Giving Tang Hao and Ah Yin a Little More Difficulty

On the way back, the Soul Guide Vehicle drove steadily toward Wu Family Manor.

Wu Sidao remained silent the entire time, lost in thought.

Nan Liujing took everything in. A faint glow of Soul Power quietly lit up in his left hand, condensing a somewhat transparent candy out of thin air. He then deliberately waved it beside her.

A familiar fragrance drifted over. Wu Sidao twitched her delicate little nose and turned her head toward it like a kitten searching for something to eat.

At that moment, Nan Liujing swiftly grabbed her fair little hand and forcibly placed the candy in it.

"My Candy Martial Soul hasn't obtained a Soul Spirit yet, nor do I have any Soul Skills. This fake candy condensed from Soul Power only has a bit of fragrance. Don't dislike it," Nan Liujing said with a smile.

Wu Sidao froze. Looking at the candy in her palm, which had been specially shaped like a kitten, her gaze immediately softened. Much of the disappointment in her heart was soothed away. She tossed the kitten candy into her mouth and chewed it, opening up again. "Why didn't you get a Soul Spirit for your Second Martial Soul just now?"

"No rush." Nan Liujing smiled. "Fusion Soul Spirits need to be acquired gradually."

"Ehh~" Wu Sidao pursed her rosy lips and pretended to dislike it. "Sure enough, it doesn't taste like anything at all. It's not good."

"I told you not to dislike it," Nan Liujing said irritably.

"I don't care." Wu Sidao huffed. "Who told your Candy Martial Soul not to fuse with a Soul Spirit?"

"Then once I have a Soul Spirit, I'll make candy for you to eat?" Nan Liujing could naturally tell that she was only pretending to dislike it, and he happily played along.

"You said that yourself." Wu Sidao smiled, anticipation shining in her strange pupils. "You owe me a piece of candy."

Nan Liujing smiled readily. "Fine, I owe you a piece of candy."

Star Luo Continent, Star Luo City.

The firmament was dark and oppressive. Deep clouds continuously pressed downward, creating a sense that a storm was coming and the city was about to collapse. Howling winds mixed with scattered raindrops swept away the city's heat.

Rumble!

Lightning flickered within the dark clouds, leaving afterimages across the sky like veins.

The streets were filled with pedestrians carrying umbrellas, while streams of cars flowed through the roads like light.

Before a floor-to-ceiling window several hundred meters above the ground, Zhang Geyang, one of the Spirit Pagoda Vice Tower Masters, held a glass of red wine and took in the entire city through the glass. He gently swirled his wrist, and the amber-like liquid in the cup released a rich fruity aroma as it sloshed.

Suddenly, Zhang Geyang frowned and murmured inwardly, You want to absorb Heavenly Thunder to restore your cultivation?

Within the Sea of Consciousness of this Nether Flame Douluo, a Mysterious Plant gently swayed its vines as though answering him.

Zhang Geyang fell silent for a moment. "Fine. You separated a portion of your Origin Bloodline this time, so your losses were considerable. Absorbing some Heavenly Thunder to recover is not impossible. But remember not to exceed the limit. If there are any signs of breaking through to the Fifty Thousand Years level, I won't be able to protect you."

As his words fell, he waved his hand and tore open the space before him. He stepped through, and when he reappeared, he was already in the sky, facing the thunderous dark clouds directly.

Soul Power surged as deep blue flames coiled around his body, appearing especially dazzling. Immediately afterward, a shadowy figure quietly emerged behind his head—it was that Mysterious Plant.

Gazing at the clouds roaring with Thunderous Lightning Roar, the plant's flower bud gently swayed, as though saying something, but Zhang Geyang failed to notice.

Night.

A grand banquet was being held within the brightly lit Wu Family Manor.

The brightness of the Crystal Chandelier had been specially adjusted. Its refracted light covered the entire first-floor hall in a gentle glow.

Elegant music blended into the lively atmosphere with every beat, intoxicating people like fine wine.

Gentlemen of refined bearing and elegantly dressed ladies all displayed their charm.

However, most of these people were young people under the age of thirty-five, the more outstanding generation from Star Luo City's various factions.

