The roar that shook the land did not come solely from the Temple Knights lined in ranks upon Pope Hill—it came from every corner of Spirit City. The spirit masters forbidden from approaching the mountain, the countless civilians thronging the streets, all cried out as one.
To them, the Pope and that man were divine symbols of faith and salvation.
Unfortunately, that man did not appear today. Yet everyone knew that without him, the Spirit Hall could never have achieved such glory. For the common folk, simply witnessing this grand spectacle was a blessing bestowed by him.
The great doors of the Pope's Hall slowly parted, the twin sigils engraved upon them sliding aside with solemn grace.
All eyes turned instinctively toward the entrance. Even the seven members of the Spirit Hall Academy team, normally composed and proud, felt their hearts quicken.
So did Li Chang'an's. His pulse raced for an entirely different reason. When this tournament ends, he thought wryly, 'I'm going to spend three whole days in that hall—and make sure Dong'er spends those same three days unable to leave the bed.'
Even as members of the Golden Generation, they had only glimpsed the Pope once—when receiving the Purple Record Medals years ago.
Then she appeared.
Bibi Dong, radiant in a golden ceremonial gown, descended from the hall. Her every step was light, yet the aura she carried was immense—majestic, sacred, untouchable.
Her violet-gold crown gleamed atop her head, her scepter in hand. The entire world seemed to narrow to her presence alone. No one paid attention to her breathtaking beauty at that moment; what they saw was the living embodiment of the Spirit Hall's power.
The long gown fit perfectly, its dazzling fabric studded with over a hundred gems of crimson, azure, and gold. Her crown shone with ten thousand rays. Every gleam, every reflection, seemed to center upon her alone.
Li Chang'an, meanwhile, couldn't help a private smirk.
As one, all members of Spirit Hall fell to one knee.
"We greet Your Holiness, the Pope!"
The scene defied description. Even those of the firmest will—Tang San, Dai Mubai—felt an almost primal urge to kneel beneath the tide of reverent voices.
And in this life, the Spirit Hall stood stronger than ever. Their courage faltered; their pride bent. At last, they too bowed.
Li Chang'an and Hu Liena knelt easily enough—this was their teacher, after all. Even Xiao Wu, whose resentment toward the Pope had lingered, felt it fade slightly as she followed Li Chang'an's lead and bent one knee.
Behind Bibi Dong came five figures.
Four wore scarlet ceremonial robes, distinct from those of the ordinary red-robed bishops. Golden and silver filigree wove intricate patterns across their garments, and on each chest gleamed a jewel the size of an infant's fist—radiant proof of noble status.
To a layman, they might merely seem splendid. To a spirit master, they were unmistakable—the robes of Titled Douluo.
Two of them were well known: from the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the Sword Douluo Chen Xin, titled Sword, and the Bone Douluo Gu Rong, titled Bone.
Of the other two, one radiated a faintly ethereal aura, his features veiled by divine light. The last was strikingly androgynous—skin soft as jade, features so delicate that if not for the faint movement of his Adam's apple, one might mistake him for a woman.
Ghost Douluo and Chrysanthemum Douluo.
From the front gate of the Pope's Hall, only three kinds of people may emerge:
1. The Pope herself.
2. Titled Douluo, whose strength warrants the right.
3. The Elders of Spirit Hall.
Even emperors and white-gold bishops were forbidden that privilege.
Walking beside the four Douluo was a fifth figure—no Titled Douluo, yet still deserving of this honor. A Honorary Elder of Spirit Hall: Ning Fengzhi, Sect Master of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
(Though Dugu Bo could have stood among them, he chose instead to remain quietly to the side.)
Bibi Dong's gaze naturally sought Li Chang'an. Her lips curved ever so slightly, a hint of warmth flickering in her eyes. Li Chang'an, unabashed, met her gaze and—just to test his luck—threw her a playful wink.
'The little rascal…'
Her lips parted in faint amusement. "Young man," she said lightly, "I hear that with only two soul rings, you've reached this stage. Admirable indeed. But this seat also sees that you are… quite popular with the young ladies. Do not let such distractions delay your cultivation."
To the crowd, it sounded like a gracious admonition from the Pope herself—a rare mark of favor. But Li Chang'an knew better. This was jealousy.
"Thank you for Your Holiness's guidance," he replied smoothly. "I'll remember your words. From now on, I'll study hard… and roll up my sleeves to work diligently."
That last word—"work"—he emphasized just enough. Only Bibi Dong caught the double meaning.
No one else could have guessed that beneath such solemn grandeur, two people were trading secret provocations.
Bibi Dong let it pass with regal composure. She raised her scepter slightly. "Rise."
The gathered spirit masters stood.
Smiling faintly, Bibi Dong swept her gaze across the twenty-eight young competitors.
"From each of you, I see hope. Here before the Pope's Hall, I wish to witness your full potential—your strength, your spirit, your brilliance. The final victors shall receive the greatest reward the Spirit Hall has ever offered."
She lifted her scepter.
No one saw how she did it—but three glimmers of light suddenly expanded in midair before her.
They hung there, radiant: a right arm bone, a skull, and a left leg bone, each gleaming with a distinct hue—crimson, azure, and emerald.
Soul Bones.
Even from the base of the mountain, their glow was visible. The entire Spirit City erupted in astonished cheers.
No one, save a select few, had expected this. Three soul bones—and not ordinary ones. From their brilliance alone, they were clearly of extraordinary quality. Even among Spirit Hall's own, covetous eyes flickered.
All except Li Chang'an, whose expression remained calm—and perhaps faintly amused. Even Hu Liena and the others glanced at him, their excitement dulled. After all, their "boyfriend" could produce treasures that made even soul bones seem mundane.
Were it not for the presence of multiple Titled Douluo, the crowd's greed might already have broken loose.
Even Tang San, the so-called Son of Destiny, stared transfixed, face taut with desire.
There are six types of soul bones—head, torso, and the four limbs. Of them, the torso bone is the most precious, followed by the skull, then the right arm, left arm, left leg, and right leg in descending order.
Though these three did not include a torso bone, one was a skull, and another a right arm bone—both extremely rare. Even the "least valuable," the left leg bone, remained a priceless treasure.
And all three clearly came from ten-thousand-year-class spirit beasts—masterpieces of the highest grade.
For ordinary spirit masters, they were the stuff of dreams.
But Li Chang'an already possessed both a skull bone and a torso bone, and with the aid of the Spirit Bone Fruit, his soul bones were of incomparable quality. His torso bone, a fusion of two soul bones, had evolved to the level of an eighty-thousand-year soul bone.
For him, such prizes were… pleasant trinkets, nothing more.