Dragonrise City, Bai Chenxiang

The following morning, smoke rose from the bustling city streets.

The aroma of wheat from steamed buns, the fragrance of meat from dumplings, and the warmth of tofu pudding are all irresistible.

Ye Hua, holding Xue Ke's hand and embracing Jiangzhu, walked down the street.

Xue Ke was exhausted until the wee hours of the morning, and her legs were so weak she could barely walk.

Jiangzhu wasn't feeling well either; her mouth still tasted strange, even though she had rinsed it.

"Husband, look!" Xue Ke exclaimed in surprise, "That osmanthus cake smells so good!"

"Buy it," Ye Hua said indulgently.

Xue Ke was a princess who grew up in the palace and rarely had the opportunity to visit the morning market.

Seeing rare local snacks is certainly intriguing.

As Ye Hua took out his money, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a truck turning the corner.

It was much taller than a regular truck, and the horses pulling it were panting heavily.

It's obviously loaded with heavy cargo!

And the one sitting on the carriage shaft holding the whip was none other than Tailong!

Ye Hua stopped in his tracks.

Xue Ke his mouth full, "Husband, eat quickly! The osmanthus cake is getting cold!"

Seeing that Tailong hadn't noticed them, Ye Hua also looked away.

Jiangzhu noticed something was wrong. "Ye Hua, what's wrong?"

"It's alright," Ye Hua smiled, "Let's continue shopping."

Tailong personally escorted the carriage, covering himself up completely, which, combined with Tang San's escape—

Even a fool could guess that it's probably for the Tang Sect!

[bite--]

[Key plot point detected, main quest triggered]

[Task Name: Tang Sect Interception]

[Mission Objective: Prevent Tang San from successfully incorporating the four single-attribute clans and thwart the Tang Sect's formation plan]

[Mission Reward: 3,000 mid-to-low-tier Soul Master (automatically assigned to the Long Night Alliance, ranging in strength from Soul Elder to Soul Emperor, with maximum loyalty)]

[Mission Description: Don't forget, those Hidden Weapon are copied from your Soul Guidance Weapon! Tang San wants to make a comeback? Dream on!]

Ye Hua's lips twitched.

Am I supposed to cosplay Confucius?

Leading three thousand disciples to preach reason?

"Jiangzhu, you take Xue Ke sightseeing first, I have something to take care of."

"Okay," Jiangzhu said, taking Xue Ke's arm. "Don't worry!"

Ye Hua turned into the alleyway, his spiritual power sweeping across the entire city.

Tang San sat quietly in the carriage in front of the city gate, with a burly old man beside him.

"Tie Xiong."

"Your subordinate is here."

"Do you have any information about the Defense Clan?"

Tie Xiong pondered for a moment, "Yes, their clan leader is Niu Gao, and their residence is in Dragonrise City."

"We also acquired Spirit Bone from him before, and his subordinates are familiar with him."

"The Defense Clan, along with the Li, Min, and Po clans, are known as the four major single-attribute clans, and were once affiliated with the Clear Sky Sect."

"The Martial Soul of strength is the Mighty Gorilla, skilled in forging, that is, blacksmithing."

"Yu's Martial Soul is Armored Giant Rhinoceros, skilled in construction, including defensive fortifications."

"Min's Martial Soul is the Sharp-tailed Swift, which excels in speed and makes her suitable for scouts."

"Po's Martial Soul is the Soul-Breaking Spear, which excels at medicine making and poison production, but its direct attack is also very strong."

"They were formed by relatives of the Clear Sky Sect, Strength Clan originated from the great-grandfather of their current patriarch, making them the oldest clan."

"The other three sects were all established within the last hundred years and have relatively shallow foundations, but they should not be underestimated before they were suppressed by the Spirit Hall."

"Understood." Ye Hua immediately became interested.

He tore through space and returned to the Crystal Palace to find the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm.

He's been working overtime at the Spirit Pagoda all this time, so today is his day off.

The Ice Empress Snow Empress, who obtained the remaining power of the Golden Dragon King, also have new bodies and no longer need to follow Ye Hua around all the time.

However, out of wariness of the human world, and because their own strength is limited without the support of Ye Hua's Soul Power, they remain holed up in the Crystal Palace.

"Let's go," Ye Hua said, gathering the three of them. "Let's go for a walk outside!"

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm poured out her grievances, "Qilin, do you remember me!"

"The Spirit Pagoda is packed every day, I don't even have time to rest!"

"I'm feeling better these past few days," Ye Hua comforted her. "The Spirit Transmitter will take care of things; you can rest."

