Douluo Continent: Long Live the Spirit Hall

Inside the classroom of the First Junior Soul Master Academy, Teacher Matthew stood above the podium, directing the numerous students to line up in order. Among these students, Yan and Tuoba Hong, who stood alone with the teachers, stood out.

As expected, when Teacher Matthew announced that student representatives would be selected to stand on the central playground to welcome the high-ranking members of the Spirit Hall, all the students rushed to participate. However, there was no selection test at all; instead, the teacher directly selected people based on their strength.

Class 3's strength is not weak in the whole grade, but it is still ahead of Class 1 and Class 2. Those two classes not only have outstanding overall strength, but most of them also have impressive backgrounds. Under such circumstances, Class 3 would not have been able to compete at all.

However, Yan and Tuoba Hong broke through to the first ring of Soul Master, which is extremely rare in the entire first year. They unsurprisingly took away two spots, which made many people regretful.

"Boss, I'm a little nervous."

Beside Yan, the usually carefree and chubby Tuoba Hong looked nervous, clearly indicating that he hadn't seen many big scenes.

Why are you so nervous?

Yan, however, had an indifferent expression. Although he didn't have much experience with this kind of leadership inspection, he had seen some reports about it in his previous life, so his mindset was different.

Yan and Tuoba Hong headed to the playground under the guidance of another teacher. On the way, they met up with other first-year student representatives, all of whom were students from Class 1 and Class 2, with Class 1 having the most students. Xie Yue and Hu Liena were at the very front of the group.

Yan nodded slightly to the two of them, Xie Yue also nodded and turned around, while Hu Liena's eyes were somewhat shy, and a blush appeared on her pretty face.

"Boss, how far have things progressed between you and Hu Liena? Have you... oh dear..."

Tuoba Hong noticed the interaction between the two and immediately revealed his paparazzi nature, wanting to find out more information. Before he could even finish speaking, he felt a pain in his stomach and almost gave up.

"Now you're not nervous anymore, kid."

Yan patted the chubby boy on the shoulder, making him straighten up and follow the group. The two of them were in the middle of the first-year representatives, and behind them were several first-year students who had not yet obtained their first spirit ring.

There were twenty first-year student representatives, eight of whom obtained spirit rings. This number is not too many. As long as one's innate spirit power is above level seven, after nearly a year of hard training, it is still very possible to reach level ten and obtain one's first spirit ring.

Tuoba Hong, who was right next to him, was a perfect example. He was only at the sixth level of innate soul power, but he was quite diligent in his cultivation. In addition, Yan often conducted small experiments on him and told him to try them out more when he went back to cultivate.

Although this was somewhat like making him a guinea pig, the chubby boy was obedient and had resources at home. After several months of training, Tuoba Hong surpassed most of the students and successfully obtained his first soul ring, becoming a soul master.

Eight one-ring Soul Masters in the first year may seem low compared to the hundreds of students, but in reality, this number is quite alarming.

Successfully obtaining the first spirit ring in the first semester indicates that one's talent is definitely not weak. As long as one continues to cultivate without slacking off and maintains a progress of at least two levels of spirit power per year, one will definitely become a two-ring great spirit master by the time one reaches the sixth grade. Such a person is absolutely a genius.

Within the Spirit Hall, there is more than one junior academy like this. Even if the other students are not as good as those in the First Junior Spirit Master Academy, there are still some geniuses among them. In this sense, the total number of geniuses is quite large.

During the All-Continent Soul Master Tournament, other teams at most had a full lineup of four-ring Soul Masters, and even the Heaven Dou Royal Academy team, one of the three seeded teams, had not yet achieved a full lineup of Soul Masters.

However, when it comes to the Spirit Hall team, putting aside the three main players, even the original substitute lineup is a team full of Spirit Masters, which is in stark contrast to other teams. This is entirely because they have too many choices and a large enough pool of players.

"Everyone, please be quiet. The Dean and other important figures from the Spirit Hall are here. Do your best in the coming days."

