"CLEAR SKY CLAN… TANG SAN…"
Spirit City, Elder's Hall
The reverberation of fury had yet to fade when the vast, ancient hall fell into a suffocating silence. Even the air seemed to grow heavy, as though weighed down by the will of a being that had stepped beyond mortal limits.
Qian Daoliu stood beneath the towering dome, his golden robes unmoving, yet his thoughts churned like a storm.
The echo of Bibi Dong's rage still lingered in his ears.
He slowly exhaled, but the tension in his chest did not ease.
'So she has finally stepped into that realm…'
There was no need for confirmation. The aura alone had told him everything. That oppressive presence, tinged with a touch of divine distortion, was no longer something a mere Ultimate Douluo could release.
'If it truly comes to a confrontation… can I stop her?'
For the first time in years, doubt crept into his mind.
He had been the absolute—power of Spirit Hall. Yet now, the balance had shifted. Bibi Dong was no longer someone he could suppress with experience or authority alone.
And more troubling than her strength… was her past.
Though she had shown no hostility toward the Angel lineage in recent years, resentment was not something that vanished so easily
Qian Daoliu's gaze dimmed slightly.
'If she turns her blade toward us…'
His thoughts paused there.A faint, almost bitter smile appeared on his face.
"With the Nine Sun Style… perhaps I could contend for a moment."
That technique—his greatest reliance—had not been created by him.
Qian Renxue - The name surfaced in his mind like a wound that had never healed.
His expression softened, the sharpness in his eyes giving way to something far more fragile.
"Renxue…"
He had believed she was gone.
That belief had driven him into madness once—so much so that he had personally struck down Bo Saixi, blaming her for a loss he could not accept.
And yet…What followed had shaken him far more than grief ever could.
A miracle of light spoken across the continent. Something so powerful that defied reason,
It had planted a seed of doubt in his heart.
'Was she the Angel Goddess… herself?'
He did not know, perhaps he did not dare to know.
Slowly, Qian Daoliu turned his gaze toward the statue center of the hall.
Unlike the other depictions scattered across the continent—those abstract forms of an eye crowned with twelve wings—this one bore a human likeness.
The statue while lifeless exuded an aura of calmness and radiance.
And yet…
Every time he looked upon it, a strange sense of familiarity washed over him.
As though the statue was not merely a symbol of divinity… but a reflection of someone he had once known.
But whenever he tries to recall the person he could not recall anything.
"High Priest, what are you worried about?"
The soft yet steady voice pulled Qian Daoliu out of his spiraling thoughts. He turned slowly, his aged eyes settling upon the woman standing behind him.
It was Julia.
For a fleeting moment, his pupils contracted. That strange sense of familiarity struck him again—like a memory he could not grasp no matter how hard he tried. Golden-blonde hair cascaded down her shoulders, her features flawless to the point of seeming unreal, and those violet eyes… calm, unwavering, yet carrying an indescribable depth.
'So similar… yet fundamentally different,' he thought, his brows knitting faintly.
He had investigated her past countless times. An orphan. A girl who had climbed step by step through the ranks of the Angel Corps purely through talent, discipline, and an almost frightening mental fortitude.
And yet…
Six years ago, when the oracle descended—declaring that another inheritor of the Angel Goddess had appeared—everything had changed.
His gaze lingered on her a moment longer before he exhaled slowly, suppressing the unease in his heart.
Julia, unaware—or perhaps unconcerned—about the storm in his mind, spoke with quiet certainty.
"High Priest, there is no need for concern. The aura released by the Pope may seem overwhelming, but in the face of the Almighty Angel's light, all beings are equal."
Her tone was not arrogant. It was not even firm in the usual sense. It was simply… absolute, as if she were stating a truth that required no validation.
Qian Daoliu's lips twitched slightly.
'Equal?' he thought wryly.
He had just felt the eruption of power from Bibi Dong. That was not something one could dismiss with mere faith. That was the pressure of someone who had stepped into the realm beyond mortals—a "Wild God," as some would call it.
Even he, the High Priest of Spirit Hall, was no longer confident he could suppress her.
'If she truly wished to act… who here could stop her?'
'And yet this girl speaks as if none of it matters…'
For a brief second, a ridiculous thought surfaced in his mind—one he immediately tried to suppress.
'Why do I feel… that her confidence is more convincing than my own faith?'
He let out a quiet breath, turning his gaze toward the towering statue within the Elder Hall.
Every time he looked at it, his heart stirred with an unexplainable emotion.
'Renxue…'
The name surfaced unconsciously. His fingers slowly came together as he clasped his hands in prayer. The turmoil in his mind did not disappear, but it quieted—just slightly.
Behind him, Julia also turned her gaze toward the statue. Her expression was serene, yet for the briefest instant, something strange flickered within those violet eyes—something ancient, distant… and utterly unfathomable.
Qian Daoliu lowered his head.
"Yes," he said at last, his voice steady, though far quieter than before,
"In front of the Almighty Angel's light… all people are equal."