LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 293: Must Win
It seemed like something had come to mind, and Yue Guan turned his gaze toward Zhongli.
There were rumors that Zhongli and Dugu Bo had a good relationship, it was probably Zhongli who helped him break through, right?
This wasn't exactly a secret; anyone could find out with a little investigation.
So envious!
He himself had been stuck at level ninety-five for a long time.
Breaking through to level ninety-six required either a stroke of fortune or decades of accumulation.
After all, there was an extremely high threshold between levels ninety-five and ninety-six.
Fortunately, he possessed a Strange Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum seed, a gift from Zhongli.
Once the Strange Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum bloomed, he would be able to advance smoothly, and the path ahead would be clear.
At least, until he reached level ninety-eight.
Thinking of this, Yue Guan stopped dwelling on it and said to Paimon, "Little Paimon, do you think Tang San and his team will suddenly explode with power in the finals and defeat the Spirit Hall team?"
"Grandpa Yue Guan, I said there's a possibility," Paimon corrected him.
Yue Guan: "..."
"How about we make a bet?"
"Eh?"
Paimon scratched her head and looked at Yue Guan.
"Paimon doesn't gamble. Gambling is bad!"
Yue Guan fell silent again. Paimon was right. He actually wanted to bet with Paimon, how foolish of him!
"Alright, alright, no bets, no bets."
"Then let's just wait and see!"
After listening to Paimon, Yue Guan also began to believe that Tang San and his team would indeed have a sudden burst of power.
He was just curious, how exactly would they explode?
The anticipation was unbearable.
Fortunately, the championship battle was only two days away.
Zhongli simply observed Yue Guan and Paimon without saying much.
He, too, was curious about what exactly the Shura Consciousness inside Xiao Wu intended to do.
Wait!
Something suddenly occurred to Zhongli, and a gleam of light flashed in his eyes.
If that were really the case, the Spirit Hall team wouldn't be a match for Tang San at all.
"Shura is truly meticulous in his plans…"
"Using such a method to push Tang San forward?"
But wasn't he afraid that Tang San would forget about Xiao Wu?
After all, the protagonist ten thousand years later, after inheriting Electrolux's legacy, had completely forgotten about the old man who had sacrificed everything for him.
All those promises about finding his teacher's soul fragments, about reviving his teacher, he had forgotten them all.
"We'll find out in two days."
Zhongli closed his eyes, ceased his speculations, and, breathing in the fragrance of flowers, drifted off to sleep.
Although he didn't need to sleep, he was now a human, and as a human, how could he not sleep?
If he was going to walk this continent as a human, he should behave like one.
Time passed, and before they knew it, the day of the finals had arrived.
Early in the morning, the crowd gathered at the Pope's Palace.
That is, Zhongli, Paimon, and Yue Guan.
Today, Yue Guan was dressed in golden armor.
Beside him stood several other elders, all clad in the same golden armor.
These individuals were the face of Spirit Hall, elders of the organization.
All of them wore golden armor, their eyes gleaming with spirit and energy. Their appearances, rather than resembling elderly men, made them look like a group of middle-aged warriors.
"Greetings, Lord Martial God!"
The elders saluted Zhongli with deep respect.
After all, this man could single-handedly crush all of them…
That was the gap between an Ultimate Douluo and ordinary Titled Douluo.
"Greetings to you all," Zhongli nodded in return before being led by Yue Guan to his seat.
Inside the Pope's Palace, the atmosphere was lively, mainly because Bibi Dong wanted the world to witness the true strength of Spirit Hall.
To reinforce their presence, she arranged for several Titled Douluo to attend the event.
But these weren't the only elders in Spirit Hall.
Aside from the Titled Douluo, there were also twelve Red-Robed Bishops present.
In rank, Red-Robed Bishops were slightly below Platinum Bishops, though they were still Spirit Douluo-level powerhouses.
Their status was slightly inferior to that of the Platinum Bishops.
It was worth noting that the entire Douluo Continent had only four Platinum Bishops.
Each of them guarded an important region.
Additionally, a large number of Holy Knights were stationed in the Pope's Palace, awaiting orders.
As soon as the doors opened, they would march out to bolster the prestige of Spirit Hall.
Meanwhile, Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin had also been invited.
After all, Chen Xin was an elder of Spirit Hall too!
Yes, Sword Douluo Chen Xin was indeed a Spirit Hall elder, albeit an honorary one.
He was not under Spirit Hall's command, nor could he be mobilized by them, but he still enjoyed the privileges of an elder.
Tang Hao and Yu Yuanzhen shared the same status.
This was one of Spirit Hall's ways of winning people over.
The tokens of Spirit Hall bore the symbols of a Sword, a Hammer, and a Dragon, representing these three individuals.
"Greetings, Sect Master Zhongli!"
Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin cupped their hands in greeting.
"Greetings, Sect Master Ning, Sword Douluo."
After some polite exchanges, Bibi Dong finally made her entrance, fashionably late.
As the Pope of Spirit Hall, she had to maintain her dignity, making sure to be the last to arrive.
But technically, she was also the first to arrive…
Since she lived in the Pope's Palace.
Following another round of formalities, exquisite food and fine fruit wine were distributed.
The attendees had arrived early, and they had to wait until around ten o'clock before the grand doors opened for the pre-match ceremony.
If it weren't for Zhongli's presence, they wouldn't have had the luxury of food and drinks, just standing, sitting, and waiting.
The three competing teams had already assembled, waiting for the match to begin.
Apart from these teams, only their respective leaders and teachers were allowed to spectate.
Eliminated teams were strictly forbidden from watching.
They had been waiting since dawn, unaware that the guests inside had arrived even earlier…
"Tang San, do we really have to win?"
Xiao Wu asked once again, and Tang San looked puzzled.
Hadn't Xiao Wu already asked this question a few days ago?
Was she doubting his resolve?
"We must win!"
Tang San responded without hesitation, "Xiao Wu, don't worry, we will claim the championship."
Hearing this, Xiao Wu nodded without saying more, sinking into deep thought.
Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and the others remained silent.
They understood their own strength well, whether they won or not depended entirely on Tang San.
"Hah, 'must win,' you say?"
Yan sneered. "That runner-up spot is ours! You Shrek Academy brats shouldn't even dream about it!"
Tang San and his teammates twitched but remained silent.
Their goal had never been second place, only the championship.
"Our goal is the championship."
"Your surrender-before-the-battle attitude is laughable."
Yan's words were just too ridiculous, and Dai Mubai couldn't help but mock him.
"Throwing yourself into a battle you know you can't win isn't courage, it's stupidity."
"But unfortunately, you won't even get the chance to be stupid."
"We will crush you!"