Off to Suotuo City
The three of them and the two dragons headed to Li Yan's house together. With the knot in her heart untied, Xiao Wu was especially happy today.
The two young dragons were in for it, though. Xiao Wu grabbed one and forcibly straddled it like a horse.
The young dragons were nearly two meters long, so carrying people around was no problem at all.
"Giddyap, giddyap! Little Yellow, give it everything you've got! We're going to be the first ones home."
The golden young dragon rolled its eyes and deliberately slowed down, much to Xiao Wu's annoyance.
They reached home after only a few minutes. By now, Xiao Wu was even more familiar with coming to Li Yan's house than going to her own.
"Mom, I'm back! What are we having for breakfast?"
Li Yan's face filled with black lines. Who are you calling Mom?
Don't you have a mom of your own?
Mother Li walked out of the kitchen. Over the past five years and more, her cultivation had grown considerably, but she had only gone from level 32 to level 39. She hadn't even crossed the threshold of level 40.
On average, she had advanced a little over one level a year.
Her Martial Soul was a Black-Thread Snake, and her Innate Soul Power had been level four. In theory, she could cultivate to the Soul King level, but over the years, she had devoted her time and effort to Li Yan, as well as Tang San and Xiao Wu.
So, compared with Li Gang, who was away from home all day, the three were closer to Mother Li and deeply grateful to her.
Forget it. As long as Mom's happy, that's all that matters. At worst, I'll give her an extra Immortal Herb when I get my hands on some later.
"The food's ready. Bring it out and let's eat. Your dad went to the trading company today and won't be able to get away for the next few days, so we don't need to wait for him."
Li Gang had found a second spring in his career, and his outlook had grown much younger along with it. He was now a level 48 high-rank Soul Elder and would break through to Soul King within a year.
Li Yan guessed that his rapid progress had something to do with the four-thousand-year-old Flood Dragon he had killed back then, which had greatly improved his talent for cultivation.
If Li Gang had possessed such an overpowered Soul Ring when he was six, he might already have reached the Soul Emperor level by now.
Xiao Wu skipped into the kitchen to bring out the dishes, while Li Yan and Tang San stayed outside and talked with Mother Li.
"Godmother, Brother Yan, Xiao Wu, and I have discussed it. We're going to Shrek Academy together in a few days."
"Shrek Academy? The one in Suotuo City? If that's what you want, Mom supports you. Your Uncle Wang is in Suotuo City, so remember to go to him if anything happens. Don't be afraid of troubling him. He's a powerful Soul Emperor, after all."
Over the past five and a half years, Wang Hong had broken through to the Soul Emperor realm. Even Old Master Wang had reached level 69 and was about to break through to Soul Saint.
"Mom, we know. You know the dean and teachers of Shrek Academy. They're Soul Saint Flender, Soul Saint Zhao Wuji, and Soul Saint Shao Xin, the ones who helped me hunt for my fourth Soul Ring last time."
Mother Li understood. They had spent no small number of Gold Soul Coins to hire those three powerful Soul Saints back then.
"So it's the Soul Master Academy they opened. As long as you're happy there, that's all that matters. You two don't need to work yourselves so hard. You're only twelve, and you've already accomplished what others do in their twenties."
Mother Li had seen how hard Li Yan and Tang San worked at their cultivation. She had never worried about them in that regard; she was only afraid they would pull the string too tight.
"We know, Mom. We're going to break through to Titled Douluo someday. This is the best age for a Soul Master to cultivate, so we can't afford to be careless."
As they spoke, Xiao Wu came out of the kitchen carrying several plates of various sizes. Each of the two young dragons also had two plates balanced on its back and head.
"Time to eat, time to eat!"
After finishing a hearty breakfast, the three didn't linger long before going to the academy to complete their graduation procedures.
There, they encountered someone they hadn't seen in a long time.
Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang.
His face was covered in stubble, and when he saw Li Yan and the others, he kept well away from them.
He had confirmed that he would never achieve Martial Soul Evolution in this lifetime. His only possibility was to teach disciples and have them personally defeat Li Yan and the other two.
But the students at Nuoding Academy were all crooked melons and cracked dates. Only a handful even had level three Innate Soul Power. For them to defeat the three was a fool's dream.
"Director, what's Grandmaster doing? From the look of him, it can't be anything good."
The director, who was present, handed the three their graduation certificates and spoke.
"Grandmaster is leaving. He said an old friend from many years ago wrote to him, and he's going to Suotuo City to join that friend."
Li Yan nodded. It seemed Flender had made his move.
Flender had earned no small amount over the years. Whenever the Wang Clan Trading Company had a large shipment, it invited Shrek Academy's experts to escort it.
He had made enough to fill his pots and bowls to overflowing. Now even that cheapskate Flender had enough money to help out an old friend.
In Grandmaster's dormitory, he looked at the contents of Flender's letter: an Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul with level nine innate power, a food-type Soul Master with Innate Full Soul Power, and an Evil-Eyed White Tiger, a prince of the Star Luo Empire with level nine Innate Soul Power. He was instantly tempted to take them as disciples.
"The Evil Fire Phoenix and Evil-Eyed White Tiger Martial Souls are both top-tier Martial Souls, several grades above Blue Silver Grass and Luo Sanpao."
"With that food-type genius Soul Master with Innate Full Soul Power as well, all three of them have a chance of breaking through to Titled Douluo. If I take them as disciples and train them into three Titled Douluo, my name can still shake the world."
"When the time comes, I, Grandmaster, will bring my three disciples and have them defeat Li Yan and the other two fair and square, wiping away my humiliation completely!"
"Li Yan and the other two are only twelve now. At most, their Soul Power is barely above level twenty. How could they compare with Shrek's geniuses?"
Yu Xiaogang was full of fighting spirit. He packed his luggage and immediately hitched a ride on a carriage bound for Suotuo City.
On the carriage, he breathed in the fresh air and felt that the future was full of hope.
Meanwhile, Li Yan and the other two said goodbye to his mother, then packed their luggage and headed to the Li Clan Trading Company. The company had now begun to take shape, with all kinds of goods passing through it.
"Young master, you're here. Do you have any instructions?"
A hall master recognized Li Yan and respectfully welcomed him inside.
Others might not know, but he knew perfectly well that this young master was even stronger than the man in charge.
"Where's my dad?"
"The shopkeeper personally escorted a shipment to Suotuo City. He'll probably stay there for a few days to sell our local specialties."
Li Yan nodded.
"Then find me a caravan going to Suotuo City. The three of us siblings will escort the shipment together."
"Yes, yes, yes."
The hall master soon found a caravan that was about to set out. Its route would take it through the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest, making it somewhat dangerous. Two low-rank Soul Elders and one high-rank Soul Elder were accompanying it, all Soul Masters recruited over the years.
"Young master, this is the only one, but it has to cross the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest. Small Soul Beasts might attack."
"Mm, this one will do."
Li Yan, Tang San, and Xiao Wu boarded a carriage. They encountered no danger along the way and entered the Star Dou Great Forest without incident. Just as they were about to leave it, a Soul Elder came to report.
"Young master, there are Soul Masters fighting on the road ahead. We have to pass through there. What do you think...?"
"Rest here. We'll wait until they leave."
This was a common way to handle such things while traveling: if it didn't concern you, stay well out of it.
"Yes!"
"Caravan, rest where you are!"