The chubby boy was about to continue talking to Yan about how the leader was secretly flirting with the girls without him when suddenly the teacher in charge spoke up. Everyone in the group immediately tensed up and stood solemnly in the square.

Yan, amidst the crowd on the playground, gazed into the distance, where the location of the academy gate was faintly visible, and a line of people slowly approached.

The first thing that caught everyone's eye was two rows of extremely imposing paladin knights, their gleaming silver armor and heavy swords exuding majesty and solemnity. The bright sunlight streamed down, and under its glow, they seemed like ancient war gods standing tall on the earth.

On the playground, 120 student representatives from all six grades stood quietly, waiting. Everyone, including the teachers leading the groups, seemed a little nervous.

Many people had a gleam of faith in their eyes, and some even prayed in public, showing unwavering loyalty to the Spirit Hall and the Pope.

Yan didn't look around at this time, but his peripheral vision was always focused on the location of the academy gate, and his eyes revealed a hint of anticipation.

A total of twelve cardinals, whose rank was second only to the Platinum Bishop, slowly appeared. They stood on the left and right, six on each side.

When these cardinals appeared, even the dean of the college stepped down to bow and stand aside to show respect. After the twelve of them looked around to make sure no one was being disrespectful, the leader announced loudly, "His Holiness the Pope has arrived."

The news of the Pope's arrival shocked many, but before they could ponder it further, they joined the crowd in a thunderous roar of cheers. For the Soul Masters trained by the Spirit Hall, the Pope was the highest form of faith, even though the current Pope lacked prestige.

A figure slowly emerged from the dazzling golden light, clad in a long, shimmering gold dress from head to toe. She wore a purple-gold crown, held a scepter, and wore a solemn expression. She appeared almost ethereal, seemingly infinitely tall in the sunlight.

Her appearance was extremely beautiful, a stunning beauty—noble, elegant, serene; every beautiful word seemed to fit this woman. Although she was no longer young, the years seemed to have left no trace on her.

But at this moment, no one noticed her stunning beauty; at this moment, she represented only the majesty of the Pope of the Spirit Hall.

The long, shimmering gold dress fit her perfectly, its dazzling brilliance adorned with over a hundred red, blue, and gold gemstones. The purple-gold crown atop her head shone with unparalleled radiance, and all the light seemed to converge upon her alone at this moment.

Chapter 36 A Gift

"Greetings, Your Holiness the Pope."

As Pope Bibi Dong slowly walked to the high platform at the edge of the playground, the many Soul Masters belonging to the Spirit Hall shouted again, and everyone prepared to kneel on one knee to pay their respects.

Yan's eyes revealed a hint of helplessness. He himself was not particularly interested in this kind of thing, but the team leader had already instructed them on the etiquette of kneeling on one knee. He couldn't be different in such a big occasion.

So he could only convince himself in his heart that he should just treat it as a practice run, a way to prepare for kneeling before his teacher later... cough cough, kneeling before his teacher.

The numerous Soul Masters cheered and shouted, and everyone's movements were perfectly synchronized. The atmosphere at that moment was indescribable, and Yan couldn't help but feel a desire to prostrate himself in worship.

"No need for such formalities."

Pope Bibi Dong spoke for the first time, her clear and melodious voice having a heartwarming quality. Along with her voice, everyone seemed to hear a faint tinkling sound, followed by an almost invisible ray of light sweeping across the square, causing everyone to freeze in place.

"This is a Title Douluo. Is she trying to show her approachable image? That's better, at least she doesn't have to kneel down."

Yan dared not raise his head too obviously, but only glanced at the platform sideways. He couldn't see the whole person clearly, but he could roughly guess Bibi Dong's thoughts. So he relaxed his body and did not resist, letting the soul power straighten his body.

Bibi Dong's inspection of Wuhun City this time was her first major event after taking the throne and going into seclusion. Her aim was to win people's hearts and build her own prestige, while maintaining her approachable image.

