Leaving Heaven Dou for Spirit City

On the day of departure, before dawn, the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy gate was already full of convoys. The nine members of the Imperial Fighting Team were not the first to arrive. The Thunderclap and Skywater Academy teams were also gathering one after another.

Yu Feng, carrying his luggage, noticed others only had one bag, then looked down at his own two. Osler asked, "Regretful?"

No regrets.

"Then what are you looking at?"

"I'm wondering if I can fit a little more in."

The Shi Mo walked past.

"Don't think about it."

"Why?"

"The coachman has looked at you three times."

Yu Feng looked up. Sure enough, the person in charge of packing the luggage was staring at him. In the end, Qin Ming came over and threw the extra bag of snacks back into Yu Feng's arms.

"Take it yourself."

"Can't it be kept in the car?"

"Able."

"Then why?"

Because I wanted to see you carrying it the whole way.

Yu Feng remained silent. The departure ceremony did not last long. The royal family, the academy, and the escort personnel were all present. Xue Qinghe was also there. The Crown Prince was dressed more formally today than he had last visited the academy.

He first walked past the teams that had advanced, with Imperial Fighting Team following behind. He asked Thunderclap if they were fully prepared for the journey. He also asked the Skywater Academy team members if they were physically ready for the long distance.

When they arrived at Shrek, they simply offered their normal congratulations on advancing. Only at the Imperial Fighting Team were they moved on. Yu Tianheng, as the captain, saluted first. Xue Qinghe smiled and raised his hand.

"Once we arrive in Spirit City, it won't just represent the academy anymore."

"I see."

Don't put extra pressure on yourself just because the word "royal" is on your body.

Yu Tianheng nodded. Xue Qinghe then looked at Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling and the others.

"You played well in the qualifying rounds."

Yu Feng whispered, "I played pretty well too." His voice was very low, but Xue Qinghe still heard him. He looked over.

You are indeed very good.

Yu Feng immediately stood up straight. Osler lowered his head and suppressed a laugh. When it was Dong Jian's turn, Xue Qinghe did not mention the Dark Gold Earth Vein Bear again, but only glanced at his right foot.

"Is the injury healed?"

Dong Jian was slightly taken aback. It wasn't a secret that he was experiencing right ankle fatigue during the qualifying rounds. Public records also show that he voluntarily left the court after several matches.

"No injuries."

"I'm just tired."

"That's good."

Xue Qinghe spoke in a very flat tone.

"We've reached the finals."

"If you can win without injuring someone, then don't."

Dong Jian nodded.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Xue Qinghe didn't continue. He turned to talk to Qin Ming. The whole process was normal until the convoy was ready to depart. Dong Jian turned to put the last piece of luggage into the car.

Li Man stood behind. She saw it again. Xue Qinghe's gaze lingered briefly on Dong Jian's back, even shorter than it had been at the academy before it moved away.

After the convoy started moving, Li Man said, "I watched it again." Dong Jian leaned against the carriage.

"Where?"

"Behind."

"How long?"

"Less than a breath."

Dong Jian thought for a moment.

"It still doesn't prove anything."

"I know."

Li Man moved the curtains to the side a little.

"So just remember it."

"No guessing."

This was the solution they had agreed upon last time. The royal records knew about the Dark Gold Earth Vein Bear, Xue Qinghe had read the information on Soul Beast. All of this had a reasonable explanation.

One glance isn't enough. Two glances aren't enough either. Without evidence, they won't accept speculation as fact based on a few inexplicable glances.

After the convoy left Heaven Dou City, the journey truly began. On the first day, Qin Ming announced a rule that no one liked.

High-intensity sparring is prohibited.

Yu Feng asked, "It's been such a long journey."

"So?"

"Hands will grow."

"Low-intensity activity."

How low?

"To the point that it won't tip over the carriage."

Yu Feng turned to look at Dong Jian.

"Then he doesn't need to move."

Dong Jian said, "I was already on break recently." Yu Feng suddenly felt like he had lost. The training on the way was broken up into small parts. Yu Tianheng only did the basic Soul Power circulation.

Dugu Yan checks the status of poison storage in her right arm every day. Li Man occasionally uses two or three small nodes to practice precision, without setting up large formations. Dong Jian only practices sinking his body and returning to his stance.

There was no external impact, and no continuous repetition. He tried to land accurately with his right foot each time. The training volume was so small that he himself was a little unaccustomed to it. Ye Lingling, on the contrary, was satisfied.

On the evening of the third day, the caravan stopped to rest. Dong Jian ran into Tang San when he went to fetch water. The two of them, each carrying a water bag, stood by the same stream. Tang San spoke first.

"Your foot is healed?"

Dong Jian looked at him.

How did you all know?

"The qualifying rounds are now open."

"Just tired."

Tang San nodded.

I watched the match where you lost to the mental health department.

Dong Jian tightened the water bag.

"Many people have seen it."

"A pretty clean defeat."

Are you praising me?

"Calculate."

Tang San said, "Some people might insist that they were just not prepared." Dong Jian smiled.

"My preparations were useless."

"Mental power has no fixed location."

