Lin Feng wanted to use an immortal herb to exchange for partial authority over the Knight Order, which would be useful for Qian Renxue when she took control of the Elder Hall in the future.
Meanwhile, Bibi Dong wanted to get her hands on an immortal herb for free. Even if she lost the bet, she could still use this opportunity to get closer to Lin Feng and further her own plans.
Lin Feng smiled, gently squeezing Qian Renxue's hand, and then took out a jade box from his storage ring.
Inside the box was a pale pink flower, leafless, with a stem three feet long and an unusually large bloom.
Each petal was as clear as crystal, and the stamen was a deep purple, resembling a gemstone embedded within.
This was the Aromatic Silk Beauty.
"This flower is called the Aromatic Silk Beauty.
It cannot detoxify poison directly, but it is the bane of all toxins, capable of neutralizing any poison."
As soon as the jade box was opened, a faint, soothing fragrance filled the air.
Everyone present felt refreshed and at ease.
Bibi Dong, in particular, stared at the immortal herb in Lin Feng's hand, her eyes wide with astonishment.
The moment she inhaled the fragrance, she felt the mental suppression and the torment of the Rakshasa God's divine power weaken slightly.
Her gaze toward the Aromatic Silk Beauty grew intense.
The constant erosion of the Rakshasa God's malevolent energy had been tormenting her endlessly. Now, something that could alleviate even a fraction of that pain had appeared. How could she not be excited?
With trembling hands, she took the jade box from Lin Feng and greedily inhaled the fragrance.
Her mind felt clearer than it had in years.
Lin Feng quietly observed Bibi Dong's reaction and nodded to himself. As expected, the Aromatic Silk Beauty could slightly suppress the erosion of the Rakshasa God's malevolent energy.
Although the effect was minimal, it was enough for now. This would buy him time to come up with a more permanent solution.
You didn't expect this, did you, Bibi Dong? Even this immortal herb is part of my plan.
After storing the Aromatic Silk Beauty, Bibi Dong let out a long breath.
She looked at Lin Feng with an unreadable expression.
(I never expected you to surprise me again, Lin Feng.)
Her greed grew even stronger.
Once she sat back down, Bibi Dong regained her usual composure.
"Xiao Feng, tell me, how much whale glue should Nana take, and how much can her second soul ring's year increase?"
Qian Renxue's brows furrowed, and she suddenly stood up:
"You dare call him Xiao Feng!?"
Bibi Dong smirked:
"What? You can call him that, but I can't?
I'm older than him, aren't I? What's wrong with calling him Xiao Feng?"
Qian Renxue glared at Bibi Dong:
"You're not allowed to call him that!"
Bibi Dong rested her chin on her hand, amused by Qian Renxue's reaction.
"I'll call him whatever I want. What are you going to do about it?"
"You… You've got what you came for. Now get out!"
Bang!
Qian Renxue slammed her hand on the table, glaring at Bibi Dong.
(Get out? This is the first time I've heard my dear daughter use such a word. It seems she really does love Lin Feng…)
Bibi Dong narrowed her eyes and stood up.
Ling Yan immediately stepped in front of Lin Feng and Qian Renxue.
"Why are you so afraid of me? I'm not going to do anything.
On the contrary, I'm very grateful to Xiao Feng for giving me the immortal herb."
Qian Renxue took a deep breath. For some reason, hearing Bibi Dong call Lin Feng "Xiao Feng" made her blood boil.
Lin Feng stood up and glanced at Hu Liena, who looked utterly lost and anxious.
He stepped in front of Qian Renxue, blocking Bibi Dong from her view.
"If you use thousand-year whale glue, her second soul ring can reach around 1,100 years. If you use ten-thousand-year whale glue, it can reach around 1,700 years.
For now, she should only absorb one piece. Taking more won't help, and there's a limit to how much her body can handle. The effects will diminish over time.
The exact amount will depend on her physical condition. I'm sure the Pope has ways to assess Hu Liena's limits."
Bibi Dong nodded and took Hu Liena's hand.
She walked a few steps to the side and smiled at Qian Renxue, who was still behind Lin Feng:
"See? Xiao Feng knows how to handle things properly."
With that, she left with Hu Liena.
Qian Renxue stepped out from behind Lin Feng, her eyes fixed on the hand Bibi Dong was holding Hu Liena's with.
Anger flashed in her eyes. Since she was a child, Bibi Dong had never held her hand like that.
Why did this so-called personal disciple, who came out of nowhere, deserve such treatment?
Qian Renxue snorted and angrily shattered the teacup Bibi Dong had used.
"Why does she get to call him Xiao Feng? Why can she act so shamelessly?"
She took a sip of tea and looked at Lin Feng.
"Xiao Feng, why did you have to trade for partial authority over the Knight Order? Let her be the damn Pope if she wants.
I wouldn't want a boring life like that, even if it lasted decades. Giving her an immortal herb was such a waste."
Lin Feng shrugged. Bibi Dong's ambitions were vast—she wanted to create the Spirit Empire, conquer the other two empires, and unify the continent.
If she were given complete control over all military forces, it would be difficult to manage later.
"Her ambitions are too great. Having one person hold all the power is never a good thing. It's better to establish checks and balances early.
Besides, she would have found out about the immortal herbs eventually. It was only a matter of time.
It's better to settle this now than to deal with more complications later."
Qian Renxue pouted and reluctantly nodded.
"Fine, but it still makes me angry."
Ling Yan, seeing that Bibi Dong and Hu Liena had finally left, let out a sigh of relief.
"Xiao Feng, we still need to be careful. There's something about her that makes me uneasy.
I don't know why her attitude changed so much this time, but if she suddenly attacks like last time, it could be dangerous."
Lin Feng nodded:
"Don't worry too much. We'll be leaving soon, and we won't be spending much time in Spirit City each year.
Being the Pope isn't just about power. It also comes with responsibilities that will consume most of her time and energy."
Qian Renxue sighed:
"Xiao Feng, let's finish shaping my first soul vein and leave as soon as possible.
Aside from this little house, there's nothing interesting here. It's even more boring than Heaven Dou City."
Lin Feng teased her:
"I wonder what Grandpa would say if he heard that?"
Qian Renxue raised an eyebrow:
"He'd probably sigh and lament for a while, don't you think?"
The three of them laughed.
Unbeknownst to them, Qian Daoliu, who was hiding nearby, felt a pang of sadness.
He had sensed Bibi Dong's arrival at the cabin and had been monitoring the situation the entire time.
Although he didn't understand why Bibi Dong's attitude toward Lin Feng seemed to have softened, it was still a good thing.
Trading an immortal herb for partial authority over the Knight Order would ensure that Qian Renxue wouldn't be completely controlled by Bibi Dong after his death.
Even if he handed the Elder Hall over to Qian Renxue, the division of power between the Elder Hall and the Pope Hall would still create some balance.
As for Lin Feng's claim that only two immortal herbs remained, that was a lie. Qian Daoliu knew there were at least three more.
Hearing their laughter, Qian Daoliu felt a surge of irritation.
A voice suddenly echoed in Lin Feng's ear:
"Brat, it's time for you to come and ask for my guidance in combat training!"
Lin Feng's smile froze. He realized he'd been caught mocking the lonely old man.