After noon, the area before the Papal Hall was packed with people.
There were personnel from Spirit Hall, as well as representatives invited from various factions.
The hall-protecting knights stood like statues along both sides of the red carpet in the center of the square.
The seats on either side were occupied by Spirit Hall personnel and representatives of the various forces across the continent, seated according to host and guest.
Ahead, six more seats had been arranged on either side of the papal throne.
Before the ceremony began, the various factions had already started discussing matters among themselves.
"The one in the middle is the Pope's seat. The ones on both sides should be the hall-protecting elders' seats, barring any surprises," Ning Que said. "But after the Sea God Island expedition and the Pope's death, can Spirit Hall really produce another six Title Douluo?"
"Don't underestimate Spirit Hall," Tang Ming said. "During Qian Xunji's time, the Papal Hall had four hall-protecting elders. Golden Bell and Silver Hammer are dead, but Chrysanthemum Ghost, the two Title Douluo, are still around. Beyond that, Spirit Hall has Demon Bear, Ghost Leopard, and two Title Douluo whose potential has already reached its limit—Snake Lance and Blood Thorn. All told, they can still scrape together six elders."
"Besides that, Spirit Hall has some hidden consecrates. They just probably won't appear at an occasion like this," Tang Ming said.
"Hiss..." Ning Que drew a sharp breath. "Spirit Hall's foundation really is formidable. We have the former Pope's ambition to thank for that. Otherwise, the Spirit Hall we faced now would only have been even stronger."
"As the saying goes, it's not a problem when the heir of a great family eats, drinks, gambles, and visits brothels—it's a problem when he wants to start a business.