Douluo Continent: Tonight, a Fairy Tale Descends

He feared he was mistaken, feared it was all just wishful thinking, feared the pattern would suddenly dissipate halfway through its formation, like every failed attempt over the millennia. But it didn't.

The line appeared steadily on Qian Renxue's forehead, each stroke and line as if carved by the fingertips of a god.

The golden sword shimmered with a holy aura, making her already aloof face appear as if an angel from a mural had descended to earth.

Nine tests of the angels.

For thousands of years, the highest honor that no family had ever touched was now truly imprinted on his granddaughter's forehead.

"Alright," he finally spoke, his voice hoarse like sandpaper that hadn't been changed in a long time, the last syllable trembling slightly, "Alright, alright. My family's long-cherished wish has finally come true."

The rest of the words stuck in my throat, and I couldn't say them.

Qian Daoliu stood there, staring at the small golden sword pattern on Qian Renxue's forehead for a long time.

Long enough for the morning light outside the palace to climb from the stained glass windows of the dome onto another wall, long enough for the golden light around Qian Renxue to gradually recede back into her body, long enough for the humming of the angel statue to completely subside, he still stood there, motionless.

Thousands of families have been waiting for this day for far too long.

From the time the first head of the Sen family knelt before the statue of the angel and made his vow, thousands of years have passed.

Generation after generation, thousands of families have entered this hall of worship, betting their entire lives, their youth, and even their very existence on the path to godhood. Yet, for thousands of years, the Nine Golden Trials have never descended upon any one of them.

The Eighth Red-Level Trial is the pinnacle that only the most outstanding geniuses of the Qian family throughout history can reach. Qian Daoliu himself is the one who has completed the Eighth Red-Level Trial, and he knows better than anyone how hard and cold that ceiling is.

A level 99 Limit Douluo, the guardian of the Angel God—it sounds impressive, but a guardian is ultimately just a guardian, and can never become the one being protected.

His son, Qian Xunji, was less talented than him and failed to even pass the eighth level of the Red Rank Examination. By the time it came to his granddaughter's generation, he was worried that fate would repeat itself, with another Grand Master, another Guardian, and another old man waiting for the next generation before the angel statue.

But now, that golden mark is branded on Qian Renxue's forehead.

Not red, but gold. Not eight tests, but nine. Not a guardian, but an inheritor. The highest honor, untouched by any family for thousands of years, now rests on his granddaughter's shoulders.

"Xue'er".

Qian Daoliu spoke, his voice hoarse and barely audible. He tremblingly reached out, his rough fingertips touching the small golden sword on Qian Renxue's forehead. The touch was warm, and the soul power imbued with divine attributes pulsed slightly, as if it were alive.

"Good, good, good..." He said "good" several times, each word seeming to be squeezed out from his chest.

He couldn't say anything else; he kept repeating the same word over and over again, as if all the vocabulary he had accumulated over his two hundred years of life had become useless at this moment.

Qian Renxue felt a lump in her throat as she looked at her grandfather.

She had never seen Qian Dao shed tears in her entire life. The people of the Spirit Hall all said that the Grand Elder's cultivation was unfathomable, and his temperament as steadfast as a rock. Yet now, this rock was weeping uncontrollably before her.

“Grandpa,” she called softly, “I did it.”

Qian Daoliu wiped his face haphazardly with his sleeve, took several deep breaths, and barely managed to suppress the surging emotions.

He stepped back, carefully straightened his robes, and then bowed slightly to Qian Renxue. It wasn't a grandfather's affection for his granddaughter, but rather the High Priest of the Spirit Hall's respect for the successor of the Angel God.

“Xue’er,” his voice was still hoarse from crying, but his tone had regained its usual composure, “from this moment on, you are the chosen successor of the Angel God. This path will not be easy, but you have gone further than all the ancestors of the Qian family. You will definitely be able to continue.”

Qian Renxue nodded solemnly. She didn't say anything like "I won't let you down," she was never one to rely on words.

All she had to do was act. Just like when she lived in anonymity in the Heavenly Dou Empire for over a decade, she didn't need anyone to know what she had sacrificed; she only needed to present the results to everyone.

Looking at her like this, Qian Daoliu felt both proud and heartbroken. He reached out and patted Qian Renxue's shoulder: "Go. The first trial of the Divine Examination is in the Angel's Secret Realm, deepest part of the Hall of Worship. Your grandfather will be waiting for you here."

