Looking at Su Yuntao before him, Yang Wudi could hardly believe that any of this was real.
After a long while, Su Yuntao spoke. "Clan Chief Yang, I think you should understand now that this definitely isn't a trap set by Spirit Hall."
Yang Wudi let out a long breath, barely managing to suppress the shock in his heart.
"Indeed. If I were Bibi Dong, I'd never let a genius like you risk coming here."
Su Yuntao smiled. "Clan Chief Yang certainly has a keen eye."
Yang Wudi poured himself a cup of tea and drained it in one go. "Young friend Su, I truly don't know how you cultivated. After meeting you, I've realized that all these years of mine have been wasted!"
Su Yuntao said slowly, "Clan Chief Yang, my cultivation speed actually wasn't this fast. The reason I've reached Soul King rank at my age is that I relied on outside help."
"Outside help!" A gleam flashed in Yang Wudi's eyes. "Could it be that you took an Immortal Herb? Is that how you reached Soul King rank at such a young age?"
"Clan Chief Yang truly has a sharp eye. I did take an Immortal Herb—and more than one, at that. That's why I've been able to reach Soul King rank."
"An Immortal Herb! And more than one!" Yang Wudi hurriedly asked, "Could it be that you discovered a treasure trove on earth?"
Su Yuntao wanted to cover his face. It really was a bad idea to speak too quickly. With Yang Wudi's worldly experience and extensive knowledge of medicinal herbs, he'd extracted all that information from a single sentence.
"Ahem." Su Yuntao cleared his throat and said seriously, "Clan Chief Yang, your two doubts should be cleared up now, right?"
Yang Wudi nodded slightly. "Young friend Su, I now believe that you aren't with Spirit Hall, and that you really do know where to find the Aromatic Silk Beauty."
"Since that's settled, let's set out for the Heaven Dou Empire. As long as Clan Chief Yang can cure Dugu Bo's poison, the Aromatic Silk Beauty will surely be yours."
Yang Wudi hurriedly said, "Young friend Su, I still have one question. Do you know the true use of the Aromatic Silk Beauty?"
Su Yuntao replied calmly, "The Aromatic Silk Beauty grants immunity to all poisons. With it, you can neutralize any poison."
Yang Wudi's expression turned grave. "If that's so, why not simply give the Aromatic Silk Beauty to Dugu Bo?"
Su Yuntao said solemnly, "Clan Chief Yang, I know that one Aromatic Silk Beauty could save Dugu Bo, and even this generation of the Jade Phosphor Snake Family. But it can't save their family for generations to come!"
"Compared to the Aromatic Silk Beauty, what they need more is a prescription—a prescription that can free the Jade Phosphor Snake Family from their suffering forever!"
Yang Wudi nodded solemnly, but then asked in confusion, "Young friend Su, what is your relationship with Dugu Bo that you'd go to such lengths to help him?"
Su Yuntao replied slowly, "All I can say is that I owe him a great debt. I'm doing all this to repay it."
Yang Wudi still had questions, but he didn't voice them. He'd clearly realized he was asking too many.
Two carriages set out from the gates of the Breaking Clan. They would travel northwest around the Star Dou Great Forest, then turn northeast.
The route was extremely long, and far less convenient than the other one. But the main road passed near Spirit City, so Yang Wudi had naturally chosen to take the detour.
After a dusty journey, Su Yuntao and Yang Wudi finally arrived in the Heaven Dou Empire's capital, Heaven Dou City, two days later.
Su Yuntao didn't enter the city. Instead, he headed toward a mountain beside Heaven Dou City.
"Young friend Su, what do you mean by this?" Yang Wudi asked.
"Nothing in particular. We just have to go to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy first."
"The Heaven Dou Royal Academy?" Yang Wudi looked puzzled. "Could Dugu Bo have time to teach there?"
"No." Su Yuntao waved a hand. "We're going to find his granddaughter, Dugu Yan."
"Young friend Su, why not go straight to Dugu Bo? What do we need his granddaughter for?"
Su Yuntao looked perfectly composed. "Naturally, she'll take us to him."
Yang Wudi stood there, dumbfounded. He touched his face, realizing that this really was happening.
"Young friend Su, what did you just say?" Yang Wudi asked uncertainly.
Su Yuntao kept a blank expression. As long as he wasn't embarrassed, someone else would be.
"I said his granddaughter would take us to him."
Yang Wudi stared at him in disbelief. "Young friend Su, are you joking? You're so close to Dugu Bo, and you owe him a great debt. How could you not know where he is?"
Su Yuntao waved a hand. "I really don't know where he is. To be honest, I've never even met him."
Yang Wudi gaped. He realized that this little Soul King, Su Yuntao, always found one way or another to leave him, a Soul Douluo, bewildered.
"Enough, Clan Chief Yang. Let's take care of the matter at hand first."
Yang Wudi said gravely, "Young friend Su, you don't even know Dugu Bo. How am I supposed to believe anything you've said?"
Su Yuntao smiled. "Clan Chief Yang, many things seem incredible at first, but are actually real. Sometimes, reality doesn't need to make sense."
Yang Wudi considered this, a thoughtful look in his eyes as he weighed the possibilities.
"Come now, Clan Chief Yang. You're a Soul Douluo. Are you really afraid I'll go back on my word with you by my side?"
Yang Wudi felt reassured. The truth was, he held the upper hand in this matter. If all else failed, he could simply demand his payment halfway through curing Dugu Bo.
Who would dare refuse to pay the bill while lying on the operating table?
Yang Wudi was confident that as long as Su Yuntao had the Aromatic Silk Beauty, he could get his hands on it!
The Heaven Dou Royal Academy was only about twenty kilometers from Heaven Dou City.
With mountains and a lake, nestled against the hills and beside the water, the Heaven Dou Royal Academy was nominally the Heaven Dou Empire's foremost Soul Master Academy. In terms of both size and surroundings, it was among the very best on the Douluo Continent.
The buildings of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy covered dozens of hectares. Besides its hundreds of students and teachers, several thousand ordinary people worked to serve them.
What's more, to protect the Imperial Academy, the Heaven Dou Royal Academy had an army of around fifty thousand soldiers stationed not far away.
The Heaven Dou Royal Academy had every facility one could need. Even the vast mountain range behind it was under the academy's jurisdiction, providing a place for students to train.
Unfortunately, the atmosphere within the academy was far inferior to that of its counterpart, the Star Luo Royal Academy. At the Star Luo Royal Academy, strength was the sole measure of worth. Even the Star Luo Empire's throne was inherited through fraternal slaughter, with strength above all else. Compared to the Star Luo Royal Academy, the Heaven Dou Royal Academy simply fell far short.
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