The fourth round had concluded, and the final showdown was finally at hand. The three remaining teams were just one step away from the ultimate championship. To the spectators, this fifth round promised to be a titanic struggle between dragons and tigers.
However, for this final round, all eliminated teams had already departed. They weren't even permitted to witness the final day of combat; only the truly elite young experts held the qualification to set foot upon the square before the Pope's Palace.
Bright sunlight washed over the land, making the Pope's Palace appear even more magnificent and towering. Before the palace, two rows of Temple Knights stretched from the gates all the way down the mountain. Clad in bright silver armor and gripping heavy knightly swords, they lent a solemn and extraordinary majesty to the entire Pope's Hill.
Early in the morning, the three teams that had entered the final three-way battle appeared before the palace, waiting quietly. The teachers of the three academies were not permitted to stand on the square and could only wait in the peripheral spectator lounge.
Twenty-one finalists stood silently upon the square, waiting for the arrival of the final moment. This square was no smaller than the arena used in previous matches. The square floor was paved with special stones; upon closer inspection, one could discern a faint, lustrous glow emanating from them. While not true jade, they were far superior to ordinary rock. This alone was a testament to the terrifying financial power of Spirit Hall.
After a long wait, a group of people emerged from the side gate of the palace. Twenty-four Cardinals, whose status was second only to the Platinum Bishops, walked forward slowly. They marched to the front of the palace and stood in two rows, twelve on each side.
The leader announced loudly. "Her Holiness the Pope arrives."
At that moment, a cheer like a mountain collapse or a tsunami echoed throughout the entirety of Spirit City. "Long live! Long live! Long live!"
It wasn't just the voices of the knights lined up on the hill, but the shouts of every soul master within the city who wasn't allowed to approach the mountain. To them, the Pope of Spirit Hall was their supreme faith!
The massive palace doors slowly creaked open. Everyone's gaze instinctively converged toward the opening.
Clad in a brilliant golden ceremonial gown that covered her from head to toe, wearing a purple-gold crown and clutching a scepter, a solemn Bibi Dong stepped out of the palace first. She exuded an ethereal quality, appearing infinitely tall. No one even noticed her peerless beauty at first; in this moment, she represented only the majesty of the Pope of Spirit Hall.
The golden gown was perfectly fitted, shimmering with the light of over a hundred red, blue, and gold gemstones. The purple-gold crown atop her head radiated ten thousand beams of light. All the brilliance in this moment seemed to converge on her alone.
Gu Xuan watched this scene calmly, his inner thoughts reduced to one simple realization. 'They are damn rich!'
Regarding Bibi Dong, Gu Xuan had absolutely zero favorable impressions. When reading the original work, he felt this woman was mentally unstable. Being a yandere was one thing, but she was also a hopeless romantic... If possible, Gu Xuan would never let lust cloud his judgment to pursue some "mother-daughter" pair; he'd rather kill her for her soul bones!
As Gu Xuan's thoughts wandered, all those affiliated with Spirit Hall knelt on one knee simultaneously. "Greetings, Her Holiness the Pope."
The atmosphere in that moment was indescribable. Amidst the cheers echoing from all directions, everyone felt a sudden urge to worship.
Four people followed behind Bibi Dong.
Three of them wore bright red robes. Unlike the crimson robes of the Cardinals, theirs were embroidered with gold and silver patterns. The gemstones on their chests, shining with golden light and as large as a baby's fist, exuded an aura of immense nobility. To ordinary people, these robes symbolized wealth; to soul masters, they were the ultimate honor. Only Titled Douluos were qualified to wear these red robes. Clearly, these three individuals held that status.
Gu Xuan was intimately familiar with one of them—Chen Xin. As a Titled Douluo attending such a grand event in the soul master world, Chen Xin naturally wore his formal attire.
Of the other two, the one on the left was shrouded in a layer of illusory black mist. Though wearing the same clothes, his features were impossible to see. As for the other, his skin appeared as delicate as a baby's, and his flamboyant appearance gave off a peculiar vibe. If not for the Adam's apple on his neck, no one would believe he was a man. These two were the Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluos, the two generals under Bibi Dong.
