Pope Bibi Dong

The morning sun spilled across the earth, bringing a trace of warmth to heaven and earth as the white frost on the ground gradually melted into dew.

Inside the classroom of the First Junior Soul Master Academy, Teacher Ma Xiu stood on the platform, directing the many students to line up in order. Among them, Yan and Tuo Ba Hong, who stood separately with the teachers, appeared particularly conspicuous.

As expected, when Teacher Ma Xiu announced that student representatives would be selected to welcome the Spirit Hall higher-ups at the central training ground, all the students scrambled to volunteer. However, there was no actual selection test; the teachers simply chose people based on strength.

Class Three was not weak compared to the rest of the grade, but Classes One and Two were ahead of them. Not only were those two classes outstanding overall, but most of their students also came from influential backgrounds. Under normal circumstances, it would never have been Class Three's turn.

But Yan and Tuo Ba Hong had broken through to become one-ring Soul Masters, an exceedingly rare occurrence throughout the entire first year. Without any suspense, they took two spots, leaving many people pounding their chests in regret.

"Boss, I'm a little nervous."

Beside Yan, the usually carefree chubby boy Tuo Ba Hong wore an anxious expression. Clearly, he had not seen many grand occasions.

"What are you nervous about?"

Yan looked entirely unconcerned. Though he had no experience with this sort of leader inspection either, he had at least seen reports like this in his previous life, so his mindset was different.

Under the guidance of another teacher, Yan and Tuo Ba Hong headed for the training ground. Along the way, they joined the other first-year student representatives, all of whom were students from Classes One and Two. Class One had the most students, and Xie Yue and Hu Liena stood at the very front of the group.

Yan gave the two of them a slight nod. Xie Yue nodded back, while Hu Liena's gaze was somewhat shy, a faint blush appearing on her pretty face.

"Boss, how far have you and Hu Liena gotten? Have you... ow..."

Tuo Ba Hong noticed the exchange between them and immediately revealed his gossiping nature, wanting to pry out more information. Before he could even finish speaking, though, pain shot through his stomach and nearly made his legs give out.

"Not nervous anymore, are you?"

Yan patted the chubby boy on the shoulder, making him straighten up and follow the group. The two of them stood in the middle of the first-year representatives, while behind them were several Class One students who had yet to obtain their first soul rings.

There were twenty first-year student representatives, eight of whom had obtained soul rings. That number was not particularly high. As long as one's Innate Soul Power was above level seven, after nearly a year of hard cultivation, it was still quite possible to reach level ten and obtain one's first soul ring.

Wasn't Tuo Ba Hong beside him an example? He only had Innate Soul Power at level six, but he had been fairly diligent in cultivation. In addition, Yan often conducted little experiments on him and had him try more things while cultivating at home.

Although that did somewhat amount to treating him like a lab rat, the chubby boy was obedient, and his family had resources. After several months of cultivation, Tuo Ba Hong had surpassed most of the students and successfully obtained his first soul ring, becoming a Soul Master.

Eight one-ring Soul Masters in the first school year might seem a little low compared to the several hundred students, but in truth, that figure was already quite frightening.

Obtaining one's first soul ring in the first school term meant one's talent was certainly not weak. As long as they continued cultivating without slacking off and maintained progress of at least two levels of Soul Power per year, they would definitely become two-ring Soul Grand Masters by sixth grade. Such people were undoubtedly geniuses.

Within Spirit Hall, there was more than one junior academy like this. Even if the other students were not as talented as those at the First Junior Soul Master Academy, there would still be some geniuses among them. Taken together, the total number of talented individuals was considerable.

During the Continental Soul Master Tournament, other teams had at most a full lineup of four-ring Soul Ancestors. Even the Heaven Dou Royal Academy Team, one of the three major seeded teams, had yet to assemble an all-Soul Ancestor lineup.

Yet on the Spirit Hall Team's side, setting aside the three main members, even the original substitute lineup was an all-Soul Ancestor team. The contrast with other teams was stark, entirely because they had so many choices and such a large talent pool.

"Everyone, quiet down. The headmaster and the important figures from Spirit Hall are here. Behave yourselves later."

The chubby boy had been about to continue discussing how his boss had secretly gotten close to a pretty girl without including him when the teacher leading them suddenly spoke. Everyone in the group immediately grew tense, standing solemnly in the square.

Yan also stood among the crowd on the training ground, gazing into the distance. At the academy gate, he could vaguely make out a procession slowly approaching.

The first thing that entered everyone's sight was two rows of exceptionally imposing Temple Knights. Their bright silver armor and heavy knightly swords radiated majesty and solemnity. The brilliant sunlight shone upon the earth, and beneath it, they seemed like ancient war gods standing tall upon the land.

On the training ground, one hundred and twenty student representatives from all six grades stood silently waiting. Everyone, including the teachers leading them, appeared somewhat nervous.

The light of faith flickered in many people's eyes. Some even prayed openly. Their faith in Spirit Hall and in the Pope made them seem incomparably devout.

Yan did not look around at this moment either, but the corner of his eye remained fixed on the academy gate, anticipation glimmering in his gaze.

Twelve Red Cardinals, whose status was second only to Platinum Bishops, slowly appeared. They stood to the left and right, six on each side.

When these Red Cardinals appeared, even the academy headmaster stepped down to bow, standing respectfully to one side. After the twelve swept their gazes around and confirmed that no one had behaved improperly, the leader among them called out, "Her Holiness the Pope arrives."

The Pope was here. The news stunned many people, but before they had time to think, they joined the crowd in a thunderous cry. To the Soul Masters trained by Spirit Hall, the Pope was their highest faith, though the current Pope's prestige was still somewhat lacking.

A figure slowly stepped forth amid dazzling golden light. She wore a brilliant golden ceremonial gown from head to toe, a violet-gold crown upon her head and a scepter in her hand. Her expression was solemn, and her entire person seemed almost illusory, infinitely tall beneath the sunlight.

Her beauty was exquisite—an astonishing beauty. Noble, elegant, serene; every beautiful word seemed applicable to this woman. Though she was no longer young, time appeared not to have left any traces upon her.

Yet at this moment, no one paid attention to her breathtaking face. At this very instant, she represented only the majesty of a generation's Pope of Spirit Hall.

The brilliant golden gown fit her perfectly, its resplendent ceremonial attire gleaming with the light of jewels. It was set with more than a hundred red, blue, and gold gemstones, while the violet-gold crown atop her head shone with countless rays. At this moment, all light converged upon her alone.

Brothers, the recommendation slot will change at two this afternoon, so the second chapter will be updated at two. Also, thank you all for your support and tips. I hope for more bookmarks and votes.