A banquet was not only a tool for the host family to promote its affairs, but also an important occasion for people to cultivate "relationships."

Meanwhile, in the Second Floor Reception Hall, Star Luo City's true power holders had shut the doors and were holding discussions appropriate to their level.

The moon hung in the sky like a silver plate, while veil-like clouds and fog were caught by the wind and gradually drifted away.

After showing her face before the guests, Wu Sidao brought Nan Liujing to a garden on one side of the manor. The two looked up at the bright moon, their noses filled with the lingering fragrance of the garden.

"The banquet is completely boring. This kind of quiet environment is much more comfortable." Wu Sidao sat on a long bench, her feet dangling and swinging in midair because they could not reach the ground.

Nan Liujing admired the moon. He did not like crowded places either.

Seeing that the person beside her had not replied for so long, Wu Sidao could not help opening the conversation. "Are you leaving for Ming Capital tomorrow?"

"Yes." Nan Liujing nodded.

"Oh." Wu Sidao answered, then fell quiet again. A few seconds later, her eyes lit up as she came up with an idea. "Nan Liujing, how about you dance with me?"

"Me?" Nan Liujing pointed blankly at himself. Helplessly, he said, "Do I look like someone who knows how to dance?"

"It doesn't matter if you don't. I can teach you. Once you learn, it might come in handy someday."

Wu Sidao became interested. After jumping down from the bench, she lifted her exquisite formal dress with one hand, bowed slightly, and made an inviting gesture toward Nan Liujing with the other. A faint smile appeared on her fair, charming face. "It's my first time dancing with a boy. You won't refuse, right?"

The girl's stunning heterochromatic eyes carried an anticipation that was impossible to refuse under the moonlight. Nan Liujing sighed. "Don't blame me if I step on you later."

"How could I? I'm definitely a patient and good teacher," Wu Sidao promised.

Half an hour later.

Wu Sidao looked at her shoes, now stained with plenty of dust, then at her slightly aching feet. Her fair and exquisite face gradually flushed red.

Nan Liujing suddenly understood.

So this was what a girl's embarrassment looked like—almost like she was overheating.

The next day, early morning.

After Sun Kong bid farewell to his old brothers, he left Wu Family Manor with Nan Liujing.

The Hover Soul Guide Vehicle drove along the highway, headed for the Star Luo City Administrative Center. As the former Chief Administrator, Sun Kong had a few things to discuss with the new Chief Administrator who had attended last night's banquet.

"You want to go to the seaside?" Sun Kong turned in surprise after hearing his nephew's sudden request.

"Yes." Nan Liujing nodded.

"Give me a reason." Sun Kong did not refuse outright.

"I just suddenly want to see the sea." Nan Liujing paused before saying, "People online all say that the vastness of the sea is the most relaxing thing."

Sun Kong likewise fell silent. Just as the Soul Guide Vehicle was about to merge onto the city's main roadway, he told the driver, "Head to the airport."

"Understood." The driver immediately turned the steering wheel, and the Soul Guide Vehicle smoothly entered another lane.

"Pick a place." Sun Kong pressed some button inside the vehicle, and a twenty-seven-inch light screen projected down from the ceiling.

Displayed on it was a map of Douluo Continent.

Nan Liujing swept his gaze over it. It looked as though he was choosing, but he had long made up his mind. After a moment, he reached out and tapped Eastsea City, one of the coastal cities glowing blue. "This place."

Sun Kong glanced at it casually and immediately took out his phone to dial a number.

Under Nan Liujing's puzzled gaze, the call quickly connected.

"Heavenly Thunder Your Excellency." A respectful voice sounded.

Sun Kong smiled faintly. "My nephew is coming to Eastsea City. Please look after him, but don't overindulge him. You know my habits."

The person on the other end laughed. "No problem. Leave everything to me. Approximately when will he arrive?"

"I'm not sure how long it'll take yet. I'll have him call you when he gets there," Sun Kong said with a smile.

The two exchanged a few more simple words before ending the call.

