Chapter 19: Coronation Ceremony

……

In the afternoon.

The Pope's coronation ceremony.

The weather today wasn't great, and with the former Pope having just kicked the bucket, the atmosphere in Wuhun City couldn't be described as festive.

Moreover, from the time the news was released to today's coronation ceremony, it had only been a week, which was a bit rushed.

Of the Seven Great Sects that should have all been present, excluding the Clear Sky Sect which wouldn't show up, only two came.

One was the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, which never missed any important occasion, never took the initiative to harbor grudges against anyone, and ranked second among the Upper Three Sects.

The other was the Elephant Armored Sect, which had leaned towards the Spirit Hall immediately after the Clear Sky Sect incident.

"Uncle Gu, the atmosphere in Wuhun City is a bit off."

Ning Fengzhi, sitting in the guest seats, was observing the situation on the field.

It was one thing that only two of the Seven Great Sects had arrived, but the people from the Spirit Hall side were also strangely quiet.

Especially in the Elder Hall's seating area, where only two people were sitting—the veteran Spirit Hall Titled Douluo who had become "famous" recently, Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo.

None of the other Titled Douluo had arrived, and the Spirit Hall Grand Elder, who should have been crowning the Pope, hadn't appeared either.

Something was wrong! Very wrong!

"Don't worry, Fengzhi. Even if this is a trap, I can still get you out," Gu Rong said.

He wouldn't dare say he could win a fight for sure, but when it came to running away, no one on this continent dared to claim they were better than him.

"I'm not worried about that, it's just..." Ning Fengzhi looked at the empty Pope's throne.

"Now that the Clear Sky Sect has had an incident, our relationship with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan isn't great, and the Elephant Armored Sect has leaned towards the Spirit Hall. The balance between the Seven Great Sects and the Spirit Hall is about to have problems."

As the oldest of the Seven Great Sects and the longest-standing Spirit Master force on the continent besides the Spirit Hall, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was most concerned about the balance between these forces.

They were the ones who least wanted violent conflicts between Spirit Master organizations; stability led to longevity, and harmony brought wealth.

This incident was clearly a conflict triggered by the Spirit Hall's insistence on snatching the hundred-thousand-year spirit beast from Tang Hao's hands. Yet now, because the Pope had died, it was as if the Clear Sky Sect had committed some heinous crime.

A hundred-thousand-year transformed spirit beast was rare in a millennium. In the Spirit Master world, there was an unwritten rule: for such things, whoever got it first kept it. Tang Hao had guarded it for so many years, and the Spirit Hall was still chasing him relentlessly—they really had no shame.

And they even claimed Tang Hao attacked them first.

Was Tang Hao brain-damaged? Attacking three Titled Douluo alone?

They didn't even know how to find a plausible excuse.

And now that Qian Xunji was dead, their own boss had been killed, so even if they knew the Spirit Hall was in the wrong, no one could say anything.

After all, the dead were to be respected...

"Alright, Fengzhi, don't think too much. Even if the Spirit Hall wants to take advantage of this to stir up trouble, let alone us not just watching, it's impossible for their own people to be serious," Gu Rong said.

The Spirit Hall's Spirit Masters came from the entire Spirit Master world, and their interests were intertwined. Just the Titled Douluo elders in the Elder Hall had varying degrees of interest entanglements with the Seven Great Sects and the two great empires.

If the Pope hadn't been beaten to death, this war wouldn't have started.

Ning Fengzhi sighed. "I just don't know how far this will go."

Extermination was impossible. If the Spirit Hall really intended to wipe out the Clear Sky Sect, the two great empires and the remaining Seven Great Sects couldn't just stand by and watch.

After all, if they wiped out the Clear Sky Sect, who knew who would be next? Moreover, the Clear Sky Sect's elders and Sect Master weren't pushovers. To wipe out the Clear Sky Sect, they would have to pay the price of at least three Titled Douluo.

Who would die? He didn't think those Spirit Hall Titled Douluo elders had lived long enough.

"The new Pope is here," Gu Rong said.

