Time flew by, and three years quietly passed in cultivation, training, missions, and the assimilation of resources.
The atmosphere of the Continental Soul Master Tournament had already begun to spread across the continent like a gathering storm.
In the major cities of various kingdoms and duchies, the horns of the preliminary rounds had sounded. Countless young Soul Masters shed sweat and blood in the arena for those limited academy slots.
In Spirit City, however, the fervor had yet to fully reach them. Yet an even more solemn anticipation had already settled over every level of Spirit Hall.
The prestige and transcendent status Spirit Hall had forged over the years granted it direct qualification for the finals of the Continental Soul Master Tournament.
Therefore, they did not need merely to participate. They needed to crush every opponent with absolute superiority and proclaim to the entire continent that Spirit Hall's younger generation was unmatched.
That day, the square before the Pope Palace was solemn and dignified.
At the center of the square stood a temporarily constructed platform.
Upon it, Pope Bibi Dong sat upon a luxurious throne.
She wore a purple-gold crown and held a gemstone scepter. Her lavish pale-purple robe embroidered with golden patterns trailed around her. Her breathtaking face showed neither joy nor sorrow; only those deep violet eyes carried an authority no one dared meet directly.
At her sides stood Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan and Ghost Douluo Gui Mei. Behind them stood several Cardinals of Spirit Hall, their auras deep and steady.
Below the platform, several hundred elite students of Spirit Hall's younger generation stood in neat ranks, gazing fervently upward—especially at the three figures standing at the very front.
Xie Yue, Hu Liena, and Yan.
Three years had left profound marks upon them.
Xie Yue stood tall and