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On the road
Dugu Bo and Ke Jie boarded Ning Tianchen's carriage.
"How dare the Spirit Hall act like this? Aren't they afraid of retaliation from the Tiandou Empire or the sects?" Ning Rongrong said bitterly.
Dugu Bo didn't find it strange. "This is exactly Pope Bibi Dong's style. That woman is a madwoman—there's nothing she wouldn't do."
"Senior Dugu, are we still going to participate in the tournament?" Oscar asked worriedly. "The Spirit Hall dared to attack us. If we enter their territory, won't our lives be entirely in their hands?"
Ning Tianchen shook his head. "All eyes on the continent are focused on Spirit City. Even if ordinary people aren't allowed into the city, there are still many soul masters here to watch the competition."
"The Spirit Hall doesn't have the power to cover the skies with one hand. At the very least, our journey here will be absolutely safe."
Ke Jie chimed in, "After the battle earlier, many academies suffered injuries to their main members. Once we arrive at Spirit City, I'm worried the Spirit Hall might maliciously target us. Therefore, I hope you'll avoid going out unnecessarily. If you must go out, you must be accompanied by a teacher or travel with the larger group."
The Seven Treasures Academy had two Soul Kings; no matter how you looked at it, they were strong contenders for the championship.
If the Spirit Hall wanted to strike underhandedly, they would most likely target them.
---
Three days later, the caravans of the Tiandou Empire and the Star Luo Empire arrived simultaneously at the entrance of Spirit City.
There was an ancient enmity between the two empires, and neither side was willing to yield, blocking the city gates so that neither could enter first.
"The guards of the Spirit Hall are just standing by, seemingly delighted to see conflict arise between the two empires," Ning Tianchen said quietly as he stood atop the carriage, observing the situation in the distance.
While the two empires exchanged verbal jabs, Ning Tianchen wasn't worried that it would escalate into a fight.
Spirit City was a sacred place in the hearts of soul masters. Neither the Spirit Hall nor the two empires wanted to spark a conflict here and incur the wrath of soul masters across the continent.
After watching the argument reach its peak, the red-robed cardinal sent by the Spirit Hall finally stepped forward to resolve the dispute. By proposing that both sides enter the city simultaneously, the conflict was defused.
The soldiers sent by the two empires to protect their teams weren't allowed into the city. After escorting the caravans into the city, they set up camp on open ground near Spirit City and waited to escort the competitors back when it was time to return.
Considering the tension between the two empires, the Spirit Hall arranged for the competing teams to stay in different hotels.
Once inside the city, the carriages of the two empires parted ways.
Many competitors stuck their heads out of the carriages, soaking in the atmosphere of Spirit City.
In the Seven Treasures Academy's carriage, Chen Huayu and others stretched out their arms, embracing the air of Spirit City.
"Do you really need to be so dramatic? In terms of prosperity, Spirit City is about the same as Tiandou City," Yu Die teased.
Chen Huayu's face was full of longing. "This is the holy land of soul masters. See that distant mountain over there? That's Pope Mountain. Beyond it is Douluo Mountain. It's said that only those who have reached the Title Douluo level are qualified to enter the Douluo Hall."
Inside the carriage, Ke Jie had broken through to become a Title Douluo but hadn't accepted the Spirit Hall's official recognition, so he had never entered the Douluo Hall.
As for Dugu Bo, though he had entered the Douluo Hall before, he seemed reluctant to talk about what happened back then.
After all, after breaking through to become a Title Douluo and coming to Spirit City to receive his title, he had refused an invitation from Bibi Dong and was subsequently hunted down by Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo.
Because of this, he owed a favor to Prince Xue Xing.
"Kid, my identity is rather sensitive. After you settle into the hotel, I must leave to avoid causing unnecessary trouble for you," Dugu Bo reminded them.
Over the past few days, he had been sitting in the Seven Treasures Team's carriage, offering guidance to everyone on the bottlenecks they encountered in their cultivation.
Seeing him leave, everyone felt a bit reluctant.
Ning Tianchen nodded. "This trip has taken more than twenty days. Once we get to the hotel, everyone should rest early."
Not long after, the caravan arrived at the hotel.
The rooms provided by the Spirit Hall were spacious and had excellent soundproofing. Staying here meant they wouldn't be disturbed by the outside world.