Ning Fengzhi looked up toward the direction of the Pope's entrance. "I just hope this new Pope is easy to get along with."

……

On the high platform, Bibi Dong, dressed in a purple-gold long dress and wearing the Nine-Curved Purple Gold Crown, finally appeared.

Standing on the platform, Jin E, who was responsible for this coronation ceremony, finally opened his eyes.

Just as he was about to speak, Jin E's gaze was drawn to the small golden cat Bibi Dong was holding in her arms.

"What is the meaning of this?" Jin E frowned and asked via sound transmission.

On such a solemn occasion, how could she bring such a thing onto the stage?

Bibi Dong looked casual. "Is there any rule that says a Pope cannot bring a small cat onto the stage during the coronation?"

Jin E was momentarily speechless, but he didn't want to argue with Bibi Dong on such an occasion, so he had to pretend he didn't see it and began to direct the standard procedures before the Pope's coronation.

Fireworks, music, welcoming guests...

Finally, at the last step, Jin E stepped forward and solemnly handed the scepter, which symbolized the Pope's authority, to Bibi Dong.

Bibi Dong took the scepter casually, and under Jin E's somewhat stunned gaze, she held the cat and turned to face the tens of thousands of Spirit Masters below the stage.

Without any nonsense, Bibi Dong slammed the scepter, which was inlaid with countless gems, onto the ground, and her spirit power surged.

Yellow—Yellow—Purple—Purple—Black—Black—Black—Black!

When the eighth black spirit ring appeared, there was an uproar below the stage.

"How old is she?" Ning Fengzhi said with a stiff expression. If he remembered correctly, Bibi Dong was only about thirty years old, right? Even Tang Chen of the Clear Sky Sect, who was once the insurmountable peak of the Spirit Master world, was only a Spirit Saint at thirty! "No, it's not over yet," Gu Rong's expression became increasingly heavy.

Under the gaze of all, a wave of spirit power unique to a Titled Douluo erupted from Bibi Dong, and at the same time, a blood-colored spirit ring slowly appeared above the eighth black spirit ring.

Nine rings! Titled Douluo! The whole audience was shocked!

Except for Jin E, who was in the know, all the Spirit Masters at the coronation ceremony were captivated by the nine spirit rings floating on Bibi Dong, especially the blood-colored spirit ring that symbolized a hundred thousand years.

All the objections to this young person, Bibi Dong, serving as Pope vanished at this moment.

The Spirit Hall was the authoritative organization in the Spirit Master world, and for Spirit Masters, the most important thing was strength! To put it bluntly, the Spirit Hall was in the wrong this time, yet they could still righteously bite back at the Clear Sky Sect because their fists were big enough! Nine spirit rings were more real than any declaration!

"She's only thirty years old..."

Most of the Spirit Masters present naturally knew about the Saintess Bibi Dong, and it was precisely because they knew that they were shocked! A thirty-year-old Titled Douluo!

And she even had a hundred-thousand-year spirit ring that Spirit Masters dreamed of!

"It seems the news we received before was true," Ning Fengzhi sighed.

The Spirit Hall Saintess Bibi Dong had twin martial souls! But wasn't it impossible to cultivate with twin martial souls?

It wasn't that the Spirit Hall hadn't had Spirit Masters with twin martial souls, but those Spirit Masters had all blown themselves up without exception! In fact, there was almost a unified understanding in the Spirit Master world: possessors of twin martial souls were almost equivalent to having a useless martial soul! No, even worse than a useless martial soul; at least those with useless martial souls could cultivate normally, but those with twin martial souls would blow themselves up while practicing!

Up until now, the highest realm achieved by someone with twin martial souls was Spirit Emperor. It was said that the person was also the fastest cultivator of their generation, adding spirit rings to both martial souls simultaneously, almost having double the cultivation speed. However, after reaching Spirit Emperor—or rather, reaching level 60 and adding a spirit ring—that twin martial soul genius had blown up!

Subsequent possessors of twin martial souls had all met similar ends.

But now, Bibi Dong had such terrifying cultivation speed, which proved that the rumors about her twin martial souls were true, and she had added spirit rings to both of her martial souls simultaneously!

