The Imperial Decree Arrives, Heading to Tiandou City!

It had been five full days since that Yu Xiaogang, who called himself a "Grandmaster," fled the royal manor in disgrace.

Early this morning.

"Rumble--!"

A series of vibrations suddenly erupted from the main road outside the city.

The guards on the city walls poked their heads out in terror, following the direction of the road toward the horizon.

The next second, everyone's pupils contracted violently.

On the distant horizon, a dazzling golden torrent had appeared!

It was a heavy cavalry unit of five hundred men! Every single one of them was clad in brilliant, gleaming gold armor, and they were all mounted on "Sky Moon Dragon Colt" warhorses, elite steeds that possessed a trace of dragon-type soul beast bloodline.

At the very front of the formation, a massive, ornate flag fluttered in the wind, embroidered with a golden thread depicting a swan spreading its wings to soar!

"Heaven Dou Royal Knights! It's the Heaven Dou Royal Knights!"

The city garrison commander let out a shrill, panicked cry, his legs turning to jelly as he nearly collapsed to the ground.

As the most elite ace legion of the Heaven Dou Empire, directly under the command of Emperor Xue Ye, every mobilization of the Heaven Dou Royal Knights signified the highest will of the empire! How could they have suddenly descended upon the remote Falake city?!

"Quick! Open the city gates! Send someone to the royal manor to inform His Majesty immediately!"

In an instant, the entire Falake city was thrown into chaos. Countless commoners and nobles stood on both sides of the streets, watching in awe as this golden cavalry, appearing like gods descending from the heavens, thundered into the city and galloped straight toward the Falake royal manor.

Outside the guest hall of the Falake royal manor.

Xue Lang had received the report long ago and was waiting in a respectful line outside the main gate with Queen Gao Nianzhen, Crown Prince Xue Yao, and all the manor's ministers and guards.

"Whoa--"

Following the uniform sound of reins being pulled, the five hundred royal knights came to a synchronized halt.

The formation split down the middle, and a middle-aged general clad in purple-gold armor, his aura as deep as an abyss, dismounted.

On his chest, he wore the Seven Sword Badge, symbolizing a powerhouse at the Soul Saint level!

Beside him followed a court envoy dressed in magnificent court robes, holding a bright yellow silk scroll.

"King of Falake, Xue Lang, along with his family, welcomes the Imperial Envoy!"

Xue Lang took a deep breath and bowed slightly. Although he was a king, he remained a subject in the presence of an envoy representing the Emperor of Heaven Dou.

The envoy wore a spring-like smile and stepped forward to support Xue Lang. "Brother Xue Lang, you have raised a good son! His Majesty is absolutely delighted this time!"

With that, the envoy's expression turned solemn. He stepped back half a pace and held high the scroll representing the highest authority of the empire.

"An edict from the Emperor of Heaven Dou!"

Whoosh--

Except for Xue Yao, everyone in front of the manor, including King Xue Lang, knelt on one knee with solemn expressions.

Xue Yao widened his eyes, watching this scene with curiosity, while the Little Griffin on his shoulder curiously examined the golden-armored knights.

The envoy noticed Xue Yao standing, but instead of taking offense, a hint of a smile appeared in his eyes. He cleared his throat and read aloud:

"By the grace of the heavens, the Emperor decrees!"

"The royal branch, Falake Crown Prince Xue Yao, possesses peerless talent and has awakened Innate Full Soul Power. This is truly a blessing from the heavens upon our Heaven Dou Imperial Family, greatly prospering the national fortune of Heaven Dou!"

"My heart is greatly gratified! I hereby confer upon Xue Yao the title of 'Viscount Sky Wind' of the Empire! Bestowed with one Heaven Dou Purple Gold Medal!"

"Effective immediately, the Royal Knights are ordered to escort Viscount Sky Wind to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy for further study! He is exempt from all examinations and shall enter the highest-tier 'Heaven Dou Elite Class One' directly!"

"During his time at the academy, all simulated cultivation grounds shall be open to him without restriction. All cultivation resources, soul bone quotas, and living expenses shall be fully covered by the imperial treasury at the highest specifications! No one is permitted to interfere!"

"Thus it is decreed!"

When the envoy's high-pitched voice finished echoing over the manor, the entire area in front of the royal manor fell into a deathly silence that lasted for half a minute.

All the ministers of Falake stared in shock, their breathing ragged, their eyes red with envy!

A leap to the heavens!

This was true, peerless favor—a literal leap to the heavens!

A six-year-old viscount! Although it was an honorary title, it represented the absolute recognition of Emperor Xue Ye!

Even more terrifying were the subsequent rewards: direct entry into the highest elite class of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy! This was equivalent to skipping the Tianwei and Tianzhi levels, which ordinary students had to struggle for five or six years to reach!

