Chapter 17: Qian Chongling's God Realm Experience
"Ancestor," Qian Ningshuang asked again, eyes narrowing with sudden suspicion, "did Xuan Tian Sect have a signature martial soul? And what surname did they primarily use?"
*Xuan Tian… self-created魂 skills… strange weapons…* Just one more detail, and the picture would be complete.
"I wouldn't know," Qian Chongling admitted, halting his beard-stroking mid-gesture with mild embarrassment. "I only heard fragments from my father. Perhaps Lady Gu Yue Na knows?"
Gu Yue Na answered without hesitation. "Xuan Tian Sect had no signature martial soul—members bore all kinds. But every member, even those who joined from outside, took the surname Tang."
Qian Ningshuang nearly facepalmed. *Xuan Tian, self-created魂 skills, weird weapons, the Tang surname…* All that was missing was the Hammer of Hao Tian!
"But why ask, Shuang'er?" Gu Yue Na tilted her head. "That sect was wiped out ten thousand years ago. Does it matter now?"
"Just curious," Qian Ningshuang shrugged. "I'd like to understand more."
She quickly pivoted. "But Ancestor—what exactly happened to you in the God Realm?"
She wasn't about to dwell on Xuan Tian Sect. Whether or not that ancient邪魂师 clan had ties to a certain "pure and icy" Third Brother was just juicy gossip—not worth losing sleep over.
After all, no matter how hated or powerful Xuan Tian Sect once was, the moment you added "Blue Silver Entanglement" to the mix, the whole thing turned comically absurd.
Gu Yue Na let it go. Children were naturally curious. She, too, turned expectantly to Qian Chongling.
The old specter resumed stroking his beard and continued his tale—the one Qian Ningshuang had interrupted. As he spoke, many of her lingering questions finally found answers.
As the chosen successor of the Angel God, Qian Chongling's talent rivaled even Qian Ren Xue's. He underwent the Angel's Nine Trials—just like her—and reached the final test.
But he refused to complete it.
The reason was simple: the last trial required him to sacrifice the High Priest—his own father.
The Angel God, still alive at the time, couldn't bear to lose such a brilliant heir to the rigid rules of divine inheritance. So she bypassed the trials entirely and elevated him directly to the God Realm as her divine attendant.
Once there, Qian Chongling discovered the Angel God's position was precarious. Nearly the entire God Realm despised her—with the Shura God King as her fiercest opponent.
The cause? Divine domain conflict.
The Angel God held domains of Purification, Order, Justice, and Judgment. Unfortunately, "Order" and "Judgment" overlapped directly with the Shura God King's authority.
Domain conflicts varied in severity. Mild ones merely split influence. Severe ones could fracture a god's mind, driving them mad.
The Angel God and Shura God King's clash fell into the latter category. While not enough to cause insanity, the constant friction would inevitably erode their divine power over time. Naturally, they loathed each other—and brawls were frequent.
But the Shura God King didn't rule the God Realm alone. The real reason the Angel God was universally ostracized was her domain of Justice.
This touched on the core of godhood: faith.
Absorbing faith wasn't inherently problematic—the Angel God herself ascended through faith. The issue lay in how the gods *cultivated* that faith.
The prevailing belief among the gods was this: the more desperate a mortal's plight, the purer and stronger their faith. Thus, the mortal realms under their rule were never peaceful. Instead, they were plagued by endless war, famine, and suffering—perfect conditions for harvesting potent belief.
The Angel God, bound by Justice, found this abhorrent. She clashed with nearly every god over it. And she was no weakling—among First-Tier Gods, she ranked near the top, even holding her own against God Kings. When fights broke out, others couldn't beat her in battle or debate.
Over time, this "righteous" god became more reviled than even the Rakshasa God—the so-called "plague deity."
Her isolation worsened dramatically when the Sea God ascended. His domain of Purification overlapped with hers, reigniting old tensions. Worse, the Sea God excelled at alliance-building. What was once mere disdain escalated into full-blown enmity between the Angel God and the entire God Realm.
Thus began the war.
The outcome was predictable. No single god, no matter how powerful, could stand against the combined might of the pantheon—not even with Qian Chongling, who had trained his way to First-Tier God status through divine laws.
In the end, the Angel God self-detonated, leaving only her divine seat behind. As her explosion tore open a path back to Douluo Continent, Qian Chongling followed suit—sacrificing his body to shield a sliver of his soul, which fled back to the mortal world.
"These gods… still as hypocritical and vile as ever."
Gu Yue Na crossed her arms, her voice dripping with icy scorn.
"After escaping the God Realm," Qian Chongling continued, "I remained in deep slumber—until Shuang'er's presence roused me. And when I awoke, I found the gods' hands already deep in Spirit Hall's affairs."
"So whether for vengeance or for Spirit Hall's survival… I must settle this with the God Realm once and for all."
Qian Ningshuang now confirmed what veteran fans in her past-life book clubs had long theorized: Spirit Hall's downfall was orchestrated by the God Realm.
It made perfect sense. Given the gods' preference for chaos, a unified, orderly Douluo Continent under Spirit Hall's rule was unacceptable. The gods *needed* perpetual war to fuel their faith—so of course they'd sabotage unification.
It also explained why that "pure and icy" Tang God King tolerated邪魂师 and constantly sabotaged continental unity.
A chaotic mortal realm served the God Realm's interests.
As for the Angel God's demise—that was no surprise. Past-life theorists had already deduced it. Now, it was merely confirmed.
*What a massive, juicy revelation today!*
Feeling more at ease, Qian Ningshuang turned to Gu Yue Na with a new question. If today was about solving mysteries, why stop now?
Gu Yue Na smiled warmly. The girl was finally lowering her guard—this was progress.
"Go ahead, Shuang'er. Ask anything I can answer."