Heaven Dou City, an ancient city with a history spanning ten thousand years, was once the capital of the Heaven Dou Empire thousands of years ago. Over time, it has become the capital of the Heaven Soul Empire.
While not as towering as Mingdu, its unique architectural style within the majestic city is still a source of great anticipation. It is home to several million people.
This year's Soul Fighting Tournament is being held in Mingdu, and the next one will be in Heaven Dou City, although in the original story, the tournament was postponed due to war.
When Shrek Academy's group arrived, they were allowed into the city after undergoing a routine inspection by the guards at the city gate.
Upon entering, they found themselves on a wide road, large enough for eight carriages to travel side-by-side. Various plants were neatly arranged along the roadside, and a delicate floral fragrance filled the air. Pedestrians came and went in a constant stream.
There were merchants from other empires, speaking with accents not native to the city, and groups of tourists, all looking around.
Since it's the capital, there's naturally no street vendor hawking; the streets are more like commercial streets.
Of course, you can still hear the sounds of haggling as you pass some shops.
It seems that this is consistent between Earth and Douluo Continent.
"Elder Song, where should we meet up with them first?" Zhang Lexuan asked Elder Song, who was walking ahead, after glancing around at Huo Yuhao.
The main purpose of their visit was to meet with the Body Sect to discuss future cooperation.
Elder Song said, "The address given by Poison Undying is a place called Snow Lotus Hotel."
"Snow Lotus." Elder Jing said thoughtfully, "I remember that the Heavenly Soul Royal Family's inherited martial soul is Snow Lotus, isn't it?"
"That's right." Yan Shaozhe nodded, his expression quite meaningful, "It seems that Teacher guessed correctly; they do indeed have some kind of deep connection with the Heavenly Soul Royal Family."
"Teacher, Elders, I found a horse rental shop; how about we go check it out?" Huo Yuhao interjected, his eyes gleaming, his mental detection already activated.
"Alright." Elder Song didn't refuse. Heaven Dou City was much larger than Shrek City, and with the no-fly zone, it would take an unknown amount of time to walk there.
"Then you all wait here. Yuhao and I will go ask." Zhang Lexuan offered, and then left with Huo Yuhao.
The horse-drawn carriage system was similar to the soul-guided bus system that Shrek City was about to launch. Heaven Dou City already had horse-drawn carriages running around the city, but those had fixed routes. Since they weren't familiar with Heaven Dou City, it was better to rent one separately.
The horse-drawn carriage system wasn't far, located in a large square building. There were few people walking around outside, making it quite quiet.
Inside the building, there were neatly arranged tables and chairs, all occupied by people, most of whom were wearing work clothes, clearly staff members of the horse-drawn carriage system, the "drivers" responsible for controlling the carriages.
Huo Yuhao and Zhang Lexuan went to the counter to handle their business. Zhang Lexuan smiled and spoke with the receptionist, explaining their purpose.
With her senior sister there, everything was quite easy.
Huo Yuhao stood to one side, but the sounds of conversation echoed around him, piquing his curiosity.
It was the staff, presumably waiting for their shift change, talking.
"Hey guys, how about we go to the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School to watch the excitement?"
"Can we even go there? Didn't they say only members of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School could go?"
"That's an old rule from years ago, things have changed. Apparently, the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School's sect competition is being held in their own Nine Treasure Square."
"We can watch a bunch of Soul Masters fight for free, and even get free food and drinks!
Why not?" "So, are you guys going?"
"Free Soul Master fights, plus food and drinks, only a fool wouldn't go."
"Hahaha."
The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School's sect competition was quite widely known… Huo Yuhao murmured to himself, watching the group.
The original story didn't mention this, so he didn't know much about this sect competition.
"Yuhao." Suddenly, Zhang Lexuan's voice came from beside him. Huo Yuhao came back to his senses and saw that Zhang Lexuan had already finished handling the rental matters, and a well-dressed female staff member was standing beside him.
