The entire Angel Temple was vast and boundless, seemingly capable of containing all things in heaven and earth.
The towering ceiling, like a dome, covered the temple, golden light flowing down from the mysterious runes on it, bathing the entire hall in sacred radiance.
The floor was paved with pure white jade slabs, each slab carved with exquisite angel reliefs, as if telling ancient and mysterious stories.
The surrounding walls were inlaid with countless dazzling gems, radiating a dreamlike light, adorning the temple like a fairyland. In the center of the temple, the statue of the celestial god stood majestically.
This statue was tall and imposing, seemingly reaching to the heavens, inspiring awe in all who looked up at it.
The statue radiated a holy light, pure and gentle, like the first rays of dawn, warm yet unapproachable.
However, strangely, a crack appeared on the angel's head.
The crack, like a gruesome wound, shattered its original perfection and holiness.
From the crack, wisps of darkness seemed to seep out, a stark contrast to the holy light emanating from the statue.
This crack instilled an indescribable unease, as if foreshadowing some unknown crisis.
At the statue's feet, mysterious clouds of light swirled, adding to its enigmatic aura.
Qian Daoliu, upon entering the Angel Temple, instinctively bowed to the angel statue.
But when he saw the shocking crack, his expression became complex.
"This crack seems to have appeared suddenly about 20 years ago... but I don't know why."
As the guardian of the Angel Temple, the shattering of the angel statue was a grave dereliction of duty, a major sore point for Qian Daoliu, yet he didn't know the cause.
It seemed to appear suddenly, and the crack even made him feel uneasy, as if it were caused by some evil force.
But this wasn't his main purpose for coming today.
"Great Angel God, your most faithful followers have heard your call and come here. What do you wish to say?"
In the Angel Temple, Qian Daoliu stood quietly beneath the towering angel statue.
Suddenly, the statue began to glow faintly without warning.
The glow was initially weak and soft, gradually growing brighter, as if the statue was attempting to communicate with Qian Daoliu.
Qian Daoliu closed his eyes slightly, concentrating his mind on a mysterious communion with the statue.
Initially, his face maintained its usual composure and calmness; however, upon hearing something, his expression began to change.
His brows furrowed, his facial muscles twitched slightly, and his previously serene demeanor became distorted.
His eyes closed even tighter, his lips trembled, as if struggling to resist what he was hearing.
Disbelief became increasingly evident on his face, and his breathing became rapid.
As the communication continued, Qian Daoliu's face turned deathly pale, devoid of any color, as if all life and strength had been drained from him.
His body began to tremble, a tremor of shock and fear emanating from the depths of his soul.
"How could this be… how could this be? How could it be him?"
"Impossible… absolutely impossible!"
Qian Daoliu murmured like a madman, his expression filled with terror.
Finally, Qian Daoliu abruptly opened his eyes, his gaze filled with despair and helplessness.
He staggered backward, his steps unsteady, almost losing his balance.
He tried to regain his footing, but his body wouldn't obey him, leaving him looking utterly pathetic.
Qian Daoliu had lost all his former dignity and composure; he was like a soulless walking corpse, turning around listlessly and staggering towards the exit of the Angel Temple. His steps were heavy and slow, each step seemingly using all his strength.
His once upright figure now appeared so hunched and fragile, until his figure gradually disappeared into the temple's light, leaving only the still faintly glowing angel statue and the silence and mystery of the entire hall.
Outside the Temple of the Angels!
Qian Renxue had been waiting outside for a long time, curious about what the Angel God would say to her grandfather.
But the next moment, when she saw the distraught Qian Daoliu, she was completely dumbfounded.
"Grandpa...you...what's wrong with you?"
The Qian Daoliu in front of him was disheveled and had no dignity as the Grand Elder of the Spirit Hall.
He looked more like a madman!
"Xiaoxue..."
Qian Daoliu's eyes were cloudy. Only when he saw Qian Renxue did they regain some color.
"The mainland is counting on you... You must work hard and become a god as soon as possible!! You must..."
"You are... the only hope!"
Qian Renxue was puzzled.
What did this mean?
Why was she suddenly being told this?
What was this "only hope"?
She asked Qian Daoliu what had happened inside, what the Angel God had said, but Qian Daoliu remained silent, only saying that she would know later.
It was very strange.
"Never mind... This isn't something I should be concerned about right now.
My priority is to continue completing the God Trial."
Qian Renxue was full of fighting spirit.
"Qian Renshang... Just wait and be surprised!!"
...
...
Tian Dou City!
In the Tian Dou Arena, with the end of the seven-day competition, the preliminary rounds finally ended, and the list of those who advanced was finally released!
The Chuanling Academy, where Qian Renshang was from, advanced with the first place in the preliminary rounds, while the second place went to... Shrek Academy.
That's right, although Shrek Academy lost to Chuanling Academy, their strength was still there, and after defeating other teams, they achieved a good result of second place.
Inside the Spirit Transmission Academy's rest area!
"Yu Tianheng, Dugu Yan, Ye Lingling... the three of you performed very well in the preliminary rounds."
Qian Renshang was giving his final summary of the preliminary rounds.
You have to admit, Qian Renshang really did look like a captain now, quite serious.
"It's all thanks to our leader. If it weren't for this Soul Spirit... we really couldn't have achieved such good results."
Yu Tianheng scratched his head and chuckled, showering him with flattery.
Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling rolled their eyes at Yu Tianheng.
How come they never noticed this guy was such a sycophant before!
Qian Renshang's lips twitched from all the flattery.
"Alright, next up is the qualifying rounds... the format for the qualifying rounds is different from the preliminary rounds.
It's an individual battle.
Each side sends one person to fight, and they battle each other until all the participating teams from that academy are defeated, then the competition ends."
After briefly explaining the rules, Qian Renshang narrowed his eyes slightly.
"So I've decided... I'll be the one to fight in the qualifying rounds!"
Upon hearing this, Yu Tianheng and the other two were completely dumbfounded.
(End of Chapter)
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