Setting Out, Hun Cang's Complicated Feelings

Outside.

Seeing that the energy had stabilized, leaving only the Dou Qi vortex slowly spinning overhead, Hun Xiaoqiang and Hun Wu departed one after another.

A long time passed.

Creak!

The door opened, and Hun Cang emerged. The cold, oppressive aura around him had faded considerably, making him seem gentle and refined as jade.

This was the difference between the Hun Clan's cultivation techniques and the Zhen Fen Jue.

Arriving at the main hall, Hun Cang ordered someone to find Hun Xiaoqiang.

"Reporting to Hall Master, the Vice Hall Master has been away for two days," a Soul Hall member replied respectfully with his head lowered.

"How long was I in seclusion?" Hun Cang paused.

"Three days."

"Fine, I understand. Go about your business." After dismissing him, Hun Cang sat silently in the hall and flicked out a Jade Slip from his Storage Ring.

Injecting Dou Qi into it, Hun Cang sent a command through it.

Several breaths later, the Jade Slip flashed, and a thought entered his mind.

"Not in the Jia Ma Empire? He found clues about a Heavenly Flame and went to search for it?" After processing the information sent back by the Jade Slip, Hun Cang was somewhat dumbfounded.

No, what had he been doing all this time?

Hun Cang was now around a Three-Star Dou Master. Traveling to Jia Nan Academy in the Black Corner Region was no short journey.

It would naturally have been far more comfortable if a Dou Zong could give him a ride.

"Forget it. Let him keep searching. I'll go there myself. If he can find me a Heavenly Flame, that would be a good thing too." Hun Cang sighed. He was not worried about the Black Corner Region, which was said to be devoid of mercy.

That was because the Dou Qi he had cultivated before had not completely vanished. Instead, it had been refined by the Heavenly Flames into pure Dou Qi crystals and stored within his body.

Whenever he cultivated, he could rely on this reserve of power to recover quickly.

Based on the results of cultivating with the Ink Jade Lotus Platform and Fire Lotus Seeds, Hun Cang estimated that it would take no more than a year for his strength to recover.

Under normal circumstances, it would be impossible for an ordinary person to cultivate from scratch to Dou Huang in less than three to five years.

Even three to five years would require exceptional talent and was considered rather fast.

Of course, clans like the Hun Clan, with their bloodline talents, were another matter.

Hun Cang was fairly satisfied with his current situation. "A Three-Star Dou Master will definitely be enough to get accepted by Jia Nan Academy. After that, it will depend on how I approach the Qi Refining Tower."

Everything in the Jia Ma Empire had already gotten on track. Hun Cang had little attachment to the place, and once he made up his mind, he immediately acted.

He first left the Soul Hall, then traveled to a nearby city. After paying a fee, he began his journey toward the Black Corner Region.

Because the journey was so long, Hun Cang chose to ride a Flying Magical Beast. Even so, its owner told him that it would take at least half a month to reach the Black Corner Region.

Hun Cang had never been stingy with money. Born into the Hun Clan, he lacked no such resources, so he directly chose the most luxurious room.

Even while traveling, Hun Cang did not neglect his cultivation. With the Ink Jade Lotus Platform's help, his strength rose by one level almost every two days.

In comparison, Xiao Yan, who was far away at the moment, was having a miserable time. Despite having his eldest brother's Green Jade Lotus Platform and all kinds of medicinal pills to assist him, it still took him several days to break through a single star.

Moreover, he was not only cultivating; he also had to keep up all kinds of body-tempering training, leaving him exhausted every day.

Time flew by, and half a month passed.

A servant aboard the Flying Magical Beast informed him that only half a day remained before they reached the Black Corner Region.

Hun Cang ended his cultivation and put away the Ink Jade Lotus Platform. For the first time, he left his room, stood at the edge of the beast's back, and looked down through gaps in the clouds.

