Departure, Nuoding City

The next morning, An unmarked, ordinary carriage sat outside Martial Soul City, with five figures standing beside it, conversing.

"Su Zhen, be extremely careful this time. The outside world is not like Martial Soul Hall; you must keep your guard up at all times."

Qian Daoliu looked at Su Zhen, who was dressed in a tight black outfit with his long hair tied into a ponytail, and gave his instructions with great care.

"I understand, Teacher. You've been saying this since we left the Worship Hall, all the way to the city gates. This disciple will keep it in mind."

Hearing Qian Daoliu's repetitive admonitions, Su Zhen felt a warmth in his heart. It had been six years, and this was the first time he had been away from his teacher for so long.

"Oh, Big Brother, stop lecturing already. With me here, it's impossible for Su Zhen to run into any trouble. Don't worry."

Guang Ling couldn't help but interject from the side.

Qian Daoliu glared at Guang Ling to silence him, then turned back to warn Su Zhen once more. "Su Zhen, this time your Fifth Elder is personally participating in your training, so I am at ease regarding your safety. However, do not become arrogant just because you have his protection. If I hear even the slightest rumor that you have tarnished the dignity of Martial Soul Hall, I will personally bring you back to the Worship Hall, and your training will end there."

"Yes, Teacher. I will strictly uphold the honor of our Martial Soul Hall."

"Teacher, we should be off. I have many things to accomplish on this journey."

Qian Daoliu stopped his nagging and waved his hand to signal their departure. Su Zhen turned and climbed into the carriage. When Guang Ling went to follow, he paused for a moment before stepping inside as if nothing were amiss.

The two Soul Douluo waiting nearby bowed slightly to Qian Daoliu once both had entered the carriage, then drove the vehicle away along the main road.

"Sigh, neither of these two little ones is easy to worry about. Come out now, Su Zhen is gone."

Qian Daoliu watched the carriage recede into the distance, shaking his head slightly before speaking to the empty space beside him.

Whoosh~

Five figures appeared on the open ground; they were the remaining elders of the Worship Hall.

"Su Zhen is leaving, and you didn't even come out to see him off? Is that any way for grandfathers to act?"

Qian Daoliu complained about their avoidance.

"Big Brother, such occasions are too sentimental. It wouldn't be appropriate for us old brutes to show up," came the deep, gravelly voice of Golden Crocodile.

"Indeed, Big Brother. It's better for us to just watch quietly from the shadows," the other elders chimed in one after another.

"Enough. I know you're all unhappy that I chose the Fifth Elder to accompany Su Zhen, but he possesses the strongest spiritual power among us besides myself. Having him protect Su Zhen is the safest choice."

The elders fell silent at these words, their gazes fixed on the road ahead.

"Big Brother, are we really letting Oscar tag along? He is only a Soul Elder, and a support-type at that," Azure Luan suddenly asked.

"A support-type shouldn't spend his whole life coddled in the Worship Hall, should he? Letting him go out and train with Su Zhen is a good thing. Besides, what do you think those two Soul Douluo I arranged are for?"

"Big Brother is truly as wise as a god."

"I only hope Su Zhen can grow as quickly as possible."

Qian Daoliu turned to look at the Angel Relief on the city gate, his expression solemn.

On the main road, inside the slowly moving carriage, Guang Ling was plucking grapes from a bunch and popping them into his mouth one by one.

"Those old fogies, too embarrassed to say goodbye. They only came out after you left. Honestly."

"What? Fifth Elder, the other grandfathers came to see me off?"

Su Zhen was surprised to hear this. He had specifically sought out the elders before leaving, only to be turned away under the guise of them being in seclusion. It seemed they simply couldn't handle the sorrow of parting.

"That's right. Those old guys were watching from the shadows, eyes brimming with tears as if they'd never see you again."

Su Zhen twitched his lips. He knew better than to take that at face value; one could only believe a third of what came out of Guang Ling's mouth. It was true that the elders had seen him off in secret, but whether they were as sentimental as Guang Ling claimed was another matter.

"Oh, Yang Fan, stop at the fork in the road ahead. There's a little guy waiting there."

"Yes, My Lord," replied one of the powerful Soul Douluo driving the carriage outside.

"A little guy? Fifth Elder, did Oscar sneak out?"

Hearing Guang Ling mention a "little guy," Su Zhen immediately guessed it was Oscar.

"Mm, that rebellious disciple snuck out before dawn. If Big Brother hadn't said anything, I would have dragged him back already," Guang Ling said indignantly, biting off the last grape.

As the carriage pulled to a stop at the junction, a boy emerged from behind a tree and scrambled into the carriage.

"Teacher, Brother Zhen, good morning! You're heading out too, right?"

Oscar entered the carriage and greeted the two men who were currently trying to kill him with their glares.

"Little Ao, didn't I tell you to stay in the Worship Hall and focus on your cultivation? Why did you sneak out?"

Su Zhen questioned Oscar, his tone tinged with slight anger.

"Brother Zhen, I want to go out and gain experience too. Staying in the Worship Hall is nothing but cultivation, it's so boring. Besides, I have strong combat power now and can definitely help you."

Seeing that he was about to enter the carriage, Oscar took a firm stance. After speaking, he didn't forget to lift his right leg, which radiated a scorching aura—it was clearly a spirit bone.

After returning from the last spirit beast hunt, Qian Daoliu decided that all spirit bones absorbed by Su Zhen must be at least seventy thousand years old, as anything less would limit his growth.

When Su Zhen first met the titled elders, the thirty-thousand-year right leg bone gifted by Lion was a bit too low in age. Qian Daoliu had consulted with Su Zhen, Oscar, Lion, and Guang Ling to transfer this spirit bone to Oscar instead. The result was obvious: everyone agreed. Lion felt a bit guilty, however, and insisted that he must be called upon to help with future spirit ring hunts, a request Su Zhen accepted.

This spirit bone gave Oscar another trump card for self-preservation and granted him a certain degree of combat capability. Absorbing the spirit bone also brought his Soul Power Level to forty. However, the elders considered his rapid rise in power—fueled entirely by spirit bones and Immortal Herbs—to be detrimental to his future growth, so they made him wait a few years before hunting for his next spirit ring, using the time to properly refine his Soul Power.

"Fine, if you want to follow, then follow. But you must listen to Xiao Zhen in everything and not act on your own."

At this moment, Guang Ling spoke, deciding Oscar's fate.

"Thank you, Teacher. I will definitely listen to Brother Zhen."

Oscar sat down next to Guang Ling with a grin, picked up a banana, peeled it, and handed it to Guang Ling.

Watching the scene before him, Su Zhen had no choice but to accept his fate, closing his eyes to begin meditation.

The carriage continued on its way, and the interior fell silent; Su Zhen cultivated while Oscar attended to Guang Ling's needs.

After traveling for three hours, the carriage stopped at a fork in the road.

"My Lord, young masters, where shall we go? The road on the left leads straight to Heaven Dou City, and the road on the right goes to the Fasinuo Province of the Heaven Dou Empire."

Yang Fan's voice drifted into the carriage, and Su Zhen opened his eyes, stopping his cultivation.

"Xiao Zhen, you decide where we go."

Guang Ling took a sip of tea and tossed the decision to Su Zhen; after all, this was his journey of experience.

Su Zhen thought for a moment. He had to go to Heaven Dou City eventually, as he could make many preparations there, but the Fasinuo Province also held certain opportunities.

"Go to Heaven Dou—no, first go to Nuoding City within the Fasinuo Province."

"Understood, Young Master."

Yang Fan turned the carriage and headed toward the Fasinuo Province on the right.