Chapter 96: Angel and Rakshasa

The Spirit Hall, Douluo Dian.

Douluo Dian stands atop the Spirit Hall's sacred mountain, majestic and imposing, exuding its supremacy over all things.

Compared to the grand Pope Palace, Douluo Dian may appear modest, yet it carries extraordinary significance—it enshrines the noble titles of every Title Douluo.

Inside, it rejects ornate luxury, built solely from plain, unadorned stone, revealing the weight of time and solemnity.

Yet, upon careful observation, one notices a faint golden glow subtly emanating from these seemingly ordinary stones, like the first rays of dawn—gentle yet mysterious.

When touched directly, a strange energy flows quietly through the palm, evoking awe and sensing a power and glory beyond the mundane.

Within Douluo Dian, apart from the main entrance, the other three towering walls are inlaid with countless brilliant golden square plaques.

Each plaque is about half a meter high and one foot wide, engraved with solemn inscriptions of three or four characters.

Looking around, the three walls bear an astonishing number of golden plaques, totaling no fewer than hundreds.

Each plaque is an eternal memorial to the mighty Spirit Masters who earned the Title Douluo honor within this hall since its founding.

At the heart of Douluo Dian stands a towering golden statue, towering over all others, reaching ten meters in height, its entire form sheathed in dazzling golden radiance.

Behind the statue, three pairs of wings unfold gracefully, like a deity descending, gripping a colossal golden sword in its hands, the blade's tip pointing toward the boundless heavens, radiating endless majesty and power.

Especially striking is the fact that wisps of light golden flames seem to coil around the sword, slowly spiraling, adding an air of mystery and nobility.

In the Elder Hall of the Spirit Hall, there also stands a similar statue; yet, the subtle difference between the two lies in the soul-force they contain.

The statue in the Elder Hall remains majestic, yet it seems to lack that living soul.

In contrast, this towering statue before us radiates a supreme aura of strength, causing the hundreds of golden Title Douluo plaques surrounding it to fall silent, as if slumbering beneath its invisible majesty.

This place is the pinnacle of every Spirit Master's dream—a sacred temple where each one considers entry into Douluo Dian the ultimate honor, for it signifies they have reached the peak of Title Douluo.

Only those who have earned a title may enter this sacred ground.

Douluo Dian was not built by the Spirit Hall; according to legend, it existed long before the Spirit Hall arose, and the earliest Spirit Hall was founded by powerful Spirit Masters who revered Douluo Dian and gathered to worship it.

Douluo Dian has one supreme master, who must hold the deepest reverence for Douluo Dian, responsible not only for enshrining the golden plaques within the hall but also personally presiding over the solemn investiture ceremonies of all newly elevated Title Douluo.

At this moment, before the massive statue at the center of Douluo Dian, a single person knelt in silence.

She was neither a Title Douluo coming to receive her title nor the master of Douluo Dian.

She held another identity—because of this identity, she was permitted to remain here.

"Have you calmed your heart?"

A solemn, tranquil voice echoed through Douluo Dian.

Qian Renxue remained motionless as a statue, not moving, not uttering a word, still kneeling in the same steadfast posture as at first.

Golden light surged, and a figure appeared quietly between her and the towering statue.

Its outline sharpened, the surrounding golden radiance intensifying, especially around the grand six-winged Angel Statue. The tip of its massive golden sword erupted in a meter-long blaze of fiery light, bathing the entire space in an indescribable divine glow.

The figure suddenly appearing in Qian Renxue's vision was none other than the Spirit Hall's supreme Great High Priest, master of Douluo Dian—Qian Daoliu, one of the three legendary Level 99 Title Douluo of this age.

"Open your eyes."

Qian Daoliu raised a finger, and the golden flame released from the sword in the statue's hand descended from above, completely enveloping Qian Renxue's body.

Brilliant golden flames flowed gently, and Qian Renxue's body slowly rose within the embrace of this dazzling radiance.

The golden light remained dazzling, yet before her, nine golden screens appeared silently, like heavenly revelations, unfolding one by one.

Witnessing this, Qian Daoliu's eyes gleamed with an indescribable light; he murmured, "The Nine Trials beneath the Angel's Wings—the Nine Tests… the ultimate trial that generations of Douluo Dian masters have longed for has finally descended upon the world."

Qian Renxue opened her eyes with apparent difficulty, gazing blankly at her grandfather before her.

Qian Daoliu's eyes shimmered with gentle light: "I was around seventy when I had your father; your father was fifty when he had you. The one generations of Douluo Dian masters waited for… is you. Xiao Xue, Grandpa is proud of you."

Qian Renxue stared blankly at Qian Daoliu: "Grandpa, I don't understand what you mean."

Perhaps because she had not spoken in a long time, her voice sounded strained.

Qian Daoliu smiled faintly: "If the golden screens before you had been eight, you would have been the next master of Douluo Dian. But nine screens have appeared. Don't ask why—when the time comes, I will tell you. From now on, for a long time ahead, you must complete the nine trials bestowed by the Angel. Grandpa will be with you always."

…

Pope Palace, the Pope's private chamber.

Bibi Dong sat cross-legged, eyes closed, deeply cultivating.

She slowly opened her eyes—if anyone had been watching, they would have been horrified to see her eyes drenched in thick crimson, as if blood were about to spill, chilling to behold.

Her ten fingers each bore black, ink-like nails over five inches long, starkly contrasting her naturally delicate, fair skin, adding an aura of ill omen.

Her face, once breathtakingly beautiful, now twisted unnaturally from some force surging within, faint but visible blood trails etched across it.

Behind her, a blurred black silhouette flickered faintly, radiating an indescribable oppressive pressure.

Opening her eyes, Bibi Dong drew a deep breath; a layer of black-purple light surged, and her transformations faded, restoring her original appearance—though her face now looked pale.

"Qian Daoliu, you're clever."

"To prevent me from devouring your Angel lineage's descendant, you chose my daughter."

Bibi Dong rose gracefully, golden light flashing; the Pope's robe enveloped her, and she became once more the noble, decisive Pope.

"Even if Xiao Xue inherits your position, what of it? One day, I will overthrow the very foundation of your Angels. Qian Daoliu, you still underestimate me. After I devoured your son's body and soul, altered my cultivation method, and entered the Luosha Mijing, you've never truly understood me again. In no more than ten years, I will break through—then no one will stop me from doing anything. Your son destroyed me; I will destroy everything of your Angel lineage."

"Hahahahaha…"

The chamber echoed with the chilling laugh of a night owl, and the massive black shadow, previously hidden, reappeared like a ghost behind Bibi Dong, flickering in and out.

(End of Chapter)