The token's material was special; it was crafted from Meteorite Iron and had a beautiful appearance.
Most importantly, judging by the Angel depiction on it, it was actually an Elder Token from the Worship Hall, not the Spirit Hall!
This truly terrified Cardinal Sony!
A person holding a Worship Hall token symbolized the authority of the Great Enshrinement, but how did Lin Xiao obtain this token?
Sony's attitude instantly did a complete one-eighty. He carefully held the token and turned to ask Lin Xiao:
"Young friend, who gave you this token?"
Lin Xiao glanced at Sony with a half-smile and said faintly:
"Besides the Great Enshrinement of the Spirit Hall, who else is qualified to give out this token?"
Sony's expression immediately became serious.
He held the token with both hands and returned it to Lin Xiao, musing:
"The Elder Tokens of the Spirit Hall and the Elder Tokens of the Worship Hall have different jurisdictions. The Spirit Hall's Elder Token symbolizes supreme honor. The person holding this token will receive a personal audience with His Excellency the Pope, and those in the Spirit Hall cannot make things difficult for them."
"However, seeing a Worship Hall Elder Token is like the Great Enshrinement personally arriving. Theoretically speaking, from the moment I saw this token and confirmed its authenticity, I have temporarily become your subordinate, young friend."
"Please feel free to give me any instructions you have, young friend."
After speaking, Sony observed Lin Xiao's reaction and tentatively asked:
"However, I will report everything that happened in Skywater City in full. I wonder if this will cause any trouble for the young friend?"
What Lin Xiao wanted was for Sony to report it.
His wings were fully grown now; he didn't need to be overly cautious. Today's events were a test of the Spirit Hall's attitude.
Are they enemies or friends?
Let the Spirit Hall choose!
Lin Xiao and the Spirit Hall didn't have a deep-seated blood feud, and the world wasn't simply black and white. As interests shifted, inseparable friends might become strangers, and opponents who were previously at odds might even become confidants.
This was also Lin Xiao subtly conveying his attitude.
He was giving the power of choice to the Spirit Hall!
There was no conflict. Sony decisively backed down the moment he saw the Worship Hall Elder Token. At the same time, he listed the information that Lin Xiao was a Soul Saint and that all seven of his Soul Rings were Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings as the most urgent intelligence and transmitted it to Spirit City immediately.
Lin Xiao returned to Heaven Dou City with Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er.
The Spirit Hall's reaction, on the other hand, was quite interesting.
Bibi Dong and Qian Daoliu displayed completely different attitudes.
...
Pope's Palace.
Bibi Dong, dressed in a magnificent gilded Pope Robe and holding the Gem Scepter, heard about the matter, and her face visibly darkened at a speed almost discernible to the naked eye. A cold sneer played on her lips as she said mockingly:
"Good! Good! Well done!"
"I originally thought Lin Xiao was truly a talented individual with unyielding integrity, refusing my invitation twice. I didn't expect him to be waiting for a better offer, becoming a lackey of the Worship Hall!"
"It seems This Old Man is not worthy of his attention!"
Chrysanthemum Douluo, who was standing nearby, didn't even dare to breathe heavily. At this moment, Bibi Dong seemed shrouded in a dark cloud; her aura was bone-chillingly cold, and her pressure was astonishing.
It seemed that the matter of Lin Xiao holding a Worship Hall Elder Token angered Bibi Dong far more than when Tang Hao caused a disturbance at the Pope's Palace back then.
But Chrysanthemum Douluo had, after all, followed Bibi Dong for many years. When Qian Xunji had brought him and Gui Mei to ambush Tang Hao, Qian Xunji was left critically wounded, while he and Gui Mei returned unharmed. Even though Qian Daoliu hadn't made things difficult, Chrysanthemum Douluo couldn't eat or sleep peacefully and eventually accepted the Olive Branch offered by Bibi Dong.
In a sense, he and Gui Mei were Bibi Dong's isolated loyalists.
Therefore, once Bibi Dong's emotions had slightly calmed down.
He still advised:
"Your Excellency the Pope, that Lin Xiao is a Monster of talent, but there is no evidence to show that he has joined the Worship Hall. He may not necessarily be the Great Enshrinement's person. Perhaps this is just a means for the Great Enshrinement to win people over?"
"If we treat Lin Xiao as the Great Enshrinement's person because of this, won't we be pushing Lin Xiao towards the Great Enshrinement? It would be better to do him a favor and bestow grace upon him."
These words were like poking a hornet's nest.
Bibi Dong's hatred for the Qian family was beyond Chrysanthemum Douluo's imagination.
Her willow brows shot up, and her voice was like cold ice.
"Impudent! Are you also betraying me from within?"
"That Lin Xiao already has a Worship Hall Elder Token; what grace is there to bestow? Showing weakness at this time would only make it seem like I value him greatly! This child is arrogant and has repeatedly refused me!"
"Are you suggesting I should be rejected again and suffer humiliation?"
Bibi Dong said with hatred:
"However, I understand this child's reliance now, hehe. To reach the cultivation of a Soul Saint at such a young age, and even have all of his Soul Rings as Ten Thousand Year configuration, there can only be one possibility!"
The Pope's narrow Feng eyes slightly narrowed, and her fair, beautiful face was filled with a chilling sneer. She was certain that Lin Xiao had obtained a Godhood trial!
With this, all the mysteries surrounding Lin Xiao were easily solved.
But the Godhood trials are difficult. The stronger the Godhood, the harsher the trial conditions. Someone like Lin Xiao, with his cultivation speed, probably didn't cultivate much of his Soul Power himself. In that case, the completion rate of his trials would be very high, and the poor quality of the trials would be obvious.
Bibi Dong's lips curved slightly, full of sarcasm.
Did that old thing, Qian Daoliu, think that Qian Renxue plus Lin Xiao could counter her? She looked forward to the day when he would be disappointed, watching with his own eyes as she slaughtered the Qian family!
With the mysterious veil over Lin Xiao lifted, Bibi Dong actually felt a sense of relief. She was confident that once she became a God, she would be stronger than Qian Renxue. Lin Xiao wasn't even fit to carry her shoes!
...
Worship Hall.
The confusion in Qian Daoliu's heart was finally resolved.
He knelt before the Angel God statue, praying devoutly.
So this was the Angel God's painstaking effort? Perhaps Lin Xiao was the help the Angel God guided to Qian Renxue, to help Qian Renxue solve the big problem that was Bibi Dong.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel ashamed.
Because before this, he had been extremely puzzled by the Angel God's blessing upon Lin Xiao. Had he not doubted the Angel God's will in his heart?
"Golden Crocodile, help me tell Bibi Dong that I won't interfere with Spirit Hall's expansion, but she doesn't need to worry about Lin Xiao's matters. Just grant Lin Xiao privileges."
This was also a subtle warning to Bibi Dong.
Bibi Dong's thoughts were hard to guess. The darkness deep within this woman was something even Qian Daoliu couldn't see through, and it was the biggest unstable factor. It was necessary to warn her not to have any wicked thoughts.
At the very least, before she reached the Limit Douluo stage, he could still keep her in check.
Qian Daoliu sighed faintly.
He had staked everything on Qian Renxue. In the face of ascending to Godhood, he no longer cared about the power struggles within Spirit Hall or the turbulent events on the Continent.
Without becoming a God, one was ultimately just dust.
This was also why he had intentionally or unintentionally allowed Bibi Dong to build her forces and vie for power.
Perhaps these things could distract Bibi Dong's energy.
"Lin Xiao... will you bring This Old Man a surprise?"
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