Just as Lin Xishan entered Heaven Dou City, he saw the guards at the main gate pulling hard on the gate bolts; the commotion he had just heard originated from there.
The main gate was rarely opened. Spirit Hall Academy did not just teach knowledge about Spirits; it also covered Spirit Beasts, military affairs, and the basic situations of major cities, touching upon them to varying degrees.
Precisely because of this, Lin Xishan was exceptionally curious about the soldiers opening the city gate, and he really wanted to see which big shot was traveling.
"Clatter—snap."
The next moment, the spectacle grew even grander. Basins of water were splashed onto the ground, followed by the rapid scattering of sacks of yellow earth.
Splashing water on the street and paving the road with yellow earth—this was no small display; it was at least someone of royal or noble status.
At this moment, a carriage sped toward them from the front. Four thousand-year-old Heaven Spirit Horse Spirit Beasts charged with an overwhelming momentum, carrying the carriage behind them smoothly and rapidly.
At this, the onlookers nearby saw the swan emblem on the carriage and immediately scattered to both sides.
One small child seemed to be trying to retrieve a dropped spherical toy and ran into the middle of the road chasing it.
By now, those horses had already reached the child, and the coachman didn't even look, let alone pull on the reins.
Just as the horses' hooves were about to trample the child's head, a white figure flashed past, kicking up a gust of wind.
It was Lin Xishan who intervened. Although he felt the situation was quite cliché, human life was at stake; if he really ignored it, Lin Xishan felt he couldn't accept that.
"Which blind fool dares to collide with His Highness the Fourth Prince?"
The coachman, who had been expressionless like a dead man the whole time, suffered a bitter blow. The aura of a six-ring Spirit Emperor from Lin Xishan startled the horses, causing the carriage to skid to a halt, and the coachman himself was thrown out, sitting on the ground and cursing angrily.
"Who exactly is the blind one? Do you have eyes now? You didn't have eyes when you were about to trample someone just now," Lin Xishan retorted.
At this moment, two people stepped out from behind the carriage. Both were dressed in tight-fitting outfits, with precious sabers hanging at their waists, looking at Lin Xishan with murderous glints in their eyes.
Lin Xishan patted the still-stunned child, then stood up, and six spirit rings rose from above his head, slowly settling beneath his feet.
Yellow, purple, purple, black, black, red—the six spirit rings descended with a shock. The two people in black outfits drew their precious sabers, and simultaneously, the phantom of a werewolf appeared behind each of them.
The precious sabers in their hands were stained with a blood-red color, and seven spirit rings emerged from beneath each of their feet: yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black.
These two were special existences cultivated by the Xue family. Born of the same mother, they had awakened the same Spirit from childhood, followed the same cultivation methods, and their spirit ring combinations were perfectly complementary. After sufficient tacit understanding and battle formation training, the two of them were as good as one person.
Equivalent to the Spirit Saint realm, they could use fourteen Spirit Abilities; even an ordinary Spirit Douluo, such as the three committee members of Heaven Dou Royal Academy, would not be able to gain any advantage if they truly fought.
There were only a dozen or so such pairs in the Heaven Dou Empire. The reason Heaven Dou had not been swallowed by the Star Luo Empire all these years, besides the Spirit Hall, was precisely this reason.
A secret technique that allowed twins to awaken the same Spirit and was perfectly suited for such training was considered the foundation of the Xue family dynasty's footing.
"Interesting. Then, let me experience your impressive skills." Lin Xishan loosened his limbs and then beckoned to the two of them.
The two exchanged a glance, then quickly changed their positions, slashing at Lin Xishan one in front and one behind.
Lin Xishan did not directly use a Spirit Ability but instead stomped his foot, causing stone spikes half a person tall to strike toward the two.
Continuous Mountains and Absolute Ravines—a self-created Spirit Ability that Lin Xishan derived from Ten Thousand Mountains Absolute Shadow.
The one standing in front among the two had a blood-colored halo burning on his body, and like a wild boar rooting through cabbage, he continuously knocked away the spikes.
Lin Xishan leaped up violently, arriving at the side of the two in an instant, and struck the guard behind with a Quantum Annihilation Wave.
Quantum Annihilation Wave was a guaranteed-hit skill; this strike instantly reversed the situation.
The one in front immediately rushed up, activating his first, second, and third Spirit Abilities, stacking three defensive Spirit Abilities in an attempt to block Lin Xishan's strike.
The opponent actually hadn't been careless. On the contrary, from the perspective of a Spirit Master, the opponent was very cautious and experienced; facing an attack from a Spirit Emperor, who was a level lower than them, they still brought out their full defense.
However, they lost due to an information gap.
The purple-black lightning chain of the Quantum Annihilation Wave struck the main attacker behind with precision. Although the opponent was a Spirit Saint, all their Spirit Abilities were purely offensive, and their own defensive power was only at the Spirit Emperor level.
Coupled with the fact that both of their cultivation levels were pumped up by medicine, they were actually knocked backward by this strike.
From the carriage, an impatient "Tsk" sound came out.
The two's expressions paused, then murderous glints appeared in their eyes. Lin Xishan actually found it a bit interesting; he hadn't expected the playboy Xue Beng to be quite so brave—after two Spirit Saints had suffered a loss, instead of running, he actually dared to show his head.
He instantly arrived in front of the carriage, smashed a fist onto the cross-frame of the carriage, shattered the carriage window, and dragged the Xue Beng inside out.
Only then did Xue Beng know what the situation outside was. Playboy as he was, he knew fear now and said nervously, "Let me go! Do you know who I am? The Empire's wrath is not something a mere Spirit Emperor like you can contend with!"
"A mere Spirit Emperor? For me, a mere Spirit Emperor, wanting to crush you to death right now is easier than crushing an ant," Lin Xishan said, looking at Xue Beng with a cold smile.
Xue Beng could no longer maintain that playboy air. He swallowed his saliva and was just about to beg for mercy when he heard a sharp shout.
"Noble warrior, wait."
The voice was crisp yet dignified. Lin Xishan looked back and saw a youth with pale golden hair sitting on a horse, followed by several people whose auras he couldn't see through.
"And who might you be?" Lin Xishan looked at the golden swan collar pin on the youth's collar; he already had a guess in his heart, but he still asked calmly.
"I am the Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, Xue Qinghe. I witnessed with my own eyes the noble deed of the warrior just now in saving the child. My younger brother did not recognize a true master and collided with the warrior; I sincerely hope you will forgive him," Xue Qinghe said neither humbly nor arrogantly.
"One after another, there are really a lot of princes today." Lin Xishan raised an eyebrow, then threw Xue Beng back onto the carriage. "Fine, I will give you this face. We shall meet again."
As he spoke, Lin Xishan pulled up the child he had saved and disappeared from the spot in a few steps.
"Where is your home?"
Arriving at a quiet area, Lin Xishan put down the child he was holding and asked.
"I don't have a home. Mother died of illness, and Father was conscripted as a laborer when Mother was sick; now there is no news." The child hugged the spherical object in his hands tightly. Lin Xishan activated his Fiery Golden Eyes and realized that inside were several bronze coins and a few letters, likely given to him by his father when he was still able to send letters...