The wheels rolled, and hooves thundered. The massive procession from the Heaven Dou Empire heading toward Spirit City had already left Heaven Dou City several days ago, journeying southwest. The initial plains and fertile fields gradually gave way to undulating mountains, and the road grew rugged.
The five hundred elite Royal Knights remained in strict formation, flanking the convoy on both sides. Their bright silver armor reflected a cold gleam under the sunlight, while the thunderous hoofbeats of the five hundred Heavenly Soul Horses carried an air of unassailable dignity. The carriages from various academies followed closely behind. Though weary from the journey, the young Soul Masters were brimming with energy. Many leaned out of the carriage windows to admire the scenery, so different from that around Heaven Dou City, or called out to familiar students from other academies, keeping the atmosphere from growing dull.
Xue Qinghe, Ning Fengzhi, and the Sword Douluo rode in the most spacious and luxurious royal carriage at the very front of the procession. Marco, after traveling alongside Xue Qinghe for a stretch, had returned to the vicinity of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy Team One's carriage, citing a dislike for restraint.
Now, the procession was advancing along an increasingly narrow path. The mountains on either side rose steeply, and the forests grew dense and deep. The massive cliffs cast long shadows, enveloping the road. Even at noon, the light seemed somewhat dim. Ahead, the entrance to a vast, deep canyon—as if cleaved by a giant axe—loomed into view. Inside the canyon, jagged rocks lined the winding path, wide enough for only a few carriages to pass abreast. The wind howled through the gorge, its mournful echoes adding a touch of grim solemnity.
Inside the carriage, several substitute members of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy Team One chatted idly, discussing potential opponents in the Grand Finals or speculating about the strength of the younger generation from Spirit Hall. Ye Lingling and Li Qiuyao sat close together, whispering secrets between girls. Lu Zhou sat by the window, seemingly resting with his eyes closed, but in reality, he had been keeping a sliver of his attention on the surroundings.
As for Marco, ever since entering this narrow mountain path, he had remained silent. He leaned casually against the carriage wall, his gaze fixed on the cliffs and precipices flashing past outside the window. His expression was calm, but deep within his golden eyes, a faint, almost imperceptible sharpness and… gravity flickered.
It's coming.
If his memory served him correctly, in the original story, the Shrek Academy group heading to Spirit City for the Grand Finals had been ambushed by Spirit Hall in a treacherous canyon. The operation was led personally by the Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan and the Ghost Douluo Gui Mei, with Tang San as the target. But I can't guarantee whether Bibidong would target him or not?
This perilous canyon, ideal for an ambush, was undoubtedly the perfect location for such an attack.
Just as the carriage was about to enter the shadow of the canyon entrance, Marco suddenly straightened up, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly as his eyes swept over the deep, dark interior of the gorge.
"What is it, Marco?" Lu Zhou, who had been discreetly observing him, spoke up almost immediately. His voice was soft, yet it instantly silenced the idle chatter within the carriage. Everyone's gaze instinctively turned toward Marco.
Ye Lingling and Li Qiuyao also looked up in confusion.
Marco withdrew his gaze, his expression returning to normal, even carrying a hint of laziness. He rubbed his neck and said casually, "It's nothing. Probably been sitting in the carriage too long, feeling a bit stuffy, my joints are all stiff. I'm going out to ride a horse, get some fresh air, loosen up a bit."
With that, he made to stand up.
"Sitting too long is indeed uncomfortable, I'll go out and stretch too!" Lu Zhou immediately chimed in, also standing up. Having followed Marco for a long time, he knew his captain's temperament well. Marco was definitely not the type to get irritable or complain about travel fatigue. That momentary focus and subtle change in expression just now—something was definitely up! And the terrain of that canyon ahead... Lu Zhou's heart tightened.
"Yeah, been cooped up in the carriage for days, my bones are almost rusting!"
"Riding is good! Better to see the scenery than be stuck in the carriage!"
"Let's go, let's go, together!"
Seeing this, the other male team members in the carriage also chimed in. They might not be as sharp as Lu Zhou, but with both the captain and vice-captain going out, they were naturally happy to follow. Besides, after days of riding, they were indeed feeling a bit stifled.
Ye Lingling blinked, looking at Marco, then at Lu Zhou, as if wanting to say something, but ultimately didn't speak, just obediently nodded. "Then be careful."