Which meant Bibi Dong had solved the cultivation problem of twin martial souls!

"..."

On the high platform, Bibi Dong was quite satisfied looking at the reaction below.

At first, she didn't intend to directly expose the fact that she had become a Titled Douluo, especially exposing her hundred-thousand-year spirit ring, because although she had become Pope, she was almost isolated and helpless in the Spirit Hall.

Rashly exposing her strength, although it could increase her prestige and have a good bonus effect on her control of the Pope Palace in the short term—after all, the most important thing for Spirit Masters was strength, and nine spirit rings were more direct and effective than any words.

But this would also invisibly create many enemies for her. Those old guys in the Elder Hall all wanted to place their own people in key positions in the Pope Palace before she truly seized power. If she wasn't strong enough, those people wouldn't take her seriously and would even lower their guard, giving her more time and opportunities to complete the recovery of power.

But once she directly showed her strength, those people would remain highly vigilant against her and even unite to trip her up. In the current Pope Palace, she didn't have a single person she could trust or use. Being too conspicuous would bring a lot of trouble.

And once a conflict broke out, she didn't know the attitude of that old thing Qian Daoliu. If he stood up to shield the Elder Hall, she would have to endure it. In that case, the Pope's prestige would suffer a major blow, and she would have to spend more time and energy to make up for those losses.

Therefore, hiding was far more cost-effective and safer than showing off.

But Nan Feng wanted her to directly show her strength, saying it was simple and brutal—whoever didn't submit, just kill them.

Having endured for so many years, the turtle had endured to the end.

If you have the guts, do it. At worst, let everyone see the Spirit Hall's joke! An elder fighting the Pope—if the Grand Elder shielded the elder, the prestige of the Pope, the highest leader of the Spirit Hall, would be damaged, and she might even become a joke.

The one losing face would be the Spirit Hall!

They just needed to feel good! Thinking about it, she realized this was indeed the logic.

Qian Daoliu valued the development of the Spirit Hall the most. If even that old thing didn't care about the Spirit Hall's reputation, what did she have to worry about? Bang! Under the gaze of all, Bibi Dong suddenly slammed the Pope's scepter in her right hand onto the ground, and it stood firmly in the floor.

Then, holding the small golden cat in her arms with both hands, she raised it high above her head, took a deep breath, and shouted loudly: "Long live the Spirit Hall!!"

With the support of deep spirit power, Bibi Dong's voice resounded in every corner of the coronation site, echoing continuously.

Jin E looked at this scene in a daze.

Bibi Dong! Are you trying to go to heaven? Why did you raise the cat up!! A cat on the Pope's head—do you know what this is called?! Before Jin E could stop this absurd scene, the tens of thousands of Spirit Masters below the stage responded to Bibi Dong's shout, shouting in unison: "Long live the Spirit Hall!!"

"Long live the Pope Crown!!"

Watching Bibi Dong surrounded by nine spirit rings, the eyes of all the Spirit Hall Spirit Masters were filled with fanaticism. The shouts rose and fell, shaking even the large Wuhun City. The expressions of Ning Fengzhi and his party, who had come to observe the ceremony, were extremely awkward.

Shouting wasn't right, and not shouting wasn't right either.

How uncooperative! Jin E's expression was even uglier. You can shout, but put that damn cat down!

Don't put it on your head! The shouting lasted for nearly a minute. Bibi Dong stomped her foot lightly, and a vast wave of spirit power dissipated, instantly silencing the fanatical scene.

Jin E breathed a sigh of relief, but just when he thought it was over, the Holy Light Spirit Cat held high in Bibi Dong's hands suddenly erupted with a dazzling golden light, attracting the attention of everyone present.

Bibi Dong took a deep breath. "Long live the Angel God!!"

Jin E was stunned.

Bibi Dong! What the hell do you mean!!

Before Jin E could stop her, the tens of thousands of Spirit Masters below the stage responded to Bibi Dong's shout again.

"Long live the Angel God!!"

"Long live the Pope Crown!!"

"Long live the Spirit Hall!!"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 20 =====