Soaring to Success! Begin Cultivating!

Ning Yuan had defeated Xie Yue, the publicly acknowledged strongest of the younger generation. Now, no one else with designs on the position of Holy Son dared entertain any improper thoughts.

"Good!"

Bibi Dong was immensely pleased atop the high platform.

She rose to her feet and declared in a clear voice, "Ning Yuan is indeed the Holy Son of our Spirit Hall. In terms of talent and strength, none under heaven can rival him."

"I hereby declare that Ning Yuan shall be the Holy Son of Spirit Hall!"

"Who approves? Who objects?"

The moment Bibi Dong said this, the people below immediately shouted their approval.

What a joke—when even the Pope had personally stepped forward to endorse Ning Yuan, how could they dare refuse?

Qian Daoliu, standing nearby, slowly rose, let out a cold snort, then turned and strode away.

Bibi Dong glanced at him, knowing that seeing Ning Yuan truly become the Holy Son had left Qian Daoliu unable to save face, which was why he had departed early.

That old man was deeply calculating. He might very well target her afterward.

But then...

Bibi Dong was naturally unafraid.

For now, he would never openly fall out with her.

The Holy Son's subsequent coronation ceremony was simple, yet no less grand.

Bibi Dong personally descended from the platform, accepted from an attendant the violet-gold crown symbolizing the identity of Spirit Hall's Holy Son, and placed it on Ning Yuan's head herself.

She leaned down slightly and lowered her voice so that only the two of them could hear.

"Ning Yuan, I think highly of you. You must not disappoint this Pope."

Ning Yuan raised his head, his gaze blazing and his tone earnest.

He looked exactly like an employee from his previous life pledging loyalty to his boss in the workplace.

"Please rest assured, Your Holiness. Spirit Hall is my home, and Your Holiness has shown me the grace of recognizing my talents."

"Without Your Holiness's discerning eye, there would be no Ning Yuan of today."

"From now on, I will protect Spirit Hall as if it were my own home, perform well, and never disappoint Your Holiness's cultivation!"

Those words carried several layers of meaning, both openly and subtly. First, he was declaring his loyalty. Second, he was praising Bibi Dong's leadership. Third, he was crediting all his current achievements to Bibi Dong's cultivation.

The flattery landed loudly, yet without seeming deliberate.

A smile flickered in Bibi Dong's eyes, but she quickly withdrew it, maintaining the dignity expected of the Pope.

She nodded slightly, satisfaction coloring her voice.

"Good. Very good!"

After saying that, she spoke no further. She turned, her cloak sweeping behind her, and strode away without looking back.

The Pope's figure disappeared through the hall doors.

Ning Yuan straightened up.

Tsk, whether in his previous life or this one, pledging loyalty to the boss and flattering the boss worked everywhere. A universal workplace truth!

[Enough already. Stop standing there philosophizing about life.]

Venom's voice exploded in his mind, full of impatience.

[You're the Holy Son now. How are the benefits? Can we eat?]

[...All you ever think about is food.]

[Of course. How am I supposed to work if I'm not full?]

[My demands aren't high. Now that the benefits have improved, can the meals improve too? I want brains! Spicy ones! You've been saying it for so long and never delivered even once, you capitalist, slave driver, master of empty promises...]

After the coronation ceremony ended, the news flew out of Spirit City as though it had grown wings.

The various factions reacted differently upon receiving the news.

Over in Heaven Dou City, Ning Fengzhi, the sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, set down his teacup. After a moment of silence, he gently shook his head. "Spirit Hall... has produced another extraordinary genius."

The sect masters of the Lower Four Sects sent visiting cards almost that very day. Although the coronation of the Holy Son was an internal matter of Spirit Hall, everyone understood what the position of Holy Son represented.

He was the future heir to the papacy. Building a good relationship in advance could only bring benefits.

As for whether those visiting cards could reach Ning Yuan's hands, that was another matter. But whether or not they sent them was a matter of attitude.

That afternoon, all the resources allocated by Spirit Hall to the Holy Son arrived. The guards, attendants, resource quotas, and offerings assigned to him were all issued at the highest standard, personally approved by Bibi Dong.

Worship Hall.

Qian Daoliu stood in the center of the hall with his back to the doors. Hanging on the wall before him was an enormous portrait gallery of Spirit Hall's past popes.

The portrait on the far right was his own.

No lamps had been lit in the hall. Only the slanting dusk outside filtered through the windows, casting a dim golden hue over his aged figure.

After hesitating for a moment, an Elder Hall worship elder said softly, "Great Worship Elder, do you think... we should send someone to approach that boy named Ning Yuan again?"

Qian Daoliu did not answer at once.

He looked at his own portrait on the wall, his gaze as deep as an ancient well.

He had seen Bibi Dong's smug expression on the stage today with perfect clarity.

