Heaven Dou Imperial Academy

Heaven Dou Imperial Academy was less than twenty kilometers from Heaven Dou City, the capital of the Heaven Dou Empire, and its surroundings were so beautiful. Thinking that this would become the place where she lived from now on, Xiao Wu claimed she did not like it, but inwardly, she was delighted.

More than five years had passed, and they had finally graduated smoothly from Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy. Given their talent, Nuoding Academy had intended to recommend them directly to intermediate or even advanced Soul Master Academies. Many academies had sent them invitations, but Zu Zong had refused them all.

Yu Xiaogang in particular came looking for Zu Zong several times almost every year. He either tried to persuade Zu Zong to take him as his master or urged him to go to Shrek Academy after graduation.

Taking a master was impossible. He would never take a master in this lifetime. Most of the theories were wrong anyway, and he already knew the ones that could help him, so why would he take a master? Several times, Zu Zong had nearly been unable to resist using water from the Zimu River on him.

As for Shrek Academy? Other than the two remaining girls who interested Zu Zong, there was not much else worth seeing. Its teaching quality was merely average. Aside from having a Soul Saint who could help students hunt Soul Rings, it had nothing!

And its teaching results? Any genius who could reach level 25 or above before the age of twelve could be taught well even if the teacher were a pig!

It was only useful for curing the young-master syndrome and princess syndrome of spoiled young masters and willful young misses from major powers or great clans.

Zu Zong had no interest in those filler academies at all. If it were Skywater Academy, he might consider it—cough, cough—but unfortunately, they did not accept him.

Many things had happened during the six years in Nuoding.

Zu Zong had lived an extremely fulfilling life. He attended classes in the morning, cultivated in the afternoon or used the Transformation Technique to compete at the Soul Fighting Arena, then cultivated the Nine Yang Manual at night to increase his Soul Power. He had almost no free time.

Perhaps due to the rules of the Douluo Continent, no matter what methods Zu Zong tried, he could not break through the restriction. When he had first obtained the Nine Yang Manual, it had taken him less than a month to reach its second level. But after that, no matter how he tried, he could not break through until he obtained his second Soul Ring, allowing the Nine Yang Manual to reach the third level. He had only broken through to the fourth level after obtaining his third Soul Ring.

Even when Zu Zong spent large amounts of Hatred Points to travel to the world of Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber, he still could not break through the Nine Yang Manual's current bottleneck, perhaps because of the difference in cultivation systems. Still, he had incidentally saved the young Zhou Zhiruo.

Speaking of Hatred Points, the Stealing System had to be mentioned.

After obtaining the Nine Yang Manual more than five years ago, Zu Zong had completely locked horns with Bibi Dong. Six or seven times out of ten, he stole things like Bibi Dong's chest... inner... things, scaring him into hurriedly calling for a stop.

As for everything else, aside from stealing a Body Flicker Technique from Naruto, most of it was utterly useless for increasing his strength.

It was worth mentioning that, logically speaking, five years had already passed, and the Fourth Shinobi World War in the Naruto world should have ended long ago. Yet strangely, Uchiha Itachi had not generated any Hate Value toward Zu Zong during those five years. Could he truly be that great? In the end, Zu Zong had overthought it. Naruto truly deserved to be one of the three major long-running anime series that had been updated for over a decade or two! Even its timeline moved far slower than Douluo Continent's. Sure enough, after asking the system, Zu Zong learned that the Allied Shinobi Forces had only just been formed!

At twelve, he no longer looked as immature as before. His features had gradually grown more defined, and he faintly resembled the previous Blue Silver Emperor. Years of grueling training had given him a sturdy physique. Though he did not look particularly burly, beneath his fitted clothes was a body of muscles brimming with explosive power.

Zu Zong's Soul Power had now reached level 37.

His Blue Silver Domain had also evolved to its second stage, awakening an additional skill: "All-Encompassing Forest."