The fourth person following Bibi Dong did not wear the robes representing the honor of a Titled Douluo. Clearly, he lacked that level of strength. However, the fact that he emerged from those doors meant he held another identity: a Spirit Hall Elder—specifically, an Honorary Elder. This man was the Clan Leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, Ning Fengzhi.
When the greetings rang out, six of the seven members of the Spirit Hall Academy team knelt. Only one woman, dressed in brilliant gold and wearing a thin veil, remained standing perfectly still.
Gu Xuan did not kneel either. Not just him, but the entire Heaven Dou Imperial Team and the Seven Treasure Team followed suit. Their eyes were fixed on Gu Xuan; since he didn't kneel, they naturally wouldn't. Though they were two separate teams, they had only one backbone: Gu Xuan.
While there was no explicit law requiring soul masters to bow to the Pope, the fourteen members of the Seven Treasure and Imperial teams appeared strikingly unconventional in this moment.
Of course, this excluded the woman on the Spirit Hall team. Certain people within the organization knew her identity, but due to her special status, no one dared to comment.
As for this person, no one was more surprised than Gu Xuan, for this woman was Qian Renxue. Even Gu Xuan hadn't expected her to participate in this tournament. Xue Qinghe had supposedly "fallen ill" and closed his doors two days ago, leaving the seat representing the Heaven Dou Empire vacant. When Gu Xuan heard that news, he laughed inwardly. Xue Qinghe couldn't come, of course, because she was standing right in front of him.
Qian Renxue's gaze toward Gu Xuan was meaningful, making him feel slightly awkward.
Bibi Dong's gaze fell directly upon these fourteen young soul masters. Those affiliated with Spirit Hall glared at them, viewing their refusal to kneel as a sign of disrespect to the Pope. However, when Bibi Dong's gaze swept over Qian Renxue, she merely waved her scepter slightly and said indifferently. "Rise."
Only then did those kneeling stand up, looking at their Pope with fervent, respectful gazes.
Bibi Dong smiled, her gaze sweeping from left to right across the twenty-one finalists.
"In you, I see the hope of the younger generation of the soul master world. Before the Pope's Palace, I hope to see the full extent of your talent and strength. The ultimate victor shall receive Spirit Hall's greatest reward." As she spoke, she flicked her scepter.
Three points of light expanded before her, floating in mid-air. They were three different objects, small in size and shaped like bones. They were a right arm bone, a skull, and a left leg bone, shimmering with fiery red, pale blue, and dark green light, respectively.
Soul Bones. And three of them at once.
Even at the foot of the hill, the light of these bones was clearly visible. Spirit City instantly erupted into a frenzy. Aside from those who knew of the reward beforehand, who could have imagined it would be three soul bones? From the radiance alone, it was clear these bones were of extraordinary quality. Even those within Spirit Hall couldn't help but show looks of greed.
If this weren't the Pope's Palace, and if not for the deterrence of several Titled Douluos, people might have already succumbed to their greed and charged forward. These were soul bones—the most precious treasures to a soul master. These three clearly came from soul beasts of at least the ten-thousand-year level.
Ghost Douluo, standing behind the Pope, spoke in a low, raspy voice. "The three soul bones are the Mind Condensation Charm Skull, the Immolation Flame Right Arm, and the Swift Flight Wind Chasing Left Leg. All three originate from ten-thousand-year soul beasts."
"Among them, the Mind Condensation Charm Skull comes from a soul beast of over 50,000 years. It was personally hunted by the previous Pope and is a masterpiece among soul bones, second only to external soul bones and those from 100,000-year beasts."
After the introduction, Bibi Dong said indifferently. "There is only ever one victor, and the same is true for the champion. Therefore, these three soul bones shall belong to the final winning team. I hope the three academies here will give their all to earn this honor."
At this moment, no matter the rank of the soul master, their eyes turned red with desire. Strong battle intent surged from the twenty-one finalists. Even Gu Xuan coveted them; even if he didn't need them, he could give them to his companions.
Bibi Dong continued. "This morning will be an individual elimination match involving seven members from each of your three teams. The team that remains last will gain the initiative and enter tomorrow's championship final directly. The two losing teams will compete this afternoon for the other final slot. Now, you may send out your first participating member."
With the Pope's official announcement, the fifth round of the Grand Finals began.
(End of Chapter)
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