Xie Xie, Xu Xiaoyan, and Wu Changkong

Fortunately, Qi Ji's soul-guided car was the highest-end model specially supplied by the Federation.

Equipped with the latest generation of soul-guided engines, it offered not only supreme comfort but also considerable speed. The journey of several thousand kilometers from Mingdu to Eastsea City took less than a day.

Before midnight, the car smoothly entered Eastsea City's urban district and stopped in front of the five-star hotel the Skysea Alliance had arranged in advance.

"Finally, we're here... After sitting in the car for so long, my waist is sore!"

Tang Wuling was the first to jump out. Standing in the hotel parking lot, she stretched lazily, her limbs extending as her bones gave a faint series of pops.

She took a deep breath. The sea breeze carried a salty, damp scent that rushed toward her, bringing with it a familiar fragrance of home. A nostalgic expression surfaced on her face despite herself.

After all, this was where she had grown up. Though she had settled in Mingdu these past few years, returning to this land still filled her with an indescribable sense of closeness.

Qi Ji silently put on a mask, hat, and sunglasses, completing his entire disguise in one fluid motion.

It was easy to imagine that, in his hometown, the Skysea Alliance had long since plastered his promotional posters across every street and alley. His popularity here was probably even greater than in Mingdu.

Over the years, the Skysea Alliance had made no small fuss over him. From illuminated billboard ads to television promotions, they had practically turned him into the pride of the entire Skysea Alliance.

He had no desire to be swarmed by enthusiastic fans the moment he stepped out of the car. If that happened, he could forget about getting a proper rest tonight.

"Let's rest first today." Qi Ji got out of the car and had the driver toss the keys to the approaching hotel valet before turning to the two girls.

"For now, we're attached to Eastsea Academy, the only mid- to high-level Soul Master Academy in Eastsea City. We'll stay at the hotel tonight and visit it tomorrow."

"Qi Ji, Qi Ji... What kind of rooms did you book?"

Tang Wuling leaned closer and blinked at him, looking as though her real intention lay elsewhere. Her little scheme was practically written all over her face, just short of having the words "I want to share a room with you" carved onto her forehead.

"Don't even think about it." Qi Ji mercilessly flicked her forehead with a finger. "Three rooms. One each."

"Then I want the room closest to yours!"

Tang Wuling rubbed her reddened forehead, still refusing to give up as she followed closely behind Qi Ji.

"One room per floor. Pick whichever one you want." Qi Ji kept walking without looking back, his tone carrying the certainty that there was no room for negotiation.

"Hehe... How laughable."

Gu Yuena stood to one side with her arms folded. Her silver hair drifted lightly in the sea breeze, while her violet eyes brimmed with amusement and mockery. A profoundly meaningful smile hung at the corner of her lips.

"Alright, here are the keycards. I'm going to rest first."

Qi Ji casually tossed two keycards to them, accurately throwing them into their hands like darts, then walked into the hotel lobby without looking back.

The glass doors slowly closed behind him, shutting out both the sea breeze and the girls' gazes.

The journey had not been particularly long, but dealing with the two of them bickering all the way had drained more than half his energy.

He truly needed some time alone to calm down and properly sort out tomorrow's plans.

"What? Qi Ji's gone. Want to fight me now?"

Gu Yuena tilted her head toward Tang Wuling, her voice full of relaxed provocation, as though she were certain Tang Wuling would not dare make a move here.

Tang Wuling clenched her fists, her chest rising and falling several times before she finally forced herself to swallow her anger. "We'll settle this in the arena."

She simply did not want to make Qi Ji angry. That was all.

If not for the thought of disappointment appearing in Qi Ji's golden dragon eyes, she would have punched Gu Yuena right in that infuriating face long ago.

She would endure it for now and settle the score properly in the competition.

Tang Wuling was not some magnanimous person. She had remembered this debt, and she would collect it all at once when the time came.

At that moment, Qi Ji had already opened the door and entered his suite.

The room was spacious and bright. Beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, the lights of Eastsea City gradually came alive, while a faint line of deep-blue sea could be seen in the distance, blending with the city's neon glow.

He did not immediately wash up and rest. Instead, he stood by the window and gazed at the city where he had lived for six years, seriously considering tomorrow's itinerary.

Visiting Eastsea Academy... I should run into those people from Class Zero in the original story, right?

Without Tang Wuling, Class Zero was probably still its original lineup—Xie Xie, Xu Xiaoyan, Zhang Yangzi, and Wang Jinxi.

To be honest, Qi Ji did not think much of Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi.

The two could be considered geniuses, but that was all. Before Qi Ji, they were like mayflies glimpsing the vast sky, not worth mentioning at all.

Xie Xie and Xu Xiaoyan, however, were quite good.

Xie Xie's martial soul had the potential to undergo a second awakening into the Space-Time Sacred Dragon.

The Space-Time Sacred Dragon held a special position in the Ancient Dragon Clan's lineage—it was the Dragon God's shadow guard, an elite dragon force responsible for stealthily protecting him from the shadows.

Though at a level of strength like the Dragon God's, a guard force was more a symbol of prestige and honor than anything else, if Qi Ji was going to become the new Dragon God in the future, then he ought to have the Dragon God's proper grandeur too, shouldn't he?

Otherwise, wouldn't that be utterly lacking in style?

So, Xie Xie was worth recruiting. Whether as a follower or a guard in the future, he would be useful either way.

Besides, the Space-Time Sacred Dragon's abilities could not be underestimated in actual combat. It was a rare existence capable of manipulating time and space.

Then there was Xu Xiaoyan.

My God—that's a walking game-breaking mechanic.

As a Soul Master with a soul skill akin to "absolute success," Xu Xiaoyan's strategic value was simply immeasurable.

Her Starwheel Chains ignored level differences, defense, and resistance. As long as they hit, they took effect—and her soul skill was guaranteed to hit.

Even after Qi Ji became a god in the future, he would probably be restrained for an instant by that unreasonable skill of hers.

But in battles between high-level Soul Masters, an instant was enough to do far too much. Even a brief moment of stagnation could determine victory or defeat.

Xu Xiaoyan's strategic value was therefore unquestionably immense. If he could recruit her to his side, it would be an enormous reinforcement for Qi Ji's team, like gaining a reliable battlefield-control trump card.

As for Wu Changkong... Qi Ji had a very good impression of him. He was one of the few normal people who had become normal after the love parasite and the loyalty parasite fought each other.

But Wu Changkong belonged to Shrek, and both his obsession and sense of belonging were tied to Shrek.

Unless Qi Ji could revive Long Bing or personally kill Dark Hummingbird to avenge him, there was simply no possibility of recruiting him.

Wu Changkong's talent was truly outrageous—at just over thirty, without any resources, mentor guidance, or Battle Armor assistance, he had relied on sheer willpower to reach the level of a rank ninety-eight Super Douluo in only a few years. There were hardly a few people like him in the entire history of the Douluo Continent.

Even Qi Ji had to acknowledge that terrifying talent.

Still, if he could not recruit him, then so be it.

Qi Ji thought quite highly of Wu Changkong. When the time came, simply getting to know him and forming a good connection would be enough.

As for whether he might become Qi Ji's enemy in the future—Qi Ji did not believe someone who was already inferior to him now would be qualified to become his enemy in the future.