Join my Patreon to be 30 chapters ahead of the webnovel releases:
patreon.com/ZeroMoney
I would appreciate your help if you could join my Patreon and support me because it would keep me motivated.
******
In Heaven Dou City, at the Du Gu family estate!
Wang Li and Du Gu Yan entered the house. Du Gu Yan ran towards Du Gu Bo in a playful manner, acting as if she were pampering him:
"Grandpa, we're back!"
Wang Li, unlike Du Gu Yan, couldn't act so freely. After entering, he curiously glanced at Prince Xue Xing, then smiled and said:
"Grandpa, I hope we didn't disturb you. We came straight in."
Du Gu Bo was grinning from ear to ear. He looked at Du Gu Yan, then at Wang Li. Seeing that they were both doing well, his worried heart completely relaxed. He then smiled affectionately and teased:
"It's good to see you back. You said you'd only be gone for a year or so, and now look how much time has passed!"
"This is Prince Xue Xing, the younger brother of the current Emperor Xue Ye. He's in charge of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy. He's been coming here every day looking for you two."
Upon hearing Du Gu Bo's introduction, Prince Xue Xing puffed out his chest, radiating royal authority. But when he looked at Wang Li and Du Gu Yan, his heart couldn't help but race with excitement.
He was already familiar with Du Gu Yan, having met her before. But Wang Li was someone he only knew by reputation—this was the true genius, a twelve-year-old with a four-ring soul.
His older brother, the Emperor Xue Ye, had sent the crown prince personally to recruit Wang Li, and later even had Platinum Bishop Salas of the Spirit Hall pressure him with threats and temptations.
However, while others were still trying to recruit Wang Li, Prince Xue Xing had already formed a relationship with Du Gu Bo, which put him ahead of everyone else by a long shot.
With a smile on his face, Prince Xue Xing looked at Wang Li and Du Gu Yan and said:
"It's good to see you back. Right now, the first team of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, even with Tian Heng returning, only has six members. The talents of the second team can't compare to the first, so we can't just transfer second-team members to the first team."
"Now that the granddaughter and grandson-in-law of His Excellency have returned, we can quickly finalize the list and report it. Furthermore, the first team will be directly admitted to the finals."
"You two won't need to participate in the preliminaries or the qualifying rounds. You can rest and recuperate. Of course, you still need to attend the opening ceremony in three months. The Emperor will be present, but after that, you can either come to observe and study your opponents, or not come at all—just focus on your training."
Prince Xue Xing spoke at length, explaining all the key details about the Soul Master Tournament and the special treatment the first team of Heaven Dou would receive.
Wang Li and Du Gu Yan, as members of the first team, wouldn't need to participate in the preliminary or qualifying rounds. The most important thing was showing up at the opening ceremony.
Wang Li and Du Gu Yan quickly realized that after returning, their schedules were still relatively light. They only needed to appear at the opening ceremony and then wait for the finals.
Wang Li then responded:
"Grandpa, Prince Xue Xing, we spent some time on the way back. Yan Yan and I originally planned to visit Grandpa first, and then head to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy to report in."
"Now that we've seen Grandpa and Prince Xue Xing, we'd like to spend the day with Grandpa and report to the academy tomorrow."
Prince Xue Xing readily agreed, but then curiously asked:
"I wonder, how are your soul powers now? It'll help us to know where you stand."
Wang Li glanced at Du Gu Bo. Seeing the nod of approval from Du Gu Bo, Wang Li directly answered:
"We're both Soul Kings. Yan Yan and I are both Soul Kings now. This time, the championship will definitely go to Heaven Dou."
Prince Xue Xing's eyes widened in shock, his face full of astonishment, but it quickly shifted to excitement. He knew well that the Spirit Hall's team had three Soul King geniuses who had all earned the Purple Medal of Honor and were called the Golden Generation.
The Spirit Hall had three Soul Kings, and now the Heaven Dou Royal Team had two. There was a real chance they could win the championship.
"Hahaha..." Prince Xue Xing laughed in admiration.
"Your Excellency is truly a remarkable person. To raise such two outstanding geniuses, the Heaven Dou Empire is incredibly fortunate. I'll go back now and report this to His Majesty."
"The Soul Master Tournament is approaching. Although His Majesty hasn't openly expressed his concerns, he's clearly anxious. Hearing this good news will surely make him very happy."
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Prince Xue Xing took his leave. He wanted to personally report to the Emperor Xue Ye to highlight his own achievements and importance, as well as to seek funds to further cultivate his relationship with Du Gu Bo, Du Gu Yan, and Wang Li—using the country's money and his own connections.
Once Prince Xue Xing had left and there were no outsiders, Du Gu Yan, holding Du Gu Bo's arm, pouted and said:
"Grandpa, we missed you so much! When did you come out of seclusion? We were saying that if we didn't see you at home, we'd go straight to the Ice Fire Yin-Yang Eyes to find you!"
Du Gu Bo smiled kindly and then said:
"I only recently spent a year in seclusion, breaking through and solidifying my 95th-level soul power. After that, I went to the Spirit Hall and had a match with Ju Hua Guan."
As he spoke, Du Gu Bo's face lit up with excitement. In the past, he had always been bullied by Yue Guan, but now, he was finally able to give Yue Guan a taste of his own medicine. Unfortunately, no one had been there to share in his triumph, so he excitedly continued:
"The Ju Douluo and Gui Douluo from the Spirit Hall never got along with me. However, since they are both Titled Douluos, I was unable to handle them alone."
This was somewhat downplaying the situation—rather than being unable to handle them, he had been thoroughly bullied before.
Du Gu Bo continued:
"This time, Ju Douluo was no match for me in a one-on-one fight. By the time Gui Douluo arrived, Ju Douluo and the Flower Sect had already been completely defeated. I had him pressed into the ground, unable to escape."
"I didn't continue the fight because I was cautious of their numbers, so I left and returned to Heaven Dou City, waiting for you two to come back."
Wang Li, after hearing this, now had a clear understanding of Du Gu Bo's strength. He then said:
"Congratulations, Grandpa! Actually, I was also worried about the Spirit Hall. Yan Yan and I were wondering if their Golden Generation might come after us once we defeat them!"
Du Gu Bo's expression turned serious as he looked at Wang Li, then at Du Gu Yan. He said solemnly:
"Don't worry about anything—just focus on the competition. This time, Grandpa will be with you the entire way. I'll make sure no one dares to touch my granddaughter or grandson-in-law."
"The Soul Master Tournament is a great stage. You'll meet the most talented and powerful soul masters of the younger generation."
"Right now, you're both in your prime. Enjoy the feeling of overcoming one opponent after another, earning honors and admiration."
"With me around, there's nothing to fear. I, Du Gu Bo, am untouchable. If anyone dares to harm my family, they'll soon learn what true cruelty is."
With a protective grandfather like Du Gu Bo, Wang Li and Du Gu Yan knew that even if their strength was revealed, anyone who wanted to target them would have to think twice.
That day, the long-awaited reunion of the three of them was filled with warmth. They enjoyed a meal together as Du Gu Bo shared some insights from his seclusion, particularly regarding the condensation of soul power. Du Gu Yan and Wang Li also talked about their own improvements in strength.
(End of Chapter)