Chapter 161: The Grand Finals Begin
With a crisp metallic clang, the side door of the Pope's Palace slowly opened. Twelve red-robed bishops, second only in rank to the platinum bishops, emerged.
They walked to the front of the palace and split into two rows of six on either side. The leading bishop proclaimed loudly, "Her Majesty the Pope has arrived!"
"Long live, long live, long live!"
The thunderous cheers swept through the entire Spirit City like an avalanche.
Under the gaze of countless eyes, the main door of the Pope's Palace also opened slowly. Bibi Dong, dressed in an elegant gown and crowned with a purple-gold tiara, holding a scepter, was the first to step out.
At the moment Bibi Dong appeared, all members of the Spirit Hall dropped to one knee, shouting with all their might, "We greet Your Holiness!"
Xiao Yu remained unaffected by the fervent cheers around him. Calm and composed, he stood his ground, looking directly at Bibi Dong as she walked out.
She really is stunning!
By Xiao Yu's reckoning, Bibi Dong likely met Yu Xiaogang during her late teens, probably around eighteen or nineteen. After a few years of interaction—or perhaps under Yu Xiaogang's manipulative tactics—she had entertained thoughts of defecting from the Spirit Hall and eloping with him.
Unfortunately, Qian Xunji discovered this and subjected her to unspeakable torment, leading to the birth of Qian Renxue.
Qian Renxue was now twenty-four years old, so Bibi Dong should be around forty-five.
Yet, despite approaching fifty, time seemed to have left no trace on her. Her face remained as youthful and radiant as a woman in her twenties, and her figure was still voluptuous, exuding an air of mature elegance.
Bibi Dong had reached level 99 long ago, though the restrictions of the Rakshasa God's will prevented her from unleashing her full power. However, her spiritual perception remained unhindered, and she immediately noticed Xiao Yu's bold, scrutinizing gaze.
Her anger flared instantly. Even before she became the Pope, she had been the revered Holy Maiden of the Spirit Hall under Qian Xunji's protection. No one had ever dared to be so brazen, examining her from head to toe.
Her piercing gaze locked onto Xiao Yu, while she cast a challenging look at Qian Renxue, as if to say, This is the man you fancy?
The three teams that had advanced to the finals stood side by side. As the strongest individuals on their respective teams, Qian Renxue and Xiao Yu naturally stood at the forefront of their formations. As the host, the Spirit Hall Academy team occupied the central position, placing Qian Renxue right next to Xiao Yu.
Seeing Bibi Dong's provocative look, Qian Renxue immediately realized her intent. A surge of anger welled up within her. Without a word, she raised her foot and stomped down hard on Xiao Yu's, twisting it mercilessly. Xiao Yu nearly cried out in pain.
The Shrek Academy team, standing on the other side of the Spirit Hall Academy team, didn't notice Qian Renxue's little outburst. However, Xiao Yu's and Qian Renxue's teammates standing behind them saw it clearly. For a moment, countless gazes fell on Xiao Yu's back.
Among these, one was filled with burning hatred, causing Xiao Yu to glance back in confusion. He discovered that the source of this hostility was none other than Xie Yue, a member of the Spirit Hall's Golden Generation.
I don't recall offending him, do I?
Xiao Yu was momentarily puzzled before he quickly pieced it together. Oh, it must be because of Qian Renxue.
Indeed, Xie Yue had taken a liking to Qian Renxue.
Qian Renxue's beauty was unmatched, and coupled with her extraordinary talent and the mystery surrounding her background, she was incredibly alluring. Xie Yue had long suspected she had ties to the Worship Hall. His sister, Hu Liena, was slated to inherit Bibi Dong's position as Pope, and Xie Yue dreamed of marrying the Saintess of the Worship Hall. If he succeeded, his family would effectively control the entirety of the Spirit Hall.
The longstanding tension between the Worship Hall and the Pope's Palace wasn't lost on Xie Yue. He believed that uniting the two factions through marriage would strengthen their ties, and surely, even the Pope would support such an arrangement—or so he thought.
For days, Xie Yue had been wracking his brain trying to figure out how to win Qian Renxue's heart. Yet, he was now witnessing this heart-wrenching scene.
As the second strongest member of the Spirit Hall Academy team, Xie Yue stood directly behind Qian Renxue. He clearly saw the annoyed yet bashful expression on her face as she glared at Xiao Yu after stomping on his foot.
If these two aren't a couple, I'll cut off my head and use it as a soccer ball!
The bitterness of losing his "beloved" was like a knife to Xie Yue's heart. In that moment, he was filled with a burning desire to tear Xiao Yu apart.
Following closely behind Bibi Dong as she emerged from the Pope's Palace were three Title Douluo: Sword Douluo, Ghost Douluo, and Chrysanthemum Douluo. As for Ning Fengzhi, who exited the main hall alongside Sword Douluo, he was merely a Soul Saint. His spiritual perception wasn't as keen, and his full attention was captivated by Bibi Dong, so he completely missed the subtle actions taking place in the plaza.
Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo, as elders of the Spirit Hall, had heard some rumors about the relationship between Qian Renxue and Xiao Yu, so they didn't pay much attention to it.
Sword Douluo, however, frowned. Despite his lifelong dedication to the art of the sword, to the point of neglecting even matters of lineage, he wasn't foolish. Like Xie Yue, he also believed Qian Renxue's stomp was an act of playful anger typical of a couple.
Xiao Yu's relationship with the Spirit Hall is certainly not ordinary. I'll need to remind Fengzhi about this!
However, this was the plaza in front of the Pope's Palace, and Sword Douluo was surrounded by three other Title Douluo. Even transmitting a message via soul power risked being overheard and interpreted as a sign of disrespect. He decided it was best to wait until after the competition to inform Ning Fengzhi.
After glaring at Xiao Yu a few more times, Bibi Dong turned her attention to the Shrek Academy team. At Chrysanthemum Douluo's reminder via soul power, her focus landed on Tang San.
This is the direct disciple of my white moonlight and the son of my greatest benefactor.
Tang San, fearless as ever, noticed Bibi Dong's gaze and defiantly activated his Purple Demon Eye to counter her stare.
This was happening right in front of the Pope's Palace. In addition to the three Title Douluo—Chrysanthemum Douluo, Ghost Douluo, and Bibi Dong herself—numerous Soul Douluo and high-ranking Soul Saints were present. Everyone noticed Tang San's blatant act of defiance.
"How dare you! Such disrespect toward Her Holiness the Pope!"
One of the red-robed bishops who had led the procession from the side door shouted angrily at Tang San.
"There's no need for that," Bibi Dong raised her hand to stop the bishop and smiled faintly at Tang San. "He's young, and young people often have a bit of spirit."
Her gaze softened slightly as she continued, "You must be Master's disciple, Tang San?"
In a low voice, Tang San replied, "Yes, Your Holiness."
Bibi Dong nodded at him. "You're impressive. You truly carry some of the unyielding spirit your teacher once had."
Hearing this, Xiao Yu couldn't help but curl his lip.
Unyielding spirit? Yu Xiaogang? Where's that supposed to be? The only thing I see him doing is living off women—two of them, no less! Other than being a freeloader, I haven't seen him accomplish anything else worth mentioning.
(End of Chapter)
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