The forest around Ye Tian stood still. In front of him, the yellow spirit ring melted fully into his body, the rabbit beast's essence fusing into his Angel martial soul. The wings of golden light at his back flared once, dazzling against towering trees.
The elders nearby burst into proud applause. "Perfect match!" one exclaimed. "Truly worthy of our angel bloodline!"
But Ye Tian barely heard them. His eyes had gone distant. His young chest rose and fell as if he had run miles, though he had not moved at all. In his soul space, the Eternal Door thundered.
The chains binding it had snapped. The massive golden structure yawned open, a corridor of brilliant light stretching out into some unknown horizon. Wind whipped through his inner world, carrying smells he should never have known—incense smoke, blood‑stained metal, and holy hymns sung in unison by thousands of voices.
It was happening.
"Are you alright, Tian'er?" his father asked cautiously, placing a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder.
Ye Tian snapped back into his body just enough to paste a sheepish grin across his face. "O‑of course. Just feels a bit… dizzy."
Inside though, his heart clawed at his ribs. Dizzy? He was about to walk into history!
That night, in the safety of their camp, Ye Tian feigned exhaustion. Guyi teased him once more before collapsing onto her bedding. The elders relaxed, believing the child prodigy had fallen asleep. But inside his mind, Ye Tian sat cross‑legged, trembling.
The Eternal Door stood open. Waiting. Calling.
He couldn't hold back.
The first step was like stepping into water. Cold but electrifying. Then came the plunge. His body, his soul, every atom of him was sucked forward, swallowed by brilliance.
When Ye Tian blinked again, the forest was gone.
Instead, marble pillars stretched into the heavens. Gold banners fluttered in winds that smelled of sandalwood and iron. His bare feet touched immaculate stone carved with endless angel wings. The vast hall before him seemed to breathe with divine might.
Ye Tian staggered, wide‑eyed. He knew this place. He knew it from dusty book pages and ancient tales.
"Spirit Hall…" he whispered, his voice shaking. "…in its prime."
Gone were the petty ruins he once read of. Before him was the true holy dominion of an age where Spirit Hall had united half the continent. Soul Masters in white‑gold robes moved with discipline in the temple courtyard. Their martial souls flared occasionally—flames, blades, shields—all bearing the faint halo of Spirit Hall's emblem.
Ye Tian's lips went dry. If this was real, then somewhere in this era… Qian Daoliu must still breathe. The Angel High Priest who had carried Spirit Hall to its peak. And perhaps… if he wandered far enough, glimpses of the young Qian Renxue herself might exist.
Excitement gushed through him, tangled with fear. This was no simulation. His footsteps echoed softly on stone. He was inside the past.
And more dangerously… no one here knew who he was.
A group of white‑robed acolytes spotted him. "Child?" one frowned, approaching with concern. "Which Hall are you from? Are you a disciple?"
Ye Tian's mind screeched. Damn it! He'd just landed here and already someone saw him!
He summoned the same innocent face he often used on Guyi after stealing extra buns. "Uh… I got lost? Big sister said not to climb stairs but…" He pointed vaguely at the courtyard pillars. "…they just pulled me up here!"
The acolytes blinked, then chuckled. One ruffled his hair. "A mischievous one. Perhaps training to be a Spirit Master? The bloodline feels strong in him."
Ye Tian inwardly sighed in relief. His Angel Martial Soul aura was real; even past Spirit Hall members would sense it as authentic. That meant—he could pass here, as long as he didn't slip up.
"Be careful where you wander," the acolyte murmured. "The High Priest's eyes miss nothing."
Ye Tian's throat went dry. High Priest. Qian Daoliu.
This was real. Too real.
Hours passed as he explored cautiously. The Eternal Door had not closed; it lingered faintly, ready to drag him back when his soul power reached the next bottleneck. Meaning… he couldn't return right now unless the door forced him. He had to survive here, in an era where even ordinary guards could kill him if suspicious.
He wandered the side wings of the temple, heart hammering with excitement. Everywhere gleamed with wealth beyond imagination—statues of angels, crystal lamps filled with spirit flames, walls lined with scripture. Spirit Hall was not the "evil" villain painted by later stories. It was holy, grand, awe‑inspiring.
Finally, his breath caught.
Stepping into a sunlit courtyard, Ye Tian froze. There, standing at its center, was an old man with snowy hair. His back straight despite age. Six radiant wings arched behind him, vast and terrible in might. He radiated aura so heavy that every guard kneeled with trembling reverence.
Qian Daoliu.
The High Priest of Spirit Hall. The man closest to godhood before Qian Renxue herself.
Ye Tian's chest locked. His heart shouted words his throat dared not. Ancestor!
As if feeling something, Qian Daoliu slowly turned his head. His eyes, gold as twin suns, swept across the courtyard… and paused. On Ye Tian.
For a heartbeat, time froze. Did he see beyond Ye Tian's disguise? Did he feel the foreign rhythm of another lifetime wrapped in this boy?
Ye Tian's knees nearly gave out. He thought: Don't kill me. Please don't kill me!
Then—Qian Daoliu smiled. Faint, barely there. But to Ye Tian, it was thunder.
"The bloodline…" the old man murmured aloud, voice soft but echoing. "It endures."
Ye Tian's soul shook violently. His eyes burned. No history book, no Earth knowledge, could compare to standing here, hearing these words directly from the mouth of the ancestor himself.
He bowed deeply, forcing tears back. He was just a small boy here. But one day, one day soon… Spirit Hall would not fall. He swore it silently.
As the light of the courtyard poured down upon him, Ye Tian clenched both fists.
This was the beginning.
The Eternal Door had opened wide… and he had entered history.
🔥 End of Chapter 3 🔥