Six years later...
Suotuo City!
"We finally made it to Suotuo City. This trip was exhausting!"
"Yeah."
"It's all Grandmaster's fault. So many intermediate Soul Master Academies were scrambling to take us, but he insisted you come to this little backwater to apply to some lousy academy that doesn't even have a rank!"
"My teacher told me to come. You insisted on tagging along, and now you're complaining..."
"I don't care! I'm your little sister, aren't I?"
At Suotuo City's western gate, a blue-haired boy visiting for the first time was looking around at the scenery. Beside him, a sweet-looking young girl with a long scorpion-tail braid chattered away. Passersby could not help casting glances their way. Such youthful faces really were enviable.
These two were none other than Tang San and Xiao Wu, who had just graduated from Nuoding City Junior Soul Master Academy!
Six years had passed, and they had now grown into Soul Grandmasters. On the recommendation of Tang San's teacher, Yu Xiaogang, they had come to Suotuo City to enroll at Shrek Academy. Clearly, however, the sights within Suotuo City had caught their attention. They wandered around, their silvery laughter ringing out without pause.
A speeding carriage, however, interrupted their laughter.
The carriage's furnishings could only be called luxurious; one look was enough to tell that only the wealthy could afford to ride in it. The two fine horses pulling it were even Ten-Year Soul Beasts. Ordinary people could not get out of the way fast enough, afraid of angering the important person inside.
The driver was a boy who looked about the same age as Tang San and Xiao Wu, dressed in lavish clothes. Yet after entering Suotuo City, this boy, who looked to outsiders like a young nobleman, cautiously turned around and spoke softly to someone else inside the carriage:
"Brother Shangguan, we've arrived at Suotuo City!"
This drew the attention of quite a few passersby, Tang San and Xiao Wu among them. Beneath everyone's gazes, someone pulled aside the carriage curtain. The first thing to come into view was an expensive black boot, followed by a strong, long leg. Then a purple-haired boy exuding nobility revealed his face.
The young nobleman driving the carriage, meanwhile, wore a cautious expression, his face covered in an ingratiating smile. He was practically a lackey made flesh.
"Looks like riding in a carriage is hard work too! Luo Le, your family's carriage needs an upgrade. What kind of lousy suspension is this? It jolted my ass numb!"
"Yes, yes, yes, you're absolutely right, Brother Shangguan! I'll improve and upgrade the carriage as soon as I get back! Um, look, we've already arrived at Suotuo City, so could I perhaps..."
"Fine, fine. Scram, scram!"
The purple-haired boy jumped down from the carriage, while the young nobleman looked like a pardoned prisoner. Displaying exceptionally fine driving skills, he swiftly turned the carriage around and raced out of Suotuo City at an absurd speed!
"Six years. Six whole years! Heavens, do you know how I've lived all these years? Do you?"
This purple-haired boy was Shangguan Hong!
He stood in the middle of the road, utterly unconcerned with how much attention he was attracting, and surveyed everything around him with keen interest. Finally, his gaze settled on Tang San and Xiao Wu.
"Brother, this guy is so arrogant! What should I do? I want to go beat him up!"
"Ahem, Xiao Wu, don't talk nonsense! One look tells you he's from a major family. We came to Suotuo City to study, not to fight! We'd better keep a low profile!"
Despite saying this, Tang San never once took his eyes off Shangguan Hong. The reason was simple: Shangguan Hong's appearance really stood out.
His purple hair flaunted his boldness, and his purple eyes held a trace of wickedness. His outfit was predominantly black, except for the purple overcoat draped over him.
Of course, more importantly, Tang San sensed quite a powerful fluctuation of Soul Power coming from Shangguan Hong! He could not discern the other boy's exact Soul Power Level, but one thing was certain: this fellow was definitely stronger than he was!
In other words...
"He looks about our age, but his cultivation has already reached the Soul Elder realm? There truly are people beyond people, and heavens beyond heavens!"
Tang San marveled, while Xiao Wu thought little of it. Yet what happened next took them both by surprise! A friendly smile appeared on Shangguan Hong's face, and he actually walked straight toward them.
"Hello there! This is our first meeting. My name is Shangguan Hong. Nice to meet you!"
His instant familiarity simply knew no bounds! Amused by his words, Tang San and Xiao Wu looked him up and down, and the same thought arose in both their minds: Are we that close?
"Hello, I'm Tang San, and she's Xiao Wu! Brother Shangguan, do we know each other?"
Tang San certainly did not remember having such a wealthy friend! The only luxurious thing on him was the belt Yu Xiaogang had given him. Shangguan Hong was different. The fabric of his clothes was superb. Back in Nuoding City, Tang San had only seen anything like it on a few of the academy's highest-ranking noble children. Yet even those noble children could not compare to Shangguan Hong. After all, Shangguan Hong also wore two rings on his right hand. Tang San could sense their distinctive Soul Power fluctuations. They were undoubtedly Storage Soul Tools.
"Hahaha, don't we know each other now? Besides, I have a feeling we'll be spending our days together from now on!"
With easy familiarity, Shangguan Hong slung an arm around Tang San's shoulders as though they were the best of brothers, but his words puzzled Tang San and Xiao Wu.
"What? Don't believe me?"
"If I'm not mistaken, you two should only be twelve this year, right? Having Soul Power above rank twenty at twelve, I imagine you're also here to take Shrek Academy's entrance exam! So we'll be schoolmates from now on!"
As he looked at Tang San beside him, the smile on Shangguan Hong's face grew increasingly warm. In truth, however, this supposed warmth also served a purpose.
Shangguan Hong never did anything useless!
It had been six years. Things had developed as he had expected. After Heavenly Spirit Village was destroyed, Spirit Hall launched a very thorough search, and a year later, it reached a verdict, declaring that Soul Beasts had destroyed the village. Yet Shangguan Hong had never let down his guard.
More importantly, after he became a Soul Master and obtained his first Soul Skill, the Void's corruption of him had continued day and night. Of course, this also had a hundred-million-tiny bit to do with his cultivation method. In short, his first Soul Skill now looked more and more like a power only a Fallen Soul Master would possess. In the timeline of Douluo I, this was fatal! Thus, building a good relationship with this world's child of destiny was particularly important. Perhaps the other boy's fortune, along with the affection born of spending their days together, might save him once someday?
Befriending the current Tang San brought nothing but benefits. Of course, he could not bare his heart to him, lest he get slapped with some label like "already has a path to death"!
Besides, he had taken the other boy's mother's Soul Bone, after all. Being a little polite was only natural, right?