One Month Later

Above the Sunset Forest, six massive figures hovered in the air.

Xiao Yu looked down at this region, which was more primitive and harbored more unknowns and Poison Miasma than the Royal Soul Beast Forest.

The thin, toxic mist permeating the air posed no threat to the powerful physiques of himself, Yu Yi, and the others.

"Aoo--!" Xiao Yu let out a clear, resonant howl that sounded like a declaration of territory; the sound waves rolled outward, startling countless birds in the forest.

Yu Yi through Yu Wu followed suit with echoing cries, their ten-thousand-year soul beast pressure spreading out without reservation, sweeping across the forest like an invisible tide.

Deep in the forest, the hissing and roaring of various soul beasts rose and fell in an instant, filled with vigilance, unease, and even submission.

Xiao Yu could clearly perceive the fluctuations of countless soul beast auras in the forest below, among which there was no shortage of powerful ten-thousand-year existences.

He slowly descended onto a high-altitude cliff with an expansive view. This was a relatively core area of the Sunset Forest, far from the human activity at the edges, and the Poison Miasma was relatively thin here.

"Yu Yi, lead the others and clear out a safe area with this as the center," Xiao Yu's mental command was delivered clearly.

Yu Yi nodded to accept the order, its sharp eagle eyes scanning the surroundings as it let out a series of rapid cries.

Yu Er through Yu Wu immediately flapped their wings and scattered, beginning to drive away threatening soul beasts near the cliff and using their sharp claws and beaks to clear away thorns and vines.

The hundred-year-old winged soul beasts that had followed them also joined in the clearing and guarding, instinctively forming the prototype of a flock with Xiao Yu at the center.

Xiao Yu tucked in his wings and landed on a giant boulder.

Feeling the surrounding tranquility, he thought to himself, I hope this peace can last a little longer.

A month of time passed in the blink of an eye.

Heaven Dou City, the imperial capital of the Heaven Dou Empire, remained as bustling as ever, filled with the clamor of voices and a constant stream of carriages and horses.

Shops lined both sides of the wide main thoroughfare, and the cries of vendors, the rumbling of carriage wheels, and the laughter of pedestrians wove together into a prosperous urban symphony.

The tall city walls stood imposingly, and guards clad in bright silver armor patrolled and stood guard meticulously, maintaining the facade of order and majesty.

Sunlight spilled onto the palace complex covered in glazed tiles, refracting dazzling light as if the terrifying event that had shaken the palace and stained the night sky with blood a month ago had never happened.

The imperial court had issued strict orders, sealing all information regarding the "Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast night raid on the palace" and the "deaths of the Fourth Prince Xue Beng and Prince Xue Xing."

Coupled with the fact that the common folk would not pay attention to such matters, on the surface, Heaven Dou City was no different from any other day.

At this moment, the south gate of Heaven Dou City welcomed several travel-worn young people.

Their faces bore the fatigue of a long journey, but their eyes were filled with curiosity and the excitement of arriving in a big city for the first time.

"Whoa! Is this Heaven Dou City? It's definitely much grander than Suotuo City!" A sturdy, golden-haired youth with heterochromatic eyes put his hands on his hips, looking at the endless stream of people and magnificent buildings before him, unable to help but exclaim.

"That's for sure, this is the imperial capital! Fatty, look over there, that roasted chicken smells so good!" A youth with peach-blossom eyes and a slightly rounded figure sniffed hard, pointing toward a fragrant stall on the side of the road and shouting to a red-haired, slightly chubby youth beside him.

Ma Hongjun's eyes lit up, his saliva almost dripping out: "Fragrant! So fragrant! Dean, can we..."

"Ahem!" A middle-aged man wearing crystal glasses with the temperament of a profiteer coughed with a straight face, touching his shriveled coin purse: "Just looking is enough! Prices in Heaven Dou City are high, so save your money! Don't forget why we are here!"

In the group, a gentle girl in a blue dress covered her mouth and chuckled, while a lively girl with a long scorpion braid looked around excitedly.

A blue-clad youth with an ordinary face but calm eyes looked indifferent, though there was a trace of shock in his expression.

Walking at the very front of the group, a middle-aged man with a stiff face and deep eyes said in a low voice: "Alright, stop looking. Qin Ming, I'll leave the rest to you."

Also walking in the group was a middle-aged man named Qin Ming, a Soul Emperor-level teacher at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy. Seeing the performance of his juniors, he smiled slightly.

Hearing the middle-aged man's words, Qin Ming nodded: "It's fine. Everyone, follow me; I'll take you to see the Dean first."

This group was none other than the Shrek Academy team. Previously, Shrek Academy had come into contact with members of the Imperial Fighting Team during their battle.

Qin Ming was the lead teacher of the Imperial Fighting Team and also a student who had once graduated from Shrek Academy. After making this connection, the middle-aged man, Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang, thought they could join the Heaven Dou Royal Academy to obtain a spot in the Soul Master Tournament.

After persuading Dean Flender, the group had rushed to Heaven Dou City.

On the other side, deep in the Sunset Forest, atop the cliff.

Xiao Yu folded his wings and looked down at the territory that was gradually taking shape.

In the span of a month, thanks to the tireless labor of Yu Yi and the others and the assistance of the hundred-year-old winged soul beasts that had followed, this area had begun to take on a proper scale.

The thorns and vines had been cleared away, revealing the solid rock ground. Several natural caves had been widened and reinforced to become shelters from the wind and rain.

Yu Yi and the others rested their massive bodies on several carved-out platforms at the highest point.

Those hundred-year soul beasts were scattered on lower rock walls or thick, ancient trees, constructing their own dwellings and forming a well-arranged defensive perimeter.

The thin Poison Miasma in the air was nothing to their formidable physiques; instead, it formed a natural barrier, blocking many soul beasts of insufficient strength and humans who might accidentally wander in.

The low beast roars occasionally heard from deep in the forest were more like background noise declaring sovereignty over this territory.

"Woo--" Yu Yi let out a long, low cry, its sharp gaze scanning the perimeter of the territory.

Xiao Yu nodded slightly, his mental intent responding to Yu Yi's alert report.

He could perceive that several powerful auras were lingering and probing at the edge of the territory; those were the original ten-thousand-year soul beast overlords of the Sunset Forest.

They were full of vigilance and hostility toward the arrival of their new neighbors, but upon sensing the ten-thousand-year pressure radiating from Yu Yi and the others—which was equally formidable and carried the lingering charm of ice and fire—as well as Xiao Yu's unfathomable, mountain-like heavy aura, these probes turned into cautious observation, and there were no signs of conflict breaking out for the time being.

"Maintain the deterrence for now," Xiao Yu conveyed the command. "Our goal is to recuperate and accumulate strength; there is no need to provoke them actively."

He withdrew his gaze and landed on his massive claws.

The injuries from clashing head-on with Bone Douluo Gu Rong had long since recovered under his powerful self-healing ability and abundant soul power, but the terrifying gap in strength he had felt in that instant was branded in his heart like a scar.

A level 95 Super Douluo, combined with the amplification of the world's number one support, was far more powerful than he had imagined.

If he hadn't used the Aromatic Silk Beauty as a risky gambit to break the deadlock, the consequences would have been unimaginable.