While kneeling in worship would certainly make the Pope's authority supreme, it wouldn't win people's hearts. So, while showing her approachability, she also demonstrated her power. With just a tap of her scepter, she prevented everyone present from bowing, something that not everyone could do.

Bibi Dong was followed by four other people, whose eyes were filled with surprise and doubt, seemingly shocked by the Pope's improved strength.

They were all dressed in bright red robes, but unlike the cardinals' all-red robes, these men's red robes were inlaid with gold and silver patterns, especially the jewel on their chests, which shone with gold and was the size of a baby's fist, exuding an air of luxury.

To the average person, this formal attire would simply seem incredibly luxurious, but for a Soul Master, it represents the greatest honor. Only Title Douluos are qualified to wear such red robes. Clearly, these four individuals are members of the Spirit Hall's Elder Council, elders at the Title Douluo level.

Of the four, the other two were located at the back of the platform, so Yan couldn't see them very clearly. He only felt that one of them was tall and strong like a bear, while the other was rather thin and weak. They should be agile and seemed to have bear and leopard markings on their bodies.

Yan quickly came to his conclusion. If his guess was correct, the two should be the famous Title Douluo Elders of the Spirit Hall, Demon Bear and Ghost Leopard, whom Yan had heard Tuoba Hong mention.

Both of them were members of the Spirit Hall's Elder Council. In the original work, they were merely background characters who were simply mentioned and their deaths seemed rather perfunctory. But at least they had a clear ending: they were killed.

The Spirit Hall, which was portrayed as a villain in the original work, actually had more than twenty, nearly thirty, titled Douluo powerhouses. However, most of them were forcibly killed off by plot twists, and their titles were never mentioned, let alone their names.

In the entire Douluo Continent series, only two elders of the Spirit Hall are briefly mentioned: Ghost and Moon. The two level 91 and 92 elders, Serpent Spear and Porcupine, must have been promoted later and sent to cooperate with Qian Renxue, which led to more chapters in the series.

Slightly ahead of the two titled Demon Bear and Ghost Leopard, standing beside Pope Bibi Dong, the two titled Douluo were more distinctive and more famous.

The one on the left has an ethereal aura surrounding him. Although he wears the same clothes, he gives off a sinister and eerie feeling, and no one can clearly see his appearance.

As for the other one, his skin looked as delicate as a baby's, and his alluring appearance gave people a special feeling. If it weren't for the Adam's apple on his neck, no one would think that he was actually a man.

Although this was the first time Yan had met these two, he had already confirmed their identities. They were the two most special among the elders of the Spirit Hall: Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan and Ghost Douluo Gui Mei.

Both of these titled Douluo have reached level 95, just one step away from becoming a Super Douluo. However, due to a lack of talent and time, like Gu Rong, the Bone Douluo of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, they have never been able to cross this threshold in their entire lives. But this does not affect their strength.

Although Yue Guan and Gui Mei were of average combat strength among their peers, no Title Douluo was a simple character. In the original work, it was Tang San, who was overpowered, who personally killed the two of them, which also proved their strength.

These two were always inseparable, not only because they had a very good relationship, but more importantly, because they could use the Martial Soul Fusion Technique, the Yin-Yang Stillness Domain. In the original work, the Azure Bull Python and Titan Giant Ape of the Star Dou Great Forest were defeated by this move.

Yan stood below the platform, looking up with everyone else. His gaze swept across the crowd, noticing the changes in the expressions of the five high-ranking members of the Spirit Hall on the platform. He had a vague idea in his mind: "It seems that this is also the first time these people have seen Bibi Dong display her strength. Interesting."

Bibidon was able to inherit the papacy because of the previous pope's appointment and the support of several elders, but those elders who supported her were not necessarily loyal to her; more likely, they had ulterior motives.

Because Bibi Dong lacked sufficient strength and prestige at the time, the Pope's power was bound to be devolved, which presented an opportunity for powerful elders like them. Unfortunately, those people were too optimistic. They didn't anticipate Bibi Dong's ruthless methods, nor did they foresee her growing strength. Now it seems she has both the ambition and the ability to secure her position.

