...
"Alright, go back and get some rest. I should go too."
Xuan Hao deftly dodged the stone thrown by Qian Renxue, waved to the four titled Douluo who were pretending to be deaf and dumb not far away, then flapped his wings and transformed into a golden meteor, disappearing into the vast night.
Qian Renxue was left sitting in the pile of rubble, looking in the direction he had left, gritting her teeth, yet with a complicated expression.
Although getting beaten up this time was incredibly humiliating, the effects of these Dragon Ganoderma leaves... were truly astonishing.
And the strength this kid just displayed...
"A level 42 Soul Master defeated a level 56 Soul King in a direct confrontation..."
Qian Renxue clenched her fists, a hint of resentment flashing in her eyes, but more so a surge of competitive spirit.
"Xuan Hao...you just wait!"
"Next time we meet, I'm going to make sure I get my money back with interest!"
...
On the other side.
Xuan Hao flew in mid-air, feeling exceptionally relaxed.
"That beating wasn't for nothing, Senior Sister."
The reason he summoned Yue Guan and Gui Mei, and even went so far as to beat up Qian Renxue in front of them, was for one purpose only—to avoid suspicion.
Once this message reaches Wuhun City and Bibi Dong's ears, it will be the best pledge of allegiance.
"Look, to uphold your dignity, teacher, I utterly humiliated that proud young lady of the Qian family.
My loyalty is as clear as day!"
Now, Bibi Dong should no longer suspect that he has any collusion with Qian Renxue, right?
With the security issue resolved, next...
"It's time to go back."
Xuan Hao sighed. Although he really didn't want to go back to that oppressive Martial Soul City, some things had to be faced.
...
Tian Dou Royal Hotel, Top Floor Suite.
"Click—"
The door opened, and Xuan Hao stepped inside.
The room was lively.
Na'er was drawing on the soft carpet, Dugu Yan was sitting cross-legged on the sofa cultivating, and Ye Lingling, with her aloof personality, was quietly reading by the window.
When they saw Xuan Hao return, the three girls looked up almost simultaneously.
"elder brother!"
Na'er dropped her paintbrush, cheered, and rushed over.
"You're back?"
Dugu Yan opened her eyes and looked at Xuan Hao with some curiosity.
"You're back so late. Where have you been gallivanting around?"
"What do you mean by 'fooling around'?
I'm going to take care of serious business."
Xuan Hao rubbed Na'er's head, walked to the sofa and sat down, his expression becoming somewhat serious:
"I have something to tell you."
"Next, I will be leaving for a while, and I may have to go back to my hometown."
"Going back to your hometown?"
Dugu Yan was taken aback.
"Where is your hometown?"
"It's a secret."
Xuan Hao smiled mysteriously and didn't say much, "In short, we have to make this trip."
"What about Na'er?"
Dugu Yan pointed to the little girl in her arms.
"Are you going to be a hands-off manager again?"
"Yes, I won't take Na'er with me."
Xuan Hao looked at Na'er, his eyes filled with a hint of apology and doting:
"Na'er, the place your brother is going to this time is a bit far, and... it's not very fun.
Why don't you stay here with Sister Yanzi and Sister Lingling?"
"ah?"
Na'er's face fell instantly, and she gripped Xuan Hao's clothes tightly.
"Na'er doesn't want to leave brother! Na'er wants to go with brother!"
"obedient."
Xuan Hao squatted down and looked intently into her eyes. "That place... is not a good place."
Wuhun City.
That holy city, standing atop the continent, is seen by the world as a sacred place for Soul Masters, but in Xuan Hao's eyes, it is a huge, oppressive military camp.
It was a place of strict hierarchy, rife with power struggles and scheming conspiracies.
In contrast, although Tiandou City appears chaotic, the various forces here—the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, the Tiandou Royal Family, and Dugu Bo—have all established some degree of "alliance" with him.
At least no one will touch his people at this time.
"Brother promises, I'll be back soon."
Xuanhao held up his little finger, "Shall we pinky swear?"
"...All right."
Although Na'er was reluctant, seeing Xuan Hao's determined eyes, she obediently stretched out her little hand, "Then brother must come back quickly, and bring Na'er something delicious!"
"no problem!"
After calming Na'er down, Xuan Hao stood up, looked at Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling, and solemnly said:
"Please take care of Na'er while I'm gone."
"And as for the academy, please keep an eye on the Tiandou Self-Improvement Association, Yanzi.
If anyone dares to cause trouble, deal with them according to the rules."
Don't worry.
Dugu Yan patted his chest, looking quite smug. "With me here, no one dares to lay a finger on Na'er. As for those brats at the academy... hmph, anyone who dares to disobey, I'll let them taste my Azure Phosphorous Poison Dragon!"
"That's good."
...
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking.
While Na'er and the others were still fast asleep, Xuan Hao left a note and quietly left the Tian Dou Royal Hotel.
With his golden dragon wings unfurled, he transformed into a streak of light and sped straight toward Sunset Forest.
There's no way around it; he's really messed up big time this time.
Two 100,000-year-old soul beasts, two sets of 100,000-year-old soul rings and soul bones—these were treasures that could drive the entire soul master world of the continent crazy, yet they were gone right under our noses.
Although Bibi Dong didn't kill him, she must be holding a grudge.
If he goes back empty-handed and tries to explain with just his mouth, he'll probably be locked in a dark room for secluded cultivation, or even thrown into the Lost Canyon for some training.
If he doesn't want to be locked up and wants to be able to roam freely outside in the future, he must show enough "sincerity".
This sincerity is enough to make up for, or even exceed, the value of those two 100,000-year-old soul beasts!
Taking just a little bit won't do; we need to take more.
We not only have to appease Bibi Dong, but also Hu Liena.
After all, if we appease Hu Liena, Bibi Dong will be happy too, and when people are happy, everything is negotiable.
Based on his memory, Xuan Hao wielded a jade shovel and dug out the selected immortal herbs along with the soil around their roots, carefully storing them in his Qiankun Ring.
Besides these top-grade immortal herbs, he also casually picked up quite a few second-grade rare spiritual medicines.
It's never wrong to be overly polite.
After finishing all this, Xuan Hao looked at the slightly sparser herb garden and clapped his hands in satisfaction.
"With these things, plus my plans in Heaven Dou City... I should be able to redeem myself when I go back this time, right?"
Once Bibi Dong calms down and sees his value and loyalty, he will have a much better reason to apply for an "external assignment" back to Tiandou City to continue his "undercover mission".
After all, who would refuse a thoughtful apprentice who is obedient, capable, and brings home loads of good stuff?
...
At noon, outside Tiandou City.
Yue Guan and Gui Mei had been waiting for a long time.
Seeing Xuan Hao flying over from afar, the two visibly breathed a sigh of relief.
They were genuinely afraid that their little rascal might change his mind at the last minute, or run away halfway.
"How is it? Is everything ready?"
The ghost asked in a hoarse voice, its urgency evident even though its expression was unseen.
Let's go.
Xuan Hao landed and clapped his hands. "Everything's ready, and everyone's here. Let's head back to Wuhun City!"
"good!"
Without a word, the ghostly figure flashed and appeared directly behind Xuan Hao, grabbing him by the back of his collar and lifting him up like a chick.
"Hey! Old ghost! Give me some face! I can fly myself!"
"Stop talking nonsense! You're flying too slowly!"
The ghost ignored his protests, unleashed its ghostly aura, and transformed into a black lightning bolt, vanishing from the spot in an instant.
Yue Guan followed closely behind, two streaks of light at the level of Title Douluo streaking across the sky and speeding southward.
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