"Qilin," Ice Empress excitedly, "Where are we going?"

The Crystal Palace is beautiful, but you get tired of seeing it after a while.

Going out for some fresh air is the best thing to do.

"Let's go to the Star Luo Empire," Ye Hua waved his hand, "To see some different scenery."

"However, I also need to take care of some other things, which will take a couple more days."

Snow Empress shrugged. "We all need you. You're the one who decides."

Ye Hua nodded, "Let's not fly there, let's take a carriage instead."

"That way we can also enjoy the scenery along the way."

Ye Hua didn't bring anyone else, only Tie Xiong to accompany him.

About half a month later, they arrived in Dragonrise City.

Dragonrise City is much smaller than Heaven Dou City, but it is also a bustling trading town located at the border of the Two Great Empires.

To be honest, the territory of the Defense Clan is not glamorous.

Other people's door plaques look grand, but it only has the earthy word "imperial" engraved on the round plate.

The clan chief had been informed by Tie Xiong beforehand, and the welcoming party was already in place.

"Hahaha," Niu Gao strode forward to greet him, "Night Alliance Leader, your presence is an honor! I have not been gracious enough to welcome you!"

Ye Hua returned the greeting with a cupped hand, "Clan leader, you're too kind. I only spoke to you yesterday; it was quite an intrusion."

"Ah! Your presence is an honor for our clan!"

Niu Gao led the way, but when he saw Sky Dream Ice Silkworm and the others, his eyes showed surprise.

"Who are these three...?"

"My Soul Spirit," Ye Hua, "Brother Sky Dream, Snow Empress, Ice Empress."

Niu Gao quickly bowed, "My apologies! My apologies!"

Someone capable of being the Soul Spirit of the Night Alliance Leader is no ordinary person.

We can't be careless!

But Ye Hua noticed the regret in his eyes.

"Clan Chief Niu Gao, does no one in your clan possess Soul Spirit?"

Upon hearing this, Niu Gao was immediately embarrassed.

Ye Hua looked around and saw that the area was surrounded by warehouses and workshops.

The disciples were either shouting and moving materials or drawing up architectural plans, enjoying themselves immensely.

Even a centipede dies but doesn't stiffen; it has a skill that allows it to always support itself.

"I've heard that you're skilled at construction, self-sufficient, and should be doing alright."

"Why not send someone to the Spirit Pagoda to retrieve the Soul Spirit?"

Niu Gao sighed deeply, "Night Alliance Leader Ye is unaware of this."

"It's not that we don't want to go, it's just... we can't afford it."

"Huh?" Ye Hua raised an eyebrow. "And it's expensive?"

"No, no, no," Niu Gao quickly shook his head when he saw that he had misunderstood, "It's not expensive."

"But we have to pay 30% of our monthly income as protection money to the Spirit Hall."

"The Holy Dragon Sect Wind Sword Sect are desperately trying to curry favor with the Spirit Hall by suppressing us!"

"They buy building materials today, demand to build a house tomorrow, but they won't pay!"

Niu Gao smiled wryly, "Thanks to you for teaching them a lesson, we're no longer being bullied."

"Things were just starting to look up, and I was thinking of saving up some money to seek help from the Soul Spirit again."

"To avoid having no money to cover expenses if something goes wrong!"

Ye Hua patted him on the shoulder and said nothing more.

The group stayed in the main hall, and the furnishings were much more elaborate than Ye Hua had imagined.

The decorations were elaborate, with an eight-immortal table, blue and white porcelain vases, and many newly acquired pieces of furniture.

Niu Gao noticed Ye Hua's gaze, a hint of embarrassment flashed across his face, and he coughed twice.

"Night Alliance Leader, this arrangement wasn't actually prepared specifically for you."

"To be honest, some of my old friends are coming over for a get-together the day after tomorrow."

Although it's not easy to say it out loud, it's still better than the deadline being over.

"What's the big deal?" Ye Hua laughed. "When in Rome, do as the host says!"

Niu Gao breathed a sigh of relief and was about to call his disciples to serve tea when the curtain to the inner room was suddenly flung open with a "whoosh"!

A silvery laugh rang out, and the girl rushed out.

Her light purple twin ponytails hung down her shoulders, and her clothes were predominantly pure white.

Her face was fairly round and plump, and her legs were only Xiao Wu than Xiao Wu's. She wasn't wearing socks under her sandals, revealing her fair toes.

Her chest was so prominent it seemed about to burst out, stretching her white dress taut!

"How dare you be rude!" Niu Gao exclaimed in alarm.