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Li Meili giggled, "Doesn't that mean we can walk sideways wherever we go from now on?"
Shi Quan quickly shook his head and said, "No, no, Dad said that no matter what we do, we must be steady. And we won't do anything bad, right, Dad?"
Shi Jian smiled and patted Shi Quan's head, "It's good that you remember. I just worry that once you get stronger, you'll become arrogant."
"Is your son that kind of person?" Shi Quan looked at Shi Jian with a resentful expression.
Shi Jian smiled and poked Shi Quan's little head, "I don't know about that. You're full of ideas."
Frey, standing at the door, couldn't help but feel a hint of envy as he watched the three of them interact so lovingly.
After chatting for a while, Village Chief Shi Gandang arrived at Shi Quan's house, out of breath, to understand the situation.
Later, Shi Jian and Li Meili followed the Village Chief to the village entrance, and only then did they understand what Shi Quan meant by 'they.' It turned out that besides Frey at the door, there was a team of dozens of Iron Guardss outside the village.
When Li Meili saw this formation, her face paled slightly, but then she remembered that they were there to escort Shi Quan, and her worries lessened.
"Shi Quan, so many people are here to escort you. How far is Heaven Dou Royal Academy exactly?"
"I'm not sure, maybe five or six thousand li. It might take more than half a month to get there."
"That far..." Li Meili's eyes reddened a bit upon hearing this.
Li Meili was already very reluctant to part with him when he went to study in Nuoding City. Now that he was going to Heaven Dou City, she didn't know when they would meet again. How could Li Meili bear it?
"Mom, I just got back. Are you already trying to make me leave?"
"Aren't these soldiers here to escort you?" Li Meili wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and looked at the soldiers at the village entrance.
Shi Quan took his mother's hand and said with a chuckle, "Mom, the time to go to the Academy is up to me. I just got back, so shouldn't I spend more time with you?"
"Really?" Li Meili's eyes brightened a bit upon hearing this.
Shi Jian asked, "Shi Quan, won't this delay your enrollment?"
Shi Quan explained, "Don't worry, Dad. There's still a month left until this semester normally ends. Since I graduated early, I don't need to attend classes for this last month. There are still two or three months until enrollment, so it won't affect anything."
After Shi Quan's explanation, both of them finally relaxed.
As for the Iron Guards, the two also learned about the situation from Shi Quan. After knowing that they didn't need to worry about their food, lodging, and travel, both of them sighed, truly worthy of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family.
After all, for ordinary villagers like them, even though they weren't short on money, preparing food for more than fifty people every day would be too much for them.
With such a group of Iron Guardss outside the village, the villagers were initially a bit unaccustomed. Being watched like that always made them feel uneasy, but as time passed, the villagers gradually got used to it.
Time flew by, and a month quickly passed. Calculating the time, it was also time for Nuoding Academy's holiday.
"Tang Hao said he would probably visit Tang San every year during the holidays. It's about time for me to go too."
Shi Quan lay on a reclining chair in the courtyard, leisurely enjoying the warm sunlight, and then slowly closed his eyes.
During this month, Shi Quan truly relaxed and rested. Except for cultivating at night, he spent the rest of his time at home with his parents.
A few more days passed. After bidding farewell to his parents, whom he had already informed, Shi Quan officially set off with the Iron Guards, heading to Heaven Dou City.
A new place, a new beginning.
Looking at the gradually shrinking and disappearing Shi Family Village, a hint of anticipation flickered in Shi Quan's eyes. Heaven Dou City, this was where he would truly rise.
Another twenty days passed like this.
"Sir, Heaven Dou City is just ahead."
Frey's voice came from outside the carriage.
Lifting the curtain, he could already see the city walls with their fluttering banners in the distance. As one of the largest and most prosperous cities on the continent, Heaven Dou City's walls were a hundred meters high, entirely constructed from the hardest granite. Above and below the walls, the patrolling soldiers were all in full armor, holding long spears. The chilling aura emanating from them showed their formidable strength.
The tall city gate was ten meters high and ten meters wide, wide enough for six horsemen to ride abreast. There were also two side gates, five meters high and wide, through which passersby could only enter. The main gate in the center was tightly closed.
Under the guidance of the Iron Guards, Shi Quan entered Heaven Dou City directly without inspection.
Heaven Dou City was extremely prosperous. All the streets were paved with blue bricks, and no street could be compared to those in a small city like Nuoding City. The entire city's scale could only be described as magnificent.
Shi Quan knew who they were taking him to see: the Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, Xue Qinghe!
The Iron Guards proceeded forward, and soon Shi Quan saw the towering inner city wall in the distance, and the magnificent palace complex vaguely visible within the wall. That was the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace!
As the Crown Prince's personal guards, the group moved forward without even being stopped by the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace guards. They continued until they arrived before a magnificent courtyard, where the Iron Guards finally stopped.
