After a few days, they finally arrived at Heaven Dou City. Over several days, the landscape gradually transformed from the familiar, rolling countryside surrounding Nuoding into something grander, more imposing.
The roads widened and became better maintained, bustling with merchant caravans and patrols of well-equipped guards. Then, finally, the silhouette of the imperial capital appeared on the horizon, and all three of them fell silent.
Heaven Dou City was not merely a larger version of Nuoding. It was a leviathan of stone and power, its walls soaring so high they seemed to scrape the clouds. buildings and pagodas pierced the sky, their roofs tiled in brilliant glazes that caught the sun.
The air itself was different—thicker, humming with the energy of countless souls, a potent mixture of commerce, power, and spirit.
The sheer scale of it was momentarily overwhelming, even for the usually unflappable Tang San.
They entered through one of the massive gates, their heads on a constant swivel. S
treets wide enough for ten carriages to ride abreast stretched before them, lined with multi-storied buildings whose upper levels were connected by graceful, arched bridges.
The noise was a constant, vibrant cacophony of hawkers, clattering wheels, and distant music.
"It's... big," Xiao Wu finally managed, her usual bravado subdued by the city's majesty.
"You can say that again." Mei agress
"It is the heart of an empire," Tang San replied, his voice low with awe. But of the three, he was the first to regain his bearings. His eyes, always analytical, began to map their surroundings, categorizing and storing information.
"We should find an inn to leave our bags. Then... we should visit the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. We need to meet Ning Rongrong."
At this, Xiao Wu's nose wrinkled, her momentary awe replaced by a familiar pout. "Do we have to? Can't we just explore the city first?"
This was the revelation that had come to light during their journey. Over the past three years, unbeknownst to even Mei, Tang San and the young mistress of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect had been exchanging letters.
It had started as a formal thank-you from Ning Rongrong for his help during the Spirit Hall attack and had evolved into a sporadic but steady correspondence about cultivation and their respective lives.
When Tang San had mentioned their plan to enroll in the Heaven Dou Royal Academy and their imminent arrival in the capital, Ning Rongrong had insisted, with surprising forcefulness, that they visit her sect first.
She had even sent her personal sect token through the mail as a gesture of significant trust and a clear bypass of normal protocols.
"Rongrong has been a helpful correspondent," Tang San explained patiently, though a faint hint of awkwardness touched his ears.
"It would be rude not to accept her invitation. And having a connection within one of the top sects could be valuable."
"Plus, it would be better to have someone familiar with the city as a guide. You should know better than anyone about that." Mei added with a small grin.
Xiao Wu let out a dramatic sigh, crossing her arms. "Fine, fine. But if she starts clinging again, I'm kicking."
So, with their meager belongings stored at a modest inn, they found themselves standing in a particularly grand and bewildering district of the city, holding the ornate jade token that was supposed to be their key.
And that was where their plan ground to a humiliating halt.
The token would grant them entry. Ning Rongrong had assured them of that.
The problem she had failed to anticipate, and thus failed to mention, was where, precisely, her sect was located.
The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect was not a public shop with a sign out front. It was a fortress, a compound, a small city within the city, and its exact location was not common knowledge to outsiders.
They stood at a bustling intersection, the token feeling increasingly useless in Tang San's palm, looking for all the world like a trio of lost, confused chickens.
They asked a few passersby, but the responses ranged from vague gestures "Somewhere in the noble quarter, I think?" to outright suspicion. The sheer scale of Heaven Dou was working against them.
After what felt like an hour of futile wandering, Xiao Wu's patience, never her strong suit, snapped.
"This is ridiculous! How are we supposed to find a place nobody seems to want to answer?!"
It was then that her sharp eyes caught two figures emerging from a side street, seemingly heading out of the city. Both were girls, likely around their own age.
One had a head of striking, deep purple hair and a stormy expression, her brows furrowed as she complained loudly to her companion.
"...completely unfair! Just because I was five minutes late to his lecture, he assigns me this? 'Go fetch the Little Witch,' he says! As if I'm some errand girl!" the purple-haired girl fumed.
