Distribute the rewards early

After the elders left, only Bibi Dong, Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan remained in the Pope's Palace.

Silence, a deathly silence.

Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan lowered their heads, their former high spirits gone.

That single strike from Dugu Yan shattered their dreams.

Even if they used their martial soul fusion technique, transforming into the Charm Demon right from the start, their chances of winning were less than twenty percent.

Yan, with his fiery temper, would usually have exploded in anger at the elders' doubts, willing to die for Hu Liena if necessary.

But today, he couldn't muster a single word.

He couldn't refute the elders' words at all.

His confidence vanished the moment the Hell White Tiger was "shattered."

After a long pause, Bibi Dong's voice finally broke the silence in the Pope's Palace.

"Nana, Xie Yue, Yan, you are the pride of the Spirit Hall and the Douluo Continent."

"In the world of ordinary spirit masters, few possess your talent, effort, and strength."

"You are the pride of the Spirit Hall and my pride as the Pope, living up to the name of the Golden Generation."

Bibi Dong's voice was steady, as if comforting the three. At this moment, she seemed less like a Pope and more like a mother.

"Teacher, but we..."

Hu Liena frowned tightly, fearing the battle even before it began, which was a great taboo!

But they were truly scared, not of death, but of losing, of bringing shame to the Pope and the Spirit Hall.

As Soul kings, three against one and still losing, even getting counter-killed...

How humiliating!

"Nana, victory and defeat are common in war."

"Besides, your opponent isn't just talented and strong..."

"???"

These words left Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan stunned. They all looked at Bibi Dong, eager to know the specific reason.

"You are facing someone blessed by a deity. This is the difference in background."

Bibi Dong sighed and said.

After learning that Neuvillette and Focalors were divine-level powerhouses, Bibi Dong had a moment of existential crisis.

That wretched woman, the old hag Rakshasa!

Trying to pass on the divine position but not being straightforward about it.

How many years had it been since she received the Rakshasa inheritance?

Fourteen years!

Fourteen whole years!

Including the time Rakshasa had been observing her, which started from when she was six years old...

When did Neuvillette and Focalors become gods?

According to Rakshasa, they couldn't have been gods for more than a hundred years because divine-level powerhouses can stay on the Douluo Continent for a maximum of one hundred years before being summoned by the Divine Realm.

It's said they are summoned by the Divine Realm, but in truth, it's because the Douluo Continent rejects divine-level powerhouses. If they don't leave after the allotted time, the Douluo Continent might collapse.

"I shouldn't be telling you this because even those elders don't know about it."

"Neuvillette and Focalors, both of them are beyond level ninety-nine, reaching the divine level at one hundred!"

"Otherwise, do you think it's so easy to change a martial soul?"

Hearing this, Hu Liena and the others were dumbfounded.

What did they just hear?

Divine-level powerhouses?

The three of them widened their eyes, mouths slightly open, speechless.

Could Neuvillette and Focalors be akin to the Angel God?

As if thinking of something, Bibi Dong waved her right hand, and three "bones" emitting different lights appeared in front of her.

With another wave of her right hand, these three "bones" flew toward Hu Liena and the others.

Instinctively, they caught the "bones" and, without even looking, could tell by their senses that these were spirit bones!

These were the original championship rewards.

"Teacher, we can't accept these spirit bones!"

"The elders..."

The elders had always opposed Bibi Dong, and they hadn't contributed to the Spirit Hall yet.

If Bibi Dong directly gave them these spirit bones, wouldn't that make the elders even more dissatisfied?

"I will take responsibility for this. Just accept them."

"Use these two days of rest to absorb the spirit bones."

"Even if you lose, don't lose too badly."

Bibi Dong waved her hand, speaking earnestly.

Elder opposition?

So what?

Hadn't they gotten through all these years like this?

She had no doubts about the loyalty of Hu Liena and the others; this was how you cultivate loyal subordinates.

Hu Liena and the others fell silent. Xie Yue and Yan, in particular, were excited, their hands trembling.

They had thought these spirit bones had nothing to do with them anymore, but to their surprise, the Pope bestowed them early.

However, they hesitated to accept them, fearing the elders would cause another uproar in the Pope's Palace if they found out.

Listening to Bibi Dong, the three felt deeply ashamed.

After a long pause, they gritted their teeth, their eyes becoming exceptionally determined.

Dugu Yan, we'll fight you to the end!

Having said this much, they had no choice but to accept, resolving to repay Bibi Dong by alleviating her troubles once they had grown stronger.

"Thank you, Teacher (Your Holiness)!"

The three exchanged glances and spoke in unison.

"Absorb and fuse the spirit bones here. I will protect you."

These words moved them even more.

This was the Pope, offering to protect them during their absorption!

How could they ever repay such a favor?

At this moment, if they weren't clear-headed, they might never have repaid the favor, and not betraying her would have been a blessing.

After all, in the original timeline, Hu Liena did betray Bibi Dong, leading to the downfall of the Spirit Hall.

What a good saint of the Spirit Hall she was…

A saint's betrayal, the Clear Sky Hammer, and the Angel…

An unavoidable fate.

At this moment, the contestants were unaware that the championship prize had been swapped. Even if they knew, there was nothing they could do.

After all, the Spirit Hall had never publicly announced what the championship reward was.

Without a public announcement, temporarily changing the championship reward was unethical but not against the rules.

Of course, it only shattered the hopes of the would-be champions…

Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, it was the morning of the third day.

Today would be the last match of the semifinals of the All-Continent Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament.

The winner would advance to the true finals, to be held outside the Pope's Palace.

Regardless of victory or defeat, this was an honor for young spirit masters.

By six o'clock in the morning, the Great Spirit Fighting Arena in Spirit City was already packed.

For ninety-nine point nine percent of the audience, today would be the last match they could watch in this year's All-Continent Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament, making it extremely precious.

Today's competition had only three matches, so the event wouldn't drag on too long.

The people of Spirit City were known for their fierce nature, but thanks to the temple knights maintaining order, there were no disturbances.

Contestants arrived at the arena exceptionally early today. Once in the rest area, nearly everyone sat cross-legged, adjusting their spirit power to stay in peak condition.

Especially those from the Divine Wind Academy!

The other two matches were almost a foregone conclusion, but their match might be a fierce battle between dragons and tigers.