Morning came, and the sun rose. They had spent the night sleeping together beneath the moonlight.
Lin Gu opened his eyes slightly, but Qian Renxue was already nowhere to be seen.
"Xiao Xue!"
He called softly and looked around. Clouds drifted slowly past, but there was no sign of Qian Renxue.
He rose and stretched, planning to visit Spirit Hall's Pope's Palace to see just what they were planning.
Lin Gu walked out of the Worship Hall. Without Qian Renxue's wings, he could only make his own way down. It really was high up.
Lin Gu also thought that the equipment to come should include flight and speed abilities.
Although he was already invincible, control and speed might prove troublesome. Although they couldn't hurt him, they could run away.
Things would get much better once the [Damage Reflection Pauldrons] appeared, though. He could simply stand still and reflect enemies to death.
Lin Gu pondered this. After all, there were seven more pieces of equipment to come, so their capabilities should be very comprehensive.
Passing through layer upon layer of clouds from the Worship Hall, he finally reached Spirit Hall on the ground. Unable to fly, he could only ride the unique mechanism here, which could not be taken up without identity verification.
A short while later, he arrived at the Pope's Palace.
Outside, Lin Gu cupped his hands and said:
"Lin Gu pays his respects to Your Holiness!"
"Come in!"
A cool, stern voice rang out. He had not seen Bibi Dong since she left that day, and he did not know what today's business was.
Lin Gu slowly pushed open the doors, letting the light shine in.
Looking over, he saw two people seated on high: Bibi Dong and Qian Daoliu!
Lin Gu first bowed to both of them, cupping his hands as he said:
"Lin Gu pays his respects to Your Holiness and Master!"
Both nodded, seemingly having reached some sort of agreement. Only after greeting them did Lin Gu get a clear look at the situation here.
Nearby stood Golden Crocodile, Qian Jun, Jiang Mo, and the others. All seven great enshrined were actually present, standing quietly beside Qian Daoliu.
Beside Bibi Dong stood Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan, Ghost Douluo Gui Mei, Snake Lance Douluo, Porcupinefish Douluo, and all the other elders.
Lin Gu froze for a moment. What occasion was this? Why had every Titled Douluo in Spirit Hall come?
Lin Gu was somewhat puzzled. Just then, Qian Daoliu slowly spoke:
"Xiao Gu, we called you here today because we have something important to announce!"
Lin Gu watched them and listened quietly.
Qian Daoliu continued:
"After discussions among Spirit Hall's seven great enshrined, Pope Bibi Dong, and all of Spirit Hall's elders, we hereby appoint Lin Gu as Spirit Hall's Holy Son today. Once you grow into a Titled Douluo, we will hand all of Spirit Hall over to you. What do you think, Lin Gu?"
Lin Gu looked around at the gathering. Every expert in Spirit Hall had come. If he refused, he probably wouldn't be able to walk out of here.
But Lin Gu understood, too. An extraordinary power existed that even they might not be able to control. If it was not on their side and became their enemy in the future, it would be a road to death.
So this move by Spirit Hall was only natural. Lin Gu had wanted to take over Spirit Hall and run it properly anyway; otherwise, Bibi Dong would ruin it.
He therefore cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, Master. Your disciple is naturally willing!"
Hearing this, the Titled Douluo behind him all breathed sighs of relief, and Qian Daoliu and Bibi Dong smiled as well.
Bibi Dong immediately followed up:
"Lin Gu! You are a genius the entire continent sees only once in a thousand years. Spirit Hall will be in your hands in the future. When the time comes, lead Spirit Hall in unifying the continent."
Lin Gu smiled faintly and looked around, but found no trace of Qian Renxue, so he asked:
"Master, where is Sister Xiao Xue?"
Qian Daoliu gave a weighty sigh and slowly said:
"Xiao Gu, Xiao Xue has gone to the Heaven Dou Empire as an undercover agent. Yesterday, I explained Spirit Hall's plan to unify the continent to her. First, you will serve as the Holy Son, displaying Spirit Hall's might in the open and winning forces over, while Xiao Xue works in the shadows to completely dismantle the Heaven Dou Empire and help us unify the continent. When the time comes, both you and Xiao Xue will have rendered great service, and Spirit Hall will belong to you both."
