With this bet in place, perhaps he would finally have a chance to win over Huo Wu? Just thinking about it made him a little excited!
Although the overall strength of the Soul Hall team was above that of his own Divine Wind team, if the three before him were merely at the average level within their ranks and didn't have any hidden trump cards, then with his self-created Gale Demon Wolf Thirty-Six Consecutive Slashes, he might not be entirely without a chance of victory!
"Feng Xiaotian, you're the best! For the sake of Goddess Huo Wu, charge ahead!"
Listening to Mu Yang's terms, Xie Yue, Hu Liena, and Yan exchanged glances, then nodded after a brief moment of thought.
With full confidence, Xie Yue said, "Just for the fact that you called our Soul Academy the strongest advanced Soul Master academy on the continent, we'll finalize this bet. Letting you take a little advantage is no big deal."
Mu Yang smiled and nodded. "It's a deal!"
"Hmph, just wait to shave your head and praise Nana!"
With a cold snort,Yan scoffed at Mu Yang with disdain.
The minor episode ended, and before long, the dishes and wine they had ordered began arriving one after another.
As expected, Shui Yue'er, who couldn't hold her liquor but insisted on drinking, ended up getting drunk. She clung to Mu Yang, trying desperately to lean into his arms. If not for Shui Bing'er holding her back, Mu Yang might have found himself in a rather awkward situation.
Whether Shui Yue'er was truly drunk or just pretending, no one but herself knew.
Either way, she had indeed consumed alcohol, and her face was flushed red.
Two Days Later
The fourth round of the tournament began.
In this round, six teams competed in head-to-head matches, battling to determine the top three.
When the matchups were drawn, Feng Xiaotian was utterly dejected.
Just two days ago, he had been filled with enthusiasm after making the bet, but reality turned out to be cruel.
Since only six teams remained, the odds of Blazing, Sky Water, and Divine Wind facing each other were quite high in the six-into-three format.
The Soul Hall team and Sky Water team had good luck, drawing against Knox and Delos—two filler teams from the Star Luo Empire. These matches were utterly one-sided, with the Soul Hall and Sky Water teams securing overwhelming victories.
As for the match between Divine Wind and Blazing team
Neither Feng Xiaotian, his teammates, nor even their academy headmaster, Feng Zhen, believed that the Divine Wind team could defeat Blazing team. After all, the two teams had already clashed in the qualifiers, and the gap was clear.
Thus, Divine Wind Academy directly forfeited, allowing Blazing Academy's team to automatically advance into the top three.
Three Days Later
The radiant sunlight bathed the land, and under its golden glow, the Pope's Palace appeared even more majestic and resplendent.
Before the palace, two rows of silver-armored palace knights, wielding heavy swords, stood in a disciplined formation, extending from the grand entrance all the way down the mountain. Their presence added an extra layer of solemnity to the already awe-inspiring Sacred Mountain of the Pope.
Early in the morning, the twenty-one contestants from the three teams that had reached the final three stood quietly in the square before the Pope's Palace, waiting in silence.
At that moment, twelve red-clad bishops emerged from a side door of the Pope's Palace. They walked to the front of the palace and split into two lines, six on each side.
The leading bishop raised his voice and declared:
"His Holiness, the Pope, arrives!"
"Long live! Long live! Long live!"
The three resounding shouts echoed like a landslide and tsunami across the entire Soul City.
It was not only the voices of the neatly arranged palace knights on the Sacred Mountain of the Pope but also the cries of countless soul masters within Soul City—those whose status and strength were insufficient to grant them a place before the limited space of the Pope's Palace to witness the final round of the tournament.
"Clang—Clang—Clang—Clang—"
The massive gates of the Pope's Palace slowly swung open. The emblems on the doors gradually shifted from their original alignment, and at that moment, all eyes instinctively turned toward the grand entrance.
Dressed in a brilliant golden gown, wearing a purple-gold crown, and holding a gemstone scepter, Pope Bibi Dong stepped out of the palace with a solemn expression.
Her entire being seemed almost ethereal, exuding an aura of boundless majesty. No one even focused on her breathtaking beauty—at this moment, she was the embodiment of the supreme authority of the Soul Hall's reigning Pope.
The golden gown fit her figure perfectly, its dazzling fabric shimmering with a radiant glow. Adorned with over a hundred red, blue, and gold gemstones, the robe exuded an unparalleled brilliance. Under the sunlight, the purple-gold crown atop her head radiated endless rays of light, as if all the illumination in the world had converged upon her alone.
The instant Bibi Dong appeared, all Soul Hall members present dropped to one knee in unison.
"Greetings, Your Holiness the Pope!"
"No wonder even someone as disciplined as Angel Douluo couldn't resist the temptation!"
Staring at Bibi Dong—whose beauty was otherworldly, her appearance seemingly that of a woman barely in her twenties—Mu Yang couldn't help but think to himself.
Back then, Qian Xunji was certainly no young man. As the Pope of Soul Hall, he had experienced all forms of indulgence, yet in the end, even this seasoned leader had failed to restrain himself.
One could only say that Qian Xunji had merely committed the mistake that all men were prone to.
A truly charming villain!
Behind Bibi Dong, six individuals followed.
Five of them wore bright red ceremonial robes. Unlike the entirely crimson garments of the red-clad bishops, these robes were intricately adorned with gold and silver patterns. Most striking was the golden gemstone on each of their chests—each one as large as a baby's fist—radiating a noble and regal aura.
To ordinary people, these robes symbolized wealth and status. But to soul masters, they represented the highest of honors, for only the rarest of Title Douluo across the continent were qualified to wear them.
Among them stood Sword Douluo Chen Xin, Tyrant Dragon Douluo Huo Lie, Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan, and Ghost Douluo Gui Mei. The fifth Title Douluo was a short-haired woman, appearing to be a mature lady in her mid-to-late twenties.
"Ling Yuan?"
Mu Yang silently speculated about the identity of the short-haired woman.
As for the sixth figure who walked out of the Pope's Palace alongside the five Title Douluo—though his strength was far from that of a Nine-Ring Title Douluo, his status and influence were in no way inferior.
This man was none other than Ning Fengzhi, the Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Today, the gathering was not without other distinguished guests, though they had not officially joined the ceremony.
Among them were Jade Phosphor Douluo Dugu Bo, Blazing Douluo Mu Xiyue, Ice Douluo Shui Yanyu, and Star Luo Empire's Grand Elder Dai Feng.
Yes, Dai Feng was indeed among the esteemed guests.
Though his spirit power level was only at the Eight-Ring Soul Douluo stage, the presence of his wife made a significant difference. With the Netherworld White Tiger martial soul fusion technique, his combat strength surpassed even that of many weaker Nine-Ring Title Douluo such as She Long.
At this moment, on the vast square before the Pope's Palace, only the fourteen contestants from the Blazing Team and the Sky Water Team remained standing, refraining from kneeling.
Compared to the Soul Hall Team and the surrounding Soul Hall members, they appeared rather conspicuous.
However, Bibi Dong paid them no mind. With a slight wave of her scepter, her red lips parted slightly as she spoke:
"Rise."
Bibi Dong's voice was not loud—one could even say it was soft—yet it carried with perfect clarity to the ears of everyone present.
For additional chapters
Versatile mage {40 chapters}
Douluo Dalu:This Soul Master is to Weird {30 Chapters}
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