Qian Renxue nodded and turned to walk deeper into the offering hall.

On the other side, the Papal Palace.

Bibi Dong was cultivating in the quiet room.

Although it is called a quiet room, it is actually a completely enclosed secret room deep inside the Papal Palace.

The walls are made of a special material that can isolate all external perception, so that not even a fly can get in.

The room was sparsely furnished, containing only a futon, an ever-burning lamp, and walls covered with densely engraved Rakshasa runes.

Bibi Dong sat cross-legged on the futon, her eyes closed. Her Rakshasa God Trial was only in its seventh stage, with just two steps remaining to complete. But these two steps had already been holding her back for quite some time.

The test of the Rakshasa God differs from that of other gods; it does not test strength or combat prowess, but rather resentment. The greater the resentment, the closer one is to the Rakshasa God's origin.

Just as Bibi Dong was channeling her soul power in an attempt to reach the critical point of the seventh trial, an extremely pure and vast sacred aura swept in from the direction of the Hall of Worship without warning.

The aura was so strong that even the insulating materials of the sealed room could not completely block it, like a red-hot iron being forcefully thrust into her range of perception.

Bibi Dong suddenly opened her eyes. Her purple pupils contracted sharply in the dim light, reflecting the twisted Rakshasa runes on the wall.

She was all too familiar with that aura. A six-winged angel, of divine attributes, and the aura of a god.

Currently, there are only two people in the entire Spirit City who possess the Six-Winged Angel Spirit.

Qian Daoliu is old, and he is the guardian of the Angel God, not his successor. Only another person can trigger the Angel God's test: Qian Renxue.

Bibi Dong remained seated cross-legged, motionless. The candlelight flickered gently beside her, casting shifting shadows on her exquisite face. Her expression was serene, as if the aura that had just struck her had not affected her in the slightest.

But only she knew that the moment she sensed that aura, her heart felt as if it had been violently clenched. It wasn't jealousy, nor anger. It was something more complex, something she herself couldn't quite explain.

She remembered when Qian Renxue was just born, a tiny, wrinkled bundle, brought to her by Qian Xunji. She glanced at her and then turned her head away.

It wasn't because the child was ugly, but because she dared not look at her. That little face bore the shadow of Qian Xunji, and also her own.

Every time she sees Qian Renxue, she thinks of that secret room, that locked door, and the man who ruined everything for her.

So she chose not to watch it.

From childhood to adulthood, she had paid very little attention to Qian Renxue. But now, Qian Renxue had triggered the Nine Trials of the Angels, and the highest honor that no one in the Qian family had ever touched in thousands of years had now fallen on her, the daughter who was not even given a second glance by her mother.

Bibi Dong closed her eyes and remained silent for a long while. Then, she began to circulate her soul power again. She was still stuck on the seventh trial, and she couldn't afford to waste time.

Qian Renxue has her own path to walk, and she has her own to follow. The Rakshasa God's test won't let her off the hook just because the Angel God has chosen a successor. Her resentment isn't enough, and the Rakshasa essence hasn't fully accepted her yet.

As for Qian Renxue, let her be.

……

The eye of ice and fire.

The red and blue spring waters still flowed in distinct streams, and the misty fog enveloped the valley, making it seem like a secluded fairyland.

Ge Duo leaned against the rattan chair in front of the crystal house, toying with a freshly picked nine-grade purple fungus between her pale fingers. Her dark green eyes were half-closed, as if she were dozing off, or as if she was thinking about something.

She had also heard some news from the mainland during this period.

The Spirit Empire and the Anti-Spirit Alliance fought back and forth, resulting in the deaths of several Title Douluos, only to have several more Title Douluos emerge.

She had no interest in the war itself, and it didn't matter who won or lost, because no matter which side won, they would have to come to her to buy medicine.

But there was one thing that bothered her: no new divine trials had been coming her way for a long time.

To be precise, it never has.

Merida, that wild girl who spent her days drawing a bow and shooting arrows, was chosen by the goddess of the hunt. Leah, that poor little match girl, was chosen by the god of fire. Even Cinderella, that Cinderella who rolled in the ashes, won the favor of the goddess.

