Homecoming

Shi Quan snickered. "This needs proving? Haven't Weapon Spirit Souls always been able to absorb spirit rings from Beast Spirit Beasts?"

"But Plant Spirit Souls..."

Grandmaster still wanted to explain, but Shi Quan gave him no chance to speak and cut him off directly. "Just tell me: do Plant Spirit Souls count as Weapon Spirit Souls or not?"

Grandmaster was rendered speechless. Gritting his teeth, he answered again, "They do count as Weapon Spirit Souls."

"There you have it. So stop saying every theory was proposed by you. Besides, Plant Spirit Souls are more compatible with Plant Spirit Beasts. Whenever people can absorb a spirit ring from a Plant Spirit Beast, they absorb one from a Plant Spirit Beast. You're here emphasizing that Plant Spirit Souls can absorb spirit rings from Beast Spirit Beasts—aren't you just making excuses for yourself? I've never seen a Plant Spirit Master absorb a Beast Spirit Beast's spirit ring as their First Spirit Ring. Tang San, you're the first!"

As he spoke, Shi Quan gave Tang San a thumbs-up.

To Tang San, that thumbs-up was especially mocking.

"But a Mandala Snake is much stronger than a Plant Spirit Beast. Grandmaster Yu really put some thought into this!" Shi Quan continued, turning his thumbs-up toward Yu Xiaogang.

Yu Xiaogang's expression darkened. Others did not know how the Mandala Snake had died, but he and Tang San knew perfectly well. He had barely contributed at all. It was said that Tang San had stumbled into it by chance, but in truth, Tang San had killed it with his own strength.

"Xiao Quan..."

Shi Quan had originally wanted to disgust the two of them a little more, but Marde's voice suddenly came from behind him.

"Teacher." Shi Quan paused with his mouth open and turned toward Marde, who had come downstairs at some point.

Marde shook his head at him and reprimanded him, "No matter what, Xiaogang is a friend of mine. Show him some respect."

"Got it, Teacher." The moment he saw Marde, Shi Quan immediately put on an obedient look.

After glancing at Tang San and Grandmaster, he walked over to Marde with a grin. "Teacher, you still couldn't bear to part with me, so you came down to see me off?"

Marde glared at Shi Quan. "I was afraid you'd stir up more trouble before leaving."

"How could I?" Shi Quan hurriedly shook his head. "Look, Tang San asked to spar with me, and I didn't even agree."

"You, honestly. Why didn't I know you were such a smooth talker before?" Marde said with a smile, shaking his head.

Shi Quan chuckled. "It's not too late to find out now, right?"

While Marde and Shi Quan chatted and laughed, Tang San and Yu Xiaogang's expressions on the other side were the complete opposite.

"Captain, the troops have assembled!" a soldier called from the distance.

"My lord, we can depart," Fury said, looking at Shi Quan.

"Teacher, since you're already down here, you might as well see me off properly." Shi Quan stepped forward and linked his arm through Marde's.

"You really are..." Marde shook his head with a smile, then called to Yu Xiaogang, "Xiaogang, wait for me. I'll come find you later."

Back Gate.

The disciplined Iron Guards had already fully assembled.

Marde and Shi Quan walked toward the Back Gate, chatting and laughing, without the slightest appearance of reluctance at their impending parting.

"Teacher, I'm leaving. I'll come see you again later." Shi Quan released Marde's arm with a smile, stood on tiptoe, and quickly straightened his clothes.

"Go on." Marde affectionately patted Shi Quan's head.

Shi Quan waved as he headed toward the Carriage the Iron Guards had prepared for him. Even after climbing aboard, he immediately stuck his head out and kept waving goodbye to Marde until his figure blurred in the distance.

As he watched the fading figure, Marde's smile gradually disappeared, replaced by concern. "Xiao Quan, I believe your theory will succeed."

"Before long, your name will resound across the continent, and you will become a true Grandmaster!"

Only after speaking did Marde turn and head back into the academy.

"My lord, where are we going?"

"My home, Stone Family Village!"

Stone Family Village.

The sun was setting.

Golden light spilled over the villagers chatting idly in the streets and alleys.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The sound of iron armor clashing came from afar.

Because they wore heavy iron armor, the Iron Guards did not march quickly. It was not until night was about to fall that the group arrived outside Stone Family Village.

The common villagers had never seen such a scene before and were immediately frightened stiff.

"Captain Fury, set up camp outside the village. I'll go in and notify the village chief and the others." Shi Quan hurriedly got down from the Carriage.

"My lord, I'll go with you."

"Set up camp where you are." After leaping down from his horse, Fury issued the order to the troops and immediately hurried after Shi Quan.

Shi Quan could not help shaking his head at the sight.

He was starting to wonder whether Xue Qinghe had sent these people to protect him or to keep an eye on him.

After entering the village, Shi Quan immediately approached a familiar face and said, "Uncle Shi Yi, go tell the village chief that these soldiers are here to protect me. Tell the villagers not to panic. I'm heading home first."

Only after looking at Shi Quan's retreating back did Shi Yi come to his senses and hurriedly run toward the village chief's home.

"Dad, Mom, I'm back!"

Shi Quan's voice reached them before he even entered the house.