The other girl, who had hair the color of lilac snow, a soft whitish-purple, offered a gentle, placating smile.
"Now, now, Yan'er. The teacher is just stressed. And you know how Rongrong can be when she's left to her own devices for too long. It's better to make sure she gets to class."
Xiao Wu, seeing an opportunity and latching onto the familiar name "Rongrong," bounded forward before Tang San could stop her. "Hey! Excuse me!"
The two girls stopped, turning to look at the newcomer. The purple-haired girl's stormy expression immediately sharpened into one of irritation at the interruption.
Her eyes swept over Xiao Wu's simple clothes, and her gaze was critically appraising.
"How rude," the girl—Dugu Yan—snapped, her voice dripping with disdain. "Don't you country bumpkins know how to address and greet people? Or do they not teach manners wherever you're from?"
The insult, delivered with such casual superiority, was a lit match to Xiao Wu's temper. All her frustration from being lost and her existing resentment towards "noble young misses" boiled over.
"Country Bumpkins?!" Xiao Wu shot back, her hands flying to her hips. "Who do you think you are?! We're just asking for directions, you... You purple-haired peacock!"
The escalation was instantaneous and fiery. "You dare?! I'll have you know—"
"Enough."
Tang San's voice was quiet but carried an undeniable weight, cutting through the brewing storm.
He stepped forward, placing a calming hand on Xiao Wu's shoulder while offering a slight, formal bow to the two girls.
Internally, he was already chastising himself.
This is Heaven Dou City. Every other person could be nobility or royalty. We must be more careful.
Mei moved to Xiao Wu's other side, her presence a silent, soothing counterpoint to the tension.
"We apologize for our friend's directness," she said, her voice melodic and polite. "We're new to the city and a bit lost."
Tang San took over, his demeanor the picture of respectful composure.
"My name is Tang San. This is Xiao Wu and Mei. We were invited to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect by Ning Rongrong." He held up the jade token.
"However, she neglected to provide its location. We were hoping you could assist us, as we overheard you mention her name."
He finished with a polite, hopeful smile. It was a simple, genuine expression, but its effect was profound.
The change in the two girls was remarkable. Dugu Yan's angry bluster evaporated, replaced by a sudden, flustered silence as she took in Tang San's appearance.
The journey and his growth over the past three years had sculpted his boyish features into those of a strikingly handsome young man.
But it was Ye Lingling, the girl with the whitish-purple hair, who reacted more strongly.
A deep blush instantly flooded her cheeks. With a small, startled gasp, she ducked her head and practically hid behind Dugu Yan, though she couldn't stop herself from peeking out at Tang San with wide, captivated eyes.
Damn, Dugu Yan thought, her own irritation momentarily sidelined by a purely aesthetic appreciation. Even Yu Tianheng, the academy's resident handsome guy, isn't this handsome.
It was in that moment of stunned silence that a memory flickered to the surface of her mind.
It had been in the common room of the academy, Rongrong perched on a divan, swinging her legs with an infuriatingly smug expression.
Dugu Yan had been complaining about the slow progress of her spirit power consolidation.
"Oh, that's too bad," Ning Rongrong had said, her voice dripping with false sympathy.
"You know, my friends back in Nuoding… they didn't have any such troubles. Real monsters, the lot of them."
"Monsters?" Dugu Yan had scoffed, not taking the bait.
"Mmm," Rongrong had hummed, examining her nails. "There were three, in particular. The boy, Tang San, was the leader. Calm, always thinking. And that little rabbit, Xiao Wu, is all fire and temper. And another girl, who can captivate anyone she see. They all reached Spirit Grandmaster before they were even ten years old. Can you imagine?"
She had said it so casually, as if stating the sky was blue. Dugu Yan had burst out laughing.
"Before ten? Rongrong, please. Even the most legendary figures in the Spirit Master world didn't achieve that. Stop making up stories to make the backwater city sound impressive."
