Inside the Shrek Academy rest area, Flender and Zhao Wuji could hardly believe that their former student had almost caught up to them. At thirty-five, Qin Ming had already reached Rank 67, leaving him only a hair's breadth away from becoming a Soul Saint.
Tang San and the other Shrek students were also curiously eyeing Qin Ming. They recognized his attire—it was the uniform of the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy. Listening to the conversation between Qin Ming, Flender, and Zhao Wuji, Tang San realized that Qin Ming was not only their senior but also the current leader of the Emperor Team.
The students were filled with envy at such talent. If a genius like Qin Ming was leading the main team, then that team was clearly on a different level from the second team they were about to face. After all, Gu Xuan was the captain of that very team.
Flender, ever the cunning fox, began to probe for information once he realized Qin Ming was the leader of the main team. Since the main team was seeded directly into the finals, they had very little intelligence on them.
However, while Qin Ming still held Shrek Academy in his heart, his professional ethics as a teacher would not allow him to betray his own team's secrets. Eventually, he offered a sincere warning. "Principal Flender, I truly cannot give you specific details about my team. But I can tell you this: even if my junior brothers and sisters are exceptionally gifted and powerful, they are still quite a bit short of being able to defeat the youngsters on the main team."
Qin Ming had noted that Ma Hongjun, Oscar, and Zhu Zhuqing were already Soul Ancestors, yet he maintained his stance. "I'm not trying to discourage you, but they are still young and will have another chance in the next tournament. This year's competition is a den of monsters; even with six Soul Ancestors, it will be extremely difficult for you to claim the final championship."
Flender knew Qin Ming was an upright man who would never lie to them, so these words undoubtedly added a heavy weight to the path ahead for Tang San and the others.
"Senior Qin Ming, I want to know Big Brother Gu's age," Tang San suddenly asked from where he was resting. He had interacted with Gu Xuan many times but had never asked his age. Now that he had the chance, he naturally wanted to know.
Qin Ming blinked, then smiled. "You mean Xiao Xuan? I didn't expect you to know him. There's no harm in telling you his age. Xiao Xuan just turned eighteen this year."
When Gu Xuan had enrolled, his forged age was fifteen. Three years had passed, so on paper, he was naturally eighteen—even though his true age was only fifteen.
An eighteen-year-old Soul King! Tang San was momentarily stunned. Such talent was indeed worthy of a peerless genius from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. Unknowingly, Gu Xuan's image in Tang San's heart became even more towering.
Little did he know that the "towering" Gu Xuan had already left Heaven Dou City. The moment the first match between the Shrek Team and the Heaven Dou Second Team ended, he departed with Ye Lingling to obtain her fifth soul ring.
The main team wasn't needed for the qualifiers. Gu Xuan had stayed only to confirm that Tang San would indeed participate. Now that it was settled, he had his own business to attend to. In the original story, once Tang San started the tournament, that old bastard Tang Hao protected him from the shadows—and this was Gu Xuan's only guaranteed chance to pinpoint Tang Hao's location.
On the surface, he was taking Ye Lingling for her ring, but in reality, he was going to "steal the house." Tang San's mother's 100,000-year-old right leg bone was hidden somewhere in the mountain range surrounding Holy Spirit Village.
The outskirts of those mountains featured treacherous terrain with peaks piercing the clouds and cliff faces that were nearly vertical. It was incredibly difficult to climb; even a Rank 60 Tang San traveling at full speed would need half a day to reach the interior. At the center lay a pool as clear as a blue sapphire with a waterfall twenty meters wide and two hundred meters high. The rock had been polished smooth by years of rushing water, making it a challenge even for a Soul King to scale.
Tang San's mother was planted in a cave midway up the waterfall, about a hundred meters high, and the Blue Silver Empress's right leg bone was right there with her.
Gu Xuan knew the location perfectly because he had found that part of the original story fascinating—not only did the mother sacrifice herself for Tang Hao, but she even left a "cheat" for her son. Gu Xuan had matched the descriptions from his memories with a physical map, and the location had become clear instantly. While Tang San was busy grinding through the tournament and Tang Hao was lurking nearby to watch him, Gu Xuan was going to loot their home.
He had originally thought about using the soul bone himself, but now he planned to give it to Ye Lingling. First, she was his fiancée, and it was only a matter of time before they were fully united. Second, the Blue Silver Empress was famous for its vitality, which synchronized perfectly with the Nine-Hearted Begonia. This 100,000-year-old soul bone would not only boost her foundation but also grant her the ability to fly and a healing factor that matched her Martial Soul. It was tailor-made for her!
Using the flight speed of his Sword Dragon Eight Wings, Gu Xuan reached Nuoding City in just three days. Ye Lingling was confused as to why they weren't going straight to the Star Duo Forest, but she didn't ask. In her eyes, her man was always right!
After settling her in a tavern in Nuoding City, Gu Xuan headed to the planting site alone. It took him only a day to find that picturesque spot deep in the mountains. He didn't land immediately; instead, he hovered high in the sky with his wings deployed, checking for any restrictions or traps Tang Hao might have left behind.
He detached two of his dragon swords and sent them down to probe the pool. After an hour of confirmation, he finally flew to the middle of the waterfall. Facing the massive wall of water that could easily sweep a person away, Gu Xuan pulled a pair of white gloves from his storage tool and plunged into the falls.
Behind the curtain of water, there was a vacuum of about half a meter with only a few stray droplets. Gu Xuan used his wings to stabilize himself and began feeling along the wall. According to the original story, there was a protrusion that acted as a mechanism. Once he found it, he would be able to enter the cave and meet Tang San's mother.
(End of Chapter)
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