She had gotten the better of him.

Qian Daoliu's mouth twitched faintly.

"No need."

His voice was so calm that no emotion could be heard in it.

"He is now the Holy Son. His status has already been decided. Approaching him now would only hand Bibi Dong a weakness to exploit."

The worship elder hesitated. "Then... are we really just going to let the Pope continue..."

Qian Daoliu cut him off.

"I never said I would let her do as she pleased."

Qian Daoliu finally turned around. His face was hidden in the shadows of dusk, making his expression impossible to discern, but a chill glinted in his eyes.

"If she can establish a Holy Son, why can't the Elder Hall have its own reserve force?"

The man froze. "Great Worship Elder, you mean..."

Qian Daoliu shifted his gaze toward Spirit City beyond the window, shrouded in dusk, and lowered his voice.

"Since Bibi Dong wants to play this game of chess, then this old man will play it with her to the very end."

The Holy Son's residence.

No, more precisely, it should have been called the Holy Son's manor.

Ning Yuan stood at the front gate, staring up at the building before him in a daze for quite a while.

His old independent courtyard had already been rather nice—blue bricks, dark tiles, spacious and bright.

But the building before him? How was this a courtyard?

It was clearly a miniature castle.

The whole structure was built from pale gray stone. A three-story main building rose from the ground, with side buildings on either side curving outward, enclosing a front courtyard planted with precious flowers and trees.

Four attendants and a middle-aged man who looked like a steward stood before the gates in two neat rows. The moment they saw him arrive, they all bowed.

"Welcome home, Your Highness the Holy Son."

Ning Yuan: "..."

No, I'm just staying the night. Why does this feel like an emperor returning to his palace?

"Alright, alright, get up."

To be waited on like this, Ning Yuan honestly felt a little unaccustomed to it.

As he spoke, he stepped toward the gates.

The instant he entered, Ning Yuan's footsteps paused.

The main hall was far larger than he had imagined. Its ceiling was nearly two stories high, with an enormous crystal chandelier hanging from the dome. The floor was paved with polished marble that reflected like a mirror, and several exquisitely framed paintings hung on the walls, clearly nothing ordinary.

"This treatment..." Ning Yuan murmured. "I'm an orphan who came from Sea Soul Village. I really never thought I'd get to live somewhere like this in my life."

[Look at this! Look at this! This is the vile lifestyle of the capitalist class!]

Venom poked half its head out from Ning Yuan's shoulder, rolling its eyes as it inspected the luxurious surroundings.

[This place is more than ten times bigger than our old doghouse! Looks like sucking up really does work, Little Ning Yuan. Keep it up, and next time aim to move straight into the Pope Palace.]

[...Will it kill you to say a little less?]

[It'll drive me insane!]

The newly arrived steward gave Ning Yuan a brief introduction to the manor.

He then led Ning Yuan to the cultivation room, saying that Spirit Hall had already sent over the resources meant for the Holy Son and placed them inside.

"Old Chen," Ning Yuan said as he stood at the entrance to the cultivation room, "I'm going to start cultivating. Don't let anyone disturb me unless it's important."

"Yes, Your Highness." The steward's footsteps gradually faded away.

The moment Ning Yuan pushed open the cultivation room's doors, his pupils contracted slightly.

The cultivation room was as large as half a training ground. The floor was laid with special tiles capable of absorbing impacts, while formation patterns were embedded in the four walls to prevent energy from leaking out.

On the innermost shelves, rows upon rows of cultivation resources had been neatly arranged—Soul Beast crystal cores, rare medicinal herbs, Focus Incense... at a glance, there were at least dozens of different kinds.

On the low table at the center of the cultivation chamber lay a token, a manual, and a note.

That was the Holy Decree, the Holy Son's identity token, as well as a pass granting the highest level of access within Spirit Hall.

The note read: Monthly contribution points: 10,000. Cultivation resources: allocated according to elder-level standards.

After reading it, Ning Yuan drew in a breath.

Ten thousand contribution points?

Previously, he had risked his life on a low-risk mission just to earn thirty points.

Now, not only had his contribution points increased, but his cultivation resources were also being provided at the same level as an elder's.

It was enough to show just how highly Bibi Dong regarded him.

He then looked at the manual. Only three large characters were written on its cover: Abyss-Devouring Codex.

It was precisely the meditation method Bibi Dong cultivated.

He put away the note and sat cross-legged before the low table.

[That woman is so stingy. You're already the Holy Son, yet she didn't even think to reward you with a better brain or something!]

[Alright, we'll talk about the brain later.]

Ning Yuan closed his eyes and regulated his breathing, sinking into cultivation.

Since he had become the Holy Son, he had to live up to the position.

And on this continent, there was only one way to live up to any position...

Strength.