Meanwhile, Yan Shaozhe and Jing Hongchen were engaged in a seemingly polite but actually witty conversation.
Dressed in white, Yan Shaozhe, with an elegant demeanor, cupped his hands and said, " Hall Master Hongchen, how have you been? I have returned your grandchildren to their rightful place."
He smiled warmly, but his tone carried a hint of pride. "Over the past two years, they have been diligent and studious, making remarkable progress, which makes me, as the dean, very pleased. I hope there will be more opportunities for such exchanges in the future."
Jing Hongchen's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and she returned a polite smile, " Dean Yan, you're too kind. Yuhao's performance in our academy is equally outstanding. He was invincible in the sparring matches, and no one could rival him."
He gave Huo Yuhao a meaningful look. "Such exchanges are indeed beneficial to both sides."
Upon Yan Shaozhe's eyes, but he didn't show it on his face, maintaining his amiable smile, "In that case, we won't bother you any longer. Mu En is waiting for us not far away. Farewell."
After speaking, he nodded slightly, and as he turned around, his sleeves moved without wind, and a powerful fluctuation of Soul Power was faintly visible, clearly indicating that he was on guard against something.
Jing Hongchen wore a meaningful smile and nodded slightly, saying, "In that case, I won't take up any more of your time. Don't keep Mu En waiting."
As the words fell, the two groups parted ways. Shrek and his companions embarked on their journey home, which was surprisingly peaceful; not a single person tried to stop them.
As evening fell, the group set up camp and rested in an open area.
By the campfire, Wang Dong hesitated for a long time before finally mustering the courage to approach Huo Yuhao, who was sitting alone under a tree. This action immediately caught the attention of Jiang Nannan, Xiao Xiao, and the others. The girls exchanged curious glances, but quickly pretended to be nonchalant—after all, it was perfectly normal for classmates to chat.
"Huo... Huo Yuhao..." Wang Dong's voice was so soft it was almost inaudible, his pinkish-blue eyes flickering with unease. He took a deep breath and bowed solemnly. "I am deeply sorry for what I did to you before."
Huo Yuhao looked up, a half-smile playing on his lips. " Wang Dong, you're too kind." He waved his hand casually. "I'm not one to hold grudges. Let bygones be bygones."
Upon hearing this, Wang Dong's tense shoulders visibly relaxed, and a relieved smile blossomed on his face. That smile was so radiant that it made the surrounding campfire pale in comparison.
At this moment, Xiao Xiao quietly sidled up and gently nudged Wang Dong's waist with her elbow. "Hey, what about what we agreed on? Hurry up and say it!" She winked at Wang Dong with a mischievous smile on her face.
As Wang Dong's good friend, Xiao Xiao naturally knew how nervous the boy was at this moment—although she had once been attracted to Wang Dong's outstanding appearance, she was now more concerned about her friend's wishes.
Wang Dong's fair cheeks flushed red. He nervously gripped the hem of his shirt, but his voice was unusually firm. "Um... Huo Yuhao, and everyone else..."
He glanced around at his gathered companions. "I... I need to go home to obtain Soul Ring. I'd like to invite everyone to visit the Clear Sky Sect. I wonder... would you all be willing?"
Yan Shaozhe and Xian Lin'er exchanged a glance. The former stroked his beard and smiled, "Of course. The Clear Sky Sect has a deep connection with Shrek Academy, so this is a good opportunity to deepen our exchanges."
Xuan Zi took a swig of wine, then ate a bite of chicken leg. A glint of shrewdness flashed in his hazy, drunken eyes. "Excellent! Excellent! I've long wanted to witness the might of the world's number one Tool Martial Soul!"
All eyes turned to Huo Yuhao. A barely perceptible glint of coldness flashed in his eyes. "Since everyone's going, I'll naturally join you."
Huo Yuhao didn't refuse at this moment. The Clear Sky Sect was also a sect connected with Tang San and Tang Hao. Revenge should be thorough, and he also wanted to destroy the Clear Sky Sect. He originally wanted to find an opportunity, but now it seemed that there was no need to look for an opportunity. He also had another calculation in mind: the Golden Dragon Spear. Tang San didn't focus his divine sense on Qiu'er, which meant that the Golden Dragon Spear wasn't on Qiu'er. The Golden Dragon Spear was very likely on Wang Dong, or perhaps on these two Clear Sky Sect. This was also one of his purposes. Since it was delivered to his doorstep, how could he refuse?
