Losers had no rights

The instant those words fell, the entire Pope's Palace seemed to be held down by an invisible hand.

The air froze for a breath, and then golden light burst forth.

It did not descend from the sky or surge from the ground, but spread in every direction from the gilded seat beneath Qian Chenming, enveloping the entire Pope's Palace.

The light was not dazzling, yet it was everywhere, carrying a warmth and solemnity that made resistance impossible to muster.

On the competition grounds.

Everything suddenly changed.

"What is this..."

Before Dugu Bo could finish, he saw those golden motes fall like fine rain, silently settling on Hu Liena's and Xie Yue's wounds.

The poison receded at a rate visible to the naked eye, their wounds healed, and their ashen faces regained their rosy color. Even their depleted soul power began to recover slowly.

Hu Liena stared blankly down at her hands.

Her fingertips still held the lingering pain of being pierced by the Eight Spider Lances during the battle, but the deadly poison that had torn at her flesh was completely gone.

She raised her head and looked toward the figure seated at the center of the golden light on the dais. Her lips moved, but not a single word came out.

"Your Holiness..." Xie Yue's voice was hoarse, carrying an astonishment he had never felt before.

"They're healed already?"

Tang San, their opponent, froze, and towering waves inevitably rose in his heart.

This was far beyond anything he had expected.

After all, the Golden Generation had been afflicted by the Eight Spider Lances' deadly poison, for which there was practically no cure.

Dugu Bo was just as astonished.

The two of them could not have been more familiar with the Eight Spider Lances' poison.

The Eight Spider Lances, an external soul bone, carried no fewer than three deadly poisons: cold, heat, and the Man Faced Demon Spider's venom.

The damage they inflicted together penetrated the marrow and was beyond measure.

That was why Dugu Bo had freely admitted that even he could not cure it.

He had only wanted to persuade Spirit Hall to concede sooner.

Yet he had never expected that Qian Chenming, as Pope, would merely unfurl his domain and so easily neutralize the deadly poison of the Eight Spider Lances soul bone.

For a moment.

Everyone in the palace was stunned.

Not only Poison Douluo and the others, but Ning Fengzhi and the Golden Iron Triangle all found it unbelievable.

Qian Chenming did not look at them. He merely raised a hand slowly, and the golden light drew back with his movement, retreating like the tide and leaving only silence throughout the palace.

Only then did he speak, his tone as indifferent as if he were stating something utterly trivial. "The match is over. The Spirit Hall Team has lost."

Without his cure, the fate awaiting the Spirit Hall Team would have been death by poison, followed by defeat in the match.

With everyone having witnessed it, that was indisputable.

So Qian Chenming said nothing more.

The entire crowd erupted.

"Conceding? Spirit Hall conceded?"

"His Holiness the Pope personally announced their concession. This..."

"But what was that power just now? That clearly wasn't a soul skill!"

Discussion surged like a tide, only to be suppressed by a single glance from Qian Chenming.

He stood, his gaze passing over the crowd before settling on Tang San.

Beads of sweat still clung to Tang San's temples. The Eight Spider Lances had withdrawn into his body, but his fingers still trembled slightly.

Sensing that gaze, he raised his head and met Qian Chenming's eyes, feeling an involuntary, bone-piercing chill.

Then.

Qian Chenming did not linger on him, turning his attention behind him instead.

Standing behind him were Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo.

Both men stiffened.

Ghost Douluo Gui Mei's pupils abruptly contracted, while Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan's well-maintained face twitched slightly.

Almost simultaneously, the two lowered their heads, bending their backs into humble bows as cold sweat trickled down their temples.

"Your Holiness..."

"I remember you assured me before the match that the Spirit Hall Team would win."

Qian Chenming's voice was soft, yet carried an overwhelming menace.

Chrysanthemum Douluo's lips moved, but in the end he only managed to squeeze out, "I... have betrayed Your Holiness's trust."

Qian Chenming did not turn his head. His gaze rested on the Spirit Hall team members in the distance, who were being helped away by soul masters.

Hu Liena and the others looked back every few steps, an indescribable sense of loss hidden in their eyes.

The silence lasted a long time.

"In that case," Qian Chenming finally spoke, his tone so indifferent that it hardly sounded as though he were dealing with Spirit Hall's most promising Golden Generation, "send them to Death Canyon for training."

Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo raised their heads at the same time, their faces deathly pale.

"Your Holiness."

"Only those who make it out will be the future pillars of my Spirit Hall."

Qian Chenming's words were not forceful, yet they struck everyone's chest like a heavy hammer.

Death Canyon-what kind of place was that? A deathtrap where soul beasts ran rampant and poisonous miasma filled the air, where even Titled Douluos did not dare venture deep without caution.

How was sending them there any different from exile?

If they could make it out, they would naturally be Spirit Hall's future.

But in reality, what were their chances of making it out?

Yet despite knowing this.

Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo dared say nothing more. They had, after all, betrayed His Holiness the Pope's trust.

As the saying went, rewards and punishments must be clearly distinguished.

Had the Spirit Hall Team won today's match, they would naturally have earned greater regard.

But now that they had lost, they ought to bear the consequences and challenges.

Below the great hall.

Flender sucked in a breath of cold air and could not help speaking up. "This-this is far too cruel. Sending them to a place like that just for losing a match?"

Ning Fengzhi also frowned and said gravely, "Losing the final was a failing, but they are Spirit Hall's future, after all. Sending them to Death Canyon may damage the foundations of Spirit Hall's strength."

Qian Chenming finally turned around.

He looked at Flender and Ning Fengzhi, his gaze as calm as still water.

"Are you two teaching me how to govern Spirit Hall?"

One sentence silenced every voice.

Flender's expression stiffened, and Ning Fengzhi also had the sense to close his mouth. Outsiders interfering in Spirit Hall's internal affairs were indeed overstepping their bounds.

Qian Chenming looked at Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo again, his gaze settling on their faintly trembling shoulders. "I don't need a bunch of geniuses who consume countless resources yet produce no results. What Spirit Hall needs are people who can crawl out of hell."

Yue Guan gritted his teeth and dropped to one knee. "I obey."

Ghost Douluo followed immediately, his lowered eyelids concealing all emotion. "I obey."

Qian Chenming nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping across the crowd.

Standing in the distance and watching this scene, Tang San felt a chill down his spine.

He suddenly realized that this Pope was far more terrifying than he had imagined.

Not because of his strength, but because of the cold ruthlessness with which he could pass judgment on anyone.

He could be warm, yet he could also be mercilessly decisive.

Qian Chenming did not look at him again, merely raising his hand in a light wave. "That will be all for today. The Spirit Hall Team lost, and that is that. There is a long road ahead."

He paused, his voice suddenly deepening a little. "Congratulations, Shrek Academy."

Then.

With a thought from Qian Chenming, the three soul bones appeared and floated down below.

At the sight.

Everyone from Shrek was overjoyed.

But at that moment, they all bore severe injuries to varying degrees and had no strength left to get up and claim their prize.

Seeing this, Ning Fengzhi immediately took action.