Chapter 90: Fate Caught in the Net

So, Young Master, you intend to wipe out the Clear Sky Sect in one fell swoop? Do you need us to intervene.

Inside the Spirit Hall, the Snake Spear Douluo followed the Qian Renxue who had just emerged from the secret chamber, watching the young angel descendant's back and couldn't help but ask softly.

Qian Renxue heard this, her steps involuntarily faltered, then she said, "Uncle Ci Tun was too good at hiding his move; the Clear Sky Sect still doesn't know whether Tang Yuehua is dead or captured."

Moreover, that Xiao Tian Douluo, who regards the sect as everything, might not sacrifice the Clear Sky Sect for his own sister.

If Tang Hao might actually show up, but Tang Xiao—ha, he doesn't have the nerve.

Ci Tun was stunned for a moment; how does the Young Master know the Clear Sky Sect so well?

Qian Renxue gave no direct answer, leaving the two titled Douluos a bit baffled.

Young Master, do you have any plan?

A sweet smile appeared on Qian Renxue's face, "They don't dare to act, so we must take the initiative and draw them out."

When the prey still has strength to resist, the first thing is to wear down its last ounce of energy; even if it seems already at your mercy, you must never let your guard down before its true death arrives.

Snake Spear furrowed his brow slightly, "Young Master, even if the Clear Sky Sect is now destitute, it was once the number one sect in the world; is a proactive strike not too reckless? Moreover, the Clear Sky Sect lives in seclusion, and we don't even know its hideout."

Qian Renxue shook her head.

Of course it's not a direct march to the Clear Sky Sect, but to cut off their resources; Tang Yuehua's Moon Pavilion is the perfect target, after all.

Snake Spear let out a sigh of relief; it's enough that the Young Master has a clear picture in mind.

Just as the three were chatting, Yue Guan suddenly appeared before Qian Renxue.

Young Master, there's been an incident on His Holiness the Pope's side.

……

Hearing Yue Guan's description, the slight pleasure Qian Renxue had felt from the interrogation vanished completely.

Qian Renxue took a deep breath and said, "Let's go to Bibi Dong's room."

"Yes."

……

Qian Renxue's golden high‑heeled boots struck the luxurious marble, producing a crisp clack‑clack.

Qian Renxue's inner mood could only be described as shifting from sunny to cloudy to overcast; she had thought the time‑travelers were troublesome enough, but Bibi Dong proved even more so. Was she now being targeted by the Rakshasa God, thereby triggering the Rakshasa God Trial?

If Bibi Dong's Rakshasa God Trial is mishandled, her cheap father Qian Xunji, whose life she just saved, might die again. Yet the prerequisite for initiating the Rakshasa God Trial is to kill an angel martial soul master, right? How did she manage that? Bibi Dong is now under her control, a daughter‑obsessed puppet of Qian Renxue. Such a useful piece, Qian Renxue is reluctant to discard this hand when it's not essential.

At the end of the lavish corridor lay Bibi Dong's room; once a saint, now the Pope, the furnishings were naturally the finest.

A powerful force surged ever stronger, and a faint, glaring blood‑red light seeped through the doorway crack.

Bibi Dong was now suppressing the violent outburst of divine power within her own room.

Blood‑red? Is the Rakshasa God's power blood‑red? Qian Renxue kept a calm expression, placing her hand on the door handle.

As the door swung open, the blood‑red light surged like a tide, instantly flooding Qian Renxue's sight.

The dressing table shattered outright under the terrifying force, precious ornaments were drawn in and turned to powder.

The curtains were stained by the blood‑red Asura God power, as if tentacles from hell were writhing wildly.

The room's tables and chairs twisted and deformed in the blood light, finally exploding with a "bang", wooden fragments shooting out like arrows.

The bedding on the bed was instantly shredded into strips, flailing wildly in the air.

The room lay in ruins; everything was twisted and shattered by the blood‑red divine power, while Bibi Dong curled up in pain in a corner, shrouded by the terrifying crimson light.

Huh? What's going on, this overwhelming killing aura is actually Asura God power! Qian Renxue forced herself to stay calm; despite the blood‑red Asura power looking terrifying, strangely the Asura's force hadn't harmed her at all. What is happening? She inhaled deeply, trying to steady her panic; the sudden emergence of Asura power had caught her off guard, and Qian Renxue's gaze fixed on Bibi Dong, cloaked in the crimson light.

