You're far too weak!
Those words were like an arrow smeared with deadly poison, sinking deep into the hearts of the seven members of the Imperial Fighting Team.
Yu Tianheng lowered his head, his eyelids twitching and his chest heaving violently, but he couldn't utter a word.
It was true. They were too weak. Even working together, the two of them couldn't withstand a single move.
For a moment, the members of the Imperial Fighting Team all lost heart. They fell silent, none of them knowing what to think.
Qin Ming was equally stunned. Tuoba Xuan's strength far exceeded anything he'd imagined. He even wondered whether he could defeat Tuoba Xuan himself.
Tuoba Xuan walked out of the Soul Fighting Arena and stretched.
The whole process had gone even more smoothly than he'd expected. He just didn't know when Dugu Bo would come looking for him.
Tuoba Xuan's strength had also been exposed to Qin Ming.
But Tuoba Xuan didn't care. Without the ability to protect his own life, why would he dare appear openly before so many factions, let alone display his strength without restraint?
The Heart of the Mountain Dragon had granted Tuoba Xuan three skills in all. The first two were Body Healing and Might of the Dragon King, healing and pressure-based Soul Skills, respectively.
The third skill of the Heart of the Mountain Dragon was called Wanderer of the Dragon Clan.
After using this skill, it would transport him to Dragon Valley at the cost of draining all of Tuoba Xuan's Soul Power.
It was a divine escape skill. The moment his life was in danger, he could flee immediately.
Tuoba Xuan had even considered waiting until Dugu Bo was away, snatching the Immortal Herbs, then using this skill to transport himself to Dragon Valley and absorb them there.
But after thinking it over, Tuoba Xuan decided it wasn't necessary. Dugu Bo might have a bad temper, but he was deeply loyal and valued friendship.
It would be a stroke of good fortune if Tuoba Xuan could become friends with him.
Besides, the Sacred Dragon Sect was still far too weak. It didn't even have a single Titled Douluo.
Although the Sacred Dragon Sect had pledged itself to Spirit Hall in the original story and hadn't been caught up in the Soul Hunting Operation,
Tuoba Xuan wasn't willing to live beneath anyone else. Since he'd come to this world, he was determined to do things as well as possible.
So Tuoba Xuan had to make more preparations.
Dugu Bo was the only Titled Douluo currently known to be unaffiliated with any faction. If Tuoba Xuan could win him over, that would be an excellent outcome.
Tuoba Xuan went to a restaurant, ordered a little food, and borrowed some paper and ink from the owner.
Tuoba Xuan rapped his head thoughtfully.
He wrote on the paper:
"Grandpa, seeing these words is like seeing me in person. October has passed, and your grandson is still safe and well..."
Tuoba Xuan revised the letter over and over, writing for a long time. He didn't leave until the restaurant closed.
Then he found a post office and mailed the letter back to the Sacred Dragon Sect.
The next day, Tuoba Xuan had just woken up. Nothing unusual had happened the previous night.
The Imperial Fighting Team's training matches hadn't ended yet. It looked like it would still take some time.
At the same time,
inside the Pope Palace in Spirit City,
"You're saying that person vanished into thin air?"
Pope Bibi Dong furrowed her delicate brows. How could a living person just vanish into thin air?
Below her, Lor Diarra stood trembling, not daring to raise his head.
For more than a month, Spirit Hall had sent out countless people, yet they couldn't even find a child.
Lor Diarra was undoubtedly responsible for most of this.
"Your Holiness, this wasn't entirely Executive Lor's fault. That person hadn't stayed in Skywater City. Judging by his movements, he probably headed south."
Hu Liena stepped forward to plead for him.
"Enough. He's just a talented child." Bibi Dong rubbed her brow, looking utterly exhausted. "Give the order to recall most of our people. Leave only one team to keep searching."
"Yes, Your Holiness. I obey."
Without Tuoba Xuan noticing, Spirit Hall had already scaled back its efforts to recruit him.