As everyone unpacked their belongings, Ke Jie received news from the organizers.
"According to the Spirit Hall, we will have three days of rest before the competition officially begins. The drawing hasn't started yet, so we don't know who our first opponent will be."
"Based on previous years, our first-round opponent won't be too strong, and we'll have a bye in the second round. We can be sure that the days leading up to the finals will be relatively easy."
Oscar gazed out the window, enviously saying, "I envy those three teams that advanced directly to the finals. They don't have to face the qualifying rounds or preliminaries, yet they get a bye in the first round of the finals."
Feng Xiaotian patted his shoulder. "Actually, that's not necessarily a good thing. Those teams that were promoted directly haven't experienced any battles, don't know their opponents' conditions, and will struggle to perform well when suddenly faced with high-intensity matches."
The bye in the first round was meant to allow the three directly promoted teams to adapt to the rhythm of the competition and understand their opponents, so they could respond better in subsequent matches.
However, in the past two tournaments, the teams promoted directly by the Tiandou and Star Luo Empires were mostly eliminated in the first round and rarely achieved good results.
Ke Jie added, "In terms of tournament experience, we are indeed stronger than the three directly promoted teams. But don't forget, the Spirit Hall Academy was the champion of the last two tournaments. This year, they will undoubtedly send out an even stronger lineup."
---
Compared to the lively chatter among the Seven Treasures Team, the atmosphere in Shrek Academy's room was somewhat gloomy.
According to Yu Xiaogang's words before they left, he would appear once they settled into the hotel. But after waiting for a long time, there was still no sign of him.
Liu Erlong, worried that Yu Xiaogang had abandoned her, quickly grabbed Tang San's hand, wanting to ask what was going on. "Xiao San, where did Xiaogang go? Tell me quickly!"
"Calm down," Flender held Liu Erlong's hand, his gaze also turning to Tang San. "Xiao San, what's the situation?"
Under pressure, Tang San selectively replied, "Teacher arrived in Spirit City ahead of time to take care of something. He said he would come looking for us once we entered the city."
Flender pushed his glasses up. "Erlong, and everyone else, don't panic just yet. Xiaogang might not have found us yet. Let's wait a little longer."
The hot-tempered Liu Erlong couldn't bear it. "Xiaogang went to see that woman again!"
Flender quickly tried to mediate. "Erlong, Xiaogang might have his reasons. Let's wait a little longer. Once he returns, we can ask him directly."
But they waited until sunset, and there was still no sign of Yu Xiaogang.
Their caravan had entered the city in the morning, and after a whole day, even if they were asking around, they should have heard something by now.
An ominous feeling began to rise in the hearts of Shrek Academy's members.
"Uncle Xiaogang… could something have happened to him in the city?" Yu Tianheng couldn't help but wonder.
Tang San was also getting anxious. "How about this—I'll go out and ask around. Since Teacher entered the city, someone must know his whereabouts."
Flender pressed his hand on Tang San's shoulder. "Absolutely not. We're unfamiliar with Spirit City, and it's nighttime now. Roaming around the city at night could easily get us mistaken for spies and captured by the city guards. Those city guards are all Soul Kings, led by Soul Emperors or Soul Sages. Acting rashly would put us at a disadvantage."
"Not to mention, it could even affect our eligibility to compete."
"This can't be done, that can't be done—Flender, are you just hoping something bad happens to Xiaogang?" Liu Erlong, overwhelmed by anxiety and anger, immediately snapped.
Flender's expression turned serious. "Erlong, calm down. Do you want to harm the children? If it comes to that, I'll personally seek out Patriarch Ning and the Crown Prince to communicate with the Spirit Hall and find Xiaogang!"
Yu Tianheng and Yu Tianxin exchanged glances and simultaneously said, "Actually, we don't need to rely on outsiders."
Yu Tianheng continued, "Our clan has some businesses in Spirit City. Uncle Xiaogang is the son of Grandfather. Once he enters the city, the people in charge of these businesses will surely pay attention. Tomorrow, we can go into the city to look for them."
These people, in essence, were informants planted by the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family in Spirit City.
Yu Tianxin added, "The priority now is to confirm whether Uncle Xiaogang has entered the city. If he hasn't, we may need to communicate with the Tiandou Empire and search for his whereabouts along the way."
Liu Erlong, grasping at straws, hurriedly asked, "Where are the clan's businesses located?"
