"No surprise—he's my Xiao Tian. If he'd had this power in the battle against Bibi Dong and the Evil Sword Immortal, they'd have died that day," Skydream Ice Silkworm lamented.
"It's fine, Skydream. I will defeat them one day. They must be hoping for chaos to harvest more evil thoughts. I want swift peace. Our battle never ended. We'll see whose pieces are better—his pawns, or my brothers," Tianlin smiled. "I trust Tianheng and Gu Ran absolutely. Let's go to Spirit City. I've never doubted my brothers' abilities."
Riding his sword, Tianlin sped toward Spirit City. Now his flight from Star Dou Forest to Spirit City would take less than an hour.
The super artifact had massively boosted him. Sadly, the Holy Spirit Pearl couldn't yet become a super artifact; it might have to wait until he fully ascends to godhood.
…
By then, Ning Fengzhi had already brought all faction leaders to Spirit City. Hu Liena herself came to greet them. Bibi Dong was away, and with Qian Daoliu and Qian Renxue focused on the ninth Angel Trial's inheritance, Hu Liena was the Spirit Empire's de facto number one.
This ninth trial differed from the original. Back then—perhaps thanks to the Sea God's meddling to turn his successor into Renxue's psychological weakness—the trials were tweaked to ensure Tang San could keep an advantage against her. The Sea God was absurdly protective—shameless, even.
Now, the Sea God's heir is Ning Rongrong. Two girls—and rivals in love—the old tricks wouldn't work. Besides, with Tianlin backing Ning Rongrong, the Sea God didn't worry about her safety and didn't bother interfering with the Angel Trials.
This time, Qian Renxue's ninth trial was still tempering the heart—but appropriately aligned with the Angel God's ethos: in a mindscape, she had to "uphold righteousness over kinship" by personally cutting down Bibi Dong possessed by evil. That was her ninth trial.
Spirit Hall was founded prior to the Angel God's ascension, rising by suppressing evil soul masters and continuing for millions of years. Whatever its faults, it never forgot that core duty.
And the current Bibi Dong was the strongest, greatest evil soul master alive. Removing her was indeed the Angel God's responsibility. It was a ruthless trial for Renxue, but not inappropriate.
Earlier, she'd have struggled terribly to pass—how could she strike down a mother with whom she'd reconciled? But after talking with Tianlin, she'd already decided how to face Bibi Dong. Her heart was steady: to reunite with her openly in the future—
To save her, she must first kill her.
"Angelic Light Blade—Tri-Realm Annihilation!"
In the illusion, Qian Renxue pierced Bibi Dong's phantom with the most lethal form of the Seven Kill Sword—Tri-Realm Annihilation.
The Angel God's sigil glowed, and a gentle voice sounded in her mind: ["Ninth Angel Trial, heart-tempering—complete. You have obtained the right to inherit the Angel God's position. All soul ring ages increased by 50,000."]
In an instant, her rings shifted from two yellow, two purple, three black, two red to six black and three red—an apex configuration. She now had two paths to godhood: 1) continue cultivation to level 99 and naturally break through to godhood at level 100. In peaceful times this was best: Qian Daoliu wouldn't need to die, and her post-inheritance strength would be deeper.
But now, Qian Daoliu knew a powerful foe lurked in the shadows. She had no time. She had to become a god quickly.
That left the second method: his own sacrifice to forcibly initiate the inheritance.
He had already told her the final secret. Learning that her godhood required her grandfather's sacrifice, Renxue nearly abandoned it.
But Qian Daoliu told her only her divinity could save Bibi Dong. Their Qian family owed Bibi Dong too much. It was time to repay. After he used his life to help Renxue pull Bibi Dong from darkness, he could go below and tell Qian Xunji: "The mess you made—your father and your precious daughter have paid it back."
"Xue'er, congratulations on completing the nine trials. Ning Fengzhi has arrived. The continent is unified. Tomorrow the new empire will be founded. Go witness it—it's been your wish as well. The day after, I'll help you begin the inheritance. You must come," Qian Daoliu said.
Renxue hesitated, grief-stricken. Qian Daoliu's resolve was set; she couldn't oppose it. But choosing between her grandfather and her mother tore her apart.
She couldn't fathom heaven's cruelty. Once, Spirit Hall and Tianlin were enemies, and she was pained between them. Now, finally free of that battle, she had to choose between her grandfather and her mother. How could she choose?
From the Pope's Hall, she looked down at a city decked in lights, the people celebrating unification and the end of war.
The Spirit Empire's people, on the surface, weren't made into a conquered populace.
This wasn't annihilation, but abdication—Hu Liena, the Spirit Empire heir, would abdicate the throne.
Ning Fengzhi wouldn't even rename Spirit City to something like "Seven Treasure City," because the Douluo Continent belongs to all, not just the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. The new great empire would be named after the continent itself: the Douluo Empire.
The name was perfect—representing everyone's homeland. As for the capital being Spirit City: whether soul master or not, everyone has a martial soul—this feature represented the entire world.
What would truly change was governance: from a church-state ruled by faith to a grand empire guided by outer Confucian benevolence and inner Legalist law—humaneness and order in balance.
Only one figure would be erased from the imperial rolls: Bibi Dong. Though she was the Spirit Empire's first empress, first, she did not unify the continent; second, she grievously harmed this empire. Thus, even if the Douluo Empire inherited from the Spirit Empire, she would not be recorded as its founding sovereign.
And with Hu Liena not formally succeeding, tomorrow would not only proclaim unification but also enthrone the founding emperor of the unified great empire.