Suotuo City

Suotuo City

Under Dugu Bo's guidance, Feng Yao quickly found a four-thousand-year Soul Bamboo. Its entire body was jade-green, and a faint halo of Soul Power flowed between its joints, clearly showing its considerable age.

"This one." Without hesitation, Feng Yao struck and killed it, then sat cross-legged and began absorbing the Spirit Ring glowing with a lustrous purple light.

As Soul Power surged into him, Feng Yao's expression gradually tightened, and fine beads of sweat seeped from his brow. The absorption process was clearly not easy.

"Grandpa, Xiao Feng will be all right, won't he?" Dugu Yan clenched her sleeve, her emerald eyes full of worry.

Dugu Bo stood with his hands behind his back and said flatly, "Don't worry. This brat's physical strength is even a notch greater than that brat from the Blue Lightning Sect. A mere four-thousand-year Spirit Ring won't trouble him."

Hearing her grandfather mention Yu Tianheng, Dugu Yan let out an involuntary huff and turned her face away.

That subtle reaction naturally did not escape Dugu Bo's eyes. His brows furrowed slightly as he asked in a deep voice, "What? Did that brat make you unhappy again?"

Dugu Yan pressed her lips together, a trace of grievance flashing through her eyes. While Feng Yao was focused on absorbing the Spirit Ring, she said quietly, "No... I slapped him."

Then, she told Dugu Bo everything that had happened that day.

"Well struck!" A cold gleam flashed through Dugu Bo's eyes, and his voice carried a chilling edge. "That ignorant little bastard! If he truly loses to Feng Yao, forget about gaining a foothold at the academy—even the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect will have no place for him! When that time comes—" He snorted coldly. "Even if that old dragon is as protective as ever, he won't be able to preserve this useless heir's position!"

Dugu Yan remained silent, merely squatting beside a rock with her knees hugged to her chest, her fingers absentmindedly fiddling with loose stones on the ground. The lingering light of the setting sun fell over her, stretching her slender figure long.

Seeing his granddaughter's despondent profile, Dugu Bo's stern expression gradually softened. His large, rough hand gently rested atop Dugu Yan's head, his voice low and gentle. "Yan Yan, Grandpa did not think this through. When I tried to bring you together with that brat, I was thinking..." The old man's voice suddenly caught, and his fingertips trembled slightly. "If one day Grandpa can no longer suppress the poison within me... at least the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect would be able to keep you safe."

"Grandpa!" Dugu Yan suddenly raised her head, tears glimmering in her emerald eyes as she tightly clutched Dugu Bo's sleeve. "Don't say such things! You'll definitely live a long life!" Her voice trembled slightly. "And... and Xiao Feng has already thought of a solution. You'll definitely be fine..."

A trace of comfort flashed through Dugu Bo's eyes as he gently stroked his granddaughter's hair. "Mm... Grandpa will be fine. I still have to watch our Yan Yan grow up, get married, and have children." As he spoke, his gaze drifted unconsciously toward Feng Yao, who was still absorbing the Spirit Ring. Suddenly, his eyes lit up.

"Yan Yan, it's no loss if you don't want that little bastard from the Blue Lightning Sect." Dugu Bo narrowed his eyes meaningfully. "But since this matter started because of this brat, why not..."

Sensing the teasing in her grandfather's words, Dugu Yan's pretty face instantly flushed crimson. She rose to her feet and stamped her foot in embarrassment and irritation. "Grandpa! What nonsense are you talking about? If that really happened, wouldn't it just confirm all those suspicions?" Her voice grew quieter and quieter. "Besides... I'm not that kind of person."

As she spoke, Dugu Yan unconsciously lowered her head, her slender pale fingers twisting together. Even she could not explain exactly how she felt about Feng Yao. She only felt a chaotic mess in her heart.

"Hmph! Let me see who dares gossip! I'll skin them alive!" A cold gleam flashed in Dugu Bo's eyes before he revealed a fond smile. "Still, I do think this brat is far more dependable than that little bastard from the Blue Lightning Sect."

"Grandpa!" Dugu Yan's ears had turned red with embarrassment. Just as she was about to say something to change the subject—

"Buzz!" A powerful wave of Soul Power erupted from Feng Yao!

"It's about to succeed!" Dugu Bo's gaze sharpened, anticipation appearing on his face.

The purple Spirit Ring slowly merged into Feng Yao's body. The Soul Power fluctuations around him rose steadily before stabilizing at an entirely new level. The powerful Soul Power permeating the air made even the surrounding grass and trees tremble faintly.

Feng Yao slowly opened his eyes to find Dugu Bo and his granddaughter watching him intently. Just as he was about to rise and offer his thanks, he noticed an unnatural blush on Dugu Yan's fair cheeks. Even her words became hesitant and stammering.

"C-congratulations, Xiao Feng..." Her usually lively emerald eyes darted about, refusing to meet his.

Feng Yao blinked in confusion. "Sister Yan, what's wrong with you?"

