Returning to Element City (Please Bookmark and Vote)

Two and a half days later.

A luxuriously yet understated Double Horse Carriage slowly came to a stop outside Element City.

Shen Hanyu stretched lazily, jumped straight down from the carriage, waved to the Coachman, and looked at the familiar city walls with a sigh.

"Finally back."

Tian Meng manifested from the Sea of Consciousness, concealing himself with Mental Power. He sprawled brazenly across Shen Hanyu's shoulder and asked curiously,

"Hanyu, is this your home?"

Shen Hanyu shook his head and said,

"This is Element City. My home is in Four Seasons City, not far from here, but it's nowhere near as large as Element City."

"My Sister attends Skywater Academy here, though. We haven't seen each other in two years. I wonder how she's been."

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm nodded. Looking at the bustling city gate, he said in surprise,

"There are at least five Soul Douluo auras in this city. One of them even has one foot in the realm of a Titled Douluo, and the others aren't weak either."

"Of course. There are five academies in Element City, and their headmasters are all Soul Douluo. Wind, Fire, Water, and Thunderclap lean toward the Heaven Dou Empire, while the Elephant Armored Sect and Elephant Armor Academy have sided with Spirit Hall."

Shen Hanyu gave him a simple introduction, though it hardly seemed necessary. Tian Meng had been frantically absorbing knowledge about the human world these past days and already had a rough understanding of it.

"What about your Sister? A Martial Soul with both water and earth attributes is rare, and her foundation isn't bad either. If she works hard, she has a chance of breaking through to Titled Douluo in the future. With enough effort and your help, she might even reach the level of a Super Douluo."

Shen Hanyu nodded and said,

"I got quite a few immortal herbs from Poison Douluo Dugu Bo before. I'm planning to give them to her now, and have her bring two herbs that improve aptitude and strengthen one's foundation back to our parents. I won't go back myself. Too much trouble."

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm nodded in agreement and said,

"Hanyu, now that you have my full support, strive to break through to Soul Emperor a few months after you turn fourteen. Then I'll take you to the Far North. We brothers will steal a Ten Thousand Years Ice Dragon for your sixth Soul Ring, and then we'll soar straight to the top! Roar, roar, roar!"

Shen Hanyu paused and asked curiously,

"Are there still True Dragon inheritances in the Far North? Why have I never heard of them?"

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm shook his head, sighed, and said,

"They can barely be considered True Dragons anymore. Their clan inherited pitifully few pure-blooded True Dragons to begin with. Over the past several hundred thousand years, they kept intermarrying with subdragons, and their bloodlines became heavily contaminated with more and more impurities. Many have even degenerated into subdragons. Only a tiny number still retain True Dragon bloodlines, but even their proud Extreme Ice attribute has degenerated. It probably won't take more than a few tens of thousands of years before they completely devolve into subdragons."

"These True Dragons aren't even comparable to Di Tian, let alone Zi Ji's clan. Their clan is now holed up in a mountain range within the Mixed Zone of the Far North. When I released my Mental Power, I noticed them. There are still two Ten Thousand Years Ice Dragons barely hanging on."

Shen Hanyu nodded and said with emotion,

"I never expected the True Dragons that once dominated the continent to begin declining so gradually, while humanity has slowly begun to flourish. I wonder what kind of bloodshed the continent will face once the balance between humans and Soul Beasts is completely broken in the future."

"Alas..."

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm let out a melancholy sigh as well. Then his eyes suddenly lit up, and he said to Shen Hanyu,

"Hanyu, look ahead! There are so many pretty Sisters in dresses. I have to say, you humans really do have lots of beauties. My Bingbing is just as beautiful. You have no idea, the first time I saw Bingbing's body, I fell hopelessly in love with her. She's practically my faith..."

"Stop, stop, stop! Let's not talk about that for now. One day, I'll reunite you with the Ice Empress."

Shen Hanyu rubbed his brow. Once Tian Meng started talking about the Ice Empress, he was like a loaded machine gun—he simply wouldn't stop. It really had to be said, simps were something else. The moment they talked about their goddess, words poured from their mouths like an endless flood, whether they had seen those words before or not...

Tian Meng chuckled foolishly, then fell silent. He was probably off fantasizing about his happy future with the Ice Empress...

This was why choosing the right person was an art. If Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had chosen Huo Yuhao ten thousand years later, who knew how much hardship he would have endured? In the end, the god he painstakingly cultivated would even become Tang San's dog...

Well... that was rather tragic. Still, at least he became a god. Otherwise, he really would have lost everything, down to his underwear.

Shen Hanyu could not be bothered to think about such things and headed straight for Skywater Academy.

Although it had been two years since his last visit to Element City, Soul Masters naturally possessed powerful memories. Shen Hanyu's Mental Power was exceptionally outstanding, so at most, the roads he had traveled felt a little unfamiliar. Everything else was fine.

He returned to the hotel where he had stayed before—the same top floor, the same room. After nearly two and a half years, Shen Hanyu lay on the same bed again, feeling an inexplicable emotion in his heart.

In truth, Shen Hanyu had not completely cut off contact with Shen Liuyu over the past two years. At the very least, he had someone deliver that Snow Lotus to her. It was safer to keep the rest and hand them over in person, so he had not deliberately kept track of Shen Liuyu's development these past two years.

After being away for two years, Shen Liuyu was now nine years old. Shen Hanyu clenched his fist. If that girl still had not reached level eighteen by now, he swore he would spank her until her backside swelled!

He had specifically set aside two carefully selected immortal herbs for Shen Liuyu.

One was the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, a neutral immortal herb. Its effects were similar to the Water Immortal Jade Bone, but it was more suited for Battle Soul Masters. After consuming it, one could forge an indestructible body and strengthen the bones and meridians. It was perfect for that girl's crocodile Martial Soul.

The other was the Earth Dragon Golden Melon, an earth-attributed immortal herb. After consuming it, it could deepen the user's bond with the earth, purge impurities from the bloodline, and elevate the bloodline's grade. This was especially evident in Dragon Species Martial Souls and dragon-descendant Martial Souls.

Crocodiles happened to be one kind of dragon descendant, and the Enamel Crocodile also possessed a trace of the earth attribute. This immortal herb was practically tailor-made for her, an incredibly perfect match.

Shen Hanyu did not consider himself a good person by nature, but he still held deep feelings for the family around him.

Other than family, there were friends like Dugu Bo, with whom he had a decent relationship. Everyone else, put nicely, was a stranger; put bluntly, they were nothing more than cannon fodder and stepping stones.

If someone maintained compassion and kindness toward everything, they might become strong, but the road they walked along the way would not necessarily be easy.

But if one discarded that unnecessary kindness and compassion, then cast aside some morality and martial virtue as well, the road ahead would undoubtedly become much smoother.

This was a fantasy world. There were not so many matters of right and wrong—only choices. No one was absolutely evil, because no victor would allow history books to record their evil side.

They would only lavishly praise their own greatness, while the losers would naturally become the evil side in everyone else's eyes. That was reality.