With this plan in mind, Jiang Lin returned his focus to the real world.
"So, are we going to the Temple now?" Jiang Lin asked.
Kenan, having just lost to Jiang Lin, felt a bit disgraced and didn't really want to answer.
Instead, Forest, who had been watching from the sidelines, looked at Jiang Lin with an appreciative gaze and spoke up.
"Yes, the sooner the better. Let's go."
At that moment, Jiang Lin asked again, "Um, could I trouble you two for a favor?"
"What kind of favor?" Forest asked.
"It would be a bit of a waste of time if I just walked there. I'm feeling quite sleepy right now, so could I trouble you two to use 【Levitation】 to carry me over?"
"Huh?"
Clearly, the two of them didn't quite get what this master of time management meant.
After saying this, Jiang Lin checked his equipped title, 【Pope of One of the Four Great Secret Cults (Legendary)】. Once he confirmed everything was correct, he claimed his quest rewards.
Immediately, a massive influx of memories unique to high-tier skills flooded into Jiang Lin's mind.
After enduring it for a few moments, his vision went dark, and he successfully lost consciousness.
"Holy crap!"
Seeing Jiang Lin topple backward, Kenan, who had just fought him, let out a startled cry and rushed forward to catch Jiang Lin's body.
He was deathly afraid that he had somehow caused a problem for this genius paladin.
For a moment, the three people still conscious on the scene were completely bewildered.
'Is this from over-exhaustion?'
Kenan hurriedly checked Jiang Lin's condition.
"His mind took a hit; it should be from over-exhaustion."
Hearing this, and considering Jiang Lin's mental power level which far exceeded that of a rank-3 paladin, the three felt this explanation was likely close to the truth.
Jiang Lin must have overextended his mental power; otherwise, he wouldn't have had enough mana to support such an attack.
But then, thinking back to Jiang Lin's words and actions after defeating Kenan, as well as his instructions right before fainting, the three of them looked a bit dark-faced.
'This guy... how can he be such a show-off?'
He was clearly over-exhausted, yet he insisted on saying he wanted to use the time to get some rest...
He even put on such a calm front, acting like he was just a young person who could fall asleep instantly!
...
When he woke up again, he saw an unfamiliar ceiling. The high, grand roof was clearly not something a standard infirmary would have.
Below the dome were stained-glass windows. At this moment, the dim yellow sunlight poured through the glass, illuminating the hall of the Temple. Dust motes could be seen clearly in the air, filling the place with a sacred glow and a peaceful atmosphere.
"...You are not an island, nor a ruin. May the light go with you, taking away heavy sighs, returning to peace, returning to wholeness, returning to this very breath..."
In a daze, Jiang Lin seemed to hear someone chanting an unfamiliar spell.
At the same time, tiny specks of light converged on his body, making him feel warm all over and soothing his strained nerves.
Sitting up abruptly, Jiang Lin saw a Temple staff member wearing white priest robes standing beside him.
Clearly, this healing magic had been cast on Jiang Lin by him.
The memories in his mind were still merging, while his body was gradually adapting to 【Light Blade】, shaping itself to be suitable for releasing it.
"Thank you!" Jiang Lin expressed his gratitude.
"It was just part of my duty. I heard from my two colleagues that you are a very talented paladin."
This priest had obviously been entrusted by Kenan and Forest to handle the follow-up work.
"Have you considered working at the Temple in the future?"
A profession like a paladin was quite popular within an institution like the Temple, as it came with an inherently righteous background.
Jiang Lin replied with a smile, "If there's an opportunity, I would certainly love to become a member of the glorious Knights of the Temple."
Becoming a member of the Temple was similar to being a civil servant in his previous life—stable work, no great danger, and respected by others—making it a choice for many adventurers.
If it were before Jiang Lin obtained the system, his goal would indeed have been to join the Temple.
But now that he had the system, Jiang Lin naturally wanted to see where his limits were.
Joining the Temple might instead slow down his progress.
Of course, while communicating with this priest, he still had to say some polite words.
"Follow me. There is still some final wrap-up work to be done."
With that, the priest led Jiang Lin toward the hall where the divine statues were located.
There were seven main professions for human adventurers: Knight, Warrior, Mage, Archer, Priest, Assassin, and Summoner.
Correspondingly, there were also seven deities: the God of Holy Light, the God of War, the God of Arcane, the God of the Hunt, the Goddess of Life, the God of the Dark Moon, and the God of Contracts.