Tang San didn't press Dong Jian about the Divine Dragon Secret Realm, nor did he ask how Dong Jian planned to replenish his resources. He only said, "You can't transform my Blue Silver Grass either."

"The force that can draw water from the grass."

What happens after it gets entangled?

"Then let's think of another way."

Tang San nodded. Neither of them went into detail. Dong Jian didn't ask Tang San why he preferred to keep the second layer of his Blue Silver Grass lately, or what he had seen in the public competition.

They went back to their respective posts to investigate. There was no point in standing by the stream now, revealing each other's hand. On the way back to the convoy, Yu Feng happened to see the two of them returning together.

What are you talking about?

Dong Jian said, "Water."

"You can talk about water for this long?"

Tang San has already returned to Shrek Academy. Dong Jian looked at Yu Feng.

"You want to know?"

"Um."

"Ask him yourself."

"Never mind."

The further west the road went, the more Soul Master they encountered along the way. Some were family members who had come with them for the finals, while others were Soul Master who had traveled ahead to Spirit City to watch the matches.

News of the Black Fourth Ring had spread far and wide. Occasionally, someone would recognize Dong Jian and take a look, but no one would discuss the Black Ring for half a day like they did at the very beginning of the Heaven Dou Grand Arena.

During a rest period, Qin Ming reminded him:

"It became even more obvious when we arrived in Spirit City."

There are more high-level Soul Master there.

"You were able to rely on the audience not understanding the hidden details during the qualifiers."

"Once we get there, things may not be so simple."

Li Man asked, "So the Sealed Spine needs to be done again?"

"Take as much as you can."

"But don't let hiding things interfere with the normal competition."

Dong Jian understood. Keeping secrets didn't mean restricting his actions on the field; it simply meant not revealing cards unnecessarily. Recovery wasn't the only useful thing along the way.

Every night, Mingdu spend half an hour having the nine people recount what they had seen during the day: whose convoy had wounded soldiers passing by, and which academy had been conducting high-intensity training all the way.

Which team's Control System is almost inseparable from its support? These are just observations, not direct tactical conclusions. On the first day, Yu Feng thought they were too trivial.

"Watching someone walk counts as intelligence?"

Qin Ming said, "If a team travels for six days and trains at full intensity every day, what do you think will happen when they arrive in Spirit City?"

"Perhaps he's not in good condition."

"It's also possible that they recover exceptionally quickly."

"So what?"

"So just take notes first, and don't jump to conclusions."

Upon hearing this, Dong Jian glanced at Li Man. Just like how they recorded Xue Qinghe's gaze, they first recorded what they saw, and then considered the significance and other information later.

On the fourth night, Li Man re-examined the Soul Power pathways on Dong Jian's back. The Martial Soul had not been attached, and fusion had not been activated. He was only performing normal Soul Power circulation.

She was slightly relieved when all nine spots were flat.

"I can usually keep it under control."

Dong Jian said, "The trouble will come after the fighting starts."

"Um."

"Then why do you watch it every day?"

"Once we arrive in Spirit City, others will see us."

Dong Jian turned his head to the side.

"Are you the same as everyone else?"

Li Man paused, her fingers moving slightly.

"I saw it earlier than they did."

After saying that, he withdrew his Soul Power. Dong Jian smiled and didn't tease her any further. This matter was no longer just a secret; it was also an increasingly difficult-to-ignore change in his body.

He couldn't let secrecy prevent the Dark Gold Spine Armor from fusing properly, but at least before a public match was needed, he had to know under what circumstances the body would reveal its tracks first.

On the last night before arriving at Spirit City, Qin Ming went through everyone's publicly available information again. This wasn't a last-minute tactical change; Qin Ming just wanted to make sure no one had left anything in their luggage that shouldn't have been written down.

There are no written records of the complete version of Mountain-Suppressing Dragon Bamboo. There are no records of Dark Gold Spine Armor. The unclosed circle in Dong Jian's training notebook can be kept, because it is just a personal training note, and he hasn't even completed the third round.

Li Man's tactics manual removed several overly detailed formation parameters, retaining only the numbers needed for the match. Qin Ming concluded, "Once we get to the city, the rooms, training grounds, and rest areas will be arranged so that they are visible to everyone."

Yu Feng asked, "Even when I'm sleeping, someone watches me?"

"You can think that way if you want."

"Then I won't be able to sleep."

"It's better to talk less."

After everyone laughed, the atmosphere relaxed a bit. The things that needed to be warned about had already been explained in advance, so there was no need to keep everyone on edge the whole way.

On the morning of the sixth day, the convoy crossed the last stretch of high ground. Suddenly, the view opened up ahead. City walls appeared between the mountains. Spirit City. Further away, towering buildings loomed over the city center.

Even from a great distance, the direction of the Pope's Palace could be seen. Yu Feng leaned against the car window.

"It's huge."

Dong Jian remained silent. His attention was focused on the Soul Master responsible for inspections near the city gate. Their Soul Power fluctuations were noticeably more stable than those of the ordinary guards he had encountered along the way.

Li Man saw it too.

"Arrive."

"Um."

Dong Jian moved his right foot one last time. There was no soreness or pain. He looked up at Spirit City. Once here, those who saw the black fourth ring probably wouldn't just look at the black color.