As she was still pondering over Lin Yuan's case, suddenly, Qian Daoliu frowned. His golden eyes flickered as he calmly asked,
"Renxue…" he said slowly, "when did you break through the Soul Grandmaster realm?"
Qian Renxue stiffened for a brief moment, but quickly regained her calm. It was useless to lie to him.
'As expected of him… he noticed.'
She smiled faintly and replied, "Not long ago, Grandpa. I just consolidated my breakthrough."
She replied truthfully, "Grandpa, the Great Spirit Arena had found a suitable soul beast, among the recent captures. With the energy stored by the million-year soul beast Tianmeng, the age of the ring increased beyond expectation."
As she spoke, she gently raised her hand and summoned her martial soul.
A hazy, holy yet mysterious twelve-winged angel appeared behind her, its figure indistinct and obscured, but one could vaguely make out its feminine form. The aura it emitted made the surroundings feel reverent, yet slightly oppressive.
Two soul rings hovered around Qian Renxue's feet, one a shimmering platinum gold, the other an ethereal pure gold. The colors were completely outside the norm of traditional white-yellow-purple-black-red sequences.
Qian Daoliu's expression shifted from surprise to solemn awe.
'Such ring colors... even the first soul ring being platinum... and the second being gold… This isn't something recorded in any existing cultivation path of Soul Masters.'
Qian Renxue calmly explained, "My second soul ring allows me to detect the emotions of those within a large range. I can also amplify specific emotions in a person. It's ideal for battlefield control."
However, instead of praise, Qian Daoliu frowned.
"This ability… is an auxiliary-type soul skill," he said firmly. "You are not an auxiliary-type soul master. You are the wielder of the Angelic Martial Soul. You are the heir of Spirit Hall. Your soul rings should reflect that."
Qian Renxue didn't respond. She had already made her choice.
Qian Daoliu's voice deepened, his tone strict but not unkind.
"You can have auxiliary soul masters as aides. There's no need for you to waste such a rare soul ring slot on an auxiliary ability. Do you think the God of Angels, your ancestor, walked such a path?"
He continued, stepping closer, eyes filled with the weight of generations.
"Our Qian family has followed the teachings passed down by the Angel God. Every generation of Angel Soul Masters in our line has cultivated according to a verified method. You, Renxue, are our future. You carry the burden of the bloodline."
Qian Renxue's hands clenched at her sides, but she said nothing. She knew her grandfather's concerns weren't ill-intentioned, but they were outdated.
'You want me to walk the path of the Angel God, Grandpa. But I… I have already started walking a different path. One that might one day clash with the God Realm itself.'
Qian Renxue was unmoved.
'Everyone has their own path… The God Ancestor chose strength and direct attack because the era was chaotic—Soul Beasts rampaging through human settlements, evil soul masters unchecked with no central order to restrain them. Back then, what was needed was overwhelming might.Even for now this is a good path'
'But I am walking the path of a Beyonder. With the martial soul of the Angel lineage, once optimized for assault and an all-rounder over time is not suitable for me. The path that is really suitable for me is finding soul ring abilities which can be used in conjuction with my abilities as Beyonder .'
Her gaze met Qian Daoliu's calm, aged face as she said softly but firmly, "Grandpa, everyone's path is different. Mine isn't the same… I don't need to follow the teachings of the God Ancestor."
She kept her expression neutral, hiding the dangerous truth beneath:
'I can never tell him about the Beyonder pathway.'
But in her clarity and confidence, she made a critical mistake.
She said it too directly—"I don't need to follow the teachings of the God Ancestor."
For someone like Qian Daoliu, who had devoted centuries of his life as the High Priest of the Angel God, such words were sacrilege.
Qian Daoliu's expression darkened. The gentle atmosphere evaporated.
"Renxue," he said, voice low and dangerously calm, "Did you say… you won't follow the God Ancestor's teachings?"
Still unaware of the storm she'd unleashed, Qian Renxue nodded casually. "Yes. Why is there a need to follow the Angel God so rigidly? That era was different from ours. We must be flexible and adapt with the times."
The silence that followed was deafening.
Qian Daoliu's face turned black as the bottom of a pot. He was genuinely furious now.
'Such blasphemy… from the inheritor of the Angel Lineage herself!'
He stood up abruptly, robes fluttering with invisible soul pressure.
"Looks like the previous lessons weren't enough to guide your heart."
His voice was stern, authoritative, the tone of a High Priest, not a grandfather.
"From today onward, you will begin each day with one hour of worship to the Angel God and two additional hours studying the God Ancestor's sacred teachings. Until your views realign with the teachings of the ancestors, you are not allowed to step outside the Elder's Hall."
Qian Renxue froze for a brief second.
'I… have been grounded.'
But she didn't argue. There was no point now. In front of Qian Daoliu's unshakable faith, logic or debate held no sway.
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