Even Oscar and Ning Rongrong, who were both support-type Spirit Masters, had no trouble keeping up with Flender's hurried pace. The other students were also doing fine.
However, Tang San and Yu Xiaogang could not keep up.
Tang San was still recovering after his major surgery, which he had undergone only a month prior. More critically, he truly had lost a significant part of his vitality, which had been a heavy blow to him. He even found that his body wasn't as strong as it used to be. Sometimes, he felt a sharp pain in his kidneys.
Despite participating in continuous Spirit Duels and two months of recovery, Tang San's Spirit Power had only managed to reach level twenty-seven. But he didn't feel any substantial increase in his strength. Even with his level twenty-seven Spirit Power, his Mysterious Heaven Skill had not yet broken through the second layer. Tang San was starting to doubt himself.
This lack of progress also meant he couldn't realize his ambition of promoting the Tang Sect's Hidden Weapons. Furthermore, Tang San and Yu Xiaogang were extremely poor. They were relying entirely on the free food and lodging provided by Shrek Academy. Tang San simply couldn't afford the expensive materials needed to craft his Hidden Weapons.
A full day of travel passed quickly. Flender arranged for the group to stop and stay the night in a small town they were passing through. Yet, it took Tang San and Yu Xiaogang another hour to finally arrive.
The grueling pace of travel had completely worn out the master and disciple. Tang San, already weakened, was drenched in sweat. As for Yu Xiaogang, despite constantly boasting about his "invincible theories," he rarely put them into practice himself. His Spirit Power hadn't advanced in years, and he hadn't engaged in this much physical activity in a long time. After a day of travel, he felt as if his old bones and limbs were about to give out.
That evening, Yu Xiaogang personally went to see Flender. He wanted Flender to slow down their traveling speed. However, Flender showed no respect, refusing his request outright. Deeply dissatisfied, Yu Xiaogang privately decided to travel at a slower pace with Tang San. After all, the Heaven Dou Royal Academy wasn't going anywhere. He reasoned that he and Tang San would only arrive a half-day late, and they wouldn't be so exhausted.
A few more days passed quickly. The teachers and students of the Shrek group, minus Yu Xiaogang and Tang San, were already approaching Heaven Dou City. The master and disciple had long been left behind somewhere along the road.
Flender looked at the map in his hands and asked Zhao Wuji, "Wuji, according to this map, we're almost at Heaven Dou City. But where in the city is the Heaven Dou Royal Academy?"
Zhao Wuji gave him a sideways glance. "If you don't know, how should I? You know we aren't Spirit Masters from some respectable academy, nor are we from a noble place like a Royal Academy. How would we know the address?" He continued, "I've only been to Heaven Dou City once or twice, and I don't remember the exact location of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy at all. They all look the same to me." He then turned to the other three teachers, who all nodded, confirming their lack of knowledge.
"Dean Flender, I know where the Heaven Dou Royal Academy is," Ning Rongrong's voice suddenly came from behind them.
She had grown up in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, which was located near Heaven Dou City. "My family's castle isn't far from the city," she explained. "I used to go to Heaven Dou City to play with my clansmen, and I've been to the Royal Academy, too. Even though the direct descendants study and cultivate within the Sect, some collateral branches still attend the Royal Academy."
She continued, "The Heaven Dou Royal Academy actually isn't located inside Heaven Dou City at all. It's outside the city, just like how our Shrek Academy is outside Soto City."
"It's that close?" Huo Feng, who was next to Ning Rongrong, couldn't help but exclaim.
Ning Rongrong looked proud. "If we have the chance, I'll take you to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School to play!" she whispered softly, only for Huo Feng, Xiao Wu, and Zhu Zhuqing to hear.
Flender smiled smugly. "It seems the first dean of this Heaven Dou Royal Academy had the same idea as me! This proves my judgment is good."
Zhao Wuji quickly interjected with a dose of reality. "I don't think that's right. You didn't put your academy in the city because you were short on funds." He scoffed, "The Royal Academy put their campus outside the capital for two reasons. First, to prevent the luxuries of the capital from distracting the students' cultivation. And more importantly, Heaven Dou City probably isn't large enough to provide a big enough location to establish an academy. As far as I know, even though the Heaven Dou Royal Academy doesn't have a huge number of students, they have all kinds of complete facilities that require a very large area."
Flender rolled his eyes directly at Zhao Wuji. "Oh, for the love of—stop talking nonsense! Let's go!" He clapped his hands. "Since Rongrong knows the way, we can definitely reach this Royal Academy today."
After quickly eating some dry rations, the Shrek group set off once more.
As night fell, led by Ning Rongrong, the group finally arrived at their destination: the Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
"Rongrong, are you sure this is it?" Flender asked, his voice filled with surprise.
Ning Rongrong nodded firmly. "Yes, that's right. Unless the Heaven Dou Royal Academy has moved, this has to be the place!"
"But this is a mountain!" Flender was utterly stunned. He couldn't believe this entire mountain belonged to the Royal Academy.
Ning Rongrong's next words confirmed his suspicion. "This entire mountain belongs to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy," she explained. "The forest behind it, and the lake at the foot of the mountain on the left, all fall under the academy's management. We should be entering their territory any minute now."
Zhao Wuji looked at the speechless Flender and remarked easily, "Surrounded by mountains and water—it's certainly a good place."
The other teachers also nodded in agreement, expressing their admiration. Huo Feng agreed that the location was excellent. As expected of a Royal Academy, they knew how to choose a spot. The scenery was undeniably beautiful.
Especially now, with the sun setting, the sky was ablaze with the evening glow. Against the backdrop of the red clouds in the west, the lake at the foot of the mountain and the towering, plant-covered mountain itself looked like a secluded paradise. This place was less than twenty kilometers from Heaven Dou City, the capital of the Heaven Dou Empire, and had such a magnificent environment. It was indeed an ideal place for long-term living and cultivation.
At the same time, hundreds of kilometers away at a crossroad, Tang San looked at Yu Xiaogang with a dubious expression. "Teacher, are you absolutely sure this is the correct way to Heaven Dou City?"
Yu Xiaogang nodded impatiently. "Nonsense! How many times have I been to Heaven Dou City? How could I possibly go the wrong way?".
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