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Humble Little Li continued to soothe his mother-in-law's anger.
Li Luochen: 'Damn it, I'm your son-in-law, not your boyfriend! Why do I always have to calm you down every time you're angry?'
Bibi Dong: 'Having a son-in-law is so convenient—they're always ready to serve at your beck and call! After all, a son-in-law counts as half a son. As far as I know, this brat lost his mother when he was young, so I'm the only mother he has left!'
'It's only natural for a son to take care of his mother!'
The two in the Pope's Palace each had their own thoughts running through their minds.
Meanwhile, outside the Pope's Palace—
You Tianshang, holding Yu Xiaogang like a dead dog, arrived at the steps, gripping the back of Yu Xiaogang's collar with one hand.
Suddenly! A kick landed on Yu Xiaogang's rear end. Chrysanthemums shattered, chrysanthemums were bruised, and his expression turned into the "prettiest" grimace.
{T/N: Chrysanthemum is slang for anus.}
"Fly, you!"
Yu Xiaogang soared! You Tianshang dusted off his hands and then flew toward the direction of the Ancestral Hall.
Yu Xiaogang, flying like a streak of light, landed in the residential area of Wuhun City. By some stroke of luck, he ended up in the Spirit Hall's garbage dump. He didn't die from the fall but merely passed out again. Truly, Yu Xiaogang's luck remained stable even amidst the butterfly effect of future changes.
Half a day later, Yu Xiaogang regained consciousness, lying in a pile of garbage. His entire body ached, especially the symbol of his manhood, which was now gone.
"Bibi Dong! You'll pay for this!"
But his impotent rage was useless. The dark aura around him grew thicker, and Luo San Pao's light attribute finally dissipated, leaving behind pure darkness.
Even Yu Xiaogang's appearance changed slightly, becoming more sinister.
Though his whole body throbbed with pain, aside from losing his "third leg," Yu Xiaogang suffered no other injuries. For now, he could only stop the bleeding below.
Afterward, he got up and went to find Tang San and the others, unsure how long he had been unconscious.
Not only had he failed to obtain the method for cultivating twin spirit weapons, but he had also been humiliated by Bibi Dong and lost his third leg. Yu Xiaogang swore—though it wasn't the first time—to make Bibi Dong pay dearly.
Even without obtaining the cultivation method, Yu Xiaogang could still guess the general idea. Perhaps he could find another way.
After quickly tending to his wounds, Yu Xiaogang got up and left. Why did he heal so fast? Because he was used to being beaten—it was all about practice making perfect!
"The afternoon match will begin in half an hour. It's said to be a three-way free-for-all. Who knows which team will win?"
"It's probably Shrek Academy—a dark horse claiming the championship!"
"It might also be the Spirit Hall team defending their title!"
"Why don't either of you mention the Tian Dou Imperial Team?"
"Pfft! Are you joking, buddy? The Shrek Academy team has a Soul Emperor and a Soul King, and so does the Spirit Hall team. But the Tian Dou Imperial Team? Their strongest member is just a Soul Elder. What chance do they have of winning?"
"Yeah, maybe you didn't sleep well last night—you must've been too tired."
"Just don't collapse on some girl's belly, alright?"
"You…."
Yu Xiaogang overheard the passersby's conversation and realized there was still half an hour left. He needed to go give some last-minute instructions. Perhaps his disciple still had a chance to win.
After all, his disciple still had hidden weapons up his sleeve—he couldn't possibly lose!
Yu Xiaogang, leaning on his cane, found a bathhouse to wash himself clean before heading back toward the Pope's Palace.
---
On the other side, inside the Pope's Palace—
Humble Little Li was still massaging. After finishing with the legs, he moved on to the feet. Bibi Dong was thoroughly enjoying herself. After a lifetime of cultivation, didn't she deserve some relaxation?
*Good son-in-law, keep going! Keep going!*
"That… Mother, the match will start in half an hour."
Li Luochen said pitifully.
"So soon? Fine, let's go take a look." Bibi Dong stood up, stretched her body, slipped on her luxurious high heels, adjusted her robes, and strode out.
Li Luochen finally breathed a sigh of relief. Was this how mothers-in-law tested their sons-in-law? What son-in-law could withstand such a test?
