Invitation from Spirit Hall

Plant Academy, main entrance.

"I came here today only to meet someone," Salas said calmly.

The dean immediately guessed the reason upon hearing this.

The academy's senior staff present also caught on.

"May I ask who Your Excellency the Bishop is looking for..." the dean asked respectfully.

"His name is Lin Mo. I heard he is an extraordinarily rare genius," Salas said.

He was only nine years old, yet already a level twenty-three Soul Grandmaster, with a Thousand-Year Soul Ring as his second ring.

Such heaven-defying talent was enough to drive any faction mad.

Upon hearing this, the dean did not dare hesitate in the slightest and immediately dispatched someone to summon Lin Mo at once.

"This way, Your Excellency the Bishop—" The dean personally accompanied him and invited him into the academy.

Plant Academy, Secluded Villa.

Lin Mo was cultivating in quiet seclusion when a knock sounded at his door.

He ended his cultivation and opened his eyes.

"Senior Lin Mo, I heard an important figure from the Martial Soul Sanctuary has arrived and specifically asked to see you. The dean and the others are all over there, so they sent me to take you there."

Lin Mo's expression remained unchanged upon hearing this.

The incident had happened at Thunder Academy, yet people from Spirit Hall had arrived first.

This clearly showed just how deeply Spirit Hall had infiltrated other factions.

With such an intelligence network, it was no wonder Bibi Dong dared to wage wars of annihilation.

When he arrived at the reception hall, several academy instructors stood guard outside.

"Lin Mo, the academy's senior leaders are all here. They're waiting for you inside," an academy instructor reminded him.

Lin Mo nodded and pushed open the main doors of the reception hall.

As light and shadow spilled in, countless gazes immediately turned toward him.

The white-clad youth stood tall and straight, his features handsome and refined, his temperament calm. Bathed in the light, he stepped across the red carpet and into the hall.

Salas's gaze fell on Lin Mo as he scrutinized him carefully. A strange glint lay hidden in his eyes, but his face maintained a gentle expression throughout.

"As expected of a young talent. You carry yourself exceptionally well," Salas said with a smile, opening with praise.

Lin Mo saw the academy leaders, all familiar faces. Instructor Shen Lin was among them as well.

His gaze swept over the familiar faces before finally settling on the gaunt old man seated at the head of the hall, dressed in a platinum bishop's robe.

Judging by his appearance, the old bastard had prominent cheekbones and a goatee, giving him the air of a scheming villain.

In the original story, this Platinum Grand Bishop had also been one of Spirit Hall's staunchest supporters.

When dealing with geniuses who might threaten Spirit Hall, he would secretly resort to dirty tricks without the slightest mercy.

"This junior is Lin Mo. Greetings, Your Excellency the Bishop. May I ask why you sought me out?" Lin Mo said, clasping his hands in greeting.

A polite smile appeared on Salas's gaunt face.

"No need to be so formal. You are a talent recommended to Plant Academy by Deacon Su Ming. In that sense, you have quite a connection to our Spirit Hall as well."

At the mention of Deacon Su Ming, Salas's attitude became gentle and paternal, though it felt somewhat forced.

"Deacon Su Ming has a keen eye indeed. To have selected a genius like you, he has truly lived up to expectations. His recent work performance has been excellent, and his promotion has already entered the approval process. He is currently one of the candidates for the next batch of Priests."

The so-called "Priest candidate" naturally meant it was already a done deal.

Within Spirit Hall's promotion system:

Deacon-Priest-Cardinal-Platinum Grand Bishop-Pope

A Priest was already part of Spirit Hall's middle management and possessed considerable authority within their jurisdiction.

Lin Mo's expression shifted slightly upon hearing this.

Deacon Su Ming had treated him very well, recommending him and helping support and look after him.

He was someone who had recognized Lin Mo's talent.

This Platinum Grand Bishop had opened by promoting Su Ming. Clearly, his true intentions lay elsewhere.

"Deacon Su Ming is indeed a very responsible person. He has taken great care of me," Lin Mo replied, going along with Bishop Salas's attempt to close the distance between them.