Qian Daoliu naturally knew of the feelings between Lin Gu and Qian Renxue. He had told Xiao Xue yesterday to explain things clearly to him. It seemed she had ultimately been unable to bring herself to speak.
After hearing this, Lin Gu found that his guess had indeed been right. He looked over all the Titled Douluo behind them in Spirit Hall and counted them silently. Spirit Hall's elders were all Titled Douluo. Besides some familiar elders, Titled Douluo who had never appeared in the original work were also present. In short, every Titled Douluo in Spirit Hall had come.
Counting Bibi Dong and Qian Daoliu, there were actually a full twenty-one Titled Douluo. He said:
"Spirit Hall currently has twenty-one Titled Douluo, not even counting those still being trained. We also have powerful Soul Douluo and Soul Saints, and countless ordinary Soul Masters. Who on the continent can stand against us? Do we still need to send someone undercover? There's really no need. Let Xiao Xue come back."
Qian Daoliu slowly explained, while Bibi Dong listened beside him:
"Xiao Gu, you don't understand. Although Spirit Hall has the most Titled Douluo, certain forces on the continent would be very troublesome if they joined hands. This approach is safer."
Lin Gu smiled calmly after hearing this. Clearly, only strength could settle everything, so he said:
"Don't you still have me? With me here, there's no need for all this trouble. Let Xiao Xue come back. With me here, unifying the continent in the future won't require all this trouble!"
Seeing this, Qian Daoliu did not want Qian Renxue to waste her time working undercover either, but they had discussed and devised this strategy for Spirit Hall's sake. Thus, he spoke to Lin Gu as an elder:
"Xiao Gu, I know you're somewhat proud right now. With such talent, that's only natural. But there are still many experts living hidden from the world on this continent, beyond what you imagine. You should settle your heart. Only by working with Qian Renxue, one in the shadows and one in the open, can we ensure nothing goes wrong."
Lin Gu gave repeated snorts of laughter upon hearing this, then immediately said:
"Master, it seems you need to reassess my strength. Since I'm now Spirit Hall's Holy Son, I should also have the right to participate in planning."
As Lin Gu spoke, he turned his gaze toward Chrysanthemum Douluo and said:
"Elder Ju, sorry for the trouble. Please bring Xiao Xue back."
Chrysanthemum Douluo was caught in a dilemma, unsure what to do. Should he obey? He glanced at Bibi Dong, and only after seeing her nod did he acknowledge the request and leave.
"Xiao Gu, Xiao Xue volunteered for this herself. Once she arrives, talk things through with her!"
Lin Gu said nothing and simply waited quietly. Before long, Chrysanthemum Douluo brought Qian Renxue over.
The moment Qian Renxue saw Lin Gu, her face lit up with a smile, and she said:
"Xiao Gu, I came to see you after all!"
Lin Gu said very calmly, "Xiao Xue, do you really want to go undercover? If you don't want to, you don't have to go."
Qian Renxue pressed her lips together, her expression somewhat hesitant, but she still said:
"Isn't it for Spirit Hall? So I'll go. I'm volunteering, for Spirit Hall, and for you!"
Qian Renxue gazed at Lin Gu, her eyes fixed on him dreamily.
But Lin Gu heard the reluctance in his words and said:
"But when we first met, you wanted to kill me over this, and you were troubled by it for a long time."
Hearing this, Qian Renxue gave a feigned laugh and said:
"I was just acting out of spite then. I've thought it through now."
After hearing this, Lin Gu fell silent for a long while, thinking, They actually want to wait until I become a Titled Douluo before handing Spirit Hall over to me. The current leadership is somewhat lacking in boldness.
He looked at Qian Renxue and smiled. With a solution already in mind, he said very calmly:
"Xiao Xue, as long as you say you don't want to, I'll make it happen for you."