At the border between the two nations—
Xue Qinghe indeed kept his promise, personally bringing people to the border to receive Nan Feihuang.
Behind him followed a short, stout man dressed in the prestigious Douluo robe. Just from this, one could already tell that the man wasn't ordinary. After all, in the Douluo Continent, only individuals with the status of at least a Spirit Douluo had the right to wear such robes.
"Feihuang, my dear brother, you've finally arrived! You have no idea how long your brother Xue has been waiting for this moment." Xue Qinghe beamed as he saw Nan Feihuang approaching.
"Brother Xue, I've missed you as well. For all these years, we've only communicated through letters. I've been longing to sit down and chat with you again." Nan Feihuang's greatest strength was no longer his power, but his acting skills. The joy on his face was so genuine that no one could see through his act.
"Haha! Well said! This time, your brother will make sure you're well taken care of for the next three years." Xue Qinghe laughed heartily.
"Three years? Wasn't it supposed to be two?" Nan Feihuang froze in surprise. The original agreement with Xue Qinghe had been for an exchange of two years.
Xue Qinghe patted Nan Feihuang on the shoulder. "What could you possibly learn in just two years? Don't worry. I've arranged for the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy to impart everything they have to offer."
Nan Feihuang was left speechless, realizing he'd been outmaneuvered by Xue Qinghe. The so-called "generous teachings" of the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy meant nothing to him.
This world was nothing like other fantasy worlds where abundant martial techniques and skills were passed down. To Nan Feihuang, it didn't really matter where he trained.
In fact, he initially only planned to stay in the Heaven Dou Empire for a year. Half a year to build connections with the Royal Battle Team, particularly with Dugu Yan, then find a way to meet and befriend Dugu Bo. After that, another half year to detoxify Dugu Bo, gaining his help and access to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well's divine herbs.
Once everything was accomplished, he would be ready to leave.
But now, with the situation set in stone, Nan Feihuang could only cup his fists and say, "Thank you, Brother Xue."
Turning to the stout man beside Xue Qinghe, Nan Feihuang's mother, Lan Xue, spoke, "Mr. Bai Baoshan, it's been a long time. I'm entrusting my son to your care, along with his friend Gou Huo. Lan Xue is deeply grateful for your assistance."
The man was none other than Bai Baoshan, one of the three Deans of the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy. His martial spirit was the Celestial Furnace, and he had reached the rank of an 84th-level defensive Spirit Douluo.
In the realm of Spirit Douluo, very few could compare to his defensive prowess. He was on par with the sect master of the Elephant Armored School, Hu Yan Zhen, and Niu Gao, the clan leader of the Royal Clan. Even a Titled Douluo would find it challenging to break through his defenses.
"Your Excellency, you're too kind," Bai Baoshan hurriedly replied. Despite being older than Lan Xue, his rank as a Spirit Douluo was far inferior to her status as a Titled Douluo, and her courteous demeanor made him feel a bit embarrassed.
"By the way, these two are the pride of our Heaven Dou Imperial Academy—Shi Mo and Shi Mu, the twin brothers who possess the top-tier defensive beast martial spirit, the Black Tortoise. Their water attribute abilities are quite similar to Your Excellency's, with the capability to condense water into ice, enhancing both their attack and defense. I humbly ask Your Excellency to teach them a thing or two."
Bai Baoshan had brought along the two brothers from the Royal Battle Team. Since this was an exchange of students, just as the Gulei Kingdom had sent people to the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, it was only fair that the Heaven Dou Empire sent students to the Gulei Royal Academy as well.
The chosen candidates were the Shi brothers.
"Very well, Mr. Bai. Rest assured, our kingdom will not neglect them. I, too, am willing to offer them some personal guidance." Lan Xue replied with a nod.
"Thank you, Your Excellency!" The Shi brothers were overjoyed, immediately expressing their gratitude. Although being exchange students meant leaving their comrades behind for an extended period, the opportunity to receive instruction from a Titled Douluo was invaluable. Hence, they treasured this exchange arrangement greatly.
With everything settled, Lan Xue pulled her son aside, offering him some parting advice. She then fastened a golden belt around his waist.
"Mother, what is this?" Nan Feihuang asked.
"This is one of our kingdom's treasures—a storage soul tool capable of holding living creatures, known as the Glorious Golden Belt." Lan Xue explained, "Its storage space is about fifty cubic meters. I've placed all your essential items inside, along with some medicinal herbs for your cultivation needs. Also, there's a card with a million gold soul coins inside. This includes your father's savings over the years. If you ever need to spend money, don't hesitate. While you're away from home, don't let yourself suffer."
A mother's worry knows no bounds, even though Lan Xue knew her son wouldn't lack for anything in the Heaven Dou Empire. Yet, she couldn't help but give her repeated reminders.
Nan Feihuang responded to every word with a gentle tone.
It wasn't until much later that Lan Xue reluctantly let go of her son. The groups parted ways, each heading in opposite directions with their respective exchange students.
Heaven Dou Imperial Academy had prepared two carriages. Bai Baoshan and Gou Huo took one, while Nan Feihuang naturally rode in the other with Xue Qinghe.
"Feihuang, that Gou Huo fellow—is he really your friend? He seems quite capable." Xue Qinghe inquired, having already considered Nan Feihuang as one of her own. Naturally, she wanted to know more about the people around him.
"Yes, he's my trusted companion. His martial spirit is a Command Seal, which allows him to summon soldiers…" Nan Feihuang explained Gou Huo's abilities briefly.
Of course, he withheld some key details, not mentioning the true extent of the Command Seal's potential. He only mentioned that it could summon soldiers equivalent to low-level soul masters.
After hearing this, Xue Qinghe nodded, not giving it much thought. While the Command Seal seemed interesting, it wasn't particularly impressive in her eyes. Even at its peak, the martial spirit could only summon two hundred soldiers, which hardly compared to her own Six-Winged Angel.
Such an unremarkable person could be considered a genius in the Gulei Kingdom? It only confirmed what she had suspected—Gulei Kingdom was fortunate to have even one prodigy like Nan Feihuang. Expecting a second one would be dreaming.
In fact, she believed that even Nan Feihuang owed much of his talent to his mother, Lan Xue. Without her inherited bloodline, he wouldn't possess such extraordinary potential.
The Gulei Kingdom's royal martial spirit, the Book of Gulei, was said to be close to a top-tier martial spirit. However, throughout its history, very few of the kingdom's rulers had reached the rank of Spirit Douluo.
Nan Feihuang's father, Nan Tianchen, had reached the level of a Spirit Saint in his fifties, which was already considered impressive.
Xue Qinghe mused that, when it came to people worth bringing under her influence, there were only three in the Gulei Kingdom: Nan Feihuang, Lan Xue, and the kingdom's agricultural resources.
After half a day of travel, the carriages finally arrived at the capital of the Heaven Dou Empire, Heaven Dou City.
This city was one of the three great cities on the Douluo Continent, standing alongside Star Luo City of the Star Luo Empire and Spirit City of the Spirit Hall.
In terms of both size and prosperity, it far surpassed Nan Feihuang's home, Gulei Royal City.
Before entering the city, the two carriages split up. Gou Huo followed Bai Baoshan directly to the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, which was located outside the city on Heaven Dou Mountain.
Nan Feihuang, however, followed Xue Qinghe into the city.
As the crown prince of the Gulei Kingdom and Xue Ke's fiancé, it was only proper that Nan Feihuang first pay his respects to his future father-in-law, Emperor Xue Ye.
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