After making the arrangements, Sun Kong handed Nan Liujing a wristband. "This person is the Tower Master of East Sea City Spirit Pagoda. Contact him directly once you arrive. He'll arrange your food, clothing, accommodation, and transportation over there."

"As for this wristband, it will sense any harm you may encounter and automatically release a Soul Power Shield comparable to that of a Seven Ring Defense System Battle Soul Sage. As long as its internal energy source is not depleted, the Soul Power Shield will not break."

Nan Liujing took the wristband, with only one thought remaining in his mind.

He was going to cling fiercely to Uncle's thigh for the rest of his life—preferably with 502 glue, the kind that could not be pulled off no matter what.

Suddenly, Nan Liujing realized something and hurriedly asked, "Uncle, that person called you Heavenly Thunder Your Excellency?"

Sun Kong said, "On Douluo Continent, any nine-ring Titled Douluo is qualified to be addressed as Your Excellency. This rule has existed since the Ancient Era twenty thousand years ago."

"As it happens, I am a Titled Douluo."

Nan Liujing's heart stirred. "Heavenly Thunder... then your Martial Soul is also Lightning Attribute?"

Sun Kong nodded. "My Martial Soul is called the Heavenly Thunder Umbrella. Because of our matching attributes, your father and I became acquainted. Later, after we went through many things together, he acknowledged me as his eldest brother."

"So that's how it is." Nan Liujing understood.

Sun Kong glanced at Nan Liujing, his tone inexplicable. "Besides being a Titled Douluo, I have another identity. Once you finish enjoying this trip, I'll tell you about it."

As he spoke, his tone grew more serious. "By then, you won't be as relaxed as you are now."

Nan Liujing said respectfully, "I will not disappoint you."

"You aren't curious about what Uncle wants you to do?" Sun Kong asked.

A faint smile appeared on Nan Liujing's handsome face. "No matter what it is, it will certainly benefit me. To be honest, what I have now is already something countless people can only dream of."

"Next, I'll use the foundation you built for me and develop it step by step, rather than losing myself in wealth and privilege until everything ends in a complete mess."

Sun Kong's eyes brightened slightly. Smiling, he patted Nan Liujing on the shoulder. "Have fun on this trip, and remember—be careful."

"Yes, Uncle." Nan Liujing's lips curled into a smile.

Eastsea City.

Located in the eastern part of the Sun Moon Federation, it was the second-largest city on the East Sea Coast, with a permanent population of more than three million.

It possessed several deepwater ports, and its maritime transport industry was extremely developed, making it a typical Marine Resource Development City.

Living off the sea had also made the city's economy highly prosperous. It counted as a First-tier City within the Federation, though it ranked near the bottom.

At that time, Donghai Airport was packed with people.

In this era, when travel mainly relied on Soul Guide High-speed Rail and Soul Guide Vehicles, flying was absolutely a luxury.

"Fellow passengers..."

Announcements continued ringing by his ears. Looking at the bustling crowds, Nan Liujing easily found the two people who had come to receive him. Just as Sun Kong had instructed beforehand, the entire pickup process was very low-key.

Both were Soul Masters in their early forties, and neither spoke much. After exchanging a few polite words with them, Nan Liujing stopped talking. His trip to Eastsea City was merely a cover; before his true target was confirmed, he had no interest in building relationships.

Like countless other Soul Guide Vehicles, their vehicle drove out of the airport. After a long time, once they entered the city limits, Nan Liujing spotted a building almost at a glance even from far away. Its exterior resembled the Spirit Pagoda in Star Luo City, though it was somewhat shorter.

Like the one in Star Luo City, this Spirit Pagoda was a Pillar-level Spirit Pagoda. This should have been fortunate, but compared to Star Luo City, Eastsea City was in an awkward situation. In recent years, the overall quality of the younger generation of Soul Masters who emerged from here had declined year after year.

This had left the East Sea City Spirit Pagoda Tower Master's performance record rather unsightly. After all, for the Spirit Pagoda to flourish, it likewise needed to constantly absorb fresh blood. The Soul Masters of Eastsea City were of poor quality, and even the Spirit Pagoda headquarters was reluctant to send powerful Soul Spirits here.

