Due to the similarity between Chrysanthemum Douluo's spirit—the Strange Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum—and the immortal-grade Strange Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, the enhancement his body received from the immortal herb far surpassed that of the other two. His ninth spirit ring even surpassed 100,000 years, reaching the level of a 200,000-year fierce beast spirit ring, with two golden lines appearing on it.
In the end, Yue Guan's spirit ring stopped at 230,000 years. The power from the ring directly pushed his spirit power level to Rank 93.
After absorbing their spirit rings, the three respectfully said,
"Thank you, Young Master, for your gift."
Qian Renxue nodded slightly and said,
"What spirit abilities did each of you gain? Xiong Ju, you first."
"Yes, Young Master." Xiong Ju was the first to demonstrate his spirit abilities.
The first skill of Demon Bear Douluo was World-Ending Rampage, a power-type ability that used bear claws to attack at extremely high speed, stunning and draining life from enemies in the area.
His second skill was Demonic Bear Roar, a support-type ability that could be unleashed instantly to give himself and allies in the vicinity a berserk boost, increasing attack power by 50% and making them immune to pain.
"Not a bad combination. If used together, the two skills could create a situation where the enemy weakens while we grow stronger," Qian Daoliu commented.
"And you, Ghost? Show your spirit abilities," Qian Renxue said, turning to him.
"Yes, Young Master." Ghost's ninth ring flickered, and his body melted into the shadows like ink.
"That's strange, where did Ghost go?" Xiong Ju looked around.
Lightfeather Douluo pointed behind him and said,
"Behind you."
Xiong Ju quickly turned his head and saw a figure emerge from his own shadow.
Ghost said,
"This is the first skill granted by my 100,000-year ring: Shadow Ambush. I can travel between shadows wherever there is one, allowing for surprise attacks and rapid movement."
Ghost's second ability was Infinite Phantom Bombardment, a fairly standard offensive skill, but when combined with Shadow Ambush, it could yield excellent results.
"Your turn, Yue Guan."
With a smiling face, Yue Guan said,
"One of my new abilities is called Sky Chrysanthemum Radiance Over the Heavens."
As he spoke, he demonstrated the effect.
His Sky Chrysanthemum spirit burst into brilliant light, and its petals rapidly expanded and spun outward, forming a massive phantom chrysanthemum suspended above the elders' heads.
The phantom petals gathered countless starlike points of light, which quickly condensed into thick beams of light that rained down like divine punishment, striking precise target areas. Each beam carried devastating energy capable of breaking even the strongest defenses.
Qian Daoliu released a shield to block one of the beams.
"This ability can be used in a spread to cause large-scale damage, or concentrated to deliver a deadly finishing blow," Yue Guan explained, clearly pleased with the power.
It was still an offensive-type spirit ability like in the original timeline, but its power now far surpassed his old technique Chrysanthemum Aftermath, which was instantly rendered obsolete.
Qian Daoliu dispersed the energy barrier and said,
"Very good. When focused, your power at Rank 93 was enough to deliver a killing blow at the level of a Rank 95 Title Douluo. As expected of a 200,000-year fierce beast spirit ring. And your second skill?"
A tangerine-orange domain spread from Yue Guan's body.
"A domain?" Ghost was instantly envious.
"This kid is truly blessed," Golden Crocodile Douluo clicked his tongue.
Soon, the domain expanded, enveloping everyone within it in a layer of orange, translucent soul power shields.
Yue Guan said,
"My second spirit ability is Strange Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum Domain. This domain increases my soul power recovery rate by 50% and grants all allies within the domain a Diamond Shield. As long as I have soul power, the shield is indestructible and immune to all magic."
"Oh? Interesting. Let me test if your so-called indestructible shield can truly withstand all,"
said Demon-Subduing Douluo, who stepped out from the worship hall's rear. He summoned his Coiling Dragon Staff.
He swung the staff toward Yue Guan.
Boom—the staff struck the Diamond Shield like hitting a giant bell, not moving it in the slightest.
"Oh? Interesting." Demon-Subduing Douluo smirked and increased his soul power output.
Yue Guan could feel his soul power depleting rapidly.
With a Rank 93 level, he was still far from matching a Rank 96 Demon-Subduing Douluo. As time passed, the Diamond Shield began to fade and his soul power drained quickly.
After holding out for more than half an hour, Yue Guan's soul power ran out, and the shield neared collapse. At that moment, Demon-Subduing Douluo withdrew his power and returned to the worshippers' lineup.
Yue Guan looked pale, clearly drained.
"Enough," Qian Renxue said, sweeping her gaze across the future elders of Spirit Hall.
"When you reach Rank 90 and above, you may come to the Angel Temple to receive a god-bestowed spirit ring—if you have the confidence to acquire one above 100,000 years for your ninth ring."