"Cough, cough!" Dugu Bo was about to speak when Dugu Yan anxiously cut him off. "N-nothing! It's just... I didn't expect you to succeed so quickly." She twisted the corner of her clothes, her voice growing softer. "I-I'm very happy for you."

Though Feng Yao found it strange, he still smiled gently. "I was merely fortunate. If not for your and Senior's full support, I would not have succeeded so smoothly." With that, he solemnly bowed to Dugu Bo.

Dugu Bo stroked his sparse beard and waved his hand in satisfaction. "All right, all right. Enough with these empty formalities." He gave Feng Yao a meaningful look. "At the academy, help this old man look after Yan Yan more."

Before he could finish, a sharp glare shot over from beside him. Dugu Bo coughed and hurriedly changed his words. "Cough, cough... Just keep an eye on Yan Yan's physical condition."

Feng Yao was first taken aback, then nodded hesitantly. "Senior, rest assured. It is this junior's duty." A gentle smile rested on his lips, but his puzzled gaze drifted unconsciously toward Dugu Yan, who was pretending to be composed nearby.

Dugu Yan forced herself to remain calm and stepped closer, though she could not hide the concern in her emerald eyes. "Do you feel any discomfort after absorbing the Spirit Ring? Should Grandpa examine you?"

Before her words had even faded, Dugu Bo, who had long been unable to hold himself back, seized Feng Yao's wrist. The old man's withered fingers precisely settled over his pulse, his Soul Power threading into Feng Yao's Meridians like silk. A moment later, a gleam flashed through his eyes, and he nodded in satisfaction. "Not bad. The Spirit Ring was absorbed perfectly, and not only did it leave no hidden injuries..." Dugu Bo suddenly revealed a meaningful smile. "It even stimulated the medicinal power accumulated in his body, allowing him to break through directly to level thirty-three."

"Level thirty-three?!" Dugu Yan covered her lips and cried out softly, her emerald eyes widening round.

A trace of approval flashed through Dugu Bo's eyes. "This brat not only absorbed a Spirit Ring beyond his level, but there was also medicinal power in his body that had not been fully refined before. Breaking through two more levels than an ordinary Spirit Master is perfectly normal."

Hearing this, Feng Yao solemnly bowed. "I owe all of this to Senior's guidance."

"Hahaha!" Dugu Bo laughed heartily and cast a meaningful glance at his granddaughter beside him. "Why thank this old man? If you want to thank someone, thank Yan Yan. If this girl hadn't met you at Moon Xuan back then—"

Dugu Yan's pretty face immediately turned crimson. She stamped her foot in embarrassment and cut him off. "Grandpa! You're talking nonsense again!" Yet the corner of her eye still drifted unconsciously toward Feng Yao, a nearly imperceptible conflict flashing through her emerald eyes.

"All right, all right, Grandpa won't say any more." Dugu Bo stroked his beard with a smile, his eyes full of indulgence. "Let's go. This old man will take you back to the academy."

Dugu Yan huffed softly and nodded, though the tips of her ears still bore a faint blush. Feng Yao studied the strangely behaved grandfather and granddaughter in confusion, his brows slightly furrowed—had something happened while he was absorbing the Spirit Ring that he did not know about?

As the sun set and twilight gradually spread, Dugu Bo escorted the two of them to the gates of Heaven Dou Royal Academy. Orange-red afterglow fell over the academy's ancient gatehouse, coating the stone carvings in a warm golden edge.

After Dugu Yan reluctantly bid farewell to her grandfather, Feng Yao also offered a respectful bow. Just as he was preparing to leave with Dugu Yan, a voice transmission of Soul Power suddenly rang in his ear.

"Brat, if you get the chance next time..." Dugu Bo's voice carried a hint of ruthlessness. "Teach that little bastard from the Blue Lightning Sect a proper lesson for this old man. Whatever consequences there are, I'll bear them for you!"

Feng Yao's steps paused, realization flashing through his eyes. He turned his head slightly and gave an inconspicuous nod, a knowing curve lifting at the corner of his lips.

Seeing Feng Yao suddenly stop, Dugu Yan tilted her head toward him, confusion rippling through her emerald eyes. "What is it?"

Feng Yao came back to himself, a faint smile curving his lips as he gently shook his head. "Nothing. It's just..." His fingers unconsciously brushed the qin case in his arms. "I suddenly thought of a key point in a piece of music."

Dugu Yan stared blankly at Feng Yao. The young man's refined profile was edged with soft gold beneath the setting sun, and that faint smile was like a spring breeze brushing over the lake of her heart, stirring ripple after ripple. For a moment, she forgot how to speak. She only felt as though her heart had skipped a beat, her emerald eyes reflecting the evening glow and a tenderness she herself had yet to notice.

Time flowed like water, slipping away in silence. Feng Yao's life gradually settled into a fixed rhythm—during the day, he continually played the qin to temper his Martial Soul and himself; at night, he tempered his Soul Power in the Mimicry Training Ground; from time to time, he went to Moon Xuan to study etiquette. Day after day, he never slacked off.

