Dugu Yan looked at her grandfather, Dugu Bo, in a state of disarray unlike anything she had ever seen. Shock and pain gripped her heart.
Her grandfather was a Titled Douluo! Who could have wounded him so badly?
"Yan Yan!" Dugu Bo forced down the agony and the blood surging in his chest. His voice was hoarse and urgent. "Don't ask! Hurry, pack your things. We're leaving right now! We're getting out of Heaven Dou City! The sooner, the better!"
He struggled to stand, but the movement pulled at his wounds and set off another fit of violent coughing. Dark green blood flecked with strangely colored specks seeped from the corner of his mouth.
"Grandpa! What happened? Who did this to you?" Dugu Yan hurried forward to support him, tears welling in her eyes.
She had never seen her grandfather so weak and... terrified?
"Don't worry about who did it! Listen to me—we're in too much danger here!" Dugu Bo grabbed his granddaughter's wrist, his grip betraying the anxiety within him.
"That beast... it's terrifying, and it never lets a grudge go unanswered! I offended it, and it could come after us at any moment! Right now... I can't protect you!"
"Grandpa, what are you talking about? I don't understand." Dugu Yan had no idea what had just happened, and her mind was a complete blank.
Seeing her confusion, Dugu Bo had no choice but to tell her what had happened.
After hearing the whole story, Dugu Yan sucked in a sharp breath.
A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast! Her grandfather had actually faced one of those legendary beings—and ended up gravely wounded! No wonder he was so terrified.
But after her brief shock, Dugu Yan shook her head firmly. "No, Grandpa. I can't go with you!"
"What did you say?!" Dugu Bo could hardly believe his ears. Anger and anxiety surged through him. "Yan Yan! This is no time to be stubborn! That thing..."
"Grandpa, I know it's dangerous!" Dugu Yan interrupted him, her gaze unyielding. "But the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament is about to begin! I'm the vice-captain of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy Team. Tian Heng and the others are waiting for me!"
"We've been preparing for this tournament for so long! How can I run away at the last minute and abandon my teammates?"
She tightened her grip on Dugu Bo's arm, trying to calm him down. "Grandpa, please think about it calmly. Yu may be powerful, but it just killed a prince and a royal prince at the palace, then wounded you. After causing such a commotion, it must have already left Heaven Dou City and returned to the forest."
"Even if it's that powerful, would it really dare to turn right around and come to the academy to target us? That would be far too risky!"
Dugu Bo opened his mouth to argue, but he realized that his granddaughter had a point.
The Wing King seemed to act without restraint, but in truth, it planned every move carefully. After fighting several battles tonight, it had even forced him to escape by burning his blood essence. It must have expended a great deal of energy itself.
The safest course now would surely be to return to its lair, recover, and reassert its dominance over the surrounding area.
It was unlikely to come straight to the heavily guarded academy, especially after making mortal enemies of both the imperial family and a Titled Douluo. It might even end up surrounded by powerful human fighters.
"But..." The worry in Dugu Bo's eyes remained. "What if it..."
"Grandpa!" Dugu Yan pleaded. "The tournament really matters to us! It's not only about the academy's honor—it's our chance to prove ourselves! Yu Tianheng, Ling Ling, Shi Mo, Shi Mo, and the others are all working so hard. I can't let them down or run away now! Please, Grandpa!"
Looking at the unshakable resolve in his granddaughter's eyes, he closed his own and let out a deep, weary sigh.
He released her wrist and slumped against the doorframe, his voice hoarse and helpless. "Fine... fine... You stubborn girl. You're just like your father was back then. Once you've made up your mind, not even nine oxen could drag you back."
At his words, delight flashed in Dugu Yan's eyes. "Grandpa, you agree?"
"What else can I do?" Dugu Bo shot her an exasperated look, though his eyes were full of affection and helpless surrender. "Since you're staying to compete in that blasted tournament..."
He changed tack, his gaze suddenly turning sharp. "Then I'm staying too! I'll live nearby. During the tournament, you must stay by my side at all times, or remain somewhere in the academy with the strongest guards! You're not to leave the range of my senses without permission. Understood?!"
Dugu Yan froze, then felt warmth well up inside her.
"Mm!" She nodded vigorously, her eyes reddening. "Thank you, Grandpa! I'll do as you say!"
The following day, the court in Heaven Dou Imperial Palace, which should have been bustling with activity, lay deathly silent. Not a soul spoke, and no one even dared look Xue Ye in the eye.
They all knew what had happened the night before. A prince and a royal prince had perished, and it had happened in a place as important as Heaven Dou Imperial Palace. The very thought of Xue Ye's fury sent a chill through them.
Not one person dared provoke Xue Ye. They feared they might suffer for no reason at all.
Xue Ye looked at the ministers who usually couldn't wait to offer advice, yet now couldn't even manage a word. He was furious, but couldn't help finding it ridiculous, too.
"What, have you all gone mute?" Xue Ye asked. "Where's all that confidence you had before? Has the sun risen in the west today?"
The ministers didn't dare speak. They could only stand trembling in place.
"Fine!" Xue Ye snorted. "Let's see how long you can keep this up. If you don't want to speak, then don't."
Time passed. Just as the unbearable silence threatened to swallow everyone whole—
"Report!"
The captain of the palace guards called out from beyond the hall doors, his voice cutting through the heavy silence with a note of urgency.
"Your Majesty! Sect Master Ning of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has arrived outside the palace gates with Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo. They request an audience!"
The report struck the silence like a stone dropped into still water, instantly breaking the suffocating stillness. The ministers all raised their heads, their faces showing surprise, confusion, and even... a faint, barely perceptible glimmer of hope.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect! At a time when the imperial family had lost face and everyone was on edge, the greatest auxiliary sect on the continent had arrived in person, accompanied by two Super Douluos whose reputations shook the land!
A glint flashed in Xue Ye's bloodshot eyes, too.
Suppressing his grief and helplessness, he drew a deep breath and tried to keep his voice steady, giving it a deliberately weary, mournful tone.
"Hurry and invite them in! Bring Sect Master Ning and the two esteemed Douluos into the hall!"
The heavy doors slowly opened. Bathed in the daylight streaming in from outside, three figures entered the oppressive hall.
The man at the head was none other than Ning Fengzhi, Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
He had a refined, gentle face and an elegant bearing. His moon-white robe was immaculate.