Jiang Lin followed the priest through a high vaulted corridor inlaid with colored glass and stepped into the heart of the Temple—the Hall of the Seven Gods.
Within the magnificent space, seven giant statues carved from pure Holy White Stone stood in a circle. They were of different forms, yet all radiated a solemnity and pressure that inspired awe.
These were the seven righteous gods who protected humanity.
The dim yellow sunlight poured down through the giant glass window in the dome, flowing over the polished floor and the surfaces of the statues. The air was thick with a holy and solemn atmosphere.
As the Pope of one of the Four Great Secret Cults, standing before these seven divine statues, it was impossible for Jiang Lin not to be nervous. But remembering the effect of his title, he calmed down again.
【Title】: Pope of One of the Four Great Secret Cults (Legendary)
【Title Effect】: When equipped, you will be able to communicate with the evil god of your cult. When making an offering to your cult's evil god, the evil god must also follow the principle of equivalent exchange and may not harm you by any means at any time. Additionally, while wearing this title, you will gain a disguise sufficient to fool even the personal scrutiny of a righteous god, ensuring your identity as a cultist is not discovered.
Since the system said the disguise was enough to fool a righteous god, then there shouldn't be any problems.
...
The priest led Jiang Lin to the center of the hall, directly facing the statues of the seven gods.
His face was calm, and his hands were held slightly apart in front of his chest as if cradling an invisible light. He began to chant an ancient and clear prayer.
"In the name of the Goddess of Life, Aiona, I pray for the eyes of the Seven Gods to descend upon the mortal realm, to purge the filth of falsehood, to shatter the shell of lies, and to pierce through the shadows of delusion..."
Following the priest's chant, a beam of soft light fell upon Jiang Lin, enveloping him.
The light seemed alive, gently brushing over Jiang Lin's skin, seeping through his clothes, and even appearing to probe deep into his soul.
Jiang Lin clearly felt this probing power. When it tried to touch his link with Little Black, his title's effect kicked in, walling off this layer of detection.
"...Light Blade, wash away the shadows; let the holy heart be clear and evil be driven out. Let the breath of purity be revealed here!"
"The Goddess of Life favors you, and the seven gods bear witness! Sir paladin, your soul is pure and flawless, without the slightest taint of an evil god!"
The investigation ended. Clearly, under the protection of the title's effect, Jiang Lin's identity as a secret cult Pope had not been detected.
The priest nodded slightly in respect.
Only then did Jiang Lin finally heave a sigh of relief.
'As expected, the system's title is trustworthy!'
Jiang Lin knew he would face such an inspection sooner or later.
Even if he had no suspicion of worshipping an evil god, entering certain organizations or a Middle Magic Academy would require facing such a certification.
As the tension in Jiang Lin's heart completely relaxed, he placed his right fist over his chest and gave the priest a standard knight's salute.
"Thank you for the Temple's fairness, and thank you for your help."
At that moment, Jiang Lin suddenly remembered something and said to the priest, "By the way, I recall that if one's proficiency in 【Basic Swordsmanship】 reaches perfect or higher, they can claim the paladin-exclusive mid-tier combat technique 【Holy Light Heavy Slash】 for free, right?"
The priest blinked, recalled for a moment, and said, "That's right, I believe there is such a benefit. Has your excellency not claimed this skill yet?"
Jiang Lin nodded. "Correct."
"Then follow me."
...
Soon, Jiang Lin claimed his very first mid-tier skill—【Holy Light Heavy Slash】.
Since he had the help of the wealthy Anya before, Jiang Lin hadn't learned a single mid-tier skill, making his offensive methods somewhat one-dimensional.
In the eyes of those at the same level, a high-tier combat technique was definitely a finishing move. For him, 【Seven Star Holy Glow Slash】 was the only strong offensive skill he knew, so he could only use countless Seven Star sword qi as basic attacks.
But at times, such as when testing an enemy's level or facing an opponent who wasn't that strong and needed to save stamina, skills with lower consumption became particularly important.
Furthermore, the more skills he knew, the richer Jiang Lin's combat options would become.
After the collection was complete, Jiang Lin didn't linger. He thanked the priest again, left the Temple, and quickly ran toward the direction of the school.
The sky was nearing dusk, and the sunset painted the buildings of Boulder City in a warm orange-red.