Suotuo City.
"Who would've thought that the continent's greatest academy started out in a place this desolate?"
Tuoba Xuan was still wearing that little hood. He was now near Shrek Academy.
There was no denying it: the place was so barren that Tuoba Xuan could hardly believe his eyes.
Great pits pocked the ground everywhere, and nearby stood houses built from hemp grass and mud.
Tuoba Xuan had come to see whether the Imperial Fighting Team and Shrek Academy would clash.
He'd also learned that a heated Soul Fighting match would be held tonight at the Suotuo City Grand Arena.
The two teams were Shrek Academy and the Imperial Fighting Team.
What a perfect opportunity! Tuoba Xuan thought it over. After all, he had the divine skill Wanderer of the Dragon Clan.
Tang Hao would certainly be hiding near Tang San to watch tonight's match.
That meant tonight was his chance to take Ah Yin.
Once the thought struck him, Tuoba Xuan acted. Two wisps of Soul Power surged beneath his feet, and he dashed toward the waterfall described in the original story.
By nightfall, the Shrek Team and the Imperial Fighting Team had begun their fierce battle.
Tuoba Xuan had also made his way to the waterfall from the original story.
This should be the place. Tuoba Xuan held his breath, afraid there might be traps Tang Hao had laid nearby.
There was no denying that the scenery around the waterfall was beautiful, but Tuoba Xuan had no time to admire it.
He sent his spiritual power deep into the surroundings, carefully sensing what was around him.
At last, Tuoba Xuan detected an exceedingly faint trace of life force.
It's over there. Tuoba Xuan's thoughts began to churn. Tang San, sorry about this. I'm stealing your mom.
Following the guidance of his spiritual power, Tuoba Xuan soon reached the entrance to an exceptionally well-hidden cave.
"First Soul Skill, Ten Thousand Jun Tremor!"
Tuoba Xuan used his first Soul Skill at once. The ground and rock walls around him began to shake violently.
Taking advantage of the upheaval, Tuoba Xuan rushed into the cave.
The Soul Skill had just struck, so the cave was now shrouded in dust and gloom.
On top of that, the cave was already pitch-black. Not a sliver of moonlight reached inside.
Ah Yin had lost her cultivation after sacrificing herself and could only cling to life with a trace of her origin power.
Now Ten Thousand Jun Tremor was suppressing her as well, and Ah Yin immediately felt her frail body on the verge of collapse.
Tuoba Xuan didn't hesitate. From the strange vibrations in the rock wall, he quickly found the place where Tang Hao had hidden the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone.
Boom! A section of the rock wall shattered, and Tuoba Xuan immediately put the box containing the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone into his Green Wood Ring.
Ah Yin's frail body trembled as she tried to stop Tuoba Xuan, but he couldn't afford to worry about that now.
The hearts of mother and child were connected. Tang Hao and Tang San had probably sensed something was wrong.
He had to run.
"Have you never wondered why Tang Hao keeps you locked in a cave where not even a sliver of sunlight can reach?"
"Have you never wondered why the people from Spirit Hall found you as soon as you reached the transformation stage?"
"I'll tell you this: there's also the aura of a hundred-thousand-year soul beast on Tang Hao. If you don't believe me, wait until he comes and sense it for yourself."
Tuoba Xuan stroked Ah Yin's stems and leaves as he spoke softly.
His words weren't harsh, but they struck straight at Ah Yin's heart.
Ah Yin's roots and leaves trembled slightly. She'd already harbored doubts about the sacrifice all those years ago, but things had been complicated then, and she hadn't given it much thought.
Now that Tuoba Xuan had reminded her, Ah Yin found herself thinking again of what had happened twelve years ago.
Tuoba Xuan gave a cold laugh. His Soul Power erupted, wreaking havoc across the entire waterfall and leaving it in utter disarray.
But the next moment, Tuoba Xuan immediately erased his aura and fled in the opposite direction.