Arrival in Nuoding City

"Tomorrow? So soon?" Bibi Dong suddenly felt reluctant to part.

She had spent sixteen years with Ao Tian and had long since learned of his identity as a member of the Dragon Race, yet she had still hopelessly fallen in love with him.

Although Ao Tian still looked like a little brat, in her heart, he had always been so tall and dependable, forever someone she could rely on.

Ao Tian transformed into an adult and pulled Bibi Dong into his arms, comforting her. "Didn't I tell you long ago? A Child of Destiny will appear on Douluo Continent. If I don't intervene, Spirit Hall will be destroyed by this Child of Destiny in the future."

Nestling against Ao Tian's chest, Bibi Dong said, "Then wouldn't it be enough to find him and kill him? Why do you have to attend school in such a remote place?"

Ao Tian stroked the beautiful woman's hair in his arms as though petting a docile kitten. "I just want to see what this so-called destiny is like, and exactly what he is capable of."

"Fine, but you have to come back and see me often," Bibi Dong pouted coquettishly.

This ruthless, iron-blooded female Pope, the Pope who had once nearly led people to destroy the Clear Sky Sect, the number one sect on the continent, only showed such girlish behavior in front of Ao Tian.

Ao Tian lightly kissed her soft red lips. "Don't worry. I might forget everyone else, but I'll never forget you."

Bibi Dong's pretty face burned as a blush spread across it.

"Oh, right. I had someone investigate, and I found that Yu Xiaogang is also at Nuoding Soul Master Academy," Bibi Dong suddenly said.

"You still remember him?" Ao Tian glanced at Bibi Dong.

Panic rose in Bibi Dong's heart, and she hurriedly said, "Don't misunderstand. After what happened back then, I had already given up on him. I heard that after he was driven out of Spirit Hall, he met a woman named Liu Erlong while traveling the continent. When they were about to marry, Yu Xiaogang suddenly learned that Liu Erlong was his cousin. So he abandoned Liu Erlong, who deeply loved him, and hid in Nuoding City for more than ten years."

"I know," Ao Tian said. "If he didn't love her, he should have made it clear to her face. They could have parted as friends. Instead, he refused to sever their relationship and kept hiding, making her suffer for more than ten years. Yu Xiaogang is worse than a woman."

Bibi Dong nodded. "You're right. I heard he couldn't accept the fact that his lover was his cousin, but on Douluo Continent, such things aren't really taboo. Many powerful factions do it to preserve the purity of their Martial Soul bloodlines, while some royal families and nobles do it for their noble bloodlines. As long as they aren't biological siblings, they aren't too strict about it. That woman, Liu Erlong, is pitiful. I heard she searched bitterly for Yu Xiaogang across Douluo Continent for several years."

"So Yu Xiaogang is quite selfish," Ao Tian said. "He only thinks about his own feelings. If he truly loved Liu Erlong, he wouldn't have made her suffer for more than ten years. He won't let go, yet he doesn't dare to love her. What kind of man is that?"

"Forget about him. If you're going to enter Nuoding Soul Master Academy, do you have a Martial Soul?" Bibi Dong asked.

After being together with Ao Tian for so many years, she had never once seen him release a Martial Soul.

Nowadays, Soul Beasts could take human form after reaching one hundred thousand years, and after transforming, their Martial Souls would be their original Soul Beast forms.

Although Ao Tian was from the Ancient Dragon Clan, it should have been the same for him, right?

"That's easy." Ao Tian smiled, set Bibi Dong down, and stood before the bed.

Divine power surged within him, condensing into a golden Divine Dragon behind his back. The Divine Dragon was not large, but each of its claws had nine toes. A terrifying pressure spread out, making even Bibi Dong's soul tremble.

"Too strong." Bibi Dong was speechless. She rolled her eyes at Ao Tian. "If you used a Martial Soul like that at a beginner Soul Master Academy, wouldn't you scare all the teachers to death?"

"Then I'll make it weaker." Ao Tian smiled. At his command, the Divine Dragon behind him gradually faded until it became somewhat illusory, and its pressure weakened greatly as well.

Bibi Dong climbed out of bed and curiously touched the Divine Dragon behind Ao Tian. Since it was somewhat illusory, it did not feel real to the touch.

"Is this really your Martial Soul?" she asked curiously.

Ao Tian shook his head. "I'm not human, so I don't have a Martial Soul. This is merely something I condensed with divine power."

As he spoke, one Soul Ring appeared around him, followed by two, then three...

Before long, ten Soul Rings circled his body, and every one of them was golden.

Bibi Dong's eyes widened in shock.

Seeing Bibi Dong's expression, Ao Tian could not help but smile.

"These are fake. I can have as many as I want." As he spoke, the number of Soul Rings around him surged wildly—dozens, hundreds... Eventually, they became so densely packed that they could no longer be counted.

"Put them away, put them away," Bibi Dong urged.

The golden light from those densely packed Soul Rings dazzled her until her head felt faint.

The two returned to the bedside and sat down.

"Oh, right. I haven't seen Xiao Xue in a long time. Go see her when you have the time," Bibi Dong said.

"Don't worry. On her birthday, I'll bring her back," Ao Tian said.

For him, bringing someone back from Heaven Dou City was no more difficult than the blink of an eye.

During the years Qian Renxue had been undercover within the Heaven Dou Royal Family, Ao Tian would bring her back to celebrate her birthday every year.

Bibi Dong suddenly poked Ao Tian and said, "That little girl is already fifteen. The last time you brought her back, the way she looked at you was a little different. Do you think she might have fallen for you too? She used to always treat you as her older brother."

As she spoke, Bibi Dong's small mouth pouted.

She herself had begun liking Ao Tian in her maiden years, so the moment Qian Renxue showed even the slightest sign, she noticed it.

Ao Tian found it amusing. He touched Bibi Dong's lips with a finger and teased, "That pout could hold a bottle. What maiden doesn't dream of love? I'm so handsome, so it wouldn't be strange if she liked me. Are you jealous?"

"Hmph, would I be jealous of a little girl?" Bibi Dong snorted. "Sleep!"

The two changed into sleepwear and lay down together.

Ao Tian returned to his true form, his head resting comfortably against Bibi Dong's chest.

Bibi Dong said, "Once you've grown a little more, we'll do that."

Like a kitten rubbing its head against its owner, Ao Tian comfortably narrowed his eyes and gave a soft "Mm."

At dawn, a luxurious carriage departed from Spirit City and headed west.

Ao Tian could fly and could also use Teleportation, but he simply enjoyed riding in carriages and experiencing human life.

He was alone in the carriage and had not brought any attendants.

At the carriage's speed, it would only take five or six days to reach Nuoding City, a small city on the southwestern border of the Heaven Dou Empire.

Ao Tian knew the plot of Douluo Continent and had the ability to prevent anything unfavorable from happening to Bibi Dong.

But he wanted to see what the Child of Destiny, Tang San, was truly capable of, and whether he was really favored by destiny.

He recalled reading Douluo Continent in his previous life and not liking Tang San very much.

So this was the perfect opportunity to have an unfair contest with Tang San...

The carriage jolted along the road, finally arriving in Nuoding City on the fifth day.

Bibi Dong had already sent word ahead. The Palace Master of the Nuoding City Martial Soul Hall Branch personally came out to receive him and respectfully escorted Ao Tian into the branch.

Because of Bibi Dong's order, Ao Tian, who looked only six or seven years old, had already become the one in charge of the Nuoding City Martial Soul Hall Branch.