One month later.
The Balak Kingdom, located in the south of the Heaven Dou Empire and bordering the Fasno Province, was called a kingdom, but in reality, its area was only three-quarters the size of the Fasno Province. It was subordinate to the Heaven Dou Empire and was one of the empire's four major kingdoms.
The southern part of the Balak Kingdom directly bordered the Star Luo Empire. Therefore, among the four major kingdoms of the Heaven Dou Empire, the Balak Kingdom possessed the strongest military power—it could be said to be the southern gateway of the Heaven Dou Empire.
Within the Balak Kingdom, there were two most important cities. One was Balak City, where King Balak resided. It was the political and economic center of the entire kingdom. The other was Soto City, located in the heart of the fertile Lima Plains, known as the granary of Balak.
Both cities were heavily guarded and of utmost strategic importance to the kingdom.
Soto City was a large city—its importance was evident from the fact that the Spirit Hall here was classified as a third-tier main hall.
At this time, it was just past noon. The sun blazed like fire as two young people entered through the western gate of Soto City. They looked to be around their early teens, carrying no luggage—one boy and one girl.
The boy was dressed simply, looking about twelve or thirteen years old, standing roughly one meter seventy tall. He wore a light blue fitted outfit that gave him a neat appearance. Around his waist was a belt inlaid with twenty-four pieces of jade. His black, medium-length hair barely reached his shoulders. His looks were not particularly handsome, yet he gave off a calm, approachable feeling. At the corner of his mouth, there was always a faint, gentle smile.
If the boy looked plain and mild, then the girl beside him was anything but ordinary.
Her smooth black hair was braided neatly into a scorpion braid. She was slightly taller than the boy, wearing a pink short top that revealed her slender waist, slim enough to be held in one hand.
Her long, taut legs were wrapped in white trousers, her proportions perfectly balanced according to the golden ratio. Although she appeared young and still had a trace of childishness on her face, her round, perky figure already carried a faint sense of allure.
Her naturally arched brows, large watery eyes, and slightly round, tender pink cheeks made her not only beautiful but also charmingly cute. It seemed as though the word adorable had been created just for her. Standing beside her, the boy was almost completely overshadowed by her radiance.
The girl raised her hand to wipe the slight moisture from her forehead and complained, "We've finally arrived at this so-called Soto City. I really don't understand what the Master is thinking. There were several intermediate academies willing to admit us unconditionally, yet he insisted on sending you to that shabby academy that doesn't even have an official rank."
The boy smiled lightly. "Teacher asked me to come for the exam, not you. Who told you to tag along? Luckily, the Balak Kingdom borders the Fasno Province—otherwise, you'd be complaining even more."
The girl rolled her eyes. "You've got no conscience. I came for you! Who told you to be my brother? Anyway, the exam's not until the day after tomorrow. I don't care—you're going to keep me company in Soto City for two days to make up for the emotional trauma you caused my poor, fragile heart."
The boy couldn't help but laugh. "The 'Big Sister' of Nuoding Academy for six years straight talking about a fragile heart? If your little followers heard that, they'd probably jump into the river out of shock."
This boy and girl were none other than the protagonists of Douluo Continent, Tang San and Xiao Wu, who had come from Nuoding Primary Spirit Master Academy.
After awakening his martial spirit in Saint Spirit Village, Tang San had entered Nuoding Academy as a working student. At Nuoding, he met the fated person of his life—Xiao Wu—and the unrivaled theorist, Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang, whom he took as his teacher.
Six years later, Tang San and Xiao Wu graduated from Nuoding Academy. They rejected offers from many intermediate academies and, following the Master's recommendation, set off for Soto City in the Balak Kingdom—to enroll in an academy called Shrek Academy.
After six years of guidance, Tang San respected the Master as deeply as a father. Moreover, he understood that the Master's arrangements were always for his own good, so he agreed without hesitation.
Over those six years, Tang San and Xiao Wu's relationship had grown so close they were practically like real siblings. Since Tang San chose this path, Xiao Wu naturally followed.
The six years in Nuoding had been a fulfilling period for Tang San—classes in the morning, part-time work in the afternoon, and cultivation at night, leaving almost no free time. By twelve, he no longer appeared as thin as before. His work at the blacksmith shop had given him a well-built physique—not bulky, but his lean frame carried tightly packed, explosive muscles beneath his clothes.
Soto City was far larger and livelier than Nuoding City. Soldiers patrolled the streets everywhere, and the bustling crowds flowed endlessly.
