42: Chapter 42: The Angel of Black Lotus Town

On the vast training ground, the obsidian floor gleamed with a cold, hard luster.

Qian Renxue took a deep breath, suppressing the intense doubt and arrogance that had arisen in her heart due to her grandfather Qian Daoliu's statement that "the World-Destroying Black Lotus has a higher standing than the Seraphim."

A pair of enormous, pure white wings suddenly unfurled behind her. Every feather flowed with a sacred radiance like liquid sunlight, and a scorching, bright aura swept across the entire arena like a tide.

Three spirit rings—two yellow and one purple—rose from beneath her feet, undeniably revealing the might of a Spirit Elder.

Her purple eyes were sharp as she stared intently at the young man opposite her: "Xiao Jing, bring out all your strength! Let me see, by what right does your so-called World-Destroying Black Lotus suppress the Angel God's radiance!"

"Very well." Lu Jing's reply was calm and concise.

His gaze narrowed, and the air above his head silently twisted as the phantom of a lotus, jet-black and carved from black jade, instantly emerged—the World-Destroying Black Lotus appeared! The lotus pedestal was as deep as a dark abyss, and its petals flowed with the destructive will to end all things.

A deep, almost eerie purple spirit ring slowly pulsed beneath his feet, forming a stark contrast with his Soul Power level of over twenty.

Without any wasted words, the collision of light and darkness erupted in an instant!

"Hah!" Qian Renxue gave a clear shout, her figure transforming into a streak of light.

She did not use any Spirit Ability, just as Qian Daoliu had said; this was a contest to test the origin of their Spirits.

The Seraphim's sacred radiance was like a tangible tide, carrying the supreme will of purification and judgment, overwhelming the space as it pressed down toward Lu Jing!

Wherever the golden light passed, the air seemed to be ignited, carrying a scorching power of purification, intending to completely dispel that eerie darkness.

Lu Jing similarly did not use any Spirit Ability!

He merely urged it with his mind, and the phantom of the World-Destroying Black Lotus suspended above his head gently spun once.

Silently, a shocking scene unfolded!

That vast, sacred tide of light, capable of purifying evil and scorching darkness, upon contacting the extreme darkness surging at the edge of the World-Destroying Black Lotus's phantom, was like a clay ox entering the sea—the light did not dispel the darkness, but instead was greedily devoured and assimilated by that most refined and pure darkness!

The brilliant golden radiance was like being cast into a bottomless abyss; it didn't even stir a ripple before disappearing right before everyone's eyes!

"What?!" Qian Renxue's beautiful purple eyes widened abruptly, the confidence in her eyes instantly replaced by shock!

She could clearly feel that her Seraphim's sacred power, which she was so proud of and which originated from the Angel God's bloodline, had seemingly encountered its natural nemesis at this moment!

The feeling was like using a spear of light to poke at a black hole that devoured all light; any force applied sank like a stone into the sea, futile and in vain! Her Spirit's origin was conveying an instinctive tremor stemming from the level of life itself—it was the natural unease of light when facing a higher order of destruction and chaos!

"I don't believe it!" The pride in her bones made her unable to accept this. Amidst her sharp shout, she pushed her Soul Power to the limit!

The light from the six wings behind her surged, her spirit ring shone brilliantly, and an even more surging, nearly boiling sacred radiance erupted once again. This time, carrying a nearly stubborn determination, it shot straight toward the motionless black lotus, attempting to forcibly tear open that dark Domain.

The World-Destroying Black Lotus, impervious to all techniques!

Facing this stronger impact, the World-Destroying Black Lotus still only rotated silently.

The surging darkness seemed to possess life, carrying an ancient and vast aura of extinction, disintegrating and absorbing the incoming sacred light inch by inch, without the slightest strain, without a single trace escaping.

The golden light not only failed to advance an inch, but under the traction of that darkness, it was continuously pulled and annihilated!

The scene formed a bizarre and highly impactful image—a brilliant torrent of light being devoured by the unmoving, mountain-like dark lotus pedestal, as if night were silently swallowing the day!

After just a few breaths of confrontation, the outcome was no longer in doubt.

"Sss—"

The brilliant golden radiance that had shrouded the entire training ground seemed to have its spine pulled out, dimming, shrinking, and dissipating at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The sacred wings behind Qian Renxue struggled unwillingly for a moment, but ultimately weakened, retracting and fading away, the Spirit phantom disappearing completely.

Only she remained standing in place, her delicate body slightly stiff, as if nailed to the spot.

Sunlight spilled back onto the obsidian floor, illuminating her dispirited figure.

In those purple eyes that looked like a gathering of galaxies, the flame of pride that once burned was completely extinguished, leaving only indescribable shock and frustration. She stared blankly at the still-calm Lu Jing opposite her and that black lotus, which remained suspended, seemingly capable of devouring all light.

She... had lost.

And she had lost so thoroughly, so directly!

Without even using Spirit Abilities to clash, merely the most primitive collision of Spirit origins, her sacred power of the Seraphim, derived from the Angel God, appeared so weak and powerless before that bizarre World-Destroying Black Lotus!

What her grandfather had said... was actually true!

Lu Jing moved his mind, and the phantom of the World-Destroying Black Lotus quietly dissipated, merging back into his body.

The training ground returned to tranquility, with only the morning breeze blowing, accompanied by Qian Renxue's slightly rapid breathing and the unconcealable wavering and confusion in her eyes.

