The Pope, Warming Up!

"Pope, I'm just warming up!"

Bibi Dong was left speechless.

She stared at Qian Renyu with an incredibly ugly expression on her face.

She had already guessed Qian Renyu's intentions, and she could now be almost certain of them.

However, hearing the definitive answer from Qian Renyu's own mouth, the shock in her heart still could not be concealed.

Everything, it seemed, had been taken into account by Qian Renyu.

The Spirit Master Academy teams were destined to have core members, and these core members were the key to the final victory.

Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan, these three belonged to the Golden Generation and were the core of the Martial Soul Academy Team.

But under Qian Renyu's current plan, the core represented by the Golden Generation had become pale and powerless.

Whether Hu Liena was there or not, it really didn't matter that much anymore!

Yue Guan realized this belatedly.

He looked at Qian Renyu as if he were a monster, the mocking words Qian Renyu had just spoken to Bibi Dong still ringing in his ears.

In his mind, he couldn't help but conjure up a series of images.

During the finals of the Spirit Master Tournament, the Martial Soul Academy Team, missing its core member Hu Liena, would ultimately fall to Shrek Academy.

At that time—

Under the gaze of the masses, atop the towering throne, Qian Renyu would sit, looking down at the Shrek members who were just about to convince themselves that they could take the championship.

The corners of Yue Guan's mouth twitched wildly, and his body couldn't help but shudder.

The Pope was warming up; such a scene was truly too stimulating!

With Qian Renyu arriving in person, a generation's Pope acting as the leader of the Martial Soul Academy Team and entering the fray himself, could there be any suspense left for the grand championship?

Saying Qian Renyu violated the rules?

That didn't seem to count as a violation.

Strictly speaking, Qian Renyu was indeed still registered at the Soul Master Academy; there was a paper trail for this, and it could withstand scrutiny.

Qian Renyu hadn't even been promoted to a teacher at the Soul Master Academy; he still held the status of a student, which fully complied with the rules of the Spirit Master Tournament.

In previous Spirit Master Tournaments, although there was no precedent for a Pope to personally enter the arena, the rules had never restricted those who reached a certain level of strength from participating as students.

Hu Liena's breathing grew rapid.

Just like Bibi Dong, after completely understanding Qian Renyu's thoughts, her gaze flickered with evasion when she looked at him again.

She had been certain that she held an irreplaceable position in the Martial Soul Academy Team, and that even if Qian Renyu was the Pope, he couldn't possibly lay a hand on her, the core of the core, if the team wanted to win the championship.

Her beautiful dream hadn't even fully set sail before it began to sink into the sea.

"Your Excellency, this subordinate does not wish to defy your will; I only wanted to improve my strength before the finals arrive..."

"Hmm..."

Hu Liena said hurriedly.

Before her words could fully fall, Qian Renyu's large hand had already ruthlessly grabbed toward her face.

With his five fingers locked onto Hu Liena's face, preventing her from continuing to quibble, Qian Renyu's indifferent gaze scrutinized her:

"I have already said, do not try to play your little tricks in front of me!"

"You pride yourself on being a genius, wanting to use the excuse of an epiphany to refute my decree in a genius's way!"

"Hu Liena, do you know that newborns on the Douluo Continent are as numerous as crucian carp in a river, every single year!"

"Among so many newborns, geniuses appear every year!"

"Only a genius who has grown up can be called a genius!"

"And right now, you can only be called quite talented!"

Qian Renyu said nonchalantly.

As he spoke, he gripped Hu Liena's face and forcibly lifted her off the ground.

Qian Renyu was taller than Hu Liena; he only needed to raise his arm to lift her until her feet were dangling in the air.

With his immense strength, Hu Liena had no way to react at all.

With her legs dangling and her face ruthlessly locked by his Five Finger Mountain, her breathing became extremely labored.

A thick sense of unease swept through Hu Liena's heart, and the feeling of suffocation enveloped her entire body every second.

"Your... Your Excellency..."

Hu Liena grabbed at Qian Renyu's arm with both hands, trying to get more fresh air and attempting to squeeze out a few more syllables.

Qian Renyu did not let Hu Liena's dream come true, his cold, ruthless eyes staring indifferently at her restless hands.

The pressure from his Five Finger Mountain increased, and one could see the red marks left on Hu Liena's face by his grip.

"If we are talking about geniuses, everyone in Martial Soul Hall who has reached the level of Title Douluo is a genius, and they are already successful geniuses!"

"Even if you, Hu Liena, have reached such a level, you have no right to act recklessly in my presence!"

"You have yet to fully mature, so I would like to ask: who gave you the courage to do this!"

Qian Renyu continued to whisper softly.

No matter how Hu Liena struggled, he did not loosen the Five Finger Mountain, bringing a suffocating sense of pressure upon her at every moment.

Hu Liena's mind was in chaos; Qian Renyu's words struck her brain like heavy hammers.

Each hammer blow caused her spirit to tremble uncontrollably.

This Crowned One, w-why is he so different from Teacher?

E-even Teacher highly recognizes my talent and my future achievements.

This Crowned One, he doesn't play by the rules at all!

Am I, am I going to die?

Hu Liena thought, her heart in a state of utter turmoil.

The strength in her struggling hands grew weaker and weaker.

She was inferior to Qian Renyu in terms of soul power level, and even more so in terms of physical function.

The sudden sensation of suffocation felt as if all the strength had been drained from her body, making it impossible for her to display the grace she once possessed.

In her eyes, which flickered in and out of view through the gaps of the Five Finger Mountain, the original brilliance began to dim—it was the dullness seen only in the eyes of someone on the verge of death.

Yue Guan dared not speak, watching with a heavy heart as Hu Liena was lifted up by Qian Renyu, glancing at Hu Liena's condition while occasionally looking toward Bibi Dong.

Bibi Dong glared, catching Yue Guan carefully observing her situation.

The anger in her heart soared to the heavens!

To Bibi Dong, Yue Guan's scrutiny was more painful than being killed outright.

Realizing what Yue Guan was thinking, Bibi Dong understood that her status had truly been severely challenged.

If she watched Hu Liena die right before her eyes, she would have no prestige left to speak of; it would be far beyond a mere weakening of her power.

If she let such a thing happen, Bibi Dong knew that even if she could remain in Martial Soul Hall, her status would likely be no higher than that of people like Yue Guan.

If she couldn't even protect her own direct disciple, she had no right to preside over the Pope's Palace, nor the right to make all the Title Douluo of Martial Soul Hall submit!

If she could not achieve that, then remaining in Martial Soul Hall would be meaningless, and she would never be able to fulfill her deepest wish: to conquer a realm where no one dared to question her!

Bibi Dong gripped the Pope's Scepter tightly, took a deep breath, and with a flash of cold light in her eyes, she shouted angrily: "Qian Renyu, that is enough!"

"I can yield to you in other matters, but do not think you can keep challenging my bottom line!"

"My patience has its limits!"