After leaving the dean's office, Long Jinyu did not hesitate. He turned toward the medical district on the east side of the Medical Pavilion.
As he passed through the corridors, the scent of disinfectant mingled with the bitter fragrance of medicinal herbs.
The nurses along the way stopped their carts, and the young physicians looked up from their medical records. Whenever their eyes fell on him, they showed an almost reverent respect.
"Dean Long."
He smiled in response without breaking stride. These silent greetings weighed more heavily on him than any raucous cheers.
First, he entered the small courtyard where Yan Rong and Huang Yue were recuperating.
The two elders were playing chess beneath an ancient tree. When they saw him, Yan Rong sprang up from the board and boomed, "Dean, what brings you here?"
He flexed the arm that had once been gravely injured. The wound, deep enough to expose the bone, had now healed into nothing more than a faint pink scar.
Huang Yue carefully put the pieces back into their box. Her movements were gentle, and when she raised her eyes, a knowing smile touched them. "There are so many affairs to handle in the Pavilion, Dean. You should be resting more."
Long Jinyu hurried over and stopped before the stone table. He bowed solemnly. "Elder Yan, Elder Huang, the fierce battle the other day could not have been won without you holding the line and keeping our powerful enemies at bay. That is what allowed the Medical Pavilion to remain unharmed. I, Jin Yu, thank you both!"
Huang Yue quickly reached out as if to support him and smiled gently. "Dean, you give us too much credit. Protecting the Medical Pavilion is simply our duty as husband and wife. You, on the other hand, drove back the wicked and relieved the crisis facing Shrek City. You are the one who truly deserves the credit."
"Exactly."
Yan Rong chimed in, looking at Long Jinyu with eyes full of admiration. "Dean, your divine might has earned my respect. It's just..."
He changed tack, concern in his voice. "Have you fully recovered? You expended so much energy. You mustn't leave yourself with any hidden injuries."
"Thank you both for your concern. I'm fine now."
Warmth welled up in Long Jinyu's heart. Then an apologetic look crossed his face. "When all is said and done, this disaster began because of me. I dragged you both into it and left the entire Medical Pavilion in danger. I truly can't put my mind at ease."
Yan Rong waved a broad hand and spoke with hearty conviction. "Dean, don't say that! Evil Soul Masters are the enemy of the entire continent. If they dare come, then we dare fight! It's my honor to help shoulder your burden!" Huang Yue nodded lightly, her gaze resolute.
"Elder Yan... you're right."
Long Jinyu readily accepted his words, then turned his hand and produced two jade bottles, setting them on the stone table. "These are Dragon Blood Heaven-Returning Pills. They can help strengthen your foundations and restore your vitality. I hope you won't refuse them."
The jade bottles were translucent, and the pills within seemed to shimmer with a hazy, blood-red radiance. Yan Rong and Huang Yue exchanged a glance, both seeing the shock in the other's eyes. These were far more than a mere "small tonic." The thought behind this gift was worth much more than the pills themselves.
"This..."
"Please accept them." Long Jinyu's tone was warm, yet allowed no refusal. "The pillars of the Medical Pavilion can't afford even the slightest mishap."
After a few more pleasantries, he confirmed that the two elders had mostly recovered and only needed to rest. Then Long Jinyu took his leave and headed for the Yanhuang Guard's encampment.
Compared to the elders' quiet courtyard, the Yanhuang Guard's camp was much livelier.
Before he even drew close, he heard shouts and the sharp whistle of weapons slicing through the air from the training grounds. Those with minor injuries were already sweating through their training, while many of the seriously wounded watched from the sidelines.
The moment they saw him, every sound stopped.
"Dean!"
"My lord!"
They called him different things, but their reverence was one and the same.
Liu Tao hurried over after hearing he had arrived and accompanied him. Long Jinyu's gaze softened as he looked across the training ground. He saw several familiar faces, along with a few wounded team members wrapped in bandages, their auras somewhat weakened.
He walked up to a tall team member whose arm was still slung across his chest and called him by name. "Zhu Zetao, I remember you. During the last Evil Soul Master attack, you held off two Soul Saints by yourself."
The man named Zhu Zetao shuddered. His face flushed with excitement as he straightened his chest. "Yes, Dean! It was... it was only my duty!"
Long Jinyu patted his uninjured shoulder, quietly sending a stream of pure, gentle life energy into him to speed the healing of his wound. "Well done. The Medical Pavilion is proud of you."
He moved on to several other team members with more serious injuries. Without saying much, he simply reached out and gently placed a hand on each of their wounds.
A soft green light shimmered. This was not the large-scale Dragon Bath Spring Rain, but a precise and highly efficient infusion of life energy. The wounded felt warmth flow through their limbs and bodies. The pain and stiffness in their injuries quickly faded, and their spirits lifted along with them.
"Thank you, Dean!"
"I feel much better!"
Grateful voices rang out one after another.
Long Jinyu looked at all the members of the Yanhuang Guard. His clear voice carried across the entire training ground. "In the battle the other day, you fought fearlessly and held back powerful enemies, protecting the peace of my Medical Pavilion. I, Long Jinyu, will remember it! Everyone who fought will receive double contribution points, and the wounded will receive additional compensation! From now on, my Nine-Colored Dragon Valley will never let down a single brother who has shed blood and sweat!"
There were no grand flourishes, only the most solid of promises.