"Sigh..." A soft sigh came, and Qian Daoliu, who had been watching from the sidelines, slowly stepped forward.

His aged but still sharp golden eyes took a deep look at Lu Jing, a gaze that seemed to want to see through him from the inside out.

"The suppression of the pure Spirit origin... is even greater than this old man imagined."

His gaze finally landed on the purple spirit ring beneath Lu Jing's feet, which had already retracted its radiance, and he asked the most crucial question: "Child, if this old man is not mistaken, this spirit ring of yours... is a thousand-year spirit ring? You are only about six years old, and you absorbed it? How did you do it?"

Lu Jing met Qian Daoliu's scrutiny, his face without the slightest ripple.

He had already prepared his explanation: "Replying to the High Priest, this spirit ring was hunted ten thousand years later. My Spirit's attributes are special, having a natural restraint and protection for absorbing spirit rings. Furthermore..." He paused, then added candidly, "In the Spirit Master's world ten thousand years later, there are already mature secret methods for how to improve one's physique and expand the limits of spirit ring absorption."

He only pointed out the advantages of his Spirit and the "methods" from ten thousand years later, attributing everything to this; as for the existence of the Tian Meng Ice Silkworm, he naturally omitted it.

"That's not right, you're only six years old, how can your Soul Power be over level twenty?" Qian Renxue keenly caught this information, suddenly raising her head, the frustration in her eyes temporarily replaced by incredulous shock.

A brilliant light flashed in Qian Daoliu's eyes, his gaze sharp as a hawk's nailed to Lu Jing's face, his tone carrying unprecedented gravity and inquiry: "What is your... innate Soul Power?"

Lu Jing's expression did not change as he calmly uttered the answer destined to stir up a huge storm: "Level twenty."

"Level twenty!"

"Innate level twenty?!"

Qian Daoliu and Qian Renxue exclaimed almost simultaneously! The sound echoed across the vast training ground, filled with extreme shock!

Qian Daoliu's golden pupils contracted sharply, his majestic face filled with disbelief!

He had lived for over a hundred years, perused countless ancient texts, and witnessed countless geniuses, but he had never heard of such an alarming thing!

Innate full Soul Power of level ten was already the recognized limit in the Douluo Continent!

Even his own granddaughter, Qian Renxue, had only reached level twenty after awakening by relying on the grace of the Angel God's inheritance!

Qian Renxue was even more struck by lightning, subconsciously taking half a step back. Watching Lu Jing's youthful yet exceptionally calm face, her heart was in turmoil. The frustration of her previous defeat was instantly submerged by an indescribably complex emotion—curiosity, inquiry, and a trace of attention, which she herself had not even noticed, drawn by his stronger talent.

Could he really... be a genuine innate level twenty? Relying on his own Spirit, and not a divine gift?

"That's right." Lu Jing nodded, confirming this fact that was enough to overturn conventional understanding.

The arena fell into dead silence.

Qian Daoliu's heart, however, was churning with huge waves.

His golden eyes stared fixedly at Lu Jing, his gaze shifting between him and his granddaughter, who stood dispirited yet with complex eyes beside him.

Innate level twenty!

What did this represent?

This transcended what was called a genius; it was a taboo-like existence capable of challenging the laws of the World! The child before him, his very existence was a miracle!

Two possibilities instantly formed in the mind of Qian Daoliu, this crafty High Priest:

Just like the Angel God granting Xue'er level twenty, did this child also possess the favor of some supreme existence?

Or even more terrifyingly, his World-Destroying Black Lotus talent was too heaven-defying, its essence already transcending the rule limits of the Douluo Continent plane, a terrifying existence that even the laws of the continent itself could not define!

Regardless of which possibility it was—

This child's future was immeasurable!

His value far exceeded any known genius or rare treasure!

A bold, and one could even say extremely ambitious, idea grew and spread wildly in Qian Daoliu's heart like crazy vines.

He glanced at Qian Renxue beside him, whose expression was complex and who was still immersed in huge shock and intense curiosity, then looked at the young Lu Jing before him, who came from ten thousand years later, possessed World-shaking talent, a terrifying Spirit, and also mastered future secret methods.

Since Spirit Hall had an innate level twenty Seraphim inheritor, and ten thousand years later there was also such a prodigy who transcended the rules... what if these two stars could be made to intersect?

Nurture them!

Must let Xue'er have more contact with him, and even...

In the depths of Qian Daoliu's majestic and deep eyes, a trace of an imperceptible light, carrying a certain "plan succeeded" feeling, flashed by.

He did not say it explicitly, but that instantaneous thought was crystal clear: if these two could become partners, it would not only have an unimaginable impact on Xue'er, on the entire Angel lineage, on the future of Spirit Hall, but even on the entire landscape of the Douluo Continent!

This was not only to win over this future powerhouse with unlimited potential, but also because this child, whether in terms of talent, value, or the standing of that mysterious World-Destroying Black Lotus Spirit, was sufficient, and worthy, to become the bearer of the Angel God's bloodline—Qian Renxue's partner!

Under the morning light, Qian Renxue's dispirited expression was gradually replaced by an even stronger desire for inquiry, her beautiful eyes, like galaxies, gathering light again, shooting intensely at Lu Jing.

And Qian Daoliu, this Limit Douluo who had controlled Spirit Hall for many years, had already quietly laid out a far-reaching game of chess for the future of Spirit Hall in his heart.