"Welcome, Your Majesty, the Pope!"
A uniform and resonant welcoming sound echoed through the sky.
The sound, grander than that of half a year ago, made Wang Zhong involuntarily turn his head back as he bowed.
Behind each A-class, long lines were formed. Everyone bowed in greeting, their neat and dense figures almost filling the entire square. This scene surprised Wang Zhong for quite some time.
He had never imagined that there were so many people at the Spirit Hall Academy.
As his small head tilted to scan the people behind him, Wang Zhong saw Feng Yuansheng, the leader of the B-class, behind them, as well as Zhao Shi hidden within the C-class, and many other people he knew or didn't know.
His gaze swept from the first-year students to the second, third, and fourth years. Wang Zhong found that the number of students in the academy decreased gradually from lower grades to higher grades.
There were about four hundred people in the first year, around three hundred in the second, four hundred in the third, and only about a hundred in the fourth. And in the fifth year, there were no students at all.
This sudden discovery stunned Wang Zhong. No students, not even teachers, in the fifth year.
"The fifth-year students aren't present. Do they have something important that prevents them from leaving?" Wang Zhong couldn't help but wonder.
Just as Wang Zhong was about to retract his gaze, Lu Xiaoshuang, who had been bowing, inadvertently shifted her gaze, and their eyes met in mid-air.
Wang Zhong noticed this and flashed a fiercely aggressive smile.
With an extremely subtle movement, he brought his palms together like a knife and made a horizontal slicing motion across his own neck!
The meaning conveyed was crystal clear.
"I'll kill you!"
Arrogant, domineering, and utterly unrestrained!
The teachers at the very front, though bowing and not looking aside, could not miss Wang Zhong's small gesture.
A sense of absurd and strange emotion arose in their hearts simultaneously. A first-year student was actively provoking a fourth-year student, and in a manner that almost showed contempt for the other party. It seemed abnormal no matter how one looked at it.
Ying Yanyang's heart leaped. They were in front of the Pope now, and no matter how small Wang Zhong's action was, the Pope could still see it clearly!
If the Pope were to blame him for ineffective teaching, the punishment would be no small matter.
"Your Majesty, that little fellow seems to have made some rather audacious moves," Yue Guan said with a smile, his arms crossed, observing Wang Zhong's small gesture from beside the seat that symbolized the Pope's supreme dignity.
"I must say, this little fellow is not only bold but also fearlessly arrogant. He simply doesn't know what fear is."
Making such a move in front of the Pope, if taken seriously, was an act of disrespect to the Pope's authority. Not only would Wang Zhong be punished, but his homeroom teacher would also not escape.
"But from another perspective, this little fellow's disposition and backbone are exceptionally outstanding."
"Honestly, I'm starting to like this little fellow. He has talent, temper, and backbone. A person like this will not have a poor future."
Ghost Douluo also chimed in with a hoarse voice, not sparing praise.
To become a strong person, talent alone is not enough. One must also have pride, confidence, and backbone.
"Yes, Old Ghost is right. Since we already know that a battle is inevitable, let's just cast aside all restraints and have a spectacular, all-out battle. Even if we lose, we'll lose brilliantly."
"It seems that little fellow Wang Zhong is ready to fight with all his might."
"That's right," Gui Mei also agreed with Yue Guan's assessment.
In their words, the two Titled Douluo had already determined the outcome of the battle between Wang Zhong and Lu Xiaoshuang, believing that the process would be exceptionally exciting.
"Your Majesty, the Pope, what are your thoughts?"
"The gap is too large. This approach is the best among all choices, and it is what I admire and wish to see the most," Bibi Dong said casually from her throne.
A soul master more than ten levels lower fighting a Soul Emperor at level forty-one. Victory was simply out of the question.
"Spirit Hall Academy's teachers and students, please rise."
Bibi Dong, seated on the supreme throne, raised her jade hand and spoke calmly to the teachers and students who were still bowing.