"Please come with me, both of you." The female staff member said with a smile.
"Okay, thank you for your trouble." Zhang Lexuan nodded and smiled.
Soon, led by the female staff member, the two walked together into the depths of the building.
"Something on your mind?" Zhang Lexuan asked gently as they walked.
"No." Huo Yuhao shook his head, "I just heard those people discussing the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School's sect competition, and I suddenly became interested."
"No wonder." Zhang Lexuan said knowingly, and then transmitted her voice with her soul power, "After we finish discussing matters with the Body Sect, I will take you to the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School. You can't go back on your promise to Ning Tian."
Huo Yuhao chuckled and nodded, "Of course."
The rental carriage was quite luxurious and was currently waiting on a clean and tidy road. There was a special coachman to operate it. After the female staff member handed the documents to the coachman for inspection, the carriage soon began to move.
Having met Yan Shaozhe and his companions on the way there, the carriage quickly and smoothly headed towards the Snow Lotus Hotel.
Soft sunlight streamed through the windows, casting dappled shadows, accompanied by the sounds of wheels rolling and horses' hooves clattering.
While Yan Shaozhe and Elder Song were communicating telepathically using their soul power in the front seats of the carriage, Huo Yuhao noticed a trace of sadness in Zhang Lexuan's eyes.
Having read the original novel, he suddenly realized something.
Zhang Lexuan was from the Heavenly Soul Empire; her father was a high-ranking nobleman whose entire family had been murdered. When he mentioned the location of the horse stable, Zhang Lexuan hadn't asked him any questions and had led him there directly, indicating she was very familiar with Heaven Dou City.
Could it be that his former senior sister's family was in Heaven Dou City?
No, even if they were in Heaven Dou City, no one would act so recklessly under the royal family's nose.
But this must have been triggered by something familiar.
Observing the scene, Huo Yuhao seemed to remember something and quickly took out a tightly wrapped candy from his storage ring.
As Zhang Lexuan gazed at the familiar yet unfamiliar street, memories of the past seemed to flicker in her beautiful eyes. Suddenly, something flashed before her eyes, causing her to instinctively look down.
She saw two fingers holding a candy with exquisite wrapping paper, placed in front of her. Puzzled, she turned to look and saw Huo Yuhao smiling at her, saying softly, "Want a candy? I can't guarantee anything else, but it'll definitely be sweet and sour."
Looking at Huo Yuhao's smiling face, Zhang Lexuan visibly froze. After a pause, she looked at the candy again, shook her head with a smile, took the candy, but didn't eat it. Instead, she carefully put it in her pocket, her tone softening, "Thank you."
"No need," Huo Yuhao said casually.
After a brief thank you, both Zhang Lexuan and Huo Yuhao fell silent.
However, the trace of sadness in the former's eyes lessened somewhat.
As time passed, they finally arrived at their destination. Strangely, the Snow Lotus Hotel wasn't in a bustling area; on the contrary, its location was somewhat remote, though the road was meticulously decorated.
"Guests, we've arrived at the Snow Lotus Hotel," the coachman's voice came from outside.
Inside the carriage, everyone slowly rose, dismounted, and watched the coachman leave before looking at the meeting place of the two major forces.
The hotel wasn't particularly large, but rather exquisite and beautiful.
Contrary to expectations of crowds, there were hardly any people to be seen.
A fountain flowed gently not far from the hotel entrance, with precious aquatic plants floating in the pool.
Several paths along the vegetation led to the entrance.
However, before everyone could observe for long, two figures suddenly rushed in from one side of the hotel.
One had an enormous head, and the other had an incredibly thick right arm.
"It's them again." Huo Yuhao recognized the two at a glance.
Lang Ya, the Martial Soul Leader, is one of the prospective elders of the Body Sect.
Yu Tao, the Martial Soul Right Arm, is
also one of the prospective elders of the Body Sect. Both are Soul Douluo in cultivation, but their strength is enough to rival those who have just entered the Title Douluo realm.