And that phrase, "all resources covered by the national treasury," was domineering to the extreme! It meant that as long as Xue Yao needed it, even an extremely precious soul bone, the Heaven Dou Empire would not hesitate to bestow it upon him!

"Your subject, Xue Lang, accepts the decree on behalf of my son and offers my thanks! Long live the Emperor!"

Xue Lang's voice trembled with excitement as he respectfully received the imperial edict with both hands.

The envoy smiled, handed the scroll to Xue Lang, and walked quickly to Xue Yao, his face showing almost sycophantic flattery.

"Lord Viscount, after reading your martial soul awakening report, His Majesty said the word 'good' three times in a row! His Majesty laughed and said that our Heaven Dou Imperial Family finally has a top-tier assault-type genius capable of going head-to-head with the White Tiger martial soul of the Star Luo Imperial Family!"

Listening to the envoy, a knowing smirk tugged at the corner of Xue Yao's mouth.

He knew all too well why Emperor Xue Ye was so excited, even going so far as to spend a fortune to win him over.

The inherited Swan Martial Soul of the Heaven Dou Empire, while noble, is truly difficult to describe in terms of combat prowess. Facing the pressure from the Star Luo Empire's Hell White Tiger and the layers of oppression from Martial Soul Hall, the Heaven Dou royal family has always lacked a top-tier assault-type Martial Soul capable of serving as a stabilizing force.

Now, he, Xue Yao, has emerged with a Griffin Martial Soul that transcends all others, and he even carries the surname "Xue."

Xue Yao even suspects that if the Griffin could be inherited as stably as the White Tiger or the Hell Spirit Cat, Xue Ye would not hesitate to let the Griffin replace the Swan.

However, the Griffin of that time would certainly not be Xue Yao's Griffin; it would require generations of careful selection to cultivate a Griffin belonging to Heaven Dou.

"Please convey my gratitude for the Emperor's kindness."

Xue Yao nodded indifferently, his tone neither servile nor overbearing, sounding nothing like a six-year-old child. "I, too, look forward to the scenery of Tiandou City."

Three days later.

At the ten-mile pavilion outside Falake.

The massive Royal Knights had already assembled, and a luxurious purple-gold carriage pulled by four Wind Chasing Spirit Horse, which possessed the bloodline of wind-attribute soul beasts, sat quietly in the center of the formation.

Xue Lang and Gao Nianzhen stood before the carriage, watching their son, who was now dressed in a custom-tailored Heaven Dou noble outfit, their eyes filled with reluctance.

"Yao'er, Tiandou City is not like our Falake. The factions there are deeply intertwined. Although you are gifted, you are still young. In your actions, remember that being too rigid makes one prone to breaking..."

Gao Nianzhen's eyes were red as she fussed over her son's collar, rambling with instructions.

Xue Lang patted his son's shoulder and said in a deep voice, "Your mother is right, but not entirely. You are a peerless genius personally decreed by the Emperor of Heaven Dou. If anyone provokes you at the academy, hit them back hard! If anything happens, your father will cover for you!"

Listening to his parents' love, which differed in method but converged in intent, a trace of warmth finally flickered in the depths of Xue Yao's usually lazy and indifferent eyes.

He reached out his small hand and gently hugged his mother.

"Father, Mother. You don't need to worry about me."

Xue Yao let go and turned around, his deep gaze fixed on the distant north, where the center of power for the Heaven Dou Empire lay.

"In this world, the person who can make me suffer has likely not been born yet."

A confident arc tugged at the corners of his mouth, and the Little Griffin on his shoulder seemed to sense its master's intent, letting out a crisp, high-pitched cry.

"Just wait for me in peace at Falake."

"It won't be long before the name Xue Yao becomes the most insurmountable mountain in the entire Douluo Continent!"

With that, Xue Yao stopped lingering and nimbly boarded the purple-gold carriage that symbolized supreme glory.

"Depart--!"

The purple-gold armored general drew his sword and roared.

"Rumble!"

Five hundred Royal Knights whipped their horses in unison, guarding the luxurious carriage in the center. Hooves thundered, kicking up clouds of dust.

Under the reluctant gazes of the King and Queen of Falake, and the awe-filled stares of countless commoners.

This vast, golden torrent surged straight toward the heart of the Heaven Dou Empire.

Inside the carriage, Xue Yao leaned back on the soft fox-fur couch.

The Little Griffin lay comfortably on his lap, and the faint wind elements in the carriage formed a pleasant breeze, completely insulating him from the bumps and stuffiness outside.

"Heaven Dou Royal Academy, Heaven Dou Elite Class..."

Xue Yao narrowed his eyes.

"I hope those high-and-mighty noble geniuses don't disappoint me too much."