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No, that's not right. That scumbag shouldn't be so relaxed. If I remember correctly, in the original story, Yu Xiaogang also came to Spirit Hall to find Bibi Dong. Could it be that he's here to ask her how to resolve the drawbacks of having twin martial souls?
After thinking it over, Dai Weisi concluded this was the most likely reason, and he stopped dwelling on it.
Once again, he turned his gaze to Bibi Dong—this time without meeting her eyes, merely admiring her stunning figure.
She was dressed from head to toe in a dazzling golden gown, crowned with a purple-gold coronet, and holding a scepter—an unmistakable symbol of her exalted status. Wearing a solemn expression, Bibi Dong stepped out of the Pope's Palace first, appearing before everyone.
At that moment, all members of Spirit Hall dropped to one knee in unison and called out respectfully, "Greetings, Your Holiness the Pope!"
For a brief instant, Dai Weisi felt as though Bibi Dong was a divine being descending from the heavens, inspiring in countless people the urge to kneel before her and fawn over her without reservation.
It was as if this woman was born to receive the reverence of all. Not only the members of Spirit Hall, but even the New Divine Wind Academy's team submitted to Bibi Dong's tyrannical power.
At this moment, only the Star Luo Royal Academy team, where Dai Weisi stood, remained upright—silently watching the lofty empress before them.
No one reprimanded them for it, of course. They were from the Star Luo Royal Academy, and Dai Weisi was the Crown Prince of the Star Luo Empire. The only people worthy of making him kneel were his Imperial Father, Imperial Mother, and his grandparents. No one else was qualified.
Seeing this, the referee in charge of the match said nothing. Dai Weisi indeed had the status to stand.
Bibi Dong glanced at Dai Weisi. Knowing there was no chance of drawing him to Spirit Hall's side, she instead addressed everyone with a solemn tone. "From you all, I see hope. Before the Pope's Palace, I wish to witness the full extent of your talent and strength. The final victors will receive the greatest reward from Spirit Hall."
As she spoke, she gave her scepter a light wave. Unexpectedly, the scepter was a soul tool. From it, streams of pale blue, crimson, and silver-gray light shot forth, transforming into three spirit bones that floated before her chest.
Two of them were exactly the ones Dai Weisi had long desired: the Spiritual Condensation Wisdom Skull and the Explosive Flame Right Arm Bone. The last, a silver-gray right leg bone, radiated a dense metallic soul power that resonated faintly with Dai Weisi's own Extreme Metal attribute. Like the arm bone, it was also a thirty-thousand-year spirit bone.
Unfortunately, Dai Weisi already possessed a right leg bone—one of forty thousand years—otherwise, he definitely would have absorbed it.
At that moment, Ghost Douluo, at Bibi Dong's side, explained in a hoarse voice, "These three spirit bones are the Spiritual Condensation Wisdom Skull, the Explosive Flame Right Arm Bone, and the Iron-Crushing Gengjin Right Leg Bone. All three come from ten-thousand-year soul beasts. Among them, the Wisdom Skull was obtained from a soul beast over fifty thousand years old, personally slain by the previous Pope. It is a rare treasure among spirit bones, second only to external spirit bones and those produced by hundred-thousand-year soul beasts."
Bibi Dong picked up the explanation, speaking lightly. "There is only ever one true victor, and the same is true for the championship. Therefore, these three spirit bones will belong entirely to the winning team. I hope the three academies that have made it to the top will give their all for this honor."
The sight of those spirit bones ignited an overwhelming battle spirit in all twenty-one competitors, surging straight to the heavens.
"This morning, you will compete in a seven-person individual elimination round. The winning team advances directly to the championship match. The two defeated teams will then fight to determine who takes second place and also advances to the final. Any objections?"
"Reporting to Your Holiness!"
At this moment, someone from the New Divine Wind Academy raised a hand. "Your Holiness, our academy has decided to forfeit the individual elimination round and enter the losers' bracket directly."
"Oh?"
Bibi Dong was unsurprised. The New Divine Wind Academy was strong but still weaker than both the Spirit Hall Team and the Star Luo Royal Academy. Rather than wasting soul power, it was logical to concede and preserve their strength to fight for second place.
"In that case, Your Holiness, the Star Luo Royal Academy will also forfeit the individual elimination round and go straight to the losers' bracket," Dai Weisi said.
His reasoning was simple: if the Star Luo Royal Academy fought the Spirit Hall Team now, win or lose, they would likely face them again in the championship. Once the Spirit Hall Team was prepared for their tactics, defeating them a second time would be much harder. It was better to face the weaker New Divine Wind Academy first, conserve energy, and then fight the Spirit Hall Team in peak condition.
"Oh?"
Bibi Dong raised her brows slightly. She clearly hadn't expected Dai Weisi, with two Soul Emperors on his team, to willingly forfeit. Still, this arrangement meant Hu Liena's team could also conserve their soul power.
"Very well. Since both of you have decided to forfeit, you will face each other in half an hour. Once the second-place team for the final is decided, the championship match will take place in the afternoon. Is that acceptable?"
"We have no objections," Feng Xiaotian said with a shake of his head.
Dai Weisi also nodded lightly. "I have no problem with it, Your Holiness."
"Good. You have half an hour to prepare. The match begins then." With that, Bibi Dong returned to her throne.
Meanwhile, Feng Xiaotian and Huo Wu approached Dai Weisi. Huo Wu grinned playfully. "Big Brother Dai Weisi, our match is coming up—you'd better do your best. Don't let me and Brother Tian defeat you!"
Feng Xiaotian ruffled Huo Wu's hair with a wry smile. "Huo Wu, instead of worrying about His Highness, you should worry about us. His Highness's teammates are incredibly strong; we're not guaranteed to win at all!"
"Uh…"
Huo Wu froze, glancing at Zhu Zhuyun, Ning Tianyu, and the others behind Dai Weisi. Two Soul Emperors and an Eight Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Soul Master… it seemed they were doomed to lose.
Seeing their troubled expressions, Dai Weisi chuckled. "In that case, I'll give you two lovebirds a chance at a fair duel."
"Oh?" Huo Wu blinked in surprise. "What do you mean by a fair duel?"
"It's simple. You've both always wanted to spar with me, haven't you? I'll give you the chance. For this match, I'll be the only one from my team to take the field, and your New Divine Wind Academy will send only the two of you. The outcome between us will decide the result. If I lose, the Star Luo Royal Academy will concede immediately, and you'll take second place. If I win, the New Divine Wind Academy will concede. Either way, our teammates can preserve their strength for the match against the Spirit Hall Team. How about it?"
(End of Chapter)