Qian Renxue followed Qiandao Liu back to the Divine Hall. As soon as they entered, they saw Bibidong standing in the great hall, looking up at the Angel Statue, lost in thought.
Perhaps startled by the sound of footsteps, Bibidong turned her head toward the two: "You're back."
Her tone was flat with traces of sighing, showing neither a mother's joy at seeing her child nor a stranger's indifference.
But this attitude broke Qian Renxue's previous cheerfulness: "What are you doing here?"
Bibidong lowered her eyelids, momentarily speechless.
After learning that Qian Renxue had returned to Spirit City, she didn't know what she was thinking, but had dazedly come here. Yet when she actually saw her daughter, she didn't know what to say.
With hatred and familial affection intertwined, she wasn't sure what feelings she truly had for Qian Renxue.
Qiandao Liu silently watched the mother and daughter.
If possible, he hoped that Bibidong and his granddaughter could develop a closer relationship.
They say blood is thicker than water, and even tigers don't eat their cubs. He didn't believe that Bibidong truly had no feelings for her own daughter.
He had once contemplated killing Bibidong, but considering that Qian Xunji was already dead, if he killed his granddaughter's mother too, it would be too tragic for a child.
Fortunately, Bibidong had passed through her most frenzied period. Although her strength had become increasingly unfathomable to him, her emotions were much more stable than years ago.
The three of them, each harboring their own thoughts, stood in silence within the magnificent hall.
After a long while, Bibidong was the first to break the silence: "Since you're back, take some good rest."
With that, she turned and walked toward the exit.
But perhaps feeling that her previous behavior seemed too weak, she paused: "I've heard about the Second Elder's matter. Since you have your own plans, I won't try to dissuade you, but you should still be careful of Ning Fengzhi and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School. Their power is too strong now, and you'll find it difficult to control them."
She knew Qian Renxue wouldn't listen, but she couldn't help saying it.
Qiandao Liu watched Bibidong leave the hall, then smiled at Qian Renxue who seemed about to speak: "Xiaoxue, what she said does have some truth to it."
"Grandfather, even you say this!" Qian Renxue exclaimed angrily, no longer looking like a powerful empress but like a child from an ordinary family.
Seeing this, Qiandao Liu laughed heartily: "But don't worry, you have your grandfather and your mother. As long as you're strong enough, no one will dare to harbor ill intentions toward you."
Meanwhile, outside Slaughter City, Tang San slowly retracted his Eight Spider Lances, silently listening to the divine decree in his ears.
[Rakshasa God Trial, First Trial: Absorb the life force of one hundred beings, passed. Reward: Second Grade Soul Power, all Spirit Rings' upper limit increased by one hundred years.]
A massive energy seemed to pour directly into his body from the void. Tang San felt both surprised and delighted, reveling in the pleasure of rapidly increasing power.
"Level sixty-eight, and not far from level sixty-nine. Is this the power of gods? To create power out of nothing." Tang San's lips curled into a smile as he clenched his fist tightly.
When he first received this task, he had considered hunting Soul Beasts to complete it, as low-level Soul Beasts were plentiful. But after his journey to the Star Dou Great Forest, he changed his mind.
He then turned his attention to the area around Slaughter City.
There were many people here, and even if they weren't major criminals, they were still petty thieves. Tang San felt no burden in dealing with such people; having fewer of them in the world could be considered a good deed.
Moreover, absorbing human life force was far more refined than that of Soul Beasts and didn't require additional refinement, which led to his rapid advancement.
Feeling the tangible feedback from the God Trial, Tang San slowly closed his eyes, waiting for the next divine decree.
Now that he had received divine help, he believed his strength would soon catch up to Li Xun.
In a void on the outskirts of the God Realm.
The Rakshasa God reclined on a soft lounge chair, observing Tang San's condition with Divine Sense: "How boring. I thought I'd find some amusement, but I didn't expect this kid to show none of the breakdown that Bibidong had when she absorbed lives."
"What should I play with next?" The Rakshasa God rested her chin on her hand, deep in thought.
As her thoughts surged, a flash of inspiration struck: "I've got it! Didn't he just make an agreement with those Soul Beasts? Let's use that."
In the mortal realm.
A majestic divine voice suddenly resonated in Tang San's mind: [Rakshasa God Trial, Second Trial: Absorb the life force of five hundred Soul Beasts]
Shock. Incomprehension.
Tang San frowned at the trial requirements, his mood instantly becoming complicated.
He had just established good relations with the Soul Beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest, and because of his bloodline and Da Ming's guarantee, they had made certain agreements. He never expected the God Trial would require him to absorb Soul Beasts.
Deep in thought, conflicted, Tang San's consciousness suddenly fell into chaos. A voice in the depths of his mind told him he shouldn't do this, but in an instant, it was overshadowed by his thirst for power and his hatred for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School and Li Xun.
Different voices tried to persuade each other, and gradually, the first voice that had warned him was drowned out, because he suddenly realized that there were many places in the world besides the Star Dou Great Forest that had large numbers of Soul Beasts.
He could completely fulfill the second trial of the God Trial without breaking his promise.
Tang San suddenly opened his eyes, a gleam of light shooting out, his lips slowly curling upward.
The flow of time in the God Realm differed from the mortal world. The Rakshasa God, who had originally thought she could see some entertainment, saw Tang San's direction of movement and her smile instantly froze.
After a moment, the Rakshasa God recovered: "Fine, fine, fine. I wasn't thorough enough in my thinking."
She no longer needed to pay attention to this second trial, because no matter how excellently Tang San performed, it wouldn't be what she wanted to see.
The Rakshasa God knew of Tang San's talent, but she currently had Bibidong, whose talent was comparable to his, so she wasn't worried about having no successor for her godhood.
If she truly wanted to find a successor, she would have long ago found someone suitable and let them pass the trials, freeing herself, rather than hiding and being cautious of the Asura God.
Whatever his talent, whatever the content of the God Trial, wasn't it all just a matter of her whim?
The Rakshasa God's Divine Sense continuously scanned the continent, and soon she saw someone connected to both Tang San and Bibidong: Yu Xiaogang.
Luofeng Town was a small town in the Star Fall Empire. Though not large, it was prosperous due to its proximity to the official road leading to Heavenly Dou, allowing it to engage in trade.
Most importantly, the Star Dou Great Forest was just a hundred miles away from the town.
Therefore, although this place was relatively small, it was not inferior to a regular town.
And Yu Xiaogang had become a teacher in this small town.
However, unlike Nuoding Academy, this was a smaller private school, and he didn't have a principal looking after him.
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