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**
Time passed swiftly; receiving the Purple Record Medals and the Blood Bodhis felt like it had only happened yesterday.
On the morning of the following day, Ling Xiao walked out of the Spirit Hall Academy and ascended the mountain where the Pope Hall was situated. Utilizing his Purple Record Medal, he was—unsurprisingly—not met with any obstruction.
Ling Xiao couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
This medal was indeed quite useful.
No wonder Xu Yu had been so envious of him getting it yesterday.
With this medal, in a sense, he had transitioned from being a mere student to a true member of Spirit Hall—and a member of the Pope's inner circle at that. He could pass through any non-classified area without hindrance and even request a direct audience with the Pope.
Looking at the magnificent complex of palaces before him, Ling Xiao still couldn't help but marvel, even though he had seen it several times. It was truly worthy of being the headquarters of the continent's number one power.
After a few glances, he didn't linger and headed inside. However, he did not enter the central main hall but instead made his way toward the side palaces. The Pope Hall was staggering in scale; aside from the massive main assembly hall, there were numerous side palaces.
Among them, two side palace complexes were the largest. One was the Elder Hall located on the Far East side, and the other was the Judgment Hall on the far west.
In terms of status within Spirit Hall, these two were arguably second only to the Douluo Enshrinement Hall and the Pope Hall itself, surpassing other nearby side halls such as the Medicine King Hall, the War Soul Hall, and the Soul Tool Hall.
This was Ling Xiao's first time venturing deep into the Pope Hall alone. In the past, he had always been led directly to a specific destination, so he wasn't in a rush. He observed his surroundings carefully as he walked.
He could feel that basically every side palace contained many powerful auras—at least at the Soul King level or higher. Coming here felt like entering the core area of the Star Dou Forest, surrounded by countless powerful beings.
After walking for a considerable amount of time, Ling Xiao finally arrived at the inner depths of the Pope Hall, slightly to the left. Not far ahead sat a palace that was grand yet elegant. A plaque hung above with three striking characters: Saintess Palace.
"Saintess Palace?" Ling Xiao muttered under his breath.
Nana had mentioned yesterday that she lived in a palace on the left side of the inner court, but he hadn't expected it to be the Saintess Palace. According to the rules of Spirit Hall, only a Saintess officially appointed by the Pope could reside there.
Although Ling Xiao knew that Hu Liena would be established as the Saintess in a few years—likely when she was in her twenties—she hadn't officially received the title yet.
"Her Holiness has let Nana move into the Saintess Palace so early... her intention to name her as the Saintess is as clear as day!" Ling Xiao shook his head with a wry smile. Having said that, Ling Xiao stepped forward and asked the female temple guards on duty to announce him.
Soon, he was led inside.
Even before entering the main hall of the Saintess Palace, he could see from the exterior that the interior space was quite vast. However, the style was completely different from the rest of the Pope Hall.
It wasn't as solemn or imposing; instead, it possessed a quiet and refined elegance. The environment was beautiful, and the air carried a refreshing scent that put the mind at ease. In such an environment, whether one was cultivating or resting, it was exceptionally suitable.
Gazing at the unusually beautiful flowers and plants whose names he didn't know, Ling Xiao couldn't help but wonder: Did Nana arrange all of this? Does she have a knack for this, or did Elder Chrysanthemum teach her?
"Ling Xiao, you're here!"
Suddenly, a voice full of joy rang out from within the main hall.
Ling Xiao turned his head to look.
Hu Liena was not wearing her usual tight-fitting, pale-gold battle attire.
Instead, she had changed into an orange-gold long dress.
Perhaps because she was in her own residence, she appeared very relaxed. She didn't radiate the aura of her Charming Fox Martial Soul, and the charm in her eyes had faded, leaving them looking remarkably pure.
"Indeed, I've arrived," Ling Xiao replied with a smile.
"Only, I didn't expect you to be living in the Saintess Palace, Nana. Her Holiness truly dotes on you too much."
"All of you, dismissed," Hu Liena said with a casual, slightly solemn air, signaling the surrounding maids and temple guards to leave. She then turned back to Ling Xiao and asked, "So, what do you think? Is the Saintess Palace beautiful?"
"Mhm, it's very beautiful indeed. Especially these flowers and plants—they add a great deal of elegance and charm to the palace."
"While other parts of the Pope Hall are impressive, they ultimately project a certain pressure. It's not like here, where one can't help but want to relax. Was this your handiwork as well? I didn't know you had such talents, Nana."
"Ling Xiao, you've guessed wrong this time." Hu Liena shook her head and explained, "I only moved into the Saintess Palace last night. Previously, I always lived with Teacher in the innermost chambers of the Pope Hall."
"After the Purple Record Medals were awarded yesterday, Teacher told me in the afternoon that I would be living here from now on. As for these flowers and plants, I'm not entirely sure either. However, I heard that this was Teacher's residence back before she became the Pope."
"So that's how it is." Hearing Hu Liena's words, Ling Xiao nodded slightly, though he was inwardly surprised.
He naturally knew that Bibi Dong had once been the Saintess of Spirit Hall, but he hadn't expected that someone as mentally and externally formidable as Her Holiness would have lived in such a warm and refined place.
It seemed that she, too, must have once given off a feeling as refreshing as a spring breeze, rather than the ever-deepening majesty she possessed now—a presence so heavy that people dared not look her in the eye, the embodiment of a powerful woman, or even an Empress.
Pursing her lips, Hu Liena glanced around briefly before taking a few steps forward, closing the distance between herself and Ling Xiao.
She whispered, "Ling Xiao, tell me... what does Teacher mean by this? I know the Saintess Palace is a place where only the Saintess of Spirit Hall can reside. Now that Teacher has let me move in, could it be..."
Hu Liena didn't finish the sentence, but Ling Xiao understood her meaning.
Looking at her, he asked, "Nana, do you not want to be the Saintess?"
Shaking her head, Hu Liena spoke softly, "I never imagined I would become the Saintess of Spirit Hall."
"Although I am Teacher's disciple now, I've always known that I was originally just an orphan adopted by Spirit Hall. Everything I have today is because of Teacher. She treats me like her own daughter; I only want to stay by her side forever."
Listening to Hu Liena, Ling Xiao felt a hint of melancholy in her mood.
Not wishing for her to remain in such a state, he joked, "You only want to be with Her Holiness? Nana, does that mean Big Brother Xie Yue has been kicked out by his own sister? He'd be so heartbroken! Sigh..."
As he spoke, Ling Xiao even struck a mock pose of deep sorrow.
Hearing Ling Xiao's words, Hu Liena was momentarily stunned, her original emotional state completely disrupted by his antics.
**
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