Three days later.
At the gates of Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy.
Yu Xiaogang carried a bundle as he climbed into a carriage alone.
Tang San and Xiao Wu had already followed his instructions and set off for the Balak Kingdom to take the entrance exam for Shrek Academy.
He was also about to depart, bound for the Martial Soul Sacred Hall in Heaven Dou City.
Klay hadn't come to see him off this time. He was afraid of goodbyes, and as an old friend of many years, Yu Xiaogang knew that well.
Before leaving, Yu Xiaogang took one last look at the academy grounds: the square, the Teaching Building, the dormitory, and the academy gates.
He had lived here ever since arriving in this world six years ago.
He knew every blade of grass and every tree here. The thought that he wouldn't be coming back after this trip to Heaven Dou City left him feeling reluctant to go.
"A great man aspires to travel a thousand miles. I still have a long road ahead if I'm to achieve my goal."
Yu Xiaogang turned his gaze away and slowly lowered the carriage curtain.
"Let's go!"
The carriage gradually picked up speed and headed toward the next city on the road to Heaven Dou City.
The journey was long, and the carriages he took mostly traveled between cities, so he would inevitably have to change carriages along the way.
But Yu Xiaogang didn't find it troublesome. He could use this opportunity to take in the scenery along the way. After all, this was a new world to him.
Half a month later, on the road outside Heaven Dou City.
A carriage rolled steadily toward the city gates. Yu Xiaogang sat inside, wearing a black cloak and a black mask.
He reached out and lifted the curtain, looking in the direction the carriage was traveling.
A vast, imposing city stood ahead. Its walls rose about a hundred meters high and were built from solid granite. Countless years had left them scarred by the passage of time and the ravages of war, lending them a sense of grandeur and epic history.
The carriage drew closer, then passed through an iron gate about ten meters tall.
Inside the city, shops lined the streets, and all kinds of people came and went, a testament to Heaven Dou City's prosperity.
The carriage passed through the bustling commercial district, then continued toward the Inner City.
There were noticeably fewer pedestrians here, and the surroundings were quieter. The carriage traveled all the way to the entrance of the Martial Soul Sacred Hall before coming to a stop.
Yu Xiaogang stepped down and looked up at the building before him.
Its overall design was distinctly Gothic. Tall, horizontal rows of spires formed an architectural style that was richly layered and imposing, while exquisite reliefs depicting powerful Martial Souls covered the outer walls.
The sunlight fell on one side of the building, and the contrast of light and shadow only made the Martial Soul Sacred Hall seem more magnificent and sacred.
The passersby who saw the sight all wore expressions of reverence and longing, a clear sign of the lofty status the Spirit Hall held in people's hearts.
Yu Xiaogang observed it for a while, then sighed and murmured, "Beautiful things always hide danger behind them."
"If these people knew they'd die in the war the Spirit Hall would start years from now, I wonder what they'd think."
Those few words foretold the future. Yu Xiaogang reluctantly looked away, then climbed the steps and headed for the entrance of the Martial Soul Sacred Hall.
Two Soul Masters in armor stood guard at the door. When they saw a mysterious stranger approaching, they immediately raised their spears to block the entrance.
One of them barked sternly, "This is the Martial Soul Sacred Hall. No unauthorized entry. If you don't want to die, leave now."
You little punk, you've got quite a mouth on you. Let's see if you're still so cocky in a moment!
Yu Xiaogang raised an eyebrow, took a dark token from inside his robe, and showed it to the two men.
The two Soul Masters exchanged a glance, their faces clearly tense, then stepped closer to examine it.
The instant they saw the six patterns on the token, both men froze. Then they began to tremble all over.
"F-forgive me, Elder! I didn't recognize you just now. Please punish me."
The Soul Master who had spoken rudely dropped to his knees, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
Yu Xiaogang put away the token, walked over, and patted the Soul Master on the shoulder. The man's body shook with every pat.
"Be more careful next time. Young people shouldn't have such a short fuse. Understood?"
"Understood, understood!" The Soul Master nodded hurriedly.
Yu Xiaogang turned away and stepped through the entrance into the Martial Soul Sacred Hall.
With the Elder Token, Yu Xiaogang entered the Martial Soul records room without difficulty. He checked the dates and began looking for records compiled forty years earlier.
An hour later, after searching almost the entire wall of storage cabinets, he finally found the file he wanted, tucked at the very back of the last cabinet.
Name: Bibi Dong
Martial Soul: Death Spider Emperor, Soul Devouring Spider Emperor
He flipped through several more pages, and after confirming that the file was complete, Yu Xiaogang stored it in the Storage Soul Tool on his wrist.
Then he went to the records archive and took Tang San's file as well. At the same time, he issued the Elder Token's command, ordering every Spirit Hall branch throughout the Heaven Dou Empire to seal all information concerning Tang San.
After completing all this, Yu Xiaogang left the Martial Soul Sacred Hall. He didn't linger in the city, but immediately hired another carriage and departed Heaven Dou City.
That evening, Platinum Bishop Salas finished attending the royal banquet and returned to the Martial Soul Sacred Hall.
When he heard that an Elder had visited the hall, he was clearly puzzled, but could only keep his questions to himself.
The lowest rank among the Spirit Hall Elders was Titled Douluo, and they had absolute authority over all Spirit Hall affairs.
Though a Platinum Bishop like him might seem impressive to others, he wouldn't dare think of resisting a Spirit Hall Elder.
Salas shook his head and decided to act as though nothing had happened.
Half a month later.
Inside the dean's office of Shrek Academy.
Zhao Wuji was vividly describing what had happened during their trip to the Star Dou Great Forest. Even though he had already reached the Soul Saint level and earned the title of Immovable Ming King, the events of this trip had still left him deeply shaken.
First, they had encountered the Peerless Dragon Snake Couple, and then the legendary Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, the Titan Giant Ape.
In all his decades of life, he had never experienced anything so strange.
Flender, sitting nearby, was also on edge. When Zhao Wuji said that the Titan Giant Ape had withdrawn because of a bull's roar, Flender's face filled with confusion.
"What kind of Soul Beast could that have been?"
Since you've asked so sincerely, I'll gladly tell you!
Yu Xiaogang, who had been standing outside the door, couldn't help thinking of that line when he heard Flender's question. He cleared his throat and replied, "That was the Sky Azure Bull Python!"
The two men inside immediately looked toward the doorway. As soon as Flender saw Yu Xiaogang, he smiled and introduced him to Zhao Wuji.
The three then discussed the Sky Azure Bull Python in depth. During the conversation, Yu Xiaogang told them a story about a Titled Douluo who had gone exploring and accidentally encountered the Sky Azure Bull Python, only to be scared off. The story showed just how powerful the Sky Azure Bull Python was.
Seeing that things had gone about as they should, Yu Xiaogang asked, "My disciple Tang San got his third Spirit Ring this time, didn't he?"
Zhao Wuji looked at him in surprise. "Grandmaster, how did you know?"
Flender glanced at Yu Xiaogang too, a questioning look in his eyes.
Yu Xiaogang clasped his hands behind his back, unable to help recalling the notifications that had appeared on the System Panel a few days earlier.
[Updated entry: 2,000-Year Man Faced Demon Spider Spirit Ring] [Updated entry: 2,000-Year Man Faced Demon Spider External Soul Bone]
His face immediately took on an expression of complete confidence.
"My disciple. Of course I know."
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