Chapter 156: The Adjudicator Elder
"Long live Her Holiness, the Pope!"
"Long live the Spirit Hall!"
On the left, the Soul Masters of the Spirit Hall were the first to drop to their knees, their shouts rising like a surging tsunami—shaking the very heavens and earth!
Immediately following suit, the envoys from the two great empires on the right—along with representatives from the major sects and leaders from the various academies—all bowed deeply in salutation!
Even if their hearts harbored reluctance, even if they concealed ulterior motives, in this moment—faced with that supreme, overwhelming pressure—no one dared to offer the slightest defiance!
Only Ning Fengzhi, standing at the very forefront, did not kneel.
He gripped the staff in his hand so tightly that his knuckles turned white from the strain; his face was ashen, and he gritted his teeth in grim determination.
Although shielded by Chen Xin’s Soul Power, in the face of that all-encompassing pressure, he still slowly lowered his head.
He bowed ever so slightly.
That posture—at best—could be grudgingly interpreted as a formal salutation.
Chen Xin stood at his side, likewise offering only a slight bow; yet, his piercing eyes remained fixed upon the angelic apparition hovering behind Qian Renxue. Deep within those eyes, a flicker of grave solemnity appeared.
This aura...
It was not merely one, but several tiers stronger than that of Qian Xunji back in the day!
The Qian clan was about to produce yet another peerless figure.
The holy radiance filling the skies slowly began to recede. Qian Renxue sheathed her sword; wearing the Crown of the Angel upon her head, she stood atop the high platform.
She gazed down upon Spirit City lying at her feet—down upon the Spirit Masters from across the entire continent.
Qian Daoliu stood to one side, watching his granddaughter’s retreating figure with eyes filled with profound gratification.
He took a deep breath and spoke once more.
His voice resounded throughout the entire venue: "The Coronation Ceremony of the New Supreme Pontiff... is concluded!"
A fresh wave of cheers erupted from the crowd.
However, Qian Daoliu was not finished.
He paused briefly, then continued speaking, his voice ringing out even more sonorously: "Now, I ask that... His Excellency Jiang Bai... please step forward!"
As his words fell, silence descended.
Across the plaza, everyone froze in astonishment simultaneously.
His Excellency Jiang Bai? His Excellency?!
Who on earth could this be?
To the left, the members of the Spirit Hall wore expressions of calm composure, as if they had known of this all along.
To the right, Ning Fengzhi’s brows furrowed slightly as his gaze locked onto the ranks of the Spirit Hall personnel on the opposite side.
He had noticed him earlier: standing right beside the Six Great Enshriners was a young man.
Clad in white robes with jet-black hair, he possessed a handsome and refined countenance and appeared to be no more than eighteen or nineteen years of age.
He simply stood there—quietly, neither humble nor haughty, neither hurried nor restless—as if this grand ceremony, and the thousands of eyes fixed upon it, had absolutely nothing to do with him.
Moreover, the position he occupied placed him on equal footing with the Enshriners themselves.
Ning Fengzhi understood—all too clearly—what that implied.
This individual either possessed strength comparable to an Enshriner, held a status comparable to an Enshriner, or... perhaps possessed both.
Yet, no matter how thoroughly he scoured his memories, he could find absolutely no recollection of anyone named "Jiang Bai."
Ning Fengzhi tilted his head slightly and lowered his voice: "Uncle Sword, have you ever heard of this Jiang Bai?"
Chen Xin’s brows were similarly knitted in deep thought; he slowly shook his head. "I have never heard the name."
Ning Fengzhi’s heart sank ever so slightly.
Even Uncle Sword didn’t know of him...
Since when had such a figure emerged within the ranks of the Spirit Hall?
He could only turn his gaze back toward the figure who was now slowly stepping forward.
Jiang Bai stepped out from the ranks, his pace neither hurried nor slow, as he made his way toward the center of the plaza—toward Qian Daoliu.
Qian Daoliu looked at Jiang Bai, his eyes holding a complex, enigmatic expression. He sighed inwardly, suppressing the turbulent emotions surging within his heart.
He raised his hand and took two items from the attendant’s tray.
A token.
The token was pitch-black throughout; its front bore a carving of a six-winged angel, while its back was inscribed with two large, blood-red characters: "Adjudication."
A longsword.
The sword measured three feet in length; its scabbard was jet-black and devoid of any ornamentation, yet it radiated a chilling aura that made one’s heart pound with dread.
Qian Daoliu’s voice rang out once more: "Today, we present a peerless prodigy—one whose talent shakes the very world! He is hereby appointed as the Adjudication Elder of the Spirit Hall! He shall wield the ultimate authority within the Spirit Hall—the power of life and death!"
