41: Chapter 41: The Struggle Between Light and Darkness

The steam in the bathroom had not yet dissipated when Qian Renxue changed into a clean, pale gold dress. With water droplets still dripping from the tips of her hair, she hurried toward Qian Daoliu's quiet room.

"Grandfather!"

She pushed the door open and entered. Her voice carried the clarity and slight urgency that came after body tempering, her eyes as bright as stars. She hurriedly said, "The Whale Glue... it's real! I have never felt my Soul Power flow so smoothly, my bones are tough, and my qi and blood are surging like a vast sea! Lu Jing did not lie to us!"

Qian Daoliu stood by the window with his hands behind his back, the afterglow of the setting sun gilding his golden hair with a layer of dark gold.

He turned slowly, his golden pupils reflecting his granddaughter's flushed cheeks from excitement, and nodded calmly. "I see it. The life essence flowing around your body cannot escape my eyes."

He paused, his calm voice carrying a penetrating power that seemed to see through all things, and reminded her, "Although this child's background is a mystery, he did not speak falsely this time. Since he has given you this opportunity, you should repay his kindness and treat him well."

Qian Renxue nodded in agreement, but then she heard her grandfather change the subject, his tone carrying an unprecedented gravity. "Xue'er, there is one more thing. If my judgment is not mistaken..."

His gaze seemed to pierce through the walls, landing in the direction where Lu Jing was, and he said softly, "The World-Destroying Black Lotus he possesses—its status may very well be above that of our clan's Seraphim."

"What?!"

Qian Renxue's beautiful face was instantly filled with unbelievable shock. Her voice rose sharply as she exclaimed, "How is this possible?! The Seraphim is formed from the bloodline of the Angel God, sacred and supreme! He is but a mere mortal; how could his Spirit..."

"That is the puzzling part."

Qian Daoliu frowned slightly, recalling the deep darkness of Lu Jing's Spirit that seemed capable of ending all things, and said, "That darkness is extremely pure and refined, carrying the source of chaotic destruction from the beginning of heaven and earth. Not to mention the Angel God's light, even if I were to unleash my full power, I fear I would struggle to completely disperse the source power of that lotus shadow."

Qian Renxue pressed her red lips together, shock and skepticism intertwined in her beautiful eyes. The pride in her bones made her instinctively resist this judgment that overturned her understanding. "I don't believe it! How could a divine inheritance be weaker than an unknown lotus?"

Qian Daoliu looked at her stubborn appearance and shook his head helplessly. "Words are pale; facts are proof."

A sharp light flashed in his eyes as he made a decision. "Before you set off to infiltrate the Heaven Dou Empire, I will arrange a Spirit sparring match between you and Lu Jing. Stop at the critical point. Do you dare to experience it for yourself?"

The unyielding light in Qian Renxue's eyes flared brightly, and she immediately replied, "Why wouldn't I dare! I must see how his Black Lotus can suppress the Angel God's radiance!"

At the same moment, in Lu Jing's room.

"Whew..." Lu Jing, having just finished his conversation with Wang Donger, closed the door. Before the fatigue had dissipated, a familiar and impatient voice exploded in his mind:

"Holy crap! Xiao Jing! Xiao Jing, are you okay? I finally recovered! Where the hell were we exiled to? These gloomy palace complexes... the vibe of this Soul Power field is all wrong!"

The massive phantom of Tian Meng Ice Silkworm's Spirit body churned in his sea of consciousness, its ice-blue compound eyes rolling around, carrying the confusion and agitation of having just awakened from the impact of the Whale Glue.

"This is Spirit Hall."

Hearing Tian Meng Ice Silkworm's question, Lu Jing did not hide it and replied.

"Spirit Hall? Why does this name sound so familiar? It's like I've heard it somewhere before."

Tian Meng Ice Silkworm frowned slightly, and after recalling for a moment, it seemed to realize something and exclaimed, "Wait... Spirit Hall? Xiao Jing, this is f*cking wrong! Didn't Spirit Hall get turned into dust by that kid Tang San leading the two great Empires ten thousand years ago? Its ashes should have gone cold by now, right? How is there a lively one here?!"

