Arrival in Notting City

"What did you say? There was a problem with the Angel God's inheritance?" Evil God King listened to his subordinate's report, his face filled with disbelief.

"Yes, Lord God King. Not long ago, at Poseidon's temple, Lady Kindness God King flew into a rage. She..." Evil God King's subordinate relayed everything he had learned exactly as it had happened.

After hearing it all, Evil God King's mouth twitched. "Poseidon usually looks so respectable. Who would've thought that behind the scenes, he'd even try to get his hands on a fellow countryman's divine inheritance? A two-faced bastard like him would be quite suited to joining my ranks."

"Evil, aren't you insulting yourself too?" The moment Evil God King finished speaking, Destruction God King's voice rang out from outside.

Evil God King said indifferently, "I was never a good god to begin with. Destruction, what are you doing here?"

"Isn't it because of Poseidon? Asura just came to Xiao Lu and me, hoping we would stand on his side at the God Realm Council and deal with Poseidon leniently."

Evil God King frowned. This matter involved Kindness. Kindness was usually easygoing, but this time she was clearly truly enraged. If they treated it lightly, Kindness would be the first to find him troublesome.

With that in mind, Evil God King immediately refused.

Destruction God King smiled at his response. "Evil, you did well to refuse!"

Evil God King raised a brow. "What? You don't agree with letting Poseidon off either?"

"How could I possibly agree? I hate faithless, treacherous scum more than anything."

"Then how do you think Poseidon should be dealt with?" Evil God King asked.

"How about sending him to guard the Forbidden Divine Land?"

The Forbidden Divine Land was where the Golden Dragon King was sealed. Spiritual energy there was thin, and one had to endure the torment of the Golden Dragon King's constantly leaking dragon might. For gods who had once stood above all others, staying there was more painful than death.

"That's a good suggestion. When the God Realm Council convenes, have Xiao Lu give Asura some face and don't make things too ugly for him. You can abstain. Leave the rest to Kindness and me."

After hearing Evil God King's words, Destruction nodded in agreement.

One day in the God Realm was one year on Douluo Continent.

Before the God Realm Council had even convened, Zhao Ming had already crossed mountains and rivers to arrive in Notting City.

Notting City was not large. Its low walls were built from rough bluish-gray stones, their surfaces covered in dark green moss. The city gates stood wide open, without even a proper guard in sight. Only two old soldiers, clutching spears and dozing off, leaned crookedly against either side of the gate passage.

After entering the city, Zhao Ming did not rush to find a place to stay. Instead, he first made a circuit around Notting City, getting a rough grasp of its layout.

Notting Junior Spirit Master Academy occupied a considerable area. Its gray-white walls were among the grandest structures in the city. The academy gates were shut tight, with a wooden notice board hanging outside that listed the admissions requirements and opening date.

Zhao Ming stood at a street corner and watched from afar for a while, silently calculating in his heart before turning to leave and heading west along the main street.

The western district was Notting City's commercial area. All kinds of shops lined the streets: blacksmiths, herb stores, general stores, taverns, and teahouses. None were particularly large, but they had a complete variety of goods.

After wandering through the streets, Zhao Ming finally bought a map of the area around Notting City from an inconspicuous general store.

He unfolded the map and looked repeatedly between the Soul Hunting Forest north of Notting City and Holy Soul Village to the east, making up his mind.

The Soul Hunting Forest was the main place for students of Notting Junior Spirit Master Academy to obtain spirit rings. It was also where Yu Xiaogang had taken Tang San to hunt his first and second spirit rings in the original story.

There was only one official road from Notting City to the Soul Hunting Forest. A few villages and several inns for passing merchants and travelers were scattered sparsely along both sides of the road.

Zhao Ming traveled along that road once and ultimately rented a small, detached courtyard in a village roughly three li from the entrance to the Soul Hunting Forest.

The courtyard was not large. Three mud-brick rooms formed a U-shape around a patch of packed earth, while firewood and farming tools were piled in the corners.

The conditions were naturally worlds apart from the side courtyard of the Crown Prince's Palace, but it was quiet and secluded. The neighboring households were all farmers who left early and returned late. No one would care what a half-grown child from out of town did in his courtyard.

Zhao Ming paid a month's rent, then went to the village general store to buy rice, flour, oil, salt, bedding, pots, and bowls. After tidying up the small courtyard, he officially settled in.

The reason he had chosen this place was simple: it was on the only route from Notting City to the Soul Hunting Forest.

According to the original plot, on the second day after Notting Academy opened, Yu Xiaogang would take that little bastard Tang San to the Soul Hunting Forest to hunt his first spirit ring. Tang Hao would certainly follow them in secret.

Tang Hao leaving Holy Soul Village meant that the waterfall in the back mountain of Holy Soul Village would be left unguarded.

And behind that waterfall was the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone left behind after Blue Silver Emperor Ah Yin's sacrifice.

The value of a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone simply could not be measured in Gold Soul Coins.

Moreover, this soul bone was the key to whether Tang San could awaken the Blue Silver Emperor.

Zhao Ming held no personal grudge against Tang San himself.

In his view, setting aside Tang San's double standards and his "pure and immaculate" act, what Tang San had done in Douluo Continent's first story was not incomprehensible from his own standpoint.

Spirit Hall had killed Tang San's mother, his beloved Xiao Wu, and his mother-in-law. It had forced the Clear Sky Sect to seal itself away. The two sides had long been locked in a blood feud that could end only with one side dead.

But understanding was one thing; standing was another.

In this life, Zhao Ming's parents had died at the hands of fallen spirit masters. It was passing spirit masters from the Angel Legion who had saved his life and avenged him.

He owed the Angel lineage his life, and Qian Renxue treated him like a younger brother. He had to repay that kindness.

Since he had chosen to stand with Qian Renxue and Spirit Hall, Tang San was his future enemy.

And since Tang San was an enemy, Zhao Ming would never be softhearted. Taking the Blue Silver Emperor Soul Bone in advance would both weaken the future Tang San and strengthen himself. It was killing two birds with one stone, so why not?

Of course, Zhao Ming had not failed to consider the risks.

Although Tang Hao would leave Holy Soul Village to secretly protect Tang San, he was still a Title Douluo-level powerhouse. Who knew whether he had left behind some safeguard near the soul bone?

If he triggered some restriction and alerted Tang Hao, it would become troublesome. Even with Intangibility, facing a Title Douluo would still be a difficult matter.

Therefore, Zhao Ming decided to wait patiently. He would act only after Notting Academy opened and Tang San entered the Soul Hunting Forest.

After settling on his plan, Zhao Ming lived peacefully in the small courtyard, cultivating while he waited.

Every morning, he followed his usual routine and circulated Nine-Breath Qi Absorption in the courtyard, drawing in the pure qi of heaven and earth to temper his body and meridians. In the morning, he practiced the whip techniques from Shangqing Sword Technique: Introductory Chapter; in the afternoon, he cultivated Soul Power and practiced the precision of Intangibility.