After hearing Qian Renxue's words, Yang Xiong fell silent.
Looking across the entire Douluo Continent, Qian Renxue was undoubtedly the most gifted individual—born with an Innate Soul Power of Level 20 and possessing the supreme martial soul of the Six-Winged Angel, she was the last inheritor of the Angel Clan.
However, her father had died when she was young, and for the sake of the so-called national power of the Tian Dou Empire, she had spent her life hiding in the Tian Dou Imperial Palace. In that treacherous political environment, she had little time to cultivate, to express herself, or to hone her combat skills.
In contrast, though Yang Xiong also resided within a sect, he had lived freely over the years. Whether it was venturing into the Killing Domain or traveling to the Sea God Island, no one had ever stopped him. On the contrary, his sect had given him immense support.
Moreover, while Yang Xiong had made significant contributions to his sect, Ning Fengzhi had never assigned him any tasks or duties—a unique treatment among all the sect disciples.
Take Qin Shuang, for example—a genius from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect like himself. Qin Shuang had always stayed by Ning Rongrong's side, primarily serving as her bodyguard.
As for his older brother Yang Wei—if not for his own arrangements, Yang Wei would have long become an inner disciple administrator of the sect. All of this was due to his parents' absolute loyalty to the sect and the many things they had done for it, which allowed Ning Fengzhi and others to indulge him.
Even Hu Liena, despite being the Holy Maiden of the Spirit Empire, had to handle various missions and even assist Bibi Dong with governance. She didn't have the freedom Yang Xiong enjoyed.
Even Ning Rongrong herself had to spend a great deal of energy studying sect management under Ning Fengzhi and handling both major and minor affairs of the sect—she couldn't live as freely as Yang Xiong.
As for the Body Sect, Yang Xiong had merely established a rough framework and managed it minimally, investing relatively little effort and thought.
On the other hand, Qian Renxue represented the opposite fate for soul masters. To impersonate Xue Qinghe, the Crown Prince of the Tian Dou Empire, she had to conceal her martial soul and soul power, rarely using her true strength in battle. Her cultivation time was drastically reduced, and she couldn't afford to progress too quickly without drawing suspicion.
It could be said that in the entire world of Douluo, Qian Renxue was the number one example of wasted talent—at least, she hadn't fully realized her potential.
"Qian Renxue, in your eyes, is there anything worth doing? Anything not worth doing?"
Qian Renxue's face froze: "What do you mean by that? Are you suggesting that my time spent hiding in the Tian Dou Imperial Palace was a waste?"
Yang Xiong countered: "Isn't it? Given the countless bizarre martial souls in the Spirit Hall back then, I refuse to believe there wasn't someone else who could impersonate Xue Qinghe. Moreover, with your status in the Spirit Empire, if you truly didn't want to go to the Tian Dou Empire, who in this world could have forced you?"
Qian Renxue silently sipped her wine, her lips revealing a bitter smile: "Perhaps. Maybe this has been my lifelong mental block, my lifelong obsession. I've always wanted to prove myself—to show that I'm useful to the Spirit Empire, to prove my strength and ambition. But alas, it all ended in failure, and perhaps even at a great loss."
"Yang Xiong, I have no family left now. My grandfather sacrificed himself to help me ascend to godhood. Is this the karmic retribution for my arrogance back then?"
Yang Xiong shook his head: "Everyone has their own path to walk, their own burdens to bear. You are Qian Daoliu's beloved granddaughter and the last hope of the Angel Clan. His sacrifice was for his faith and responsibility—it's not something you can blame yourself for."
"On the contrary, if it weren't for your unparalleled talent and achievements, if you hadn't reached this point, Qian Daoliu might not have fulfilled his wish, and the Angel Clan would have likely fallen long ago."
Tears welled up in Qian Renxue's eyes: "I'd rather give up my divinity—I just want my grandfather to come back to life."
Yang Xiong chuckled helplessly: "Qian Renxue, have you ever considered this question? Though your grandfather is dead, perhaps he hasn't completely perished. Perhaps there's a way to bring him back."
Qian Renxue's expression shifted, and she quickly asked: "Yang Xiong, what do you know? Is there a way to revive my grandfather?"
Yang Xiong shook his head: "Within the Douluo world, once someone is dead, there's no way to bring them back to life."
"But have you considered this—gods are mysterious and omnipotent, capable of destroying worlds with a mere gesture. Their powers are only limited by the constraints of the Douluo Continent. If you reach the divine realm, perhaps you'll find a way to resurrect your grandfather."
