Arrival in Heaven Dou City, Recommended by a Count

Ever since joining the Nine-Hearted Begonia Clan's merchant caravan, they encountered no mishaps for the rest of the journey.

Several more days passed in the blink of an eye, and they finally arrived at Heaven Dou City.

Along the way, Qi Dao's family had deliberately kept a low profile. They were not entirely unnoticed within the caravan, but they certainly did not draw much attention.

Only when the caravan stopped to rest would people nearby occasionally ask about their battle with the Fallen Soul Masters.

Father Qi and Mother Qi merely gave a vague account of what had happened, without mentioning the specific strength of those three Fallen Soul Masters.

Otherwise, if word got out that Qi Dao had slain three Soul Ancestors with a single sword strike, no one knew what kind of uproar it would cause.

What Father Qi and Mother Qi feared was that certain great powers, upon learning of this, might seize Qi Dao and study him.

Heaven Dou City.

As one of the most prosperous cities on the continent, Heaven Dou City's walls towered a full hundred meters high and were entirely constructed from extraordinarily hard granite.

Even Qi Dao could not help nodding in admiration at the sight of such a city.

This was more than a thousand times grander than Notting City!

Soldiers clad in armor and armed with spears patrolled both atop and beneath Heaven Dou City's walls.

Though they were merely ordinary people, if a hundred or so of them joined forces, even a Soul Grandmaster—or even a Soul Elder—would still be surrounded and killed.

That was why Douluo Continent was considered the bottom rung of fantasy worlds.

There was no insurmountable gap between low-level Soul Masters and ordinary people.

Once their Soul Power was exhausted, a Soul Master's combat strength would plummet.

And low-level Soul Masters did not have much Soul Power stored within them to begin with, enough to use their soul skills only a few times.

After entering the city, Qi Dao's family went to bid farewell to the elegant woman.

The three of them came before the luxurious carriage.

A moment later, Madam Ye gracefully stepped out from the lavish carriage compartment. When she heard Qi Dao explain his intentions, she smiled. "Since the three of you wish to leave, I will not keep you."

Qi Dao clasped his fists. "We have troubled you these past few days, Madam."

Madam Ye glanced at Qi Dao. "You child, you act rather like a little adult."

"All right, I won't see you off. But if you ever wish to visit the Nine-Hearted Begonia Clan someday, you will always be welcome."

After Qi Dao's family left, the middle-aged woman leading the caravan stepped forward and asked, "Madam, you seem to think highly of that child?"

Madam Ye nodded. "Though he is still young, he was able to kill three Fallen Soul Masters in succession. His talent must be extraordinary."

"Moreover, I can see that he is a person of firm convictions and uncommon bearing. His future accomplishments will likely be far from ordinary."

Hearing this, the middle-aged woman revealed a puzzled expression.

"Madam, since you think so highly of him, why not recruit him into the Nine-Hearted Begonia Clan?"

Madam Ye shook her head. "That family of three are clearly just commoner Soul Masters, yet that child named Qi Dao could casually produce fifty thousand Gold Soul Coins and give them away without even blinking."

"Such a person will likely be difficult to sway with ordinary benefits."

"The Nine-Hearted Begonia Clan is not weak, but there are no shortage of powers on the continent stronger than the Nine-Hearted Begonia Clan."

"I fear this child will not be willing to serve beneath an ordinary power. Since that is the case, why should I make things awkward for myself?"

"It would be better to show goodwill in advance and forge a favorable connection."

After hearing her out, the middle-aged woman said admiringly, "Madam truly has a discerning eye!"

Madam Ye smiled casually and returned to the carriage compartment.

"All right, let us depart and return home!"

Meanwhile, after Qi Dao's family left the Nine-Hearted Begonia Clan's merchant caravan, they immediately found an inn in the city and settled down temporarily.

After tidying up a little, Qi Dao headed alone to the address of Headmaster Hans's friend.

Headmaster Hans's friend was named Mei Luo. He came from a small family and had attended the same advanced Soul Master Academy as Headmaster Hans in his early years. The two had a close relationship.

After arriving at Mei Luo's residence, Qi Dao produced Headmaster Hans's letter of introduction.

Before long, someone led him into a reception room, where he met the friend Headmaster Hans had mentioned.

Count Mei Luo appeared to be in his late forties. He was somewhat thin, but full of vigor.

"Greetings, Count."

Qi Dao stepped forward and gave a slight bow.

Upon seeing Qi Dao, Mei Luo's face gained a warmer smile, and he waved his hand.

"No need to be so restrained!"

"You are Qi Dao, the one Hans mentioned in his letter, right? How has that fellow been lately? Is he in good health?"

Qi Dao replied with a smile, "The Headmaster is in good health. He also asked me to convey his greetings to you."

Mei Luo sighed. "Hans is far too stubborn. Back then, I invited him to remain in Heaven Dou City with me, but he insisted on running off to a little place like Notting City."

"Who would have thought that nearly thirty years would pass in the blink of an eye?"

The two then exchanged a few more casual pleasantries.

Perhaps because of Hans, Mei Luo treated Qi Dao as though he were one of his own juniors.

Qi Dao later learned that Headmaster Hans and Mei Luo had been extremely close during their school days. Not only had they shared a dormitory, but they had also gotten into group fights together and even visited brothels together.

Even after graduating, they had remained in frequent contact through letters.

Perhaps because their relationship had not been mixed with too many interests, they had maintained such a pure friendship to this day.

Even though one was merely a small-time Soul Ancestor, while the other had already become a Soul Emperor.

After chatting for a while, Mei Luo said to Qi Dao, "I already know about your situation. The Crown Prince is indeed a good choice. It is not only because she values talented people and treats them with courtesy. More importantly, she is the future emperor of Heaven Dou. Following her would also be a promising path for you."

Although, among Xue Ye's remaining sons, there was Xue Qinghe as well as Xue Beng.

Anyone with eyes could see that Xue Beng would never amount to much and posed no threat whatsoever to Xue Qinghe's position.

"Tomorrow, I will recommend you to Her Highness the Crown Prince. Go back and wait for my news."

Qi Dao respectfully replied, "Then I will have to trouble you, Count."

Count Mei Luo waved his hand casually.

To him, this was nothing more than a trivial matter. Besides, if Qi Dao truly possessed the talent Hans had described, then helping him now could be considered an investment in advance.

The next day.

After receiving word from Mei Luo, Qi Dao headed to the Crown Prince's Residence.

There, he met the current Crown Prince of Heaven Dou, Xue Qinghe.

Xue Qinghe sat within a pavilion. Qi Dao's first impression of her was that she was composed and refined, carrying herself with an effortless, serene noble bearing.

To be honest, if Qi Dao had not already known her true identity, he likely never would have imagined that her identity was a disguise.

When Qi Dao was led into the pavilion, Xue Qinghe set down her teacup and looked up at him.

Her gaze swept over Qi Dao. Her eyes were gentle, yet held a trace of scrutiny.

A moment later, she rose to her feet and approached him with a smile.

"You are Qi Dao, the one Count Mei Luo recommended?"

"You truly are a remarkable young man!"