"Mhm, you two stay in the carriage, close the windows, and don't come out unless there's a special situation." Marco instructed Ye Lingling and Li Qiuyao, his tone calm but carrying an undeniable authority.
After speaking, he was the first to push open the carriage door, nimbly leaping down. Lu Zhou and the other male team members quickly followed.
The convoy did not stop because these few had disembarked, continuing to advance at a steady pace into the canyon. Attendants had already brought over several spare Heavenly Soul Horses. Marco and the others mounted up, deliberately slowing their pace to let the Heaven Dou First Team's carriage pass by, then urged their horses forward, following at a leisurely pace toward the middle and rear of the convoy. They were free from the confines of the carriage yet not far from the main group.
Marco rode on his horse, seemingly casually surveying the surrounding scenery, but his invisible Observation Haki had already spread out silently in all directions from him like quicksilver. The wind in the canyon, the chirping of insects, the faint sound of flowing water in the distance, the friction of the knights' armor, the sound of hooves, the rolling of carriage wheels... every subtle sound and energy fluctuation was amplified and analyzed within his highly concentrated perception.
The texture of the rocks, the depth of the shadows, the floating dust in the air, even the airflow passing through the canyon—carrying a hint of unusual stagnation... everything formed a "map" in his perception. He was searching, searching for any hint of discord, any trace of hidden malice and killing intent.
Lu Zhou rode slightly behind Marco, seemingly relaxed as well, but his entire body was subtly tensed, his Soul Power in a state of readiness, his gaze sharp as he scanned the cliffs on both sides and the road ahead. He knew that anything that made the captain this cautious would definitely not be a small matter.
The other team members, though not overthinking it, unconsciously quieted their chatter and grew more vigilant upon seeing their captain and vice-captain seriously observing their surroundings. Their hands instinctively moved to the Soul Tools at their waists or to positions where they could easily draw their weapons.
The procession slowly advanced into the depths of the canyon. Towering cliffs rose on both sides, blocking out the sky and sun, plunging the area into deeper gloom. Only a sliver of light from above filtered down. The wind howled through the gorge like ghostly wails. The soldiers of the Royal Knights seemed to sense the treacherous terrain as well; their already orderly formation tightened further. The knights gripped their swords or spears at their waists, their eyes scanning the cliff tops warily.
Inside the royal carriage where Xue Qinghe and Ning Fengzhi were seated, Sword Douluo Chenxin, whose eyes had been slightly closed, had now opened them a slit. The profound, abyss-like aura around him seemed to have solidified slightly. Ning Fengzhi gently rotated a smooth, warm jade pendant in his hand, his gaze calm as he watched the cliffs flash by outside the window, lost in thought. Xue Qinghe still wore his gentle smile, seemingly oblivious to the changes in the surrounding environment.
Inside the Shrek Academy carriage, the atmosphere remained heavy. Tang San leaned against the window, his face still pale, his eyes vacant as he stared at the scenery rapidly receding outside. He seemed utterly unresponsive to the canyon's peril, only his tightly clenched fists revealing that his heart was not completely deadened. Dai Mubai, Zhu Zhuqing, and the others sat silently, each regulating their breathing. Flender and Zhao Wuji frowned slightly; as experienced Soul Masters, they too instinctively felt the oppressive atmosphere and potential danger of this terrain.
The entire procession gradually moved deeper into the canyon's heart under this surface calm, yet internally tense, atmosphere.
Marco's Observation Haki perception had expanded to its limit, covering an area of nearly a thousand meters in radius. He "saw" the birds nesting on the cliffs, "heard" the insects crawling in the rock crevices, and could even faintly sense the flow of underground currents. However, apart from the natural environment and the massive life force and Soul Power fluctuations of their own procession, he did not immediately detect any obvious, hostile ambush presence.
Were the enemies exceptionally well-hidden? Or... was he overthinking it? Was the ambush not here?
Thoughts raced through Marco's mind, but his vigilance did not diminish in the slightest. He slightly raised his head, looking toward a narrower pass ahead in the canyon where the cliffs on both sides almost converged. That was the most treacherous point of the entire canyon passage and the most suitable location for launching a surprise attack.
At that moment, the very edge of his expanded Observation Haki trembled ever so slightly, like ripples disturbed by a gentle breeze.
The sensation was extremely faint, fleeting, almost like an illusion. But Marco's golden eyes instantly contracted sharply!