With a whoosh, her face flushed red all the way to the base of her neck.
"Awake?" Lin Yuan smiled, stroking her long hair.
"Husband." Ye Lingling burrowed into his embrace somewhat shyly, her voice soft and sweet: "Am I dreaming?"
"If this is a dream, I would rather never wake up."
Lin Yuan chuckled, took her hand, and placed it over his heart: "This is no dream. Your Spirit has evolved, and you have become a god."
Lin Yuan leaned close to her ear and said with a mischievous smile: "Moreover, your recovery ability is too strong. No matter how much we tossed and turned last night, you could recover instantly. This gives me quite a sense of accomplishment as your teacher, but it's also quite a challenge."
Ye Lingling understood the underlying meaning and gave him a light, bashful punch: "Husband, you're so wicked!"
Just then, a commotion came from the distance.
"Quick, quick, quick! I sensed it! There's divine force fluctuations in the Begonia Courtyard! Sister Lingling must have succeeded too!"
Xiao Wu was seen leading the charge, bringing along Rongrong, Zhuqing, Yan'er, Bing'er, Snow Dance, and a whole group from the 'Harem Inspection Team', rushing in grandly.
When they saw the flower petals scattered all over the floor, and Ye Lingling—radiant and without her veil—nestled in Lin Yuan's arms...
Everyone was stunned.
Though shy, Ye Lingling did not hide like she used to. She held Lin Yuan's hand tightly, bravely raised her head, and revealed a smile that could topple kingdoms: "I hope you sisters will look after me from now on."
...Canglan Academy, Angel Pavilion.
This was the highest point in the academy, bathed in the purest sunlight all year round.
A magnificent golden divine temple stood above the sea of clouds, emitting a sacred and inviolable aura.
This was the place of quiet cultivation for Qian Renxue after she became a god.
However, tonight's moonlight seemed exceptionally cold, making this magnificent golden temple feel indescribably lonely.
Upon the main seat of the temple, Qian Renxue was dressed in a brilliant golden palace gown, yet she lacked that high-and-mighty joy.
Her signature golden hair was draped loosely, and on her exquisite face hung a trace of loneliness that was completely inconsistent with her God Position.
She held a golden goblet in her hand, which contained the "Angel Holy Brew," a special tribute from the God Realm.
A single drop of this wine would intoxicate an ordinary Spirit Master; if a deity drank too much, they would also become lost in their emotions.
At this moment, several empty wine jars already lay overturned at her feet.
"Hehe..."
Qian Renxue looked outside the hall with drunken eyes. Through the clouds, she could see the Star Plucking Tower below brightly lit, and could faintly hear the sounds of Xiao Wu and the others laughing and playing.
Ever since Ye Lingling also resolved her inner conflict and moved into the Star Plucking Tower, that place had become a true 'den of tenderness.'
But her place here had become a true 'Palace of Loneliness.'
"Why..."
Qian Renxue drained the cup in one gulp. The pungent liquid slid down her throat but could not extinguish the irritability in her heart.
"In terms of background, I am the Young Mistress of Spirit Hall. In terms of talent, I have Innate Full spirit power of Rank 20. In terms of God Position, I am the Angel God of the oldest heritage!"
"Where am I inferior to them?"
"Why does Teacher revolve around them every day, while I am left alone in this cold divine temple?"
The alcohol surged, and the grievances and jealousy she usually suppressed with logic and pride erupted like a flood breaking through a dam.
She had always maintained her stance. She was Qian Renxue, the proud Angel God; she couldn't bring herself to take the initiative to offer herself like Rongrong, nor could she lower her face to cry and complain like Zhuqing.
She was waiting.
Waiting for that man to take the initiative to look at her, to take the initiative to walk toward her.
But what she waited for was the increasingly lively laughter from the Star Plucking Tower and the increasingly desolate moonlight on her side.
"Lin Yuan, you bastard."
Qian Renxue stood up unsteadily, the golden goblet falling to the ground with a 'clang.'
Fuelled by the alcohol, she pointed toward the Star Plucking Tower and cursed.
Just then, the massive Angel God Power within her began to lose control. Golden light rampaged through the temple, shattering the surrounding decorations into pieces.
She was like a golden lioness licking her wounds alone after being hurt—both dangerous and fragile.
"Have you had enough?"
Just then, a flat but majestic voice rang out abruptly behind her.
Qian Renxue turned her head sharply.
At the temple entrance stood Lin Yuan, dressed in black with his hands behind his back.
