With that, Mo Han gestured toward the Radiant Holy Sword strapped to his body, adding with a slight awkwardness, "Those statues have turned to flour. Also, I must state beforehand, your statues attacked me first. I was merely acting in self-defense. Who knew those statues, perhaps due to their age, shattered completely after just a few gentle touches? So please, don't misunderstand."

Mo Han quickly sought to clear himself of blame. He had already pulverized the statues and chased away that Demon Soul Beast. If this woman decided to hold him responsible and demand compensation, where would he find such things to replace them? Therefore, shifting the blame onto the statues first was the best strategy. That way, even if the woman in white intended to reprimand him, he would have grounds for defense.

But the woman in white was not swayed in the slightest. She replied coolly, "Oh. I imagine if you hadn't tried to force your way into the Illusionary Divine Hall, those statues wouldn't have moved against you. Isn't that your fault? Furthermore, my hall guardians were crafted by my own hands; they are not as fragile as you claim. Don't try to deceive me with such an excuse."

"Heh heh, you truly cannot blame me. I merely stumbled upon this place unintentionally. Seeing how artistic those statues were, I wanted to approach them to study. Who knew that the moment I got close, the statues attacked without a word? I was entirely forced to retaliate. So, you could say my actions are understandable under the circumstances."

Mo Han argued, his face entirely composed.

"Oh. So, you're saying it was the fault of the hall guardians?" The woman in white picked up on Mo Han's phrasing and stated calmly.

Hearing this, Mo Han quickly interjected, "Well, I do bear some responsibility, so I can't claim zero fault. How about this: once I leave, I will sculpt a hundred or so statues for you to replace them. Will that suffice?" Before the woman in white could respond, Mo Han continued, "But did you really sculpt those statues yourself? They are simply too perfect. I never imagined that not only are you beautiful, but your craftsmanship is also so meticulous. Truly skilled in both the martial and literary arts. In this day and age, people like you, capable of both sword and brush, are becoming increasingly rare. I truly admire you. Are you perhaps the legendary Goddess?" Mo Han didn't care whether the woman in white wanted to hear his flattery or not.

He delivered a heavy dose of praise first; after all, the old saying holds true: flattery, no matter how excessive, rarely fails.

Upon hearing Mo Han's words, a faint smile flickered across the woman in white's icy gaze, though her tone remained cold. "Stop changing the subject. I am asking you about the statues. Why bring this up? Is this how you normally speak to young ladies? It seems quite a few have been fooled by you already. Do you expect me to believe you?" Hearing this, Mo Han shook his head vigorously, like a rattle drum, secretly lamenting how sharp this woman was. He had intended to use compliments to distract her from the matter of the statues, but she had seen right through it instantly. Nevertheless, Mo Han maintained an expression of being wrongly accused. "Heh heh, don't misunderstand me. Didn't I already offer to compensate you for the statues? If you aren't satisfied, why don't you tell me the creation method for those hall guardians? I will immediately have someone craft double the number of hall guardians for you. How about that?" Mo Han flashed a smile reminiscent of the Big Bad Wolf. If he could get his hands on the secret to manufacturing those hall guardians, wouldn't he possess an invincible army? The strength of those guardians was absolutely terrifying; then, who would dare cross him? Thinking of this, an ill-intentioned smile unconsciously spread across Mo Han's face.

The woman in white, being so intelligent, could not possibly miss the mischievous thoughts swirling in Mo Han's mind. She was not foolish enough to reveal the secret creation method for the hall guardians. She could only continue where Mo Han left off, retorting somewhat irritably, "Do you think manufacturing those hall guardians is easy? The materials required are incredibly difficult to procure. Do you think you can just make them on a whim? Fine, even if I drop the matter of the statues, what about the Demon Soul Beast? I went through great trouble to find someone to place it here to guard my palace. Surely you didn't kill that as well?" Hearing the woman in white's question, Mo Han responded with a wry smile, "My lady, please don't joke. Do you think your Demon Soul Beast is some low-tier magical beast that can be killed easily? If that were the case, you wouldn't have entrusted it to guard your palace. My strength is nowhere near its equal, let alone defeating it. If it didn't kill me, I should be offering incense! Your Demon Soul Beast truly didn't die; it ran off on its own. Don't wrongly accuse me of this. Do you not even know the strength of the beast you appointed to guard your palace?" If this woman demands I replace her Demon Soul Beast, Mo Han thought, where on earth would I find such an abnormally monstrous creature?

