Credits: Fugu
After making the announcement, Xue Qinghe and his entourage did not return the same way they came. Instead, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, they were escorted by the Angel Legion as they majestically flew back toward the imperial palace.
No one dared to obstruct them during their journey.
This scene left everyone in the arena in stunned silence.
Wait, could they all be family?
It was hard for the people to accept, but the reality presented no room for doubt. There was no way the entire royal family had been replaced. After all, the guards stationed at the palace had served in the Crown Prince's residence for years before being reassigned after his ascension to the throne.
This could only mean one thing—it was all true.
Furthermore, the relationship between the Swan Martial Soul and the Angel Martial Soul, as upper- and lower-tier martial souls with aligned attributes, made perfect sense. It explained how the Xue family had been able to maintain control over the Heaven Dou Empire.
Though the Swan Martial Soul wasn't inherently powerful, with Spirit Hall's covert support, it became viable. And since Spirit Hall had always favored Heaven Dou over Star Luo, it all seemed logical.
Salas glanced at the stunned nobles of the Heaven Dou Empire, barely containing his smirk, and quickly led his Spirit Hall delegation out of the arena.
Truth be told, if he hadn't been privy to the inside story, even he would've been convinced by this explanation, especially with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect backing it. If he were a Heaven Dou noble, he'd be equally baffled.
Interestingly, it was said that Princess Xue Ke, after seeing the forged evidence presented by the Holy Son, wholeheartedly believed it. It seemed plausible that the Angel lineage might soon include the Xue surname, given Qian Renxue's fondness for the young princess.
While the arena was large, not everyone attended. Many were still busy earning a living, unconcerned about the political shifts. Whether there was war or not, survival came first.
However, the radiant Angel Legion in the sky was hard to ignore, even for those uninterested in politics.
...
Meanwhile, news from the arena began to spread.
There would be no war to fear. Emperor Xue Qinghe and Spirit Hall were families? The Emperor revealed an Angel Martial Soul?
For many, this was fantastic news.
A ruler who had always cared for the common folk as Crown Prince, and a Spirit Hall—now the Spirit Empire—that helped awaken their Martial Souls?
No war, just unity. How could that not be good news? Besides, the Emperor stated that they wouldn't need to invade the Star Luo Empire, only defend against their attacks. For the citizens, this was as good as it got.
As the news spread, Heaven Dou City erupted in cheers, with people chanting Xue Qinghe's name. The excitement quickly spread to other parts of the empire, plunging Heaven Dou into a state of euphoria.
"Such a pity. I can't absorb this wave of faith power," Han Li muttered to himself, observing the surge of belief streaming into the Angelic Shrine within a spatial rift. His brow furrowed slightly as he sealed the divine radiance leaking out.
"Revealing divinity needs proper timing. No point in causing a commotion when you don't lack faith power."
The issue was that Qian Renxue was in a transformative state, and any contact with external faith would instantly convert it into divine power without leaving a trace. Han Li couldn't help but feel a pang of regret watching this.
According to his calculations with the world's consciousness, he was just shy of the faith needed to condense a God King's divine seat. The spirit energy provided by Douluo Star was sufficient to supply several first-level gods, but faith was a different matter.
Still, there was no helping it. This moment belonged to Qian Renxue. Han Li couldn't exactly step forward and declare that Xue Qinghe was his disguise, could he?
A streak of golden light cut through the sky, and Qian Daoliu appeared in the courtyard, wearing the Angelic Icon. He could distinctly sense the fluctuations of the Angel God's divine power.
"Is it happening?"
Excitement was written all over his face.
"Yes, I've suppressed the divine phenomenon associated with her ascension. I'm just slightly short on the faith power I need," Han Li replied.
"It doesn't matter, as long as she succeeds," Qian Daoliu said dismissively. This was part of their agreement. Opportunities to reveal divinity would arise in the future. He only cared about his granddaughter ascending as the Angel God. The rest was trivial.
"Bibi Dong is heading toward the empire border region. Will she notice anything?"
Qian Daoliu, still uneasy until he saw Qian Renxue's success, posed the question. Naturally, the last thing he wanted was for Bibi Dong to interfere.
"She won't. On Douluo Star, if I choose not to be noticed, she won't sense a thing," Han Li said confidently, smiling.