A six‑winged angelic seal appeared on Qian Renxue's forehead; she gently activated the angelic seal, forming a golden protective barrier around her body, then cautiously approached Bibi Dong.

With each step forward, the raging Asura power howled around her, yet she moved as if in an empty realm, completely unaffected.

The raging force in the room battered everything around, the sound of shattering objects never ceased, yet Qian Renxue kept her steady stride.

Her heartbeat rang especially clear in the tense atmosphere.

But the moment Qian Renxue touched Bibi Dong, the previously raging Asura power suddenly fell silent.

The blood‑red eight‑ray star on Bibi Dong's forehead abruptly dimmed; the surging crimson light vanished like a flame snuffed out in an instant, disappearing without a trace.

The room fell silent at once, only the lingering shards of broken items drifted down slowly, making faint sounds.

Yet the golden six‑winged angelic seal on Qian Renxue's forehead shone brilliantly.

【Angel God Trial – Second Test】 Preliminary assessment: As a descendant of the Angel God, you should exterminate the fallen soul masters, bring peace to the continent, where the Killing Grounds run rampant. Candidates are to proceed immediately to the City of Slaughter, traverse the Hell Road, no time limit.

Huh? City of Slaughter? My first test hasn't even ended, how can the second start already? Qian Renxue's nerves remained taut; isn't the City of Slaughter the Asura God's domain? Why would an Angel God trial candidate go there? They really think I'm a fool! Bibi Dong just had an Asura power outburst, and now she's sent to the City of Slaughter—that's clearly the Asura God's intention. Damned, her Angel God trial has been meddled with by the Asura God! This scam! Bibi Dong's previously twisted, painful expression gradually eased, and her body stopped trembling.

Bibi Dong slowly opened her eyes, her gaze clearing from the initial bewilderment.

She looked at the concerned Qian Renxue before her, weakly forcing a smile.

"Xue'er..." her voice was hoarse and faint.

Bibi Dong tried to raise her hand to touch Qian Renxue's cheek, but found herself completely powerless at that moment.

Qian Renxue grasped Bibi Dong's hand; her voice trembled slightly, her eyelids tinged pink, looking very worried.

"Mother, you're finally awake. Can you tell me what happened? Xue'er was really worried about you."

Bibi Dong inhaled deeply, trying to steady her breath, "Sorry for worrying you, Xue'er."

She looked at Qian Renxue, her eyes full of love and guilt.

Xue'er was being watched by the heavens; the Asura God wishes to have her inherit his Asura God seat.

But she, driven by her selfish desire to get closer to Xue'er, kept it from Qian Renxue; Bibi Dong took the Asura God's divine soul ring but did nothing, and was promptly punished by the Asura God's petty self.

"Xue'er, the Asura God of the divine realm has taken notice of you. He wishes to have you inherit his Asura God seat; Mother's Asura Eight Trial is meant to help you achieve that. Once you become a god, the Asura God promised to give me the Rakshasa God seat."

"Ha? Really?" Qian Renxue was a bit stunned; such a good thing? How did she stumble onto this heaven‑sent windfall? Could Bibi Dong have been deceived? How could this be possible? "If the Asura God truly wants to find an heir, then why…

This is the same old trick, just drawing a big empty promise! Beware of divine‑realm scams from the north.

Bibi Dong, satisfied, squeezed…

"Because the Rakshasa God seat and the Asura God seat are opposite divine duties: Asura kills evil with righteousness, Rakshasa kills righteousness with evil. As long as good people kill bad people, the Asura God's power keeps growing; Rakshasa is the opposite—without evil, the Asura God's power stops growing…"

Therefore, although Asura and Rakshasa are at odds with each other, they cannot lose each other, otherwise they would be cutting off their own path.

Qian Renxue suddenly understood; no wonder in the original Douluo Continent only the Angel God's divine position was shattered. Although Bibi Dong died, her divine position remained. Without the Rakshasa God supporting evil, how could the majestic and just Asura God King quickly increase his divine power? So no matter how much of a troublemaker the Rakshasa God is, this term's Asura God is unwilling to kill her.

Although the Angel God also holds the divine post of judgment, it is not solely the post of judging evil beings; she is not an extreme god who proves the Dao through killing. She embodies purification, justice, and human virtues; as long as people still pursue these, the Angel God can continually increase her divine power.

