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In the Pope's Palace of Spirit City,
Bibi Dong listened to Dai Chengfeng's unwavering response, her eyes flashing with cold intent.
Clang—
The purple-gold scepter in her hand lightly tapped the ground, and her overwhelming aura surged once again.
The pressure that had already been like a surging tide now became even more immense, akin to a flood bursting through a dam, crashing down on Dai Chengfeng with an overwhelming force.
An invisible tension permeated the air, making it nearly impossible to breathe.
"Even here in the Spirit Hall, you refuse to admit your mistake?"
Bibi Dong's voice was icy and piercing, the chill reverberating throughout the hall. "Do you truly believe that because you are the fourth prince of the Star Luo Empire, I wouldn't dare touch you?"
"Or do you think…"
"That the Star Luo Empire can stand against my Spirit Hall?!"
At this moment, Dai Chengfeng felt his vision blur, everything around him twisting and distorting under the weight of this terrifying presence.
His breathing grew increasingly labored, his chest heaving violently.
The muscles in his legs were tearing apart under the immense pressure, convulsing uncontrollably. His knees were being dragged downward by an invisible force, threatening to make contact with the ground at any moment.
Yet, his gaze remained resolute, his teeth clenched tightly.
"Your Holiness, I will repeat myself…"
"Our positions differ, and so do our perspectives."
"In my view, everything I have done is just and righteous. Where is my fault?"
Dai Chengfeng bore the brunt of Bibi Dong's oppressive aura, speaking each word deliberately.
Though his voice trembled slightly under the immense strain, it carried an unwavering determination and no trace of regret.
"My heart and actions are clear as a mirror; all my deeds are just."
Interesting!
At this moment, Bibi Dong's lips unconsciously curved into a faint, almost imperceptible smile, but her imposing aura showed no sign of weakening.
Meanwhile, Yue Guan and Gui Mei exchanged glances, their eyes filled with confusion.
Having followed Bibi Dong for many years, they believed they understood her temperament well.
In the past, anyone who dared defy the Pope would have immediately been dealt with by them…
But today's situation was unusual.
Why would the Pope personally exert such pressure on Dai Chengfeng?
Yue Guan frowned slightly, pondering inwardly, "What exactly does Her Holiness intend to do?"
"If she were truly angry, she could simply have ordered me or Gui Mei to punish or even kill Dai Chengfeng. Why go through all this trouble?"
"And why is this boy Dai Chengfeng so stubborn?"
Gui Mei seemed to notice Yue Guan's confusion. He shook his head slightly, indicating that he too did not understand what their Pope was thinking.
He sighed softly: As for Dai Chengfeng?
He's indeed a stubborn one. What harm would come from admitting his mistake?
Admitting fault before the Pope wouldn't be considered shameful.
A wise man knows when to yield. Such a simple truth—why doesn't he understand?
Dai Chengfeng paid no attention to Yue Guan and Gui Mei's thoughts. If he had known what they were thinking, he would have only smirked inwardly: You truly don't understand Bibi Dong!
His thoughts ran deeper and farther than theirs…
Admitting fault to Bibi Dong would be easy, especially given her status and power.
No one would think less of Dai Chengfeng for bowing to someone as formidable as Bibi Dong.
After all, in the strength-centric world of Douluo, submitting to someone as powerful as Bibi Dong wouldn't be considered disgraceful.
If Bibi Dong wanted to call a deer a horse, there would likely be enough people willing to agree, lining up all the way from Spirit City to Star Luo City.
But!
Dai Chengfeng had keenly noticed that Bibi Dong wasn't using her full strength. This trial-like pressure might very well be a test…
Although he didn't know the purpose behind Bibi Dong's test, Dai Chengfeng firmly believed that maintaining pride and steadfast conviction was the correct choice in this situation!
After all, Bibi Dong despised sycophants and flatterers.
Time passed slowly in this tense, suffocating atmosphere. Each second felt like an eternity to Dai Chengfeng.
His shirt had long since been shredded by Bibi Dong's overwhelming aura, revealing his muscular torso drenched in sweat.
Sweat and blood mingled together, dripping continuously from his body, pooling into a crimson puddle on the white marble floor.
Yet, his spine remained unbowed, like a mighty pine standing tall amidst a violent storm.
At this moment, Bibi Dong looked at the stubborn and unyielding youth before her, a flicker of admiration—barely noticeable—flashing in her eyes.
Initially, she had been somewhat angry and intended to teach Dai Chengfeng a lesson.
After all, he had ruined her meticulously laid plans in Wu'an City.
And that wasn't even mentioning…
Just the fact that Dai Chengfeng had injured… was enough to enrage Bibi Dong.
But now, her thoughts had subtly shifted.
"With merely the strength of a 32-level Soul Elder, he has managed to endure my overwhelming aura for so long."
"Even an ordinary Soul King above level 50 would have likely collapsed by now."
"And yet…"
"Faced with someone as exalted as me, he still refuses to bow or submit easily. This resilience and pride…"
For a moment, Dai Chengfeng's defiance left Bibi Dong slightly dazed.
Unconsciously, she thought back to her early days with Yu Xiaogang.
"At that time, Yu Xiaogang never yielded when facing the oppression of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan…"
But soon, Bibi Dong snapped out of her reverie and looked at Dai Chengfeng again.
Yu Xiaogang, after all these years, you've only approached me once—for your so-called disciple.
Don't you want your disciple to defeat Dai Chengfeng?
Bibi Dong thought darkly, her eyes flickering with anger, frustration, and other complex emotions.
Then, she finally began to slowly withdraw her terrifying aura.
In an instant, the oppressive atmosphere in the hall lifted dramatically.
Dai Chengfeng felt as if he had emerged from another world. The sudden lightness made his body sway involuntarily, nearly causing him to fall.
But he managed to steady himself.
"Dai Chengfeng, if you refuse to admit your mistake, fine."
At this moment, Bibi Dong looked at Dai Chengfeng. Her voice returned to its usual calm, but carried an underlying nuance that was difficult to decipher.
"I'll give you a chance…"
With that, Bibi Dong turned to Yue Guan and instructed, "Yue Guan, summon Sun Chuantao."
"Summon Sun Chuantao?"
Upon hearing this, Yue Guan's eyes flickered with confusion.
He didn't understand why the Pope suddenly wanted to summon Sun Chuantao, but he still nodded respectfully and turned to leave the hall.
"Sun Chuantao, a student of my Spirit Academy, a few years older than you, with the martial soul of a circular great blade. His current soul power is at level 35."
"If you can defeat him, I'll let this matter slide."
"But if you lose…"
Bibi Dong didn't continue, but the unspoken words carried an intangible sense of intimidation, lingering in the air.
"Teacher, why bother calling Sun Chuantao? Let me handle it instead?"
At this moment, a seductive and playful female voice came from the side hall.
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