Yu Tianheng and Yu Tianxin exchanged glances and shook their heads.
They were just junior members of the clan and weren't in charge of covert operations. They only knew about this because they had overheard it by chance.
"Without knowing the location of the informants, how can we find them?" Liu Erlong's face turned ashen.
Tang San stroked his chin.
In his past life, the Bashu Tang Sect had also planted informants in various places.
When core disciples of the sect visited cities with informants, they simply needed to display a specific mark, and the informants would come forward to make contact.
"Tianheng, Tianxin, do you know the secret code your clan uses to contact these informants?"
The two shook their heads again.
As geniuses being groomed by the clan, their primary task was cultivation. These miscellaneous matters were things they never inquired about, and no one ever mentioned them to them.
"That's troublesome. However, the two of you hold special positions within your clan. If you walk around the city tomorrow, perhaps they will contact you."
After some thought, Tang San emphasized, "In terms of intelligence gathering, places like restaurants and service establishments teeming with hooligans are common spots. Tomorrow, you can spend more time in these two types of places."
"Do we really have to wait until tomorrow?" Liu Erlong asked anxiously.
Tang San nodded firmly. "It's already late. These people generally don't move at night. Especially in Spirit City, if their identities are exposed, it could lead to big trouble. Only during the day can they make contact without arousing suspicion."
Yu Tianxin suggested, "Contacting hooligans would be too conspicuous. How about this: Tianheng and I will visit restaurants and teahouses in the city tomorrow."...
Meanwhile, inside the dungeon of the Spirit Hall
Yu Xiaogang lay face down in a corner, his buttocks raised.
Over the past few days, he had endured inhumane torment at the hands of his cellmates.
No matter how much he cried or screamed, the prison guards turned a deaf ear to his pleas.
Sometimes, he even wished he could be taken away by the guards for torture—anything to avoid being brutalized by these inmates.
Now, his buttocks couldn't touch the ground, and he couldn't stand upright. The only way he could find some relief was by wriggling his body like a maggot.
Of course, his current state also made things easier for others.
"Erlong, Xiao San, come save me!" Yu Xiaogang's mind screamed repeatedly.
Unfortunately, the members of Shrek Academy still hadn't figured out his situation—how could they possibly come to rescue him?
"Hey, old man, stop lying there and come over here to entertain me!" Brother Snake beckoned him with a wave of his hand.
Yu Xiaogang didn't dare resist and scurried over obediently.
Back at the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family, Yu Yuanzhen received an urgent report from their informant network.
Upon learning that Yu Xiaogang had been captured by the Spirit Hall, he became as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. Calmness completely eluded him now.
What kind of place was the Spirit Hall's dungeon?
Even without any physical punishment, simply being locked up there for a period of time could reduce a person to an unrecognizable state.
The fates of those criminals exiled by the Spirit Hall spoke volumes about it.
Yu Xiaogang had lived a life of luxury since childhood—how could he endure such torment?
But as the only Title Douluo of the sect, Yu Yuanzhen couldn't leave the family at will. He could only send someone else to negotiate with the Spirit Hall.
With no other choice, he summoned Yu Luomian.
"What? You want me to go to the Spirit Hall?" Yu Luomian was visibly surprised.
Thinking that his own misdeeds had been exposed, he felt uneasy when Yu Yuanzhen sent him to Spirit City.
Yu Yuanzhen didn't notice his expression and sighed, "Xiaogang offended Pope Bibi Dong and has been thrown into the dungeon. Go and negotiate with Bibi Dong. No matter the cost, you must bring Xiaogang back."
Yu Luomian secretly let out a sigh of relief, but a look of disdain crept onto his face. "Back then, Bibi Dong was just amusing herself with Xiaogang for fun. Doesn't he understand? After all these years, how dare he still go looking for trouble?"
"In my opinion, the sect shouldn't waste resources on him. Let him fend for himself."
Yu Yuanzhen frowned. "Luomian, Xiaogang is your nephew, and this is our family matter! Stop complaining and hurry back as soon as possible."
---
The next day, the members of Seven Treasures Academy stayed in the hotel to cultivate and recover their strength.
On the other hand, Shrek Academy began bustling around early in the morning.
Unfamiliar with the area, Tang San went out with Yu Tianxin and Yu Tianheng. The rest of Shrek Academy's team was also dispatched to gather information about Yu Xiaogang on the streets.
