"Because they were bad guys. Did bad guys need some special reason to capture my Mother and Eldest Brother?"
Shi Yi blurted out.
Feng Xiaotian and Huo Wu froze. That did seem to make sense.
In recent years, Spirit Hall had indeed become increasingly unscrupulous in its actions, drawing complaints from countless factions. Yet no one could do anything about them.
After all, they were simply far too powerful!
Feng Xiaotian hesitated before saying in a low voice,
"Although I might not be able to help you directly rescue your mother and Eldest Brother from Spirit Hall, I can take you to Spirit Hall. We happen to be headed the same way."
"Big Brother, are you going to Spirit Hall too?" Shi Yi looked somewhat surprised.
"What are you going to Spirit Hall for?"
Feng Xiaotian said, "That's right, we're going to Spirit Hall too, to take part in the finals of the Martial Soul Tournament. Why not come with us? We can protect you along the way, so those people from Shrek Academy won't bully you."
"Yeah, yeah. Once the tournament is over, we can help you rescue your Mother and Eldest Brother," Huo Wu chimed in.
Shi Yi looked at the little turtle in his hand. It was merely lying there, looking as though it was enjoying itself. At the very least, it no longer had to rush along.
Seeing this, Shi Yi agreed. Maybe I can ask more about Spirit Hall. Wouldn't that make it easier to rescue Mother and Eldest Brother?
He answered happily, "Okay!"
Afterward, they carefully asked Shi Yi about his family.
Shi Yi did not know how to explain it, so he could only tell the two of them the stories Shi Bantian had told him.
"Ha ha ha ha!"
Hearty laughter echoed through the carriage as everyone watched Shi Yi's adorably blank expression while he spoke of things they had never heard before.
Everyone laughed so hard they nearly doubled over. They found Shi Yi's words far too amusing, and no one could stop smiling.
Yet they did not forget to cultivate amid all the laughter. On the contrary, as they cultivated alongside Shi Yi, they discovered that their progress was faster than before. This left them greatly astonished.
"My Soul Power actually rose three levels in just two days... What is going on?"
Huo Wu muttered in shock. This was the first time in her life that she had cultivated so quickly. Feng Xiaotian, beside her, frowned and spoke as well.
"I went up four levels..."
"Ah... You rose that quickly too? What's happening?"
"I don't know!"
Feng Xiaotian spread his hands. Though he did not know the exact reason, he had a feeling that this increase in Soul Power might be related to the Gourd Baby they had brought along.
After all, ever since Shi Yi had arrived, his Soul Power had begun increasing much faster.
They looked at the Gourd Baby inside the carriage. Shi Yi was currently eating the food provided by Feng Xiaotian and Huo Wu, thoroughly enjoying himself.
When he noticed the two looking at him, he gave them a harmless smile.
Of course, he knew what they were wondering about.
Because he had done it on purpose... They had kept giving him food, and Shi Yi had wanted to repay them. After thinking it over, he decided to add a little of his precious stuff to their food.
Gourd Shell!
It was merely some Gourd Shell powder, the kind left over from what he had eaten. While its effect was far inferior to that of his intact Gourd Shell, it was already enough.
The effect was not as obvious for them as it was for Shi Yi, but it was enough to grant them a tremendous boost.
Meanwhile, the carriage of Shrek Academy was deathly silent. Compared to the laughter and merriment in the neighboring carriage, this place seemed especially oppressive.
Tang San slowly opened his eyes, a cold smile flashing through them. He secretly swore to himself, In the Martial Soul Tournament, I'll definitely make Feng Xiaotian and his lot pay. They'd better prepare themselves to become our defeated opponents!
He clenched his fists tightly, determination shining in his eyes. He had to win and let them all know that Tang San was not someone to be trifled with!
"What are you laughing about? It's so noisy!"
Ning Rongrong opened her eyes impatiently, frowning as she spoke. She had been diligently cultivating when the sudden bursts of laughter interrupted her thoughts.
The other Shrek Academy students also raised their heads at Ning Rongrong's angry shout, irritation appearing on their faces.
They knew that the laughter had gone on for several days and had already seriously affected their cultivation.
"Rongrong, ignore them. Those people are only happy now. Once the Martial Soul Tournament starts, let's see if they can still laugh."
Oscar hurried to Ning Rongrong's side and comforted her softly, though he was also somewhat annoyed. Had those people not merely befriended some little brat? What were they so smug about?
"Exactly, Rongrong. Let's endure it for now. When the competition comes, we'll definitely beat them until they're utterly defeated and show them how powerful we are!" Zhu Zhuqing stood up as well, clenching her fists as determination gleamed in her eyes.
"Hmph! I'm not going to lower myself to their level. They're just a bunch of short-sighted fools..." Ning Rongrong pouted. Clearly, her irritation had lessened considerably after being comforted.
"All right, everyone, keep cultivating. Don't let others affect our progress," Dai Mubai said as he rose to encourage everyone.
"Heh heh, just wait and see! Once I beat them until they piss themselves, what if they got a Soul Bone? They still won't be our match." Ma Hongjun grinned at Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing, then lowered his head and continued cultivating hard.
Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing had also been affected quite a bit, but they placed great importance on this Martial Soul Tournament and did not allow the others' laughter to distract them from cultivation.
The group worked together seamlessly, and all of them silently agreed with Tang San's words. They closed their eyes once more, immersing themselves in cultivation and striving to improve their strength.
These past few days, Shrek Academy had become the laughingstock because of their earlier attempts to curry favor with Er Wa. So everyone simply focused on cultivation and stopped going out, lest they be mocked by others.
This also caused their cultivation speed to increase rapidly during this time...
Elsewhere.
Spirit City, Spirit Hall.
Since the finals of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament were being held in Spirit City this time, the city was exceptionally bustling. Carriages of every kind streamed endlessly into Spirit City.
Countless nobles rarely seen in ordinary times also made their appearances, drawing amazement from innumerable people.
Pope's Hall!
Bibi Dong summoned the three members of the Golden Generation to Pope's Hall to discuss matters related to the tournament.
Bibi Dong sat upon the throne, looking at her disciples with some anticipation in her eyes. She wore a magnificent golden robe and radiated a powerful aura.
The battle between the Golden Generation and Shi Hao had undoubtedly dealt them a heavy blow.
That battle had made them deeply realize their own shortcomings and the immense gap between themselves and Shi Hao's formidable strength. Therefore, from the moment they woke up, they had decided to enter seclusion and cultivate in order to improve their own strength.
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