Over the next week, Xue Yao didn't go anywhere.
He stayed quietly in Farack Royal Palace.
Every day, he accompanied his mother, Gao Nianzhen, on strolls through the imperial gardens, or went to the study to watch his father, Xue Lang, review memorials.
During those few days, he completely let go of the disguise he'd worn in Heaven Dou City, always ready to scheme against others.
He ate when he was hungry and slept when he was tired.
Like any ordinary eight-year-old boy, he enjoyed the rare warmth of family life.
Xue Lang and Gao Nianzhen were so happy they could hardly stop smiling.
Their son was a peerless prodigy who could take on a five-thousand-year-old Sub-Dragon alone. Though the matter had become a top secret, the pride in the couple's hearts was impossible to hide.
They wished more than anything that Xue Yao would stay home a little longer.
But happy days always flew by.
Before they knew it, the night before his departure had arrived.
In Xue Yao's bedchamber,
the lights shone bright.
Gao Nianzhen was helping Xue Yao pack. There wasn't much to pack, really, since most of his things were in his storage ring.
But mothers always felt that something had been left behind. She folded his clothes neatly, one by one, all the while giving him reminders.
Xue Lang sat nearby, watching the mother and son with a beaming smile.
"Dad, Mom."
Xue Yao walked over to the desk. He opened a drawer and took out two thick booklets.
He'd spent the last few nights staying up late to write them.
They were handwritten, and the ink was still fresh.
Xue Yao went over and handed the booklets to his parents.
"What are these?"
Xue Lang paused in surprise and took one of them.
Four large characters were written on the cover: Heart of the Lion King.
Gao Nianzhen curiously took the other one. It was titled Rhythm of the Wind.
Xue Yao pulled up a chair and sat down, then began to speak.
"These two booklets contain some Cultivation Insights I've compiled after spending two years immersed in the library at Heaven Dou Royal Academy."
In truth, these weren't theories from some academy at all.
They were practical insights he'd deduced bit by bit, combining the mechanics of top-tier skills from Kingdom of Locke with the laws of the Douluo Continent.
"Mom, your Martial Soul is the Golden Lion."
Xue Yao pointed to the booklet in Gao Nianzhen's hands.
"Heart of the Lion King records a special technique for exerting force, as well as a Soul Power circulation method for purifying your bloodline."
"You're a Soul Saint now. As long as you follow the circulation route in the booklet to regulate your Soul Power, I guarantee you'll reach the threshold of a Soul Douluo in three years at most."
Gao Nianzhen's eyes widened.
Three years? Reach the threshold of a Soul Douluo?
If anyone else had said that, she would've thought they were crazy.
But those words had come from her son. She'd seen with her own eyes how he'd used his Martial Soul outside his body to cut a Sub-Dragon into pieces.
Gao Nianzhen's eyes reddened. She hugged the booklet tightly to her chest.
"Good boy. Mom will train hard."
Xue Yao turned to Xue Lang.
"Dad, your Martial Soul is the Swan, a flying beast with wind affinity."
"Rhythm of the Wind explains how to sense the wind's slipstream and reduce drag. It even includes the framework for a Self-Created Soul Skill that I came up with."
"Though your talent isn't as good as Mom's, if you master this booklet, breaking through to Soul Saint won't be a problem at all."
Xue Lang held the booklet in both hands.
His hands trembled slightly.
He was nearly fifty and had only barely reached Soul King. He'd thought that was as far as he'd ever go.
But this parting gift from his son had pointed him straight toward a path to the heavens.
"Yao'er..."
Xue Lang drew a deep breath, suppressing the excitement in his heart.
"You've already given the family more than enough. Once you're in Heaven Dou City, don't worry about us. Just go all out and do what you need to do."
"Your father will hold down the fort here. Even if the sky falls, I'll hold it up for you."
Xue Yao smiled. Warmth filled his heart.
This was what family meant.
Half an hour later,
Xue Yao walked out of the bedchamber.
He was still holding a thin booklet of just a few pages.
He wandered over to the palace's rear garden.
Beneath the moonlight, a chubby old man sat beside a stone table, sipping tea and happily gnawing on a roast chicken.
It was Feng Cang.
"Elder Feng, enjoying yourself, are you?"
With both hands in his pockets, Xue Yao strolled over at an easy pace.
Feng Cang jumped at the sound of his voice.
Seeing that it was Xue Yao, he let out a breath of relief and motioned for him to sit.
Ever since witnessing Xue Yao single-handedly kill the Wind-Breath Dragon, the eighty-three-year-old Soul Douluo had stopped putting on airs around him.
"Yao'er, why aren't you resting yet?"
Feng Cang greeted him warmly.
Xue Yao walked over and sat beside the stone table.
"I'm returning to Heaven Dou City first thing tomorrow morning."
Xue Yao looked at Feng Cang, his tone turning serious.
"After I leave, the safety of the Farack Kingdom will depend entirely on you and the Feng Clan."
Feng Cang immediately thumped his chest.
"Don't worry, Yao'er."