Unfortunately, running a breathing technique required total focus; it couldn't be done while doing other things. Otherwise, Jiang Lin would have certainly practiced it while returning to school.
'Perhaps after the 【Paladin Breathing Technique】 breaks its limits, it will be possible to run it anytime, anywhere?' Jiang Lin speculated.
Soon, he returned to the Radiant Junior Magic Academy. At this moment, the last rays of the setting sun were spilling over the school building.
He lamented that he had wasted too much time and was also curious if the other students had stayed late on their own initiative while he was gone.
Pushing open the classroom door, the scene before him made him very satisfied.
There were even more people in the classroom than when school let out yesterday!
In addition to familiar faces like Tie Chen and Anya, there were many students from other classes.
However, what he hadn't expected was that someone had brought an entire box of 【Mental Invigoration Potion】 to the classroom and was selling them from a large wooden board.
Since many students were studying, this 'business prodigy' wasn't shouting. Instead, he sat in a very prominent place with the price written on the board, letting students who needed them come and buy them on their own.
Jiang Lin's return didn't attract much attention. After all, everyone was focused on their own cultivation and studies. Only a few whose focus wasn't as sharp spared a few extra glances at Jiang Lin.
Most of those who stayed after school now knew that the culprit behind this 'all-nighter' trend was the fallen genius, one of the only two paladins in the grade, Jiang Lin.
They had heard he was taken away by the Temple as a suspected cultist for questioning, and they wondered if it was true.
Jiang Lin ignored the gazes fixed on him and walked straight to his seat to sit down.
Little Black popped out and asked, "Hey, kid, you okay? I heard you were hauled off for questioning?"
Jiang Lin nodded. "Yeah, but that little trick couldn't stump me. A mere gaze from a divine statue is nothing to fear. Even if their true bodies descended, they wouldn't see through me!"
After all, the title said it could face the scrutiny of a righteous god, so facing a statue should naturally be easy.
Of course, regarding this, Little Black remained skeptical.
Although it felt that the link between it and Jiang Lin was protected by a mysterious power that kept its identity from being exposed, being able to face the Seven Great Righteous Gods was still a bit too exaggerated.
Jiang Lin stopped paying attention to Little Black and instead bothered Anya beside him. "Anya, who was that rank-4 student you mentioned before? When is he coming to challenge me?"
Anya was a bit dazed by the question.
'Wasn't it a spar? When did it turn into a challenge?'
Clearly, after fighting a rank-7 mage and finding the opponent so weak, Jiang Lin was starting to get a bit cocky.
He now wanted to see if he could hold his own against the rank-4 student without suppressing his level.
"Him? I'm not sure. He was gone all afternoon. Even the teachers don't know where he went."
Jiang Lin found it strange, and at the same time, he thought: 'Could it be this rank-4 person who, jealous of my talent and brilliance, reported me to the Temple as a suspected cultist?'
Recalling Anya's previous comment about his poor character, it seemed very likely!
At that moment, Little Black seemed to remember something and sent a telepathic message to Jiang Lin. "By the way, kid, while I was wandering around your school this afternoon, I felt the aura of another evil god."
Hearing this, Jiang Lin's eyes widened.
"You mean there are other cultists in our school?"
Little Black nodded. "I felt the aura. I'm not sure exactly who it is."
Jiang Lin fell into thought.
'This makes things a bit troublesome...'
If there really were other cultists in the school, then the person who reported him might have truly sensed a cultist but just reported the wrong target.
"Little Black, can others sense these auras? Also, if someone comes to the school to check, will they find you?"
Little Black thought for a moment and replied, "I'm not too clear on your Temple's methods, but since you survived the detection of the righteous god statues, we have a common source of protection, so there shouldn't be a problem."
Jiang Lin nodded thoughtfully.
'Sigh, what a pain. This is going to waste more of my time again.'
'Wouldn't it be better if I used this time to cultivate?'
'Damn cultists! Ruining my future!!'
Not long after he sat down, he stood up again.
"Where are you going?" Anya asked in confusion when she saw Jiang Lin running out of the classroom again.
"A standard move or a brilliant move is nothing compared to raising your hand. I'm going to handle something. I'll be right back. Be careful at school."
Leaving behind a string of cryptic words, Jiang Lin jogged out of the classroom, leaving Anya staring at his back in complete bewilderment.
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