Choice
In the inner room, Yu Tianshuang silently digested the news he had just heard from Grandpa.
As things stand, I have three choices. One is to return to my father's sect and rejoin my ancestral clan. Another is to go to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and find my maternal grandfather. The last is to grow stronger on my own.
First, there's returning to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. Before Father and Mother left, Father entrusted me to Grandpa Wang rather than to my paternal grandfather in the sect. That means returning to the clan wasn't his first choice, or there was some reason he would rather entrust me to Grandpa than take me back to the sect.
As for going to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to find my maternal grandfather, who became an elder there, it's really the same as the first choice. There must also have been some reason Mother was unwilling to entrust me to him.
That leaves only one path. I'll grow stronger on my own. I have the Ice Heaven Sword Scripture, the Cold Jade Ice Heart Pavilion's most advanced cultivation method from my previous life. I needn't worry about cultivating Soul Power or about methods of attacking and staying alive, but what I lack is knowledge about the Martial Souls of the Douluo Continent.
Then I'll go to an academy. I'll ask Grandpa which academies can rival Spirit Hall Academy and go study at one of them, expand my knowledge of Martial Souls, then hunt Soul Beasts, obtain Soul Rings, break through realms, and grow stronger. After that, I'll look into what happened to my parents.
Having thought things through and made his choice, Yu Tianshuang came into the inner room and looked at Grandpa, who was sitting in a chair. "Grandpa, whether or not you're my real grandfather, Tianshuang will always remember the care you've given me in every possible way these past five years. You'll always be my grandpa."
Yu Tianshuang bowed deeply to Grandpa.
"Good, good. Tell Grandpa, what path have you chosen for the future?" Grandpa rose from his chair and helped Yu Tianshuang straighten up, asking with a broad smile.
"My name is Yu Tianshuang, but I'm not Yu Tianshuang of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, nor am I Yu Tianshuang of the Slaughter Sect. Until all the mist has cleared, I'm just your grandson from Uncle Wang's General Store in Hagen-Dazs City, Grandpa." Frost flashed in Yu Tianshuang's eyes as he spoke to Grandpa, every word ringing with conviction.
On the main road outside Hagen-Dazs City in the Heaven Dou Empire.
According to Grandpa, the only academies in the Heaven Dou Empire that could rival Spirit Hall Academy were Heaven Dou Royal Academy and the Five Elements Academy. But Heaven Capital Royal Academy only admitted nobles, while Elephant Armor Academy, one of the Five Elements Academy, was affiliated with the Elephant Armor Sect and only admitted disciples of the sect. Its attribute was also a poor match for him. Although the remaining four academies had students from clans, they also admitted talented commoners.
Both my Martial Souls have the ice attribute, so Skywater Academy would be the best choice. But Grandpa said Skywater Academy only admits female students with the ice attribute.
That leaves only one choice: Blue Tyrant Academy, also located in Heaven Dou Imperial City. Blue Tyrant Academy only admits commoners.
Destination: Blue Tyrant Academy, Heaven Dou Imperial City.
Half a month later, on the outskirts of Nuoding City.
Yu Tianshuang folded his map and looked at Sunset Forest in the distance.
The map shows that I can reach the outskirts of Heaven Dou Imperial City by crossing Sunset Forest, and it'll only take five days. This is a good chance to see the Soul Beasts of this world. If I run into a Soul Beast far stronger than me, I still have the Ice Shadow Seven Star Steps to save my life.
"Sit upon the frosted heavens." Yu Tianshuang completed Martial Soul Possession in an instant.
He watched as the two heads of the enormous blue wolf across from him spat out wind blades, each half a meter long, that shot toward him.
"Ice Shadow Seven Star Steps." Yu Tianshuang's figure suddenly blurred, and a hazy layer of cold mist spread beneath his feet. He easily dodged every wind blade the two-headed wolf fired at him.
Ice mist then spread beneath Yu Tianshuang's feet as he rushed toward the two-headed wolf. On the way, energy gathered in his right hand, forming an ice-blue longsword.
"Ice Heaven Frost Sword-Ice Heaven Concentrated Spirit."
A strand of sword Qi carrying an air of frost flew from the ice-blue longsword in Yu Tianshuang's hand. Almost instantly, it struck the two-headed wolf, which had just finished spitting wind blades and had yet to react.
"Awoo~" The frost-laden sword Qi struck the two-headed wolf, which had only enough time to let out a miserable howl before it was frozen into an ice sculpture. A trail of ice flowers about three meters long appeared behind it.
He watched as a dark yellow Soul Ring slowly emerged from the frozen two-headed wolf and floated above its icy body.
Yu Tianshuang released his Martial Soul Possession, and the ice-blue longsword that had formed in his hand dissolved into a wisp of icy air.
"This two-headed wolf was the strongest Soul Beast I've encountered these past few days. Its ability to spit wind blades was troublesome indeed."
With that, Yu Tianshuang took the storage Soul Tool from his pocket, drew out some dry rations and fresh water, and settled down to rest.
It's been six days since I entered Sunset Forest. Though I've lost quite a bit of time hunting Soul Beasts along the way, I've been heading straight north the whole time. I reckon another two days will bring me out of Sunset Forest and to the outskirts of Heaven Dou Imperial City.
After eating and drinking his fill and finishing his rest, Yu Tianshuang brushed the dust from his clothes and continued north.