Shi Jian and Li Meili were sitting around with nothing to do when they suddenly heard the voice outside. They looked at each other first before reacting.

Li Meili sprang to her feet and hurried outside. "Xiao Quan, you're back!"

Shi Jian was more composed, though there was some concern in his expression as he headed outside.

"Mom!" Shi Quan excitedly rushed forward and threw his arms around Li Meili.

Li Meili was delighted at first, but when she saw Fury behind Shi Quan, her body stiffened. "Xiao Quan, who is this?"

Shi Quan held his head high and puffed out his chest. "Dad, Mom, don't worry. This is Captain Fury. They're here to escort me to Heaven Dou Royal Advanced Academy."

"Heaven Dou Royal Advanced Academy?" Li Meili and Shi Jian were both stunned.

"My lord, please come inside and have a seat." Without time to think further, Shi Jian could only invite Fury inside first.

Fury waved his hand. "You two needn't worry about me. Go inside and talk if you have things to discuss. I'll stand guard outside."

"How could we possibly..."

Shi Jian wanted to say more, but Shi Quan interrupted him. "Dad, don't worry about them. They have their own discipline. We can talk about our own things. Come on, let's go inside."

With that, Shi Quan pulled Li Meili and Shi Jian into the main room in the middle.

Shi Jian looked at Fury by the door, then frowned at Shi Quan. "Aren't you studying at Notting Junior Academy? Why are you suddenly going to Heaven Dou Royal Advanced Academy?"

"Isn't it because your son is amazing?" Shi Quan said with a grin.

"Xiao Quan, speak properly." Li Meili glared at him, then lowered her voice. "That man doesn't look ordinary. What exactly is going on?"

"Got it." Shi Quan waved his hand. "I already graduated early from Notting Junior Academy. The dean recommended me and enrolled me in Heaven Dou Royal Advanced Academy. Then I was accepted by Heaven Dou Royal Advanced Academy, and they're here to escort me there for my studies."

Shi Jian continued asking, "Why an advanced academy? Shouldn't you attend an Intermediate Academy after graduating from a junior academy? How did you skip straight to advanced?"

"Didn't I already tell you? Because your son is amazing?"

Thinking of something, Shi Jian quickly asked, "What level is your Soul Power now?"

Shi Quan lowered his voice mysteriously. "Level 21."

Shi Jian and Li Meili's eyes widened at once. Li Meili even covered her mouth, unable to speak.

"Alright, they already know too, so you don't have to be so surprised. Otherwise, how do you think I got accepted by Heaven Dou Royal Advanced Academy?" Shi Quan said with a grin as he summoned his Spirit Soul. One yellow and one purple dazzling spirit ring rose beneath his feet.

"Two spirit rings!" Shi Jian and Li Meili's eyes were filled with shock.

"But Xiao Quan, why is one of your spirit rings yellow and the other purple? I remember that Grandmaster's awakened ones were white and yellow, weren't they?" Li Meili curiously reached out to touch the spirit rings beneath Shi Quan, but her hand passed straight through them.

Shi Quan smiled. "They're all spirit rings. There's no difference—they're all the same. Some people even have black and red spirit rings."

Upon hearing this, Fury outside could not help glancing into the room.

How could they possibly be the same?

Black and red? You're talking about ten-thousand-year spirit rings and 100,000 Year Spirit Rings as if they were nothing?

Shi Jian asked again, "What kind of academy is Heaven Dou Royal Advanced Academy? Is it the Heaven Dou Empire royal family's academy?"

"Captain Fury, could you introduce Heaven Dou Royal Advanced Academy to my parents?" Shi Quan looked toward Fury at the doorway.

Fury paused when Shi Quan suddenly called on him, then began explaining, "Heaven Dou Royal Advanced Academy is affiliated with the Heaven Dou Empire royal family and is one of the finest academies within the Heaven Dou Empire. Its dean is His Majesty, the current emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire. The academy has three elder teachers, all Soul Douluo above Level 80. Its faculty is the strongest in the entire empire—without equal."

As they listened to Fury's introduction, Shi Jian and Li Meili's mouths had remained open from beginning to end.

They had never even left Fasinuo Province, let alone gone to the Heaven Dou Empire, which lay above Fasinuo Province.

Yet their son had now been accepted into an academy established by the Heaven Dou Empire royal family, and its dean was even the reigning emperor.

They would never have dared to dream of such a thing before, yet it had truly happened.

Even Shi Jian, usually known for his composure, was too excited to speak.

Instead, Li Meili was the first to recover. She swept Shi Quan into her arms. "I knew our Xiao Quan was the best."

Shi Jian was naturally happy for Shi Quan upon hearing the news, but he still had some worries deep down. He feared Shi Quan was too exceptional and might attract the attention of people with ill intentions.

Shi Quan knew his father was steady and always thought more deeply than most people. One of the main reasons he had returned this time was to keep his parents from worrying about him.

Shi Quan clenched his fist, held his head high, and looked at Shi Jian and Li Meili. "Once I'm studying at Heaven Dou Royal Advanced Academy, I'll have the entire Heaven Dou Empire behind me. If anyone dares bully me in the future, I'll report them to His Majesty the Emperor..."