone Douluo emerge alone, closed his eyes in resignation.
Bone Douluo patted Sword Douluo's shoulder. "Old bastard, don't be sad. At first, my mood was just like yours, but in time, I grew numb. We simply placed our trust in the wrong person and gave our care to the wrong person, that's all."
Sword Douluo opened his eyes, nodded slightly, then turned his gaze toward the baby in Bone Douluo's arms. Despite himself, he let out a laugh. "True enough, this child of yours, old bones, doesn't look so good. How's he going to find a pretty girl in the future?"
Bone Douluo was irked. "Tch, you old scoundrel. Mocking my martial soul's side effects on my child's looks, are you? Fine! I've decided – from now on, the boy's name is Gu Chen."
"Not a bad name, right? Chen'er."
Sword Douluo saw Bone Douluo's smug grin and knew exactly which "Chen" he was using. "You old bones – you're even borrowing my surname."
"If not for me feeling 'Gu Xin' sounded too weird, I might have used your name's character. If you don't like it, you can go have a baby of your own, call it Chen Rong if you want."
Sword Douluo smiled wryly, sending a gentle, complicated look at Gu Chen. "I'll pass on continuing the bloodline. My heart's set on the path of the sword. But I can still be the boy's godfather."
In these past two years, Ning Fengzhi had wanted Sword Douluo also to head to the secret chamber so the clan could produce a genius child with the Seven Kills Sword martial soul. But no matter what was said, Chen Xin refused. In the end, Ning Fengzhi simply let it be.
As for Ning Fengzhi himself, because the waterway was too loose in the secret chamber, he had turned to the fire path at the last moment, switching back to the water route day after day, year after year…
Three years later.
Wuhun Hall, the Hall of Elders.
This was the largest building within the Pope's Palace, representing the true might of Wuhun Hall. The towering dome inside the doors opened into a vast hall, with a ceiling nearly thirty meters high. The interior was divided into three levels, each holding ten chambers.
Under normal circumstances, the first requirement for living here was a soul power of at least rank ninety – a Titled Douluo. This truly was Wuhun Hall's highest seat of power; even the Pope was constrained by it. Because of the elders who resided here: if they were to join forces, they could wipe out one of the upper three sects within a day. That wasn't hyperbole.
Today, the Hall of Elders was empty of servants. Every Titled Douluo of Wuhun Hall had come forth, gathering in the Hall of Elders. The seven great offerings, plus a number of Titled Douluo that could be counted on two hands – among them, Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo, who had broken through to Titled Douluo over the past six years, thus joining the Hall of Elders. All their eyes focused on one spot.
There stood a young girl in an archaic palace gown, her small face still showing traces of baby fat. Her thin lips and gracefully curved brows framed a pair of bright blue eyes, utterly clear and free of impurities, as though they could speak on their own. Her skin was whiter than snow, with golden hair braided behind her.
Though still a child, it was easy to imagine this girl would become a breathtaking beauty in maturity. She was Qian Renxue, standing in a six-sided formation. Today was the day she would awaken her martial soul.
Watching from on high was Qian Daoliu, behind him a ten-meter-tall six-winged angel statue forged from pure gold. It resembled the angel effigy in the Douluo Hall, except that this version was artificially created, lacking a "soul."
By tradition, since ancient times, every child of the Qian clan who inherited the Six-Winged Angel would awaken their martial soul under the angel statue in the Douluo Hall, in the presence of the deity and the worship guardians. But because Qian Renxue was Ah Yin's daughter, Qian Daoliu had chosen the Hall of Elders instead, giving no explanation to the seven offerings. The Titled Douluo of the hall, who had never seen how the Six-Winged Angel awakened, were eager to witness it.
Qian Xunji and Ah Yin were also in attendance. Half a year ago, Qian Xunji had succeeded in reaching rank ninety-six after his seclusion. As for Qian Daoliu's chosen location and method, Qian Xunji mentally dismissed them. If the old man wanted to do things that way, let him. If later on Qian Renxue refused to acknowledge him, that would be Qian Daoliu's own undoing.
"All set, little Xue?" Qian Daoliu asked. His calm voice carried throughout, brimming with a dignified solemnity.
"Ready, Grandpa."
Though Qian Renxue was young, she understood that Qian Daoliu, compared to the other offerings and her parents, was far less affectionate, rarely smiling. Yet overall, he still treated her decently.
"No need to be nervous."
With a gentle wave of his hand, a vast and holy soul power spread, enveloping everyone present in the Hall of Elders. This energy didn't harm them; they even felt pleasantly comfortable.
At the girl's feet, the magic formation glowed a golden radiance that surrounded her. Qian Renxue slowly closed her eyes, drifting into an extremely comfortable state.
Her right hand rose on its own, a tiny golden figure appearing, then melting into her body. Qian Renxue's eyes flew open, shining with golden light, her golden hair blazing a bright gold hue, pupils turning golden. Behind her, a vaguely feminine figure about a few meters tall, with six wings on its back, manifested.
All the Titled Douluo elders fell to one knee, right fist at their chests, gazing at that Six-Winged Angel. It wasn't like other clans' inherited martial souls – the Six-Winged Angel was not only Wuhun Hall's inheritance but its faith.
Seeing the six wings on Qian Renxue's martial soul, Qian Daoliu finally revealed a kindly smile. He crooked a finger. "All right, Xue'er, withdraw your martial soul. Grandpa will take you to see our clan's Divine Ancestor."
He made no attempt to measure her innate soul power here. The clan's Six-Winged Angel was different from other martial souls, especially in how they launched far ahead from the start, a reason behind their fast cultivation.
"Papa, who's the Divine Ancestor?" Qian Renxue asked.
Qian Xunji crouched, arms open. "Come with Daddy, and you'll see."
Qian Renxue unhesitatingly leapt into Qian Xunji's arms. Qian Daoliu watched in silence, feeling the pang of regret. His own choice had borne fruit – his granddaughter remained distant from him.
They arrived at the Douluo Hall, Wuhun Hall's loftiest structure, the holiest site. Ah Yin halted, as she had no right to enter. The Douluo Hall only opened to rank-95 Titled Douluo or direct-line Qian clan members. Even a Titled Douluo from outside only gained entry to get their conferred title, then left.
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