"Qian Daoliu is actually planning to invest a Holy Son? What is that old man trying to do?"
Inside Pope Hall.
Bibi Dong wore a magnificent papal robe, its tailored fit outlining her exquisite curves and lending her an elegant yet inviolable majesty.
She sat upright upon her high-backed chair, her fingertips lightly tapping the armrest, her face dignified and composed.
Yet at that moment, a trace of gloom and unease flashed deep within her beautiful eyes.
Ever since she had ascended to the position of Pope, Qian Daoliu had almost never interfered in Spirit Hall's affairs.
It was precisely because that old man had washed his hands of everything that she had been able to gradually erode his authority and bring Spirit Hall under her control.
But now, Qian Daoliu had bypassed her and directly announced in the Worship Hall that he intended to establish a new Holy Son.
This was not a good sign!
"No! I absolutely cannot allow the Worship Hall to successfully establish a Holy Son. Once there is a first time, there will be a second. If this continues, the Worship Hall may eventually overstep me and take charge of Spirit Hall's affairs."
Inside the Worship Hall.
All of Spirit Hall's worshippers had gathered.
Qian Daoliu held Li Qinglian's hand, his aged face beaming with a smile.
"Innate Soul Power at level twenty?"
"Even compared to Xue'er, this talent is not inferior in the slightest, is it?"
"And why are all the Holy Son's Soul Rings purple?"
Golden Crocodile Douluo stared in astonishment at Li Qinglian's Martial Soul behind him, his pupils suddenly shrinking.
The closer he stood to Li Qinglian, the more clearly he could sense the terrifying strength of Li Qinglian's Martial Soul.
That aura was saturated with deathly stillness, making one's heart pound in alarm.
Even though Li Qinglian's cultivation was currently low, the level of that pure death energy far surpassed the Soul Power energy they cultivated.
Azure Luan Douluo, Light Plume Douluo, and the other worshippers also stared at Li Qinglian in shock.
Back then, Qian Renxue's Innate Soul Power at level twenty had already stunned them once.
Now, Li Qinglian, standing before them, was even more extraordinary.
"This Holy Son's Martial Soul seems never to have appeared anywhere on the continent before."
"But a Martial Soul capable of awakening with level-twenty full Soul Power can never be weak."
Azure Luan Douluo's gaze was sharp, his expression carrying a hint of amusement.
That was right!
They had never heard of such a powerful Martial Soul. It was as though it had appeared out of nowhere!
For all these years, Grand Worshipper Qian Daoliu had guarded the Angel God's inheritance and worshipped the angel statue, paving the way for Qian Renxue to become a god.
They knew this perfectly well!
Precisely because of this, when had the Grand Worshipper ever had time to seek out geniuses from outside? And now, such an outstanding child had suddenly appeared.
This child's origins were likely anything but simple!
"Hmph. You old fools."
"It is enough for you to understand certain matters in your hearts. Do not speak of them, and do not let outsiders learn of them," Qian Daoliu snorted coldly.
Li Qinglian's origins were far too extraordinary!
Although the Angel God had guessed Li Qinglian's identity incorrectly, her conclusion had been right.
That was, Li Qinglian was indeed a god born of nature!
He was the incarnation of the Law of Death between heaven and earth, an unquestionable divine tree!
"Hehe. Big Brother, we understand. You know our temperaments. We will certainly protect the Holy Son well," Mighty Lion Douluo said with a chuckle.
Since he was a Holy Son from the heavens, they would naturally spare no effort to win his favor!
"However, the Pope's side probably will not agree so easily."
"For Spirit Hall to invest a Holy Son, according to procedure, Bibi Dong must announce it to the world."
"If a Holy Son is to be established, the talents under Bibi Dong, Xie Yue and Yan, will surely be dissatisfied."
Golden Crocodile Douluo said.
"If they are dissatisfied, then I will beat them until they are convinced."
"Isn't that simple?"
"I can accept their challenges."
Li Qinglian spoke.
Xie Yue, Hu Liena, and Yan were all geniuses Bibi Dong had devoted herself to nurturing, known as Spirit Hall's Golden Generation.
Yet Li Qinglian was completely unknown.
If he became the Holy Son, the two of them would naturally refuse to accept it.
"But Xie Yue and Yan have both already broken through to Soul Elder. I fear they will not be easy for Your Highness the Holy Son to handle," Light Plume Douluo reminded him.
"Even if they are Soul Elders, I will not lose."
Li Qinglian did not take the two seriously at all.
"If that is the case, then everything will be easy."
"Three days from now, we shall have Bibi Dong announce to the world on Pope Mountain that Spirit Hall has gained a Holy Son from this day onward!"
