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The Pope's Orders and the Grandeur of Heaven Dou City
Hearing this, Chrysanthemum Douluo, Yue Guan, showed a respectful smile, his expression quickly changing back to one of admiration. "Your Holiness, the Pope, you are wise and mighty! Tang Hao's demise is certainly sealed," he praised.
"It's just that his son, Tang San, seems to have escaped successfully due to Tang Hao's desperate interference. How should we proceed with the boy?"
Bibi Dong's eyes narrowed slightly, and she fell into a moment of silence. The breeze in the surrounding forest seemed to stop, waiting for her command. Then, she spoke slowly, "Issue an order immediately to all the Spirit Hall branch halls in every region.
They are to secretly hunt down this Tang San. Once they have any information about him, they must report it at once. Tang Hao is already severely injured. If he dares to show up and obstruct us again, that will be the moment we capture both the father and son in one fell swoop."
Chrysanthemum Douluo softly acknowledged her order but then frowned slightly, as if something had just occurred to him. After a moment of thought, he cautiously brought up a point. "Your Holiness, the Pope, I recall that the message sent back by Old Ghost (Gui Mei) mentioned that Tang Hao seems to have another son named Tang Chuan. His Spirit is also Blue Silver Grass, but his Innate Spirit Power is only level one... Should we also track him down?"
When she heard this, Bibi Dong's eyes suddenly turned cold, and a scornful, cold smile appeared on her lips. "Heh. Blue Silver Grass with only level one Innate Spirit Power," she scoffed. "A piece of trash with only level one Innate Spirit Power would struggle to break through to level thirty even if he cultivated for his entire life. Such an ant is not worth my time. Don't concern yourselves with that child. Let him fend for himself."
After speaking, Bibi Dong's gaze returned to the sky, her subtle killing intent gradually fading. Clearly, in her eyes, Tang Chuan posed no threat whatsoever.
Arrival at Heaven Dou City
A week later, just outside Heaven Dou City, the early autumn wind swept across the towering city walls. In front of the city gate, people flowed like a river, and carriages rumbled constantly.
The instant the Shrek Academy group stepped through the gate, the sight before them immediately shocked them.
The streets were wide and incredibly clean, paved meticulously with bluestone slabs. The vast crowd was bustling, dressed in all manner of clothing, clearly showing that merchants and nobles from various regions had converged in the city.
Tall, grand buildings and shops lined both sides of the street, with signboards hanging out and constant hawking. A dazzling array of goods was displayed in windows and stalls. Fragrances of food and goods mixed with the clamor of the crowd, showcasing the city's immense prosperity.
"Wow... it's so huge, and so lively!" Xiao Wu's eyes sparkled with excitement. She looked left and right, overwhelmed, like a child entering the city for the very first time, drawn by the fresh sights. Her gaze shifted back and forth between candy shops and jewelry stalls. She couldn't help but run ahead quickly, occasionally exclaiming in wonder.
Oscar and Ma Hongjun exchanged glances, both of them smiling.
"I never thought Heaven Dou City would be even more prosperous than Star Luo City," Dai Mubai admitted, crossing his arms over his chest. Although his expression remained calm, a hint of genuine astonishment was hard to conceal in his eyes.
Just as everyone was soaking in the atmosphere of the prosperous Heaven Dou City, Ning Rongrong suddenly stepped forward, her small figure blocking their path, and spoke solemnly. "Dean, our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's castle is actually outside the city. I have a matter to attend to, so I plan to go home first. You all should head to Heaven Dou Royal Academy without me."
Hearing this, Flender raised an eyebrow and exchanged a look with Yu Xiaogang beside him. As their eyes met, a hint of seriousness flashed between them.
Yu Xiaogang parted his lips, just about to ask a question, but Flender raised a hand, interrupting him.
"Rongrong, why are you suddenly going home?" Flender asked, his expression immediately turning serious.
Hearing the question, Ning Rongrong calmly explained, "Dean, I think the hidden weapons that Third Brother gave us not long ago would be very suitable for the clansmen of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.
I plan to go home first and discuss this matter with my father. If we can reach an agreement, I even want my father to purchase a batch of hidden weapons from Third Brother (Tang San)."
"Oh..." Flender sighed softly and nodded. "Alright, in that case, you go back first. But you must be extra careful on your way."
"Mhm, I will, Dean. Don't worry, no one in Heaven Dou City dares to provoke me," Ning Rongrong replied, offering a faint smile. She nodded gently, then turned and began to walk away, quickly disappearing into the crowd.
