The procession, a massive group of over a thousand people escorted by five hundred elite Royal Knights, traveled majestically through mountains and across rivers. The journey was surprisingly peaceful. They had expected trouble, but none came. Perhaps Bishop Salas had passed on the Supreme Pontiff's decree, or maybe Spirit Hall truly didn't consider a single Spirit King like Ye Yin to be a threat. The few audacious bandits they encountered were no match for the fully armed Royal Knights and caused no problems.
Fifteen days later, the convoy passed through the last mountain pass, and a majestic city appeared before them, spread out like a giant crouching beast.
It was Spirit City.
The city was not built on a flat plain but was nestled against mountains, surrounded by them on three sides. Its eighty-meter-high city walls were constructed entirely from hard granite, gleaming with a cold, metallic luster and measuring over thirty meters thick. Most peculiar of all, Spirit City was not a typical square city; it was a hexagon. Spirit Masters in the specialized attire of Spirit Hall patrolled the walls. On each of the six walls was a giant relief sculpture, each one matching one of the six spirits found on Spirit Hall's tokens, symbolizing the city's supreme status.
In the very center of the hexagonal city, a hill had been completely flattened to make way for a magnificent cluster of golden buildings that shone brilliantly in the sun. These were the Supreme Pontiff Palace, the Douluo Palace, and the Spirit Temple. The three great halls looked like a divine miracle, radiating a sacred and suffocating majesty. They stood like three giant peaks, suppressing the destiny of the entire continent. Even from a distance, the group could feel an oppressive power that seemed to press down on their very souls.
"So that's Spirit Hall…" Ma Hongjun murmured, his chubby face filled with shock.
Even Ning Rongrong, the princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, had to admit that her clan's headquarters was far less grand.
Tang San stared at the Supreme Pontiff Palace, the symbol of Spirit Hall's ultimate authority, a complex light flashing in his eyes. Only Ye Yin remained unfazed, still leaning by the carriage window with his usual mask-like, gentle smile.
The team came to a stop before Spirit City's East Gate. The tall city gate slowly opened, and a squad of temple guards marched out in perfect formation. They were clad in gleaming silver armor and radiated a fierce aura. The knight commander leading them was impressively a Spirit Saint. His sharp gaze swept over the convoy, finally resting on Xue Qinghe.
He bowed slightly. "Welcome, Crown Prince. By order of Her Holiness the Supreme Pontiff, the Heaven Dou Empire's qualifying teams will be escorted into the city by our temple guards. You will be staying at an inn specially arranged by Spirit Hall."
Xue Qinghe calmly dismounted his horse and nodded. "Thank you."
The Royal Knights' escort mission was now complete. Under the guidance of the temple guards, the fifteen teams passed through the heavy gates and entered the holy city of Spirit Masters.
Inside, the streets were wide and clean, and the buildings were solemn and uniform. Most of the people on the streets wore Spirit Master robes and carried themselves with a sense of pride and discipline that was unique to Spirit Hall. An invisible pressure and a serious atmosphere filled the air.
Finally, the group was led to a large inn in the inner city. The inn was quiet and elegant, with excellent facilities that were far more comfortable than the tents at the Royal Hunting Ground. Each team was given its own independent courtyard for privacy.
"Please rest here," the temple guard commander said, his voice cold. "The Grand Finals will officially begin in three days in the plaza before the Supreme Pontiff Palace. Someone will arrive tomorrow to announce the specific rules. You may move freely within the city, but remember to obey Spirit City's laws. Do not approach restricted areas like the Supreme Pontiff Palace or the Douluo Palace without permission."
After giving his instructions, he left a few guards behind and led the rest of his team away.
The members of Shrek Academy were assigned to a secluded courtyard. Once they had settled in, Flender immediately gathered everyone for a meeting.
"Alright everyone, listen up!" Flender pushed his glasses up his nose, his expression serious. "This isn't Heaven Dou City. We're in Spirit Hall's lair now! You have to be extra careful with every move you make."
He looked sharply at Ye Yin. "Especially you. You attracted way too much attention in the preliminaries and the promotion rounds. There's no way Spirit Hall is ignoring you! You need to tone it down. Unless it's absolutely necessary, don't use those… special methods of yours again. The situation here is much more dangerous."
Grandmaster added in a deep voice, "Little San, Mubai, Zhuqing, you all saw it in the promotion rounds. Although Ye Yin is powerful, Spirit City is filled with hidden talents. The opponents in the Grand Finals will only be stronger. You must be prepared for a tough fight at all times."
Ye Yin nodded, his smile as gentle as ever. "Dean, Teacher, don't worry. I know what I'm doing."
Dai Mubai and the others also agreed readily. After the short meeting, everyone returned to their rooms to rest.
Ye Yin pushed open the window in his room. The cool evening breeze, carrying the unique, spirit-power-infused air of the city, brushed against his face. His gaze traveled over the rooftops, finally settling on the distant Supreme Pontiff Palace, which still glowed with a faint golden light in the night. A barely noticeable smile touched the corner of his mouth.
"Spirit Hall… Supreme Pontiff… Bibi Dong," he whispered to himself. "How exciting."
Three days later, as the first rays of dawn broke through the clouds, the massive white jade plaza in front of the Supreme Pontiff Palace was already bustling with people. The plaza, over a thousand meters in diameter, was paved with white granite polished to a mirror-like shine. In the center stood a colossal platform, ten meters high and carved from white marble. On it sat three gilded chairs inlaid with countless dazzling gems, symbols of supreme authority shimmering in the morning light. Supreme Pontiff Bibi Dong and two other peak-level powerhouses from Spirit Hall would be personally watching the competition.
Below the platform, dozens of areas were marked out for the thirty-three teams who had gathered there. This assembly represented the best of the continent's young generation of Spirit Masters. The air was thick with an invisible tension, both oppressive and exciting.
The members of Shrek Academy, now wearing their brand-new, dung-green team uniforms, entered the plaza under the guidance of the temple guards. Their arrival instantly drew countless stares filled with curiosity, scrutiny, apprehension, and disdain.
"Look, that's Shrek Academy!"
"Is the one in the lead Ye Yin? The King of Curses?"
"He looks pretty ordinary to me."
"Shh! Keep your voice down, do you want him to curse you?"
Whispers spread through the crowd like a tide. The Shrek members ignored them, keeping their eyes forward as they took their places in their designated area.
Ye Yin's gaze casually swept across the plaza and soon met several sharp glares. Not far to his left, on the Star Luo Empire's side, Dai Weisi and Zhu Zhuyun were staring at Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing like venomous snakes, their eyes filled with undisguised killing intent and icy mockery.
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