"Tuoba Xi, Huyan Zhen, step forward."
The two stepped out promptly.
"What are your orders, Young Master?"
Qian Renxue said,
"After absorbing the immortal herbs, both of you will be able to break through to Title Douluo within ten years. I also hope your two clans will merge into one sect. The new sect shall be called Dragon Elephant Sect."
Sky Crocodile Douluo asked,
"Why, Young Master?"
Qian Renxue replied,
"I want to recreate a new Upper Three Sects."
Tuoba Xi and Huyan Zhen looked at each other. Tuoba Xi said,
"As you command. Please grant us time to persuade all members of the White Armored Earth Dragon Clan and Elephant Armor Sect to merge."
After distributing the immortal herbs and arranging the merger of the two sects, Qian Renxue dismissed the gathered individuals.
The Worship Hall returned to silence, leaving only Qian Renxue and the Seven Great Worshippers.
"Gentlemen, I have one more request," Qian Renxue said.
"Young Master, please speak. If it's within our power, we will do it," said Sky Crocodile.
"I hope you all will marry and have children—descendants with strong bloodlines to inherit your martial spirits."
In her previous life, Spirit Hall suffered due to discord between the Worship Hall and the Pope's Palace. During the Spirit Master Tournament, they even let a clown represent Spirit Hall and lose to Shrek Academy.
In this life, Qian Renxue would not allow such a mistake to repeat.
Shrek's strength lay in talent and immortal herbs—but Spirit Hall was not weak either.
Let's not forget: Six-Winged Angel, Golden Crocodile King, Beast King Lion, Azure Luan Bird, Lightfeather Divine Bow, and Coiling Dragon Staff—these top-tier martial spirits had yet to make their full debut.
The six High Priests exchanged uncertain looks when they heard Qian Renxue's proposal. At their level of cultivation, unless they encountered a truly fated partner, they typically had little desire for such matters.
Furthermore, the more powerful one's bloodline, the more difficult it became to bear offspring. Wasn't Qian Renxue's proposal forcing the impossible upon them?
"This… Young Mistress, we truly don't have that kind of intention," said the Mighty Lion High Priest.
The other High Priests also shook their heads.
Qian Renxue then took out several beads from her soul tool, different from those before, and said, "These are Soul Ring Ascension Beads. They can increase an existing soul ring's age by 20,000 years. Except for Grandfather and Elder Sky Crocodile, none of you have a 100,000-year soul ring. That has always been your greatest regret, hasn't it? If you obtain one of these beads, your ninth ring can be elevated to the 100,000-year level."
The High Priests' eyes immediately lit up upon hearing this.
Who wouldn't want a 100,000-year soul ring? All of them were once peerless geniuses, breaking through bottlenecks all the way to their current level.
But the gap between Rank 97 and 98 was a chasm that prevented them from reaching the peak. What happened today in the Hall of Consecration—Yue Guan, Gui Mei, Xiong Jun—these juniors had already obtained 100,000-year soul rings and absorbed divine herbs.
Surpassing them was only a matter of time. To say they weren't envious would be a lie. But soul rings could not be replaced casually. Once absorbed, there was no turning back.
Qian Renxue continued, "As long as you can produce a child, I will grant you one Soul Ring Ascension Bead."
The High Priests immediately stopped resisting the idea of having children. They began thinking about who they could marry and have a child with.
Only Sky Crocodile looked troubled. How could he not be tempted by the Soul Ring Ascension Bead? His eighth ring was already 80,000 years old—just one bead, and he'd possess two 100,000-year soul rings. That might give him the foundation to break through his limits. But Sky Crocodile was a generation older than even Qian Daoliu. To ask him to do such a thing now… the will was there, but the body no longer followed.
"Um… Young Mistress, how about a compromise? I just happen to have a son. Let him do it in my place, what do you think?"
Qian Renxue saw Sky Crocodile's struggle and did not press him. "That's acceptable."
"Thank you, Young Mistress."
After Sky Crocodile left to arrange a marriage for his son, the others also began seeking partners. Only then did Qian Daoliu, who had been silent, ask:
"Xue'er, since you have the Ascension Beads, why not use them yourself? If all your soul rings could be elevated to the 100,000-year level, your foundation to ascend to godhood would be far stronger."
Qian Renxue replied, "But I've already ascended to godhood once. All of my soul rings have already been enhanced by divine bestowment. These Ascension Beads cannot further improve their age. They are divine relics granted by the God Ancestor to strengthen the foundation of our Spirit Hall."
Hearing this, Qian Daoliu couldn't help feeling guilty. "It was your grandfather's excessive caution. If I hadn't held you back after your Martial Soul awakened, your foundation might have been even deeper."
