After being reborn, all I want to do is run away.

Chapter 529 Pure Spirit White Lotus

There was no one else in the main hall. If there was no secret room in this hall, Qu Lan would probably have been taken elsewhere.

"You deliberately lured me here, and now you're hiding your true colors. Is this how the Temple of a Hundred Flowers treats its guests?" Shen Xu said coldly to those around him.

"It was my own idea to bring you here, please don't be offended." The ethereal voice echoed in the hall.

A phantom female spirit with long, waist-length hair emerged from the pool.

"Who are you? Where is Qu Lan?" Shen Xu couldn't help but become more vigilant.

“I am the temple spirit. That girl belonged to the temple, and I should thank you for bringing her here.”

"A temple spirit?" Seeing such a spirit with rich emotions, Shen Xu couldn't help but be surprised. Could it be that the temple was also a spiritual treasure?

"You don't need to be surprised. To be precise, I am not a true spirit, but a collection of the wills of the Hundred Flower Maidens throughout the ages. Their will allows me to control everything in the temple."

"What do you mean by saying that Qu Lan originally belonged to the temple?" Shen Xu's voice turned cold.

"She has a special connection with the goddess, and the temple is her best place to belong."

"You can give it a try!" Shen Xu's voice turned completely cold.

"What if she did it voluntarily?"

"Impossible! Where is she now? I need to take her with me."

"You don't need to worry. Now that I've brought you here, I'll naturally explain things to you clearly."

But before that, can you tell me why you came to the temple?

Shen Xu coldly looked at the spirit, "I want an answer: what does the goddess's return mean for the Xingchuan Domain?"

The spirit gave Shen Xu a meaningful look. "Few people would connect the return of the goddess to such a vast concept as Xingchuan Domain. After all, Goddess Peak is just a corner of the land. Your vision is exceptionally far-sighted."

The Goddess will become the second Saint of the Xingchuan Domain at Goddess Peak. I think you should know the significance of the second Saint for the Xingchuan Domain.

"What about the Four Sword Saints? The Goddess's ascension to sainthood will inevitably affect the Four Sword Saints. Why is the Four Sword Alliance completely indifferent to the events at Goddess Peak? I don't believe they are unaware of the Goddess's affairs."

"One of the conditions for the Crimson Origin Sect to join the Four Directions Sword Alliance was that the Four Directions Sword Alliance must not interfere with the affairs of Goddess Peak, as Goddess and Four Directions Sword Saint are equal competitors."

In a sense, the Four Sword Saints were the later arrivals. I wonder if this answer satisfies you?

Shen Xu was taken aback, then asked, "What is the relationship between the Song family and the Goddess? Why are they helping the Goddess?"

"It seems you know more than I do. The Song family made a deal with the Goddess; helping her return is their inescapable destiny!"

Shen Xu's gaze toward the spirit grew increasingly profound. "So, the freezing of Goddess Peak was also the Goddess's plan. Everything was her preparation for becoming a saint."

The spirit smiled. "You could say that."

"What's the price?"

"What you see today is the price you pay." The spirit gestured for Shen Xu to look at the white jade lotus platform on the wall inside the hall.

"I cannot agree with the idea that a sacred realm can only be achieved by sacrificing the lives of others."

"The success of one general is built on the bones of ten thousand. No saint's path to sainthood is without bloodshed. The goddess's methods are gentle enough."

All the Flower Maidens volunteered to dedicate themselves to the Goddess, and in return, they will gain near-eternal life when the Goddess ignites the sacred fire—a win-win situation.

"That letter was left by the old temple keeper under your manipulation." Shen Xu's gaze instantly turned icy.

"You are indeed very smart."

What's the story behind Qu Lan?

He remembered Qu Lan telling him that the goddess told him to leave Hundred Flowers City as soon as possible, but now it seemed that the person was definitely not the goddess.

"Qu Lan was originally chosen by the goddess as her vessel, but her fate was secretly changed, and she escaped our control."

It must be said that the person who carried out this plan was very resourceful, able to come up with this method to avoid the goddess's gaze.

Unfortunately, she was still one step behind, not anticipating that Bixuan's piety would actually attract the goddess's attention.

