The next day, just as dawn broke, heavy with morning dew,
While Chen Jieqi knelt in meditation and prayer, a figure had quietly arrived outside the thatched cottage. His aura was perfectly contained, making him seem like an ordinary old man.
His back was still straight as a pine. He hadn't grown any older—in fact, he looked even more vigorous than he had five years ago.
His long black hair was streaked with a few strands of white, no longer dry and disheveled as it once had been.
The old man's complexion was as warm and healthy as ever, no longer tinged with the bluish gray of accumulated toxins.
His once-distinctive emerald eyes had become clear and deep.
His divine light was restrained, his sharp gaze calm and composed. All traces of gloom and malice had long since faded, leaving only the authority and insight unique to a Titled Douluo.
He stood outside the cottage, looking through the window lattice. Feeling the sacred calm radiating from the boy inside, he smiled warmly.
A little while later,
Under the old man's watchful gaze, Chen Jieqi was about to finish his prayer.
He was focused and devout, his left palm pressed to the ground and his right hand against his chest. The Heart of the Naaru between his brows glimmered faintly as he praised in a low voice:
"The Light is with me!"
As his words fell, the holy light around Chen Jieqi slowly faded. He opened his eyes, rose, and pushed open the door.
He immediately spotted Dugu Bo standing outside and hurriedly apologized:
"Grandpa, sorry to keep you waiting!"
Dugu Bo smiled and stepped forward, his gaze warm as it settled on the boy. His voice brimmed with pride.
"I only just got here. There's no rush on the road. Your meditation and prayer are more important!"
Chen Jieqi straightened the hem of his white clothes and nodded.
"Grandpa, let's go, then. I packed everything earlier, and there's nothing else I need to bring."
"Good. Follow me!"
Deep in Sunset Forest, the poisonous miasma was fading. Clouds billowed across the sky as morning light filtered through the leaves, scattering golden flecks across the forest.
Dugu Bo stood in the air, his black hair tied in a high knot as he gazed southeast—
That was the direction of Heaven Dou City. Heaven Dou Royal Academy sat on a mountainside not far from the city.
Beside him, Chen Jieqi had already summoned his Soul Power. Golden light burst from his back, tearing through the morning mist as a pair of pure-gold wings, more than two meters long, emerged through his clothes and gleamed in the sunlight.
Golden holy light rippled across the wings, while their white feather shafts shone with pure sacred power. This was the full form of his External Soul Bone, Wings of Light.
With each flap, gentle holy light fell like fine rain, cleansing the remaining poisonous fog and malice wherever it passed. Even the air grew fresh.
"Let's go."
Dugu Bo shot forward first, his figure streaking through the air like a dark rainbow.
Chen Jieqi followed close behind, his wings beating lightly as holy light trailed after him. Below, the towering trees of Sunset Forest raced past.
Mountains and ravines shrank into tiny shapes beneath them as the two flew one after the other toward Heaven Dou City.
Dugu Bo's posture was upright. Though he had no wings to aid his flight, after condensing a Soul Core, his Soul Power had become deep and enduring, making it easy for him to fly through the air.
He was even several times faster than before. His aura was seamless and restrained, lending him a healthy, otherworldly air.
Chen Jieqi stayed beside him, his two-meter golden wings beating with effortless grace. The golden holy light rippling across them grew ever more brilliant, tracing a soft golden line through the wind.
The two flew one after the other through the rolling clouds. They were unhurried, yet carried an imposing presence that brooked no objection.
They stopped briefly from time to time. Half an hour later...
The wind gradually died down along the way. Looking into the distance, they could already make out Heaven Dou City on the horizon. Its blue-brick walls and dark-tiled roofs stretched for miles, and the clouds around them lent the city an air of imperial grandeur.
Not far away, the glazed roofs of Heaven Dou Royal Academy shimmered faintly in the sunlight, their golden splendor visible from afar.
Dugu Bo narrowed his eyes. His Soul Power settled, and he came to a steady halt in midair before slowly descending.
He turned to Chen Jieqi and reminded him gravely:
"Xiao Qi, we'll reach Heaven Dou Royal Academy shortly.
"Remember to conceal the aura of your wings. Don't let anyone find out."
Chen Jieqi nodded. The mark of the Heart of the Naaru between his brows flashed faintly.
In an instant, the brilliant holy light flowing over his wings faded like a receding tide. The dazzling golden wings grew faint, then vanished completely, leaving only the faintest trace of a peaceful aura. He looked like an ordinary young Soul Master.
"Let's go."
Dugu Bo then flew with Chen Jieqi toward Heaven Dou Royal Academy outside Heaven Dou City.
