LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 294: Forfeit
The sun rises in the east, and under its light, the young men are full of vigor and energy.
After a heated argument, the crowd gradually calmed down, choosing to endure their anger rather than act on it.
There was no other choice, this was right outside the Pope's Palace.
Their previous quarrel had already drawn a warning.
Clenching their fists tightly, they wished they could punch their opponents in the face.
"There's always something happening with Shrek Academy. Every time, without fail."
Du Siji and his companions thought to themselves but refrained from making any sarcastic remarks.
They were the type who preferred action over words.
Time passed, and at around ten in the morning, the doors of the Pope's Palace finally opened.
Leading the way out were the Holy Knights. They walked solemnly out of the palace, though only those inside knew just how cramped it had been within.
As each Holy Knight exited, the space inside became slightly less congested.
The Pope's Palace was connected to the grand square below by a staircase of ninety-nine steps.
On these steps, rows of Holy Knights stood in formation, exuding an air of solemnity and dignity.
At the same time, countless figures emerged from the surrounding Holy Mountain, these were all Holy Knights of the Spirit Hall.
Their silent and disciplined presence was overwhelming, leaving a deep impression on all present.
Spirit Hall truly had some formidable power.
After the Holy Knights left the Pope's Palace, twelve Red-robed Cardinals followed, leading the way for Pope Bibi Dong.
Behind them were numerous elders clad in golden armor, forming a protective escort around Bibi Dong.
As for Zhongli, Ning Fengzhi, and Chen Xin, the three exchanged glances and silently took up the rear.
"It's finally starting."
The crowd outside let out a collective sigh of relief. They had been kept waiting for quite a while.
Even though they knew it was simply part of the schedule, it was still frustrating, at least for those from Shrek Academy.
The Spirit Academy's participants, on the other hand, had received some advance notice and knew when the event would begin, so they weren't particularly surprised.
As for Xiao Feilian and his group, they had no complaints either, they, too, had been informed of the starting time.
The reason they had arrived at the square so early was because Zhongli had come to the Pope's Palace in advance.
If their sect master was here, how could they afford to arrive only when the ceremony officially began?
They might not necessarily respect the Pope, but they certainly had to respect their sect master.
Besides, this Pope had never done anything to wrong them.
On the contrary, before the existence of the Body Sect, aside from Xiao Feilian, the rest of them had relied on Spirit Master subsidies to survive.
Without those subsidies, who knew what kind of lives they would have been living?
The nobles certainly wouldn't have cared for them.
"Salutations to Her Holiness the Pope!"
At that moment, a resounding chant echoed across the mountains, shaking the heavens.
"Salutations to Her Holiness the Pope!"
"Salutations to Her Holiness the Pope!"
Three times in unison, as if deliberately emphasizing Spirit Hall's ambitions.
Under normal circumstances, only emperors were addressed as His Holiness.
Titled Douluos were typically referred to as Lords.
As a major power, the head of Spirit Hall should also be addressed as Her Holiness The Pope rather than Lord.
This distinction subtly revealed Spirit Hall's ambitions.
"At ease."
Bibi Dong held the Pope's scepter in hand, a golden crown atop her head, her gaze sweeping over the crowd with an impassive expression.
With her delicate brows slightly furrowed, she exuded the dignified and unapproachable aura of a true ruler.
Even without using her spirit power, she emanated an overwhelming pressure.
Several elders in golden armor stood silently at her sides.
Their presence today was meant to demonstrate the depth of Spirit Hall's strength to those watching in the shadows.
When outsiders assumed that Spirit Hall had only three Titled Douluos, the reality was far different, there were seven just in the Worship Hall.
And when the outside world saw these six or seven golden-armored Titled Douluos standing here today, they remained unaware that Spirit Hall possessed even more.
With these Titled Douluos present, they could deter troublemakers and send misleading signals about their true numbers.
At this moment, Bibi Dong began to speak.
Having sipped some fruit wine earlier, she wasn't affected in any way, but a faint flush colored her cheeks, adding an air of allure to her presence.
"I won't repeat the competition rules."
"Now, let's talk about the championship prizes."
As she finished speaking, three maids emerged from the Pope's Palace, each carrying a tray covered in red silk.
However, the powerful energy fluctuations emanating from the trays were unmistakable.
Soul bones, displayed openly and without fear.
There was no concern about anyone attempting to seize them.
Those strong enough to challenge this many Titled Douluos had no need to steal.
Those who weren't strong enough would only be walking to their deaths.
After all, this was Spirit Hall's headquarters, who besides Zhongli could even think of robbing them here?
As they gazed at the trays, many elders' eyes flickered with reluctance, though they quickly masked their emotions.
Could they count on Hu Liena and the others to win the soul bones?
They might as well hope for a breakthrough in their own spirit power, that would be more realistic.
Breaking through by one level might be easier.
With a casual wave of Bibi Dong's hand, the three soul bones appeared before the crowd.
With another wave, they floated in midair, as if to ensure that no one missed them.
Bibi Dong briefly introduced the three soul bones.
The Shrek Academy team was visibly excited.
Soul bones, these were ten-thousand-year soul bones!
They were right in front of them.
As long as they crossed a small hill and then overcame an immense chasm, they could claim them.
"The soul bones belong to us!"
Gazing at the Spirit Condensing Head Soul Bone, Tang San felt an inexplicable connection to it.
But he couldn't quite pinpoint what it was.
Regardless, he was determined to obtain it.
The competition format for determining the top three had been announced, and the two teams fell into deep thought.
The morning match would be a ring battle.
A draw would decide which two teams fought first, while the third team would wait.
The losing team would then face the third team, following a rotation format.
The first two teams to lose seven members would enter the loser's bracket.
The winner would go straight to the championship match.
"Spirit Hall Team forfeits. We voluntarily enter the loser's bracket!"
How could they possibly defeat the Heaven Dou Royal Team in a one-on-one ring battle?
Rather than waste their efforts, they chose to conserve their strength and wait for Shrek Academy.
Tang San and his companions were stunned.
They hadn't expected Spirit Academy to concede so decisively, it was clearly premeditated.
"Shrek Academy forfeits. We voluntarily enter the loser's bracket."
A one-on-one ring battle? No thanks. They had no chance against the Heaven Dou Royal Team.
It was better to enter the loser's bracket first, deal with the Spirit Hall Team, and then make their move.
And so, the morning matches ended before they even began.
Yet no one left, they simply waited for the afternoon battle.
Why not start early?
Because the participants needed time to strategize, and skipping directly to the next round would violate the rules.
Spirit Hall's meals were excellent.
Little Paimon ate bite after bite.
Most of the others, being of high status, had to maintain their image and barely touched their food.
Yue Guan sat beside Paimon, occasionally taking delicacies from his storage soul tool and placing them before Paimon.
"Eat slowly. There's plenty more."