After spending some time playing with Little Dragon, Yin Zhang and Qiangu Yunying prepared to return to Spirit City.
Little Dragon was extremely reluctant to see them leave. Ever since Yin Zhang had awakened his combat instincts through Mega Evolution during his battle with Golden Crocodile, his aura had become even more draconic, making Little Dragon feel closer to him than ever. Now that they were leaving after only a short visit, it was unwilling to part.
Left with no choice, Yin Zhang and Qiangu Yunying stayed a bit longer to keep Little Dragon company. It wasn't until five or six in the evening that they finally headed back toward Spirit City.
When they returned, they immediately noticed that Qiangu Yuan looked to be in particularly high spirits.
Both of them exchanged a glance—had sister-in-law given birth already?
Qiangu Yunying cleared her throat and asked,
"Dad, you look so happy. Has sister-in-law given birth?"
Qiangu Yuan glanced at her, his eyes filled with scrutiny.
Qiangu Yunying was startled by his gaze and gave an awkward laugh.
"Dad, why are you looking at me like that?"
Qiangu Yuan snorted and then looked at Yin Zhang.
"You two have been back for a whole month and seem to be enjoying yourselves quite a bit. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were already married!"
Yin Zhang and Qiangu Yunying exchanged a look and chuckled.
"Uncle Qiangu, isn't that only a matter of time?" Yin Zhang said lightly. "So… has sister-in-law given birth yet?"
Qiangu Yuan replied irritably,
"Not yet, but it'll be any day now. I'm just worried because lately your Uncle Tang and the Second Consecrator have been discussing something again, and they want to take your brother along. Xiao Min is about to give birth—how could I not be concerned?"
Qiangu Yunying nodded absentmindedly, then asked,
"Dad, have you thought of a name for my future nephew or niece?"
Qiangu Yuan sighed helplessly.
"What choice do I have? Your grandfather insisted on naming the child himself. He says the name will be Qiangu Bai—works whether it's a boy or a girl."
Qiangu Bai.
It didn't sound bad. Not outstanding, but acceptable.
After mentally evaluating the name, Yin Zhang followed up,
"Uncle Qiangu, what exactly are my teacher and Uncle Tang discussing? Tell me about it."
Qiangu Yuan looked at him with a helpless expression.
"How would I know? If I knew, I wouldn't be guessing. Aren't you close with your Uncle Tang? And the Second Consecrator is your teacher. If you're curious, go ask them yourself."
Qiangu Yunying pressed on,
"Dad, I just want to know what they were talking about earlier."
Qiangu Yuan stared at his daughter's earnest—but clearly clueless—expression and fell silent.
After taking a deep breath, he said,
"Are you two doing this on purpose? Just go ask Tang Zhen and the Second Consecrator yourselves!"
Yin Zhang and Qiangu Yunying looked at each other, laughed, and headed off to find Golden Crocodile and Tang Zhen.
At that moment, Golden Crocodile and Tang Zhen were discussing who to bring along.
Tang Zhen suddenly said,
"Ghost Leopard and Demon Bear have also returned to Spirit City recently. Should we ask them to come as well?"
Golden Crocodile shook his head.
"It's just a Secret Realm. The two of us are enough. Demon Bear and Ghost Leopard just got back—let them rest. There's no need to mobilize four Titled Douluo for this."
Yin Zhang and Qiangu Yunying soon arrived.
"Teacher," Yin Zhang said softly, "Uncle Qiangu mentioned you were discussing something. What's going on?"
Golden Crocodile smiled faintly.
"It's just about a Secret Realm. There's no harm in telling you."
A Secret Realm?
Both Yin Zhang and Qiangu Yunying were instantly intrigued.
Golden Crocodile continued,
"So-called Secret Realms are small grotto-heavens—either naturally formed or created by those with divine means. They're extremely beneficial to cultivation."
Yin Zhang was momentarily stunned. The explanation sounded like something straight out of a cultivation novel—divine abilities, grotto-heavens, and all.
Clearly, this Secret Realm was no ordinary place.
The two, who had no desire to remain idle in Spirit City, laughed and said,
"Teacher, then we'd like to go along as well. Is that alright?"
Golden Crocodile considered Yin Zhang's current combat power and nodded without much hesitation.
"It's not impossible. But Li Fan is about to become a father—keep that in mind. We'll depart in five days. If the child hasn't been born by then, you stay behind. If it has, you can come with me."
Yin Zhang and Qiangu Yunying immediately agreed.
Tang Zhen chuckled lightly and said,
"Xiao Zhang, you and Yunying have been back for a month. Haven't you thought about returning to the academy?"
Yin Zhang laughed.
"What's the point of going back? I can't learn much more there anyway. It's better to cultivate out in the world. That's far more effective than sitting in classrooms."
Qiangu Yunying nodded.
"I'm almost twenty-two. What's left for me to learn at the academy? Besides, Uncle Tang, you haven't been the dean for a long time now. Are you still trying to convince us?"
Tang Zhen smiled and shook his head.
"I don't have the energy to discipline you on Qiangu Yuan's behalf. Do whatever you like."
After that, Yin Zhang and Qiangu Yunying decided to look for Graphite and Grinding Stone. After learning their location from Tang Zhen, they headed to a Great Spirit Arena in the northern part of Spirit City.
The two brothers were now spending most of their time there.
Under Tang Zhen's guidance, their martial souls had developed significantly, finally gaining offensive methods instead of relying purely on defense.
When Yin Zhang and Qiangu Yunying arrived, Graphite and Grinding Stone were in the middle of a two-on-two spirit duel.
What surprised Yin Zhang was the technique the brothers unleashed.
A Martial Soul Fusion Skill?
I didn't expect them to actually pull this off.
After the match ended, Graphite and Grinding Stone emerged from the passageway, chatting and laughing. The moment they saw Yin Zhang and Qiangu Yunying waiting nearby, their expressions lit up and they hurried over.
"Brother Zhang!" Graphite called out warmly. "Sister Yunying! Why are you here?"
Although Yin Zhang was younger than them, age meant little in this world. Just like how Golden Crocodile, despite being older and of higher seniority, still addressed Qian Daoliu as "big brother."
More importantly, the two brothers were deeply grateful to Yin Zhang. Without him, how could they have become the disciples of a Titled Douluo in the first place?
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