After the referee announced the end of the match, the awards ceremony was not postponed to the next day, but was held on the same day.
The Spirit Hall attendants acted swiftly—the broken stone slabs were quickly pried up and replaced, a red carpet was laid out from the edge of the arena all the way to the main entrance of the Pope's Palace, and the silver-armored guards on both sides lined up again.
In less than fifteen minutes, the entire square had been restored from the chaos of the battlefield to the appearance of a ceremony. The three teams stood in formation in front of the arena.
On the Spirit Hall's side, Xie Yue's face was tense, and a layer of cold sweat broke out on his back. Pope Bibi Dong's words before the match still echoed in his ears—
They must win the championship; the three Soul Bone were originally prepared for their Golden Generation.
Now that Godwind Academy is the champion, Xie Yue dared not imagine the His Holiness the Pope's expression, but he could already feel the gaze pressing down from the direction of the Pope's Palace, heavily landing on the backs of the Spirit Hall team.
Hu Liena stood beside him, her expression slightly calmer than Xie Yue's, but not much better. Behind her, Yan was gritting his teeth, as if he were suppressing something.
On Shrek's side, Dai Mubai stood ramrod straight, a hint of relief in his eyes—once the finals were over, he could rightfully return to the Star Luo Empire.
Ning Rongrong's expression showed a rare ease, even a hint of playful relief.
Oscar stood beside her, his expression calm, but his eyes were slightly lowered, as if he were planning something.
After the competition is completely over, where should I go to make my way in the world, and how can I become stronger to earn the right to stand beside Ning Rongrong?
Ma Hongjun craned his neck to look ahead, while Zhu Zhuqing stood quietly in place, each in their own silence. Tang San lowered his eyes, his emotions unreadable.
Xiao Wu stood beside Tang San, her face tense, her knuckles slightly white— Bibi Dong in front of her was the murderer of her mother, but she was still too weak to take revenge.
On the Godwind Academy's side, Feng Xiaotian stood at the very front, waiting to receive his award. His expression was calm, revealing no extra emotions. A clean bandage was wrapped around his hand and hung down at his side.
Feng Lingtian stood beside him, his gaze sweeping over Xiao Wu's wrist without betraying any emotion. The crack was still there, very fine. He glanced at it and then looked away, seemingly calm, but inwardly filled with unease.
After the awards ceremony, will Ning Fengzhi release his Martial Soul to heal everyone, just like in the original story? If Ning Fengzhi attack, will Xiao Wu Wu's bracelet withstand the impact?
If it shatters, the story will still follow the trajectory of his memory; if it doesn't... then he won't be able to plan many things as originally intended. He doesn't know the answer; he can only wait.
In the audience, eight teams, including Blazing Fire Academy, Skywater Academy, and Thunder Academy, sat on the side seats, creating a lively atmosphere as they discussed the upcoming awards ceremony.
Huo Wu nudged Huo Wushuang with her elbow. "Brother, I heard the prize this time is three Soul Bone. Godwind Academy is really making a killing this time."
Shui Bing'er, who was in the next area, didn't speak. Her gaze was fixed on Feng Xiaotian, and the corners of her mouth curved up a little more than usual.
Before long, Bibi Dong appeared at the end of the red carpet. Wearing a dark red robe with gold trim and a purple-gold crown, she walked steadily toward the center of the arena.
Behind him followed Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo, and further behind were two cardinals, one of whom carried a tray covered with gold velvet.
She walked to the center of the arena and slowly turned around. "In this final, Godwind Academy demonstrated outstanding strength and teamwork, ultimately winning the championship. According to the rules, the champion team will receive three Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone as a reward."
The velvet cloth was lifted. Three Soul Bone lay quietly on the tray—an arm bone, a leg bone, and a ring-shaped skeleton, their surfaces shimmering with different levels of Soul Power.
All eyes were on them, and someone took a deep breath. Bibi Dong's gaze fell on the Godwind Academy: " Godwind Academy, come forward to receive your award."
Feng Xiaotian stepped forward, took the Soul Bone with both hands, nodded slightly in acknowledgment, and without saying anything more, turned and walked back to the group.
Feng Lingtian, who was in the team, caught a detail in an instant.
After handing over the Soul Bone, Bibi Dong's gaze shifted almost imperceptibly, landing in the direction of the Shrek Academy team.