"Rumor has it that you absorbed a Thousand-Year Soul Ring at the two-ring stage. Even Spirit Hall's prodigies throughout the generations have never managed such a feat."

"I came today hoping to witness it for myself and see this miracle with my own eyes." Salas wore a kindly smile.

The senior staff of Plant Academy watched their exchange.

Some doubts arose in their hearts.

Wasn't Lin Mo someone sent by Spirit Hall? Why did they seem so unfamiliar with each other?

Were they deliberately putting on an act for them?

Or did Spirit Hall belong to different factions, with confidential information not being shared between them?

Lin Mo did not refuse upon hearing this.

He revealed his Martial Soul and Soul Rings once more.

The Thunder Hell Vine burst through the hall's floor and extended outward, faint purple arcs of lightning flickering around it.

Then, two Soul Rings—one yellow and one purple—appeared beneath Lin Mo's feet.

The purple Thousand-Year Soul Ring glimmered with a pale violet light in the hall. It was not dazzling, yet it drew the attention of everyone present.

Salas's gaze froze.

If he had not seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed it was real.

[Second Soul Ring · Thousand-Year]

Someone had truly done it!

After the demonstration ended, Lin Mo withdrew his Martial Soul and Soul Rings.

It had only been a formality to begin with.

Salas quickly recovered.

It would be a lie to say he was not tempted. This was practically a walking first-class merit!

As long as he lured Lin Mo back to Spirit Hall and uncovered the secret behind his successful absorption of a Thousand-Year Soul Ring, it would be an immense achievement for him within Spirit Hall!

Salas was very satisfied. He raised his hand and retrieved a jet-black token from his storage Soul Tool. Its edges were gilded, and it bore the emblem of a Six-Winged Angel.

"On behalf of the Heaven Dou Empire Martial Soul Sanctuary, I formally extend an invitation to you."

"Effective immediately, Lin Mo shall be granted the status of an 'Honorary Deacon' of Spirit Hall. Should you join Spirit Hall, you will be promoted to Priest within three years and granted the status of a core disciple of Spirit Hall, enjoying priority access to the Martial Soul Sanctuary's highest-tier resources. The Soul Hunting Forest will be fully open to you, and Spirit Hall will handle all of your future Soul Ring hunts."

"Furthermore, with this token, you may freely enter and leave the Heaven Dou Empire Martial Soul Sanctuary. You will enjoy authority equal to that of a Priest and may mobilize the forces of Spirit Hall branches to cooperate with your operations."

"With this token, these privileges will remain valid whether or not you join Spirit Hall," Salas said with a smile.

The entire hall was stunned.

Honorary Deacon, a Priest's authority, the Soul Hunting Forest, and Soul Rings fully provided for.

Most importantly, there was no compulsory requirement to join Spirit Hall.

These conditions could only be described as the utmost sincerity.

Nearly everyone present stared at that token. "Jealousy" was nowhere near enough to describe how they felt.

Shen Lin was tempted as well.

This was practically the perfect life script.

If Lin Mo agreed, his future would be boundless, and he would soar to the heavens in a single leap.

This was an exceptional opportunity.

Even as an academy instructor, Shen Lin was incomparably envious.

Yet he was also worried that Lin Mo might fail to grasp the gravity of the situation and offend this "important figure" from the Martial Soul Sanctuary in such a setting!

Lin Mo looked at the Spirit Hall token floating before him, raised his hand, and accepted it, feeling the coolness of its surface.

"Thank you for your favor, Your Excellency the Bishop. I will consider it carefully."

He was not an idiot.

Free resources and an olive branch offered to him.

Under these circumstances, he had absolutely no reason to refuse.

Seeing that Lin Mo had not rejected him, Salas smiled in his heart and nodded slightly.

"It is no matter. Whether you agree or not, these conditions will take effect. Spirit Hall's doors will forever remain open to you."

Lin Mo: ???

Those words sounded so familiar.

It seemed Bibi Dong had said the exact same thing before.