The Pope's Palace and Worship Hall both stood in the very heart of Spirit City, though compared with the Pope's Palace out in the open, Worship Hall lay a little farther in.
As for Hu Liena and Tian Chen heading the same way, that was indeed the case.
The entire city was bathed in the neon glow of Soul Tools, brilliantly lit. Tian Chen and Hu Liena walked side by side, but neither spoke, as though by tacit agreement.
Each had their own thoughts.
Hu Liena was annoyed that Tian Chen was so oblivious to romance, failing to notice the silver-white fox-fur coat she wore, which was similar to his.
Girls had plenty of tricks when it came to someone they cared about.
As for Tian Chen, of course he had noticed. He was simply playing dumb despite knowing full well. First, they were still young, and things could easily change. Second, Tian Chen did not want to make the first move. He wanted to try the feeling of being pursued, too.
Tian Chen deliberately ignored Hu Liena's slightly resentful gaze. After saying goodbye, he pulled his fox-fur coat tight around himself and headed toward the brightly lit Worship Hall nearby.
"Hmph ╯^╰!"
Watching Tian Chen's figure gradually melt into the night, Hu Liena wrinkled her delicate nose, turned around, and stamped up the steps toward the Pope's Palace, one at a time, as though sulking at someone.
A nearby squad of Soul Masters noticed the commotion and had intended to reprimand her, but once they saw Hu Liena's face clearly, they forcibly swallowed their words.
What a joke. The Pope's personal disciple was not someone a lowly squad captain like him could afford to offend.
He hurriedly gave Hu Liena a fawning smile, jogged over to her, and personally opened the doors of the Pope's Palace for her.
The instant Tian Chen returned to the manor, a rich fragrance filled his nostrils.
Following the scent to its source, Tian Chen soon reached the manor's dining hall.
As the aroma of meat grew stronger, his mouth watered furiously, and he unconsciously swallowed.
On his return journey from Star Dou Great Forest to Spirit City, he had eaten only a little dried Soul Beast meat to take the edge off his hunger. Now his appetite had been thoroughly awakened.
Unwilling to waste another moment, Tian Chen deliberately quickened his pace, reached the brightly lit dining hall, and pushed the door open.
There sat Tian E in golden robes at the table, sipping the clear tea before him and looking toward him with a smile.
"Come and sit down. I had someone stew one paw from that ten-thousand-year Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear and steam the other. Come try them. Don't let them go to waste."
Without needing Tian E's reminder, Tian Chen had already plopped down unceremoniously on a sandalwood chair, grabbed the bear paw weighing dozens of jin from the plate before him, and taken a ferocious bite.
Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear paws were a rare delicacy. Not only could they nourish a Soul Master's body, but their flavor was also quite good.
The dark-red Terrorclaw Bear meat was interlaced with fine strands of white fat stewed until tender, and a rich, soft fragrance instantly swept through Tian Chen's mouth.
Already ravenous, Tian Chen naturally held nothing back. After a bout of wolfing and tiger-gulping, he had swallowed both bear paws, dozens of jin of meat in all.
Lifting the plate with its remaining juices, Tian Chen took a satisfied gulp before finally leaning back in his chair contentedly and letting out a burp.
Across from him, Tian E gave Tian Chen a gratified look, then leisurely walked over to his side, gently patted his shoulder, and spoke with a kindly expression.
"Don't cultivate tonight. Get a good night's sleep."
"Yes, Grandpa."
Tian Chen stood up as well, put both hands behind his neck, and grinned at Tian E.
He had kept his nerves taut all this time in his efforts to break through. Now that he had achieved his goal, it was time to relax a little.
After all, a Soul Master's cultivation was not simply a matter of relentlessly training.
The grandfather and grandson then left the dining hall side by side. After chatting in the corridor for a while, they each returned to their own rooms.
Back in his room, Tian Chen allowed himself a rare moment of relaxation and lay down on his soft, spacious bed.
He caught a corner of the golden curtains between his feet, shutting out the faint light shining in from outside.
Several consecutive weeks of cultivating day and night, along with this trip to Star Dou Great Forest, had truly pushed both his body and mind to their limits.
With his eyes closed and his body and mind emptied, he soon fell into a deep sleep.
The night passed without incident...
Early the next morning, his long-established habits still woke him right on time.
A keen light flickered in his clear blue eyes, and the previous weariness vanished in a flash.
He stretched, loosened up his somewhat stiff body, and went into the bathroom for a quick wash before heading to the dining hall downstairs.
Because he had been busy breaking through to Soul Grandmaster, he had not gone to Spirit Hall Academy for several weeks in a row.
Now that he had broken through, there was no need to keep skipping class. Besides, some of the knowledge and experience taught at Spirit Hall Academy were still quite helpful to him.
Of course, his main reason was to take part in the year-end tournament, a grand occasion for the entire Spirit Hall Academy.
During the tournament, Spirit Hall Academy would not only invite the city's dignitaries to watch, but Spirit Hall itself would also send people over.
It could be said that as long as you distinguished yourself in the year-end tournament, Spirit Hall would direct more resources toward you. Earning a placing also came with generous rewards.
As for those dignitaries, as long as you displayed outstanding talent, they would likewise draw on all sorts of resources to invest in you. Building a good relationship with a future high-ranking Soul Master was something they were all happy to do.
Those rewards, however, did not amount to much for Tian Chen. His background was absolutely among the very highest in Spirit City, so naturally, those rewards held no appeal for him.
His reason for participating in Soul Fighting was simply to fight different Soul Masters and hone his practical combat experience.
The elite students at Spirit Hall Academy were not comparable to the commoner Soul Masters outside. Not only did they all possess high-grade Martial Souls, but their Soul Rings also all had the optimal configuration. These were Tian Chen's ideal opponents.
Moreover, although he was still in the junior class, after breaking through to Soul Grandmaster, he would be competing in the intermediate-class division of the year-end tournament.
In other words, his opponents would be those between ranks twenty and thirty throughout Spirit Hall Academy.
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