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In the Pope's Palace of Spirit City,
Slap, slap, slap—
The battle between Hu Liena and Dai Chengfeng continued—or rather…
Hu Liena was being unilaterally beaten.
At this moment, Dai Chengfeng looked at Hu Liena, whose hands were red from his strikes, his eyes filled with a strange expression.
Could it be that Hu Liena is a masochist? How can she still refuse to admit defeat?
Dai Chengfeng hadn't held back. Each slap had been crisp and clear.
He had originally intended to spare some dignity for his future teammate or subordinate, but now it seemed impossible for her to surrender on her own…
True to her nature, Hu Liena viewed failure as a disgrace that could only be redeemed with blood. She was indeed stubborn!
Dai Chengfeng sighed inwardly, preparing to end the fight once and for all.
After all, he naturally countered Hu Liena, never seeing her as a real threat. The reason he fought her was solely to prove himself to Bibi Dong.
Now that his purpose had been achieved, what was the point of continuing?
Seeing Hu Liena, who refused to give up despite being drenched in sweat and gasping for breath, charging at him once more, Dai Chengfeng's third soul ring faintly lit up beneath his feet.
Hiss~
Accompanied by a faint whistling sound, a small, pitch-black sphere slowly condensed at Dai Chengfeng's fingertips.
"Ground Burst… cough, Vacuum!"
As he spoke, Dai Chengfeng hurled the pitch-black sphere toward Hu Liena, its trajectory through the air eerily distorted.
Wherever it passed, the air seemed to vanish completely.
In the blink of an eye, the sphere reached Hu Liena and violently exploded, enveloping her entirely.
Whoosh—
Instantly, Hu Liena's body froze.
She felt the surrounding air completely sucked away, making it excruciatingly difficult to breathe. Every attempt to inhale only brought sharp pain in her chest.
"What kind of ability is this?!"
Though confused, Hu Liena continued to struggle. She absolutely refused to lose to this brute who didn't know how to treat women gently.
"How can I lose to someone like him? I'm an elite disciple personally nurtured by the Spirit Hall, destined to make a name for myself on the Douluo Continent!"
"I… cannot lose here…"
Her fox-like eyes brimmed with unwillingness.
Unfortunately, she was already nearing exhaustion. Under the pressure of the Nine Nether Dark Wind, she couldn't break free.
As time ticked by, the dizziness caused by oxygen deprivation overwhelmed her like a flood, and her consciousness began to fade. "I… can't… fall… just a little longer…"
Hu Liena whispered to herself in her heart, her nails digging deeply into her palms, trying to use the pain to awaken her fading consciousness.
But the limits of her body were insurmountable.
Ultimately, due to oxygen deprivation, Hu Liena fell into unconsciousness and collapsed toward the ground.
Dai Chengfeng's figure flashed, and he swiftly moved to Hu Liena's side, gently extending his right arm to catch her slender waist and steady her.
"Pope, am I the victor?"
Dai Chengfeng glanced down at the unconscious Hu Liena in his arms, then slowly raised his head to look at Bibi Dong, who remained motionless atop the high platform.
"Gasp! Dai Chengfeng actually defeated Hu Liena?"
Seeing the outcome of the match, Yue Guan and Gui Mei exchanged glances, their eyes filled with astonishment.
Initially, neither of them believed Dai Chengfeng could win. They even thought it would be impressive if he could withstand ten moves against Hu Liena.
After all, though Dai Chengfeng was the fourth prince of the Star Luo Empire, Hu Liena was a core disciple personally cultivated by the Pope. Her talent was extraordinary, her strength formidable, and she rarely met her match among her peers.
Not to mention, she was already a 41-level Soul Ancestor, far surpassing Dai Chengfeng in soul power.
But the reality left them utterly stunned!
Dai Chengfeng's strength far exceeded their expectations. With an invincible presence that left them speechless, he effortlessly defeated Hu Liena.
"Dai Chengfeng is so powerful!"
Meanwhile, Bibi Dong, seated high on the papal throne, finally snapped out of her thoughts after hearing Dai Chengfeng's question.
Such a complete defeat, without any chance to fight back…
Even if I were in Dai Chengfeng's shoes facing Na Na, I might not have done better than him.
No wonder he's a peerless genius chosen by the gods in advance!
The rumors about his martial soul and abilities conflicting must have been false information deliberately spread by the Star Luo Empire, just as I suspected.
Bibi Dong silently reflected, a cold gleam flashing in her eyes.
This means the next candidate for Emperor of the Star Luo Empire has likely already been decided by Dai An.
Bibi Dong increasingly realized that making Dai Chengfeng wholeheartedly loyal to her would be a difficult task.
But if she could truly earn his loyalty…
It would mean the Spirit Hall could seize the hardest-to-crack bone on the entire Douluo Continent—the Star Luo Empire—without shedding a single drop of blood!
"A challenge, you say?"
A confident smirk slowly curved on Bibi Dong's proud lips.
Compared to the trials of inheriting the Death God's position or her ambition to unify the Douluo Continent, making Dai Chengfeng submit to her was hardly worth mentioning!
With this in mind, Bibi Dong stopped overthinking and stood up.
Tap, tap, tap~
Her tall, curvaceous figure exuded authority. Holding her purple-gold scepter, she walked with elegant and noble steps, slowly approaching Dai Chengfeng.
"You've won!"
A look of 'surprise' appeared on Dai Chengfeng's face. "Then, Your Holiness, may I return to the Star Luo Empire?"
"No!"
Bibi Dong gave an unequivocal answer without hesitation.
'As expected!'
Dai Chengfeng's heart fully confirmed his earlier suspicions, but outwardly, he feigned an expression of 'shock' and asked, "No? Why not?"
"Because I want to take you as my disciple!"
"Take me as your disciple?!"
Dai Chengfeng's eyes widened, his face filled with apparent 'astonishment.'
Beside him, Yue Guan and Gui Mei were equally surprised.
They never imagined that their lofty Pope, known for her incredibly high standards, had ordered them to bring Dai Chengfeng back to the Spirit Hall solely to take him as her disciple.
However, seeing the unconscious Hu Liena, the two gradually understood…
Could it be that the Pope had long foreseen Dai Chengfeng's strength?
At this moment, Bibi Dong spoke again. "Do you… agree?"
Upon hearing this, Dai Chengfeng lowered his head slightly and cautiously probed, "Your Holiness, do I have any other options?"
"Yes!"
Bibi Dong stared directly into Dai Chengfeng's eyes without hesitation. "You can also choose… death!"
"Sister! I disagree with your suggestion…"
Just then, a crisp and somewhat haughty voice rang out from outside the Pope's Palace.
"I believe he has a third option—to pledge allegiance to me!"
So… this woman really intends to compete with me for Dai Chengfeng?!
And Dai Chengfeng, last time in Tian Dou City, how dare you reject me and call me ugly?
Now that you know my true identity, let's see how you'll regret missing this opportunity!
With these thoughts, a young woman entered gracefully, walking in with poised elegance.
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