Watching Ning Rongrong's figure gradually vanish, Yu Xiaogang's eyes held a flicker of gloom and unease. After a moment of silence, he spoke in a low voice, "Flender, do you think she might have run off to...?"
Flender's face instantly darkened upon hearing this, his brows furrowing tightly. After a moment of hesitation, he shook his head. "Probably not. Although Ning Rongrong is a bit willful and spoiled, she shouldn't go as far as to do something like that. Xiao Gang, are you being overly suspicious?"
"Suspicious? Besides her, who else in the academy could have betrayed Little San? Do you think it was me? Or you?" Yu Xiaogang's gaze suddenly sharpened, and his face also sank as he spoke coldly.
Flender was left speechless for a long time, unable to utter a single word. His expression was uncertain. Although he was unwilling to admit it, Yu Xiaogang's suspicion wasn't entirely baseless.
After a long while, Flender let out a heavy sigh, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness. "Forget it. Since she's already left, we can only take it one step at a time. Besides, as long as we join Heaven Dou Royal Academy and have the protection of the Heaven Dou Empire's imperial family, Spirit Hall probably won't dare to easily attack us again."
As he spoke, he looked up at the street ahead, still feeling a little uneasy but forcing himself to suppress the anxiety. "By the way, that Qin Ming fellow said he would go back ahead of us to arrange our entry into Heaven Dou Royal Academy. It's been several days now. I wonder how he's doing?"
Yu Xiaogang slowly withdrew his gaze, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes. He said in a deep voice, "No matter how he's doing, we must proceed cautiously from now on. The people from Spirit Hall have likely been watching us in secret already."
Hearing this, Flender's gaze suddenly narrowed, a flash of killing intent deep within his pupils. He said in a low voice, "It's just a pity about Shao Xin and Li Yu Song. Spirit Hall, I, Flender, will never rest until I've settled this score with you!" Before completely leaving Soto City, Flender had secretly returned to Shrek Academy once, only to find the academy completely destroyed and his two old friends dismembered.
Trouble at the Academy Gate
Half an hour later, the Shrek group finally arrived at the gate of Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
The towering, palace-style city gate was majestic and magnificent, with imposing, exquisitely carved stone lions guarding the entrance. Every stone slab gleamed with a faint luster.
Zhao Wuji couldn't help but widen his eyes, exclaiming in a low voice, "This academy gate is way too grand, isn't it? Compared to Shrek Academy's small, broken wooden sign, it's like heaven and earth apart!"
"Nestled against the mountains and beside the water, it is indeed a good place," Yu Xiaogang nodded slightly from the side, a hint of appreciation in his eyes as he spoke in a deep voice.
Only Flender remained very unconvinced. "What's so great about a good environment and a large place? Have they cultivated any powerhouses? They're far inferior to our Shrek Academy. Our place may be small, but we have many monsters."
Zhao Wuji nodded in agreement and added, "Boss, frankly, I still don't quite understand why so many children with excellent potential would join Shrek Academy. If it weren't for some trickery... I'm afraid..."
"You're speaking nonsense! What trickery? This is just my personal charm!" Flender quickly corrected him, glaring at Zhao Wuji. He said sternly, "Let's go, let's go inside. We should be able to make it for dinner. Let's see what the food is like here. If the treatment isn't good, I won't stay."
However, he hadn't walked more than a few steps before trouble found them.
Just then, a group of teenagers and young women, around seventeen or eighteen years old, dressed in goose-yellow school uniforms, walked past the Shrek group. Heaven Dou Empire's Fourth Prince, Xue Beng, was clearly among the crowd.
When he saw Tang San, he felt a sense of familiarity. A moment later, his eyes suddenly lit up, his face changed dramatically, and he shouted in a trembling voice, "Tang... Tang San? I didn't expect that after you hit me last time... you'd still dare to come to our Heaven Dou Royal Academy? This time, I'll definitely make you pay!"
Hearing this, Tang San looked bewildered. He slowly stepped forward and asked in confusion, "Classmate, I think you might have mistaken me for someone else? My name is indeed Tang San, but it seems we haven't met before, have we?"
"Yes, Tang San! That's the name!" Xue Beng's anger intensified, his face flushed, and he said through gritted teeth, "You little scoundrel, you... you just wait for me!"
Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly spun around and quickly ran toward the academy entrance.