Return to Spirit City

"Teacher, are you leaving so soon?"

After returning from the sea of sand, Bishop Xiunuo had watched his teacher direct the knights under his command as they assembled a convoy bound for Spirit City.

He stood to the side, reluctant to see him go.

"I've already been away for more than ten days. If I stay here any longer, it'll affect—"

Golden Crocodile Douluo had nearly revealed Qian Renxue's situation, but fortunately, the words had only just reached his lips.

Turning his head, Golden Crocodile Douluo picked up where he had left off.

"It'll affect the matters I oversee at Spirit Hall."

"Besides, don't act like a child. You're already an old man in your seventies or eighties. Besides, it's not as though I haven't given you an appointment letter."

Golden Crocodile Douluo had already signed the appointment letter here. Once Xiunuo had put the relevant affairs in Vast Sea City in order, he could take up his post at Spirit Hall's headquarters in Spirit City.

As for Old Xiu Nuo's behavior, Golden Crocodile Douluo felt that if it were Mu Tian'en acting spoiled, he wouldn't have minded.

But the two of them, teacher and student, were nearly two hundred years old combined.

They could dispense with the sentimentalities.

It was at that moment that the commander of the knights, who had prepared the convoy and accompanying personnel, quietly came over to Golden Crocodile Douluo and Bishop Xiunuo.

After listening to the report and confirming that Mu Tian'en's belongings were mostly packed, Golden Crocodile Douluo swept a hand forward and ordered, "Set off!"

He had traveled light on the way here.

On the return journey, Golden Crocodile Douluo could be said to have an entourage before and behind him.

Surrounded by the Hall Guard Knights, he headed for the carriage with Little Tian'en.

Partway there, however, he looked at Jin Huang standing beside the carriage and saw the hesitation on the little face that did not want to go home. Golden Crocodile Douluo shook his head, but he did not stop his grandson from staying here to cultivate.

"Jin Huang, once you've gained your insights and consolidated them, come home. No matter how powerful the Soul Skills the Soul Beasts here can grant you are, they can't compare to a Soul Skill produced by a Soul Ring close to a hundred thousand years old."

"As for what comes after that, we'll talk about it later."

Reaching out to tap his grandson between the eyebrows, the old man, showing a rare moment of warmth, paid no heed to the ambition his grandson had developed after confirming the value of the sea of sand near Vast Sea City.

The resources generated by a main hall second only to the two sacred halls were enough to push Jin Huang to a higher level.

But even a kite sent soaring higher had to come down and return home.

For higher-level, more formidable Soul Beast Soul Rings, only Spirit Hall was qualified to help them complete the hunt without calling upon other Titled Douluo.

And Jin Huang was Golden Crocodile Douluo's own blood, naturally bound closely to Spirit Hall.

Even so, he had also assumed that his grandson would return here.

The sea of sand alone could provide an excellent cultivation ground for their Primal Crocodile lineage, which possessed both earth and water attributes.

This natural cultivation ground was exceptionally well suited to their Golden Crocodile lineage. Combined with the domain-type Soul Skills and other Soul Skills suited to their Primal Crocodile lineage that the land produced, it was enough to let the Golden Crocodile lineage's youngsters expand their resources and cut expenses, even though some of Golden Crocodile Douluo's resources had to be poured into Mu Tian'en and he himself could only manage to keep his own Soul Power from declining.

Besides, Golden Crocodile Douluo also knew that the other brothers probably would not contest them over it, out of respect for him.

Or rather, any contest would at most involve youngsters at the level of Titled Douluo elders.

In that regard, whose family had anyone as formidable as his Jin Yuan?

After all, the Angel lineage's practice of remaining in Spirit City had become an established custom.

After giving his student a look for him to interpret himself, Golden Crocodile Douluo entered his carriage with Mu Tian'en, the young disciple he had just taken in, though only in name for now.

But the next moment, Mu Tian'en thought of something and released his grip on Golden Crocodile Douluo's clothes.

The child, whose development had already surpassed that of an ordinary person, walked over to Grandpa Xiunuo. "Grandpa, I'll be waiting for you in Spirit City."

Although he did not know why Bishop Xiunuo, who could have gone straight to Spirit City to relinquish his post, had not left with them, Mu Tian'en respected Grandpa Xiunuo's wishes.

After a solemn farewell, Mu Tian'en turned his gaze to Grandpa Yan Bohan beside him. His Soul Power Level was not particularly high among the deacons, but because of Mu Tian'en, he had in a sense become an exceptional figure among their ranks.

"Grandpa Bohan, I'm going to Spirit City now. I'll leave all my future stipends for you to collect. When you have time, please help me deliver them to Grandpa Beita."

"Tell Grandpa Beita that I'll come back to see him in a few days, and that he shouldn't always be so thrifty."

Feeling the envious gazes of his colleagues around him, Yan Bohan's lips curved upward. He readily agreed to everything and resolved that, aside from visiting Anlan Village during his routine Martial Soul awakenings, he would also make as much time as possible to strengthen its defenses.

He could see it clearly: here at Vast Sea City's main hall, he, Yan Bohan, had found a road leading straight to the heavens.

But as Mu Tian'en's figure disappeared completely into the carriage and the convoy gradually receded into the distance, Yan Bohan's excitement gave way to calm.

As his friends congratulated him, he cupped his hands in return and invited them to the grand hotel called the cafeteria for a good feast.

But—

After the bishops had departed, Yan Bohan took the fellows to eat at the cafeteria. Old Suolong, who could now be said to truly control the entire Spirit Hall main hall, looked at his disloyal brother and at the departing back of Soul Douluo Jin Huang, who had once again returned to his cultivation room to cultivate, and let out a long sigh.

"What do you mean, you didn't want to leave? Old Xiu Nuo, don't you just want to see me make a fool of myself handling things?"

Bishop Xiunuo, who saw through him but did not say so, looked at Old Suolong, formerly the first bishop under him, and grinned broadly enough to show his back teeth.

However—

For all his laughter, he quietly stepped forward to help shoulder some of his old friend's workload. At the same time, he glanced at the invitation from the lord of Vast Sea City, which had been delivered to their residence shortly after they left.

"That old fox found out at the slightest stir of wind or rustle of grass."

"Forget it. Let's give him a share. After all, if our Vast Sea City main hall wants to keep expanding, we'll need at least some help from this city lord who usually stays out of things."

For a moment, Old Suolong and Old Xiu Nuo looked at each other without speaking, both unconsciously reaching out to stroke the little head beside them that felt so nice to the touch.

Unfortunately—

Their hands met empty air.

In just over ten days, Mu Tian'en had already made the two of them accustomed to having him at their side.

"Sigh..."