Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Ning Fengzhi stood in the main hall, tapping his fingers against the table, the rhythm growing faster and faster.
"Uncle Gu." He raised his head, his tone decisive. "We must find that child."
"You mean Wu Wei?" Bone Douluo Gu Rong frowned.
"Yes. When the sky screen revealed his future achievements, I only wanted to recruit him. But things are different now." Ning Fengzhi's eyes flashed. "The value of this Blood Essence Soul Ring technique exceeds that of a hundred geniuses. I must have him in my hands."
"But the kid is only six. He's just awakened his Martial Soul," Bone Douluo said with a frown. "We don't even know where he is."
"Investigate." Ning Fengzhi's tone brooked no argument. "According to what the sky screen showed, the kid only awakened his Martial Soul this year. We have his full name, so he shouldn't be hard to find."
"I've already sent people to look." Gu Rong nodded. "Spirit Hall moved even faster than we did. The screen showed that kid desecrating the Angel God earlier. That old bastard Qian Daoliu has probably already ordered him hunted down."
Ning Fengzhi's face darkened. "Then we need to be even faster."
The Heaven Dou Empire's imperial palace.
Xue Ye sat on the dragon throne, with three middle-aged men in plain clothes kneeling before him.
"Find the child named Wu Wei." His voice was low. "Don't hurt him. Bring him back. Whatever he wants, give it to him. A noble title, land, resources-grant him everything."
"Your Majesty, Spirit Hall is looking for him too," one of the men said quietly. "Qian Daoliu has ordered him killed on sight."
"That old bastard Qian Daoliu has eyes for nothing but his Angel God." Xue Ye sneered. "The sky screen made it perfectly clear to everyone that the Angel God and the Rakshasa God were cast down as divine punishment. And he's still going on about blasphemy? The old fool's lost his mind."
"Then if we run into Spirit Hall's people..."
"Get to him before they do." Xue Ye's tone was icy. "If you can't, make sure Spirit Hall can't have him either."
Spirit Hall.
Bibi Dong sat on the throne in the Papal Hall, with two cardinals kneeling before her.
"Have you found that Wu Wei from the sky screen?"
"Your Majesty, we tracked him down."
"But by the time we got there, he was already gone!"
"How did he disappear?" Bibi Dong tapped a finger against the armrest, a cold light flickering in her phoenix eyes. "Did someone get to him before us?"
"That... we aren't certain yet!"
"Then go find out!"
"Yes, Your Holiness the Pope!"
Deeper within Spirit Hall, in the Worship Hall.
Qian Daoliu stood before the Angel God Statue, his hands pressed together and his expression devout.
"Divine Ancestor, rest assured," he said quietly. "I will find that mortal who desecrated you and tear him into ten thousand pieces."
As for the Blood Essence Soul Ring?
Qian Daoliu knew it was precious.
But all he had sought in his life was for their Angel Clan to produce a sufficiently outstanding descendant who could receive the inheritance of their Divine Ancestor, the Angel God.
The future shown on the sky screen had already told him that Qian Renxue could do it, and had succeeded.
There was no need for him to covet Wu Wei's Blood Essence Soul Ring.
Beneath the sky screen, little Wu Wei was huddled in the attic of a dilapidated inn in a corner of town.
Of course, he too had heard what his future self had said while talking to himself in the sky screen's images.
"Blood Essence Soul Ring! Devouring a Soul Beast's flesh and blood can improve a Soul Ring's quality!" He was so excited he nearly sprang off the bed. "I really am fucking awesome! I even figured that out!"
But after only a short while of celebrating, little Wu Wei frowned.
"Then again, everyone's going to come looking for me now."
He counted on his fingers. "Spirit Hall, the Heaven Dou Empire, the Star Luo Empire, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and all those sects big and small... I bet every faction on the continent is looking for me."
"After all, who wouldn't want a cultivation method that can improve the quality of Soul Rings?"
Little Wu Wei jumped off the bed and paced back and forth in the cramped attic.
"No, I have to run. The farther the better. Best find some remote nook where nobody can find me."
Although he had already mastered the Life Domain and could revive even if he was killed,
little Wu Wei naturally didn't want to die even once if he could help it, so it was best not to be found.
"Forget it. I'll get a good rest and run tomorrow!"
After thinking it over, little Wu Wei stayed put for the time being. He was no longer in the town he had been in before, nor was he using his old name. He also looked different from his future self now. He refused to believe he could be unlucky enough to be found so quickly.
What mattered more to him now was keeping a close eye on the sky screen.
People out there surely all wanted to get the Blood Essence Soul Ring cultivation method from him, but the problem was that he hadn't mastered it at all yet!
He wanted to get it from the sky screen himself!
All he could do was wait and see when his future self would begin cultivating the Blood Essence Soul Ring.
The sky screen still hung overhead.
On the Shrek Academy training ground, everyone was gazing up at it, engrossed, when a streak of sword light suddenly slashed down from the horizon.
That sword light was sharp beyond measure, carrying a keen force that could tear the heavens apart. It landed directly on the stone steps at Shrek Academy's entrance.
With a crack, a fissure split the steps, and dust billowed in every direction.
An old man emerged from the dust.
His back was as straight as a sword, his silver hair combed neatly and his face lean. The moment he stood there, all of Shrek Academy fell silent.
Flender was the first to react, every hair on his body standing on end.
"Senior Sword... Sword Douluo?" Flender's voice was respectful.
"Sword Douluo Chen Xin of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect..." Yu Xiaogang's voice tightened, and he instinctively moved to shield Tang San behind him. "What is he doing here?"
Chen Xin stood at the entrance, his gaze sweeping over Flender and Yu Xiaogang without pausing. His eyes traveled around the training ground before finally settling on Ning Rongrong.
Ning Rongrong was just thinking of hiding herself behind Zhu Zhuqing.
"Rongrong," he said, his voice flat and even. "Pack your things and come back with me."
Ning Rongrong froze. "Grandpa Sword? How did you..."
"Your father sent me to fetch you." Chen Xin lifted his eyelids slightly, his tone brooking no argument. "You saw what happened with the sky screen too. It isn't safe for you to stay out here. The other sects won't stand by and watch someone with the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul grow up."
Ning Rongrong opened her mouth to say something, but quickly swallowed her words.
She couldn't argue back. She knew Grandpa Sword was right.
Though she was reluctant to leave Shrek Academy, she also knew how dangerous her situation was now that the sky screen had exposed her future.
"I... I'll go pack."
She answered softly and turned toward the dormitory.
Only then did Chen Xin draw back his gaze and sweep his eyes over the people on the training ground again.
Flender and Yu Xiaogang were both fairly strong, but he didn't pay them much attention.
He was more curious about the Shrek Seven Devils.
Those monstrous talents who, like Ning Rongrong, were young and outstanding in the future shown by the sky screen.
When his gaze fell on Xiao Wu,
Chen Xin lifted his eyelids slightly.