Four months flew by, and in that time, Nan Feihuang had fully adapted to life at Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
Through daily training with Qin Ming, his Beidou Shadow Steps advanced to the third level, achieving mastery, and his mastery of "Single-Handed Eighteen Stabs" had reached the peak of the third stage. His progress was due to sparring against a wide variety of weapon styles, allowing him to refine his technique.
With this progress, Nan Feihuang was ready for the next step—studying more advanced techniques. Unlike the legendary Chu Overlord, he couldn't rely solely on "Single-Handed Eighteen Stabs" forever. If he was to become a true powerhouse, he needed to explore even greater martial skills.
Already, Lü Lingqi had transcribed the Ghost God Spear techniques of her father, Lü Bu, into a manual for Nan Feihuang. Moreover, within the Heavenly Book of Escape Arts, there was another set of spear techniques—the Overlord's Spear—inherited from the Chu Overlord himself.
These two styles, however, were diametrically opposed.
The Overlord's Spear relied on raw power to overwhelm any opponent, an art so fierce and domineering that a single strike seemed to alter the heavens. The Ghost God Spear, on the other hand, was a pinnacle of technique. Lü Bu had once used it to disrupt Zhang Fei's spearwork in fifty rounds, proving it to be the unrivaled technique of the late Eastern Han era, even surpassing Guan Yu's Azure Dragon Blade, Zhao Yun's Hundred Birds Facing the Phoenix, and the Seven Serpent Piercing Spear.
Nan Feihuang wanted to master both styles, and he had already mapped out his path forward.
There was a battle method he envisioned that would allow him to challenge opponents several levels higher. The key to this lay in reaching seventy and attaining his Martial Soul Avatar.
But to achieve this goal, he would need to visit both the Clear Sky Clan and the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan, for within each lay something he required—a crucial piece of information and an invaluable object. The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan would be relatively accessible. He knew their location and could likely trade for what he needed. The Clear Sky Clan, however, remained hidden. Fortunately, he had plenty of time and wasn't in any immediate hurry.
This also meant Nan Feihuang would hold off on training in the Overlord's Spear and the Ghost God Spear for now, choosing instead to focus on raising his spirit power to reach the Soul Saint level as quickly as possible.
By then, with the items he sought, he'd be confident enough to challenge Tang Hao and stand a good chance of victory—to avenge his mother's defeat and reclaim her honor.
Over the past months, Nan Feihuang had advanced to the peak of level 29 and was on the verge of breaking into the Soul Elder realm.
During this time, he'd also celebrated his tenth birthday, with Lan Xue traveling a great distance to be there in person. Her mere presence to say "Happy Birthday" left a lasting impression on everyone at the academy, showing just how much this Title Douluo doted on her son.
After that, no one in the academy dared to cross Nan Feihuang, not even those like Prince Xue Xing or Prince Xue Beng, who harbored strong disdain for him. They kept their distance and refrained from any rash actions.
After all, a protective mother wasn't known for being reasonable. Should anyone dare harm Nan Feihuang without ensuring their own involvement couldn't be traced, Lan Xue wouldn't hesitate to storm into Heaven Dou City, wielding her Frost Halberd, with no regard for the empire's authority.
The only disappointment for Nan Feihuang over these four months was that he hadn't met the person he had been hoping to see—Dugu Bo.
The "Old Poison" truly lived up to his reclusive reputation, vanishing like a ghost. Perhaps he had visited his granddaughter secretly, but if so, he clearly had no interest in meeting others.
And when a Title Douluo doesn't want to meet someone, there's little that person can do.
Nan Feihuang had even tried to take a simpler approach, claiming admiration for Dugu Bo to get Dugu Yan to arrange a meeting, or citing his mother's name as an excuse to request a visit. But Dugu Yan's attempts were met with an outright refusal from Dugu Bo. He dismissed the idea, saying, "What's the point in meeting a kid? Even if Lan Xue wants to meet, she should come herself. Sending a child is hardly giving me proper respect."
He considered passing along Dugu Bo's symptoms through Dugu Yan, hoping the information might prompt a meeting. But he quickly dismissed the idea. Dugu Bo's poison was his greatest vulnerability. If word got out, it would put him in immense danger.
Sitting alone in a pavilion, Nan Feihuang muttered to himself, mulling over his options. "Maybe I could ask Dugu Yan to pass on information about his symptoms... No, I can't risk it. If his condition were exposed, he'd be like meat on the chopping block."
In his current condition, Dugu Bo could be easily exploited if his condition became public knowledge. He had taken great pains to keep his affliction secret, timing his appearances to ensure no one could track his symptoms.
While Nan Feihuang trusted that Dugu Yan wouldn't betray her grandfather, her youth and impetuous nature made her unpredictable. If she learned about her grandfather's condition, she might be tempted to ask for help—possibly even from her boyfriend's Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. Such an outcome would be disastrous.
For now, Nan Feihuang was willing to bide his time. He suspected it wouldn't be long before Dugu Bo approached him.
After all, Dugu Yan had recently broken through to level 30, achieving Soul Elder. Her green eyes had darkened—a sign of her body's accumulating poison.
Nan Feihuang could sense the increasing toxicity within her.
Judging by his medical knowledge, her first poison backlash would likely occur soon. While it wouldn't be severe given her current level, as Dugu Bo's only granddaughter, Nan Feihuang doubted he'd sit idly by.
"Feihuang, what are you doing here alone?" Two figures approached. It was Xue Qinghe and his sister, Princess Xue Ke.
"Your Highness, Princess, to what do I owe this visit?" Nan Feihuang asked, standing up to greet them.
Xue Qinghe smiled, "I was the one who wanted to visit you. There are some matters I'd like to discuss. As for Ke'er, she insisted on tagging along when she heard I was coming to see you."
Over the past four months, aside from his studies at the academy, Nan Feihuang had frequently visited the Eastern Palace and Yuexuan Pavilion to strengthen his ties with the royal siblings.
Xue Qinghe had noticed Nan Feihuang's unique political insight, leading to numerous discussions on state matters. Eventually, he had even involved him in handling internal affairs.
Recently, a severe snowstorm had struck the regions near the Extreme North, resulting in heavy casualties and the collapse of countless homes. The people were left without food or shelter.
Both the Emperor and Xue Qinghe had been fretting over the disaster.
They had considered distributing funds for relief, but the situation proved complicated. Firstly, the sheer amount of funds and food required was immense, and the treasury was heavily strained. Secondly, merely providing food and money wasn't enough; without rebuilding, the problem would persist indefinitely.
Some officials had suggested relocating the people to other cities across the empire.
This was a last-resort measure, a solution that left Nan Feihuang incredulous. It turned out that the officials in this world could be this short-sighted. No wonder that years later, a basic food cut-off strategy from the Three Kingdoms era would be praised as a brilliant military tactic.
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