Presentation of Gifts

"Greetings, Your Holiness."

As Pope Bibi Dong slowly stepped onto the raised platform at the edge of the training ground, the many Soul Masters under Spirit Hall shouted once more. Everyone was preparing to kneel on one knee in salute.

A trace of helplessness showed in Yan's eyes. By his own inclinations, he was not particularly keen on this sort of thing, but their supervising teacher had already explained the one-knee salute to them beforehand. At an occasion like this, he could hardly insist on being different.

So he could only persuade himself inwardly that this was practice in advance—practice for kneeling before his wi... ahem, his teacher in the future.

The countless Soul Masters cheered in unison, their movements perfectly synchronized. The atmosphere of that instant was beyond description, and even Yan could not help feeling an urge to bow in worship.

"No need for such formalities."

Pope Bibi Dong spoke for the first time. Her clear voice was pleasant and soothing, carrying a heartwarming gentleness. Along with her words, everyone seemed to hear a faint chime. Then, a nearly imperceptible glow swept across the grounds, and everyone's movements froze in place.

So this is a Titled Douluo. Is she doing this to present herself as approachable? Well, this is better too. No need to kneel.

Yan did not dare raise his head too obviously. He merely glanced obliquely upward toward the platform. Though he could not see her clearly, he roughly guessed Bibi Dong's intentions. He relaxed his body and offered no resistance, allowing that current of Soul Power to straighten him back up.

This inspection of Spirit City was Bibi Dong's first major public appearance since taking office and emerging from seclusion. Its purpose was to win over people's hearts and establish her own prestige, so naturally she had to maintain an approachable image.

Having everyone kneel in worship would certainly elevate the Pope's authority to the utmost, but it was not conducive to winning hearts. Thus, while displaying her approachability, she had also demonstrated her strength. With a mere tap of her scepter, she had made everyone present unable to bow in salute. That was not something an ordinary person could accomplish.

Four people followed behind Bibi Dong, and their eyes now flickered with surprise and uncertainty. They seemed shocked by the Pope's increase in strength.

All four wore crimson ceremonial robes. Unlike the entirely red robes of Red Cardinals, their red garments were inlaid with gold and silver patterns. The gemstone on each of their chests, gleaming with golden light and as large as an infant's fist, exuded an especially luxurious air.

Ordinary people who saw those robes would only find them immensely regal. But to Soul Masters, they represented the highest honor, because only Titled Douluo were qualified to wear such red ceremonial robes. Clearly, these four were members of Spirit Hall's Council of Elders, elders at the Titled Douluo level.

Of the four, two stood farther back on the platform, and Yan could not see them clearly. He only noticed that one was built like a towering bear, while the other was rather lean and seemed to follow an agility-based path. Bear and leopard emblems appeared to be displayed on them.

Yan quickly arrived at an answer. If his guess was correct, these two should be Demon Bear and Ghost Leopard, two rather famous Titled Douluo elders of Spirit Hall. He had heard Tuo Ba Hong mention them.

Both were members of Spirit Hall's Council of Elders. In the original work, they were little more than background characters who were brushed past, and even their deaths seemed rather perfunctory. Still, at least they had a definite ending: they were killed.

The Spirit Hall portrayed as the villainous force in the original work actually possessed more than twenty, perhaps nearly thirty, Titled Douluo powerhouses. Yet most of them were forcibly killed off by plot armor, with not even their titles mentioned at their deaths, much less their names.

Throughout the entire Douluo story, the only Spirit Hall elders who received any real description were Guimei and Yueguan. Snake Lance and Pufferfish, who were around levels ninety-one or ninety-two, likely only gained more scenes after advancing and being assigned to assist Qian Renxue.

Demon Bear and Ghost Leopard were the two Titled Douluo farther away. The characteristics of the two Titled Douluo standing beside Pope Bibi Dong were far more obvious, and they were also much more famous.

The one on the left seemed to be covered in an illusory radiance. Though he wore the same clothes, he gave off a gloomy and eerie feeling, and no one could make out his appearance clearly.

As for the other, his skin was as tender as a baby's. His bewitchingly beautiful appearance gave people an unusual impression. If not for the Adam's apple on his neck, no one would believe he was actually a man.

