Qin Ming's words, spoken so casually, as if their defeat had been a mere formality.
All of it piled together.
'Just wait,' Yu Tianheng thought coldly.
'Qin Ming… you are nothing more than an upstart. To curry favor with your alma mater, you made us lose deliberately.'
'When we return to Heaven Dou City…I will make you understand why the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan stands among the Three Great Clans.'
Qin Ming and Flender, oblivious to the brewing storm, continued their conversation.
Flender fell into thought.
'Heaven Dou Imperial Academy… has facilities were vastly superior to Shrek's ramshackle grounds.'
More importantly—
It possessed mimicry cultivation environments.
Places where soul masters could cultivate in conditions tailored perfectly to their martial souls.
'With those resources… These children could grow far faster than they ever could here.And maybe the effect of those pills on them might be mitigated.'
The events of that day was a haze in his heart. After a brief silence, Flender nodded.
"Very well," he said slowly.
"We'll visit Heaven Dou Imperial Academy."
----
(For understanding the reason why Yu Xiaogang was not present with Shrek Academy even after so many weeks, we have to go back to the time when he left Shrek to go to Spirit Hall)
Spirit City
A road stretched toward the towering gates of Spirit Hall which is located in the centre of the city, its white stone walls gleaming under the sun.
From afar, a ragged beggar staggered forward.
His clothes were torn and patched countless times, clinging loosely to a body that had clearly endured days—of hardship. Grease, dust, and sweat had long since fused into his garments. Worse still, an indescribable stench drifted from him, a mixture of decay, cheap wine, and unwashed flesh.
Passersby instinctively covered their noses and moved aside.
This beggar—Was none other than Yu Xiaogang.
The once self-proclaimed "Master," who clung to his reputation as tightly as a drowning man to driftwood, had finally reached Spirit City.
He had left Shrek Academy with a singular purpose— To retrieve Tang San's External Soul Bones from Bibi Dong.
As he trudged forward, Yu Xiaogang clenched his fists beneath his rags.
'Why am I so unlucky these days?!'
Thieves on the road beating him up, Even his travel funds mysteriously disappearing one after another, Slipping and Tripping many times on the road by coincidence, Animals and birds pooping on the food he wanted to eat,
What Yu Xiaogang did not know—
Was that his sudden run of misfortune was no coincidence. It was because Qian Renxue did not want this shameless man meeting Bibi Dong just yet.
However she did not want to send him to his death now, Yu Xiaogang was meant to live. Because his existence still had value.
Ironically, Yu Xiaogang's stubborn perseverance—his refusal to give up despite humiliation and hardship—had piqued Qian Renxue's interest.
So much so that she had personally prepared a script, one tailored specifically for him in the Spirit City.
Unaware of the invisible strings tightening around him, Yu Xiaogang finally reached the towering gates of Spirit Hall.
The guards standing watch stiffened the moment they caught sight of him.
Their expressions shifted from vigilance to outright disgust.One of them stepped forward sharply.
"Beggar, get lost."
Another waved his hand irritably.
"This is not a place to beg. Go somewhere else."
Yu Xiaogang frowned deeply.
Straightening his hunched back as much as his tired body allowed, he spoke with forced arrogance, his voice tinged with habitual superiority.
"I am Yu Xiaogang, A renowned scholar and an Elder of Spirit Hall."
The moment those words left his mouth—The guards erupted with laughter.
"Heh… heh… hehehe!"
One guard bent over, clutching his stomach.
"Did you hear that?"
Another wiped tears from the corner of his eyes.
"If he is an elder…Then I must be the Crown Prince of Heaven Dou!"
The laughter exploded even louder, echoing against the walls. Yu Xiaogang's face flushed crimson. The mocking eyes, the disdain, the humiliation—All of it carved deeply into his pride.
Yet he still stood there seething with rage.
His chest rose and fell violently as he ignored the guards' laughter. With trembling hands, he rummaged through the filthy rags clinging to his body, fingers brushing past hardened dirt and torn cloth. At last, he pulled something out—The Elder's Token.
Just as Yu Xiaogang raised it triumphantly—
Ka… ka… ka—
A sharp cry echoed overhead. Before he could even look up—
Plap.
Something warm and sticky struck his face, before It slid down his nose Into his mouth.
Yu Xiaogang froze.
Then—
"BLEGH—!!"
He doubled over violently, retching as bile and humiliation surged together. The foul taste mixed with filth sent him vomiting onto the stone road, his body convulsing uncontrollably.
The guards stared. Then—They burst into uncontrollable laughter again.
"HAHAHAHA—!"
"This—this timing—!"
"The heavens themselves are mocking him!"
Yet even through their laughter, their eyes locked onto the object clutched in Yu Xiaogang's shaking hand.
The Elder's Token.
Their expressions stiffened, then the laughter slowly died down.
This beggar…Might actually be telling the truth.
And that—Made the situation far too awkward.
Just as the guards hesitated—A clear, commanding female voice rang out from behind them.
"What is all this ruckus so early in the morning?"
The guards stiffened and turned instantly. A young woman approached.
She wore fitted armor rather than ceremonial robes—sleek, practical, and edged with faint golden accents. Her posture was straight, her steps confident. Though young, her presence carried authority sharpened through discipline.