...
"Elders."
Bibi Dong sat at the head of the table, her gaze sweeping across the entire room, and spoke in a calm tone:
"Since everyone agrees to use these three ten-thousand-year-old soul bones as rewards for this competition, then today, I will officially announce the final reward plan."
Everyone immediately sat up straight, awaiting the Pope's verdict.
Bibi Dong tapped her dark purple nail polish fingers lightly on the table twice:
"I have decided to give these three top-grade ten-thousand-year soul bones as the runner-up prize for this competition."
These words were spoken.
The once quiet Elders' Hall was instantly plunged into an eerie silence.
All the elders stared wide-eyed at Bibi Dong, who sat at the head of the table, as if she were a madwoman. Some even wondered if they had misheard.
"Your Holiness the Pope!"
The hot-tempered Demon Bear Douluo was the first to slam his fist on the table and stand up, his rugged face full of disbelief.
"What did you just say? A runner-up prize?!
Our Spirit Hall has held so many Soul Master Tournaments, and it seems we've never set up any runner-up prize before?!"
In every competition, the prizes have always been winner-take-all; only the champion can take home all the honors and resources!
This is not because the Spirit Hall is stingy, but because the Spirit Hall's survival rule and principle have always been this: the winner takes all!
Everyone except the first place winner is a loser!
If you lose, you lose everything!
Now, the Pope is actually going to hand over the Spirit Hall's three top-grade ten-thousand-year-old soul bones, which are its most treasured possessions, to a runner-up team?!
"Your Holiness, what is the meaning of this?"
Ghost Leopard Douluo couldn't help but stand up, frowning as he asked, "If you don't want to take out your soul bone, just say so.
Why humiliate our Spirit Hall team in this way?"
"humiliation?"
Bibi Dong leaned back in her wide chair, looking at the group of indignant elders.
"I am merely stating a fact. If I were to award these three soul bones as the champion's prize, then after the tournament ends, these three soul bones would truly be permanently removed from the Spirit Hall's treasury, because... this year's champion will absolutely not be the Spirit Hall!"
"absurd!"
Demon Bear Douluo roared, but upon meeting Bibi Dong's icy gaze, he barely suppressed his anger and said in a deep voice, "Your Holiness, in your eyes, is our Spirit Hall's Golden Generation so vulnerable?"
"If I remember correctly, your direct disciple Hu Liena's current soul power has reached level 68!
Xie Yue and Yan's soul power has also reached level 63 and level 62 respectively!"
"Moreover, once Hu Liena and Xie Yue activate their Spirit Fusion Skill, Enchantress, its power can easily suppress a well-established Soul Saint on the front lines!"
"With this level of strength, even if the Heavenly Dou and Star Luo families give it their all, they still won't be able to touch the hem of our Golden Generation's coattails!"
"When the time comes, as long as Yan deals with the other trash from that Heavenly Dou Royal Academy by himself, and Hu Liena and Xie Yue team up to deal with that kid named Xuan Hao, wouldn't that be enough to crush them?!"
"We can't win."
Faced with the Demon Bear Douluo's blind confidence, Bibi Dong simply shook her head indifferently.
"It's not that I don't trust Nana and the others. It's just... when facing Xuan Hao, let alone those three little guys."
Bibi Dong paused, then her eyes suddenly turned cold:
"Even if all the elders present here today were to personally step in and fight him one-on-one, they might not be able to defeat him."
All the titled Douluo present instantly turned ugly.
They are the foundation of the Spirit Hall, the super strong people standing at the top of the food chain on the entire continent!
Now, the Pope is actually saying in front of everyone that they, a group of old monsters who have lived for decades, can't beat a mere brat?!
"Your Holiness, isn't that a bit too alarmist?"
Demon Bear Douluo laughed in anger, "We admit that the boy named Xuan Hao is indeed a monster that appears only once in ten thousand years.
He has broken through to the Soul Saint realm at such a young age. His talent is truly astonishing."
"But! A Soul Saint is ultimately just a Soul Saint! How can he possibly contend with us Title Douluos who possess nine Soul Rings in the face of an absolute chasm in terms of level?!"
"Really?"
Bibi Dong sneered, "What, have you old folks been in the Elder Hall for too long and your brains have rusted?
Haven't you heard that a year ago, Xuan Hao single-handedly stormed the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect and humiliated Yu Yuanzhen in front of the entire sect?!"
"Let me ask you all here today! Who among you dares to confidently guarantee that you can defeat the veteran Thunder Douluo Yu Yuanzhen in a one-on-one fight?!"
"This..."
The elders were so shocked by these words that they gasped for breath, looked at each other, and were speechless for a moment.
Yu Yuanzhen is the sect leader of one of the three upper sects. His Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul is domineering.
If it were a one-on-one fight, very few of the ordinary elders present would dare to say that they could win with certainty.
Demon Bear Douluo's face turned ashen, but he forced himself to retort, "We are well aware of Yu Yuanzhen's strength. But that Xuan Hao, can he be compared to Yu Yuanzhen?
That's just a wild rumor that's been circulating outside!
I don't believe that a mere brat really has that kind of heaven-defying strength!"
"Don't believe me?"
Bibi Dong scoffed, "Since you don't believe me, that's fine. Xuan Hao is in Wuhun City right now, and that kid's soul power has already reached level 80!
Although he hasn't obtained his eighth soul ring yet, he's already a genuine quasi-Soul Douluo."
"If you think I'm exaggerating, you're welcome to go to the back mountain and try it out on him yourselves!"
"Okay! Let's give it a try!"
Demon Bear Douluo's eyes widened in anger, "I want to see just what kind of monster this Quasi-Soul Douluo, who has been praised to the skies by His Holiness the Pope, really is!"
The other titled Douluo present also snorted coldly, expressing their extreme indignation.
They have spent most of their lives cultivating themselves to reach their current level, how could they tolerate being surpassed by a mere child?
...
At this very moment.
Inside a hidden martial arts training ground on the back of Pope Hill.
Boom!
A deep, resounding boom echoed through the valley.
"puff--!"
With a painful groan, Yan, who possessed the top-tier beast spirit "Flame Lord," was sent flying backwards dozens of meters away like a cannonball.
He tumbled more than a dozen times in mid-air before crashing heavily into a solid artificial mountain, shattering it to pieces.
Only then did he stop, coughing up blood and looking horrified.
In the center of the training ground.
Xuan Hao was dressed in a simple black outfit, with his hands in his pockets, and he hadn't even released his martial spirit.
He didn't even catch his breath, just stood there lazily, looking at Hu Liena and Xie Yue, who were surrounded by them, their faces full of despair.
For the past two months, although Xuan Hao had been indulging in women in Bibi Dong's palace every day, he would also come to the back mountain during his free time during the day when Bibi Dong was handling government affairs, to practice on the so-called "Golden Generation" of the Spirit Hall and give them some pointers.
At first, the proud and arrogant Xie Yue and Yan were not convinced. Xie Yue even took the initiative to suggest that he and Hu Liena directly activate the Martial Soul Fusion Skill "Enchanting Charm" to deal with him.
As a result, reality cruelly dealt them a blow they would never forget!
It's useless for birds!
Their prized Soul Fusion Skill, "Enchanting Charm," capable of confronting low-level Soul Douluos on the battlefield, was nothing more than a fragile red balloon in front of Xuan Hao!
Even if Xuan Hao just stood there and let them hit him, their moon blades, which were strong enough to tear through steel, couldn't even leave a white mark when they struck Xuan Hao's muscles, which were as hard as ten-thousand-year-old black iron!
It's completely unbreakable!
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