Although this was Yan's first time seeing them, he had already confirmed their identities. They were the two most unusual elders of Spirit Hall: Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan and Ghost Douluo Guimei.

These two Titled Douluo had both reached level ninety-five, only one step away from becoming Super Douluo. Yet due to insufficient talent and time, like Bone Douluo Gu Rong of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, they had never managed to cross that threshold in their lifetimes. Still, that did not diminish their strength.

Although Yue Guan and Guimei were merely average fighters among those of the same level, no Titled Douluo was a simple figure. In the original work, Tang San himself, with his cheats, had needed to act personally to kill them, which also proved their strength from another angle.

The two were always inseparable, not merely because they were close, but more importantly because they could unleash the Martial Soul Fusion Skill, Two-Phase Stillness Domain. In the original work, the Sky Azure Bull Python and Titan Giant Ape of the Star Dou Great Forest had fallen to this very move.

Standing below the platform, Yan raised his head along with the others. His gaze wandered as he noticed the changing expressions of the five Spirit Hall higher-ups on the platform, and a faint guess formed in his heart. It looks like this is their first time seeing Bibi Dong reveal her strength too. Interesting.

Bibi Dong had inherited the position of Pope because the previous Pope had named her as his successor and several elders had supported her. But those elders who supported her did not necessarily mean they were loyal to her. More likely, they had other motives.

At the time, Bibi Dong lacked strength and prestige, so the Pope's authority would inevitably have to be delegated. Was that not precisely an opportunity for powerful elders like them? Unfortunately, those people had celebrated too soon. They had not expected Bibi Dong's ruthless methods, nor had they anticipated the growth of her strength. Now, it seemed she possessed both the intention and the power to firmly secure her position.

The appearance of the Pope and four Titled Douluo undoubtedly pushed the day's event to its climax. After that, under the academy's arrangements, a series of activities similar to a modern school anniversary celebration proceeded in order, and they soon reached the final stage.

Three students selected by the academy would present flowers to Pope Bibi Dong on behalf of the Soul Master Academy. This was naturally only a concluding procedure, but the three students chosen to go onstage and present the gifts drew tremendous attention. Everyone hoped that honor would fall to them.

Of course, at a time like this, the academy's higher-ups still made the appointments. However, if the academy forcibly assigned such a special honor, there would certainly be people who were dissatisfied.

Normally, that would not matter much. Students were still students, and private dissatisfaction was only a minor matter. But with the push of someone with ulterior motives, even small matters could become major ones.

Client recommendation slot, second recommendation. During the new book period, everyone, please leave more comments and offer the author some suggestions.

Here is a note on the number of Titled Douluo in Spirit Hall.

Across the entire Douluo story, Baidu lists only fourteen Titled Douluo in Spirit Hall, counting the six Grand Elders as well as named figures like Demon Bear and Ghost Leopard.

In reality, that was definitely wrong. Spirit Hall had six Peerless Douluo alone, so the number of ordinary Titled Douluo had to be several times that amount. The original work mentioned that the Ninth Elder perished together with the patriarch of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan during the Soul Hunting operation, which meant the Hall of Elders had at least nine Titled Douluo.

It also seemed that one died during the incident when Qian Xunji went to capture the Blue Silver Emperor. Before that, another had his leg broken by Tang Hao. Several also died in the Star Dou Great Forest while hunting Da Ming, Er Ming, and Xiao Wu—Guimei died in the Star Dou Great Forest. Seven unnamed Titled Douluo suddenly appeared during the Battle of Jialing Pass, and many from Spirit Hall died in that battle while several others escaped. By that count, there were already more than fifteen ordinary Titled Douluo, not to mention Bibi Dong, Qian Daoliu, and the six Grand Elders. The total should have been between twenty-five and thirty, far exceeding Oscar's early claim of fewer than twenty.

It was precisely with such strength that Spirit Hall could firmly suppress the two great empires and the three great sects. Even if the Clear Sky Sect's seven Titled Douluo emerged together, they would still be doomed. If Tang San had not forcibly relied on cheats, all those opposing factions would have been finished.