As Soul Sages, Liu Erlong and Flandre couldn't move around freely, so they anxiously waited for news back at the hotel.
To make themselves more recognizable, Tang San deliberately had Yu Tianxin and Yu Tianheng hang the token of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family on their waists as they moved between various restaurants and teahouses.
By noon, the three of them took a brief rest in a teahouse.
Yu Tianheng lamented, "Spirit City is simply too large. At this rate, three days won't be enough."
Tang San frowned. "We have no choice but to keep searching. If Master encounters trouble, finding him sooner means we can get him out of danger sooner."
"Moreover, the finals are approaching. Without Master, how can we win the championship?"
As they were talking, a waiter came over and said, "Three esteemed guests, a distinguished patron invites you to the private room for tea, claiming to be your friend. Would you care to join?"
Yu Tianheng was puzzled. "We just arrived in Spirit City yesterday—what friends could we possibly have?"
The waiter shrugged. "I don't know the details, honored guests. If you're unwilling to go, I'll decline the invitation on your behalf."
Tang San abruptly stood up. "No, we'll go."
As he spoke, he exchanged a glance with Yu Tianxin and Yu Tianheng.
Whoever wanted to see them—if not acquaintances, then strangers. And if it was the latter, it might be the person they were looking for.
Led by the waiter, the three of them ascended to a private room on the second floor of the teahouse.
The door to the private room was slightly ajar, and through the crack, they could see a middle-aged man with graying temples sitting inside, drinking tea.
Upon entering, the three bowed respectfully. "Honored elder, may we ask why you've summoned us?"
After the waiter left, the man closed the door and quickly helped them to their feet.
"Yu Chenjin of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family greets the two young masters. May I ask who this young friend is?"
Given that this man had actively sought them out and was from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family, his identity was clear.
Yu Tianxin explained, "This is Tang San, a disciple of Uncle Xiaogang. Uncle Chenjin, have you seen any trace of Uncle Xiaogang in Spirit City?"
Yu Chenjin replied, "When I first saw the tokens on your waists, I didn't think much of it. But later, seeing you frequenting various teahouses and restaurants, I guessed you were looking for me."
"Sigh… Young Master Xiaogang's situation doesn't look good. That day…"
Yu Chenjin recounted everything about Yu Xiaogang being captured by the Spirit Hall and thrown into the dungeon.
"As for what exactly happened to Young Master Xiaogang, I'm not entirely sure. But to be dragged away by the guards, it seems he must have offended the Pope."
"I've already reported this to the family. Judging by the timeline, the family should have received my letter by now."
"You mustn't act rashly. The dungeon of the Spirit Hall is impenetrable—it's rumored that a Title Douluo guards it. Moreover, even now, I haven't been able to locate where the dungeon is."
Tang San was dumbfounded.
His teacher had been thrown into jail—how could he bear it!
Yu Tianxin placed a hand on his arm. "Now that we know Uncle Xiaogang's situation, we should return and inform Principal and Aunt Erlong. We'll discuss what to do next together."
Yu Chenjin reassured him, "Young friend, don't be hasty. The family won't sit idly by. I believe the Patriarch has already sent someone to negotiate this matter with the Spirit Hall."
---
At the hotel where Shrek Academy was staying
Dai Mubai and the others returned to the room before Tang San and his group.
"Any news?" Liu Erlong asked anxiously.
"Yes!" both sides responded simultaneously.
Dai Mubai's expression was grave as he patted Tang San's shoulder. "Let me speak first."
"We learned on the streets that twenty days ago, Master was thrown out of the Pope's Palace. It seems Master's body was emitting a foul odor, which angered the Pope, leading to his expulsion."
"A few days ago, Master apparently went to the Pope's Palace again. Afterwards, he was taken away by the Spirit Hall's guards, and no one has seen him since."
Yu Tianheng added grimly, "Uncle Xiaogang has been imprisoned in the Spirit Hall's dungeon, and his life is uncertain. The family is already aware of the situation and will likely send someone to negotiate with the Spirit Hall."
"What? Master (Xiaogang) has been imprisoned!"
The members of Shrek Academy were shocked.
Liu Erlong was consumed by rage. "That woman truly shows no mercy! What crime did she accuse Xiaogang of to throw him in jail?!"
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