Unconsciously, Li Luochen sniffed his hands. There was a faint, delicate fragrance—Bibi Dong's natural scent.
Quickly, Li Luochen shook his head to clear his thoughts. 'This is Xue'er's mother, my mother-in-law. I can't have any inappropriate thoughts. No, absolutely not!'
---
Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye.
On the platform of the Pope's Palace sat eight powerful figures, from right to left: Ning Fengzhi, Chen Xin, Gui Mei, Bibi Dong, Li Luochen, Yue Guan, Flender, and Yu Luomian.
With seven Title Douluos present, who dared to act recklessly?
"This afternoon, the three-way free-for-all begins. As long as one person remains standing on the field, they are the victor! Remember, this is a competition, not a life-or-death battle. Killing or injuring others is strictly forbidden.
If anyone violates this rule, I will personally execute them on the spot! You are the pride of the soul master world. Begin with honor."
As soon as Bibi Dong finished speaking, the faces of the twenty-one participants on the field grew serious.
Shrek Academy Team: Ma Hongjun, Oscar, Zhu Zhuqing, Yu Tianxin, Yang Wu, Ning Rongrong, Ye Lingling.
Spirit Hall Team: Hu Liena, Xie Yue, Yan (forcibly dragged in), Sun Chuantao, Li Kai, Zhang Ping, Xu Yu.
Tian Dou Imperial Team: Tang San, Shi Mo, Shi Mo, Yu Feng, Osler, Tai Long, Ru Si Yi.
"The match…"
"Wait a moment before starting the match!" Suddenly, Yu Xiaogang appeared among the teachers of the Tian Dou Imperial Team, holding the Pope's Token and shouting.
The red-robed bishop acting as the referee was about to reprimand Master for interrupting the match, but upon seeing the Pope's Token, he stopped.
"State your reason," Bibi Dong said calmly. 'How careless of me—I was so focused on my anger that I forgot this piece of trash still had the Pope's Token. How did You Tianshang handle this?!'
---
In the Ancestral Hall—
You Tianshang: "Achoo~ Who's talking about me? Could it be Xiao Ling Yuan? She must miss me."
Yu Xiaogang smirked coldly. "My reason is simple—the Tian Dou Imperial Academy forfeits the first half of the finals and voluntarily enters the loser's bracket final this afternoon!"
Fortunately, he had arrived just in time to cut their losses. Otherwise, the Tian Dou Imperial Team would have been defeated. Originally, he had been stopped by the Tian Dou Imperial Team's teacher, but after showing the Pope's Token, he had entered smoothly.
Bibi Dong remained composed and asked calmly, "Why?"
Master stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the Douluo Hall behind the Pope's Palace. "For no reason. I believe surrendering is our right."
His words, delivered with utmost calmness, reverberated like thunder before the Pope's Palace. While the statement itself wasn't problematic, the issue lay in whom he was addressing. By saying this, he was clearly challenging the Pope.
"Damn, this guy is so pretentious! Why does this Great Soul Master act like he's better than me, a Soul Conqueror with Super Douluo-level strength?"
Li Luochen muttered sarcastically. The surrounding Title Douluos all heard his comment and silently nodded in agreement.
They, as prestigious Title Douluos, didn't act this pretentious. What gave this Great Soul Master, who hadn't broken through to Soul Elder in decades, the audacity to act this way?
Pope Bibi Dong slowly rose to her feet and nodded at Master. "You're right. It is your right. My apologies for asking unnecessarily. Elder Yu."
Yu Xiaogang's lips nearly split to his ears. His wisdom had once again shone through. Let Shrek Academy and the Spirit Hall team fight it out while the Tian Dou Imperial Team observed both sides' strengths! A win-win situation!
"However!" Bibi Dong's voice rang out, and a massive surge of soul power pressed down on Yu Xiaogang, forcing him to reconnect intimately with the ground.
"A slight punishment. Remember, the Pope's Token represents the presence of the Pope herself—it doesn't grant you the right to defy her!"
Bibi Dong's domineering words left Ning Fengzhi in awe. 'What skillful handling by the Pope!'
Li Luochen: 'Mother-in-law is so cool!'
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