Iron Guards

"Teacher, you've worked hard." Shi Quan helped Marde inside, then quickly turned to pour him a glass of water.

"Haha, not at all, not at all." Marde drained the water in one gulp, pulled Shi Quan aside to sit down, and said, "Let's get to the important matter first."

"Xiao Quan, look at this." As he spoke, Marde took a gold token from his robes and handed it over. Its design was simple, but Shi Quan could sense a special current of energy contained within it. The character for Heaven was engraved upon it.

"This is..." Shi Quan looked at the gold token in Marde's hand in confusion.

Marde smiled. "This is the Crown Prince's personal token, a symbol of the Crown Prince himself. With it, you are considered one of the Crown Prince's people."

Hearing that, Shi Quan remembered that in the original story, Xue Qinghe had given Tang San an identical token. It had played no small role in the later upheaval at the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace.

"After the Crown Prince read your theory, he was first utterly astonished, then lavish in his praise. Once he learned of your circumstances, he immediately gave me this token, dispatched several dozen Iron Guards to protect you, and invited you to Heaven Dou City." As he reached this point, Marde's voice carried a little more reluctance and concern.

"Iron Guards?" Shi Quan was puzzled once again.

"I was afraid something might happen to you, so I came back early. The Iron Guards are still behind me and should arrive in a couple of days. The Crown Prince sent them to protect you. As long as you use this token, you can command them." As he spoke, Marde placed the heavy token in Shi Quan's hand.

"If you wish to go to Heaven Dou City, these Iron Guards will escort you there as well."

Shi Quan held the token, his expression complicated. Marde had truly treated him well, teaching him as though he were a personal disciple and always considering him first in every matter. He said sincerely, "Teacher, don't worry. I've always remembered your teachings over these past years. Even if I leave the academy, you will always be my teacher."

"It's enough that you feel that way." Marde let out a long sigh. How could he not understand? Notting City was ultimately too small. Shi Quan's world lay in the vast expanse beyond it.

He also understood that Shi Quan had already planned to go to Heaven Dou City when he had first asked Marde to go there. The knowledge at Notting Academy could no longer help him. If he wanted greater achievements, he had to leave and soar beneath a broader sky.

Even though Marde had prepared himself, he still felt a wave of desolation when he heard Shi Quan say it himself.

Marde gently stroked Shi Quan's head and said kindly, "Once you leave, you'll only have yourself to rely on. If you ever grow tired out there, if you ever become weary, come back to the academy for a visit. As long as I'm here, there will always be a place for you at the academy..."

Listening to Marde's words, Shi Quan felt moved.

"Thank you, Teacher." Hearing the sincerity in Shi Quan's voice, Marde's cloudy eyes reddened as well.

"Let me tell you about Heaven Dou City." Marde wiped his eyes and changed the subject.

Only then did Shi Quan learn how everything had unfolded.

When Marde first arrived in Heaven Dou City, he had run into obstacles everywhere. Xue Qinghe was the Crown Prince of a nation, not someone Marde could meet just because he wanted to. After many attempts, he still could not see Xue Qinghe.

After looking into the matter, Marde turned his attention to Heaven Dou Royal Academy. He brought the theory to the Education Committee, showed them the original manuscript, and repeatedly assured them of its authenticity. Only then did he get his wish and meet Xue Qinghe, presenting the revised initial draft of the theory.

The events that followed were much simpler. After Xue Qinghe learned about Shi Quan's circumstances from Marde, he sent his personal Iron Guards to Notting City to protect him. He had dispatched his own guards merely because of a theory, which was enough to show how highly Xue Qinghe regarded Shi Quan.

According to Xue Qinghe's own words, these Iron Guards had been bestowed upon Shi Quan for his protection.

At the same time, Xue Qinghe had extended an invitation, asking Shi Quan to study at Heaven Dou Royal Advanced Academy.

If he went, Xue Qinghe would arrange a noble identity for him and grant him substantial rewards.

His sincerity could not have been clearer.

Shi Quan thought for a moment and said, "Teacher, this semester has about half a month left. Since I started it, I should finish it. Once this semester is over, help me complete the procedures for early graduation."

"Finish what you started." Marde laughed heartily. "Good, good, good! What a fine 'finish what you started.' I truly did not misjudge you."

Two days later.

Clang, clang. The low sound of iron armor striking together came from outside Notting City.

A disciplined formation of armored cavalry marched toward Notting City.

"What's that?" Seeing the Heaven Dou Empire banner raised high in the cavalry's hands, the guards at the city gates shuddered and hurriedly shouted, "Open all the gates, now!"

The heavy city gates rumbled as the main gates in the walls were thrown open.

As they watched the approaching cavalry, every rider clad in refined iron and steel armor, the gate guards scarcely dared to breathe.

They held their breath and watched the armored cavalry enter Notting City.

Only after every armored soldier had entered did the gate guards dare to breathe deeply again. Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, one muttered to himself, "Those soldiers should be from the Heaven Dou Empire, right? Why have they come to Notting City? And that aura... they're no ordinary soldiers, are they?"

