"Explain?" Ye Feng said in a serious tone, a faint smile on his lips. "What do you want me to explain?"
As a Platinum Bishop, Salas was experienced in handling situations like this. He smirked, gauging Ye Feng's attitude before saying, "So you don't plan to explain. Does that mean you admit your guilt?"
"Guilt? What crime have I committed?" Ye Feng asked, his tone calm.
"You killed seven members of Canghui Academy. Do you not understand the severity of your actions?" Salas snapped, his voice filled with accusation.
"I don't understand what you're saying."
"Don't play dumb! The tournament won't let you off so easily for such a brutal act."
Salas was aggressive, clearly holding a grudge against Shrek Academy. With Spirit Hall backing him, he didn't take Chen Xin, Bone Douluo, or Ning Fengzhi seriously.
Buzz.
Ye Feng's spirit power surged as three black spirit rings appeared beneath him. Golden energy condensed into a sword, floating beside him.
Second Spirit Skill: Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Origin.
With a flick of his wrist, the golden sword shot toward Salas.
Salas' expression shifted drastically. He immediately summoned his martial spirit, revealing eight spirit rings. With a wave of his hand, a powerful energy shot toward Ye Feng in retaliation.
But then, something unexpected happened.
Ye Feng suddenly stopped his attack. However, Salas had already acted, and his attack was heading straight for Ye Feng.
Just before it landed, a purple-gold light enveloped Ye Feng, shielding him completely. It was his external spirit bone—the Dragon Phoenix Ancient Wing.
Clang!
The attack dissipated against the shield.
"Hah!"
The Spirit Hall guards in the room raised their spears, pointing them at Ye Feng, their faces tense.
Salas, still in shock, glared at Ye Feng. "Why did you stop? Were you trying to bait me into attacking you?"
Ye Feng ignored the armed knights, his voice steady. "You wanted an explanation? That was my explanation."
"What the hell do you mean?" Salas barked.
"When a person is in danger, their first instinct is to defend or counterattack. When the Time Fog blocked everyone's vision, I had no idea what kind of attack Canghui Academy would launch. So, I defended myself. Who knew they were so damn weak that they couldn't take a single hit? To be honest, I was just protecting myself. Just like you did just now."
Bam!
Salas slammed his hand on the armrest of his chair, his expression dark. "You attacked a member of the organizing committee. As a committee member, I now declare that Shrek Academy slaughtered the main team of Canghui Academy. Shrek Academy is disqualified from the tournament! You must withdraw immediately!"
"Salas, are you really going to pull this shit?" Chen Xin's voice was cold, carrying an unmistakable edge.
"Chen Xin, this is the tournament's decision," Salas replied, feigning composure.
"Salas, your blatant abuse of power is beyond ridiculous," Ning Fengzhi said, his eyes narrowing.
"This is my authority," Salas responded proudly.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, the door swung open. Something flew through the air, landing in Salas' hands.
"The Pope's Order?!" His face went pale as he stared at the token in his grasp.
"The Pope's Order?" Ye Feng's eyes narrowed. He hadn't expected this.
Yu Xiaogang? No, that was impossible. Ye Feng had pushed him away, and Tang San had stormed off to Blazing Academy. Even if Yu Xiaogang had received the Pope's Order from Tang Hao, there was no reason for him to help Ye Feng now.
Then Ye Feng's gaze shifted to the door, and he froze.
A figure dressed in a black robe stood there, stepping into the room.
From her silhouette, it was clear—she was a woman.
Her voice, solemn and regal, echoed through the room: "Salas, you are unworthy of being a Platinum Bishop of Spirit Hall."
Under the stunned gazes of everyone present, the woman walked forward step by step.
Salas frowned. The voice was familiar, but he didn't dare to believe it. The person in his mind shouldn't be in Tiandou City right now.
Then, the woman reached up with her pale hands and pulled back her hood.
She wasn't tall, but the light pink dress she wore fit her perfectly, highlighting her elegant figure. Her flawless skin and nearly perfect face exuded an ethereal beauty. But more than that, the sheer nobility and holiness radiating from her presence made people want to bow instinctively.
"The Pope?!" Salas' eyes widened in disbelief, his body stiffening.
"Bibi Dong?!" Chen Xin's voice carried a rare trace of shock.
"Bibi Dong?!" Ye Feng was utterly dumbfounded.
This scene—this wasn't supposed to happen. In the original storyline, Bibi Dong never appeared during the preliminaries. Yet, here she was, in Tiandou City.
Thud!
Salas immediately knelt on one knee. "Your Holiness!"
"Greetings to Her Holiness the Pope!"
The Spirit Hall guards also knelt, their arrogance from earlier completely gone.
"Rise," Bibi Dong said lightly.
Salas stood, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Your Holiness..." His voice trembled as he cautiously handed the Pope's Order back to her. "Shrek Academy acted in self-defense. We don't need to investigate further. Would that be acceptable?"
Bibi Dong merely let out a soft "Mmm."
Salas hesitated, then spoke again. "Your Holiness, this isn't the best place for discussion. Perhaps we should move to the temple?"
"Salas, do what you need to. I'm not here for you this time," Bibi Dong said calmly.
Then she turned to Ye Feng, her gaze sharp yet unreadable. But beneath that, a storm of emotions brewed within her.
"Your name is Ye Feng?"
"Yeah." Ye Feng nodded, still watching her cautiously.
"Come with me. I have questions for you."
With that, Bibi Dong pulled her hood back up and turned, walking away.
Ye Feng hesitated for only a moment before stepping forward to follow her.
Liu Erlong frowned, instinctively wanting to go after them, but Ning Fengzhi stopped her.
"Liu Erlong, let him go. I don't know why Bibi Dong is helping Ye Feng, but from what just happened, it's clear she doesn't mean him any harm."
(End of Chapter)
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