"Grandfather, the me of this timeline hasn't even been born yet," Qian Renxue said with a smile.
"Haha, but that version of me is still me," Qian Daoliu replied.
Qian Renxue nodded. "Don't worry, Grandfather. I'm currently absorbing this divine seed. As I do, it's transforming into my own foundation. My soul ring ages are steadily increasing. Before long, I'll reach—perhaps even surpass—Tang San's achievements in his previous life."
As she finished speaking, Qian Renxue summoned her Martial Soul. Her once Six-Winged Fallen Angel now bore a pair of additional wings—evolved into Eight Wings. Unlike the six ink-black wings, the new pair was pure and holy white.
Decades of absorbing the divine seed had brought her soul ring configuration to four black and five red rings. Her eighth and ninth rings had even reached the level of Ferocious Beast soul rings.
This configuration was already peerless in this era, but still fell short of Tang San's limit.
Now that she had returned to this timeline, under her leadership, Spirit Hall's strength would far surpass what it had been in her previous life. However, she was very clear—the true deciding factor in that final war would be divine power.
But what of becoming a god?
She and her mother had both become first-tier gods, yet in the end, they were nothing more than pawns on the ancient gods' chessboard.
Only a God King could escape the fate of being a chess piece. Only a God King could…
Qian Renxue tilted her head back and closed her eyes. Her thoughts wandered to the man who had fished her fragmented soul out of the river of time and gifted her a second chance.
He and she had a common enemy: Tang San. But the Tang San she faced had only just begun his journey. She even ascended to godhood before him, yet ultimately lost to his hand.
As for that man—when he was born, Tang San was already a God King. From birth, he was caught in the God King's web of schemes. He endured for ten thousand years, finally striking at the decisive moment and ending Tang San.
Qian Renxue knew he hadn't done it for her. But to say she didn't have feelings for the man who saved her… that would be a lie.
Still, she also understood—he had already broken free from the fate of being a piece on the board, while she was just a girl who had barely made it to shore.
"I once swore to protect, and I once longed to destroy everything. I've been both kind and dark. Two opposing forces flow within me. Only by reconciling these forces and accepting the inheritance of the Angel God can I ascend higher—and reach the realm of the God King."
Only by becoming a God King! Qian Renxue's eyes gleamed with unwavering determination.
Suddenly, Huo Yuhao's divine voice interrupted her thoughts:
"Qian Renxue!"
Her expression softened as she gently touched the God Ring on her finger, wondering what he was going to say next.
"Just a heads-up—Yu Xiaogang, that man who drove your mother mad with love, has already left the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. It won't be long before he and your mother meet again."
All the warmth in Qian Renxue's eyes vanished in an instant. Her gaze turned icy, a cold glint flashing across her sharp eyes. "Then let him come. I'm ready this time. This time, I will erase him from my mother's obsession."
In her past life, the one thing Qian Renxue could never let go of was how, even at the moment of her death, her mother still deeply loved Yu Xiaogang. But Qian Renxue knew very well what kind of man he really was.
Heaven had shown her the truth, but given her no chance to act. Now, the chance had come.
And so, under Qian Renxue's efforts, Spirit Hall's overall power rose significantly—though the three great figures of the Pope's Hall: Qian Xunji, Elder Golden Bell, and Elder Silver Hammer, were still kept in the dark.
After leaving the clan, Yu Xiaogang's luck took a drastic turn for the worse.
Before departing, he had requested a sect token from his father. With the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's token, he would have access to the Spirit Hall and even the other two top sects. This token allowed him to meet important figures from various factions, which would greatly increase his chances of finding a method to break through his 30th level bottleneck.
But just as he was leaving the sect grounds, he was intercepted by Yu Xiaomen. Before leaving, Yu Xiaomen slyly took the sect token from him.
As the saying goes: "It's easy to meet the King of Hell, but hard to deal with his little devils." Without the token that symbolized his identity, Yu Xiaogang found himself blocked at the gates of any Spirit Hall branch, or when trying to visit the Clear Sky Sect or Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
How could he, a nobody, expect to meet the Pope or the leaders of those sects so easily?
He could have simply returned to the clan and asked Yu Yuanzhen for another token. But Yu Xiaogang was a man of pride. Before leaving, he had vowed that he would never return to the sect unless he made a name for himself.
So, Xiaogang had no choice but to look for alternative routes—seeking chances to sneak into the Spirit Hall or the other two top sects. He aimed to somehow gain access to their secrets and uncover a method for spirit evolution.
But before he could even begin that, he faced another major setback: he encountered a scammer.
This despicable liar claimed to possess a divine medicine that could evolve a spirit. In a moment of desperation, Yu Xiaogang believed him and was completely swindled of all his money.
