Douro Continent

Chapter 409 Pope Bibi Dong (Part 2)

Feeling the master's breath, the Pope's face flushed slightly, and he said breathlessly, "Yu Xiaogang, you can be anxious now? Do you even remember how you left me back then? For your sister? How laughable, how utterly laughable. You actually refused to accept me because of your sister. I became Pope, though it was thanks to you, but I hate you. You are the person I hate most in my life. I will make you suffer. I will not only kill your disciple, but also Liu Erlong. No, I won't kill her; I will torture her and make you suffer."

The Pope's emotions became visibly agitated, her eyes turning as cold as a venomous snake.

Just then, there was a soft knock on the door.

"Get out! Didn't I say that no one is to disturb us without my permission?" the Pope roared.

Those outside seemed surprised that the usually approachable Pope would lose his temper so badly. "Your Holiness, the two elders have sent word. They have failed their mission and await your instructions."

"What? The mission wasn't completed?" The Pope's expression changed, and he looked sharply at the master. "Your disciple seems to have had quite a bit of luck."

The Grandmaster paused, the red in his eyes gradually fading. He released his grip on the Pope's shoulders, and as his emotions calmed, he said to the Pope, "You sent someone to kill Tang San, and I'm afraid it wasn't just because of his talent. With the Spirit Hall's strength, would they fear a mere Soul Master? If I'm not mistaken, it was because of his father, wasn't it?"

The Pope's gaze froze. "You're still as clever as ever. Go away, I don't want to see you again."

The master nodded silently and walked towards the door. When he reached the door and grasped the handle, he suddenly stopped and said softly, "Twenty years have passed, Bibi Dong. You are still so beautiful, but I have grown old. If it were you whose life was threatened today, I would have reacted the same way. After all, you are the first person I have ever loved."

"You're talking nonsense." The Pope's body trembled violently. "You can love? You're not worthy to say that word. If you loved me, would you leave me? Would you rather be with your own sister? You bastard, get out of here!"

"You shouldn't ask me why I left you; you should ask the deceased Pope. Heartless and ungrateful—that's the word you'll always use to describe me. Think what you will, but I'll say it again: if Tang San dies at the hands of the Spirit Hall, I will avenge him at all costs. Bibi Dong, this is the last time I'll call you that. Since you've sent people to attack Tang San, let's end our relationship here."

The master flung open the door and strode away.

Pope Bibidon's body swayed violently, as if she would fall over without the support of her scepter.

She hated the master, hated him for a full twenty years. What did it mean to maintain such hatred for so long? It meant that her love for him had been so profound. The master's words before he left suddenly caused a crack to appear in the hatred in her heart.

Recalling everything the previous pope had taught her, and all that had happened in the past, the truth, which had been obscured by hatred, gradually surfaced in her mind.

The scenery before him gradually blurred, and the Pope's hand, gripping the scepter, turned white from the force. "Is this fate playing tricks on us? Xiao Gang, the bond between us, the bond between us..."

The Pope suddenly ran to the spot where the master had sat down, picked up the still-warm tea, and drank it down in large gulps.

……

The Heaven Dou Empire's team of Soul Masters continued their journey without any further incidents. To better protect these Soul Masters, Crown Prince Xue Qinghe temporarily dispatched three thousand Ironclad Army soldiers from the cities they passed through to assist with their escort. He also summoned several Soul Master experts from the capital to rush to the scene.

Xue Qinghe did not speak to Tang San again. He was well aware of the trouble Tang San was facing. At this time, he was trying to win Tang San's favor through his actions.

The atmosphere among the Shrek Academy students was somewhat somber throughout the journey. The only good news was that Xiao Wu had finally broken through to level 40 five days before reaching Wuhun City. To help her acquire her fourth spirit ring as soon as possible, Liu Erlong took her to find a suitable spirit beast. They would meet up with the others in Wuhun City.

Finally, the entire group arrived at Wuhun City. Due to Wuhun City's special regulations, Xue Qinghe ordered the Ironclad Army and the Royal Knights to garrison outside the city. He then led fifteen Soul Master teams into Wuhun City.

