Five whole days had passed since Yu Xiaogang, the man who called himself "Grandmaster," had slunk away from the royal mansion.
Early that morning.
"Rumble—!"
A sudden tremor rolled in from the road outside the city.
The guards atop the city wall leaned out in alarm and looked toward the horizon, following the road.
The next second, everyone's pupils shrank.
A dazzling golden tide had appeared on the distant horizon!
It was a heavily armored cavalry of five hundred men! Every knight wore brilliant, gleaming golden armor, and every one of them rode a superb warhorse with a trace of dragon-type Soul Beast blood: the Sky Moon Dragon Colt.
At the head of the formation, a massive, magnificent banner fluttered in the wind. Embroidered on it in gold thread was a swan soaring with wings spread wide!
"The Heaven Dou Royal Knights! It's the Heaven Dou Royal Knights!"
The city's commanding officer cried out in a voice gone shrill. His legs gave way, and he nearly fell to his knees.
The Heaven Dou Royal Knights were the empire's most elite force, directly under the command of Emperor Xue Ye himself. Every time they were deployed, it represented the highest will of the imperial power! Why would they suddenly appear in the remote city of Farack?!
"Quick! Open the gates! Send someone to the royal mansion and inform His Majesty!"
Farack City erupted into chaos. Countless commoners and nobles lined both sides of the street, watching in awe as the golden cavalry thundered into the city like gods descending from the heavens, heading straight for the Farak Kingdom Mansion.
Outside the royal mansion's reception hall.
Xue Lang had received the news well in advance. He stood waiting in a respectful line outside the gates, accompanied by Queen Gao Nianzhen, the heir Xue Yao, and all the mansion's ministers and guards.
"Whoa—!"
At the sound of five hundred horses being reined in as one, the royal knights came to a tidy halt.
The formation parted down the middle, and a middle-aged general in purple-gold armor dismounted. His aura was deep as an abyss.
Pinned to his chest was a Seven Sword Badge, the symbol of a Soul Saint-level powerhouse!
Beside him stood a court envoy in a splendid robe, holding a scroll wrapped in bright yellow silk.
"Xue Lang, King of Farack, welcomes the imperial envoy on behalf of his family!"
Xue Lang drew a deep breath and bowed slightly. Though he was a king, he was still a subject before an envoy representing the Heaven Dou Emperor.
The envoy smiled warmly and hurried forward to offer Xue Lang a hand. "Brother Xue Lang, you've raised a fine son! His Majesty is absolutely delighted!"
With that, the envoy's expression turned solemn. He stepped back half a pace and raised the scroll, symbol of the empire's supreme authority, high in the air.
"By decree of the Heaven Dou Emperor!"
Rustle—
Everyone at the mansion gate except Xue Yao dropped to one knee, King Xue Lang among them, their faces grave.
Xue Yao stared wide-eyed at the scene, fascinated. Little Griffin perched on his shoulder, curiously eyeing the knights in golden armor.
The envoy noticed Xue Yao standing instead of kneeling, but rather than taking offense, he gave him a faintly amused look. Clearing his throat, he began to read aloud:
"By the mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees!"
"Xue Yao, heir of the imperial branch in Farack, possesses peerless talent and has awakened with Innate Full Soul Power. Heaven has truly blessed the Heaven Dou Imperial Family and brought prosperity to our empire!"
"I am greatly pleased! I hereby ennoble Xue Yao as an imperial 'Viscount Sky Wind' and bestow upon him one Heaven Dou Purple Gold Medal!"
"From this day forth, the Royal Knights shall escort Viscount Sky Wind to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy for his studies! He shall be exempt from all examinations and enter directly into the highest-level class, Heaven Dou Elite Class One!"
"During his time at the academy, all Mimicry Training Grounds shall be open to him without restriction. All cultivation resources, Soul Bone allocations, and living expenses shall be fully funded by the imperial treasury at the highest level! No one may interfere!"
"So decreed!"
After the envoy's booming voice faded over the royal mansion, a deathly silence settled over the entrance for a full half minute.
Every minister of Farack stared in shock, their breathing quick and their eyes practically bleeding with envy!
He had ascended to the heavens in a single step!
This was true, peerless favor—a single step straight to the heavens!
A viscount at six years old! Though it was only an honorary title, it represented Emperor Xue Ye's absolute approval!
Even more astonishing were the rewards that followed: direct entry into the highest elite class at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy! He would skip right past the ordinary students' five or six years of struggling through the Heavenly Subtle Level and Heavenly Supreme Level!
