As Emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire, Emperor Xue Ye naturally wouldn't travel with the teams to Spirit Hall City.
Representing the empire at the upcoming finals would be none other than the Crown Prince—Xue Qinghe.
Normally, the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament finals weren't held in Spirit Hall City. But this time, for reasons unknown, the finals had been scheduled to take place within the very heart of Spirit Hall.
Spirit Hall City sat on the border between the Heaven Dou and Star Luo Empires, operating as a third-party force independent of both powers—and powerful enough to rival them. Most importantly, one of the twin great halls representing the authority of Spirit Hall—the Supreme Pontiff Hall—stood within it.
The Supreme Pontiff Hall was considered the most majestic building in all of the Douluo Continent, a sacred ground longed for by all Spirit Masters. It served as the symbolic capital of Spirit Hall itself.
Following the conclusion of the promotion tournament, all academy teams returned to their lodgings to rest and prepare for the journey to Spirit Hall City in three days' time.
After a brief meeting back at the Shrek Academy quarters, the group dispersed early for the night.
That evening, while the others slept, Lin Jie couldn't. Quietly, he stepped out into the courtyard. Bathed in moonlight, he stared up at the sky, a troubled expression clouding his face. His thoughts were a mystery.
"Lin Jie," a gentle voice called out, bringing him back to reality. He already knew who it was.
"You're here." Lin Jie gave a small nod and moved to sit on a nearby bench.
"Mm." Xiao Wu responded softly and joined him without hesitation.
Leaning back in his seat, Lin Jie stared at the full moon above and asked, "Xiao Wu... in two days, we'll be heading to Spirit Hall City. Have you thought about what I said?"
Her expression dimmed. She didn't answer right away.
Days earlier, Lin Jie had privately warned her: once they entered Spirit Hall City, if she was exposed as a spirit beast in human form, what then? He had tried to persuade her to return to the Star Dou Great Forest.
Right now, she was still in the juvenile stage of transformation, not even at the sixtieth rank. If they entered Spirit Hall City, her identity would very likely be discovered.
During the qualifiers and promotion rounds, she had been safe only because Lin Jie used the aura of immortal herbs to conceal her true form. Moreover, she hadn't drawn much attention, only appearing in a few matches and performing modestly. That kept her off the radar of high-level Spirit Masters.
But Spirit Hall City was different.
Forget Bibi Dong's unfathomable strength—any one of the numerous Title Douluo might see through her disguise.
"Lin Jie," Xiao Wu asked quietly, "is there really no way?"
"You know better than anyone—you're still in the juvenile phase. Not even Spirit Emperor level. Any Spirit Douluo or above could expose you." Lin Jie's tone was calm but firm. "The only reason you haven't been discovered so far is because of the immortal herb aura I used to mask you. Otherwise... you'd already be someone's Spirit Ring."
Xiao Wu knew all this. If not for Lin Jie, she might've already become someone's Spirit Bone.
"But," Lin Jie continued, "have you thought about what happens if you are exposed? Here, I can still help you. But once we're in Spirit Hall City... do you really think I'll still have the ability to protect you?"
He looked at her seriously.
"If your identity is revealed, you'll instantly become a treasure in the eyes of every Spirit Master. A hundred-thousand-year Spirit Ring, a hundred-thousand-year Spirit Bone... who wouldn't want that? No one can resist such temptation."
"And when that time comes... do you think Dean Flender, Dai Mubai, or Tang San could stop them? Even if they wanted to protect you, could they? You know how powerful a Title Douluo is."
Xiao Wu fell silent. Not because she disagreed—but because every word Lin Jie said was true.
If she was found out, it would not only endanger herself, but her friends too.
After a moment, she looked at him and asked softly, "Then... what if I don't compete? What if I just go with everyone and watch from the sidelines?"
Lin Jie replied flatly, "If you're not afraid of putting everyone at risk, sure—you can even compete."
Xiao Wu's expression shifted. Then suddenly, her eyes twinkled mischievously. She tilted her head, voice innocent, "But the Star Dou Forest is really far away. If I leave alone... what if I run into a strong Spirit Master on the way?"
...Well, that was a real issue.