However, the Asura God's divine post is too shallow; he attained his godhood through slaughter, relying on his formidable strength to fight his way up. The time spent is short, and his combat power is extremely strong, but consequently, his way of fulfilling his divine post is extremely narrow—only the path of slaying evil beings.

Damn it, no wonder those evil soul masters have been killing more and more lately. The Rakshasa God is dead—surely the pure and immaculate Tang God King isn't trying to get Shrek to force out some evil soul masters, right? I say you're an evil soul master, so you are! It turns out the orthodox evil soul masters lie with the Tang God King worshipped by Shrek.

After a while, Qian Renxue finally recovered from this huge piece of information, and she tentatively asked, "So, am I truly favored by the Asura God?"

Bibi Dong lay in Qian Renxue's arms, staring fixedly at her eyes.

Of course… of course… little… little Snow…

Qian Renxue's face darkened. "What are you doing?!" Bibi Dong!

The pity she had just felt for Bibi Dong was instantly tossed aside by Qian Renxue. She scooped up Bibi Dong's slender waist, her right hand cradling the woman's leg at the bend where she wore purple silk stockings, walked to the bedside, used soul power to sweep away the scraps of cloth on the bed, and casually set Bibi Dong down on it.

Damn it, don't!

Tsk.

Qian Renxue extremely rarely revealed her nasty nature in front of others, and she couldn't help but blurt out a curse, immediately pulling her hand back as she looked around.

External soul bones can evolve along with a soul master's progress; other external soul bones may evolve but usually don't show it, whereas the eyes are different—those two external soul bones are attached to Qian Renxue's eyes.

Moreover, her soul bone skill is primarily a charm ability, causing her eyes to become ever more perfect. Originally that wasn't a problem—her martial soul is the Eight-Winged Angel, whose holy aura can suppress others' desires and clear the mind—but now that her flame has upgraded to Ultimate Fire, her eyes are undergoing another transformation, and the act of just using the Angel Seal actually accelerated the process.

The power of fire is inherently fierce and flamboyant; Qian Renxue's eyes, once filled with divinity, are now becoming increasingly alluring, and she cannot help but admit a fact that drives her to despair,

Qian Renxue could only flee in a sorry state.

"Mother, rest well; Snow will come to see you later."

Qian Renxue closed her eyes and walked out of Bibi Dong's room, then used the Angel Skull to put a shell over her own eyes.

Qian Renxue looked at her eyes in the reflection of the door, and only when they looked no different from before did she sigh in satisfaction; absorbing the Angel Skull might be the best decision she has ever made in her life.

Today's events disrupted Qian Renxue's plans; she had originally intended to toss and turn the Clear Sky Sect, but now it seems she can only give them a little trouble first, maybe launch a small attack.

After settling this, she'll first go to the City of Slaughter—not because Qian Renxue wants to inherit the Asura God's position, but to reap the Asura God's assessment rewards; with only one martial soul, how could she inherit two godhoods? The Angel God's divine position is something she could never give up.

Qian Renxue is not a prophet; in some minor details, things did not develop as she had imagined.

Thanks to her foresight, any potential hidden dangers in the early stages have been avoided by her, yet she has not let down her guard.

This broken Douluo Continent is full of pits everywhere; a little carelessness could plunge one into an abyss of eternal doom.

For now it's still before the plot begins; later in the story, the various gods of the heavens will start descending to scheme.

The Spirit Hall now appears invincible, but it actually does not hold an absolute advantage; otherwise, it wouldn't have been overthrown by the Shrek Seven Monsters.

All Qian Renxue can do now is rely on her current foresight to maximize the effect of the resources she holds.

Qian Renxue tapped her pink lips; whatever the case, let's take it step by step. First, she'll act against Yuexuan, which supplies various resources to the Clear Sky Sect—without resources, could the Clear Sky Sect still raise as many Titled Douluo in the deep mountains and old forests as in the original?...

Tiandou City, Yuexuan.

A young man in purple robes sat elegantly in a chair; his name is Ade, his martial soul is the Ghost King Vine, a branch disciple brought out of the Clear Sky Sect by Tang Yuehua.

Used to protect Tang Yuehua's safety in Tiandou, his soul power rank is thirty-five; although the rank isn't high enough, it's enough to beat some clueless idiots in Tiandou City.