The land below was mostly marshland, shrouded in mist. Occasionally, he could see small groups fighting Magical Beasts.

"Its reputation for chaos truly isn't undeserved. In just this short time, I've seen at least five fights sparked by treasures." Hun Cang shook his head slightly and withdrew his gaze.

At that moment, he sensed something and turned to look at one of the windows. The person inside apparently had not expected Hun Cang to notice them. The moment their eyes met, they hurriedly shut the window in a panic.

A structure resembling an inn was tied to the Flying Magical Beast's back. It was extremely stable, without any jolting from the flight.

By Hun Cang's own judgment, it was even more comfortable than an airplane.

"Have I been targeted?" Hun Cang looked away and returned to his room, a helplessly amused expression appearing on his face.

This was a world where the strong preyed upon the weak, where murder, arson, robbery, and plunder were commonplace.

Yet for Hun Cang, who had debuted as a Dou Wang and been revered everywhere he went, it was difficult not to feel somewhat strange about it.

Good thing I was reborn into the Hun Clan...

Not long afterward, the Flying Magical Beast slowly landed. One figure after another emerged from their rooms and disembarked.

After glancing at the city, Hun Cang headed straight for the streets.

"Since I'm near Jia Nan Academy, there's no need to rush." Hun Cang planned to find somewhere to stay first, then contact someone inside the academy and inquire about Xiao Yu and the others.

However, although he passed several inns along the way, Hun Cang did not stop. Step by step, he eventually entered an alley. Just after passing a corner, he quickened his pace and hid around another corner.

Thud, thud, thud!

Urgent, disorderly footsteps rang out. Soon afterward, a group of six appeared and poured into the alley.

"Hm? Where did he go?" The burly man in the lead swept his gaze around and froze.

The lackeys behind him were also bewildered. They had clearly watched the man enter. How had he disappeared? Could he fly?

One of them said in astonishment, "That shouldn't be possible. I watched him for a long time. He was only around a Five-Star Dou Master. How could he run so fast?"

This group had boarded the Flying Magical Beast midway through the journey. Their usual method was to seek out wealthy travelers bound for the Black Corner Region, determine their strength, and then rob them once they arrived there.

Because the Black Corner Region was defined by chaos, killing a few people brought no consequences whatsoever.

Once they got the money, they would leave immediately. After living it up for a while, they would repeat the same trick.

So far, they had succeeded no fewer than ten times. The last time, they had happened to encounter a mother and daughter said to be searching for relatives in the Black Corner Region. Not only had they robbed them of their wealth, but they had not spared the two women either.

This time was no different. The moment they boarded the Flying Magical Beast, they had set their sights on Hun Cang, who was staying in the best room and traveling alone.

"Are you looking for me?"

Just as the group was puzzled, a voice came from behind them. They abruptly turned around, and the moment they saw Hun Cang, the man responsible for tailing him shouted, "It's him, Boss!"

"Then what are you standing around for? Do it!" The burly man's eyes flashed with viciousness as he barked.

Dou Qi surged around the people beside him. None of them were weak; they were all Dou Masters. The burly man even had a gauzy layer of Dou Qi around him that seemed on the verge of turning into armor.

Clearly, he was close to breaking through to Da Dou Shi.

The burly man's eyes were filled with greed. Once I finish this job, I'll have enough money to buy the materials I need to break through to Da Dou Shi!

Unfortunately, the thought had barely formed when he saw the people beside him suddenly swallowed by flames. Without even having time to scream, they turned to ash.

Run! The thought had just flashed through the burly man's mind when his vision was filled with firelight, and he lost consciousness.

Not long afterward, Hun Cang walked out of the alley with his hands in his pockets and entered a nearby inn.

"Dear guest, I'm sorry, but our best rooms are already occupied. Jia Nan Academy is still recruiting students lately, so there are many guests staying here."

The maid at the front desk looked apologetically at the handsome young man before her.

"It's fine. An ordinary room will do."