I fell into thought-surely the system is to blame

"The Spirit Hall has gone too far!" Flender's face darkened.

By this time, the Academy's key personnel had already learned of the news and were gathered together to discuss how to handle it.

"It must have been Bibi Dong who did it." Liu Erlong subconsciously began to suspect the person she hated most.

"Not necessarily. It seems that the Pope and the Priest in the Spirit Hall operate under two separate systems," the Grandmaster said uncertainly, recalling his past experiences.

"It can be confirmed that the person who made the move is the strongest person on the continent today, the Angel God High Priest, Qian Daoliu. Judging from his identity and strength, this move was probably of his own volition," Ning Fengzhi analyzed.

"Will he make another move against Xiao Feng?" Ning Rongrong asked with some concern.

"Probably not. Judging from the previous situation, his attack was probably intended as punishment, not to kill. Besides, it wouldn't look good for a high Priest to bully the weak. Someone of his status has to consider the impact," Cang Xiao said.

"That's good. Xiao Feng, you'd better be careful in the future and try not to provoke the Spirit Hall." Ning Rongrong instructed the person beside her.

Chen Feng smiled and said, "On the contrary, we can take this opportunity to test them."

"Oh? What do you mean?" Ning Fengzhi asked curiously, and everyone else looked over as well.

Chen Feng looked at Grandmaster and said, "Grandmaster just said that the Pope and the Priest don't seem to be part of the same system. So, are they of one mind? We can use this incident as a pretext to put pressure on the Spirit Hall and see how they react. This is something we should normally do."

The Grandmaster nodded slightly. "That makes sense. We can test the waters with this first move."

"We're in the right, we can do it." Flender agreed.

Just as various factions on the mainland were preoccupied with their own thoughts regarding the New University, a shocking piece of news suddenly spread.

It is reported that Mr. Chen Feng, the founder of Hydra University and a well-known Scholar from mainland China, was attacked by an unknown powerful figure after the ceremony.

There is evidence suggesting that this powerful individual may have ties to the Spirit Hall.

In addition, during the Spirit Master Tournament, many geniuses from various Academy were assassinated, and according to insiders, the Spirit Hall was also behind the incident.

Furthermore, the fact that the Clear Sky Sect closed its gates many years ago and the Clear Sky Twin Stars went into seclusion makes it self-evident who was behind it.

Such appalling incidents happening one after another make one wonder: what has become of the Spirit Hall?

It was once an organization of Soul Master founded by the descendants of the Angel God and their followers, dedicated to leading humanity towards a better future. It should have shouldered the social responsibility of prohibiting evil and eliminating violence. Has it now fallen into the trap of being jealous of talent and intolerant of even one or two geniuses who are not its own?

Is this a distortion of human nature or a decline in morality?

Snap!

Qian Renxue slammed a Newspaper onto her desk, her face cold as she hissed, "This is utterly audacious! Who dared to act without permission this time?"

She Long, who was standing to the side, hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

"Just say what you have to say!"

Yu Long glanced at his Young Lord and whispered, "We have news from the Main Hall that a Golden Light shot out from above the Elder Hall that day, heading straight towards Hydra University."

o

Qian Renxue's expression immediately changed. "You mean, Grandpa?"

She Long remained silent.

"Why didn't I know about this?" Qian Renxue asked, frowning.

"Young Lord, you left after the banquet because you made a breakthrough in your investigation of those corrupt officials, so you weren't aware of this matter," She Long said after a moment's hesitation.

Qian Renxue gave him a deep look. She knew that the reason she didn't know about this matter was probably not only because she had left at the time, but also because it involved her grandfather, so Yu Long and the others didn't dare to mention it to her.

She felt that everything went smoothly at the ceremony and that nothing would go wrong afterward, so she didn't pay special attention and was thus kept in the dark.

"These damned corrupt officials have ruined my plans!" Qian Renxue didn't dare to vent her anger on her grandfather, nor could she vent it on She Long and the others who were doing their jobs properly. She could only take her anger out on those corrupt officials who suddenly came out to make their presence known.

The investigation into these individuals has been ongoing for some time, and it has been quite laborious as detailed evidence of their crimes needs to be collected.

Unfortunately, at this crucial juncture, the evidence was gathered, not only preventing her from questioning Chen Feng about politics, but also causing her to miss important news.