And the decree that "all resources will be covered by the imperial treasury" was more overbearing still! It meant that if Xue Yao needed something—even an incredibly precious Soul Bone—the Heaven Dou Empire would spare no expense to put it in his hands!
"This subject, Xue Lang, accepts the decree on behalf of my son and offers thanks! Long live the Emperor!"
Xue Lang's voice trembled with excitement as he accepted the imperial decree with both hands.
The envoy smiled as he handed the decree to Xue Lang, then hurried to Xue Yao. His face was full of almost obsequious flattery.
"Your Lordship, after reading your Martial Soul Awakening report, the Emperor said 'good' three times in a row! He laughed and said that at last, the Heaven Dou Imperial Family has a top-tier Power Attack System genius who can stand up to the White Tiger Martial Soul of the Star Luo Imperial Family!"
Listening to the envoy, Xue Yao's lips curled in an understanding smile.
He knew exactly why Emperor Xue Ye was so excited and why he was sparing no expense to win him over.
The Heaven Dou Imperial Family's inherited Martial Soul, the Swan, was noble, but its combat prowess left much to be desired. Facing the Hell White Tiger of the Star Luo Empire and the relentless pressure of Spirit Hall, the Heaven Dou Imperial Family had always lacked a top-tier Power Attack System Martial Soul strong enough to serve as its anchor.
Now Xue Yao had appeared out of nowhere, bearing the Griffin Martial Soul, which surpassed all others—and he carried the surname Xue.
Xue Yao even suspected that if the Griffin could be passed down as reliably as the White Tiger and the Hell Spirit Cat, Xue Ye would replace the Swan with the Griffin without hesitation.
But any Griffin of that future generation would not be Xue Yao's Griffin. It would take several generations of careful selection to breed a Heaven Dou Griffin.
"Please convey my thanks to the Emperor for his favor."
Xue Yao nodded calmly, his tone neither servile nor arrogant, utterly unlike that of a six-year-old child. "I'm looking forward to seeing Heaven Dou City, too."
Three days later.
At the ten-mile pavilion outside Farack City.
The massive Royal Knights had assembled. At the center of the formation stood a lavish purple-gold carriage, pulled by four Wind Chasing Spirit Horses with wind-attribute Soul Beast bloodlines.
Xue Lang and Gao Nianzhen stood in front of the carriage, gazing at their son, who had already changed into a tailored Heaven Dou noble's outfit. Their eyes brimmed with reluctance.
"Yao'er, Heaven Dou City is nothing like our Farack. The powers there are deeply rooted and tangled together. You may have extraordinary talent, but you're still young. Be careful not to go too far and snap like a brittle branch..."
Gao Nianzhen's eyes were red as she fussed over her son's collar, reminding him of one thing after another.
Xue Lang patted his son's shoulder and said gravely, "Your mother is right, but not entirely. You're a peerless genius personally ennobled by the Heaven Dou Emperor. If anyone at the academy provokes you, hit them hard! If anything happens, your father will handle it!"
Hearing the very different yet ultimately kind concern of his parents, a trace of warmth finally flickered in Xue Yao's usually lazy, indifferent eyes.
He reached out his little hand and gave his mother a gentle hug.
"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 heart of the Heaven Dou Empire lay.
"In this world, whoever could make me suffer a loss probably hasn't been born yet."
His lips curved with confidence. Little Griffin, perched on his shoulder, seemed to sense his master's feelings and let out a clear cry.
"Just stay in Farack and wait for me."
"It won't be long before the name Xue Yao becomes the most insurmountable mountain on the entire Douluo Continent!"
With that, Xue Yao didn't linger. He nimbly climbed into the purple-gold carriage, a symbol of supreme honor.
"Set out—!"
The general in purple-gold armor drew the sword at his waist and roared.
"Rumble!"
The five hundred royal knights spurred their horses as one, surrounding the lavish carriage in the center. Hooves thundered and dust billowed into the sky.
As the king and queen of Farack watched with heavy hearts, and countless commoners looked on in awe,
the mighty golden tide surged straight toward the heart of the Heaven Dou Empire.
Inside the carriage, Xue Yao leaned against a soft fox-fur couch.
Little Griffin lay comfortably across his knees. Faint wind elements swirled around the carriage, forming a pleasant breeze and shutting out the jolts and heat from outside.
"Heaven Dou Royal Academy, Heaven Dou Elite Class..."
Xue Yao's eyes were half-lidded.
"I hope those high-and-mighty noble geniuses won't disappoint me too much."
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