A short while later,
Chen Jieqi looked out at the academy, which occupied an entire mountain. Its buildings rose in layer upon layer, with soaring eaves and glazed tiles that gleamed gold in the sunlight. The architecture was magnificent and imposing.
Armored guards stood at attention on either side, displaying the unmatched grandeur of the Heaven Dou Empire's Royal Academy.
Dugu Bo didn't pause. He took Chen Jieqi straight over the gates and landed in the plaza before the academy's main entrance.
Seeing Dugu Bo, the guards immediately bowed. Daring not to impede him, they greeted him respectfully:
"Greetings, Lord Dugu."
Chen Jieqi followed at Dugu Bo's side, dressed in spotless white. His silver-white hair fell to his shoulders, and the powerful presence of the old man beside him made him especially conspicuous.
They didn't stop.
Along the way, every student and instructor who saw Dugu Bo's upright figure bowed. No one dared step forward to block them, much less ask a single question.
Dugu Bo kept his eyes forward and his steps steady as he headed straight into the depths of the academy...
Two Soul King guards stood at the entrance to the hall, their auras steady and their eyes sharp.
As Dugu Bo approached, they immediately bowed and respectfully opened the doors.
"Lord Dugu, please come in."
The hall was spacious and bright. A dark red carpet covered the floor, swallowing their footsteps until they made no sound at all.
At the far end stood a tall platform for meetings, with three carved chairs arranged on it. Their backs were engraved with intricate cloud patterns, exuding the prestige of the Royal Academy.
Three old men sat in the chairs. They were the three members of Heaven Dou Royal Academy's Education Committee:
Meng Shenji, Bai Baoshan, and Zhilin.
The three had been discussing matters. Feeling someone enter, they all looked up at once.
It was no wonder the three committee members were so solemn.
A year earlier, after Dugu Bo had broken through to level 94, he had personally challenged Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan to a match.
Relying on the deep reserves and endurance his Soul Core had given him, he had dragged Yue Guan into a war of attrition.
The poisonous fog of the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor had interwoven with the power of his Soul Core to create a relentless assault. It repeatedly put level-95 Yue Guan at a disadvantage, and in the end, Yue Guan had been forced to admit defeat.
After that battle, Dugu Bo's title as "the weakest Titled Douluo" had become a thing of the past.
In its place, the fearsome reputation of the "Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor" had risen!
That battle had also made the three committee members of Heaven Dou Royal Academy even more respectful of—and even somewhat awed by—the empire's honorary elder.
The three immediately rose to their feet, their faces filling with respect as they hurried forward.
Meng Shenji, as the committee's chief, spoke first. His tone held a trace of deliberate courtesy and unmistakable reverence.
"Lord Dugu, we're sorry we weren't here to welcome you. Please forgive us."
Dugu Bo waved a hand. His voice was calm, yet carried unquestionable authority.
"Don't bother with formalities. I haven't come for a chat. I'm here to bring you a genius."
As he spoke, Dugu Bo shifted aside, revealing Chen Jieqi behind him. His gaze settled on the three committee members as he enunciated each word:
"This is Chen Jieqi, my grandson.
"His Martial Soul is the Heart of the Naaru, and he has Innate Full Soul Power. There's no need to test him. Enroll him directly."
The three committee members turned their attention to Chen Jieqi. Seeing the boy's cool, refined appearance, they couldn't hide their surprise.
Bai Baoshan was the most straightforward of them and couldn't help asking:
"Lord Dugu, is this the boy Dugu Yan often mentioned—the one with the ultimate holy Light attribute?"
Dugu Bo nodded slightly, unable to hide his pride.
"That's right!"
Meng Shenji and Zhilin exchanged a glance, both seeing the shock in the other's eyes.
Meng Shenji hurried a step forward, speaking respectfully.
"If that's what you say, Lord Dugu, we'll verify his Martial Soul and then immediately arrange Chen's enrollment."
Dugu Bo turned to the boy.
"Xiao Qi, show them your Martial Soul."
"Okay, Grandpa!"
Chen Jieqi stepped forward. The pale-gold mark of the Heart of the Naaru between his brows suddenly lit up.
In the next instant, light surged from the mark, coalescing into a translucent golden crystalline cluster shaped like a tangram. It floated above his head.
A soft, warm golden glow radiated from the crystal's center. It shone brightly, surrounded by countless tiny shards of light like stars, sacred and dazzling.
Almost at the same time, four Soul Rings slowly rose from beneath his feet, turning in sequence:
Yellow, purple, purple, black.
The final black Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring carried immense power of Light, brightening and softening the entire Education Committee hall. Even the air seemed to have been cleansed.
The three committee members stared at the Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring, unable to hide their shock. Meng Shenji even drew in a sharp breath.
"Not yet twelve...
"A thousand-year second ring...
"A ten-thousand-year fourth Soul Ring...!"