Bestowal of Titles

Time flew by.

Three years later.

Shang An wore a white robe embroidered with gold thread, adorned with countless tiny gemstones and intricate patterns. The robe was woven from celestial silkworm silk, impervious to water, fire, and blades. It was a seamless garment, showing no trace of stitching, and his long, raven-black hair was tied up with various ornaments, his entire being radiating an aura of natural affinity.

At this moment, he stood before the Pope Palace. Bibi Dong stood by his side, surrounded by the various Elders, while the bishops and deacons of Spirit Hall stood below. Everyone wore a solemn expression, and Bibi Dong's eyes revealed a sense of gratification.

"From this day forth, I confer upon Shang An the title of Holy Son of our Spirit Hall!"

Qian Daoliu appeared before the crowd, holding a crown for the Holy Son in his hands.

Shang An lowered his head to show respect. Qian Daoliu walked up to him with a complex look in his eyes; who could have known that a boy from an orphanage would become the Holy Son of Spirit Hall, and that he would be the one to crown him personally?

However, he did not pause his actions, placing the crown upon Shang An's head, which only served to make him appear even more noble and sacred.

"Greetings, Your Highness the Holy Son!"

The bishops and deacons below knelt on one knee in salute, while the Elders bowed slightly.

"The ceremony is complete!"

Back in the bedchamber, Shang An casually removed the crown and took off his head ornaments, letting out a long sigh. Although the Holy Son ceremony hadn't taken long, Shang An was exhausted; it was simply too troublesome, what with all the decorations and divine rituals.

And this was only the Holy Son ceremony, attended only by internal Spirit Hall personnel. If it were the Pope's coronation ceremony, inviting all the major powers to attend, it would likely be even more cumbersome.

It had been three years since Hu Liena went to the Devil Training Camp.

Not long ago, Shang An had also become a four-ring Soul Ancestor, with a soul ring configuration of Purple, Purple, Black, Black. It was precisely because he had achieved the rank of Soul Ancestor at nine years old and easily defeated a strong-attack type Soul King that he shocked the Elder Hall, leading to his appointment as the Holy Son of Spirit Hall with the support of his teacher, Bibi Dong, and the tacit approval of Qian Daoliu.

He examined his own strength. His soul power had reached level 42. He practiced the qi-refining technique Great Freedom True Scripture, currently at the mid-stage of Embryonic Breathing. His body-refining technique, Taiyi Immortal Origin Body, had entered the minor success stage, giving him a physical body comparable to a Soul Saint. His Daoist martial arts included the footwork Tiangang Bagua Steps, the fist technique Taiyi Fist Scripture, and the staff technique Demon Subduing Staff Technique. Furthermore, his ocular ability, Golden Eyes of Truth, had also reached minor success, allowing him to see through illusions, pierce souls, and observe the essence of things, or even observe destiny.

Moreover, what he cultivated was not so much soul power as it was mana possessing the characteristics of soul power; both its quality and quantity far exceeded that of ordinary soul power.

If he went all out, let alone a mere Soul King, even a Soul Emperor would have to kneel. Soul Saints possessed the Avatar of the Martial Soul, representing a qualitative change in strength; whether he could defeat one remained to be seen, but Shang An was confident he could protect himself without harm.

"Xiao An."

Bibi Dong walked straight into the bedchamber, which was also her own.

Over the past three years, Shang An had come to sleep in Bibi Dong's bedchamber every night. Through the back and forth, he had essentially made her bedchamber his own, while his original room had fallen into disuse.

"You must be tired, Xiao An. Let me rub your shoulders."

Bibi Dong sat on the edge of the bed and said to Shang An gently.

Shang An did not stand on ceremony, lying directly on Bibi Dong's jade-like lap, one arm wrapped around her slender waist and one hand resting on her thigh.

He felt the faint fragrance of Bibi Dong's body and enjoyed his teacher's gentle massage.

Living together every day for the past three years, combined with Shang An's cleverness and maturity—often helping Bibi Dong resolve her worries—meant that Bibi Dong had shared many secrets with him. She often sought him out to confide in him, and with the Seed of Heart acting as a "limiter remover," her favorability toward him had risen rapidly.

It had reached one hundred a year ago. As for Yu Xiaogang? Bibi Dong only wanted to ask: who was that loser?

"Xiao An, Nana is coming out tomorrow. Do you want to go pick her up?"

"In the training camp, she has been missing her junior brother quite a bit."

"Hm? Nana is coming out?"

Shang An had begun preparing for the Holy Son ceremony shortly after hunting his fourth soul ring, so he hadn't really paid much attention to that.

"Let's go together tomorrow."

It had been too long, and Shang An missed that little fox as well. The Devil Training Camp was completely sealed; until Hu Liena and the others completed their trials, Shang An had no authority to enter.

However, he wasn't too worried about Hu Liena's safety. The little fox had strong innate talent, and although it was said that life and death were left to fate, she was, after all, the Pope's disciple; Bibi Dong would certainly have sent people to protect her in secret.

After that, the two fell silent. Shang An lay there quietly while Bibi Dong watched his perfect profile, gently massaging him, looking for all the world like a virtuous wife.