For a fleeting moment, she returned to her impeccably indifferent expression. Feng Lingtian remained silent, observing her intently.
After distributing the rewards, Bibi Dong's voice rang out again. "This competition has come to a successful conclusion. Thank you all for your hard work. The Spirit Hall has prepared recovery supplies for everyone—"
Before she could finish speaking, Ning Fengzhi stepped forward from the side, a gentle smile on his face, and calmly took over the conversation. " Your His Holiness the Pope, the healing power of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda is perfect for this situation. Why don't I take over, so that all the team members can recover as soon as possible?"
Bibi Dong glanced at him, did not object, and nodded slightly.
Ning Fengzhi turned to face the entire audience, palms up, and the light of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda slowly rose. Nine-colored light poured down from the pagoda, like a silent drizzle, gently and vastly covering every team present.
Healing support Soul Power covers the entire arena, soothing wounds and restoring depleted Soul Power to exhausted participants.
Throughout this time, Feng Lingtian kept his eyes on Xiao Wu's wrist, until Ning Fengzhi's support Soul Power covered the Shrek team.
The crack on the surface of the bracelet on Xiao Wu's wrist suddenly widened, and in a very brief instant, it was as if something had been forced open from the inside.
Then the fragments slipped from her wrist and scattered on the stone slab at her feet, making a soft clinking sound. Xiao Wu looked down, her face turning deathly pale in an instant—
A strong and pure aura of Soul Beast suddenly exploded from her body, like a long-sealed flood suddenly breaking through the dam.
In that instant, Feng Lingtian immediately sensed a slight change in the aura of the Titled Douluo present, and the air suddenly became heavy.
Bibi Dong's eyes changed. The indifference vanished abruptly, replaced by a precise sharpness. Her gaze locked onto Xiao Wu, and her voice deepened. "You're the one who slipped through the net back then, aren't you?"
Xiao Wu's face turned even paler, her knuckles clenched so tightly they turned white, and her shoulders trembled. She couldn't speak; something seemed to be stuck in her throat.
Without waiting for her reply, Bibi Dong's voice turned cold as she ordered the entire room, "Guards, seize that girl!"
The silver-armored guards moved immediately. More than a dozen guards pressed towards Shrek at the same time, while two cardinals gathered their Soul Power and locked onto Xiao Wu's location. The atmosphere of the entire square instantly changed from a celebration to a hunt.
Tang San stepped in front of Xiao Wu, but didn't attack immediately. He looked at Bibi Dong, his voice filled with suppressed confusion. " Your His Holiness the Pope, why are you arresting our Shrek members?"
Bibi Dong didn't answer. Her gaze passed over Tang San, landing on Xiao Wu, lingering for a moment. Then she spoke, her tone as calm as if stating a fact she already knew. "She is Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast who has transformed into human form. Tell me, why should I capture her?"
Tang San was stunned. He turned his head to look at Xiao Wu behind him. Xiao Wu's face was deathly pale, her lips trembled slightly, and her fingers, gripping the hem of his clothes, were so tight that her knuckles turned white. She didn't speak, but she didn't deny it either.
Tang San's pupils suddenly contracted. He stared at Xiao Wu for a long time—as if he were getting to know her all over again.
Then he slowly turned back to face Bibi Dong and the group of silver-armored guards. His voice, having recovered from the initial shock, became calm and firm. "I don't care about any Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. I only know that Xiao Wu is my sister. If you want to capture her, you'll have to step over my dead body first."
Then he raised his right hand, took out the Godly Zhuge Crossbow from the Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges, and aimed it straight ahead.
The sound of the crossbow being cocked was exceptionally clear in the quiet square. He reached back with his left hand and grasped Xiao Wu's hand, which was clutching the hem of his clothes, and gently tightened his grip.
Feng Lingtian watched this scene, his fingers clenching slightly inside his sleeve. He had seen this scene countless times on the screen— Tang San protecting Xiao Wu, Godly Zhuge Crossbow aimed forward.
But at this moment, Feng Lingtian was standing on the scene. He heard the real sound of the crossbow's springs and felt the tense atmosphere in the air.
This feeling is completely different from being in front of a screen.
Just then, a deep, resonant voice descended from mid-air, carrying an oppressive force like Thunder Academy, silencing all the commotion in the room with a single sentence—
"A chrysanthemum, a little devil, how dare you hurt my son? Get out of my way!"