Lin Jie hadn't thought that far. "You were bold enough to come out alone during your juvenile stage. You're scared now?"
"There's always the chance of an accident!" she pouted. "Besides... you don't want anything to happen to me, right?"
Seeing an opportunity, Xiao Wu stepped closer, her fingers lightly poking his shoulder. Her soft, coaxing voice sounded almost like a whimper, "Help me, Lin Jie. Please?"
"Don't—don't use that tone with me! I can't take it," Lin Jie said hurriedly, backing away as if her words were weapons.
"Hmph! So are you helping me or not?" Xiao Wu's expression flipped from pitiful to domineering in a heartbeat.
Lin Jie raised his hands helplessly. "I want to help. But I really don't know how."
"Hmph! You still owe me anyway. If you don't help, I'll tell Zhu Zhuqing everything about what happened before." She raised her chin with exaggerated arrogance.
No one knew Lin Jie and Zhu Zhuqing's relationship better than Xiao Wu. After all, she had seen "certain things" firsthand. And... she'd never forgotten what Lin Jie had done to her back then.
"What incident? I seriously have no idea what you're talking about." Lin Jie looked confused.
"You're still pretending?" Xiao Wu scoffed. "I remember everything, clear as day."
Suddenly, Lin Jie seemed to recall something and said in surprise, "You don't mean... that time when we were little, and I kissed you?"
"What else could I be talking about?" Xiao Wu huffed, cheeks puffed.
That had been her first kiss! And this guy had tricked it away from her!
Afterward, she'd wanted to confront him—but the next day he had left school without a word. Xiao Wu had been so mad that even after six years apart, she still hadn't forgotten him. That's why, at the Rose Hotel, she'd recognized him at a glance.
"Wow, seriously? That was ages ago! You still remember that?" Lin Jie scratched his head awkwardly.
"How could I forget? Now—are you helping me or not?" she demanded.
"Sigh... It's not that I don't want to. It's just—even if I help, I don't know how much good it'll do," Lin Jie said, still helpless.
"Isn't there even a little hope?" Xiao Wu gazed at him with wide, hopeful eyes.
Faced with that look, Lin Jie could only sigh.
"There's a way. I just don't know if it'll work."
"Really? What is it?" Xiao Wu's eyes lit up.
"But—" Lin Jie's expression turned serious, "—you have to promise me. Don't tell anyone. And during the finals, you can only stay with Er Long-jie as a spectator. No competing. Can you do that?"
Xiao Wu nodded firmly. "I can. I may not get to fight with everyone, but at least I can go with them. That's enough for me."
Lin Jie looked at her for a long moment. "Sigh... Let's just hope nothing goes wrong. Come find me tomorrow night."
"I knew it! I knew you'd help!" Xiao Wu leapt to her feet, eyes sparkling with joy. Then, without warning—
She leaned in and planted a soft kiss on Lin Jie's cheek.
Blushing, she quickly said, "Don't get the wrong idea! That was payback for you stealing my first kiss!"
Then, like a mischievous bunny, she skipped away toward the dormitory.
Lin Jie sat there stunned, touching his cheek where she kissed him. His expression turned... complicated.
Three days passed in a blink.
Once the teams had packed up, the Heaven Dou Empire dispatched a full escort to accompany them to Spirit Hall City—over a thousand people in total.
Because the journey would take nearly twenty days, the empire had arranged luxurious carriages for each team. These carriages were fitted with basic soul tools for cushioning, making for a smooth ride with almost no bumps—though the tech used was relatively rudimentary.
In Shrek Academy's wide, comfortable carriage, the team laughed and chatted freely.
Only one person was absent—Yu Xiaogang.
The day after the promotion tournament ended, Yu Xiaogang had left in a hurry. Even Tang San didn't say where he went.
Lin Jie had a guess, but didn't really care.
Inside the carriage, Xiao Wu chatted cheerfully with Zhu Zhuqing, but her eyes kept drifting toward Lin Jie across from her. A strange emotion flickered in them.
Her mind wandered back to that night... to the help Lin Jie promised, and the kiss.
As she glanced again at Zhu Zhuqing beside her, her cheeks turned red. It was hard to say whether it was embarrassment—or guilt.