As his words fell, the entire plaza fell into a deathly silence!
An Adjudication Elder?!
Wielding the power of life and death?!
That was an authority that transcended the Seven Great Elders—ranking second only to the Pope himself!
By what right did this youth—who appeared to be no older than eighteen or nineteen—deserve such a position?!
Upon the high platform...
Jiang Bai wore a calm expression as he accepted the token and the longsword.
He turned around to face the assembled crowd.
Jiang Bai clasped his hands together, resting the sword hilt against his body; holding the blade vertically, he gently embedded the tip into the ground.
Then, he raised his head, his gaze sweeping across the entire plaza.
Behind him, the ethereal apparition of a Nine-Colored Glazed Pagoda suddenly materialized!
The pagoda shimmered with nine distinct colors, its apex crowned by a radiant gem—creating a spectacle akin to the descent of a deity!
Immediately thereafter, nine Spirit Rings slowly rose from beneath his feet!
Red! Red! Red! Red! Red! Red! Red! Red! Red!
Nine red Spirit Rings!!!
A full nine Spirit Rings, each of one hundred thousand years’ cultivation!
A crimson glow—resembling nine blood-red suns—hovered around his body! A terrifying pressure of Spirit Power surged outward like a tangible tsunami, spreading wildly in all directions!
"Rumble—!!!"
The entire Angel Plaza trembled beneath the force!
Although the High Priests and Elders had long heard rumors of Jiang Bai’s Spirit Rings, witnessing them with their own eyes still caused their pupils to constrict in shock, leaving them utterly dumbfounded!
The hundreds of Bishops present stared wide-eyed, frozen in place as if turned to stone!
To the right, the representatives from the various major factions looked as though they had been struck by lightning! Countless people felt their knees go weak, collapsing directly onto the ground!
The staff in Ning Fengzhi’s hand clattered to the floor with a loud thud.
He stared blankly at those nine crimson Soul Rings, his mind a complete blank.
Nine... nine 100,000-year Soul Rings?!
How could this be possible?!
How could anyone in this world possess nine 100,000-year Soul Rings?!
Chen Xin’s eyes widened to their absolute limit.
Those sharp, discerning eyes—which had gazed upon the mightiest experts in the land—now held nothing but sheer horror.
The entire venue fell silent.
A deathly silence.
Until...
"Greetings, Elder of Judgment—!!!"
The members of the Spirit Hall all dropped to a single knee in perfect unison! Their voices thundered like a seismic shock, echoing to the very heavens!
Within that roar, there was reverence, awe, and fervent zeal—but not a single shred of doubt.
To the right, the representatives from various factions—who had only just managed to rise from beneath Qian Renxue’s oppressive aura—found themselves involuntarily dropping to a single knee once again under the crushing pressure of Jiang Bai.
In the front row, Yu Yuanzhen and Yu Luomian, out of respect for such overwhelming power, also wisely dropped to a single knee.
Jiang Bai remained standing motionless, his nine crimson Soul Rings rotating slowly around him like nine blood-red suns.
He simply stood there—utterly silent, utterly still.
Yet everyone present knew that, from this day forward, the Spirit Hall had gained a new existence—one whom no one would ever dare to provoke.
Beside him, Qian Renxue gazed at him, a gentle smile curving at the corners of her lips.
Standing amidst the crowd, Jiang Li’er crossed her arms over her chest, her crimson eyes burning with eager anticipation.
Watching Jiang Bai’s nonchalant, swaggering demeanor, she couldn’t help but wonder: When will I be able to do that, too?
Alas, her own Soul Rings were not quite so extraordinary.
But it didn’t matter.
Someday... someday, she would achieve it as well.
Standing beside her, Tian Yue nudged her arm and whispered in a low voice, "Hey, that guy of yours..."
She paused, smacking her lips together. "...is quite the show-off, isn’t he?"
Jiang Li’er shot her a withering glare. "That’s not showing off—that’s presence! Don’t you get it?"
Tian Yue merely curled her lip in a shrug, offering no further comment.
Yet, the gaze directed toward Jiang Bai now held a touch of... complexity.
...
At the center of the plaza.
Qian Daoliu gazed at Jiang Bai’s retreating figure, a flicker of complexity crossing his eyes.
Ultimately, it dissolved into a sigh so faint it was barely audible.
He turned to face the assembled crowd and spoke once more:
"The coronation ceremony of the new Pope is hereby concluded!"
"Tonight, the Spirit Hall shall host a banquet to fete our distinguished guests!"
As his voice faded, the ceremonial music rose once again.
This day was destined to be etched into the annals of the Douluo Continent.
...