The worshippers looked at the elegant young boy before them, unable to suppress their amazement.
Li Qinglian had Innate Soul Power at level twenty and possessed two purple Soul Rings.
In terms of strength, Xie Yue and Yan might truly not be his match.
Although Li Qinglian was only six years old, no one truly treated him as an ordinary six-year-old child.
No matter how much Bibi Dong wished to obstruct this, Li Qinglian's talent was there for all to see.
In this world, fists ultimately did the talking.
Yan and Xie Yue were both around six years older than Li Qinglian. If their strength still fell short of his when the time came, that enormous gap would instead bring Li Qinglian tremendous prestige.
That would be a good thing instead.
One week later.
At dawn, the first ray of golden light pierced through the clouds, coating the entire Spirit City in dazzling morning radiance.
And this city had long since erupted into excitement.
Pope Mountain.
Towering stone steps rose from the foot of the mountain all the way to its summit. Flags fluttered fiercely on both sides, while Spirit Hall's insignia danced in the morning breeze.
At the foot of the mountain, the vast crowd stretched beyond sight. Soul Masters, nobles, and envoys from across the continent packed into this holy city, gazing up at the mountaintop that symbolized the pinnacle of power.
At the summit of Pope Mountain, upon the high platform.
Bibi Dong stood tall, her black-and-gold papal robes wrapping around her exquisite figure. Her wide sleeves and trailing hem swayed gently in the morning wind.
Her pale golden hair cascaded like a flowing waterfall, every strand steeped in the radiance of authority. Holding the papal scepter, she looked dignified and imposing as she surveyed the countless gazes below.
But deep within her eyes was an almost imperceptible chill.
At her side stood Qian Daoliu and Spirit Hall's many worshippers.
Qian Daoliu, Golden Crocodile, Azure Luan, Light Plume, Mighty Lion... Spirit Hall's Super Douluo had actually all gathered here!
Sharp-eyed Soul Masters in the crowd had already begun whispering among themselves.
"When Hu Liena was made the Holy Maiden, there was never such a grand display..."
"So many worshippers have come. The heavens are about to change!"
Yet what truly sent the entire crowd into an uproar was the appearance of another figure.
Spirit Hall's Holy Maiden had actually come as well.
It was not Hu Liena.
It was Qian Renxue.
When that golden figure appeared at the end of Pope Mountain's stone steps, the air atop the entire mountain seemed to freeze for an instant.
She wore a white-and-gold gown, her golden hair flowing beneath the morning light with an angelic luster. Her bearing was cold and noble, as though she were a living angel that had stepped out from a divine statue.
After returning to the Heaven Dou Empire, Qian Renxue had found an excuse to enter seclusion before secretly returning to Spirit City once more.
To her, even if her infiltration failed, it no longer mattered.
Li Qinglian was the most important person to her now!
Although the Angel God had not forced her, she knew that if she truly got together with Li Qinglian, the Angel God's favor toward her would certainly increase. Becoming a god would then be as simple as saying the word.
Moreover, through indirect probing, she had roughly figured out from the Angel God how the God Realm operated.
The rulers of the God Realm were the Five Supreme Gods.
Other deities, even First-Level Gods, possessed almost no say.
In the God Realm, there were only God Kings and everyone else!
This special organizational structure meant that even First-Level Gods could only barely gain a sense of belonging by attaching themselves to a God King.
With Qian Renxue's pride, she could not allow herself to enter the God Realm in the future only to become an insignificant deity. Drifting through eternal life like that would not be happiness, but torture.
But she knew that she had no chance of becoming a God King!
Rather than enter the God Realm later and become the God Kings' follower, she might as well become a God King's daughter-in-law!
"Big Sister Xue'er, why have you come back again?"
"Didn't you go to carry out a mission?"
Li Qinglian knew that Qian Renxue's mission was to infiltrate the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace as its crown prince, but for now, he could only pretend not to know.
"Because I was afraid Bibi Dong would make things difficult for you."
"If I did not come, Bibi Dong definitely would not lead you up Pope Mountain. Then, even if you were invested as Holy Son, your prestige would be affected."
"Pope Mountain is a very important place. Someone must lead you up there. If you walk up by yourself, it would seem... um... very strange."
Qian Renxue lowered her head to look at him, and a rare trace of warmth rippled through her cool eyes.
Bibi Dong was not strong enough and was even looked down upon by Spirit Hall's worshippers.
But regardless, in the eyes of outsiders, she was the Pope.
Every one of her actions would have a considerable impact on Li Qinglian.
Before you continue