At the same time—
The moment the two titans, Shrek Academy and the Sun Moon Royal Soul Tool Academy, set out on their journey, the entire Douluo Continent seemed to stir under an unseen pull.
Countless teams, each carrying the glory of their own academy, prepared to depart.
Some traveled by carriage. Others, like the Sun Moon team, flew directly through the skies.
They all shared a single destination—Star Luo City.
This was more than just a tournament.
It was a chance to rise to fame.
Some sought instant renown.
Some fought to defend their honor.
And some were determined to drag that lofty throne down into the dirt!
…
Time slipped by during the journey.
In the blink of an eye, three days had passed.
High above the clouds, turbulent air currents roared.
With their flight-type soul tools pushed to full output, the members of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Tool Academy streaked through the sky like meteors, crossing more than half of the Sun Moon Empire in just three days.
Whoosh—
The wind howled past their ears.
At the head of the formation, Jing Hongchen gradually slowed down.
He glanced at the soul tool map in his hand, then looked down at the increasingly unfamiliar terrain below.
Turning to Liu Yuan and the others behind him, he said,
"Our pace is very fast."
"If nothing unexpected happens, by noon tomorrow we should cross the border of the Sun Moon Empire and officially enter Star Luo Empire territory."
Hearing this, everyone remained in high spirits, but the fatigue on their faces was impossible to hide.
Continuous high-intensity flight drained both soul power and mental strength at an alarming rate.
Even with milk bottle soul tools replenishing soul power, mental exhaustion could not be so easily recovered.
"Grandpa~"
Meng Hongchen flew up beside Jing Hongchen, her delicate face carrying a trace of playful exhaustion.
"It's already pretty late."
"Look, the sun's about to set."
"Everyone's been flying all day, and we haven't even had a hot meal."
"How about… we find a place to rest?"
"Even just getting some sleep would be good."
Seeing his granddaughter's tired expression—and the equally weary students behind her—Jing Hongchen nodded.
"Alright. Let me see if there's a suitable place to stop."
His gaze swept across the ground below like a hawk's.
Soon, it fixed on the foot of a mountain several kilometers away.
In the dim glow of the setting sun, wisps of cooking smoke curled upward—strikingly visible.
"There's smoke over there. Looks like a village."
Jing Hongchen pointed in that direction.
"Let's go. We'll check it out and see if we can stay the night."
"Yay! Long live the Headmaster!"
Cheers erupted instantly.
After a long day of exhausting travel, nothing sounded better than a hot meal and a soft bed.
…
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
The group descended rapidly.
Moments later, they landed smoothly at the entrance of a small village.
This was a typical border settlement.
It wasn't large—only a few dozen households at most.
The houses were built from simple wood and stone, giving the place a rustic, down-to-earth feel.
It was dinnertime. Many villagers were gathered beneath the large tree at the village entrance, holding their bowls and chatting.
When they suddenly saw a group of people descending from the sky—dressed in elegant attire, carrying themselves with extraordinary bearing, and equipped with clearly visible high-grade flight soul tools—the villagers were startled.
Before panic could spread, an elderly man with graying hair and a cane stepped forward tremblingly. He was clearly the village chief.
Though he hadn't seen much of the world, he knew one thing well: anyone capable of flight was an extraordinary Spirit Master.
He immediately led the villagers in a respectful bow.
"Greetings, honorable Spirit Masters! May I ask what brings you to our humble village?"
Jing Hongchen restrained his aura, making himself appear as approachable as possible.
He stepped forward with a gentle smile.
"Elder, there's no need for such formality. We are teachers and students from the Sun Moon Royal Soul Tool Academy, traveling to the Star Luo Empire to participate in the All-Continent Soul Fighting Competition."
As he spoke, Jing Hongchen took out a heavy pouch from his robes and tossed it lightly into the village chief's hands.
The bag loosened slightly upon landing, revealing a golden gleam inside.
Gold soul coins—ten of them!
For a remote border village, this was an enormous sum.
"It's already late, and there are no towns or inns nearby. We have nowhere else to stay. Could you arrange some lodging and simple meals for us? This will serve as payment, including the cost of food."
The village chief clutched the bag, his hands shaking.
So many gold soul coins!
He hurriedly waved his hands, half-panicked and half-overjoyed.
"Honored masters of the Sun Moon Royal Academy, it's a great honor for our village to host you! Please, follow me!"
Turning around, he enthusiastically called out to the villagers behind him.
"Hurry! Don't just stand there! Ergouzi, slaughter the two old hens at your place! Cuihua, bring out all the cured meat you've been saving! We must treat our Spirit Master guests properly!"
The villagers immediately sprang into action.
As the village chief led them inside, he said with a broad smile,
"To be honest, even though our village is poor, we've produced a Golden Phoenix! My eldest grandson, Chen Yang—he awakened his Martial Soul two years ago and is now studying at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Tool Academy! I heard he's already in his second year!"
The wrinkles on the old man's face spread like blooming flowers, pride shining from the depths of his heart.
"So there's no need for you honored masters to be polite. Since you're Chen Yang's teachers and classmates, you're family! If you need anything at all, just say the word!"
Everyone was slightly surprised. What a coincidence.
Ma Rulong laughed loudly and patted his chest.
"So you're our junior Chen Yang's family! Then we're all on the same side! Village Chief, don't worry—when I get back, I'll definitely look after him for you!"
"Good! Good! Good!"
The village chief said "good" three times in a row, clearly delighted.
…
That night, the moon was bright and the stars were sparse.
The entire village was wrapped in a peaceful silence.
The villagers brought out their best wine and meat to entertain their guests. Though it couldn't compare to the delicacies of Bright Capital, the simple warmth and sincerity made Liu Yuan and the others feel especially at ease.
After eating and drinking their fill, they split into groups and rested in the large rooms the villagers had vacated for them.
The exhaustion accumulated over the day finally caught up with them. Before long, steady breathing filled the rooms.
Liu Yuan lay on his bed, listening to the occasional chirping of insects outside the window.
Unlike the others, his mind wasn't completely at ease.
It wasn't prejudice against the Sun Moon Empire—but from his past experiences, this wretched land had an absurdly high concentration of Evil Soul Masters.
Every time he traveled, he could never fully relax. He always seemed to run into those pests sooner or later.
This time, he had gone three full days without encountering a single one, which instead made him uneasy.
"Could it really be that there are no Evil Soul Masters this time?" he thought. "That seems unlikely… maybe they're just preparing something big again."
Liu Yuan turned over and closed his eyes, attempting to rest.
Even with Jing Hongchen accompanying them, he never dared to lower his guard while traveling through the wilderness of the Sun Moon Empire.
Though lying down, he kept his mental force fully active.
And under that cautious vigilance, deep in the dead of night, Liu Yuan finally sensed a group of Evil Soul Masters approaching the village entrance.
He sat up abruptly and let out a helpless sigh.
"As expected… my luck really isn't that good."
-------------Author---------------
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