One month later, when Feng Yao finished his cultivation and stepped out of the Mimicry Training Ground, a familiar figure stood waiting in the morning light.

"Teacher Qin, good morning." Feng Yao greeted him with a bow, somewhat surprised.

"Good morning, Xiao Feng." Qin Ming smiled gently as the morning breeze stirred his light-colored robes. "You've been cultivating diligently."

"With such conditions, I should naturally strive to improve." Feng Yao smiled.

Qin Ming nodded and said with emotion, "If the academy could recruit more students, perhaps the empire would see many more talents emerge."

Noticing that Qin Ming seemed to have come looking for him, Feng Yao asked, "Teacher, why have you come?"

"The Imperial Dou Team received an invitation from nobles in Suotuo City," Qin Ming explained. "You'll be heading to the Suotuo Great Spirit Arena for several exhibition matches. You've been building yourselves up for some time now, and it's time to test yourselves in actual combat. Besides..." His gaze became distant. "This is also preparation for the upcoming Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament. We leave today."

Feng Yao nodded in understanding. "Since it is Teacher's arrangement, I shall naturally obey." After speaking, he looked back reluctantly at the Mimicry Training Ground that had accompanied him day and night.

"If you have no luggage to pack, then come with me." Qin Ming stood with his hands behind his back, the morning light casting a soft glow over his mild features.

"I am ready to depart at any time." Feng Yao clasped his hands in reply, anticipation flashing through his eyes.

During these days of devoted cultivation, Feng Yao had become deeply immersed in the exhilaration of steadily growing stronger. Yet confined within the high walls of Heaven Dou Royal Academy day after day, his young heart had long been unable to suppress its longing for the outside world.

Suotuo City... Feng Yao silently repeated the place name in his heart. Several unfamiliar yet strangely familiar figures flickered in and out of his mind, and a meaningful curve rose at the corner of his lips.

Morning sunlight fell over the grand gates of Heaven Dou Royal Academy. When Feng Yao followed Qin Ming to the gathering point, the members of the Imperial Dou Team were already prepared to depart.

"Sorry to keep everyone waiting." A gentle smile rested on Feng Yao's lips as he nodded in greeting.

Yu Feng lazily waved a hand. "Morning~" Sunlight danced across his short golden hair. The always-serious Oslo merely gave a slight nod, his cold face revealing no emotion. The Shi Family Brothers grinned honestly, displaying their signature simple smiles, while Ye Lingling stood quietly to one side, a faint curve appearing at the corner of her lips beneath her veil.

"Come on, Xiao Feng." Dugu Yan skipped over to Feng Yao's side, her emerald hair drifting lightly in the morning breeze. She naturally looped her arm through his. "Ride with us. It'll help pass the time on the road."

Ye Lingling pursed her lips in a smile at the sight and followed with graceful steps. Yu Feng looked around at the big men nearby, all of them seeming like silent jars, and let out an exaggerated sigh. "Sigh, looks like being with the girls is more interesting." With that, he hurried after them as well.

Yu Tianheng remained where he stood, his knuckles clenched white. He stared fixedly at the backs of the group as they departed, a trace of gloom flashing through his eyes. The morning breeze stirred his deep-blue robes, but it could not disperse the chill gathered around him.

Yu Tianheng's white knuckles and dark gaze naturally did not escape Qin Ming's sharp observation. Watching the group board the carriages one after another, he could not help letting out a soft sigh, worry appearing between his brows.

It seems... Qin Ming thought to himself, the rift between Tianheng and Feng Yao runs far deeper than I imagined.

He shook his head, sunlight stretching his shadow long. As their instructor, he knew better than anyone that some conflicts could not be erased by time alone—especially when mixed with the most sensitive emotions of youth.

Seven days later, as the Imperial Dou Team's carriage slowly entered Suotuo City, the setting sun was casting a golden afterglow over the prosperous city.

"We're finally here!" Yu Feng was the first to leap down from the carriage, stretching lazily as his short golden hair swayed in the evening breeze.

Dugu Yan did not immediately get down. Instead, she looked thoughtfully at Feng Yao beside her. "Xiao Feng, you haven't seemed very happy during this journey. Is something wrong?"

"Yan, you only noticed now?" Yu Feng turned and leaned against the carriage shaft, blinking mischievously. "Without the Mimicry Training Ground, even meditation doesn't feel right anymore, does it?"

Feng Yao laughed softly at that, his fingers unconsciously stroking Fuxi in his arms. "That is true. The carriage is too bumpy. Cultivating with such efficiency..." He shrugged helplessly. "I might as well sleep. It would be more practical. It's just..."

Halfway through, he cast a slightly awkward glance toward the carriage behind them. "In the same carriage as Sister Yan and Sister Ling Ling, it wouldn't be appropriate to actually fall asleep."