A Month Later

High above Sunset Forest, six enormous figures hovered in the sky.

Xiao Yu looked down at the land below, a wilder place than the Royal Soul Beast Forest, concealing more unknowns and Poison Miasma.

The thin poisonous fog in the air posed no threat to him or Yu Yi and the others, with their powerful physiques.

"Aw—!" Xiao Yu let out a clear, long cry, proclaiming his territory. The sound rolled across the forest, startling countless birds into flight.

Yu Yi and the others answered with cries of their own. The pressure of the Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts spread without restraint, sweeping through the forest like an invisible tide.

Deep in the forest, Soul Beasts of every kind began to shriek and roar, their cries brimming with wariness and unease—and even submission.

Xiao Yu could clearly sense the auras of countless Soul Beasts below, among them no shortage of powerful Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts.

He slowly descended onto a high cliff with a clear view of the surroundings. This was a central part of Sunset Forest, far from the human activity near its outskirts, where the Poison Miasma was also relatively thin.

"Yu Yi, lead everyone and clear a safe area around this spot," Xiao Yu instructed through their mental link.

Yu Yi nodded, accepting the command. His sharp eyes swept across the surroundings as he let out a rapid series of calls.

Yu Er through Yu Wu immediately spread their wings and flew off, driving away any threatening Soul Beasts near the cliff and clearing away thorny vines with their sharp claws and beaks.

The Hundred-Year winged Soul Beasts that had followed them also joined in, helping clear the area and keep watch. Instinctively, they gathered around Xiao Yu, forming the beginnings of a clan.

Xiao Yu folded his wings and landed on a boulder.

As he took in the quiet around him, he thought to himself, I hope this peace can last a little longer.

A month slipped by.

Heaven Dou City, the capital of the Heaven Dou Empire, was still bustling with people and traffic.

Shops lined both sides of the broad main roads. Vendors hawked their wares, carriage wheels rattled, and pedestrians chatted, blending into a lively symphony of city life.

The towering city walls stood tall. Guards in bright silver armor patrolled and stood watch with unflagging diligence, maintaining the appearance of order and authority.

Sunlight fell on the palace roofs covered in glazed tiles, glinting brilliantly, as if the terrifying incident a month ago—the one that had shaken the palace and stained the night sky with blood—had never happened.

The court had issued strict orders, suppressing all news of the "Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast's night raid on the palace" and "the deaths of the Fourth Prince Xue Beng and Prince Xue Xing."

And since ordinary people paid little attention to such matters, Heaven Dou City seemed much the same as ever on the surface.

Just then, several young people, dusty from the road, arrived at Heaven Dou City's southern gate.

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

"Whoa! This is Heaven Dou City? It's so much grander than Suotuo City!" exclaimed a sturdy, blond youth with heterochromatic eyes, hands on his hips as he took in the bustling crowds and magnificent buildings.

"Of course! This is the imperial capital! Fatty, look over there—those roast chickens smell amazing!" A youth with peach-blossom eyes and a slightly rounded build sniffed hard and pointed toward a food stall wafting with delicious aromas, calling out to a plump, red-haired youth beside him.

Ma Hongjun's eyes lit up, and he nearly drooled. "They smell incredible! Dean, can we—"

"Ahem!" A middle-aged man with crystal spectacles and a shrewd, merchant-like face cleared his throat sternly, then patted his empty wallet. "Looking is all you're doing! Things are expensive in Heaven Dou City, so save your money! Don't forget why we're here!"

Among the group, a gentle young woman in a blue dress hid a smile behind her hand, while a lively young woman with a long scorpion braid looked around excitedly.

A blue-clad youth with an ordinary face but calm eyes wore an expression of unruffled composure, tinged with awe.

At the front of the group, a middle-aged man with a rigid face and deep-set eyes said gravely, "All right, stop staring. Qin Ming, I'll be counting on you from here."

Another middle-aged man walked among them. His name was Qin Ming, and he was a Soul Emperor-level teacher at Heaven Dou Royal Academy. Seeing how his junior schoolmates were acting, he smiled faintly.

At the middle-aged man's words, Qin Ming nodded. "No problem. Everyone, come with me. I'll take you to meet the dean first."

This group was none other than the team from Shrek Academy. Their earlier battle with the Imperial Fighting Team had brought them into contact with its members.

Qin Ming was the Imperial Fighting Team's instructor, and he had once graduated from Shrek Academy himself. With this connection in place, the middle-aged man—Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang—had realized they could join Heaven Dou Royal Academy and secure a place in the Spirit Master Tournament.

After convincing Dean Flender, the group had set out for Heaven Dou City.

Meanwhile, deep in Sunset Forest, atop the cliff—

Xiao Yu folded his wings and looked down over the territory taking shape below.

Over the past month, thanks to Yu Yi and the others' tireless work and the help of the Hundred-Year winged Soul Beasts that had followed them, the area had begun to take shape.

The thorny vines had been cleared away, exposing solid rock. Several natural caves had been widened and reinforced, turning them into shelters from the wind and rain.

Yu Yi and the others rested on platforms they had carved out at the highest points, their huge bodies filling the spaces.

The Hundred-Year Soul Beasts were scattered across lower ledges and sturdy old trees, building their own nests and forming a well-organized defensive perimeter.

The thin Poison Miasma was no more than a trifle to their hardy bodies. Instead, it served as a natural barrier, keeping out many weaker Soul Beasts and any humans who might wander in by mistake.

The low roars that occasionally sounded from deep in the forest were more like background music, proclaiming the territory's claim to the land.

"Woo—" Yu Yi let out a long, low call, his sharp gaze sweeping over the territory's outskirts.

Xiao Yu nodded slightly, acknowledging Yu Yi's report through their mental link.

He could sense several powerful auras lingering at the edge of their territory, probing them. They belonged to the Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast rulers who already inhabited Sunset Forest.

They were wary and hostile toward their new neighbors, but when they sensed the equally formidable Ten-Thousand-Year pressure given off by Yu Yi and the others, tinged with lingering traces of ice and fire—

and felt Xiao Yu's unfathomable, mountain-heavy presence, their probing gave way to cautious observation. For the moment, there was no sign of a clash.

"Just keep them at bay for now," Xiao Yu ordered. "Our goal is to rest and build up our strength. There's no need to provoke them."

He drew his gaze back to his enormous claws.

His injuries from clashing head-on with Bone Douluo Gu Rong had long since healed, thanks to his powerful regenerative ability and abundant Soul Power. But the terrifying gap in strength he had felt in that instant was branded into his mind.

A Level 95 Super Douluo, bolstered by the strongest auxiliary master in the world, possessed strength far beyond anything he had imagined.

Had he not used the Aromatic Silk Beauty as a risky move to turn the tide, the consequences would have been unthinkable.