Shang An hadn't spent these years solely on cultivation. In his spare time, he had used his status as the Pope's disciple to gather a group of followers. He already possessed high status and talent, and coupled with his ability to manipulate hearts and his powerful natural affinity, he was highly effective.

The Holy Imperial Warriors on duty at the Pope Palace and the maids in Bibi Dong's bedchamber—those with lower cultivation levels who had frequent daily contact with him—had their loyalty toward him almost maxed out.

Among the two, Chrysanthemum Douluo's loyalty exceeded eighty, and Ghost Douluo's was over seventy.

In addition, the newly promoted Ninth Elder, Lingyuan Douluo, had also been won over by him, with her loyalty reaching ninety. She was the guardian Bibi Dong had chosen for him.

There were also many bishops and deacons whose loyalty to him was already over sixty. With the Seed of Heart in play, their loyalty would continue to rise steadily.

It could be said that Shang An's influence in Spirit Hall was now second only to Bibi Dong's, and this was merely something he had done in his spare time. This was the true terror of the Great Freedom True Scripture.

It allowed others to be conquered by Shang An without even realizing it.

After all, Heavenly Demons were adept at disguise, full of charm, and accustomed to bewitching the hearts of men.

The next day, At the exit of a valley, Bibi Dong and Shang An stood at the front, followed by several bishops of Spirit Hall—the teachers of the students who had participated in the Devil Training Camp.

The entrance to the valley was a massive, hideous black iron gate, resembling the gates of a hell designed to imprison evil. However, the gate was now open, and one could faintly see the harsh environment of the gloomy valley within.

Their timing was precise, but after waiting for a moment, students began to emerge from the valley. Leading them was the trio of Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan.

The three of them now radiated a cold aura, their expressions stern and rigid, as if they hadn't smiled in a long time. The childishness had faded from their faces, replaced by the demeanor of true powerhouses.

"Teacher, Shang An!"

Hu Liena called out with excitement upon seeing the two people before her, a stiff smile tugging at a face that hadn't smiled in a long time.

"Shang An, I've missed you so much."

Hu Liena walked up and gave him a bear hug, her two already well-developed assets pressing against Shang An. Shang An did not dodge, instead reaching out to gently embrace her slender waist.

Having not seen her for so long, he had truly missed this adorable little fox.

"Senior sister, welcome back."

Yan, standing at the exit of the valley, watched as Hu Liena rushed toward Shang An the moment she emerged. A complex look flashed through his eyes, which eventually settled into calm and acceptance, though a fighting spirit rose in his gaze as he looked at Shang An.

This time, he wasn't doing it for Hu Liena, but to prove himself—to prove that his three years of hard work had not been in vain.

However, neither Shang An nor Hu Liena paid him any mind at that moment, choosing instead to quietly enjoy the warmth of their reunion.

"Nana, have you forgotten your teacher now that you have your junior brother?"

Bibi Dong, standing to the side, looked at Hu Liena with feigned dissatisfaction.

After three years of growth, bolstered by the effects of two ten-thousand-year spirit rings, Shang An now stood at 1.75 meters. His features had gradually shed their childishness, his facial lines becoming more defined. He had grown into a handsome and refined young man, truly looking like an immortal descended into the mortal world.

Hu Liena, at 1.68 meters, had blossomed into a beautiful young woman, her fair skin and charm fully on display. As she held onto Shang An, the two of them looked inexplicably well-matched, which left Bibi Dong feeling somewhat displeased.

Although her favorability rating had reached one hundred, she would still get jealous from time to time—ahem, even though the two of them remained strictly in a teacher-student relationship for now.

Shang An chuckled and released his hold, and Hu Liena shyly slipped out of his arms.

"Of course I remember you, Teacher! You're the best!"

Having been so excited to reunite with Shang An, she had momentarily neglected Bibi Dong, so she quickly moved to make amends, grabbing Bibi Dong's hand and acting spoiled.

Yet, that stiff expression paired with her cold tone looked quite awkward, though this was merely a lingering side effect of the Devil Training Camp; it would pass after living a normal life for a while.

After all, it was only an inferior version of the Capital of Slaughter, so the influence of the killing intent was not yet severe.

"I thought you had forgotten about me, your teacher!"

Bibi Dong was not truly angry, of course; she was merely keeping Hu Liena in check, with a faint sense of asserting her status as the primary figure. After laughing and saying a few more words, she let Hu Liena off the hook.

Shang An watched the teacher and student with interest; sometimes, watching the drama unfold was quite amusing. As for a romantic rivalry? That didn't exist.

Seeing that the group had finished their exchange, Yan took the opportunity to interject.

"Greetings, Your Holiness the Pope. Greetings, Your Highness the Holy Son."

He first bowed respectfully, then looked at Shang An with a determined gaze.

"Your Highness the Holy Son, I wish to challenge you."

"Hm? Are you sure?"

Shang An looked at the Yan before him. Although he had improved his strength through the Devil Training Camp, he was only at level 40-something. To put it bluntly, Shang An could easily defeat him with both hands tied behind his back.