He walked against the moonlight, appearing like a monarch emerging from the darkness, carrying a suffocating sense of pressure.
"Te... Teacher?"
Half of Qian Renxue's drunkenness vanished instantly.
She subconsciously wanted to tidy her appearance, to restore her image as the noble and elegant Angel God.
But soon, the grievance of being neglected welled up again.
Using the remaining half of her drunkenness, she did not bow. Instead, she straightened her back, looked directly into Lin Yuan's eyes, and sneered:
"What? Has the Lord Supreme God King finally remembered that you have a disciple in this corner?"
"Is the den of tenderness at the Star Plucking Tower too crowded, so you came out for some air?"
If anyone else had spoken these barbed words, they would have been slapped to death by Lin Yuan long ago.
But Lin Yuan just looked at her quietly, looking at her face flushed from wine and those golden eyes filled with stubbornness and tears.
"Xue'er, you have overstepped."
Lin Yuan's voice remained calm, but it carried an unquestionable power.
He walked toward Qian Renxue step by step.
With every step, the aura on him grew stronger.
By the time he reached Qian Renxue, the terrifying pressure belonging to the Human Emperor had already firmly suppressed the restless Angel God Power within her.
Qian Renxue felt as if she were being stared down by an ancient giant beast; even breathing became difficult. She wanted to retreat, but found her legs weak and completely unable to move.
"Overstepped? Hehe..."
Qian Renxue gave a tragic laugh: "Yes, I overstepped. I am a disciple; I shouldn't have improper thoughts about my teacher, and I shouldn't be jealous of my masters' wives."
"Silly girl."
Lin Yuan sighed and reached out to pull this woman—who was prickly on the outside but incredibly soft inside—into his arms.
"I never left you behind."
"I was just waiting."
Qian Renxue snapped her eyes open, staring blankly at the man close at hand: "Waiting for what?"
"Waiting for you to let go of your damned pride."
Lin Yuan's finger lightly traced the perfect contour of her cheek: "Qian Renxue, you are too proud. This pride once supported you through your darkest years, but now, it has become a shackle preventing you from pursuing happiness."
"Xiao Wu and the others all know what they want and bravely strive for it."
"While you only hide here drinking alone, waiting for others to guess your thoughts."
Lin Yuan's words were like a sharp blade, precisely piercing through all of Qian Renxue's disguises.
Her pride and self-esteem collapsed at this moment.
"I..."
Qian Renxue opened her mouth to argue but found she had nothing to say.
Lin Yuan lowered his head, leaning to her ear, his warm breath blowing on her sensitive earlobe: "Besides, who told you I wasn't interested in you?"
Boom!
Qian Renxue's mind instantly went blank.
Before she could react, Lin Yuan had already leaned down and kissed her wine-scented lips.
It was different from the gentleness or flirtation he showed other women.
Lin Yuan's kiss for Qian Renxue carried a strong desire for conquest.
He was telling her: You, Qian Renxue, no longer need to maintain your stance or be strong alone.
In my arms, you can go back to being a little woman who needs love and care.
"Mmm."
Qian Renxue's body stiffened for a moment, then quickly softened.
Her hands, which had nowhere to go, finally gripped the clothes on Lin Yuan's back tightly. She responded clumsily yet passionately, pouring all the emotions she had suppressed for years into this kiss... The moonlight hid behind the clouds at some point, and the gates of the divine temple slammed shut.
Golden curtains fell, obscuring the two overlapping figures atop the divine throne.
"Teacher, I..."
"Call me husband."
"Hus... husband."
For the first time, Qian Renxue's voice was tinged with a seductive charm. That contrast of a cold goddess falling into the mortal realm was enough to drive any man mad.
"Xue'er, your Angel God Raiment is too much in the way."
Lin Yuan's large hand covered the hard golden armor on her chest, applying slight pressure.
That divine raiment, representing the ultimate defense of the Angel God, was like paper before the divine force of the Human Emperor, instantly turning into specks of golden light and dissipating.
Beneath the armor was Qian Renxue's suffocatingly perfect body.
Years of cultivation and nourishment by divine force gave her an ultimate physique—more mature than Xiao Wu's, more well-proportioned than Zhuqing's, and more noble than Rongrong's.
Her skin was so white it seemed to glow, emitting a faint sacred aura.
"So beautiful."
Lin Yuan praised sincerely.
Qian Renxue closed her eyes in shame, but she did not shrink back. Alcohol and love supported her, allowing her to make the boldest move of her life.