Hearing Mo Han's explanation, the woman in white shook her head. "I said, the Demon Soul Beast was placed here by someone I entrusted to guard my palace. I never witnessed its strength, so it's not strange that I don't know its power. However, the Demon Soul Beast is a Sacred Beast-level creature. Since you could fight it, your strength must be at least that of a second-tier Sword Saint, correct?" Upon hearing this, Mo Han hastily shook his head. "If only my strength were that high! I wouldn't have been injured by that Demon Soul Beast." As he spoke, Mo Han pointed to the wound on his leg and chuckled bitterly, "So this Demon Soul Beast was a Sacred Beast-level monster. No wonder it was so incredibly tough."

Hearing Mo Han's explanation, the woman in white frowned slightly. "You're trying to trick me again. Even if you are a Sword Saint, without reaching the second tier, you could never defeat a Demon Soul Beast. If you don't possess second-tier Sword Saint strength, how did you beat it?" Mo Han immediately pointed to the Radiant Holy Sword on his back and explained with a smile, "Actually, the main reason I could defeat the Demon Soul Beast is largely thanks to this. So, I haven't lied to you at all."

The woman in white immediately observed the Radiant Holy Sword on Mo Han with focus. Her expression shifted slightly as she spoke, "The Radiant Holy Sword? How can you possess the Radiant Holy Sword? Are you from the Church of Light?" Seeing that the woman in white recognized the Radiant Holy Sword with just one glance, Mo Han realized she was likely familiar with it. Before discerning whether she was an ally or enemy of the Church of Light, Mo Han dared not answer rashly and chose to probe by asking in return, "I didn't expect you to recognize the Radiant Holy Sword either. May I ask what your relationship is with the Church of Light?" Seeing Mo Han's caution, the woman in white shook her head helplessly. "With your cunning mind, rest assured. I have some ties with the Church of Light, so you don't need to worry. But isn't the Radiant Holy Sword traditionally wielded by the Pope of Light? How did it fall into your hands? Could it be that you are..." "No, no, please don't misunderstand," Mo Han quickly raised a hand to stop the woman in white from finishing her thought. He knew exactly what she was about to suggest—that he was the Pope of Light. Thinking this, Mo Han smiled and said, "Actually, I am not a member of the Church of Light, merely someone with some connection to them. As for the Radiant Holy Sword, the Church of Light has temporarily loaned it to me. I will return it once I am done using it, so please don't misunderstand."

Hearing Mo Han's reply, the woman in white stared meaningfully at him a few times, making Mo Han feel unnervingly awkward. He spoke somewhat self-consciously, "What are you looking at? While I know I'm quite handsome, you staring at me like that makes me self-conscious."

Seeing Mo Han's predicament, the woman in white displayed the first genuine smile since they met—a smile so radiant it seemed to eclipse the sun and moon. For a moment, everything around the woman in white seemed to blur in Mo Han's vision, leaving only her exquisite beauty to behold. He was completely mesmerized.

The woman in white looked at Mo Han and smiled. "I didn't expect you to get shy. It seems there might be hope for you yet. I suspect you didn't consult with the Church of Light before borrowing the Radiant Holy Sword, did I guess correctly?" Hearing this, Mo Han quickly replied, "Heh heh, actually, I wanted to say something, but I never had the chance."

Mo Han wasn't entirely lying. He had obtained the Radiant Holy Sword from his master, Mo Xiuyi, and the previous Popes of the Church of Light. At that time, he hadn't even arrived on the Dragon Ascend Continent, so he naturally never had the opportunity to explain things to the Church of Light.

The woman in white merely smiled and shook her head. "I'm not entirely clear on the origins of your Radiant Holy Sword, but I won't meddle in such affairs, so you needn't worry. I know that not everyone can wield the Radiant Holy Sword. Since you can use it, it proves you must have a destined connection with it. Therefore, I will not interfere."

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