Compared to massive cities like Heaven Dou City and Soto City, Spirit City is much smaller. It's not even a tenth the size of Heaven Dou City. Yet, it still manages to leave a lasting impression on Spirit Masters.

Despite its small size, Wuhun City's city walls were built entirely according to the standards of a capital city. The 80-meter-high walls appear extremely imposing from the outside, and are over 30 meters thick. They are constructed entirely of granite.

Even Ning Fengzhi, who was wealthy and powerful, couldn't help but admire Wuhun City when he saw it.

It's important to understand that this city didn't exist originally; it was entirely funded and built by the Spirit Hall. How easy is it to build a city like this?

What's most peculiar is that Spirit City isn't a square like ordinary cities, but a hexagon, meaning it has six walls. The patrols on the walls are all conducted by Spirit Masters, dressed in the special uniforms of the Spirit Hall.

On each of the six city walls, there is a huge relief, exactly the same as the one on the Spirit Hall token. It symbolizes six powerful spirits.

Entering Wuhun City, one is struck by its emptiness. The streets are sparsely populated, and shops are few and far between. The shops that do exist mostly sell items needed by soul masters. They even sell soul tools with spatial storage capabilities, though the quality is, of course, somewhat inferior.

A cardinal from Wuhun City greeted them, and under his guidance, the group of over two hundred people were quickly settled in a hotel on the west side of Wuhun City. To Tang San's surprise, even the hotel staff were all Great Soul Masters with at least level 20 Soul Power.

After settling in, Tang San deliberately went outside the restaurant to carefully observe other unique places in Wuhun City.

He discovered that the hexagonal Martial Soul City was actually built around a hill. On this hill stood two extremely conspicuous buildings. The one halfway up the hill was the most magnificent, clearly visible even from this distance.

It was a completely columned structure with a dome, and the exterior was covered in a golden material that shimmered in the sunlight. After a brief inquiry, Tang San learned that it was the brand-new Papal Palace. The supreme ruler of the Spirit Hall resided there.

From Ning Fengzhi, he learned an even deeper story: the Elder Hall of the Spirit Hall was also located within the Papal Palace. Of course, ordinary people could never meet those elders.

The other building sits atop the hill. It is much smaller than the Papal Palace, about a third its size, and while its structure is somewhat similar, its exterior is a pristine white. It is far less striking than the Papal Palace.

For some reason, when Tang San saw that palace-like building, his feelings were even deeper.

Since entering Spirit City, every Spirit Master felt a special sensation, a sense of reverence rising within them. Ning Fengzhi told Tang San that the much smaller-looking building was the highest-ranking entity within the Spirit Hall—the Douluo Hall.

This place is reserved for deceased Title Douluos. It can also be considered the burial ground for Title Douluos. The reason for the devout atmosphere here is not because of the Papal Palace, but because of this Douluo Palace.

No matter where the Papal Palace is built, the Douluo Palace will always be built alongside it, and its location will always be higher than the Papal Palace. Before major festivals, the Pope will personally go to the Douluo Palace to pay homage, but even he, before his death, has no right to enter the Douluo Palace. This is the rule, a rule that no one can violate. Otherwise, they will be attacked by all the Soul Masters.

It was precisely because of the existence of the Papal Palace and the Douluo Palace that Wuhun City was called the Holy Land of Soul Masters by the Spirit Hall after its establishment. Of course, this is also the consensus of the vast majority of Soul Masters.

Because of the attack on the way and Tang San's determination to stay and participate in the competition, Flander and Liu Erlong stayed in the place closest to him, and even Ning Fengzhi deliberately chose to live not far from him. Although nothing was likely to happen in Wuhun City, it was still necessary to be cautious.

According to the message from the Spirit Hall, the competition will officially begin in three days. After a long journey, these three days of rest will be enough for each academy to make adjustments.

The Star Luo Empire's participating academies were arranged to rest on the other side of Wuhun City. In effect, the Wuhun Hall had divided the participating teams from the two great empires into two camps.

Xue Qinghe merely sneered at this point, without raising any objections.

For three days, everyone at Shrek Academy remained in a state of rest, devoting all their time to meditation to cultivate their soul power, trying to keep themselves in the best possible condition.

Liu Erlong and Xiao Wu finally returned the day before the finals began.

(End of this chapter)