The six massive golden wings behind her suddenly unfurled, emitting a soft and sacred glow that wrapped the two of them in a golden cocoon.
"Husband, please possess me. Let me also become a member of the Star Plucking Tower."
...That night, the holy light within the Angel Temple shone for the entire night.
Sacredness and worldliness, nobility and desire, merged perfectly here.
Qian Renxue finally let go of all her pride. She used all her strength to cater and feel that happiness which had arrived so late.
Though her first time was inexperienced, her deity physique gave her amazing endurance and recovery.
In this conquest of love, the proud Angel finally broke her pride and willingly became the Human Emperor's most loyal companion... The next morning.
The first ray of sunlight shone into the temple.
Qian Renxue leaned lazily in Lin Yuan's arms, her golden hair spread across the divine throne like a golden waterfall.
Her face still bore the flush from last night's frenzy. The trace of loneliness and desolation between her brows had long since vanished, replaced by an unprecedented bashfulness and satisfaction of a little woman.
"Awake?" Lin Yuan asked with a smile, playing with a strand of her hair.
"Mhm." Qian Renxue buried her head in Lin Yuan's chest, her voice slightly raspy: "Husband, was I too wild last night?"
Fuelled by the alcohol, she had done many things last night that she would never dare to do while sober. Recalling them now, she felt like dying of shame.
Lin Yuan laughed loudly: "Being a bit wild is good. I like you more like that—real and cute."
Qian Renxue punched him, then raised her head, her golden eyes flashing with a firm light: "Husband, I want to move."
"Oh? Move where?"
"The top floor of the Star Plucking Tower!" Qian Renxue huffed proudly.
Then, her gaze softened: "I want to live with everyone. I don't want to be alone anymore."
Lin Yuan looked at the woman in his arms who had finally lowered her guard and was ready to integrate into the group. He leaned down and gave her a deep kiss on the forehead: "Granted."
...Slaughter City, deep within the Hell Road.
This was the filthiest, most chaotic place on the Douluo Continent, yet also the place closest to the origin of 'Asura.'
Dark red lava churned beneath his feet, and the air was filled with a nauseating smell of blood and chronic toxins enough to drive one mad.
However, in this purgatory, there was a figure that seemed completely out of place.
He wore spotless white clothes, and his silver hair was combed meticulously.
He stood with his hands behind his back, his feet not on solid ground but on a hovering silver longsword.
The bats and monsters around him, distorted by the desire to kill, did not even dare to approach within a hundred meters of him.
Because the'sharpness' on him was hotter than the lava of the Hell Road and more domineering than the rules of the Slaughter City!
Sword Douluo Chen Xin.
"That girl Rongrong has become the Nine Colored Goddess, and that brat Lin Yuan has even become the Supreme God King."
Chen Xin looked at the endless darkness ahead, a trace of unwillingness and arrogance flashing in his sharp eyes.
"In this old man's life, I have never bowed my head even when facing Qian Daoliu."
"Now, am I to be a mere spectator in this brilliant era, only able to look up at my juniors?"
"No!"
"This old man's sword is not yet old!"
"The Seven Kill Divine Demon Sword shall slay gods to attain the Dao!"
For him now, it was naturally very easy to pass the Hell Road, which was the first trial of the Asura God... Soon, he arrived at the fourth trial: Severing Emotions and Thoughts.
This trial was an interrogation of the soul.
The scenes shifted, and Chen Xin felt as if he had returned to his youth. He saw his father who had died early, the lover he had once given up to pursue the way of the sword, and the nightmare of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School being destroyed (an illusion of the original plot).
The Asura God required a heartless enforcer. This trial was to make him sever his mortal ties.
"Chen Xin, your sword has attachments, so your sword is not fast enough." A grand voice echoed in his mind: "Sever the past, sever the bonds, and you may become a god."
In the illusion, Ning Rongrong, Gu Rong, Ning Fengzhi, and others appeared one by one, blocking his sword.
Chen Xin looked at these familiar faces, the Seven Kill Divine Demon Sword in his hand trembling slightly.
To strike?
For the sake of becoming a god, for the sake of power, to sever everything?
"Hmph!" Just then, Chen Xin suddenly sheathed his sword, a disdainful cold smile curling on his lips.
"Who told you that a heartless sword is the strongest?"
He raised his head, looking directly into the void: "This old man's sword was born for protection and is sharp because of persistence!"
"If there is no Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, if there is no Rongrong, what use is this sword of mine?!"
(End of Chapter)
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