There were even rumors that if Eastsea City had not been economically prosperous, with the Spirit Pagoda's local industries generating enormous sums of money every year, it might have been downgraded long ago.

If that truly happened, local Soul Masters would have to travel to the Spirit Pagodas in neighboring cities to buy powerful Soul Spirits. That would be fine for ordinary Soul Masters, but for powerful local Soul Master families, it would be rather humiliating.

After briefly looking over the scenery along the way, Nan Liujing took out his phone and began browsing the internet. Suddenly, a text message notification appeared on the screen.

He habitually wanted to swipe it away, but his hand slipped and he accidentally tapped it open.

"Damn." Nan Liujing cursed inwardly. He casually glanced at the message, but his expression abruptly changed. Without any hesitation, he directly asked the driver and the other Soul Master:

"Excuse me, is today Eastsea Academy's opening day?"

The two people receiving him were both startled. Earlier, seeing that Nan Liujing was not particularly interested in conversation, they had avoided speaking to disturb him. Now, hearing the boy whom the Tower Master had specifically instructed them to receive suddenly ask a question, the Middle-aged Soul Master in the front passenger seat answered respectfully, "Yes."

Nan Liujing said, "I saw online that Eastsea Academy's opening day was still a few days away?"

The Middle-aged Soul Master in the front passenger seat replied, "It was originally still a few days away, but it seems that something happened at sea, and a typhoon may arrive temporarily. The higher-ups decided that Eastsea City and its affiliated cities would begin school early."

Nan Liujing's heart sank. He lowered his head and checked the time. It was almost three in the afternoon.

"Do you want to go to Eastsea Academy?" the Middle-aged Soul Master in the front passenger seat asked. "The Tower Master said everything is at your command."

Nan Liujing maintained a calm expression and denied it. "I came to Eastsea City because I wanted to see the sea, but I didn't expect a typhoon might be coming. According to my plan, my first stop is a place called Aolai City. Is there still time to get there?"

"Yes." The driver turned on the signal light. "Aolai City is a little over an hour's drive from Eastsea City, so it isn't too far."

"Then I'll trouble you."

The driver smiled. "You're too polite. However, we need to report the situation to the Tower Master."

"Of course."

The Soul Guide Vehicle changed direction. More than ten minutes later, it drove onto a coastal highway built along the sea.

The weather was still clear at this time. The sky was like an azure blue mirror, and the Radiant Sun scattered its light over the boundless sea. As the waves undulated, patches of sparkling light shimmered across the surface.

There was absolutely no sign of an approaching typhoon. That was strange.

An hour later, after passing through a three-hundred-meter tunnel, a small city like a hidden paradise came into view.

Nan Liujing looked at the clearly lower building complex, his gaze becoming much deeper.

By meeting Wu Sidao ahead of time, he had basically confirmed the timeline of his arrival. So he modified his plan. The purpose of this trip was to try to alter the original development path, at the very least preventing Na'er and Tang Wulin from coming into contact.

If the development path changed, what would the future become?

Without this encounter, he could not be certain how the Silver Dragon King would treat Tang Wulin. But without question, it could give Tang Hao and Ah Yin, who would not truly appear until the ending, a little more difficulty.

As for Tang Wulin himself, the danger he faced might increase, but it would not be fatal. After all, one strand of Tang San's divine consciousness had always remained within his Sea of Consciousness.

The only problem for now was that the opening time had changed. That was truly irritating, since he could not make arrangements in advance.

He would take it one step at a time.

Some readers asked whether he would go to Shrek, so I need to explain something here.

Dou San is very special. Aside from the Eastsea City storyline, the next several hundred chapters all take place at Shrek Academy, followed by Star Luo Empire. If I did not take the Shrek route, that would mean creating several hundred chapters of original plot, while constantly connecting it with the original work. I don't have that ability. If I did, I would definitely prefer writing original content. So he will definitely go to Shrek, but I have already figured out how things will work after he enters.

The male lead's actual background is the Spirit Pagoda. That will not change.

I wanted to explain this in advance. To readers willing to continue into Shrek, thank you for your support. Readers unwilling to do so may also stop early, so you won't need to criticize me later.