Returning to Heaven Dou City, Meeting Old Friends
Time passed slowly, and half a month went by in the blink of an eye.
A luxurious carriage sped along the Official Road, and the outline of Heaven Dou City finally came into view.
Lin Chen lifted the carriage curtain and glanced out. The city wall was even taller than when Lin Chen left, and the flags on the wall had been changed to the new style after Qian Renxue ascended the throne.
Golden banners fluttered in the morning breeze, the city gates were wide open, and pedestrians and carriages came and went in an endless stream.
After the carriage entered the city gate, it headed along the Main Street towards the Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
After Dugu Bo parked the carriage at the Courtyard Gate, Lin Chen jumped off, and the two walked into the academy gate one after the other.
Heaven Dou Royal Academy, Junior Division Training Grounds.
Dugu Yan was cultivating in the Mimicry Training Room. With her Jade Mountain Poison Dragon Martial Soul Possession to her, dark green dragon scales covered her arms, her Soul Power surged around her, and four Soul Rings rotated under her feet.
With four Soul Rings rising in shades of yellow, purple, and black, she slammed her fist into a wooden stake in the Training Grounds. The stake shattered, sending debris flying, and her aura was revealed, indicating that she had reached level forty-eight.
Xiao Wu sat on the stone steps beside the Training Grounds, her chin resting on her hands, watching Dugu Yan smash the wooden stakes with each punch, muttering, "Sister Yan, your strength is too exaggerated."
"It's clearly you who's been slacking off." Dugu Yan withdrew her Martial Soul, wiped the sweat from her forehead, walked over and sat down next to Xiao Wu, and said with a smile, "You're only level 30 now. If you don't work harder, you won't even be able to see my back anymore."
Xiao Wu pouted and said, "I do cultivate, but I'm an agility-type Soul Master, not a strength-type. You want me to go and bombard wooden stakes? Isn't that making things difficult for me?"
"Even a Soft-Skill Soul Master needs basic strength." Dugu Yan shook her head with a smile. "If your Waist Bow isn't strong enough, you probably wouldn't even be able to throw a person."
Xiao Wu snorted, stood up, patted her pink skirt, and said, "Alright, alright, I'll go get something to eat. Sister Yan, you can practice by yourself first." With that, she skipped and hopped towards the academy cafeteria.
Dugu Yan watched Xiao Wu's departing figure, shook her head helplessly, and was about to continue her cultivation when she heard footsteps Courtyard Gate, followed by the exclamations of several new students.
"Who is that person? He looks so young, even younger than us."
"Who's that old man next to him? He looks really fierce."
Dugu Yan raised her head and looked curiously toward the Courtyard Gate. She saw Lin Chen walking in front and Dugu Bo following behind, the two of them entering the Training Grounds one after the other.
Dugu Yan was stunned for a moment, but after confirming the identities of the two people, her eyes lit up and she quickly went to meet them.
"Lin Chen? You're back!" She walked up to Lin Chen, looked him up and down, and said excitedly, "It's been over two years since I last saw you, you've grown so much taller!"
"I just wanted to come back and see you all," Lin Chen replied with a smile. "And Yan Yan, you've grown even more beautiful, and your Soul Power Level is now forty-eight. That's quite an improvement!"
"Of course!" Dugu Yan puffed out her chest confidently. "I haven't been slacking off all these years, so watch out, or I might catch up with you!"
Lin Chen smiled and was about to reply when Dugu Bo, who was standing next to him, coughed heavily.
Dugu Yan turned her head and looked over, a delighted smile spreading across her face. She rushed to Dugu Bo's side and said with a grin, "Grandpa! You're back too!"
"Hmph." Dugu Bo crossed his arms, glanced at her sideways, and said with some displeasure, "If I hadn't come back, were you planning to forget about me?"
"How could that be!" Dugu Yan laughed and took Dugu Bo's arm. "I think about Grandpa every day, wondering when you can come back to see me."