"Sir, we've arrived at His Highness the Crown Prince's residence. You'll need to walk the rest of the way yourself," Frey's voice sounded from outside the carriage.
Shi Quan had already awakened from his Cultivation when the carriage stopped. He got up and stepped down from the carriage.
The grand and imposing gate slowly opened. Led by Frey, Shi Quan walked into the Crown Prince's residence. The residence was decorated in a classical style, giving one an initial impression of gentleness and elegance, which perfectly matched Xue Qinghe's persona.
After many twists and turns, walking through various corridors, the two finally arrived before a residence spanning several hundred square meters. Before Shi Quan even entered, he saw a young man in an ornate robe walk out of the palace. Just then, the familiar voice of the System once again echoed in his mind.
"Ding, congratulations to the host for encountering the Fated Villain, triggering the Fated Treasure Chest. The System has already opened it for the host. Congratulations to the host for obtaining the Bloodline Extractor."
"There really is a Fated Villain!" Shi Quan was secretly delighted. Before coming, he had speculated whether he would trigger the Fated Treasure Chest again, and it actually happened.
Awesome.
Xue Qinghe, in the distance, immediately waved excitedly towards Shi Quan and Frey upon seeing them, "Little Little Brother Shi Quan, I've been waiting for you."
"Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince." Frey, beside Shi Quan, immediately knelt respectfully upon seeing the arrival.
"Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince." Shi Quan quickly regained his composure, then feigned an appearance of being overwhelmed by the honor, and also quickly made to kneel and salute.
Xue Qinghe quickly stepped forward and immediately pulled Shi Quan up, "Little Little Brother Shi Quan is truly a young talent. If Dean Ma hadn't told me your age, I really wouldn't believe that you are only ten years old. Back when I was ten, I was just an ignorant youth. It's a pleasure to meet you. The title 'Crown Prince' is for outsiders. I am a few years older than you, so if you don't mind, you can just call me Big Brother Xue."
Shi Quan thought to himself, "He's as gentle and amiable as in the original work."
"Your Highness the Crown Prince personally coming to greet me, this humble one is already overwhelmed by the honor. With my status, how dare I address Your Highness the Crown Prince as a brother?" Shi Quan immediately showed a flustered expression.
Xue Qinghe, however, quickly waved his hand, patted Shi Quan's shoulder, and led him into the hall, saying, "Little Brother Shi, you're being too formal. Dean Ma traveled all the way from Nuoding City to Heaven Dou City specifically to see me. This shows that Little Brother Shi and Dean Ma, you all trust me. For that trust alone, the title 'Crown Prince' is unnecessary."
Shi Quan quickly cupped his hands and called out, "Then I thank Big Brother Xue for your recognition."
"Hahaha, good." Xue Qinghe laughed heartily, "Little Brother Shi, you must be tired from your journey. I have already prepared dinner and a guest room for you. You can rest here tonight, and tomorrow I will take you to Heaven Dou Royal Academy for enrollment."
"Thank you, Big Brother Xue," Shi Quan said with a smile.
Xue Qinghe waved his hand and said, "Little Brother Shi is such a rare talent. It is Heaven Dou Royal Academy's honor to have you join."
"Big Brother Xue, please don't say that. I wouldn't dare accept that honor."
"Little Brother Shi, you don't understand the impact of your theories on the Spirit Master's world. Even the Three Great Committee Members of the Academy praise your theories highly. When we learned that you were only ten years old, we were even more astonished, and the Three Great Committee Members directly praised you as a prodigy."
Facing Xue Qinghe's straightforward praise, Shi Quan's chest puffed out a bit, but he still waved his hand and said, "Big Brother Xue, my theories still have many areas that need improvement. The Dao is long and arduous, and I still need to work hard."
"Little Brother Shi, don't worry. Once you arrive at Heaven Dou Royal Academy, the Academy will fully support your theoretical research. You don't need to worry about anything else."
The two sat down and continued to chat while eating snacks.
Setting aside everything else, Xue Qinghe was truly a great conversationalist. He had an endless supply of topics and a vast knowledge base. Not only did he prevent any awkwardness, but his demeanor exuded a sense of calm and grandeur, and his natural warmth made people feel incredibly fond of him.
After dinner, the two chatted late into the night.
They talked from Heaven Dou City to Nuoding City, then from Nuoding Academy to Heaven Dou Royal Academy, and then about Martial Spirit theories, and then about Sect and Academy forces, and so on and so forth...
From their conversation, Shi Quan could feel that Xue Qinghe was subtly trying to gauge his opinion of Spirit Hall.
Shi Quan naturally could only say that he had no hostility towards Spirit Hall, and the reason he was worried about Spirit Hall making a move against him was because his teacher disliked Spirit Hall.
Shi Quan was adept at deflecting blame.
Marde had always been at odds with Spirit Hall, and this was something that could be easily verified, so shifting the blame to him would definitely not be a problem.
To be precise, he currently had no aversion to any force. Why would there be so much inexplicable hostility...