She, Gedo, alone, has lived for so many years, concocted so many magic potions, and made so many deals with so many important figures, yet not a single god has ever given her a second glance.

She didn't tell anyone about this, but every time she saw those little girls discussing the progress of the God Exam in the system's chat channel, she wanted to steal the magic mirror from Eva and ask, "Who is the woman least favored by the gods in this world?"

"Geduo".

A voice came from the entrance of the valley.

The voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable languor and certainty, like someone gently snapping their fingers in your ear. You knew you shouldn't turn around, but you still couldn't help but glance at it.

Ge Duo slowly sat up straight in the wicker chair. She didn't turn around, but a slight smile appeared on her lips. She knew that voice all too well.

Eva emerged from the poisonous miasma with a leisurely gait, as if she were walking in her own backyard.

Today she was dressed in a dark green outfit, with a dark black cloak over it. The hood was off, and her long, dark hair was loosely tied back, with a few strands falling around her ears.

That face was still breathtakingly beautiful, her emerald eyes gleaming with an eerie light amidst the red and blue halo of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Eye, and the corners of her mouth bearing that signature, ambiguous smile.

"A rare guest." Ge Duo leaned back in her wicker chair, toying with the ninth-grade purple fungus in her hand, her tone languid. "What wind blew Queen Eva to this wretched mountain valley? No, should I call you General Eva now? Or perhaps Alliance Leader Eva?"

Eva didn't stand on ceremony and went straight to sit on the stone bench opposite Gothel, her posture as elegant as if she were there for an afternoon tea that had been arranged long ago.

“Just call me Eva,” she said, taking off her cloak and draping it casually over the edge of the stone table. “Anyway, it’s still me.”

Gedo raised her eyelids and glanced at Eva.

This outfit was very sharp and made her look more heroic, completely different from the lazy and luxurious queen she was in the palace.

"Your outfit doesn't look like you're here for a visit."

“This isn’t just a casual visit,” Eva said bluntly. “I’m here to recruit you.”

Ge Duo paused for a moment, then laughed. The laughter wasn't loud, but it carried an undisguised sarcasm, as if mocking someone who had told a lame joke without realizing it.

"Trying to recruit me? Recruit me into what group? Your Anti-Soul Alliance? Eva, have you been in the palace too long and ruined your brain? What would I, a pharmacist, do for you guys get involved in your fighting and killing? Whoever wins will come to me to buy medicine, won't they?"

"Then don't you want to become a god?" Eva's voice was still languid, but every word struck Godo's most sensitive nerves precisely.

The smile on Ge Duo's face faded slightly.

Eva seemed oblivious to the change in her expression and continued talking to herself, her tone casual, as if she were discussing what to have for dinner.

"Lia was chosen by the god of fire. Merida was chosen by the goddess of the hunt. Cinderella also embarked on the path of divine trials. Even Rapunzel..."

She raised her hand and pointed towards the Crystal House, her emerald eyes curving into a smile. "That child has also won the favor of the God of Life. And you, Godor? Has any god knocked on your door?"

Gedo did not speak.

The nine-grade purple fungus in her hand was slightly deformed from being squeezed, and fine purple sap seeped out from between her fingers, but she was completely unaware of it.

This is the topic she least wants to face, and it's also the topic she's been thinking about every day lately.

Chapter 508 Promise

The words "become a god" were like a fishbone stuck in Gedo's throat, impossible to swallow or spit out.

In all her years, when has she ever been left behind by anyone?

But this time, she was truly left behind. Not by her peers, but by a bunch of little girls.

Eva looked at the juicy, nine-grade purple Ganoderma lucidum in her hand, not in a hurry to urge her. She just sat there quietly, with that ever-present lazy smile on her lips, as if she were waiting for a cup of tea to brew.

"Guess why the gods favor them?" Eva finally spoke, her tone light and casual, as if she were talking about something trivial that had nothing to do with her.

"In terms of talent, you and I are no worse than those young girls. In terms of character, the two of us combined could be teachers to all of them in the subject of intrigue and scheming. But it's them, not us."

Ge Duo didn't reply. She simply tossed the remnants of the purple fungus into the medicine dregs basket next to her and slowly wiped her fingers with a silk handkerchief pulled from her sleeve.

She knew exactly what Eva was going to say next, but she didn't want to engage. Engaging would be admitting she cared, and caring was the thing Goth was worst at.