After Lang Ya and Yu Tao walked over, they recognized Yan Shaozhe at a glance. Although they didn't know Elder Song and Elder Jing, they knew that these two were most likely elders of the Sea God Pavilion, so they immediately became respectful. The former said, "The Sect Master has been waiting for a long time. Please follow me."
"Please." Yu Tao respectfully gestured.
Yan Shaozhe was half a step behind Elder Song and Elder Jing, walking behind them. Soon, the Shrek Academy group walked into the hotel.
"Young brother, it's been a few years, and you've become even more imposing." Yu Tao walked behind, cheerfully greeting Huo Yuhao.
"Senior has also become stronger. I suppose you're not far from becoming a Title Douluo." Huo Yuhao greeted him with a smile.
"I'm still far from it." Yu Tao's eyes flickered slightly as he smiled.
"I don't believe you for a second..." Huo Yuhao thought to himself, chatting idly with Yu Tao as they walked. Zhang Lexuan listened with a smile, not interrupting.
The Snow Lotus Hotel seemed to be completely closed to the public; the vast lobby was almost deserted except for a few staff members.
The group continued on, winding their way through the hall, finally arriving at a beautifully appointed spot. Above the tall floor-to-ceiling windows was a garden, bathed in sunlight that created shimmering halos of light.
However, the Shrek Seven Devils had no interest in the scenery, as a group of people were seated inside.
Leading the group was none other than the original form Douluo, Poison Undying.
Besides him were three elders and two young men.
"You've finally arrived! Please, have a seat," Poison Undying warmly invited the Shrek Seven Devils to sit down. Huo Yuhao hadn't seen him in a long time since the attack on Mingde Hall, and he looked much the same as before, with only a few hairs left on his head.
Yan Shaozhe and the two elders didn't stand on ceremony and quickly took their seats, while Zhang Lexuan sat behind the three.
Before Huo Yuhao could even sit down, he suddenly sensed something. His gaze instantly met that of the younger of the two young men from the Body Sect. In that instant, as if drawn together, Huo Yuhao's spiritual power immediately converged, his eyes gleaming with a silvery-white light, and his surrounding aura surging like a towering tidal wave.
The younger man, his eyes slightly narrowed, also unleashed an unstoppable aura.
Invisibly, their spiritual powers collided violently.
The space seemed to turn into a quagmire, deep and inescapable, and the soul power within its range was directly torn apart, with a twisted beauty.
Both powerful figures felt it, but neither disturbed the other, observing quietly.
The contact didn't last long. When a cold light flashed in Huo Yuhao's eyes, his spiritual power immediately dispersed, like the roots of a tree, taking root in mid-air. Logically, dispersing spiritual power should lead to a decrease in its strength, since you're breaking up a whole. But terrifyingly, Huo Yuhao's spiritual power not only didn't weaken, but even seemed to be intensifying.
This scene instantly attracted the attention of many powerful figures from the Body Sect, all of whom were astonished.
When the scattered spiritual energy, carrying an aura of death, enveloped the young man, he let out a muffled groan, and the imposing aura emanating from his body receded slightly.
Just then, Huo Yuhao calmly sat down in the chair beside Zhang Lexuan and said indifferently, "You flatter me."
As the silvery-white light faded from his eyes, Huo Yuhao had already withdrawn his spiritual energy.
The powerful figures from the Body Sect were all extremely surprised. Their disciple, whom they considered the most outstanding genius of the Body Sect in a hundred years, had actually been at a disadvantage in the clash of spiritual energy.
The young man suppressed his astonishment and politely replied, "You must be the Huo Yuhao my teacher spoke of. Meeting you today, you are indeed extraordinary."
"You flatter me. I was merely lucky," Huo Yuhao replied calmly, without any arrogance.
He knew without a doubt who this young man was.
