Passing Through Nuoding City, Avoiding That Shit Stirrer

The Heaven Dou Royal Knights troop galloped along the official road.

Five days had passed since they left the Farack Kingdom.

The journey had been calm and uneventful.

Xue Yao leaned against the soft cushions, holding a wind-attribute crystal core in his hand, eyes closed as he silently absorbed the energy within.

Just then.

The carriage slowed down, eventually coming to a steady stop by the roadside.

"Lord Viscount, our supplies are running low. The scouts ahead report a city not far from here."

"I intend to lead the team into the city to purchase dry rations and fresh water, and to feed the horses some high-quality grain while we're at it."

Xue Yao opened his eyes.

He tossed the crystal core into his storage ring and lifted a corner of the carriage curtain.

"What city is ahead?"

"Reporting to you, my lord, it is a small city on the border of the Fasinuo Province. It is called Nuoding City."

Nuoding City.

Hearing these three words, Xue Yao's hand, which was holding the curtain, paused slightly.

His previously relaxed gaze instantly turned profound, even tinged with a hint of vigilance.

Nuoding City—he was all too familiar with this place.

This was the starter village where the original plot began.

Calculating the time, Tang San should have already enrolled.

That Yu Xiaogang, who was full of hot air and had been scolded to tears by him, was surely with him.

However, Xue Yao had absolutely no interest in that master-disciple pair.

A level 29 failure and a brat who had just awakened at level 10. If he ran into them now, Xue Yao could crush them both with one hand.

What truly gave him a headache.

Was the massive backer behind Tang San.

Clear Sky Douluo, Tang Hao!

Xue Yao lowered the curtain and leaned back against the cushions, his mind racing.

In Xue Yao's eyes, Tang Hao was an incredibly unreasonable "troublemaker."

This wasn't to belittle him, but Tang Hao simply didn't play by the rules.

Other Title Douluo would at least care about their reputation and respect status and conventions.

Not Tang Hao.

This protective, rough man only knew how to speak with his hammer.

In the original story, when Zhao Wuji, as a teacher, taught Tang San a lesson during the assessment, he was cornered in the woods and beaten into a pulp by Tang Hao that very night.

He hammered the Pope of the Martial Soul Hall whenever he felt like it.

A super Title Douluo of level 95 or higher who ignored all rules and could go berserk at any moment.

He absolutely could not afford to provoke him right now.

Xue Yao was very clear-headed.

He was currently a level 31 Soul Elder. With all his trump cards, he could instantly kill a 5,000-year-old Sub-Dragon.

He would even dare to challenge an ordinary Soul King.

But if he were to face Tang Hao's Clear Sky Hammer.

Never mind himself; even with these fifty fully armed Heaven Dou Royal Knights outside.

They probably wouldn't be able to withstand a single hammer strike from Tang Hao.

"A gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall."

Xue Yao recited silently in his heart.

He was a modern man who used his brain and valued logic.

Until he had absolute certainty of his own survival, the further he stayed away from such an unreasonable nuclear weapon, the better.

"Captain."

Xue Yao's voice drifted from the carriage. Through the curtain, it sounded cold and rigid.

"I am here, my lord!" The knight captain quickly stepped closer.

"Entering the city for supplies is fine. But I have three requirements."

"Please instruct me, my lord."

Xue Yao stared at the carriage door, speaking word by word.

"First. Once we enter the city, be quick. Buy only the essentials, do not haggle, and do not cause trouble. You must be out of the city within two hours."

"Second. Everyone maintain tactical formation. No one is allowed to leave the ranks to drink or seek amusement."

"Third, and most importantly."

"There is a place in this city called Nuoding Primary Soul Master Academy. Tell all the brothers: no one, absolutely no one, is allowed within a one-mile radius of that academy!"

"If anyone dares to be curious and go snooping around, or even just passes by."

"There will be no need to wait until we return to Tiandou City. I will cut off their head on the spot."

Outside the carriage window.

The captain of the knights shuddered, cold sweat instantly breaking out.

He could not understand it at all.

This Nuoding City was nothing more than a remote, impoverished backwater. That so-called primary academy could at most have a few Soul Grand Master level teachers.

Why would the Viscount treat it like a formidable enemy? Why issue such an extremely harsh, death-defying order?

But he dared not ask.

Having witnessed Xue Yao kill a Sub-Dragon in an instant and having received a heavy reward of Gold Soul Coin from him, these fifty knights were now absolutely obedient to Xue Yao's commands.

"Yes! This subordinate understands!"

"Whoever dares to step half a foot near that academy, this subordinate will personally cut him down!"

The captain of the knights acknowledged the order and turned to brief his men.

Half an hour later.

The Heaven Dou Royal Knights' procession slowly drove into Nuoding City.

This small city, where even a Soul Elder was rarely seen, had its eyes opened wide today.

Fifty cavalrymen clad in heavy silver armor. The aura of slaughter honed by years of training could be smelled from far away.

The city gate guards didn't even dare to ask questions, bowing low to let them pass.

The commoners on both sides of the street were so frightened they hid under the eaves, not daring to even breathe loudly.

Inside the carriage.

Xue Yao sat cross-legged on the soft couch.

He did not relax in the slightest.

From the moment they entered the city, he had kept his nerves taut.

He closed his eyes.

An extremely faint, yet incredibly keen cyan soul power drifted out silently through the gaps in the carriage.

He did not use his spiritual power to scan a large area.

A powerhouse of Tang Hao level was far too sensitive to spiritual perception. A slight scan would easily alert the other party.

Xue Yao used the wind.

He pushed his extreme affinity for wind elements to the limit.

He treated himself as a highly precise radar, sensing the airflow moving through the air of Nuoding City.

If it were ordinary people or low-level soul masters, the airflow around them would be smooth.

But if it were an extremely powerful high-level soul master.

No matter how well they hid, their massive foundation of soul power would be like a giant reef.

When the air flowed past them, it would inevitably create an extremely subtle, unusual stagnation or distortion.

Xue Yao was now searching for this "reef."

He sat quietly, his breathing extremely steady.

In his mind, the airflow model of the entire Nuoding City was being sketched out bit by bit.

"There is an airflow vortex on the west side of the city. The fluctuation is around level thirty. It should be the branch hall master of Martial Soul Hall."

"On the north side... there are a few fluctuations around level twenty. That should be the direction of Nuoding Primary Soul Master Academy."

Xue Yao silently analyzed the information he perceived.

He avoided the direction of Nuoding Primary Soul Master Academy, fearing he might trigger something he shouldn't.

Time passed bit by bit.

The royal knights outside were quick and efficient.

They bought out the entire stock of several grain shops, paying with extreme readiness.

The entire process occurred without a single conflict.