Since Tang Yuehua's trip this time was accompanied by the Snow Star Prince, with at least a few Soul Kings around her, he was left by Tang Yuehua to guard Yuexuan.

Since arriving in Tiandou City, he has realized what kind of days he used to have; indeed, the city is still more comfortable.

Ade elegantly enjoyed his coffee while casually flipping through today's Tiandou Daily.

【The Snow Star Prince and the Snowfall River Prince led a team to attend the Martial Soul Hall Pope's succession ceremony; on their return journey, while crossing the Spirit Beast Mountain Range, they were attacked by spirit beasts, resulting in the death of the Snow Star Prince and the demise of the Snowfall River Prince. Let us offer our deepest condolences to the two princes.】

What!

Ade jumped to his feet, his face grim, not even touching his beloved coffee.

The lady also went with the Snow Star Prince to the Spirit Hall; now that the Snow Star Prince is dead, the lady must be……

Originally, Tang Yuehua had left with a proud smile, saying she wanted to enjoy the food prepared by the Spirit Hall while watching how the Spirit Hall reacted to the Pope being gravely injured by the Clear Sky Hammer; how could she die in the blink of an eye? She was harmed on the way back from the Spirit Hall—surely it was the hand of the Spirit Hall's heir! As a branch disciple of the Clear Sky Sect, his impression of the Spirit Hall is quite stereotypical; whatever happens, he just blames the Spirit Hall, and everyone is happy.

Ade tossed the newspaper aside while cursing under his breath.

Now it seems the lady really was murdered; he had initially advised Tang Yuehua not to go to the Spirit Hall, for fear that even the identity of a Clear Sky Sect disciple would be exposed, leaving no place to find the corpse, and now it has implicated him as well.

Yuexuan might also have been exposed; we must relocate immediately and report to the sect! Ade's eyes turned grim as he muttered under his breath:

"These Spirit Hall beasts, damned things."

Having said that, he slammed the table hard, his eyes brimming with resentment ready to spill over.

——Bang!

Just as if echoing his anger, a muffled sound came from the door of Ade's room.

Ade was startled, and before he could voice his question, the next moment his room's door was blown open.

A blonde girl appeared at the doorway, she gracefully made a salute, looked at the panicked man before her, and softly said, "Nice to meet you, Mr. Ade."

"Let me introduce myself."

"Actually, maybe I don't need to introduce myself, after all you were just cursing us a moment ago."

"Who… who are you…?"

Ade's eyes flickered with a hint of fear; his back was already soaked in cold sweat—the Spirit Hall people really are them, they've come to the door, but this is too fast!

He immediately shouted loudly: "This is Yuexuan, in Tiandou City! No matter who you are, trespassing into Yuexuan is illegal; you are showing contempt for imperial authority! Aren't you afraid that Emperor Snowy Night will behead you?"

Qian Renxue sighed helplessly, her face showing regret, and said, "It seems Mr. Ade has no intention of communicating."

Ade instinctively felt something was amiss.

The next moment, he heard the blonde girl in front of him calmly say, "First break his two legs."

Upon hearing that, the Serpent Spear Douluo instantly appeared before Ade, without even a chance to release his martial soul; with two cracks, accompanied by Ade's anguished cries, the sound began to echo in this elegant bedroom.

Hearing these words, the Snake Spear Battle Spirit instantly appeared before Aode, without even a chance to release his martial soul, two cracks sounded, accompanied by Aode's anguished scream, began to echo in this elegant bedroom.

"Ahhh!! My leg!"

The man's wail did not affect the gentle smile on Qian Renxue's face.

She looked at Ao De kneeling on the ground, his painful wailing, and said, "So now, do you understand your situation?"

Enduring the pain, his usually proud face filled with terror, Ao De, pale, spoke.

"I… I understand; you… don't make a move."

Qian Renxue was pleased with Ao De's obedient response; she said with a smile, "It seems Mr. Ao De has now calmed down; I suppose our upcoming negotiations will be much easier."

Qian Renxue sat on the chair Ao De had just taken, legs crossed, calmly watching Ao De, whose unsupported legs were curled on the ground.

Because of the thunderous method just used, the youth had become much more compliant; from his gaze, she truly didn't care about his life or death—disobeying her would indeed mean death.

"You… what do you want to discuss?"