"Easy for words." Dugu Bo snorted, but the corners of his mouth were already turned up. "Alright, alright, stop dragging this old man around. I'm too old for you to handle."
Dugu Yan smiled and let go of his hand, then turned to look at Lin Chen: "Why did you suddenly come back? Have you finished dealing with things at the Spirit Hall?"
"I guess that's settled for now." Lin Chen sat down on the stone steps. "I'll be staying here for a while, but I haven't decided what to do yet."
"That's perfect. A lot happened at the academy while you were away. I'll tell you about it later." Dugu Yan sat down next to him and began to speak with great interest.
As Dugu Yan and Lin Chen were reminiscing about the past, Xiao Wu ran back from Courtyard Gate carrying a bag of steamed buns.
When she saw Lin Chen, she stopped abruptly, her eyes widened, and she almost dropped the steamed bun in her hand.
"Lin Chen!"
Xiao Wu rushed over in three strides, stood in front of Lin Chen, and looked up at him, asking, "Why are you back! When did you get back? Why didn't you tell me beforehand!"
"I just got back," Lin Chen replied with a smile. "Besides, as soon as I got back, I wanted to come to the academy to see you all."
"You've been gone for over two years and haven't brought me a single gift!" Xiao Wu puffed out her cheeks and turned her head away with a dissatisfied look.
"I'll make it up to you next time, and besides, there's nothing special in Spirit City." Lin Chen chuckled and waved his hand, answering somewhat helplessly.
Xiao Wu snorted, put the steamed bun on the stone steps, sat down on the other side of Lin Chen, and asked with a face full of curiosity.
"What's it like at the Spirit Hall? Are there many Titled Douluos there? And what's your Soul Power level now?"
Lin Chen replied with a smile, "The Spirit Hall is doing well. As for my Soul Power, it's already level sixty-four."
"Level 64!" Xiao Wu and Dugu Yan exclaimed simultaneously upon hearing this.
Dugu Yan looked at him, her expression shifting from surprise to something complicated. "Level 64. I was only level 48 and thought I was progressing pretty fast, but compared to you, I'm utterly ashamed."
I thought I was almost catching up with you, but now it seems I still have a long way to go.
"It's different." Lin Chen shook his head, smiling as he comforted Dugu Yan, "The Spirit Hall has far more resources than Heaven Dou City, and I've been involved in many things these past two years, so it's perfectly normal for my cultivation speed to be fast."
Xiao Wu nodded beside her, picked up a steamed bun, took a couple of bites, and suddenly remembered something, asking, "By the way, did you go to Lingling's place?"
Lin Chen shook his head and said, "I haven't had a chance to go yet."
"Then you should go see her right away." Xiao Wu swallowed the bun in her mouth. "In the two years you were gone, she stayed in that courtyard, watering that Blue Silver Grass every day, and basically didn't go anywhere else."
"Her mother's health has almost fully recovered, but besides cultivating and taking care of that plant, she doesn't talk to anyone much. Apart from me and Sister Yan, she doesn't have any other friends."
Lin Chen nodded, looking at Xiao Wu's face, when suddenly something else came to mind.
Because he's been so busy lately, he'd almost forgotten that Xiao Wu was Soul Beast. In the Star Dou Great Forest, Xiao Wu still had two Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts, Da Ming and Er Ming, to help her.
If the Abyss Plane really invades Douluo Continent, the power of Soul Masters alone will definitely be far from enough; it will need the Soul Beasts of the Star Dou Great Forest to help fight against it.
Xiao Wu could become the most crucial breakthrough for him to establish diplomatic relations with the Star Dou Great Forest.
Thinking of this, Lin Chen turned to Xiao Wu and smiled, saying, "Xiao Wu, there's something I might need your help with later."
Xiao Wu paused for a moment, then grinned and said, "No problem, you can ask me for help anytime!"
Lin Chen didn't say anything more. He stood up, left Dugu Bo in the Training Grounds to chat with Dugu Yan, and then walked alone towards the Crown Prince's Residence's residence.