Two and a half days later.
A luxuriously decorated yet low-key double-horse carriage slowly came to a stop outside Element City.
Shen Hanyu stretched lazily, jumped directly off the carriage, waved to the coachman, and looked at the familiar city walls, unable to help but sigh:
"Finally back again."
Tianmeng emerged from the sea of spirit, using mental power to conceal herself, sprawling carelessly on Shen Hanyu's shoulder, and curiously asked:
"Hanyu, is this your home?"
Shen Hanyu shook his head and said:
"This is Element City. My home is in Four Seasons City, not far from Element City, but its scale is far from being as grand as Element City."
"However, my younger sister is studying at Tianshui Academy here. It's been two years since I last saw her; I wonder how she's been doing."
Tianmeng Ice Silkworm nodded, looking at the bustling city gate, somewhat surprised as she said:
"There are at least five Soul Douluo auras in this city, one of whom has even half a foot stepped into the Title Douluo realm, and the others are not weak either."
"Of course, there are five academies in Element City in total, and their deans are all Soul Douluo powerhouses. Among them, Blazing Academy, Thunderclap Academy, and Skywater Academy lean toward the Heaven Dou Empire camp, while Elephant Academy and the Elephant Sect lean toward the Spirit Hall."
Shen Hanyu gave a simple introduction, though it seemed unnecessary. Tianmeng had been crazily absorbing knowledge of the human world these days and already had a rough outline of these things.
"What about your sister? A water-earth dual attribute martial soul is quite rare, not to mention your sister's foundation isn't bad. If she works hard, she has hope of breaking through to Title Douluo in the future, and with your help, she might even touch the Super Douluo level with effort."
Shen Hanyu nodded and said:
"I previously obtained quite a few immortal herbs from Poison Douluo Dugu Bo. Now I'm preparing to give them to her, and incidentally entrust her to bring two stalks of immortal herbs that improve aptitude and consolidate the foundation back to my parents. I won't go back myself to avoid trouble."
Tianmeng Ice Silkworm also nodded in agreement and said:
"Hanyu, now that you have my full support, strive to break through to Soul Emperor in a few months when you turn fourteen. Then, bro will take you to the Far North, and we brothers will go steal a hundred-thousand-year ice dragon as your sixth soul ring. Then we brothers will directly take off, roar roar roar."
Shen Hanyu paused for a moment, somewhat curiously asking:
"Are there still inheritances of true dragons in the Far North? How come I've never heard of it?"
Tianmeng Ice Silkworm shook her head, sighed, and said:
"It can no longer be considered true dragons. Their clan originally had very few pure-blooded true dragons passed down, and in the past hundreds of thousands of years, they have continuously intermarried with sub-dragons, causing considerable pollution to the bloodline in their bodies, with more and more impurities. Many have even degenerated into sub-dragons. Only a very small portion still retains true dragon bloodline, but even their proud ultimate ice attribute has degenerated. It's estimated that in a few tens of thousands of years, they will completely degenerate into sub-dragons."
"This kind of true dragon of theirs can't compare to Di Tian, let alone Zi Ji's clansmen. Now their clan is just huddled in a mountain range in the mixed zone of the Far North. When bro released my mental power, I noticed them. There are still two hundred-thousand-year ice dragons barely surviving."
Shen Hanyu nodded, lamenting:
"I didn't expect that the true dragons who once dominated the continent have begun to slowly decline, while humans are gradually prospering. I really don't know how many years from now, when the balance between humans and soul beasts is completely broken, what kind of bloodshed the continent will face."
'Ay...'
Tianmeng Ice Silkworm also let out a melancholic sigh, then suddenly her eyes lit up, and she said to Shen Hanyu:
"Hanyu, look ahead quickly. There are so many pretty sisters in skirts. I have to say, there are really many beauties among you humans. My Bingbing is also this beautiful. You don't know, when bro first saw Bingbing's body, I fell hopelessly in love with Bingbing. She is simply bro's faith..."
"Stop stop stop! Let's not talk about this for now. In the future, I will let you reunite with the Ice Emperor."
Shen Hanyu rubbed his brow. This guy Tianmeng, once he started talking about the Ice Emperor, was like a machine gun loaded and ready, simply endless. No wonder he's a simp; when talking about his goddess, words flow like a river, seen or unseen compliments pouring out like they cost nothing...
Tianmeng giggled twice, then stopped talking, probably fantasizing about his future happy life with the Ice Emperor...
Otherwise, it's all about the art of choosing people. If Tianmeng Ice Silkworm chose Huo Yuhao a thousand years later, who knows how many hardships he would go through? In the end, the god he painstakingly cultivated became Tang San's dog...
Um... that's a bit tragic, but at least he became a god. Otherwise, he would really lose everything, even his underwear.
Shen Hanyu was too lazy to think about these things and headed straight toward Tianshui Academy.
Although it had been two years since he last came to Element City, a soul master's memory is inherently strong, especially for someone like Shen Hanyu with exceptionally outstanding mental power. The roads he had walked here were at most somewhat unfamiliar; everything else was fine.
Returning to the hotel where he had stayed before, the same top floor and the same room, Shen Hanyu lay on the same bed again after nearly a year, feeling an inexplicable sensation in his heart.
In fact, over these two years, Shen Hanyu hadn't completely cut off contact with Shen Liuyu. At the very least, he had entrusted someone to send that snow lotus to her. The rest he kept to hand over in person for safety, so he hadn't deliberately managed Shen Liuyu's development in these two years.
After being away for two years, Shen Liuyu's age had also reached nine. Shen Hanyu clenched his fist. If this girl hadn't reached level eighteen or above by now, he guaranteed he would decide to spank her butt until it swelled!
......
He had specially reserved two stalks of immortal herbs for Shen Liuyu.
One of them was the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, a neutral immortal herb with effects similar to the Narcissus Jade Flesh Bone, but more suitable for battle soul masters. After taking it, one can forge an indestructible vajra body, strengthening the body's bones and meridians, which was perfect for this girl's crocodile martial soul.
The other was the Land Dragon Golden Melon, an earth-attribute immortal herb. After taking it, it can deepen the user's bond with the earth and remove impurities from the bloodline, elevating the bloodline grade. This is particularly evident in dragon-type martial souls and dragon-species martial souls.
The crocodile happens to be one of the dragon species, and the Enamel Fortune Crocodile even carries a hint of earth attribute. This immortal herb was simply tailor-made for her, incredibly compatible.
Shen Hanyu considered himself not a good person by nature, but he still had deep feelings for his close family.
Besides family, there were friends like Dugu Bo with whom he had a good relationship. Others, to put it nicely, were strangers; to put it bluntly, pure cannon fodder or stepping stones.
If one maintains pity and kindness toward everything, such a person might become a powerhouse, but the path walked in the process may not be comfortable.
But if one abandons that excess kindness and pity, and sheds some morality and martial ethics, your path will definitely be much smoother.
This is a fantasy world, with no absolute right or wrong; it's all a matter of choices. No one is absolutely evil, after all; no victor would allow history books to record their evil side.
They will only wantonly praise their own greatness, while the losers naturally become the evil side in others' eyes. This is reality.