In an urban web novel, this would definitely be the protagonist's name:
Long Aotian.
"Let me introduce you, this is my disciple, Long Aotian." Poison Immortal stepped forward at the opportune moment, smiling as he introduced Long Aotian to the Shrek Academy group.
"Aotian welcomes all of you seniors." Long Aotian stood up and bowed respectfully.
The three Shrek Academy experts, led by Elder Song, all nodded in response.
Elder Song praised, "Old Poison, you're quite something, having such an outstanding disciple. He's probably not far from becoming a Soul Saint."
"Hahaha," Poison Immortal laughed loudly, "Of course! When has my judgment ever been wrong?"
"By the way, they are all elders of my Body Sect." Poison Immortal continued, introducing the three elders sitting beside him, finally turning to the girl beside Long Aotian, "This is Vina, also my disciple."
In terms of age, these elders were about the same as Yan Shaozhe, and they all politely bowed to Elder Song and Elder Jing.
Elder Song also gave a brief introduction, introducing the Shrek Academy group to the Body Sect group.
Upon learning that Zhang Lexuan was the top student of Shrek Academy's inner court, the members of the Body Sect became quite curious.
"Let's get straight to the point, no more beating around the bush," said Poison Undying, not a very patient person. He said in a deep voice, "The process of our cooperation can be discussed, but before that, Huo Yuhao must accompany us to the sect headquarters to undergo a test."
"What the test is, Elder Mu should have already told you, so I won't elaborate. It's up to you all to decide whether you're willing."
The three Shrek Academy experts exchanged glances, understanding perfectly. The Body Sect simply wanted Huo Yuhao to test his ability to inherit the Body Sect's legacy.
"We agree," said Elder Song in a calm tone.
Hearing this, Poison Undying's eyes lit up. "Good, good, good! No wonder Elder Mu sent you. If it were Xuanzi, he'd probably be arguing with me for ages."
On the other side, as soon as Elder Song agreed, Vina frowned slightly, subconsciously looking at Long Aotian and grasping his hand.
Long Aotian chuckled at her, gently patting her hand in a comforting gesture.
What Vina minded was that Long Aotian, as the chief disciple of the Body Sect, couldn't obtain the Seed of Inheritance; as his fiancée, Vina was naturally unhappy.
Huo Yuhao, after all, was ultimately an outsider.
Perhaps because Shrek Academy agreed to let Huo Yuhao take the test, the subsequent discussions went smoothly.
Huo Yuhao remained largely uninvolved, only occasionally offering some words of advice from Zhang Lexuan, as she was about to take over some duties and couldn't simply listen.
Two hours passed quickly, and finally, both sides finalized a series of cooperation agreements for Huo Yuhao after his test.
However, Huo Yuhao spoke up regarding the timing of the operation, "Senior Poison Undying, I have some matters to attend to and I'm afraid I won't be able to accompany you to the Body Sect for the next few days."
Hearing this, the Body Sect members looked at him with suspicion. Poison Undying couldn't help but ask, "What is it?"
"I've accepted an invitation from a friend to help her participate in the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's Grand Competition. I'm afraid I won't be able to leave before the competition ends," Huo Yuhao explained.
"You're going to the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's Grand Competition?" Hearing this, Poison Undying became interested.
As for Long Aotian and Vina, they couldn't help but look at Huo Yuhao.
"Yes," Huo Yuhao nodded in reply.
"Alright, we'll discuss the departure time after you've finished the competition. You've had a long journey, so go and rest for now. I'll go arrange the banquet. Hehe, it's so comfortable without Xuanzi around," Poison Undying said cheerfully.
The Shrek Academy members chuckled and shook their heads. No wonder Elder Mu said Poison Undying and Elder Xuan were a pair of sworn enemies; he was right.
"Everyone, please follow me. Our resting place is ready." Yu Tao and Lang Ya were still in charge of where the Shrek Seven Devils would stay.
"Okay."
....
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