As Qiangu Yunying stepped out of the classroom, she immediately noticed a figure standing with his back to her.
Wasn't that her great-uncle—Qian Jun Douluo?
Qian Jun turned around, a gentle smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, warmth filling his eyes.
"Great-Uncle, why are you here looking for me?" Qiangu Yunying asked.
"I came to check on you," Qian Jun replied mildly. "Have you been behaving lately? I heard you haven't been paying much attention in class."
His gentle tone only made Qiangu Yunying more confused about his purpose.
"Great-Uncle, just get to the point," she said frankly. "Besides, I've been very well-behaved. I've already memorized all that material."
"Hehe."
Qian Jun chuckled softly, glancing at Qiangu Yunying's slender hands clasped behind her back.
"You could say I had a sudden whim. Your Flame Plundering Spear has been improving quickly, so I prepared a little surprise for you."
"As long as you take first place in the Spirit Hall Academy rankings one month from now, I'll reward you with a Spirit Bone. As for its type and age—those will remain a secret for now."
"A Spirit Bone?" Qiangu Yunying froze, her face lighting up in disbelief.
Qian Jun nodded with a smile. "That's right. I obtained one some time ago. It happens to conflict with the Spirit Bone I already have, so I decided to give it to you as a reward."
"Work hard for it. If you take first place, the Spirit Bone is yours. If not…" He shrugged lightly. "I'll have to keep it."
"I will! I definitely will!" Qiangu Yunying replied eagerly.
She then coughed lightly and grinned. "Great-Uncle, you know my cultivation is already at Rank 53 Spirit King—the highest in the academy. First place is basically guaranteed for me. So… how about you just give it to me in advance?"
Qian Jun laughed helplessly. "You little rascal. Give you an inch and you'll want a mile. This isn't up for discussion. Come find me in a month."
"Alright then, hehe."
When Qiangu Yunying returned to the classroom, she once again became the center of attention. Everyone had seen Qian Jun Douluo standing outside earlier.
Spirit Hall neither concealed nor openly publicized the existence of the Hall of Worship.
Most students knew very little about it, but after Qiangu Yunying's casual remarks, they learned that those residing within were at least Peak Douluo-level powerhouses—and there were several of them, though she didn't specify how many.
Even so, Qiangu Yunying was extremely popular in the Elite Class. This wasn't just because of her background—her cultivation, personality, and outlook on life were all genuinely admirable.
"Sister Yunying, was that your great-uncle just now? The one who's Qian Jun Douluo?" her deskmate whispered as soon as she sat down.
Still lost in thoughts of the Spirit Bone, Qiangu Yunying merely hummed in response.
Near the end of class, her thoughts finally drifted back to her father.
Dad should be back in a day or two, right? I have to tell him this news—he'll definitely be happy for me. Great-Uncle is really so good to me!
I wonder how that Yin Zhang Dad mentioned before is doing. Level thirty at just ten years old… that cultivation speed is even faster than mine back then. What a pity—after absorbing a spirit ring, he's still only a Spirit Elder. I'm so lonely at Spirit Hall Academy…
I wonder if I'll meet any truly strong opponents at the Continental Elite Tournament next year…
When the afternoon heat reached its peak, Yin Zhang and Qiangu Yuan finally returned to their familiar Spirit City.
Ahem.
After entering the city, they didn't stop and went straight toward Spirit Hall.
"Alright, you go find your teacher first," Qiangu Yuan said. "I'll head back to the academy. It's been a few days—I don't know how Yunying's been."
Before speaking, he glanced briefly in the direction of the Supreme Pontiff Palace.
"Mm," Yin Zhang nodded.
However, his curiosity was piqued by the name Qiangu Yuan mentioned.
Yunying? Same name as that hero in the game… I wonder how strong she is. I should check it out when I get back to the academy.
After Qiangu Yuan departed in the carriage, Yin Zhang slowly walked toward the Supreme Pontiff Palace.
From here, a path led around the hillside. Beyond it was a broad avenue, and from there, a narrow trail that climbed ever upward toward the Hall of Worship.
But this path was almost never used.
The Consecrators of the Hall of Worship naturally preferred flying when ascending or descending the mountain—no one would foolishly walk the entire way.
The only time this road saw activity was during the Titled Douluo coronation ceremony—an event so rare it might not occur even once in several decades.
The coronation ceremony was how newly advanced Titled Douluo announced their status to the Douluo Continent.
However, most Titled Douluo who had already joined other factions—and were on poor terms with Spirit Hall—would never attend.
Typically, only independent cultivators or those aligned with Spirit Hall would come.
Dugu Bo was one such person.
But due to Dugu Xin's situation, he hadn't arrived yet. If they truly waited for him, it would likely be more than half a year after his breakthrough before he appeared.
Just as Yin Zhang was about to step onto the path leading to the Hall of Worship, two guards stepped forward.
"Stop. Who are you?"
The knight guards wore exquisite armor and carried sharp spears, their presence imposing.
"My name is Yin Zhang," he replied calmly. "My teacher is the Second Consecrator, Golden Crocodile Douluo. I've just returned from hunting spirit beasts and am heading up to see my teacher."
"The Second Consecrator?"
The two knights exchanged glances. Just as they were about to speak again, a cold, eerie voice sounded behind them.
"Let him pass. He's telling the truth."
Yin Zhang turned to see Ghost Douluo, Gui Mei.
Gui Mei glanced at him and gave a faint smile.
After passing the guards, Yin Zhang continued forward.
At the end of the road, he lifted his head to look at the mountain path leading to the Hall of Worship.
It was extremely high. Just by visual estimation, it had to be over a hundred meters—and the summit was shrouded in clouds and mist, making it impossible to see clearly.
Although Yin Zhang could summon his Martial Spirit, Charizard, to fly, under the current circumstances, that was clearly inappropriate.
As Golden Crocodile Douluo's disciple, if he wanted to show sincerity—and also temper himself while enjoying the scenery—walking was the better choice.
So Yin Zhang began the ascent on foot.
Meanwhile, inside the Hall of Worship, Qian Daoliu opened his eyes and glanced at Golden Crocodile with a faint, unreadable smile.
"Golden Crocodile, your disciple has started climbing. Aren't you going to bring him up directly?"
Golden Crocodile smiled calmly.
"Let it count as training. When he reaches halfway, I'll bring him up to meet everyone."
"He has to pay a price, after all," he added lightly. "The Hall of Worship isn't a place just anyone can enter."