38. Awakening

The next day.

Bibi Dong sat as usual under the pavilion, her eyes fixed on the book in front of her, her elegant brows slightly furrowed, and her body emanating a faint aura of killing intent.

Time had already passed, yet the siblings Qian Renxue and Qian Renjue had not arrived.

*Swish!*

A dark shadow appeared at the doorway, hidden in the shadows.

The figure of Ghost Douluo materialized, bowing slightly towards the courtyard where Bibi Dong sat, and respectfully said:

"Your Highness, the young master asked me to inform you that they will be arriving later today."

Bibi Dong furrowed her brow slightly, suppressing the hint of hostility on her body as she asked, "Do they have something to attend to?"

"Your Highness, today is the day when the young master and Miss Xue awaken their martial spirits," Ghost Douluo explained truthfully.

"Martial spirit awakening?" Bibi Dong was momentarily stunned, a distant and melancholic look crossing her face. "Has it really been six years?"

...

In the soul master society of the Douluo continent, the day for martial spirit awakening was not fixed. Larger factions had designated places for awakening, and once one reached the proper age, they could go.

Within Spirit City, there was also a hall specifically used for awakening martial spirits.

However, as the children of the Pope, the Qian Renxue siblings had a special circumstance.

At that moment, in the Worship Hall.

Inside the main hall, which was dedicated to the statue of the Angel God, all the worshippers, as well as Pope Qian Xunji, were gathered, encircling the Qian Renxue and Qian Renjue, their eyes filled with intense anticipation.

Beneath Qian Renxue and Qian Renjue's feet lay six black stones arranged in a hexagonal formation.

Qian Daoliu stepped forward, his face gentle and kind.

"Xiao Xue, Xiao Jue, no matter what happens next, don't panic. All of your grandfathers are here," he reassured them.

"And your dad is here too," Qian Xunji added, raising his hand and casting an encouraging look toward the children.

"Mhm," Qian Renjue nodded heavily, nervous, the smile on his face disappearing completely.

Qian Renxue, on the other hand, was much calmer and composed.

Qian Daoliu glanced at his rebellious son, not bothering to acknowledge him, and said seriously, "Alright, grandpa will now activate the formation under Xiao Xue's feet."

As his voice fell, a vast amount of soul power surged from Qian Daoliu's body.

In an instant, a gigantic golden angel appeared behind him, its six wings fluttering as soul power poured into the six-pointed star formation.

The hexagram beneath Qian Renxue lit up, and the black stones began to glow, their light flowing into Qian Renxue's body.

A feeling of comfort washed over her, and Qian Renxue closed her eyes, savoring the familiar yet strange sensation.

*Swish!*

Qian Renxue opened her eyes again, her purple pupils flashing with golden light.

Behind her, a miniature version of the six-winged angel that resembled Qian Daoliu appeared.

Its face was holy and indistinct, its golden wings blazing with sacred fire.

A strange ripple spread through the air, and the light enveloped Qian Renxue, making her appear even more noble and pure, while the hall itself became noticeably brighter.

"As expected, it's a Seraphim Martial Spirit, along with the Angel Domain. And the soul power fluctuation is quite strong!" Qian Xunji's face lit up with a smile.

Qian Daoliu remained calm, as awakening the Six-Winged Angel in the Qian family was standard procedure.

Qian Renxue retracted her martial spirit, her face full of joy.

In this life, her martial spirit seemed even more pure in its light power.

She turned to look at her brother Qian Renjue, noticing the worry on his face. Smiling, she reassured him, "Don't worry, Jue, it's very comfortable."

"Jue understand, Sister," Qian Renjue nodded obediently, his eyes lifting to Qian Daoliu, waiting for the next step.

"Xiao Jue, relax," Qian Daoliu comforted him gently as his six wings fluttered and the hexagram activated.

Golden light drifted into Qian Renjue's body like a key unlocking a cage, making him close his eyes as a wave of comfort swept over him.

*Buzz!*

A strange black light suddenly emerged from Qian Renjue's body.

"Something's wrong!" Qian Daoliu, who had initiated the awakening, immediately sensed the abnormal, repulsive aura clashing with the Six-Winged Angel spirit.

"Dad, what's wrong?" Qian Xunji asked, confused, only to widen his eyes in shock.

Everyone else was equally astonished.

"Jue!" Qian Renxue couldn't help but grow concerned.

In front of them, Qian Renjue's purple eyes were radiating blood-red light, and behind him appeared a humanoid martial spirit—silver-haired, red-eyed, and entirely pitch-black, with wings.

"How is this possible?!" Qian Xunji was dumbfounded, stammering in disbelief. "How could it be a Fallen Angel the Lucifer?!"

"And it's six-winged!" Before Qian Xunji could finish speaking, the wings of the Fallen Angel spread, revealing three full pairs of wings, cold and eerie, emitting wisps of white smoke.

The black light behind Qian Renjue clashed fiercely with Qian Daoliu's brilliance, but soon began to retreat, until a dark domain spread above his head, stabilizing the situation and dimming the once brightly lit hall.

Seeing this, Qian Daoliu's expression grew serious.

Fearing harm to his grandson, he quickly withdrew his martial spirit.

Qian Renjue's Six-Winged Fallen Angel was different from Qian Renxue's Six-Winged Angel, not only in color, light, and aura but also in power attributes.

The two spirits were naturally opposed.

The Six-Winged Angel primarily wielded light and fire, with soul power and domains that had purifying and dissolving effects.

In contrast, the Six-Winged Fallen Angel embodied darkness and cold, with soul power and domains that could devour and assimilate.

Under everyone's shocked gaze, Qian Renjue nervously retracted his martial spirit, too afraid to look at the expressions of Qian Xunji and Qian Renxue.

He lowered his head, seemingly awaiting judgment.

Qian Renxue quickly rushed over, grabbing his arm and examining him. "Jue, are you okay?"

Qian Renjue shook his head, his eyes filled with worry. He reminded her, "Sister, that's my martial spirit."

"I know," Qian Renxue replied calmly.

Qian Renjue's face fell slightly as he repeated, "Jue's martial spirit is a Six-Winged Fallen Angel, Sister."

"I said I know!" Qian Renxue couldn't help raising her voice, giving him a light knock on the head.

"Then why is Sister... Ow!" Qian Renjue hadn't finished speaking before Qian Renxue pinched his cheek.

"Does Sister need a reason to be nice to her brother?" she asked.

"Sister~" Qian Renjue joyfully embraced her, nearly on the verge of tears.

As the siblings were talking, Qian Xunji approached his father anxiously and asked, "Dad, how could Xiao Jue awaken such a martial spirit?"

"Why are you asking me? Isn't this the result of your own shady deeds?!" Qian Daoliu retorted, clearly in a bad mood.

"What should we do now?" Qian Xunji asked, not in the mood for bickering, his mind in chaos.

"Brat, why are you panicking?! It's just a martial spirit!" Qian Daoliu scolded him.

"Are you going to abandon your son?"

"Of course not! If anyone dares touch him, I'll fight them!" Qian Xunji responded without hesitation.

"Then why are you panicking?!" Qian Daoliu shot back, leaving Qian Xunji feeling a bit embarrassed.

"I'm just worried the martial spirit might bring negative consequences for Xiao Jue," he muttered.