"As long as this old man has one breath left in him, anyone who dares lay a finger on the Farack royal family will be torn apart by my hands!"
He meant every word.
In Feng Cang's eyes, Xue Yao was now the Feng Clan's only hope of rising to greatness. He'd protect the Farack royal family more zealously than he would his own son.
"That's all I needed to hear."
Xue Yao nodded.
He casually pushed the thin booklet toward Feng Cang.
"I don't have much to give you before I go."
"This contains some humble thoughts on how to circulate wind-attribute Soul Power, along with ideas for improving that Chain Slash skill of Xiaotian's."
"You've been stuck at Soul Douluo rank 83 for years. When you have nothing else to do, give it a read. It might give you some inspiration."
Feng Cang paused.
He glanced at the thin booklet on the table. It didn't even have a title on the cover; it was just a few pages stapled together.
Feng Cang began to wonder.
He was convinced by Xue Yao's combat talent and practical skills. The boy was a monster who could kill a five-thousand-year-old Sub-Dragon like a chicken.
But theoretical knowledge?
Feng Cang secretly shook his head.
He'd been cultivating wind-attribute Soul Power for nearly seventy years.
The flow of the wind, Soul Power compression—he'd mastered all of that long ago. Was there any wind theory left in this world that he didn't understand?
Yao'er was only eight. Even if he'd started reading in the womb, how many books could he have gotten through?
A child who'd honed his battle instincts to that degree couldn't possibly have had time to study profound, obscure fundamentals.
This was probably just something a kid had pieced together after reading a few books.
He'd thought it was impressive, so he'd brought it along as a gift.
"This is just a child's good intentions. I ought to humor him."
Feng Cang prepared himself mentally.
His face immediately broke into a brilliant smile.
He picked up the booklet with both hands, treating it with the utmost respect.
"All right, I'll take it!"
Feng Cang's tone was wildly exaggerated.
"Cultivation Insights personally written by the Heaven Dou Young Lion? It's absolutely priceless!"
"Don't worry. Once I get back, I'll put it on display. I'll read it three times every morning and evening, and I won't let Yao'er's kind effort go to waste!"
His words were sweeter than a song.
But his actions told a different story.
Feng Cang didn't even bother to open it and look at the cover.
With a flick of his wrist, he stuffed the booklet into the farthest corner of his storage ring.
He tossed it in with a pile of odds and ends.
Xue Yao saw every glance and gesture Feng Cang made.
But he said nothing.
He simply lifted the teacup from the table and took a gentle sip, the corner of his mouth curling into an amused smile.
Read it or don't. It's up to you.
One day, when you're stuck at a bottleneck and have no other options, you might remember it and take a look.
I hope your heart's strong enough not to give out from the shock.
This was something that pointed straight to the source of the wind element's laws. In this world, it was the Divine Skill Compendium.
"All right, Elder Feng. Enjoy the rest of your meal."
Xue Yao put down his teacup and stood.
"I should head back to bed, too. We've got a long journey tomorrow."
"Go on, get back!"
Feng Cang smiled as he saw him off.
Once Xue Yao had left, Feng Cang touched his storage ring and shook his head with a laugh.
"Still just a child, after all. Even a genius can be naive. He thinks he can teach a Soul Douluo how to use the wind."
Feng Cang picked up the half-eaten roast chicken from the table and happily resumed eating.
The booklet he'd dismissed as a "child playing pretend" was promptly forgotten.
The next morning,
the sky had barely begun to brighten. Outside the gates of Farack City,
the Heaven Dou Royal Knights had already assembled.
Fifty knights in heavy armor sat astride their horses, looking imposing.
The luxurious purple-gold carriage stood in the center of the formation.
Xue Lang and Gao Nianzhen accompanied Xue Yao all the way to the city gates.
Gao Nianzhen's eyes were a little red. She clearly hadn't slept well the night before.
She straightened Xue Yao's collar.
"Yao'er, take care of yourself out there. Don't charge headfirst into danger. Staying alive is what matters."
"I know, Mom. You should head back. It's windy."
Xue Yao replied with a smile.
Xue Lang came over and gave Xue Yao's shoulder a firm pat.
"Go on. Heaven Dou City is where you belong."
"Remember, the Farack Kingdom will always be your home."
Xue Yao nodded.
He said no more. Turning around, he nimbly stepped onto the carriage.
The door closed.
The knight captain drew his sword and raised it high.
"Set out!"
Whips cracked.
Warhorses neighed.
The wheels rolled over the bluestone pavement with a dull rumble.
The grand procession headed north along the broad official road, galloping toward Heaven Dou City beneath the rising sun.
Inside the carriage,
Xue Yao leaned against the soft cushions.
Little Griffin lay across his legs, snoring.
Through the carriage window, Xue Yao watched Farack City gradually recede into the distance. His gaze slowly grew profound.
A rank-31 Soul Elder, with several self-created divine skills and three abnormal Soul Rings.
He was no longer the six-year-old child who'd had to swallow his pride and hold back at every turn.
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