"Wang Zhong, go up! You won't cause any more trouble this time, will you?"
Ying Yanyang narrowed his eyes, looking at Wang Zhong with scrutiny. The incident last time had almost made his heart stop.
"Of course not!"
Wang Zhong's reply was full of confidence. With the lesson from last time, he would not make the same mistake again.
Holding the banner symbolizing the first year, Wang Zhong, with a dignified demeanor, walked towards Bibi Dong, who was at the highest position. During this process, the homeroom teachers of each grade led their students off the arena.
They either stood by the side of the arena or took their seats in the surrounding spectator stands. In short, everyone on the arena at this moment withdrew in an orderly fashion.
The annual competition of the second half of the year still started from the first year, followed by the second, third, and fourth grades.
Upon reaching Bibi Dong, seeing the three looking at him with smiles, Wang Zhong pursed his lips, knelt on one knee, held the banner with both hands, and respectfully presented it.
"Not bad. You have much more poise and etiquette than last time. The little fellow has improved a lot."
Ghost Douluo's words, spoken with a playful tone, made Wang Zhong grin awkwardly.
While Wang Zhong was feeling embarrassed, a slender and delicate hand reached out towards him.
Looking at the crystal-clear, fair, and flawless jade hand before him, Wang Zhong's mind went blank.
Because the hand before him was facing him with the back of its hand!
"Do I need to flip it over and place the banner inside?" This thought flashed through Wang Zhong's mind, but he immediately dismissed it with a slap.
"Joking! That's courting death!"
"Does the Pope need me to teach her what to do!"
With a hint of bitterness on his small face, Wang Zhong looked up at Bibi Dong, who was looking at him with a smile and a peaceful expression, feeling a sense of helplessness.
But Bibi Dong paid no attention to this helplessness. Her exquisitely beautiful face still held a smile, and even the Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo beside her were watching the scene with smiles.
With a trace of anxiety in his heart, Wang Zhong retracted his hands that were offering the banner. He held the banner with one hand across his chest and carefully extended the other, grasping the fingertips of Bibi Dong's jade hand and lightly touching them with his lips.
This scene naturally caused a great stir throughout the entire square.
"What's going on with that first-year student! Is he courting death!"
"His guts are too big!"
However, a portion of the crowd had become immune to it.
"As expected, this guy is at it again. He did the same thing in the first half of the year, and now he's doing it again in the second half!"
"No, why isn't the Pope angry with him! I really can't understand!"
...
Various discussions and doubts arose one after another.
Compared to the students' surprise, the homeroom teachers of Class A saw it much more clearly. It was something the Pope had intentionally done.
"The Pope seems to have a different feeling towards this guy," Xia Xuan said, tilting his head and looking at the scene on the high platform with surprise.
"Mm, it seems the Pope is deliberately guiding that little fellow to kiss her hand," Yue Shan said, speculating with his hands behind his back.
"Alas! Yan Yang, that little fellow in your class seems to be quite favored by the Pope!"
Shuang Yue Lian looked at Ying Yanyang with a teasing gaze, her tone filled with humor.
Throughout the entire Spirit Hall Academy, no student had ever dared to do what Wang Zhong was doing now.
With an inexplicable sigh, Ying Yanyang pretended to be unfazed, but he secretly transmitted to the three with his mental power and soul power.
"The Pope intends to take Wang Zhong as her disciple! And she once sent the Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo to test Wang Zhong privately with me."
The sudden transmission of information shocked the three, and they all turned to stare at Ying Yanyang with disbelief.
"What did you say!"
"What did you say!"
"What did you say!"
The three mental power transmissions made Ying Yanyang's ears ring.
"Don't spread this word, because Wang Zhong doesn't know about it either!"
At this moment, the three of Shuang Yue Lian shifted their gaze from Ying Yanyang to the figure who was now on the high platform, presenting the banner.