In the Heavenly Dou Royal Academy, within the secluded courtyard that belonged solely to Marco.
The afternoon sunlight filtered through sparse branches and leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground. Marco lay on a rocking chair in the courtyard, resting with his eyes closed. A cup of light tea sat on the small table beside him, its fragrance curling gently in the air. The Promotion Tournament had concluded. With absolute dominance and unparalleled deterrence, he had led Heaven Dou Royal Academy Team One to secure the top position in the Heavenly Dou division without any suspense, naturally becoming the most eye-catching presence in this tournament. At this moment, he was stealing a rare moment of leisure, enjoying the calm between matches.
However, this tranquility did not last long.
A faint sound of footsteps approached from a distance, accompanied by a girl's clear yet slightly hurried voice, shattering the courtyard's peace.
"Brother! Brother! Something big has happened!"
Ye Lingling and Li Qiuyao walked in quickly, one after the other. Both wore expressions of urgency mixed with barely concealed... excitement? Or perhaps it was the spark of gossip ignited after learning some unbelievable news?
Marco slowly opened his eyes. His golden pupils were calm and unrippled as he looked at Ye Lingling, who was slightly breathless from running, and Li Qiuyao following behind, her face equally full of curiosity. He slightly lifted his chin, gesturing for them to sit down and speak.
Ye Lingling pulled Li Qiuyao to sit on a nearby stone stool and couldn't wait to speak: "Brother, have you heard? Bishop Salas took people to the Shrek Academy encampment! And Ning Zongzhu and Senior Bone Douluo went too!"
"Hmm." Marco picked up his teacup, took a small sip, his tone indifferent. "And then?"
"And then it got really lively!" Li Qiuyao chimed in eagerly, her small face glowing with the light of gossip. "I heard Bishop Salas wanted to severely punish Shrek Academy! That Liu Erlong even wanted to take action but was stopped by Senior Bone Douluo and Ning Zongzhu! Later, that Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang actually took out something called... a Pope's Decree! It even stunned Bishop Salas!"
"Pope's Decree?" Marco's eyebrow raised slightly, a flash of understanding in his eyes. So it was indeed that. Bibidong's old feelings for Yu Xiaogang were truly... "profound."
"Yes, yes! That's it! The Pope's Decree! They say seeing the decree is like seeing the Pope herself!" Ye Lingling nodded vigorously. "Although Bishop Salas was unwilling, he could only retreat for now, saying he would report the matter to the Pope for a decision. Then, Ning Zongzhu took his daughter, Ning Rongrong, away, saying there was clan business and that he would send her back before the Grand Finals."
Marco nodded slightly. All of this was within his expectations. Salas seizing the opportunity to make trouble, Ning Fengzhi stepping in to mediate, Yu Xiaogang using the Pope's Decree to resolve the crisis—these were all inevitable results of the power plays among the various factions. Ning Fengzhi taking Ning Rongrong away was an even wiser move for self-preservation. As for how Bibidong would rule... a faint, almost imperceptible curve lifted the corner of his mouth. He feared Her Holiness the Pope would find herself in another dilemma.
"But..." Ye Lingling's tone shifted, her small face wrinkling with a hint of confusion and a trace of lingering fear. "There's another strange thing. That Shrek Academy student named Xiao Wu... when Bishop Salas and the others were there, it seems she... disappeared in the chaos!"
"Disappeared?" A sharp glint flashed in Marco's eyes. He set down his teacup and sat up straight. This piece of news genuinely surprised him.
"Yes! I heard she slipped away during the chaos. The people from Shrek are searching everywhere for her now, but there's no trace at all. It's like she vanished into thin air!" Li Qiuyao added, also showing a hint of confusion. "It's really strange. Wasn't she closest to Tang San? With Tang San injured so badly, why would she run away instead?"
Marco stroked his chin, falling into brief contemplation. Xiao Wu missing? At this critical juncture? Was she scared? Or... His mind quickly flashed to the original plot. Xiao Wu's true identity was that of a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Beast, the Soft Bone Rabbit, who had taken human form. She was extremely sensitive to the aura of the Spirit Hall, especially that of Titled Douluo-level powerhouses. Although Salas wasn't a Titled Douluo, the aura of the Spirit Hall Soul Saints he brought, mixed with the auras of Bone Douluo, and possibly Tang Hao who might have been lurking in the shadows, coupled with Shrek Academy becoming the target of everyone's attention and being surrounded by danger... With her perception, she probably felt an instinctive and extreme unease and fear.
Did Tang Hao take her away? That was highly likely. Since Tang Hao was nearby, for Tang San's safety and for the safety of Xiao Wu, this "walking Ten Thousand-Year Soul Ring and Soul Bone," it was perfectly reasonable for him to secretly take her away and hide her. After all, with Tang Hao's abilities, it wouldn't be difficult for him to spirit someone away unnoticed amidst that kind of chaos.
"Interesting..." Marco murmured to himself, a flicker of amusement in his eyes. Xiao Wu missing, Tang San severely injured and unconscious, Shrek Academy becoming the focus of attention from all sides... In the coming days, Shrek was probably going to have its hands full. As for Xiao Wu, being taken away by Tang Hao might be the best choice for her right now.
