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The next day—
The finals were about to begin, and with them, the long-awaited unveiling of the ultimate prize and the stunning appearance of the Pope herself.
This was what countless spectators had been eagerly anticipating after hearing the news. According to reliable rumors, the current Pope, Bibi Dong, held the title of the most beautiful woman in the world. Such a noble and enchanting figure—how could they resist coming to catch a glimpse of her?
However, there was one minor downside: the weather that day was overcast, dampening the mood slightly.
Even so, under the influence of mysterious powers, the Pope's Hall remained dazzlingly resplendent, standing out starkly against the gloomy world while drawing all eyes irresistibly toward it.
At this moment, two rows of Temple Knights stood neatly aligned from the entrance of the Pope's Hall all the way down the mountain. Clad in gleaming silver armor and wielding heavy knightly longswords, they added to the solemnity and majesty of the scene.
Such a dignified venue was not accessible to just anyone—only the strong and the young prodigies were deemed worthy enough to step onto the square before the Pope's Hall.
As for ordinary spectators, they could only watch the competition through projection soul devices stationed at the periphery.
At this point, the gates of the Pope's Hall opened, revealing none other than two Elder Title Douluos. The audience marveled at the depth of the Spirit Hall's resources while growing even more excited for Bibi Dong's arrival.
Suddenly, the lead Temple Knight at the entrance called out loudly:
"Her Holiness, the Pope, has arrived!"
These words ignited the crowd like flames on oil. All across Spirit City, spectators watching the event erupted into cheers of "Long live!"
And rightly so—for the Pope was not merely the leader of the Spirit Hall but also their faith incarnate, the earthly representative of the legendary Angel God.
As the doors fully opened, despite Qian Renxue making no overtly seductive gestures, her mere presence caused everyone who laid eyes on her to momentarily hold their breath.
Though Bibi Dong was already in her fifties, under the effects of a Title Douluo's extraordinary cultivation, her appearance seemed frozen at the peak of a woman's beauty. Even the flowing robes of the Pope couldn't hide her graceful figure. At this moment, everyone understood why she was hailed as the most beautiful woman on the continent.
The instant Qian Renxue made her entrance, those outside the Pope's Hall were impressed, but inside, everyone except those with Title Douluo-level strength or special status knelt in reverence, showing respect for the Pope's authority.
But would Tang San kneel? The answer was no!
How could the pure-hearted Tang San, facing his enemy, choose to bow?
Thus, an odd scene unfolded. Among the three participating teams, members of Shrek Academy were divided—some knelt, while others did not, creating a strikingly peculiar sight.
Those who didn't kneel included Tang San, Dai Mubai, Bai Chenxiang, Tai Long, Oscar, and the Golden Iron Triangle.
On the other hand, those who knelt included Ning Yuan and the elite members of the former Blue Tyrant Dragon Academy. After all, Ning Yuan came from the calculating Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect; Ning Fengzhi hadn't knelt because he held the honorary position of elder, and Ning Yuan wasn't foolish enough to feign arrogance. Meanwhile, the others, being commoners, instinctively bowed in deference to the revered Bibi Dong.
At this moment, Ju Douluo, thinking back to jos failed mission earlier and realizing his Pope hadn't yet seen her target, subtly whispered through telepathy.
Instantly, Qian Renxue turned her gaze toward Tang San.
Even without Ju Dou Luo's prompt, she could easily recognize the existence that had once shattered her godhood. Though Qian Renxue's expression remained indifferent, Tang San, locking eyes with her, felt his very soul tremble. Instinctively, he activated his Purple Extreme Demon Eye to resist her overwhelming aura.
A nearby Temple Knight noticed this and immediately barked, "How dare you show disrespect to Her Holiness!"
Realizing her emotional fluctuation had caused her to lose control over Bibi Dong's martial soul, Qian Renxue quickly reined it in. With a calm demeanor, she asked, "Why do you refuse to kneel?"
Though Qian Renxue exerted no visible pressure, when the non-kneeling members of Shrek realized all eyes were on them, their hearts began to race. They had simply followed Tang San's lead unconsciously, mimicking his actions, never expecting to draw such attention.
Only then did they realize the gravity of their foolish mistake.
This was a direct challenge to the dignity of the Spirit Hall!
But Tang San, believing he had Tang Hao's backing, felt no fear. Bowing slightly, he replied calmly, "Your Holiness, I don't recall any rule stating that soul masters must kneel before the Pope."
Qian Renxue nodded as if in agreement, but inwardly, she sneered.
Having spent years as the Crown Prince, Qian Renxue was well-versed in the intricacies of power dynamics. This act of kneeling wasn't a humiliation—it was a gesture of respect toward the strong. Yet, absurdly, she found no trace of reverence in Tang San's eyes for someone far stronger than him, a Title Douluo. It baffled her. How had her past self lost to such an idiot in the original timeline?
Moreover, if she remembered correctly, her love-struck mother at this time hadn't even taken offense to this incident but instead praised Tang San for having the same backbone as Yu Xiaogang—a truly laughable notion.
At this moment, Qian Renxue said indifferently, "Indeed, there is no such rule.
But tell me, young man—has your teacher not taught you to show respect to the strong, to those of high status, and to the Spirit Hall?"
Her tone remained calm, but with each mention of "respect," an invisible wave of pressure bore down on the members of Shrek Academy.
With every repetition of the word, the intensity of the pressure grew.
At first, Tang San and the others merely grimaced, but soon the pressure reached the 40th level, overwhelming ordinary geniuses and forcing them to their knees. Then, Qian Renxue increased her soul power to the 50th level. Faced with this rapidly escalating pressure, Tang San—without activating the Xuan Tian Technique—was caught off guard and abruptly forced to kneel.
Tang San's head hung low, his face dark with anger as he cursed inwardly: 'Today, Bibi Dong dares to humiliate me like this—she's courting death!'
Bibi Dong's pressure targeted the Shrek team directly, sparing others but affecting the entire group nonetheless.
Yu Xiaogang, who had only recently broken through to the 30th level, immediately turned pale. The first wave of pressure left his frail Soul Master body ashen, and the second wave caused him to cough up blood. If it weren't for Liu Erlong shielding him, he might have perished on the spot.
Liu Erlong quickly supported Yu Xiaogang, kneeling with him and allowing Yu Xiaogang to rest in her arms. To the onlookers, it appeared as though she too was kneeling before Qian Renxue.
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