Meanwhile, on the other side of Soto City—
Ning Rongrong, wearing a light green princess dress, wiped the sweat from her forehead and complained, "It's so hot! This Shrek Academy is way too hard to find!"
Qian Renyue stepped forward, gathered Ning Rongrong's loose hair, and pinned it into a neat princess bun. After thinking for a moment, she retrieved a crystal hair ornament from her Soul Tool bracelet and placed it carefully on Ning Rongrong's head. Seeing how beautiful she looked, she nodded in satisfaction.
"Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan both invited us to attend Heaven Dou Royal Academy with them. That academy has simulated training environments and constant-temperature Soul Tools. Such a good place, yet you refused to go—and insisted on finding this Shrek Academy that Teacher Qin Ming only mentioned in passing."
"Hehe, Sister Yue, I asked around. Teacher Qin Ming is actually a commoner, but even in a noble academy like Heaven Dou Royal Academy, he's highly respected because he became a Soul Emperor at such a young age—that's extremely rare across the entire continent! And he used to be a student of Shrek Academy. Of course, I'm curious about an academy like that."
"Besides, Heaven Dou Royal Academy may sound prestigious, but aside from Yu Tianheng's Emperor Team, the rest are mediocre. I don't want to waste time pretending to be friendly with those useless nobles."
Qian Renyue thought for a moment and said, "You have a point. But why did we have to sneak out? Teacher and Master will definitely worry about us."
Ning Rongrong hugged Qian Renyue's arm and said coquettishly, "Sister Yue~ we're just taking a secret trip. If Shrek Academy is as amazing as Teacher Qin Ming said, we'll enroll quietly and surprise everyone when we return! If it's not that great, we'll just say we went sightseeing. Other than Heaven Dou Royal Academy, the only choice left is Spirit Hall Academy—unless you want to go be that fox spirit's junior?"
Ning Rongrong had known Qian Renyue for six years. Although she didn't fully understand the reason, she knew one thing very well—Qian Renyue despised that "fox spirit" to the bone.
At the mention of that fox spirit, Qian Renyue clenched her fists. "Let's go! We're heading to Shrek Academy right now! When the Advanced Spirit Master Academy Tournament comes around, I'll pluck every last one of that fox spirit's tails!"
The two decided to first find something to eat and a place to stay for the night before heading to Shrek Academy the next day.
Though Soto City was prosperous, there weren't many luxurious hotels, and the few that existed were spaced far apart. After searching for a while, Ning Rongrong spotted a particularly unique-looking one.
The hotel was three stories tall. Though not large in scale, its exterior was entirely decorated in rose-red. The architectural design made the entire building look like a giant blooming rose, instantly catching the eye.
Pointing at the signboard, Ning Rongrong said, "The Rose Hotel. Sister, let's stay here tonight."
Qian Renyue nodded. Girls naturally loved flowers, and she was no exception. She remembered that when she was younger, she and her Fifth Grandfather, Guang Ling Douluo, often caused trouble in Chrysanthemum Douluo's flower garden. Other than lilies, she also had a fondness for brilliant flowers like roses.
Stepping into the Rose Hotel, they were immediately greeted by a rich fragrance of roses that filled the air with a subtly romantic warmth, soothing both body and mind.
The hotel's interior featured only three colors—white, silver, and rose-red. The elegant and cozy atmosphere easily won people's hearts.
....................
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" Douluo: Tang San Forbidden Harem (18+) "
" Douluo 2: Martial Soul Wish Tree — Wang Dong Got Addicted (18+) "
" Douluo: Super Sex Slave System (18+) "
" BTTH: Writing Up a Diaries, Xiao Yan Became My Fanboy "
" Douluo 3: Adopting Gu Yuena at the Start "
" BTTH: I, Peerless Poison Pet, Got Picked Up by Little Fairy Doctor "
" BTTH: Elemental God "
" Douluo: Transmigrated as the Second Young Miss of Spirit Hall "
" BTTH: Flame Emperor, Please Restrain Yourself — Your Brother Is Really Just a Simple Man "
" BTTH: I'm Just an Alchemist "
" BTTH: Traveling Through with the Ancestral Talisman"
" Douluo: Ranking the Top Ten Peerless Goddesses at the Start "
" Douluo: Transmigrated as Huo Yuhao "
" Douluo 2: I, Huo Yuhao, Refuse to Be Tang San's Son-in-Law "
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(End of Chapter)