Godwind Academy's Dean, Feng Qingcang

"Rest in peace."

At the Skywater convoy, Shui Wuchen crouched beside the horses' corpses, touching them as he sighed inwardly.

The carriage itself was not too badly damaged. It could still barely be used after some repairs, but without horses, the carriage was naturally meaningless.

Could they really have Shui Yueruo and Huo Yangyan pull the carriage like horses?

That was not what "working like a horse" meant!

Shui Bing'er looked at the damaged carriage and said helplessly, "Looks like we can only travel on foot from here."

Afterward, Shui Wuchen and the others returned to Blazing Fire Academy and informed Shui Yueruo's group of the situation.

Shui Yueruo felt somewhat distressed about it. Those carriages were all academy property!

"Yours broke down too? Looks like we really are in the same boat." Huo Yangyan chuckled.

Hearing that, Shui Yueruo rolled her eyes. Who exactly was responsible for her academy's damaged carriage?

Afterward, Skywater Academy and Blazing Fire Academy traveled together toward Heaven Dou City, where the Elite Tournament would be held.

Although the carriages had been damaged, they had already covered most of the journey. Traveling at full speed, they reached the outskirts of Heaven Dou City in just one day.

Upon seeing Heaven Dou City, both Shui Yueruo and Huo Yangyan breathed sighs of relief. The Fallen One had not pursued them during the weakened period after their Martial Soul Avatars. The cost of that outburst must have been considerable—perhaps his condition was even worse than theirs.

If that was truly the case, they would not need to worry about that Fallen One's retaliation for the time being. After all, neither their academies nor the forces behind them were to be trifled with.

Moreover, Spirit Hall would not tolerate a peak Soul Saint-level Fallen One causing trouble everywhere.

Heaven Dou City, the capital of the Heaven Dou Empire, was one of the two largest and most prosperous cities on the continent, holding immense importance.

Shui Wuchen looked at the hundred-meter-tall city walls before him, built from granite, and a trace of surprise flashed through his eyes.

In this medieval-like world, constructing such a magnificent city was extraordinarily difficult, even with the power of Soul Masters.

As for the elite armored soldiers patrolling atop and below the walls, Shui Wuchen did not think much of them.

Such soldiers were effective against Soul Masters below the Soul Ancestor level, but against those above it, as long as the Soul Master was not foolish enough to insist on a head-on confrontation until his Soul Power and stamina were exhausted, these soldiers could not easily surround and kill him.

However, most Soul Masters in this world could not break through to the Soul Ancestor level. As a first line of defense, these elite soldiers were sufficient.

After all, the chance of becoming a Soul Master was less than one percent, and a considerable number of them were nobles. Setting aside whether they would be willing, using them to guard city gates would be far too extravagant.

The group entered through the broad city gates, and Heaven Dou City's prosperity immediately unfolded before them. The streets were paved entirely with blue bricks, while the surrounding shops were lavishly decorated, seeming to gleam with dazzling golden light.

Such sights were commonplace to Shui Wuchen, who had experienced a technological society, but to Shui Bing'er and the other young men and women seeing them for the first time, they were wide-eyed with wonder.

Although these young men and women all had some sort of background, what they had seen before was utterly insignificant compared to the grandeur of Heaven Dou City.

Led by the two deans, Shui Yueruo and Huo Yangyan, they soon arrived at the reception area specifically prepared for the academy teams participating in the Elite Tournament.

As the host, Heaven Dou City naturally could not have these Soul Master Academies bear their own lodging expenses. The Elite Tournament was an event capable of attracting the entire continent, and countless people would gather in Heaven Dou City by then.

The inns within the city had already been fully booked more than half a month before the tournament began. If they waited until the people from the various academies arrived to look for rooms, most of them would have to sleep on the streets.

Just after a staff member led them to their residence, a thin man in green robes who appeared to be around fifty walked out from a small courtyard beside them.

Shui Yueruo glanced at the green-robed man and smiled. "Feng Qingcang, you arrived quite early!"

Shui Wuchen looked at the green-robed man Shui Yueruo had called Feng Qingcang, his gaze shifting slightly. He knew that name.

Feng Qingcang, the current dean of Godwind Academy. His Martial Soul was the Goshawk, and he was also a level seventy-nine Soul Saint.

Huo Yangyan greeted Feng Qingcang as well.

Hearing this, Feng Qingcang stroked his beard and smiled. "Dean Yueruo, Brother Yangyan, you've arrived too. I was just wondering when you would get here."

Feng Qingcang was quite happy to see his old friends. Among all the academies, Godwind Academy had the best relationship with Blazing Fire Academy and Skywater Academy. Lightning Academy, which had joined later, was not bad either.

In recent years, Elephant Armor Academy had also wanted to join them, calling themselves the Five Elemental Academies together with the other four academies.

Out of consideration for the Elephant Armor Sect, they had not openly refuted this claim, but they did not acknowledge it in their hearts. This could be seen from the fact that Elephant Armor Academy was absent from the exchange meetings they held.

Feng Qingcang then looked at Shui Wuchen and the others following Shui Yueruo and Huo Yangyan, praising them. "These must be the disciples you brought to compete this time. They have good spirit about them, with a bit of the bearing of the strong."

Hearing that, Shui Yueruo waved her hand. "How could they compare to yours? I heard that brat Feng Xiaotian broke through to Soul King?"

"Hahaha, as expected, I couldn't keep it from you."

After hearing Shui Yueruo's words, Feng Qingcang stroked his beard and shook his head with a smile. "There's really nothing worth praising. That brat Feng Xiaotian not only has Innate Full Soul Power, but he is already twenty-four this year, among the oldest group of competitors. It would be stranger if he had not broken through to Soul King."

Though he said that, a trace of pride still flashed through Feng Qingcang's eyes. Clearly, he was extremely satisfied with his student.

Feng Qingcang then looked at Shui Bing'er and said, "This is the genius with the Ice Phoenix Martial Soul you found back then, isn't she? She has grown into such a graceful young lady. I really wonder where Skywater Academy finds so many beautiful girls."

When Shui Bing'er had joined Skywater Academy, Shui Yueruo had specifically taken her around to show off to the other deans, so they naturally recognized her.

Hearing this, Shui Yueruo smiled proudly. "Don't underestimate Bing'er. She's already level forty-six."

"Level forty-six? I remember she's only sixteen, isn't she?"

After hearing Shui Yueruo's words, Feng Qingcang looked at Shui Bing'er with surprise before sighing, "The younger generation is truly formidable!"

Such an achievement had already surpassed his own accomplishments at that age.

As they spoke, a handsome young man wearing Godwind Academy's green team uniform walked out from the small courtyard behind Feng Qingcang. He radiated an aura of confidence.

After stepping out of the courtyard, the young man swept his gaze around and instantly locked onto Shui Wuchen. He blurted out:

"It's you!?"