Unlike Tang San in the original work, Zu Zong had not blindly followed a control-oriented path from the very beginning.

He had obtained his second Soul Ring in the second year after enrolling at Nuoding Academy. It came from an eleven-hundred-year-old Saber-toothed Tiger.

It had granted Zu Zong the Soul Skill "Blue Silver Blade," allowing him to transform dozens or even hundreds of Blue Silver Emperor Vines into blades sharp enough to cut through iron like mud and attack enemies. Fire Poison could also be added to the blades. There was no usage limit; as long as Zu Zong had enough Soul Power, he could use it without restraint. This greatly enhanced Zu Zong's offensive strength. Against this Soul Skill, Soul Masters of the same level could not afford to be injured—not even scratched. Unless Zu Zong helped them draw out the Fire Poison, they would certainly die within a few hours.

He had obtained his third Soul Ring two years ago. Zu Zong chose Tang San's fourth Soul Ring from the original work, the Underground Cave Demon Pearl. Although it had less than three thousand years of cultivation, Zu Zong still obtained the group-control skill "Blue Silver Cage," and it was even a Blue Silver Cage that carried high temperatures. If flesh came into direct contact with it, it would surely split open and tear apart.

A yellow, purple, purple Soul Ring configuration—and a twelve-year-old Soul Elder at that. It would be far too shocking if word got out. Fortunately, Zu Zong's Blue Silver Domain possessed the skill "Camouflage," allowing him to freely change the colors of his Soul Rings or even conceal one entirely.

Zu Zong deeply understood the principle that a common man was innocent, but possessing a treasure made him guilty. Carrying peerless talent without the protection of a major power was itself a crime. If others could not recruit him, they would certainly choose to destroy him.

In outsiders' eyes, Zu Zong was currently only a genius who had just obtained his third Soul Ring, with a yellow, yellow, purple Soul Ring configuration. Although his talent was monstrous, such people were not unheard of on the Douluo Continent, so he was not yet enough to draw attention.

"Looks like this is the place," Zu Zong said, holding the map Dean of Students Blanklin had given him earlier.

Xiao Wu, standing beside him, was displeased. I've been talking here for so long, and Xiao Zong, you blockhead, haven't listened to a single word! What are you looking at the map for? Could I possibly be less attractive than a map?

Xiao Wu blinked her large, adorable eyes and pouted. "Hmph! I'm unhappy. I'm tired and don't want to walk anymore."

As she spoke, Xiao Wu squatted on the ground and began throwing a tantrum, staring fixedly at Zu Zong.

Zu Zong understood that look. The two had formed an unspoken understanding long ago. He naturally crouched down and waved his right hand behind him. "All right, get on."

"Yay!" Xiao Wu had successfully acted cute again. She shouted excitedly and leaped onto Zu Zong's back.

Two years ago, Zu Zong would never have agreed to this. As the Number One Handsome Man of Douluo, why would he carry some beauty on his back when he could carry this hundred-thousand-year-old rabbit instead? Although she had completely shed her beast form and was no longer a rabbit after taking the Transformation Pill, once a rabbit, always a rabbit.

But after an accident two years ago, Xiao Wu had gotten her way, and Zu Zong's stiff back had finally experienced comfort again after so long. He had not expected Xiao Wu to have such impressive assets despite being so "small."

Zu Zong refused with his mouth, but his body was very honest.

Well! His back had grown stiff from cultivating for too long, so naturally it needed two round, soft things to massage it.

A man and a woman, with the man carrying the woman on his back, moved as swiftly as the wind. Before long, they arrived at the gates of Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

"Stop! Who are you?" Ten Soul Masters around eighteen or nineteen years old blocked their path. Though they had not summoned their Martial Souls, the pale yellow school uniforms on their bodies made it clear that these students belonged to Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

Zu Zong set Xiao Wu down and looked over the people before him. Why does this scene feel so familiar?