At this moment, Qian Renxue became even more determined to kill these people.

But before that, she had something important to do.

"Get ready, I need to go back."

"Yes," She Long said without any surprise.

A few days later, Qian Renxue walked straight into the Elder Hall.

"Xue'er, you're back." The tall figure in front of the statue turned around and looked at her kindly.

"Grandpa." Looking at the familiar person in front of her, Qian Renxue suddenly couldn't bring herself to ask the question she had originally intended to ask.

But Qian Daoliu seemed to know what she was thinking and asked, "Did you come back this time because of that boy?"

.. yes."

Qian Daoliu gave his granddaughter a deep look. "I didn't kill him."

"But as an unparalleled expert and the Priest of the goddess of angels, isn't it a bit too much for you to attack a mere youth?" Qian Renxue finally couldn't help but ask what was on her mind.

"He acted under the guise of a goddess; this is my punishment for him," Qian Daoliu said matter-of-factly.

"But he did the right thing; he was promoting the glory of the goddess. There's no reason for you to punish him," Qian Renxue argued.

"A weakling who can't even withstand a single sword strike has no right to use the name of God. However, I will only use this one sword." This was Qian.

Daoliu's promise to his granddaughter.

Qian Renxue fell silent. She knew that it was enough for her grandfather to make such a guarantee; at least she wouldn't have to worry about suddenly hearing the news that Chen Feng had been killed by her grandfather one day.

"You care about him a lot?" Qian Daoliu suddenly asked.

"Huh? I... just... admire his... talent." Qian Renxue was caught off guard.

"Don't take these trivial matters of a country or a city too seriously. Cultivating your divinity and inheriting the divine position of the angel goddess is the right path," Qian Daoliu reminded him.

"That's no trivial matter," Qian Renxue couldn't help but retort in a low voice.

That was my dream: to dominate the entire continent and become the protagonist of this world.

Qian Daoliu didn't try to persuade her further, but simply said, "You'll understand later, Xue'er. Don't get too involved. The glory of a goddess doesn't need others to proclaim it. The praise of mortals is meaningless. As long as you successfully inherit the divine position, the goddess's radiance will once again shine upon the world."

Qian Renxue frowned slightly. For some reason, she suddenly remembered a question she had once discussed with Chen Feng: Did Angel God receive worship because they were gods, or because of what they did?

"The source of the goddess's faith is the people she protects, not just the divine position itself," Qian Renxue blurted out unconsciously.

A hint of surprise flashed in Qian Daoliu's eyes. "Is this the result of your reflections over the years, Xue'er?"

"This is... the result that Xiao Feng and I came up with during our discussion," Qian Renxue said truthfully.

"It seems reasonable, but it's not right. Without sufficient power, how can a goddess spread her glory? How can she achieve greatness? And why would ordinary people believe in a god without power?" Qian Daoliu said calmly.

"But Xiao Feng... Chen Feng did it. He didn't have great strength, but he was respected by many people, and future generations will surely call him a Sage of the Past. Strength and greatness are not related." Qian Renxue said emphatically.

"If I hadn't shown mercy, the Sage you speak of would already be dead. Who would remember what a dead man did then?" Qian Daoliu said calmly.

"Me! And his companions, what he did will not be forgotten, and someone will surely carry on his ideals," Qian Renxue said without hesitation.

Looking at his granddaughter's appearance, Qian Daoliu suddenly wondered if he hadn't struck her hard enough with his sword. Would it have been better if he had killed the boy outright?

However, such a thought only flashed through his mind. Judging from Xue'er's current situation, she valued that young man very much. If he really killed that person, he would likely suffer Xue'er's constant complaints, which would be a loss for him.

Oh well, he's just a smart kid.

"Let's wait and see."

A few days after the news was released, the Spirit Hall finally responded.

The response first refuted the claim that the murder of geniuses during the Spirit Master Tournament was orchestrated by the Spirit Hall, stating that this was baseless speculation without any evidence, and that the Spirit Hall would reserve the right to pursue those who spread the rumors.

Then it was said that the Clear Sky Sect closed its mountain because of the disappearance of its top experts and fear of retaliation from hostile forces, so it made its own choice. Although the Spirit Hall had some minor conflicts with the Clear Sky Twin Stars, it should not be held responsible for closing the mountain.