The training ground fell silent. Then someone struck his chest, the dull thump ringing out. One after another, everyone did the same.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
There were no cheers or slogans. This synchronized salute of pounding chests was a soldier's highest expression of respect and his solemn oath.
Only after reassuring them all did Long Jinyu turn to Liu Tao and ask, "Where's Senior Xiaotao?"
"Miss Ma went to visit Miss Tang Ya earlier. She should be taking a walk beside the lotus pond in the back courtyard right now."
He turned and left. Behind him, those silent, fervent gazes lingered for a long time.
Passing through the moon gate, he found the lotus pond in the back courtyard resting beneath the afterglow of the setting sun.
Ma Xiaotao stood with her back to him at the end of a winding covered walkway. Her fiery red hair stirred gently in the evening breeze as she watched the koi frolicking in the pond. Her figure seemed to hold a rare serenity.
He was about to approach when his brow suddenly twitched. He sensed a familiar, powerful aura rising from deep within the Medical Pavilion and rapidly drawing nearer.
The next moment, the space at the courtyard entrance seemed to warp slightly, and a figure appeared out of thin air.
It was Tuoba Xi!
He looked like a completely different person from before. His frame seemed even taller and more imposing, and his aura was as vast as the ocean, unfathomable in its depths.
His presence, once merely formidable, now carried a glorious, sacred quality, accompanied by the faint sound of dragon roars.
It was more than mere strength. There was an air of bloodline-born nobility and authority about him, making the surrounding air tremble and the light itself seem brighter.
His gaze instantly fixed on Long Jinyu, and he strode toward him. With every step, his aura drew in. By the time he reached a point three zhang away, that oppressive force had completely receded, leaving only a profound stillness, like an unfathomable abyss or a towering mountain.
He dropped to one knee and bowed his head. His voice was steady and powerful, filled with sincere reverence:
"Tuoba Xi thanks the young lord for his gift! I am fortunate not to have failed you. I have completed my breakthrough and emerged from seclusion!"
Not far away, Ma Xiaotao had also been drawn by the commotion. She abruptly turned around.
Feeling the pressure emanating from Tuoba Xi, far beyond that of an ordinary Titled Douluo, a trace of alarm flashed in her phoenix eyes.
When her gaze fell upon his utterly respectful, almost devout posture, she looked at Long Jinyu's back with even more complicated emotions.
Long Jinyu looked at Tuoba Xi, who had been reborn from the ground up, and sensed the surging Soul Power within him. He seemed to have firmly reached the threshold of Rank 95. Long Jinyu nodded slightly, signaling for Tuoba Xi to rise.
"Very good. It seems you've begun to adapt to the power of this era."
Then he suddenly changed tack and asked, "Elder Tuoba, if I remember correctly, your Martial Soul used to be the White Armored Earth Dragon?"
Tuoba Xi answered at once, his voice filled with barely restrained excitement and gratitude. "The young lord remembers correctly! It was indeed the White Armored Earth Dragon! Thanks to your great fortune and the sacred treasure you bestowed, my Martial Soul has evolved. It is now the Platinum Holy Dragon!"
As he spoke, a pure dragon Wei infused with a sacred aura naturally escaped him. Though it was instantly withdrawn, it had already revealed how extraordinary he was.
"The Platinum Holy Dragon... excellent."
A trace of approval flashed through Long Jinyu's eyes. Then his expression grew distant. "Now that your Martial Soul has become a true dragon, your travels will have another destination and another responsibility."
His gaze swept toward the distance, as if he could see the continent's map. "Within the borders of the Heaven Dou Empire are two great dragon clans. One is the Heavenly Dragon Gate, whose members mostly have true-dragon Martial Souls and pure bloodlines, and who are extremely proud of their heritage. The other is the Earth Dragon Gate, whose members mainly have Martial Souls belonging to the lesser dragon and earth dragon classes. Their foundations are no less impressive."
He looked at Tuoba Xi, his tone calm but laden with meaning. "As the master of the Holy Dragon Sect, your understanding of dragon-type Martial Souls is far beyond that of ordinary people. Ten thousand years have passed; the seas have changed, and bloodlines are difficult to trace. While traveling, why not visit the areas around those two sects and make contact with them? Perhaps... you may even find descendants who share your bloodline."
At his words, Tuoba Xi's eyes blazed. The enormous excitement and gratitude that followed quickly overwhelmed him.
He had thought his sect had long since been wiped out completely. He never expected the young lord to have considered even this deepest wish in his heart! This kindness and recognition moved him far more than any gift of power ever could.
He abruptly cupped his fists. His voice trembled slightly with emotion. "Young lord... I... I thank you for your boundless kindness! I, Tuoba Xi, will never forget it, not for all eternity!"
Long Jinyu gave him one final reminder. "All right. Remember: observe more, listen more, and think more. A month from now, I'll be here, waiting for you to bring back a true picture of the world—and... your answer."
"This subordinate will not fail the young lord!" Tuoba Xi bowed solemnly once more, his gaze as firm as iron.
Only then did Long Jinyu turn and walk toward Ma Xiaotao, who had been standing quietly beneath the covered walkway.
Tuoba Xi watched him leave. Only after his figure vanished did he slowly straighten up and gaze toward the Heaven Dou Empire. The soaring battle spirit of the Platinum Holy Dragon and the heavy burden of the mission he carried mingled in his chest.
He did not linger. With a flash, he transformed into a streak of light and quietly left the Medical Pavilion, merging into the vast, unknown new world.
Before you continue