Seeing that Dugu Bo remained silent, Gu Rong didn't push the matter further. After giving Su Ming a meaningful look, he said, "Alright, since we're not far from Heaven Dou City, I'll help you all get there quickly."
Though Dugu Bo had many things he wanted to discuss with Su Ming, it was clear now wasn't the right time.
Thanks to Gu Rong's assistance, Su Ming and his group reached Heaven Dou City in less than half a day without any further incidents.
As for Yu Tianheng, Yu Yuanzhen took him away when they left. After all, Su Ming had already crippled him, so there wasn't much left to do. Killing him outright wasn't feasible, considering the situation and Dugu Yan's feelings. But Su Ming vowed that if given another opportunity, he wouldn't hold back.
The best scenario would be for Dugu Yan to deal with him herself!
Gu Rong, though curious about Su Ming's abilities, knew better than to ask. In the world of spirit masters, such questions were taboo unless you were extremely close. What mattered was that he now knew Su Ming was not to be underestimated. That massive wooden dragon had a power nearing that of a Title Douluo. And that huge blue figure's defense was nothing short of astonishing. How could a mere commoner like Su Ming possess so many formidable techniques?
After saying goodbye to Ning Rongrong and giving Su Ming some materials, Gu Rong left to return to his clan. He felt that this trip had been unexpectedly fruitful.
As for Su Ming and the others, Dugu Bo would handle their admission to the academy.
Curiously, Su Ming turned to Dugu Yan and asked, "Dugu Yan, how did your grandfather manage to arrive so conveniently? Did you send a message ahead?"
Had Dugu Bo shown any interest in Su Ming's techniques, Su Ming might have suspected that Dugu Yan had her own hidden agenda. However, he quickly dismissed that thought—Dugu Yan still needed him to help with her poison.
Dugu Yan quickly explained, "After we parted that night, I went straight to the Great Spirit Arena. I had a bad feeling that something might happen along the way, so I spent a lot of money to have the arena's manager, Ao, deliver a message for me."
She sighed. "But even then, things went wrong. My grandfather arrived too late; otherwise, we wouldn't have been in such danger."
She shot a glare at Dugu Bo, who could only smile wryly. Ever since advancing to Title Douluo, the poison in his body had become increasingly difficult to suppress, erupting every few days. Without the special terrain of the Sunset Forest, he might have already succumbed to the toxins.
Dugu Bo, his voice hoarse, said, "Enough talk for now. Let me take you to the academy and meet with the three headmasters. They'll help you with the enrollment procedures, and then you can rest."
He turned to Su Ming, adding, "As for you, I need to speak with you later."
Su Ming merely nodded, knowing he had to play his cards right. He couldn't reveal his true intentions yet; it was better to let Dugu Bo lead the way himself.
Along the way, Xiao Wu was filled with excitement. Heaven Dou City was so much more vibrant than Soto City. There were so many things to do, and she couldn't wait to explore with Su Ming!
When they entered the academy, Su Ming and Xiao Wu were stunned by the grandeur of the buildings. The place lived up to its reputation as a royal academy, unlike the run-down Shrek Academy, which had nothing to boast about.
The others, with their more prestigious backgrounds, were less impressed. They had seen such sights before.
While walking, they encountered a rather arrogant-looking student. Dugu Yan whispered, "That's Xue Beng, the fourth prince of the Heaven Dou Empire. He's notorious for being a wastrel—best to avoid him."
At that moment, Xue Beng was in a foul mood. His older brother, Xue Qinghe, had been acting strange lately, summoning him frequently. Every day there was some new task or errand, leading Xue Beng to worry that he was under suspicion again.
No way! He'd worked so hard to maintain his useless facade—he couldn't let it all fall apart now!
Determined to appear even more reckless, Xue Beng noticed a group approaching, including members of the Heaven Dou Battle Team and Dugu Bo. But what caught his eye were three unfamiliar beauties—especially Zhu Zhuqing. Her figure was simply too tempting to ignore.
He dismissed Su Ming entirely, focusing instead on Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu. To cover his tracks, he asked, "Senior Dugu Bo, who are these lovely ladies?"
Dugu Bo responded casually, "They're new students from Soto City with promising talent. I'm here to help them with their enrollment. One of them is the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan."
His words weren't wrong—after all, he barely knew the group and hadn't realized Zhu Zhuqing was from the Zhu family of Star Luo Empire. If he had known, her martial spirit would have jogged his memory.
Xue Beng, hearing that one of them was from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, played it smart. He could afford to ignore everyone else, but not her.
Feeling confident, Xue Beng addressed Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing with a sleazy smile, "Ladies, I'm the fourth prince of the Heaven Dou Empire. Let me take care of your enrollment. Why don't we head into the city and have some fun? It'd be my pleasure to show you around as the local host."
Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing, disgusted by his leering gaze, quickly realized his intentions. They both felt repulsed.
Suddenly, a figure flashed past, and in the next moment, Xue Beng felt a powerful force strike his face, sending him flying through the air.
Everyone turned in shock to see that Su Ming had been the one to strike him.
Su Ming shook his head. He had hoped that Xue Beng would refrain from causing trouble in Dugu Bo's presence, but unfortunately, he dared to target Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing. There was no way Su Ming could tolerate that!