"I knew it would be like this," Marco said calmly, leaning back in his chair again, his tone returning to its usual calm. "Salas is just a pawn. Ning Fengzhi came to smooth things over. Yu Xiaogang's trump card was just that token. As for Xiao Wu's disappearance... it's most likely someone took her away."
Ye Lingling and Li Qiuyao listened, somewhat bewildered. Although they didn't fully understand some of the details, Marco's calm demeanor of "having everything under control" made them feel that things were supposed to unfold this way.
"But..." Ye Lingling suddenly clenched her small fists, her delicate eyebrows furrowing, an indignant expression appearing on her face. "That Tang San is too despicable! Using poison in a match! And so many treacherous Hidden Weapons! If it weren't for you being so capable, Brother, anyone else might have been killed by him! And that Liu Erlong, as a teacher, actually tried to kill a student! It's infuriating!"
The more she spoke, the angrier she became, her little face flushing red. Li Qiuyao also nodded vigorously in agreement. "Exactly! So underhanded! He's not even worthy of being called a Soul Master!"
Marco looked at the two girls' righteous indignation and couldn't help but chuckle, shaking his head. "You two have quite the temper. Shouldn't the one who should be the angriest be me, the one who was almost ambushed?"
Hearing this, Ye Lingling blinked, then loosened her fists somewhat sheepishly, but still puffed out her cheeks. "I'm just angry on your behalf, Brother Marco! They went too far!"
"Alright, the matter is in the past." Marco waved his hand, not wanting to dwell on the topic any longer. Shrek Academy, or rather Tang San, had already paid a sufficient price for his previous actions. As for the future... they would cross that bridge when they came to it.
"By the way, Brother Marco," Ye Lingling suddenly thought of something, lifting her head to look at him with her watery blue eyes sparkling, carrying a hint of expectation and mischief, "When we reach Spirit City for the Grand Finals, if we encounter that Tang San again, you must beat him up thoroughly!"
"Yes, yes!" Li Qiuyao also waved her small fist, "Beat him until he's crawling on the ground looking for his teeth! Make him never dare to use those underhanded tricks again!"
Marco looked at the two girls' "united in hatred" expressions, feeling both amused and exasperated. He nodded, his tone casual yet carrying an air of certainty: "Don't worry, if we meet again, he won't get off lightly."
With Marco's promise, Ye Lingling and Li Qiuyao both smiled happily, as if they could already see Tang San being beaten to the ground.
After a few more lighthearted remarks, the atmosphere relaxed considerably. Marco turned his gaze to Ye Lingling, his tone becoming more serious: "Lingling, the Promotion Tournament is over, and soon we will set off for Spirit City to participate in the Grand Finals. At that time, your Heavenly Dou Royal Academy second team will also go together to compete in the Grand Finals."
Hearing this, Ye Lingling also composed her smile and nodded solemnly: "Mm, I know. We will definitely do our best! We won't disgrace the academy, and we won't... disappoint your expectations, Brother Marco!" At the end, she puffed out her chest, her eyes shining with confidence, her tone carrying a hint of a young girl's charming pride.
A trace of approval flashed in Marco's eyes. Ye Lingling's talent and temperament were both top-notch. After the experiences of this period, especially after absorbing that Seventy Thousand Year Begonia Flower Right Leg Bone, her strength and bearing had improved significantly. Given time, she would undoubtedly become a powerful figure.
"Having confidence is a good thing." Marco nodded slightly, "Spirit City gathers the elites of both empires, with experts as numerous as clouds. The battles will be even more intense. Show me your strength, let me see how much you've grown during this time."
"Mm! Brother Marco, just wait and see!" Ye Lingling nodded vigorously, her small face full of determination.
Marco looked at her fighting spirit and felt somewhat gratified. However, thinking about the upcoming journey, his expression returned to its usual calmness as he solemnly advised: "But before we reach Spirit City, there is still a considerable distance to travel. From the incident at Shrek Academy, it's clear that this tournament has been full of disturbances, with undercurrents swirling. Our journey to Spirit City involves a large team, making us a conspicuous target. It's hard to guarantee that no one will have ill intentions. Especially... certain forces that have had conflicts with us might seize opportunities along the way."
His gaze swept over Ye Lingling and Li Qiuyao, carrying rare seriousness: "So, during this journey, you must remember not to relax too much, and definitely do not leave the team to act alone. Especially you, Lingling, your Nine Heart Begonia Spirit is too special and easily attracts covetous eyes. Be sure to stay close to the academy team, remain inside the carriage, and do not go out casually without permission. Do you understand?"
Ye Lingling and Li Qiuyao, seeing Marco's serious expression, also set aside their playful attitudes and nodded earnestly in response: "We hear you, brother! We'll be careful and won't run off!"
Only then did Marco give a slight nod, pick up his teacup again, and gaze into the distance. Spirit City, the Papal Hall, the Grand Finals... that was the true stage. And the road to Spirit City likely wouldn't be entirely peaceful either. Still, he would meet soldiers with a general's strategy and floods with earthworks. He was curious to see just how many demons and monsters would dare cross his path along this journey.
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