By the time they finished their punishment, it was late at night.
Ci Jie and his two companions wandered the deserted streets for a long while before finally slipping into an alley.
"Boss, you hit way too hard earlier. My face still hurts..." the sycophantic boy complained in a low voice, looking every bit like a resentful wife who had suffered domestic abuse.
Smack!
Another crisp slap rang out.
"You feel wronged when I call you useless? I wanted you to provoke those brats from the Golden Generation, but what did you do? You ended up insulting me!"
Ci Jie cursed and swore. The more he thought about what had happened on the field, the more stifled he felt. He drew his arm back for another blow, only for the boy beside him, who had remained silent all this time, to stop him.
"That's enough. There'll be plenty of chances to punish him. There's no need to do it now..."
The boy's voice was low and icy. Bright moonlight fell over him, making his face look even paler.
"Brother, but... fine..." Ci Jie had wanted to argue, but ultimately fell silent, seemingly quite afraid of the boy.
If Ci Jie was the pawn the Elder Hall placed in plain sight, then this pale boy was its true killing weapon, hidden in the shadows.
Everyone in the Spirit Hall knew of the Golden Generation Plan's achievements. Naturally, the Elder Hall would not sit idle and await its doom.
If Bibi Dong could adopt Xie Yue and the others, the Elder Hall could do the same. Its methods, however, were far more extreme.
Over the years, the Elder Hall had adopted many orphans from various places and arranged Martial Soul Awakening for all of them. Those capable of cultivating stayed in the Elder Hall, while those who could not were sent away to wander the streets again.
The chosen children had been overjoyed, unaware that this was the herald of hell's arrival.
They lost their names and, in their struggle for limited resources to survive, were made to slaughter one another like venomous creatures in a gu-poison jar, until a child named "Zero" finally emerged.
He was not the most talented, but he was the most ruthless.
Contrary to what Qin Chao and the others had guessed, the Elder Hall had never intended to join them. From the very beginning, its aim had been destruction, and the pale boy, Zero, was the blade it swung at the Pope Hall.
Qin Chao's intervention had intimidated the Elder Hall's "disposable pawns." Left with no other choice, Zero had made Ci Jie and the others take the field themselves. Only by knowing both themselves and their enemies could they remain undefeated through a hundred battles.
Their ideals were plump; reality was all skin and bones.
The farce those two useless fools put on had not provoked Qin Chao and the others at all. Instead, it had made the three of them the laughingstock of the entire Spirit Hall.
But none of that mattered.
A cold smile curled Zero's lips. "The Lord Consecration has ordered that he does not wish to see those four in the Spirit Hall again. So tomorrow's plan remains unchanged..."
He raised his head and looked at the moon.
The moon was directly overhead, where it should have shone its brightest. Yet dark clouds suddenly drifted across the sky and veiled it. Darkness spread silently, leaving only the stars still twinkling...
Early the next morning, the participants arrived at the Training Ground well ahead of time.
Bibi Dong stood on the raised platform, as noble and elegant as she had been the day before. Only the Consecration standing beside her had changed.
Looking at the ten youths on the field, Qian Jun Douluo gently pinched the bridge of his nose.
He and Demon Subduing Douluo were brothers born of the same mother. Not only did they look extremely alike, but their talent and strength were also evenly matched. If there was any difference between them, perhaps intelligence was the only one.
Qian Jun Douluo had wondered countless times whether he had stolen his younger brother's brains in the womb. Otherwise, how could Demon Subduing Douluo be so stupid that he could not even rig an assessment properly? Not only had he been caught red-handed, but he had also injured his own people by mistake.
With brains like that, he would make a mess of anything he did...
Since his younger brother was useless, it fell to him, the elder brother, to wipe his backside.
His gaze swept over those who had passed the assessment, and the corners of Qian Jun Douluo's mouth lifted slightly. "Your Holiness, everyone is here. Shall we..."
Bibi Dong lightly tapped her scepter and announced in a clear voice to the ten youths on the field, "Today's assessment will be a practical combat test. You may form your own teams of four and fight each other. Anyone receiving a bye may challenge the winning team. If that challenge succeeds, they may replace the winners as members of the Golden Generation..."
"This is the second assessment of this selection, and also the last. Young ones, are you ready?"
Bibi Dong's voice was gentle yet commanding, carrying an infectious power that instantly ignited the atmosphere.
Yet three boys on the field looked troubled. They raised their heads toward the two people standing on the platform.
Once, they too had dreamed of joining the Golden Generation and becoming supreme experts like those two. Now, however, those dreams would likely be shattered...
The three boys' gazes lingered on Qian Jun Douluo for a moment. Finally, they stepped forward and said in unison, "We choose to withdraw from this assessment!"
Their declaration stunned everyone.
Joining the Golden Generation meant not only receiving the best cultivation resources, but also having a chance to become the next Pope. Why would anyone willingly give up such a wonderful opportunity?
As though something had occurred to her, Bibi Dong abruptly turned her head, her eyes blazing with anger.
"Good, good, good. Your Elder Hall truly has impressive methods. So you intend to tear away all pretense of civility with the Pope Hall?"
Faced with Bibi Dong's accusation, Qian Jun Douluo merely gave her a brilliant smile. "Why would you say that, Your Holiness? Whether to participate in the assessment is a matter of personal choice. How could you or I dictate it..."
Qian Jun Douluo cast a seemingly casual glance at the three boys requesting withdrawal. Under the Elder Hall's plan, those three should never have made it into the finals. Unfortunately, Demon Subduing Douluo had bungled the job, leaving him no choice but to employ a few methods to salvage the situation.
They were still young, so Qian Jun Douluo naturally would not lay a hand on them. But what about their families?
The three boys instantly understood Qian Jun Douluo's look. The oldest hurried forward. "Our apologies, Your Holiness. All three of us barely held on during yesterday's assessment, and each of us sustained injuries to some degree. To avoid affecting our future cultivation, we have no choice but to withdraw. Please grant us permission, Your Holiness..."
The children's words were earnest, and even their reasons were perfectly legitimate. Bibi Dong had no grounds to refuse.
After that brief lapse in composure, her expression returned to its noble, icy elegance. Only the rise and fall of her chest betrayed her state of mind.
With a light wave, Bibi Dong signaled for the three to leave, but her gaze sharpened as it settled on Ci Jie and his companions.
"This assessment has been one farce after another. It seems our Spirit Hall is nowhere near as peaceful as we imagined..." Bibi Dong said coldly.
Qian Jun Douluo's smile remained unchanged as he cupped his fist in salute to Bibi Dong. "What are you saying, Your Holiness? Under your leadership, the Spirit Hall's glory far surpasses that of years past, does it not?" His tone was amiable, yet his words seemed to carry another meaning.
Bibi Dong's expression briefly stiffened at his words, and a flicker of murderous intent surfaced in her eyes.
Indeed, she had killed Qian Xunji. How could Qian Daoliu possibly let her live comfortably...
Bibi Dong exhaled deeply, and a cold smile curled her lips.
"A little chaos is good. It'll make it easier to untangle this knotted mess, won't it?"
Shifting her gaze to Qin Chao and his three companions, Bibi Dong spoke again.
"Due to the withdrawals, this assessment will now consist of a three-on-three match. The losing side may challenge the participant receiving a bye. The four winners will become our Spirit Hall's new Golden Generation, as well as candidates to be the next Pope..."
"On the battlefield, blades have no eyes. Please exercise restraint. Stop! At! First! Contact!"
Bibi Dong emphasized every word, but her murderous intent had already soared into the heavens. The powerful aura she unleashed left even Qian Jun Douluo secretly alarmed...
Before you continue