Seven days later, the Emperor team arrived at the gates of Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
"I have great news for everyone, Tianheng has broken through level 40!" As soon as she got off the carriage, Dugu Yan excitedly wrapped her arm around Yu Tianheng's and loudly announced the news.
Upon hearing this, the Emperor team members immediately gathered around, their eyes filled with joy.
"Oh my, boss, I knew you'd be the first among us to break through level 40!"
"Haha, our Emperor team finally has a Soul Ancestor/Sect! Boss, you truly live up to being the heir of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon clan, breaking through to level 40 so quickly. Compared to you, we're really falling behind."
Hearing everyone's praise, Yu Tianheng smiled bitterly. "I've been stuck at level 39 for more than half a year. If I didn't break through soon, I would've been too ashamed to face anyone. But if you want to talk about true genius, you have to look at Ah Si. You may not know yet, but he also had a breakthrough during our seven days in the carriage, reaching level 34."
Level 34?
Upon hearing those words, everyone turned their eyes to Lan Si, looking at him with a mix of emotions, as if they were gazing at a monster. Lan Si had only joined the Emperor team four months ago at level 32. A little over a month later, he had reached level 33, and now, just three months later, he had broken through another level. This progress was demoralizing.
For most people at the Soul Elder level, gaining one level in six months was already a great achievement, but for Lan Si, it seemed as effortless as eating and drinking.
"Ah Si, how are we supposed to live like this? Not only are you strong, but you cultivate so quickly. At this rate, two years from now at the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament, becoming a Soul Ancestor seems inevitable. You're not even 13 yet, and by then you'll only be 14. A 14-year-old Soul Ancestor? That's unheard of! How can anyone keep up?"
Dugu Yan, who had just been excited about her boyfriend's breakthrough to level 40, suddenly froze upon hearing that Lan Si had reached level 34, voicing what everyone was thinking.
"It's just luck," Lan Si said with a calm smile, shrugging slightly. In truth, even he hadn't expected to break through so quickly. He thought it would take another month or so, but after the battle with Shrek, his body felt unexpectedly refreshed, and his cultivation had progressed smoothly until he reached level 34.
Hearing this, Dugu Yan rolled her eyes and thought, If this is just luck, then there are no real geniuses in the world. She then turned to Yu Tianheng and asked curiously, "Tianheng, how did you know that Ah Si had reached level 34?"
Yu Tianheng smiled bitterly. "It was two nights ago. We were camping, and I woke up in the middle of the night. On a nearby cliff, I sensed a powerful surge of spirit energy, and a blue and white flame, similar to Ah Si's martial spirit, shot into the sky. At first, I thought it was some spirit beast, but it turned out to be Ah Si. With such a commotion, it was impossible not to notice."
As he spoke, Yu Tianheng paused and asked with some hesitation, "Oh, by the way, Ah Si, when you broke through, I saw a flash of lightning. Does your martial spirit also contain a lightning attribute?"
Lan Si shook his head and smiled, "Some things can't be revealed yet, but you'll find out in the future."
"You're always so mysterious." Yu Tianheng pouted, and the other members of the Emperor team rolled their eyes as well, already used to this behavior. In the four months they'd spent with Lan Si, they had countless questions, but every time they reached a crucial point, Lan Si would respond with something vague like "It's a secret," leaving them frustrated.
Qin Ming laughed heartily. "Alright, everyone has their secrets. If Ah Si doesn't want to tell, we can't force him. Now that Tianheng has broken through to level 40, let's head to the Sunset Forest to help him obtain his fourth spirit ring. After that, you'll all get a seven-day break after four months of intense competition."
Just as Qin Ming finished speaking, a servant dressed in court robes approached Lan Si, bowed respectfully, and said, "Master Lan Si, His Highness the Crown Prince requests your presence."
The Crown Prince's mansion was located in the heart of Heaven Dou City, adjacent to the Heaven Dou Royal Palace, and not far from the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, just under 20 miles away. After saying goodbye to Ye Lingling and the rest of the Emperor team, Lan Si stepped onto his Qinglian and arrived in less than the time it takes to burn a stick of incense.
Taking out the Crown Prince's token, Lan Si navigated the familiar route, winding through several courtyards until he finally arrived at the small pavilion where he had previously met Qian Renxue.
As he opened the door and stepped inside, thick iron gates suddenly slammed down over the windows and doors, blocking his escape. The once-bright hall instantly turned dark, with only faint light coming from the ceiling, allowing him to make out the rough layout of the room.
Immediately, Lan Si sensed a powerful surge of spirit energy and instinctively dodged.
In the next moment, a golden knight's sword, filled with sharp energy, sliced past his head, cutting off a lock of his hair.
The surface of the golden sword shimmered with a strange golden glow, radiating brightly in the dim room.
Dodging the sword, Lan Si couldn't help but shout, "What the hell! Are you trying to murder your husband?"
There was no need to guess—only Qian Renxue could have attacked him here, especially using the Golden Knight Sword, which was her fifth spirit ability, the Holy Sword.
The Holy Sword was formed from the sacred fire, serving both as a weapon and an extremely powerful attack that could boost the purifying effects of her angelic spirit power by 300%. If struck by this sword, a typical spirit master's spirit power would significantly weaken, and even if they survived, they would be left severely injured.
Even with just a lock of his hair being cut off, Lan Si could feel his spirit power being drained by nearly 10%. If that sword had landed a direct hit, he wouldn't have stood a chance.
In the darkness, Qian Renxue paused for a moment, her slender eyebrows furrowed slightly. Without saying a word, her strange blue-gold eyes gleamed, and the light of her golden sword flared up as she charged at Lan Si again, seemingly determined to cut him down.
"Seriously? You're still coming at me?" Lan Si cursed under his breath. Facing a Spirit Emperor with the powerful martial spirit of a Six-Winged Angel, he dared not hold back. Activating both his Sacred Universe Technique and Five Thunder Heavenly Heart Technique to their limits, blue and white flames and blue lightning arced around him, standing out sharply against Qian Renxue's golden aura in the darkness.
While dodging her sword, he also activated his powerful flash step, moving at twice the speed he had used against Tang San at the Great Spirit Arena in Suotuo City. He reappeared five metres behind Qian Renxue, his three spirit rings rhythmically pulsating around him.