Afterwards, during the break after the match, Bibi Dong summoned Hu Liena, and gently tapped her purple-gold scepter on the ground, making a crisp sound.
" Na'er, tell me in detail how you met Huo Lai." Bibi Dong's voice seemed calm, but her fingertips unconsciously rubbed against the scepter.
Hu Liena bowed respectfully. "Teacher, back in the Star Dou Great Forest, after he saved us... that's how it happened. However, afterwards he also asked me a question, which was about what happened after I reported him to you." She hesitated for a moment. "He asked, when the Pope mentioned his reward, did he say anything special?"
Bibi Dong's pupils contracted slightly, and she unconsciously tightened her grip on the scepter. "During the competition, did he do anything unusual?"
"He seems uninterested in the match," Hu Liena reported truthfully. "Perhaps he wants to hide his true strength, or perhaps he thinks... his opponent is too weak."
Bibi Dong was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, " Na'er, from today onwards, please keep a close eye on him for me. Whatever he asks for, the Spirit Hall will grant it."
Hu Liena looked up in surprise, but upon seeing the complex emotions in her teacher's eyes, she immediately lowered her head and replied, "Yes, teacher."
Stepping out of the Pope's Hall, Hu Liena gazed at the distant competition field, her heart filled with questions. What exactly was the relationship between that mysterious boy and her teacher? Why was her usually calm and composed teacher so concerned?
In the rest area, Huo Yuhao suddenly opened his eyes, a faint smile playing on his lips. He sensed Bibi Dong's attention and Hu Liena's confusion. But none of that mattered; what mattered was...
"Soon, the show will begin," he murmured to himself. A low chuckle echoed from his Sea of Consciousness, as if anticipating something.
The Spirit Hall Team's performance was unstoppable, crushing their opponents and easily advancing to the final three. At this moment, Huo Yuhao finally decided to make his move.
"This is finally getting interesting." He stood at the very edge of the Spirit Hall Team, his golden pupils gleaming slightly as his gaze swept over the other two teams in the plaza— Shrek Academy and the other advancing team, Heaven Dou Royal Academy. Although he didn't know how far they had grown, at least they should pique his interest a little.
On the morning of the third day, as the first rays of sunlight fell, the entire Pope's Mountain was enveloped in a solemn atmosphere. Two rows of paladin knights lined up from the foot of the hill all the way to the Pope's Hall. They were clad in bright silver armor and wore heavy knightly swords at their waists, standing as solemn as statues, adding to the majesty of the entire Pope's Mountain.
The eliminated teams had already left, while the three teams that made it to the final three were now standing neatly in the square in the Pope's Hall. Only the twenty-two participating team members were in the square, while the teachers from various colleges waited on the periphery.
The entire Spirit Hall Team looked relaxed. Xie Yue, Hu Liena, Yan, and others wore confident smiles, as if victory was already in their grasp. Only Huo Yuhao, standing at the end of the team, had eyes as deep as a pool, his golden pupils revealing a cold indifference, as if everything before him was irrelevant.
The Shrek Academy students were also watching Huo Yuhao's direction, especially Tang San, whose gaze was fixed on the black-clad youth. The things contained in those Golden Pupils were too complex—unknown, mysterious, brutal, bloodthirsty... Just by meeting his eyes, Tang San felt a chill spread down his spine.
The square in the Pope's Hall is extremely spacious, paved with special, lustrous stones. Although not real jade, they are by no means comparable to ordinary rocks. When the sunlight shines down, the entire square seems to be enveloped in a faint holy light.
Suddenly, a group of people slowly walked out from the side door of the Pope's Hall. Twelve bishops dressed in red robes lined up on both sides, each of whom was second only to the Platinum Bishop in the Spirit Hall. They walked steadily and finally stood on the left and right sides in front of the Pope's Hall, six people on each side.
The leading cardinal loudly proclaimed:
" His Holiness the Pope has arrived!"
In an instant, a deafening roar echoed throughout the entire Spirit City—
"Long live! Long live! Long live!"
The thunderous shouts did not come solely from the orderly ranks of the Temple Knights on Pope's Mountain; they were the devout cries of countless Soul Master throughout the entire Spirit City. For these Soul Master who were forbidden from approaching Pope's Mountain, the Pope was their supreme faith, a god walking among mortals!
The heavy temple doors slowly opened, the massive gates inlaid with six sacred emblems moving to both sides with a deep rumble. Everyone's gaze was involuntarily drawn to the widening crack in the door, as if what was about to emerge from there was not a mortal, but a deity descending to earth.
The first to step out of the palace gates was a breathtakingly dazzling golden figure. Bibi Dong wore an extremely luxurious Pope gown, the magnificent golden robe inlaid with more than a hundred red, blue, and gold gemstones, which shimmered with a sacred radiance in the sunlight.
The Nine-Curved Purple Gold Crown she wore radiated dazzling light, and the scepter in her hand symbolized supreme authority. At this moment, she exuded an aura of majesty that made people dare not look directly at her, and her whole body was shrouded in a hazy halo, making her appear incomparably tall and sacred.
No one dared to look directly at her stunningly beautiful face—at this moment, she was no longer the woman named Bibi Dong, but the supreme Pope of the Spirit Hall, the eternal faith in the hearts of millions of Soul Master.
