Time flew by, and the finals arrived as scheduled.
In the early morning, about thirty young people were already waiting outside the Pope's Palace.
These young people were divided into three teams, representing the top three in this year's Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament.
The rankings had not yet been decided, and would only be determined after the finals concluded.
Apart from these young people, there was no one else outside the Pope's Palace.
Even the teachers leading the teams were watching from afar, unable to get close to the Pope's Palace.
The group from the Spirit Hall Academy stood straight and silent, representing the Spirit Hall in the competition. How could they be disrespectful in their demeanor?
"What's going on? Why hasn't the Pope come out yet? When does the competition start..."
It's important to note that they had already been waiting here for an hour. So far, they hadn't seen the Pope, not even an elder or a cardinal. It felt like they were being deliberately ignored.
Hearing this, the group from Spirit Hall Academy responded displeased, "Being able to see Her Holiness Pope is worth the wait, no matter how long it takes!"
"You don't deserve to stand here!"
"This is disrespectful to Her Holiness Pope..."
In their hearts, Pope Bibi Dong was like heaven and earth, beyond reproach.
What's wrong with waiting for the Pope?
They would be willing to wait for days just to see Her Holiness!
The sorrows of people differ.
As people of the Spirit Hall, they naturally believed Bibi Dong was the best, the most dignified, and seeing her was an honor, a blessing.
What's wrong with waiting for a few days?
Bibi Dong's appearance couldn't be so simple, just walking out of the Pope's Palace without any fanfare!
It must be understood that she represented the entire Spirit Hall. Without some form of ceremony, what would other factions think of the Spirit Hall?
Even if Bibi Dong didn't want any fanfare, the cardinals and elders wouldn't agree.
At this moment, inside the Pope's Palace, Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin were also present, but their expressions were very grim.
The Spirit Hall had so many elders?
Goodness, the elders here might not even be all of them...
Originally, they thought having a few consecrated elders was the limit of the Spirit Hall's strength. Little did they know, there were also numerous elders!
The notion that the top three sects together could rival the Spirit Hall was entirely self-deception.
The top three sects combined only had five titled Douluo, but the number of elders here exceeded that...
Moreover, the Spirit Hall had a mysterious Consecration Hall, which further worried Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin.
"Reporting to Her Holiness Pope, Lord Neuvillette and Lady Focalors are still at the hotel. They might believe the finals start at ten..."
Yue Guan knelt on one knee and reported to Bibi Dong.
At this time, they should have gone out already, but the key figures hadn't arrived!
Hearing this, no one present dared to express any opinions, because they truly hadn't notified those two about the start time of the competition...
Besides, what's wrong with these powerful individuals being late?
"Then we wait until ten."
Bibi Dong said expressionlessly.
There was no other choice but to wait.
The three teams had been waiting outside the Pope's Palace since six in the morning, but those inside had been ready even earlier.
Even Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin had arrived at the Pope's Palace early, planning to make their entrance with Bibi Dong.
As time passed, even the members of the Spirit Hall Academy team were a bit stunned.
"???"
What's going on?
Didn't the teacher say it would start at eight?
Why, then, was it already past nine and His Holiness the Pope still hadn't appeared?
Everyone was puzzled, not quite understanding what was going on. Of course, saying they could wait for Her Holiness Pope for days was not just talk; they truly meant it.
However, the reality was different from what they imagined, making them feel uncomfortable...
Around 9:55, Neuvillette and Focalors finally ascended the Holy Spirit Mountain and appeared outside the Pope's Palace.
Seeing the two "people," Hu Liena and the others suddenly understood!
No wonder they had been wondering what was going on; it turned out the referees and commentators hadn't arrived yet...
Neuvillette and Focalors exchanged a glance, a bit confused.
What was up with Hu Liena and the others?
Wasn't the competition supposed to start at ten?
They had arrived five minutes early; was there a problem?
The looks they were getting felt somewhat apologetic...
"The Pope has arrived!"
At this moment, a voice rang out, and figures quickly appeared all over the mountain...
They were dressed in uniform armor, their numbers at least in the thousands.
These were the Holy Knights of the Spirit Hall, responsible for the safety of the Spirit Hall and also for purging the fallen on the Douluo Continent.
Each of them had a significant level of soul power, starting at the level of Soul Master. Among them were even Soul Emperors and Soul Sages.
The Pope's Palace slowly opened at this moment, and eighteen knights walked out in two rows. Every movement was filled with grace.
They stood on either side of the steps, with one knight positioned every few steps. They stood straight, like the sharpest swords of the Spirit Hall!
These knights were no ordinary protectors; each was at the level of a Soul Sage. However, simply being a Soul Sage wasn't enough to become a Guardian Knight! They had also undergone countless battles and were truly battle-hardened. Ordinary Soul Sages couldn't compare to them.
Yet, in the Spirit Hall, such knights were merely part of the spectacle...
Who resided in the Pope's Palace, the Elder Hall, and the Consecration Hall?
Did these people need Soul Sage-level Guardian Knights to protect them?
If they faced an enemy they couldn't handle, even if all the Guardian Knights attacked together, it would be useless.
Behind the Guardian Knights followed twelve elders in red robes, the pillars of the Spirit Hall and figures of terrifying power holding real authority.
These were the twelve Red-robed Cardinals, one of the strongest forces in the Spirit Hall, just below the four Platinum Cardinals.
Of course, the Spirit Hall had more than just these Red-robed Cardinals; they were simply the most representative.
Following the Red-robed Cardinals were several elders in golden armor, their heads held high and looking down on everything.
These were the elders of the Elder Hall.
As Titled Douluo, they naturally had the right to look down on everyone.
Finally, Bibi Dong walked out of the Pope's Palace, protected by Yue Guan and Gui Mei, with Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin following beside her.
"Greetings to Her Holiness Pope!"
"Greetings to Her Holiness Pope!"
Thousands of Holy Knights knelt on one knee, shouting loudly.
The Guardian Knights, Red-robed Cardinals, and elders all knelt on one knee, addressing Bibi Dong.
The three teams did the same.
However, Tang San was a bit more stubborn...