"The key is that Qian Daoliu had already reached the limit of this world. He sacrificed himself to help you inherit the divine position. In a sense, his soul is now tied to your divine seat. If you ascend to the divine realm, perhaps you can find a way to bring him back."
This idea was something Yang Xiong had recently researched, based on summaries from the original work.
In the original story, Bo Saixi sacrificed herself to help Tang San ascend as the Sea God, and Tang Chen injected all his remaining divine power into the Asura Demon Sword before passing it on to Tang San.
The Sea God was able to resurrect both Tang Chen and Bo Saixi through their residual divine consciousness, though their revived forms were of the lowest rank in the divine realm—mere divine officials. Still, it fulfilled their lifelong wishes.
Qian Renxue pondered for a long time before speaking: "Yang Xiong, are you trying to comfort me? The dead cannot return to life—even gods may not be able to achieve that."
Yang Xiong shook his head: "Recently, as I've worked to remove the Angel divine power you left in my wounds, I've gained a deeper understanding of the relationship between gods and soul masters. In a sense, your grandfather is no longer an ordinary mortal—he could be considered a demigod."
"Gods are immortal and indestructible. Qian Daoliu's soul won't dissipate so easily. Whether or not we can succeed, I don't know."
Qian Renxue thought deeply before replying: "Thank you. Perhaps I've always been too arrogant, too obsessed with proving myself. I've never truly considered my grandfather's feelings."
"Yang Xiong, I want to ask you a question. Please answer honestly."
Yang Xiong nodded: "Though we are enemies, I've always admired you in some ways. At the very least, in terms of character, you're not someone who bullies the weak or acts despicably. You repay grievances with justice—a fitting embodiment of the Angel God's righteousness."
Qian Renxue asked: "Yang Xiong, in your eyes, what is family? What does it mean to be mother and daughter? Is avenging past humiliations more important than everything else?"
Yang Xiong shook his head: "I don't know how to answer that. I have a girlfriend now, but no children. However, I can say with certainty that if I ever have children, I would be willing to sacrifice everything for them."
"Of course, I must clarify: I have my own principles in life, and no one can cross those boundaries. If my son were a cruel, bloodthirsty person or a despicable coward, I would rather end his life myself."
Qian Renxue nodded as if this was perfectly reasonable: "You are indeed the Yang Xiong I know—always the most rational person, no matter the situation."
"Let me tell you a story. From childhood to adulthood, I've always hoped to earn my mother's approval. To gain her recognition, I went undercover in the Tian Dou Empire, enduring the treacherous environment of the imperial palace and striving to live a perfect life."
"Whether it was cultivation or mastering the political arts of the Tian Dou Empire, I tried my best to be flawless. I thought I would earn her approval."
"But I was wrong. In my mother's eyes, I am nothing but a symbol of sin. My blood carries the filth of my father. She has always wanted to kill me—to use me to cleanse her past humiliation. Do I not deserve my mother's love?"
Seeing Qian Renxue's tear-streaked face, Yang Xiong sighed helplessly: "Qian Renxue, if I'm not mistaken, your mother is Bibi Dong, isn't she?"
"And if I'm correct, your birth wasn't born out of love—perhaps she endured some kind of humiliation to bear you. That's why she couldn't face you, why she sent you to the Tian Dou Imperial Palace."
Qian Renxue's expression changed dramatically: "How do you know my mother is Bibi Dong?"
A faint smile appeared on Yang Xiong's lips: "It's not hard to guess. If Bibi Dong didn't have some special identity or a unique connection to the Angel Clan, how could an outsider like her become the Pope of the Spirit Hall or the emperor of the Spirit Empire?"
"If I'm not mistaken, your father was killed by your mother. Your grandfather concealed everything for the glory of the Spirit Hall, even pushing Bibi Dong onto the throne of the Pope."
Tears streamed down Qian Renxue's face: "Yes, that's exactly right. None of this was my fault. Why did they hide it from me? Why are they cruelly telling me the truth now?"
"My mother only wants to kill me, yet I still yearned for her love, for our family to reunite. But she shattered my illusions, destroyed the images of my father and grandfather in my heart. Am I inherently sinful? Am I not meant to exist?"
Watching Qian Renxue's hysterical state, Yang Xiong took out a handkerchief and gently wiped away the tears from her exquisite face, shaking his head in pity.
"Qian Renxue, have you misunderstood something? People live for themselves. Only by becoming better, by becoming stronger, will you earn the world's recognition and deserve familial love. Otherwise, you deserve nothing."
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