Even if Bibi Dong somehow became aware, it wouldn't matter. Current Bibi Dong, even as a deity, was no match for Han Li. He lacked only the official divine recognition of this universe, not the power to back it up.
"That's good, that's good," Qian Daoliu murmured, momentarily forgetting his strength as he resembled an ordinary doting grandfather.
"Alright, Grand Uncle, let me take you to see it firsthand. Although we can't let Xiao Xue reveal herself to the public just yet, it's fine for us to observe privately—and it will benefit you greatly as well."
Han Li's expression brightened as if he had just heard some good news. With a smile, he placed a hand on Qian Daoliu's shoulder, and the two vanished from the spot.
When they reappeared, they were inside the sealed Angelic Shrine.
The shrine was now completely enveloped in a soft golden hue.
Even without approaching the Angelic Icon, they could see Qian Renxue's current state.
Suspended in midair above faint golden clouds, Qian Renxue was curled into a small ball, her arms wrapped around her knees, as if in a deep sleep.
Her original golden court dress had disappeared, replaced by a golden armor identical to the one depicted on the Angelic Icon. Styled as a battle skirt, it exposed significantly more than Han Li's armor.
However, what drew Han Li's attention first was the Martial Soul behind her. The previously indistinct face of the Six-Winged Angel Spirit had transformed into Qian Renxue's visage. Similarly, the Angelic Icon beneath the shrine had also been updated to her likeness.
Han Li immediately tapped into the plane's consciousness to check on Wuhun City and its subordinate branches across the land. Thankfully, this change had not yet affected the real-world exterior.
If it had, it would undoubtedly have exposed everything to Bibi Dong's notice.
Just as Han Li breathed a sigh of relief, movement began in the air.
Qian Renxue's curled body slowly unfurled, shifting from a reclining posture to floating upright. Her closed eyes snapped open, glowing with an intimidating golden light.
"Grand Uncle, looks like we need to step aside," Han Li said just as he and Qian Daoliu lifted off the ground.
As they did, the entire Angelic Shrine lit up, with golden flames rapidly igniting along its patterns and flowing toward the Angelic Icon below.
In the air, a golden holy sword materialized in Qian Renxue's hand, humming with excitement as it shone brilliantly, seemingly greeting the icon below.
Qian Renxue's body moved involuntarily, and when she stopped, she was directly in front of the flaming icon.
The icon, engulfed in golden flames, seemed to come alive, opening its arms to embrace Qian Renxue.
At that moment, Qian Renxue felt something integrate into her being. The diamond-shaped gem on her forehead shattered, only to reform into a new shape moments later. Within her, vast waves of energy erupted, reshaping her body entirely.
At that moment, not only her body but even her soul seemed to turn golden.
"Truly enviable—having such a strong foundation," Han Li muttered from a distance. He protected the meditating Qian Daoliu with divine power while watching the Angelic Icon embrace Qian Renxue.
The icon completely absorbed the pain caused by the divine and soul transformation, allowing Qian Renxue to sleep as soundly as a baby when they arrived.
Under Han Li's watchful eyes, the golden radiance in the shrine dimmed. The original Angelic Icon had vanished, leaving only Qian Renxue.
Her six wings were now entirely golden, her eyes closed once again. The holy sword she held high burned with golden flames that transformed into feather-like patterns, spreading across her body.
Han Li observed intently. The patterns represented the materialization of divine laws: holiness, light, and fire. He couldn't afford to miss any details.
Unfortunately, the patterns soon disappeared beneath her battle skirt, leaving Han Li with no choice but to withdraw his gaze with a hint of regret.
He waited quietly until the final threads of the pattern reached and enveloped Qian Renxue's boots. Only then did he turn his head.
As he did, an even more dazzling golden light burst from Qian Renxue, and a majestic voice echoed from all directions within the shrine:
"An—gel—Des—cen—ding."
This was the world's rules responding to the condensation of a divine seat.
However, Han Li had sealed the entire phenomenon within the shrine.
Smiling, Han Li turned back toward Qian Renxue.
Sensing his presence, Qian Renxue made her flaming holy sword vanish instantly and withdrew her radiance as she descended slowly to the ground.
"This time, I've won, haven't I?"
"By the Angel's grace, this time you truly have."
"Get lost."
…
The newly ascended Angel God, less than a minute into her divinity, had already uttered a profanity.