"Greetings, Your His Holiness the Pope!"
Amidst the unified sounds of kneeling, all members of the Spirit Hall knelt on one knee. Only Huo Yuhao remained upright, his golden pupils calmly fixed on the figure on the high platform. In this world, besides his master Electrolux and his close friend Nezha, there was no one else who could make him kneel.
Bibi Dong's gaze precisely caught that unique figure in the crowd. The instant their eyes met, a barely perceptible wavering flickered beneath her flawless Pope mask. The things contained in those eyes were far too complex—indifference, disappointment, and the very thing she least wanted to see... estrangement. Her fingers, hidden beneath her magnificent gown, unconsciously tightened, her nails digging deep into her palms, yet her expression remained perfectly solemn.
Behind her, four heavyweight figures slowly emerged. Sword Douluo Chen Xin's chest gleamed with a gem the size of an infant's fist; the two Douluo, Chrysanthemum and Ghost, were equally opulently dressed.
Meanwhile, Ning Fengzhi, the sect leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, maintained a refined smile, but his gaze seemed to wander thoughtfully between Huo Yuhao and Bibi Dong.
The entire square was silent, everyone immersed in the sacred and solemn atmosphere. Only Huo Yuhao could see a fleeting hint of grievance in Bibi Dong's eyes beneath the dazzling purple-gold crown.
But she was the Pope, the symbol of the Spirit Hall, and this vulnerability could only be hidden deep within her heart, unknown to anyone.
Huo Yuhao was not a heartless person, but at this moment he had to wear a mask of indifference—this was his attitude, and also his choice. Attitude is a disguise of the heart, a mask of the heart, and having chosen this posture, he would not easily take it off.
He didn't have to do this, but the play had already gone this far, and there was no turning back. Even if it was all fake, he had to play the part to the very end.
Bibi Dong is ultimately just a person from the past, not belonging to his timeline. She only exists in this brief intersection of time and space, nothing more.
However, his attitude clearly displeased some people.
Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan of the Spirit Hall, his gaze turned cold, and he shouted sharply, "How dare you! Why don't you kneel before His Holiness the Pope?!"
Huo Yuhao slowly raised his eyes, his golden pupils unwavering, his voice indifferent yet clear. "In this world, the only one who can make me kneel is my teacher." He looked directly at Bibi Dong, his tone calm yet unquestionable, "Even the Pope doesn't have that right."
These words caused an uproar in the audience.
Ning Fengzhi narrowed his eyes slightly, watching Huo Yuhao's figure, and sighed inwardly, "What courage... I just wonder, just how strong is he?"
On the other side, the Shrek Academy students also did not kneel down to pay their respects. As a prince of the Star Luo Empire, Dai Mubai naturally could not kneel before the Pope of the Spirit Hall; while Tang San, Xiao Wu, Ma Hongjun, and the others simply did not kneel down because Tang San did not kneel down.
Bibi Dong's gaze fell on Huo Yuhao, her expression slightly dazed, but she quickly regained her Pope composure. She didn't take the disrespect to heart, merely waving her scepter lightly, her voice clear and solemn:
"Rise."
Her gaze lingered on Huo Yuhao for a moment, and no one knew what she was thinking. Perhaps, she knew better than anyone else—the person who had once shown her tenderness had now donned a cold mask.
And all she can do is continue to play her role well.
As Bibi Dong gently raised her scepter, the kneeling crowd slowly rose like a tide. Sunlight streamed into the square in front of the Pope's Hall, illuminating every young face with a radiant glow.
Bibi Dong's lips curled slightly, revealing a graceful and elegant smile. Her gaze swept over the twenty-two young Soul Master present like a spring breeze, pausing almost imperceptibly on Huo Yuhao before continuing forward.
"From you, I see the future of the Soul Master World." Her voice was clear and melodious, yet carried an undeniable authority. "Before this Pope's Hall, I look forward to witnessing the full extent of your talent and strength."
With another light wave of the scepter, three dazzling points of light suddenly bloomed before her. No one saw how she took them out—it was as if she had simply picked them up casually, and the three rare treasures were already suspended in mid-air: a right arm bone, a skull, and a left leg bone, riding on red, blue, and green light.
Three Soul Bone, radiating brilliant light, floated silently in mid-air, instantly causing the entire Spirit City to erupt in excitement. Even the Soul Master far away at the Pope's Mountain could clearly see the dazzling three-colored light, and exclamations of surprise echoed throughout the city.
"My God! There are three Soul Bone!"
"This light... it's absolutely the best of the best!"
"As expected of the Spirit Hall, they really know how to be generous!"
All the Soul Master present revealed greedy eyes, even the elites of the Spirit Hall. It should be known that Soul Bone are the most precious treasures for Soul Master, each one priceless.
However, amidst this fervent atmosphere, only one person maintained a detached calm. Huo Yuhao crossed his arms, the light of the Soul Bone reflected in his golden pupils, while a faint, almost imperceptible, mocking smile played on his lips.
"Mere Soul Bone..." He scoffed inwardly. For Huo Yuhao, who had cultivated the Eight-Nine Mysterious Art and mastered numerous immortal techniques and supernatural powers, these Soul Bone were not even icing on the cake. Even if he had a few more Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone, the improvement to him would be negligible.