Betrayal, Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo

"Elder Lingyuan, this is the immortal herb Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower. You are already a Titled Douluo, so its medicinal potency may not be enough to evolve your Blazing Spirit Kite Martial Soul through a complete transformation. At the very least, it can purify your flames and bring them to the ultimate level of fire."

Qiangu Aoshi handed over the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower.

Lingyuan stared blankly at the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower. She could feel her Martial Soul instinctively craving the energy within it.

This proved that the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower truly was, just as Qiangu Aoshi had said, an immortal herb capable of evolving her Martial Soul.

Qiangu Aoshi was actually willing to give her such an immortal herb. Lingyuan was deeply moved.

She blinked playfully.

"Holy Son, I won't waste time with empty words. If you compete for the position of Pope in the future, I, Lingyuan, will support you one hundred percent."

"From now on, in the Elder Hall, I am your person. His Holiness the Pope is often unwell, so Holy Son, do your utmost."

As she spoke, Lingyuan had already accepted the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower. The energy resonance with her Martial Soul left her incomparably excited.

In her excitement, she scooped Qiangu Aoshi into her arms and planted her flame-red lips on his forehead.

"Hehe, Holy Son, you're far too good to me."

Qiangu Aoshi had initially been quite pleased at winning over Lingyuan Douluo. But this little wench, seeing that he was only twelve years old, had actually picked him up.

Did she take him for a child?

Qiangu Aoshi shouted coldly.

"Insolence! I am the Holy Son. Put me down at once!"

Only then did Lingyuan laughingly set Qiangu Aoshi down.

Winning over Lingyuan Douluo was a good start.

After that, Qiangu Aoshi approached Ghost Leopard Douluo and Demon Bear Douluo. With two immortal herbs, the two Titled Douluo pounded their chests and guaranteed that they would support the Holy Son's ascension.

As for Bibi Dong, he was not familiar with her at all.

Compared with Qiangu Aoshi, who freely gave away immortal herbs, Bibi Dong was exceptionally stingy. She had not even bestowed a single soul bone upon Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo, her most loyal lackeys.

If not for the fact that she was the Pope, these Titled Douluo of the Elder Hall truly would not have wanted to obey her orders.

Besides the elders at the Titled Douluo level, Qiangu Aoshi also gave immortal herbs to the Soul Douluo-level Platinum Bishops and the Soul Sage-level Crimson Bishops.

Second- and third-rate immortal herbs such as cordyceps and snow lotus were not enough to evolve one's Martial Soul, but they could still raise one's soul power by one or two ranks.

For those Platinum Bishops and Crimson Bishops, raising their soul power by a single rank saved them several years of bitter cultivation.

Qiangu Aoshi's generosity earned unanimous praise from Spirit Hall's upper ranks, who all expressed their willingness to join his faction.

Qiangu Aoshi was the Holy Son, the rightful heir to the Pope's position. No one could find even the slightest fault with these Spirit Hall higher-ups pledging allegiance to him.

Papal Hall!

Bibi Dong was furious. She smashed even one of her favorite teacups onto the floor.

"Qiangu Aoshi!"

"That bastard! He is openly recruiting Spirit Hall's higher-ups within Spirit Hall itself. What does he mean by this? Is he dissatisfied with me, the Pope? Does he intend to oppose me?"

"Those Spirit Hall higher-ups have no conscience at all. I have shown them sufficient respect, yet they were bought off by benefits and defected to that brat Qiangu Aoshi."

"How hateful! Do they not have even the slightest pride as powerhouses?"

"The gracious treatment I offer as Pope cannot even compare to a few medicinal herbs given by Qiangu Aoshi."

"I give them face by calling them elders, so they should serve me to the death."

As Bibi Dong flew into a rage and cursed Qiangu Aoshi, Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo below both lowered their heads.

They silently grumbled, Respect? Gracious treatment? How much are those worth?

The herbs Qiangu Aoshi gave could genuinely raise soul power by one or two ranks.

Having cultivated to their level, raising one rank of soul power was harder than climbing to the heavens.

Now that Qiangu Aoshi had given them an opportunity to raise their soul power by one rank, whoever did not defect was the one without a conscience.

Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo exchanged glances, both filled with sorrow.

Qiangu Aoshi had recruited the other elders of the Elder Hall, yet he had not come to recruit the two of them.

Chrysanthemum Douluo was especially restless. He had always loved flowers and plants, and for some time now, he had been eagerly waiting for Qiangu Aoshi to come knocking.

As long as Qiangu Aoshi offered him an immortal herb, Chrysanthemum Douluo would switch sides on the spot. Hmm, with an old ghost thrown in for free.

Yet they waited and waited, but Qiangu Aoshi never came to recruit them.

Chrysanthemum Douluo's heart went cold. He guessed that Qiangu Aoshi considered him Bibi Dong's die-hard loyalist.

He felt utterly wronged!

At that moment, Ghost Douluo spoke in a hoarse voice.

"Your Holiness, what has happened has already happened. Cursing will accomplish nothing. We should think about how to remedy the situation."

"For those elders of the Elder Hall, those herbs can genuinely raise their soul power. Why not bestow some treasures as well, such as soul bones? That would surely make those elders change their minds."

A cold glint flashed through Bibi Dong's eyes.

"Elder Ghost, I am the Pope. They should have listened to me in the first place. Those elders are half-hearted and disloyal to me, yet I must reward them with soul bones? What kind of logic is that?"

"If I give them something, then it is theirs. If I do not give it, they cannot ask for it."

"Hmph. Human greed knows no bounds. If I give them soul bones today, I will have to pay even more tomorrow to keep their hearts."

"Rewards can only win hearts for a time. Only fear can hold hearts for a lifetime."

"Only an abyss-like fear, keeping them trembling at all times, will prevent them from harboring disloyal thoughts toward me."

"Looks like I need to find an excuse to kill a chicken and frighten the monkeys. Should I kill Lingyuan, Demon Bear, or Ghost Leopard... Let me think carefully."

Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo were horrified. This fucking woman was insane.

Those were elders at the Titled Douluo level, yet she wanted to use powerhouses of that level as an example to intimidate others.

If she could kill others today, she might kill them tomorrow.

Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo had been deeply uneasy, but the moment they thought of Qiangu Aoshi, the thought of defecting arose, and suddenly the world seemed wide open.

And so...

That very night!

Under the cover of darkness, Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo came to Qiangu Aoshi's courtyard and revealed Bibi Dong's plan to kill someone as a warning in advance.

Qiangu Aoshi's expression turned strange after hearing them out.

When you're sleepy, someone brings you a pillow. Was something wrong with Bibi Dong's brain? Did she understand politics at all? How had she become the Pope of Spirit Hall?

Did she really think she could suppress everything with personal strength alone?

It didn't seem like she even possessed that level of strength!

No wonder she had taken a fancy to Yu Xiaogang. Her brain was about as useful as Yu Xiaogang's.

With a brain like that, she could still become a Titled Douluo and the inheritor of the Rakshasa God. Spirit Hall's foundation was truly far too deep.

With Spirit Hall's full support, even a pig could rise to power.