Ning Rongrong's eyes had flashed with genuine offense. "I am not! It's the truth! Just you wait, one day they'll come here, and you'll see!"
"I'll believe it when I see it," Dugu Yan had retorted, and the matter had been dropped, chalked up to the young mistress's habit of theatrical exaggeration.
Now, standing here on this bustling street, that forgotten conversation echoed in her mind. Tang San. Xiao Wu. And Mei.
Her eyes, now sharpened with a cultivator's instinct rather than a noble's disdain, swept over the trio once more. This time, she wasn't just looking at their clothes; she was trying to gauge the subtle energy that radiated from them, to sense the depth of their spirit power.
The boy, Tang San, stood with a posture that was both relaxed and perfectly balanced, like a deep lake—calm on the surface but hinting at unseen depths.
His eyes were clear and intelligent, holding a weight that seemed beyond his years. There was no arrogant flaunting of power, only a steady, contained aura that was difficult to read. He's strong, Dugu Yan admitted to herself, but Spirit Grandmaster before ten? Impossible. He's probably nearing that rank now, which is impressive enough for someone from the countryside.
Her gaze flicked to the hot-headed girl, Xiao Wu. Her spirit felt vibrant and wild, but nothing that screamed the historic, earth-shattering achievement Rongrong had described.
She was likely in the same range as the boy—a high-level Spirit Master, perhaps even at the bottleneck, but not a Grandmaster.
Finally, she looked at Mei. This one was the most difficult to read. Her spirit presence was… strange. She felt that her presence alone made her want to watch and admire her.
Dugu Yan couldn't get a clear read on her level at all. Maybe she's the weakest of the three, and that's why her presence is so faint, she reasoned.
No, she concluded internally, her initial assessment reaffirmed. Ning Rongrong had been exaggerating, as usual. These were talented youths, undoubtedly.
Their spirit power felt dense and well-founded, a credit to their teacher. To have reached, say, the 18th or even 19th rank at their age was a remarkable feat for a place like Nuoding.
But Spirit Grandmaster before ten? That was a fantasy.
The sheer resources, guidance, and innate talent required for such a thing were the exclusive domain of the great clans and sects, not some no-name Spirit Master academy.
Dugu Yan, fighting to regain her composure, cleared her throat, her tone now a mix of residual haughtiness and newfound curiosity.
"A-ah. You're Rongrong's friends from Nuoding that she mentioned many times, I presumed?" she managed. The words "she mentioned many times" were laden with the unspoken memory of those specific, unbelievable boasts.
Ye Lingling gave a tiny, almost imperceptible nod from behind her friend's shoulder, her gaze still fixed on Tang San.
"As it happens," Dugu Yan continued, gesturing vaguely in the direction they had been heading, "we were just on our way to drag the Little Wit - Ning Rongrong back to class. We can take you there."
Relief washed over Mei. "Thank you so much. We would be very grateful."
Oh my, Ai's voice chimed in Mei's head, laced with gleeful amusement.
Would you look at that! Our little Tang San is all grown up and weaponizing that handsome face of his!
That second spirit ring really gave him that certain... je ne sais quoi! Now he looks like the main vocalist of a boy group, you know, the sweet and gentle type with a honey-filled voice.
He just completely derailed that girl's train of thought. And the other one looks like she's about to spontaneously combust! Priceless!
Mei could only silently agree.
________________________________________________________________________________________Merry Christmas, my wonderful readers! 🎄
I hope you're all having a peaceful and joyful holiday season.
I'm writing with a heartfelt apology for the recent silence and lack of updates. The truth is, I've been juggling a busy search for a steady job and have hit a patch of writer's block for the upcoming chapters. Your patience during this time means more than I can say.
I promise you that by January, I'll be back on a regular schedule. The story is always on my mind, and I'm determined to push through and bring you the chapters you deserve.
As a small note, for those interested, my translation works will soon be available on my Ko-fi page, offered as bundled chapters for easier access.
Thank you for your incredible support and for sticking with me. Wishing you all the warmth and magic of the season.
With gratitude and warmest wishes,
Cheesecakeislife