"This is truly heaven's help..." Huo Yuhao sneered inwardly. This trip to the Clear Sky Sect was not only to investigate the whereabouts of the Golden Dragon Spear, but also to see what methods those two guys would use to deal with him. In the future, he would overthrow the entire Clear Sky Sect, and he would not let go of anyone or anything related to Tang San.
Wang Dong had no idea what Huo Yuhao was thinking. When he saw Huo Yuhao agree, he was overjoyed. "That's great! The scenery of our Clear Sky Sect is beautiful. Everyone will definitely want to stay longer!" he said excitedly.
The Clear Sky Sect is located in the Cloud Recesses, not far from Heaven Dou City, the capital of the Heavenly Soul Empire.
Wang Dong led the group to a majestic peak. The mountain was surrounded on three sides by sheer cliffs, so steep that even birds could hardly perch on it.
Only the eastern side is relatively flat, but even that "flat" area is actually full of jagged rocks, with only a few tenacious pine and cypress trees taking root in the crevices of the rocks.
The main peak is like a giant sword piercing the sky, and the surrounding mountains are all low hills in front of it, with the highest only reaching its waist.
Huo Yuhao gazed up at the peak hidden in the sea of clouds, a strange light flashing in his eyes. "As expected of the Clear Sky Sect, it truly is a place where the clouds are deep and the unknown is unknown. With the Clear Sky Sect's level of seclusion now, it's probably as difficult as climbing to heaven to make enemies. Can the disciples of the Clear Sky Sect find their way back after they leave?"
A glint flashed in Xuan Zi's eyes. " The Clear Sky Sect truly lives up to its reputation. Is it perhaps a bit presumptuous of us to visit a reclusive sect so abruptly?"
Wang Dong smiled upon hearing this, his pinkish-blue eyes brimming with confidence. " Xuan Zi, you're overthinking it. You are all my companions, and my eldest and second uncles love me the most; they won't mind."
His words made everyone (including students and teachers) suddenly realize that Wang Dong was actually the young sect leader of the Clear Sky Sect!
As the group continued their ascent, the clouds thickened. Jiang Nannan, Xiao Xiao, and the others easily followed thanks to the Flying Soul Tool given to them by Huo Yuhao. Deans Yan Shaozhe and Xian Lin'er, on the other hand, each carried Bei Bei and Tang Ya, traversing the sea of clouds with ease.
Why didn't Xu Sanshi come? It's because Jiang Nannan went to find Huo Yuhao on her own. He was cultivating alone, hoping to one day snatch Jiang Nannan back from Huo Yuhao.
In fact, Xu Sanshi had already let go of the past. No matter how much he liked Huo Yuhao, there was nothing he could do. He could only set a new goal, which was to defeat Huo Yuhao.
Because Huo Yuhao's strength made Xu Sanshi despair.
"Please wait a moment, everyone. I'll go and inform them first." Wang Dong cupped his hands to the crowd, then transformed into a streak of light and soared into the sky. After a short while, Wang Dong returned and led the group on their way.
Following Wang Dong through the last stretch of misty mountain road, a majestic gray castle suddenly appeared before them: Clear Sky Castle.
As Wang Dong walked, he introduced everyone, his tone filled with undisguised excitement. "It's a wonderful welcome to all of you! My family rarely has guests, so today is quite lively." His pinkish-blue eyes sparkled with excitement, and his steps became lighter.
As they were talking, a powerful figure strode out of the fortress. The man was as tall and imposing as a mountain, and each step he took seemed to cause the ground to tremble slightly. He had thick eyebrows like swords, bright and piercing eyes, and exuded a powerful aura that was suffocating.
" Dong'er, you're back?" The deep voice was like a rumbling thunderclap, making the surrounding air tremble slightly.
P. S.: Thanks to Anhsky, Tianyeshihan, and 20250322124944343 for their monthly ticket donations. Thank you for your support.