The days and nights passed in turn, summer gave way to autumn.
In the blink of an eye, three years had gone by.
Over those three years, besides rapidly increasing his Soul Power, Lin Tian had also completed a series of side quests and earned plenty of rewards.
By now, his Soul Power had reached Level 29. He was just one step away from breaking through to Soul Elder.
During this time, Qian Daoliu, Grand Elder of the Worship Hall, had come to see Lin Tian plenty of times. His aim was naturally to recruit him into the Worship Hall, and each time, he promised more outrageous benefits than before!
At first, he offered to teach Lin Tian personally. Then he said Lin Tian could inherit his position as Grand Elder of the Worship Hall. Now, he was even dangling his granddaughter, Qian Renxue, as bait.
As long as Lin Tian left Bibi Dong's Pope Palace and joined his Worship Hall instead, he would personally play matchmaker and introduce his granddaughter to Lin Tian.
The sky had barely begun to brighten that morning. Lin Tian was practicing his swordsmanship in the courtyard of his bedchamber with the [Ganjiang Sword] he had received as a system reward when he suddenly sensed a golden streak of light flash behind him. Then he saw Qian Daoliu standing with his hands behind his back, gazing at Lin Tian with a smile.
"Child, have you thought about what I told you? Join the Worship Hall and become my, Qian Daoliu's, personal disciple. You'll be the future Grand Elder of the Spirit Hall. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
Qian Daoliu strolled up to Lin Tian. When he saw the [Ganjiang Sword] in Lin Tian's hand, a flicker of astonishment passed through his eyes.
As someone who wielded the Angel Longsword to slay his enemies, he knew all too well how dazzling the sword before him was.
"Boy, where did you get that sword? Bibi Dong has never been fond of weapons. I doubt she has a divine weapon like that!"
Qian Daoliu narrowed his eyes, and a golden glow enveloped Lin Tian.
"You're so young, yet you've already cultivated your Soul Power to Level 29. You're just one step away from a breakthrough. A genius like you would be wasted following Bibi Dong. Join the Worship Hall. I'll teach you the purest methods of Soul Master cultivation and take you to hunt the fiercest Soul Beasts!"
"I'll add one more offer today: if you join the Worship Hall, its seven elders will teach you everything they've mastered in their lifetimes. The Qian Family Sword Technique, the Golden Crocodile Palm Technique, the Coiling Dragon Staff Technique... every one of them is a peerless art found nowhere else in the world! So, boy, are you tempted?"
Qian Daoliu gazed at Lin Tian expectantly. As the Angel God's divine servant in the Spirit Hall, he could hardly believe that this boy showed not the slightest sign of being tempted by such generous offers!
But that was exactly why Qian Daoliu was going to such lengths to recruit him into the Worship Hall. He had only one ultimate goal: to make him Qian Renxue's Dao Protector.
He knew his granddaughter's temperament well. She was a hopeless romantic, easily swayed by feelings, so he wanted to find her a remarkably talented genius who was decisive and ruthless.
After searching high and low, Lin Tian was the only one who fit the bill.
Although the Martial Soul Lin Tian had awakened was the evil Twin Spider Emperor Martial Soul, under the Angel God's divine influence, he would surely shed its wicked aura and become a holy, righteous Dao Protector.
Seeing Grand Elder Qian Daoliu raise his offer higher and higher, Lin Tian couldn't help feeling a little tempted.
"How about this? Join the Worship Hall, and I'll betroth my granddaughter to you! Don't worry, my granddaughter is beautiful, with fair skin and long legs. She's no less beautiful than your Pope mother!"
Qian Daoliu looked a little agitated. He truly couldn't imagine what kind of sorcery that woman Bibi Dong had used on this child. Why was he so determined to stay in the Pope Palace?!
Didn't he know that the Spirit Hall's true fighting strength was all concentrated in the Worship Hall?
Only by joining the Worship Hall could this little fellow grow stronger!
"Grand Elder, isn't it a little dishonorable to come poaching this early in the morning? As a follower of the Angel God, don't you always pride yourself on being holy and just? From what I see, you're no better than anyone else!"
Outside the bedchamber, Bibi Dong held the Pope Scepter and looked at Qian Daoliu with disdain, her rose-red eyes full of menace.
She had raised Lin Tian herself from childhood, and she truly despised Qian Daoliu's attempts to steal him away.
"Your Holiness, there's no need to be alarmed. I came to see the child because I simply wanted to offer him a better choice! After all, if he joins the Worship Hall, he'll gain seven teachers. If he stays in the Pope Palace, he'll have only you. Isn't that a little cruel to a genius like Lin Tian?"
"And if this boy joins the Worship Hall, all of us elders will do everything in our power to cultivate him, so that he can become a Titled Douluo in the shortest possible time!"
"The Spirit Hall has become a force no one on the Douluo Continent can afford to underestimate because we have strong fists, ruthless methods, and plenty of weapons in our halls! Raising a Titled Douluo in the shortest possible time would benefit the entire Spirit Hall."
"Your Holiness, don't you agree?"
Qian Daoliu stood with his hands behind his back, his golden eyes fixed on Bibi Dong.
He felt indebted to this woman.
If his son hadn't forced himself on her and made her his wife, her life would have been much happier.
That was why he kept letting Bibi Dong do as she pleased, time and again. As long as she didn't hurt his granddaughter, everything was under control.
At his words, Bibi Dong felt nothing but disdain. How many times had she already turned the old man down? Yet he kept coming back to bother her again and again. It was infuriating.
"Grand Elder, you should go back. Lin Tian is my personal disciple, and I'll make sure he's well trained! As for everything you mentioned, the Pope Palace can provide it all."
"The elders of the Worship Hall do have some unusual methods, and they're skilled. But are we really that weak here in the Pope Palace?"
As Bibi Dong spoke, Soul Power began to spill from her. A tree in the courtyard outside the palace snapped into several pieces.
"Grand Elder, I'm willing to go to the Worship Hall to study Soul Power cultivation. But I have one condition: I'll go there to train, but I won't join the Worship Hall. When training ends each day, I'll come back to the Pope Palace to rest."
Lin Tian's words left not only Qian Daoliu rooted to the spot, but Bibi Dong utterly dumbfounded.
What on earth was this kid up to?!
Could it be that he really was betraying her for the position of Grand Elder?
"Lin Tian, do you even know what you're saying? I..."
Before Bibi Dong could finish, Lin Tian raised a hand and cut her off.
"Your Holiness, I'm doing this entirely for the Spirit Hall. As the Spirit Hall's Holy Son, I have to raise my Soul Power as quickly as possible. After all, the things I have to protect aren't limited to the Spirit Hall."
As he spoke, Lin Tian glanced at Bibi Dong. The way his eyes shifted made Bibi Dong understand at once.
What a kid! Daring to make a fool of Qian Daoliu—he's a real man with guts!
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