The spirit's words immediately made Shen Xu think of many things. Only one person in Hundred Flowers City could change someone's fate, and it was obvious who the person who swapped fates with Qu Lan was!

The role of the old temple keeper is quite intriguing.

What exactly are she and Guo Yao planning? And what role does he play in their scheme?

"What do you want from me?" Shen Xu looked up at the spirit.

"It's so easy to talk to smart people. You possess a pure white lotus that can reshape the goddess's body."

"As long as you are willing to offer it to the goddess, the goddess will no longer need a temporary vessel, and Qu Lan will naturally not need to make a sacrifice for the goddess."

"I dare to give it to her, you ask her if she dares to take it?" Shen Xu sneered.

"This is none of your business," the spirit said dismissively.

Shen Xu frowned. The goddess dared to want his Crystal Heart Lotus, especially at this moment of becoming a saint.

I wonder if they are truly unafraid of the backlash from Heaven, or if they have some other purpose?

"Can I ask what benefit I get from doing this? Don't tell me you're planning to get something for nothing!" Shen Xu asked coldly.

"The Seven Star Saints are old and frail. After the Goddess becomes a saint, the entire Xingchuan Domain will submit to her. The benefits you can gain are immeasurable."

"What's the difference between this and getting something for nothing? How can you be so sure that the goddess will definitely become a saint?"

"If the goddess fails, wouldn't I have suffered a loss for nothing?"

"No investment is without risk, and not everyone is qualified to dedicate themselves to the goddess." The spirit's voice also turned cold.

"It seems I have no other choice." Shen Xu sighed softly.

"I am willing to offer the Crystal Lotus to the Goddess, but I have one condition, and you wouldn't want me to refuse, would you?"

"you say!"

"Release Qu Lan and Xiao Feng from the temple! Someone outside will pick them up." Shen Xu looked at the spirit.

"Sure, I'll let them go once I get the Pure Spirit White Lotus."

“I don’t trust you. At least let Xiao Feng leave first! Xiao Feng will leave the temple tomorrow. I think there’s no difference between today and tomorrow.”

The spirit gave Shen Xu a deep look. "I have high hopes for your talent. After the goddess returns, your path will be even brighter. I hope you can think carefully about the pros and cons."

The spirit then slowly merged into the spirit pool.

Before Shen Xu appeared a phantom light screen, and inside was Xiao Feng, who was quietly praying to the goddess statue in the room.

At this moment, a beautiful woman appeared in her room and said something to Xiao Feng, after which Xiao Feng's eyes instantly dimmed.

Then, urged by the woman, he packed his luggage while shedding tears.

Xiao Feng said something to the woman, but the woman simply shook her head.

Shen Xu sighed softly. He knew that Xiao Feng wanted to say goodbye in person to the other people in the temple who had taken care of her.

He had personally extinguished her hope, but he had no other choice.

As Xiao Feng's figure completely disappeared outside the portal, the spirit reappeared beside him.

“I have fulfilled your request, and you should keep your promise.”

"I value promises the most, so I will naturally cooperate with you in the best of my ability."

However, I don't have the ability to remove that flower myself. I wonder how you plan to remove the lotus flower.

Shen Xu smiled. If the spirit of the palace could really help him retrieve the Crystal Heart Lotus, he would naturally be more than happy to do so.

After all, the Crystal Lotus is about to explode.

The skull had warned him during his time in the Thunder Pool Secret Realm, instructing him to do his best to repair the Glazed Heart Lotus.

But he is determined to run away. If the Crystal Lotus suddenly explodes while he is running away, he can be reincarnated.

"You have one day to establish a connection with each of the white jade lotus platforms here through the Spirit Pool. At the moment when the goddess returns, in the chaos of heavenly secrets, the white jade lotus platforms will guide the pure white lotus out of your soul."

"Huh? Forced to pull!" Shen Xu's expression changed slightly.

"This process is natural, and you don't need to worry about it causing any damage to your soul."

"Can I use all the soul power here?" Shen Xu asked tentatively.

"The Spirit Pool was originally built so that the vessel could bear the goddess's spirit. Now that the goddess has chosen you, you may use it as you see fit."

"You said it yourself." Shen Xu looked at the spirit pool, unable to contain his excitement.