Finally Escaped the Devil's Claws

Time quickly passed, and two years later arrived.

Looking at Soto City before them, Du Hao and his group were practically on the verge of tears.

"Finally escaped that hellhole, finally free!!!" Du Hao knelt on the ground and roared in agony.

He struck a pose reminiscent of Andy Dufresne in The Shawshank Redemption.

Tang San, who had climbed down from the carriage alongside him, also took a deep breath, filled with emotion.

"The scent of freedom!"

Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu, who were the last to descend, looked at the two men as if they were lunatics.

"Xiao Wu, let's go. Don't mind these two crazy people." With that, Zhu Zhuqing led Xiao Wu toward the gates of Soto City.

She seemed to want no connection whatsoever with these two deranged individuals.

"San, we finally escaped that place." Du Hao grabbed Tang San, his face full of the relief of someone who had survived a catastrophe.

The things they had experienced over the past few years were unique even for a transmigrator.

The group of spirit masters he had hypnotized had spread like a plague, and now, everyone in Soto City was a comrade.

The city was a picture of harmony and friendship.

Except, that is, for the students at the school.

Ever since Soto City had been unified, the daily self-study sessions at school had lost their former ease and comfort, and even some elective classes had been converted into mandatory spirit knowledge studies.

Anyone unaware might have thought the Red Army had marched in and was carrying out a massive reform and innovation drive.

"Brother Hao, I feel like I never want to go back there again in my life, what do you think?" To be honest, Tang San was also on the verge of a breakdown.

The intense academic pressure was so cruel that even he, who had been forging iron since childhood, found it hard to bear.

Every day was nothing but studying this and then that, until his head felt like it was going to explode.

If heaven gave him two choices—one to stay in Soto City and one to attack Spirit Hall—Tang San would choose to attack Spirit Hall without a moment's hesitation. He wouldn't even blink!

"Alright, alright." Du Hao gently patted Tang San's back. "Everything is in the past. At worst, we'll just take a detour when we return to Holy Soul Village in the future."

"Mm." Tang San felt as aggrieved as a three-hundred-pound child. One could only imagine what he had endured over these years.

The shivering he had to endure in every class... the terrible food he had to eat every noon... the mountain of homework assigned every afternoon.

Anyone unaware might have thought they were at Hengshui No. 3 Middle School in the modern era; it was practically killing them.

"Alright, let's hurry into the city, or I'm afraid we'll be sleeping on the streets tonight." Du Hao glanced at the sky and felt it was getting quite late.

He immediately pushed Tang San toward the city gates.

He looked at the towering walls, the stones fitted so tightly together they seemed naturally formed.

As for the city gate, even in the late afternoon, the flow of traffic and people showed no signs of slowing down.

"Hey, hey, hey, hurry up, hurry up!!"

Not far away, Xiao Wu hopped and skipped, waving her hands to urge the two men to speed up.

"Coming, coming, don't be impatient."

Once the two caught up, Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing entered the city together. The lively rabbit hopped toward a nearby vendor.

Before long, Xiao Wu came hopping back, only this time she held two candied hawthorns in each hand.

"Here, San and Sister Zhuqing, one for each of you!" The little rabbit's innocent smile left the two unable to refuse, and they each took a skewer.

After both had accepted the candied hawthorns, Xiao Wu hopped over to Du Hao, and then, she took a bite out of each of the two skewers she held.

"I bought four candied hawthorns. Guess who didn't get one?" Xiao Wu asked with a grin, using a bratty, teasing tone.

Du Hao slowly retracted his outstretched hand, his gaze fixed dangerously on the rabbit who didn't know when to quit.

"I see you haven't been disciplined in a few days and are looking to tear the roof down. You dare provoke me to my face? Tired of living?"

With that, Du Hao didn't hesitate; he pressed both hands against Xiao Wu's cheeks.

Then, after pinching her rabbit lips open, he extended his index and middle fingers and plucked both candied hawthorns right out of her mouth.

"Not bad, two pre-chewed ones. I'll take them." As expected, he stuffed both skewers into his own mouth.

Tang San and Zhu Zhuqing were both dumbfounded, forgetting even to eat the candied hawthorns in their own hands.

They stood frozen in place like statues.

"Alright, stop staring." He released his grip on Xiao Wu's cheeks and, without waiting for the others, strode toward a hotel not far ahead.

"Sister Zhuqing, look at him..." The little rabbit, having recovered, immediately went to Zhu Zhuqing to complain.

"Alright, stop complaining."

Zhu Zhuqing reached out to straighten the two rabbit-ear accessories on Xiao Wu's head and said softly, "Who told you to provoke him for no reason? Be careful next time."

On the other side, Tang San, having recovered his senses, looked at Du Hao walking away in front of him, then at Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing on this side.

He pondered for a moment, filled with emotion.

"Brother Hao is indeed Brother Hao. I'll have to learn this technique for a lifetime..." he said, and then left the place without another word.

Arriving at the street corner, Du Hao saw that the three of them had not yet caught up, so he decided to wait there.

When he had free time, he opened his status panel.

[Name: Du Hao.]

[Martial Soul: Great Onion.]

[Soul Power: Level 29.]

[Soul Rings: Purple (5010-year Emerald Green Onion) Purple (9421-year Sunshine Mushroom)]

[Skills: Omitted...]

[Items: Omitted...]

Over the years, with some scattered choices, Du Hao had managed to raise his first soul ring to 5000 years.

Its amplification had also successfully increased from 12% to a terrifying 500%.

In fact, with the ability of his current first soul ring, it could be comparable to some Soul Sect support ability users.

Even surpassing them.

It was just a pity that only he could receive the full effect of the soul skill. If others used it, it could only provide a maximum of 150% all-attribute amplification.

This point was truly baffling.

"Brother Hao, we've found the hotel! Hurry up..." Xiao Wu said as she came to Du Hao's side and pulled him towards a luxurious hotel.

"Rose Hotel?"

Seeing the familiar name before him, Du Hao, who was being dragged along, twitched at the corner of his mouth. However, he was quickly pulled inside.

There was no time to refuse.

As they entered the lobby, a wave of various floral scents rushed into their nostrils, making them feel incredibly relaxed.

"Welcome to the Rose Hotel, may I ask..." The receptionist who greeted them was a black-haired young girl. She spoke enthusiastically to the three of them.

However, Xiao Wu was not so patient and immediately interrupted, "Stop talking, open two rooms!"