Lu Jing rubbed his temples, a corner of his mouth curling into a smile he had already anticipated, and replied in his consciousness, "Exactly as it sounds. We passed through a space-time turbulence and fell into the Douluo Continent ten thousand years ago. Right now, we are in the Elder Hall of Spirit Hall."

"...???"

The clamor in the sea of consciousness suddenly died down. A moment later, Tian Meng Ice Silkworm's voice rose sharply, as shrill as a cat whose tail had been stepped on: "What the hell?! Time—travel?! Ten thousand years ago?! Xiao Jing, are you sure you didn't burn your brain from absorbing the Whale Glue?! How the f*ck is this possible?! No matter how outrageous space turbulence is, it can't be outrageous enough to tear the timeline apart, right?! I've lived for a million years and have never seen this kind of situation!"

Its ice-blue Spirit body shook crazily, clearly logically confused by the impact of this off-the-charts premise.

Lu Jing couldn't be bothered to explain further and just said indifferently, "It is what it is. Stop howling and save some energy. Since we are here, we must make the best of it; recovering is the priority."

He no longer paid attention to Tian Meng Ice Silkworm's constant muttering and incessant attempts to "prove the time paradox" in his sea of consciousness, and simply walked to the bed and lay down.

The fatigue of his body intertwined with the settling sensation after the Whale Glue body tempering, and he soon sank into a deep sleep.

The next morning.

Knock, knock, knock.

A rhythmic knocking on the door woke Lu Jing.

He pulled open the door, and Qian Renxue, dressed in a golden dress, stood in the morning light, her bright smile carrying a hint of eager sharpness.

"Awake?"

Without waiting for an answer, she reached out and grabbed Lu Jing's wrist with irresistible force and said, "Come with me; there is something I need your cooperation with."

Her tone was relaxed and casual, but it could not hide the uncontrollable desire for a challenge deep in her eyes.

Lu Jing let her pull him along and asked, "What is it, Sister Xue'er?"

"Just a small matter."

Qian Renxue's steps were light, her golden hair swaying slightly in the breeze, and she said without looking back, "Grandfather asked for it. It will be quick; we just want to figure one thing out."

She didn't elaborate, pulling Lu Jing quickly toward an open martial arts arena behind the Elder Hall.

The venue was spacious, with the ground paved with hard obsidian. Qian Daoliu, dressed in a grey robe, stood quietly at the edge of the field, his robe motionless in the morning breeze.

Seeing the two arrive, he nodded slightly.

"Grandfather." Qian Renxue let go of Lu Jing and stood still.

"High Priest." Lu Jing saluted.

Qian Daoliu's gaze swept over the two of them calmly, his voice low and steady: "No need to be nervous. It is just to let Xue'er verify a hypothesis, a friendly sparring match of pure Spirit origin power. Stop at the critical point; I am here, and I will not let you get hurt." His last sentence was both a guarantee and a rule setting.

Lu Jing turned his gaze to Qian Renxue, only to see her beautiful purple eyes staring fixedly at him, burning with an incredibly vigorous flame of competitiveness and a near-obsessive desire for proof.

He knew her pride, and understood even more that in this situation, only by letting her experience it for herself could he eliminate her intense skepticism.

He nodded, crisp and decisive: "Fine."

As soon as the words fell, Lu Jing's eyes suddenly became calm! The air above his head twisted silently, and a phantom of a lotus flower, jet-black and carved like ink jade, instantly appeared—the World-Destroying Black Lotus manifested!

The lotus platform was as deep as an abyss, its petals swirling with the destructive will to end all things. A deep purple spirit ring rhythmically pulsed slowly at his feet.

"It's actually a thousand-year spirit ring. How is this possible?!"

Qian Renxue's pupils shrank slightly, and being provoked by that pure aura of darkness and destruction, her innate pride was completely ignited!

With a clear shout, brilliant golden holy flames soared into the sky!

Three pairs of huge, pure white wings unfurled behind her with a boom, every feather flowing with holy radiance like liquid sunlight!

The scorching, bright aura swept across the field, attempting to dispel the darkness. Two yellow and one purple, three spirit rings rose from her feet, the might belonging to a Spirit Elder undoubtedly revealed.

The collision of light and dark, silent yet startling!