Ao De took a deep breath; the excruciating pain in his legs made him miserable, and he dared not move, asking the blond girl before him.

Since she hadn't killed him immediately, it meant he possessed a secret she wanted; perhaps he could use it to survive.

"Do you have a way to contact the Clear Sky Sect?"

Qian Renxue's casual words made Ao De feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave; the lady had truly revealed herself.

"You… how?" Ao De's mind was somewhat confused.

"You only need to answer me: yes or no."

Qian Renxue's expression remained calm; this unreadable demeanor gave Ao De a deep sense of helplessness and fear.

It was the helplessness of a chess piece placed on a board with no ability to resist.

"Yes… you… what do you want me to do?"

The pain in his legs brought his consciousness back to reality; he looked at Qian Renxue, having abandoned any thought of resistance.

"Mr. Ao De need not worry; just inform the members of the Clear Sky Sect that Tang Yuehua has been locked in a secret room by the Spirit Hall. After all, you were already planning to count on the Spirit Hall, wasn't that in line with your wish?"

A sweet smile graced Qian Renxue's face as she said, "During the rescue, I will hand Tang Yuehua over to you; that's a great achievement, isn't it?"

Ao De jerked his head up, his eyes meeting Qian Renxue's, full of disbelief.

"Of course, as exchange, all disciples of the Clear Sky Sect who come to join the rescue will be sacrificed here."

Qian Renxue rose, crouched before the man, her gaze at Ao De filled with delight.

"I need you as their guide."

— to lead them to the burial ground already prepared.

Ao De stared blankly at Qian Renxue's face, his eyes' wavering growing more severe until it threatened to fill his entire sight, when Qian Renxue's voice came again.

Like a demon tempting others to fall, she said, "For the now isolated Clear Sky Sect, Tang Yuehua, who can continuously provide them resources, is far more valuable than several sect disciples."

"Rest assured, I will give you the correct route."

"These matters I will not tell anyone."

"And you will also safely escort Tang Yuehua away, becoming the sect's great hero."

"This is a win‑win, isn't it?"

One week later, in the dim confinement room.

The secret room was filled with a heavy atmosphere; water droplets on the wall fell slowly, producing a crisp "tick‑tick" sound.

Weak light seeped in through the narrow vent, yet could not disperse the darkness.

Tang Yuehua curled against the cold wall, her eyes showing helplessness and anxiety.

The floor was damp and gave off a foul, rotting smell; the surrounding silence seemed to swallow a person, and the occasional scurrying of a mouse stood out starkly in the stillness, startling her.

Her silhouette appeared especially thin in the dim light; she clasped her hands tightly to her chest, trying to give herself some warmth and comfort.

After a while, Tang Yuehua struggled to stand, walked to the food the guard had brought, and unlike usual, besides the two ordinary steamed buns and a plate of pickled vegetables, today's plate contained an extra crystal ball.

Tang Yuehua picked up the crystal ball and infused it with her meager soul power.

The crystal ball lit up, revealing a scene inside.

However, the image in the crystal ball left her stunned for a long time.

In the scene, Qian Renxue sat before a youth curled on the ground, a youth she knew well.

— Ao De, a side‑branch disciple she had taken from the Clear Sky Sect.

How could that be? Why would the Spirit Hall's young master find him? Isn't he now in Tiandou City's Yue Xuan?

Tang Yuehua's already numb brain, due to poor nutrition, immediately became chaotic, and the subsequent conversation between the two deepened her despair.

【"Of course, as exchange, all disciples of the Clear Sky Sect who come to join the rescue will be sacrificed here."】

【"These matters I will not tell anyone."】

【"And you will also safely escort Tang Yuehua away, becoming the sect's universally praised great hero."】

【"This is a win‑win, isn't it?"】

Ao De—he actually betrayed the sect.

How could this happen? The disciples' betrayal delivered the final blow to her; her forced resolve completely shattered.

The crystal ball slipped weakly from her hand, and Tang Yuehua knelt on the ground, crying continuously.

After a long while, she finally trembled as she picked up the buns from the plate and, with the pickled vegetables, ate them greedily.

For the sect, she must stop Ao De! First she must fill her stomach, lest she hinder the Clear Sky Sect's upcoming rescue operation.

A flying insect in the secret room was tangled in a spider's web, struggling continuously, just like Tang Yuehua's fate.

Directly proceed to 7200, brothers (chapter end).