Despite being penniless, Xiaogang wasn't entirely without options. He was still a level-29 spirit master. He could join a spirit hunting team and earn commissions by helping others hunt spirit beasts. He could also work for the Spirit Hall as a steward, traveling to villages to awaken spirits for people.
But who was Yu Xiaogang? He was the son of Yu Yuanzhen, head of one of the three top sects—noble beyond compare. To ask him to help peasants awaken their spirits? To teach those commoners knowledge? To help low-born spirit masters hunt beasts?
Such humiliating work? He would rather die.
Yu Xiaogang would starve before mingling with the crude spirit masters of peasant origins. (In this era, most people who joined spirit hunting teams or worked as Spirit Hall stewards were commoners, lucky enough to even become spirit masters.)
As a result, the young master stubbornly starved for three days.
Fortunately, heaven never seals all paths. When he was nearly faint with hunger, Yu Xiaogang saw some spirit masters walking out of the local Spirit Hall with several gold soul coins in hand.
Only then did he remember that Spirit Hall provided monthly stipends for registered spirit masters.
So, Yu Xiaogang registered his spirit master rank with the Spirit Hall and received his stipend—finally earning his bowl of rice.
Thus, a thin, small flat-headed man in a black academic robe walked out of the Spirit Hall, carrying a bag containing his stipend. He sneered:
"Hmph, Spirit Hall uses the empires' money to buy people's loyalty. Despicable. But if I don't spend this money, it would be a waste."
With his basic needs now met, Yu Xiaogang began to wallow in self-pity again.
No matter how hard he trained, the bottleneck remained immovable—like a stubborn rock.
Joking aside, even with Yu Yuanzhen's help and skill transference, he couldn't break through level 30. How could he expect to do it on his own?
Without Yu Yuanzhen, it would have been a miracle for him to become a spirit master at all.
It was all Luo Sanpao's fault. Whenever he was upset and alone in some dark corner, he would summon Luo Sanpao and unleash all his frustration:
"You useless pig! It's all your fault. You had the potential to evolve into a Golden Sacred Dragon, but instead, you degenerated! Because of you, I've carried the name of a 'waste' for over ten years. Do you even know how that feels? If it weren't for you, I'd be a Spirit Ancestor by now—no, a Spirit King!"
"Give me back my Golden Sacred Dragon! Give it back!"
In his fury, Yu Xiaogang kicked Luo Sanpao over. The poor creature let out a series of pitiful squeals.
If the bond between spirit and master weren't so tightly connected—where harm to one reflects on the other—Yu Xiaogang swore he would've butchered the pig on the spot and had pork for dinner.
Inside a cheap inn in Coconut Grove City.
Yu Xiaogang stumbled back into his room in a daze. But as soon as he opened the door, he saw three people inside.
Two elders flanked a handsome, imposing man at the center.
"You...?"
Before he could finish speaking, a golden light flashed.
Yu Xiaogang's frail body instantly went limp, and he collapsed.
Before losing consciousness, he heard the trio speaking:
"So this is that famous waste, Yu Yuanzhen's son? No wonder—the guy's spirit is literally a pig. And his skill? Farting? Hahaha!"
"That's not even the worst part. I heard he wasted a ton of clan resources. Yu Yuanzhen spent over a decade helping him cultivate, just to barely get him to level 29. Without him dragging things down, Yu Yuanzhen might already be a Rank-95 Super Douluo by now."
"If that's true, we should thank this waste. He's holding back the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's progress!"
"Still, are you sure you want to choose him?"
"I need exactly that—a waste. A clown."
Shut up! I'm not a waste! I'm not a clown!
In the final moments before blacking out, Yu Xiaogang cried out inside his heart.
By dusk, Yu Xiaogang woke up on the floor.
Rubbing his dazed little flat head, he muttered in confusion: "Strange... Why was I sleeping on the floor? What just happened?"
Unable to recall, he stopped thinking about it and refocused on his main problem.
Food was no longer an issue thanks to the Spirit Hall's stipend, but his goal still seemed a distant dream.
He needed to approach other powers on the continent, acquire their knowledge of spirit evolution, and use their resources to help Luo Sanpao evolve into the Golden Sacred Dragon. But without a sect token, how could he even begin?
Scratching his little flat head, he left his inn with a bitter sigh.
With hands clasped behind his back, he wandered Coconut Grove City's streets, lost in thought—until suddenly, he spotted a beautiful figure moving through the crowd.
She had deep wine-red hair and a flawless figure.
Yu Xiaogang's eyes widened, staring at her like a hungry wolf.
She was indeed beautiful—any man would be drawn to her. But that wasn't what captivated Yu Xiaogang the most.
It was her identity.
She was Bibi Dong—Spirit Hall's current Holy Maiden.
The moment he recognized her, Xiaogang's mind began whirring at lightning speed.