Wherever the armored soldiers passed, ordinary people scattered, only daring to watch from afar.

The clash of iron armor echoed continuously through Notting City. Led by two cavalrymen, the dark mass of fifty or sixty men marched onward and soon arrived before Notting Academy. Their iron-blooded aura frightened the gatekeeper into immobility.

"Open the gate." The leading armored cavalryman spoke in an icy voice.

Hearing him, the Notting Academy gatekeeper's legs trembled as he hurriedly opened the academy gates.

The armored soldiers marched straight into the academy.

It was nearly noon. The academy students had just finished class, and as soon as they stepped out of their classrooms, they heard the clanging armor in the distance. They were all children—how could they have seen soldiers with such a grim, iron-blooded aura? Every one of them was so frightened that they stayed in the classrooms, not daring to go outside.

Hearing the commotion on the Sports Field, Marde's expression changed. He immediately rose and ran toward it.

Marde hurried toward one of the armored cavalrymen and said, "Captain Fu, didn't I tell you to wait outside the academy once you arrived? How could you come in like this? What if you scare the students?"

Captain Fu replied directly, "Headmaster Marde, we came under the Crown Prince's orders to protect that lord. Until we have seen him, we do not dare relax our vigilance."

Marde's expression darkened, but Captain Fu paid no attention to it and simply surveyed the academy. His gaze fell upon the classrooms as he asked, "Is that lord in the classroom?"

As he spoke, the soldiers led by Captain Fu turned and headed toward the classrooms. Marde hurriedly stopped them. "Xiao Quan isn't in the classroom."

"I'm here!" Shi Quan's cold voice rang out from beneath the Dormitory building behind the armored soldiers.

Hearing the voice, Captain Fu turned around and looked toward Shi Quan, who stood not far away holding the Crown Prince Token.

A horse neighed. Captain Fu urged his horse forward and quickly stopped near Shi Quan. His tall figure looked down upon him as the surrounding armored soldiers swiftly turned and gathered around.

After glancing at the token, Captain Fu said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Prove your identity."

Shi Quan's gaze narrowed slightly. Marde hurried over and said, "Xiao Quan, he means he wants to see your Spirit Rings."

Under the gazes from every direction, Shi Quan slowly raised his right hand. A deep blue radiance blossomed as Blue Silver Grass appeared in his palm. Beneath him, one yellow and one purple Spirit Ring silently emerged.

"A Thousand Year Spirit Ring!"

The entire academy erupted in an uproar.

No one had expected that Shi Quan, who normally kept such a low profile, had already achieved a Breakthrough to Level 20. Even more astonishingly, his Second Spirit Ring was a Thousand Year Spirit Ring.

Inside the classroom, Tang San stared at the Thousand Year Spirit Ring beneath Shi Quan's feet with a stunned expression.

How could someone with innate Level 1 Soul Power cultivate so quickly?

Didn't Teacher say the limit for the Second Spirit Ring was 764 years?

Weren't Thousand Year Spirit Rings something only Soul Elders could possess?

All kinds of doubts surfaced in Tang San's mind.

Yu Xiaogang was the same. His dead-fish eyes were fixed on the two Spirit Rings beneath Shi Quan, his face filled with disbelief as he muttered repeatedly, "Impossible... This is impossible..."

He could not understand how Shi Quan had done it.

When Captain Fu saw the Thousand Year Spirit Ring glowing beneath Shi Quan, some life finally entered his cold gaze. He leaped down from his horse, dropped to one knee, and respectfully saluted Shi Quan. "Greetings, my lord. We have come under the Crown Prince's orders to protect you. If you have any commands, please give them freely."

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The sound of soldiers dropping to their knees rang out in unison, their perfectly coordinated movements making everyone's heart tighten.

Shi Quan's expression did not change as he withdrew his Martial Soul. Staring at Captain Fu, he said, "Apologize to my teacher."

Captain Fu abruptly raised his head, his cold gaze locking directly onto Shi Quan. Shi Quan was not afraid in the slightest and met his eyes without flinching.

"No need, no need." Marde hurriedly waved his hands and stepped forward, intending to help Captain Fu up. Trying to smooth things over, he said, "Captain Fu, just take your men outside first. As long as you don't disturb the students' studies, that will be enough."

But Shi Quan grabbed Marde and stared at Captain Fu. "Apologize."

Captain Fu's expression remained unchanged beneath his iron helmet, though a trace of amusement appeared at the corner of his eyes. He said to Marde, "Headmaster Marde, I was presumptuous in this matter and caused offense. Please forgive me."

Marde paused, then sighed. "Captain Fu, you're too serious. My arrangements were not thorough enough either. Let us leave the matter at that."

As he spoke, Marde patted Shi Quan's hand, signaling that it was enough. Only then did Shi Quan's expression improve somewhat. He put away the token and said flatly, "Rise."

Only then did Captain Fu and the other soldiers stand.