"You little brat!"
Hearing Lin Hao mention his granddaughter Dugu Yan, Dugu Bo's face immediately darkened.
He felt utterly cornered by this brat who looked no older than seventeen or eighteen.
But thinking of his granddaughter Dugu Yan, Dugu Bo could only draw a deep breath and grit his teeth in surrender.
"Brat, you have my word! I'll join Spirit Hall!"
Yet after agreeing to join Spirit Hall...
Dugu Bo looked at Lin Hao with a somewhat conflicted expression and said,
"Still, you found a way for our Jade Phosphorous Serpent Family to resolve the Jade Phosphorus Poison, and you even gave me a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone. That makes you our family's savior."
"If you ever need anything, you can come to me."
"I'll brave boiling water and raging fire for you without hesitation!"
At those words, Lin Hao's eyes lit up. He grinned and cupped his fist in salute.
"Then you have my thanks, Senior Dugu!"
With that, Lin Hao led Dugu Bo out of the room.
Outside, Chrysanthemum Douluo was waiting, leaning against the corridor wall.
Seeing Lin Hao emerge with Dugu Bo, whose expression was still rather sour but had clearly lost its previous forbidding hostility, Chrysanthemum Douluo understood.
"Teacher, I fulfilled my mission!"
"I successfully persuaded Senior Dugu to join our Spirit Hall!"
Lin Hao spoke to Chrysanthemum Douluo with a smile.
Chrysanthemum Douluo was delighted to hear it. He stepped forward, patted Lin Hao's shoulder, and spoke in his soft, feminine voice, full of satisfaction.
"Hao, you haven't let your teacher down!"
"Come, let's go see His Holiness the Pope!"
Then Lin Hao led Dugu Bo along with Chrysanthemum Douluo to Pope Hall once more.
Inside the grand hall of Pope Hall.
Having received the Holy Emperor Guards' report, Bibi Dong sat upright on a throne, holding the Pope's Scepter. A hint of satisfaction graced her noble, coolly beautiful face.
After leading Lin Hao and Dugu Bo inside, Chrysanthemum Douluo bowed and reported excitedly.
"Your Holiness, Hao has successfully persuaded Patriarch Dugu to join our Spirit Hall!"
Hearing Chrysanthemum Douluo's words...
Though he still felt somewhat reluctant, Dugu Bo had already given Lin Hao his word, and he was not the sort to go back on it. He immediately stepped forward and cupped his fist in salute.
"Your Holiness, I am willing to join Spirit Hall and serve it!"
At those words, a satisfied smile finally blossomed on Bibi Dong's noble, beautiful face. She nodded.
"Excellent! From now on, Poison Douluo shall be Spirit Hall's tenth elder!"
"Elder Ju, take Elder Poison back to rest first and make the necessary arrangements."
Bibi Dong gave her instructions.
"Yes, Your Holiness!"
Chrysanthemum Douluo accepted the order and led Dugu Bo out of the grand hall.
Only Bibi Dong and Lin Hao remained inside.
Bibi Dong's gaze settled on Lin Hao. A flicker of emotion crossed her beautiful eyes as she slowly spoke.
"Hao, you did very well."
"I never expected you to convince Dugu Bo to change his mind and join our Spirit Hall."
"For such a great service, I must grant you a reward."
"Tell me, what reward would you like?"
Initially, upon learning that Lin Hao possessed a Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum Martial Soul with innate full Soul Power, Bibi Dong had valued him highly.
But after learning that Lin Hao had chosen the food system path, Bibi Dong had felt his importance diminish considerably.
Thus, she had not even given him a welcoming gift during their previous audience.
Yet unexpectedly, over the past year, she had heard from her disciple Hu Liena...
Although Lin Hao had taken the food system path, he was still a monster!
By transforming the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum into an edible food Martial Soul...
He had brought its body-tempering effects to their fullest potential.
At the Soul Master rank, he possessed a powerful physique capable of contending with Yan, a Soul Elder.
