Time passed quickly.
News of the secret realm soon spread across the continent. Powerhouses from every faction sought to join the three major powers' expeditions and secure a share of the rewards afterward.
Of course, the secret realm was a matter of immense importance, so word circulated only among Spirit Saints and stronger powerhouses. Lower-ranking Soul Masters in major factions might know about it, but those from smaller factions had no way of learning anything.
By now, Shrek Academy had set out from Suotuo City, though they were still nearly a month away from reaching Heaven Dou City. Flender and Zhao Wuji were Spirit Saints, but neither knew about the secret realm.
Likewise, they had no idea what sort of trouble Qin Ming was facing at that moment.
More than a month had passed since Dugu Yan and the rest of the Imperial Fighting Team returned to the academy before Qin Ming finally made it back.
It was not that Qin Ming had deliberately dawdled along the way. Rather, after Ye Tianxin spoke up, quite a few people across the continent had begun targeting Qin Ming, both openly and in secret, making his journey a grueling one.
Fortunately, Ye Tianxin had not issued an underworld kill order. Those factions merely blocked Qin Ming's path and made trouble for him, without trying to take his life.
Qin Ming himself knew nothing of this. He simply thought he had been unlucky enough to run into a few mad dogs.
At the foot of the mountain, Qin Ming looked up at the gates of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy and felt a weight lift from his shoulders.
"I'm finally back. Hopefully, this past month hasn't held up the Battle Team's training."
As the teacher leading the team, Qin Ming had not forgotten his