As for the recent attack on Scholar Chen Feng, it was purely a private act committed by an extreme individual. The Spirit Hall has already conducted an internal purge, and the claim of jealousy and envy is completely unfounded.

The Spirit Hall cordially invites Scholar Chen Feng to come here. His Holiness the Pope will personally bestow upon him the title of "Sage," placing him above all bishops and second only to the Pope.

"How shameless! How could anyone say such a thing?" Ma Hongjun slammed the Newspaper on the table and said indignantly.

"Xiangxiang's family, along with three other clans, has suffered all these years purely out of their own making, right?"

Chen Feng smiled, unsurprised. "Studied journalism."

What are the three elements of journalism? Taking things out of context, quoting from afar, and creating conflict; frankly, it's talking nonsense with a straight face.

What is a face? It doesn't exist.

What kind of operation is this? If you brought over those unscrupulous journalists from the past, they could make a gold medal look like a silver medal, and a silver medal look like a gold medal.

That's when journalism truly shines.

"I can only say that it's largely as expected. The Spirit Hall would never admit to those filthy things. However, the conferment of the title of ' Sage ' is quite unexpected. What do you think, Xiao Feng?" Ning Rongrong asked Chen Feng.

"It's just a title, it's not very useful," Chen Feng said nonchalantly.

"That's true, it's just a nicer title, it can't possibly have any real power." Ning Rongrong nodded.

"Should we just ignore it?" Zhu Zhuqing asked.

"We still need to pay attention to it. They've offered us a way out, so we'll take it. Anyway, we've already tested the waters."

"Xiao Feng, are you saying that the Pope and the Priest don't seem to be on the same page?"

"Yes, it's quite clear now. Otherwise, the Spirit Hall wouldn't have responded this way. The one who drew his sword against me was the Angel God High Priest, but now he's become an extreme individual. This so-called Sage is worth pondering."

"So, there's actually one thing true in this report: the attack on Bro Feng was an individual act. That's quite rare," Ma Hongjun remarked.

Dai Mubai sneered, "That's the only thing that's true; the rest is all nonsense. Even the most skilled Servant in the Star Luo Palace aren't as good at cleaning as they are at washing floors."

"It's nothing special that every gesture is fabricated. The key is what we gained. First, the title of 'Sage ' signifies the Spirit Hall's endorsement, which has some effect in the current era and can gain more recognition. Second, after this statement is released, the Spirit Hall should find it harder to target me, and my safety is somewhat guaranteed," Chen Feng said.

"That's good news! I thought Xiao Feng would have to find a place to hide, but it seems he doesn't need to now," Xiao Wu said, playing with her Scorpion Braid.

"But we can't be careless. What we're doing goes against the Spirit Hall's operating principles, and sooner or later there will be a conflict. We still need to work hard to cultivate and increase our strength," Tang San reminded him.

"Okay," Xiao Wu replied somewhat helplessly, then suddenly remembered something and said, "By the way, Xiao Ao, hasn't your Dazhuang grown a little too fast lately?"

"Is it fast? I don't know the normal growth rate of Soul Beast, but it's a bit bigger than before," Oscar said after thinking for a moment.

"It does grow quite fast, much faster than a normal Ironclad Earth Dragon, and this is even more obvious when compared to its brothers and sisters." Gu Yue Ling agreed with Xiao Wu's opinion.

"I thought it was because it was the firstborn in its litter, which is why it was bigger. Could it be due to its diet?"

"What's the problem? I feed it all the time," Oscar guessed.

"No, Dazhuang's growth isn't just about gaining weight; it's also about improving his cultivation level," Gu Yue Ling said, shaking her head.

"Could it be that it's really cultivating on its own? Xiao Ao, did you teach it to cultivate?" Xiao Wu recalled the hypothesis she had made back then.

"It usually stays beside me when I meditate, and I've also talked to it about some cultivation-related knowledge, but I don't know if it has understood it or not," Oscar said uncertainly.

"We can observe this carefully. Whether it's because it has learned cultivation and is growing quickly, or because the Soul Contract itself can accelerate its growth, it's a very beneficial thing," Chen Feng said.

"I really want to promote the Soul Pact Method; it's a win-win situation," Xiao Wu said expectantly.

"No rush. This concerns the future of both races, so we need to be cautious." Chen Feng decided to play it safe.