This had made Bibi Dong value Lin Hao highly once again.
Hearing her offer, Lin Hao quickly weighed his options.
If Spirit Hall had an external Soul Bone, he would naturally choose it without hesitation.
But during his last visit to the treasury, he had already confirmed that Spirit Hall's treasury contained no external Soul Bones.
As for the other Soul Bones, he did not think much of them.
After all, he was a transmigrator who knew the plot, and both his talent and his starting circumstances were extraordinary.
His goal was a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone!
Thus, Lin Hao chose humility, lowering his head and speaking respectfully.
"You praise me too highly, Your Holiness. I merely did what I ought to do."
"Senior Dugu was willing to join our Spirit Hall because he admires the illustrious reputation of Your Holiness and Spirit Hall."
"As for a reward, I would not dare ask for too much. I leave everything to Your Holiness's judgment."
Hearing Lin Hao's reply, neither servile nor overbearing, yet humble and courteous...
A trace of satisfaction flashed through Bibi Dong's eyes. She was deeply impressed by how well Lin Hao spoke.
He had neither arrogantly claimed all the credit nor failed to show her due respect as Pope!
Yue Guan had certainly taken in a fine disciple.
Since Lin Hao had made no specific choice, Bibi Dong began considering which treasures in her possession would suit him.
After pondering for a moment, Bibi Dong suddenly thought of something, and a faint smile appeared on her noble, beautiful face.
"You're too modest."
"You performed this mission admirably. I have always rewarded merit and punished wrongdoing!"
"Since you completed such an important mission, and I hear you have just advanced to rank eighteen as a Soul Master..."
"As it happens, I have a stalk of ten-thousand-year blood spirit ginseng. I shall bestow it upon you!"
With that, Bibi Dong turned her delicate hand over and took a jade box from her Storage Soul Tool.
Then a soft glow of Soul Power blossomed in her palm, lifting the jade box and slowly carrying it before Lin Hao.
The lid of the jade box opened on its own.
Inside lay a ten-thousand-year ginseng, blood-red from end to end and as clear and lustrous as crystal.
The ginseng resembled a human figure and was as thick as a baby's wrist. Its roots were intact, and it radiated a vast aura of vitality.
Merely smelling its medicinal fragrance was enough to invigorate the spirit.
"Ten-thousand-year blood spirit ginseng?"
Lin Hao paused, sensing the rich life energy emanating from the ginseng.
He immediately recalled the herbal knowledge he had learned from his teacher, Chrysanthemum Douluo.
Blood spirit ginseng was an exceedingly rare natural treasure that could temper a Soul Master's body and greatly enhance their physique.
It was indeed one of the treasures he needed most right now!
Unable to refuse something so valuable, Lin Hao respectfully accepted the jade box containing the ten-thousand-year blood spirit ginseng, then bowed.
"Thank you, Your Holiness!"
"You may leave."
Bibi Dong waved her hand.
Lin Hao bowed once more, then left Pope Hall carrying the jade box.
By the time he returned to the Chrysanthemum Residence, Chrysanthemum Douluo had already arrived.
Seeing the jade box in Lin Hao's hands, Chrysanthemum Douluo could not help asking curiously,
"Hao, what are you holding?"
"This is the reward His Holiness the Pope gave me-ten-thousand-year blood spirit ginseng!"
Lin Hao answered with a smile.
"Ten-thousand-year blood spirit ginseng?"
Chrysanthemum Douluo's eyes lit up as well. He immediately stepped forward, carefully examined the blood spirit ginseng in the jade box, and clicked his tongue in admiration.
"What a treasure! This ten-thousand-year blood spirit ginseng is exceedingly rare. It works wonders for tempering the body and enhancing one's physique."
"It's perfectly suited to your current cultivation path!"
"Hao, hurry and take it. It's sure to let you break straight through to rank twenty!"
"As it happens, your Uncle Ghost and I have prepared a surprise for you!"
At the end, Chrysanthemum Douluo chuckled and spoke with an air of mystery.
Before you continue