The appearance of the Pope and the four Title Douluos undoubtedly brought today's event to a climax. Afterwards, under the arrangement of the academy, some activities similar to the New Century Anniversary celebration were carried out in turn, and soon the final segment arrived.

The three students selected by the academy presented flowers to Pope Bibi Dong on behalf of the Soul Master Academy. This was just a closing procedure, but the three students who went on stage to present the gift received a lot of attention, and everyone hoped that this honor would fall on their own heads.

Of course, at this time, the appointment was still made by the higher-ups of the academy. However, if the academy forcibly appointed someone for such a special honor, there would definitely be people who would object.

This wouldn't normally be a big deal; students are still students after all. Their resentment is just a minor matter. But if someone with ulterior motives pushes things along, even a minor matter can become a major issue.

Chapter 37 Chaos

"what happened?"

On the Soul Master Academy's playground, the academy's higher-ups had arranged for three bouquets of flowers to be placed at the front. However, when it came to the crucial final step, the three people who came to present the flowers were nowhere to be seen. Meanwhile, a commotion seemed to be brewing among the students below the platform, which made the academy's higher-ups feel uneasy.

"Dean, something terrible has happened..."

A teacher came to the side of the platform and whispered something to the dean who was standing to the side. The information he said made the dean's face turn extremely ugly.

"These students, how can they be so insensible..."

The dean was really at his wit's end after listening to the report from his teachers. He never expected that everything would go wrong at the last minute.

The three student representatives he had chosen were late in arriving; it turned out they were being blocked at the back. These three were among the 120 student representatives from six grades, and they were originally scheduled to go up on stage when it was almost time.

However, because these three were directly appointed, many people were already dissatisfied. To make matters worse, rumors started circulating and a quarrel broke out on the way there. Not only were they blocked by others, but the students almost came to blows.

"The person chosen to represent everyone in presenting this gift should be the strongest; what's the point of just picking someone directly?"

"Zhao Yuanyu, I heard you're related to the dean. Do you dare accept my challenge?"

"Yu Qingfeng, I've been wanting to fight you for a long time. Let's have a match first."

"Torquez, do you dare to accept the challenge?"

"Student representatives should be chosen through competition; everyone should rely on their own abilities to see who can stand until the end."

……

Just as the dean was extremely anxious, an even bigger accident occurred. Before the team leaders could resolve the situation, several troublemaking voices came from somewhere, and then, amidst the pushing and shoving of each other, the accident happened.

"Ding~~~"

It's unclear who was the first to unleash their martial spirit, but a sudden gust of wind swept across the entire area, sending some students flying.

"This...the Pope..."

On the high platform, many high-ranking experts from the Spirit Hall who came to inspect the area were also dumbfounded. They did not expect that such a small gift quota would cause these students to fight over it and even come to blows.

"Young people are like that, it's no big deal to let them compete."

At this moment, an unexpected voice rang out. It was Ghost Leopard Douluo standing behind Pope Bibi Dong. This old man had noticed that among the people who had made the move was his descendant, a little guy named Heize, whom he vaguely remembered.

The fact that a titled Douluo spoke up naturally had some effect, and Bibi Dong wouldn't refuse him on such a matter, so she remained silent.

When the titled Douluo spoke, the dean, who was about to ask the teacher to clean up the mess, was immediately at a loss. He could only watch helplessly as the situation on the playground became chaotic and dared not make any rash moves. After all, it was a titled elder who had spoken. How could a mere dean like him dare to act recklessly?

"Boss, you're amazing! Kurosawa really made his move."

Among the first-year student representatives, Tuoba Hong spoke in a low voice, his chubby face full of excitement.

"Be careful, the fighting is about to spread to our area."

Yan kept his eyes fixed on the platform. When he saw that Ghost Leopard Douluo seemed to speak, he knew that his plan had succeeded.