After confirming their plan to visit Wang Dong'er's home, Huo Yuhao immediately sought out Professors Fan Yu and Xuan to request leave.
Neither of them refused.
After all, they'd witnessed Huo Yuhao's relentless dedication firsthand—these past few years, he'd barely had a free moment all day.
This trip would be a perfect chance for him to unwind and ease his tightly wound nerves. Balance between work and rest was never a bad thing.
As for safety concerns during the journey…
Fan Yu wasn't worried at all. A Limit Douluo would be accompanying them the entire way—who in their right mind would dare provoke such a presence? And if anyone actually did, they'd end up like the scattered branches of the Holy Spirit Church in Mingdu: utterly eradicated.
Moreover, due to Huo Yuhao's status as an exchange student, his every move reflected not just on the Sun Moon Imperial Academy and the Sun Moon Empire, but also on Shrek Academy. Thus, leaving the academy—and the city—required Jing Hongchen's personal approval.
The moment the leave application was submitted, approval came back in under half an hour.
After all, Mingdu had just suffered massive chaos involving Shrek students, and having a Limit Douluo—someone essentially equivalent to a "Tier-10 Fixed Ammunition Soul Guidance Cannon"—lingering in the city was a major headache for Jing Hongchen.
So when he heard that Huo Yuhao wanted to take leave—and, even better, was taking three other "little troublemakers" plus that Limit Douluo out of the Sun Moon Empire entirely—Jing Hongchen nearly leapt for joy. He granted permission instantly, without the slightest hesitation.
The next morning, on the outskirts of Mingdu—
"Here, I specially made these flying soul guidance devices for you." Huo Yuhao pulled out three custom-built flight harnesses from his storage-type soul guidance device. He kept one for himself, and handed the other two—to Chen Junting and Wang Dong'er—each uniquely styled.
Then, with an apologetic glance toward Gu Tianchen, who'd been smiling the whole time, Huo Yuhao said, "Sorry, Senior Brother Gu. I didn't know you'd be coming, so I didn't prepare one for you."
He held out a standard-issue flying harness. "If you don't mind, you can use this one for now?"
"No problem," Gu Tianchen replied easily, reaching to take it—when suddenly, a figure appeared beside them without a sound.
"You're planning to fly using soul guidance devices?"
It was Tai Tan. He eyed the butterfly-wing–shaped, blue-and-pink harness in Wang Dong'er's hands, privately acknowledging Huo Yuhao's thoughtfulness—yet his eyes still flickered with a hint of disdain toward the technology itself.
Seeing Wang Dong'er utterly enchanted by the device, Tai Tan frowned. "Xiao Dong, didn't you used to hate soul guidance devices?"
"Second Dad, that's ancient history!" Wang Dong'er fastened the harness gleefully, twisting her head to admire it from every angle. "Ever since I tried Brother Junting's method, I don't exactly like them… but I don't hate them anymore."
"Method? What method?"
"Sleeping with the soul guidance device!"
Noticing Tai Tan's baffled expression, Wang Dong'er huffed. "Oh, and Second Dad—could you talk to First Dad about installing some soul guidance devices at home? At the very least, get us soul-guided toilets and lights! After living in the academy, I can't stand our old setup anymore."
"Well…" Tai Tan waved a hand dismissively. "Xiao Dong, you must understand—soul guidance devices are external tools. They're—"
"So are soul bones and soul rings!" Wang Dong'er shot back effortlessly. "Those come from soul beasts too—they're not 'ours' by nature. So aren't those external as well?"
A mischievous glint sparkled in her eyes. "Which means, Second Dad… you use external tools too."
"Nonsense!" Tai Tan snapped—then froze mid-sentence.
He was a soul beast himself, after all. He'd never absorbed another soul beast's soul bone… and as for soul rings—
He fell abruptly silent. Some things simply could not be spoken aloud.
Seeing his flustered expression, Wang Dong'er couldn't help but beam with smug triumph.
Beside them, Chen Junting and the others watched the uncle-niece verbal duel like eager spectators at a show.
Only after Tai Tan's defeat did the group return to seriousness.
But Tai Tan's words had sparked an idea in Chen Junting.
Could he use this visit to obtain a Divine Bestowed Soul Ring? According to the original storyline, the Ascension Pavilion within Hao Tian Fortress was precisely where such rings were granted.
And why did he want one?
Because from the very beginning, one of Chen Junting's goals had been to successfully create his own soul rings. Mastery of one principle leads to mastery of a hundred—and once he could forge soul rings, crafting soul bones would be no great leap.
If he could perfect and popularize both methods, the resulting surge in faith would be immense. Combined with an array system to channel that belief, the power might even be enough to elevate him to God-King status.
But to create soul rings, he had to understand Divine Bestowed ones—how their soul skills manifested, where their intricate patterns originated. Without that knowledge, creation was impossible.
"Alright, enough of these soul guidance devices," Tai Tan waved a hand. "I'll just carry you all there myself."
He clenched his right hand into a loose fist.
A spherical barrier of soul force enveloped the four of them.
In the next instant—five figures shot skyward!
Tai Tan's route was simple: fly directly north, cross the sea, and enter the territory of the Tianhun Empire. Once there, they'd stop by Shrek Academy to pick up Wang Dong'er's friends.
Time passed.
Eventually, they flew over a hilly region—when suddenly—
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Thunderous explosions erupted from the ground below!
"What's going on?" Wang Dong'er pressed against the bottom of the soul force barrier, straining to see through the haze. All she could make out were raging fires and thick plumes of smoke.
"Looks like a small-scale battle," Chen Junting observed sharply.
"War? Could it be a civil war?" Gu Tianchen mused. Mentally mapping Sun Moon's geography, he realized they were in the empire's northern reaches—beyond lay only the ocean and the Far North. No neighboring nations existed here.
So if there was fighting, internal conflict was the only explanation.
"Let's take a closer look," Chen Junting said. "Yuhao—use linear-range detection."
"Yes, sir."
In the next second, a clear mental image of the battlefield below flooded everyone's minds. Huo Yuhao's Spirit Sharing even included Tai Tan, who was visibly startled by the precision.
Then—
"Senior Sister Ju Zi?!"
The name instantly drew everyone's attention.
Wang Dong'er's eyebrows shot up. "Yuhao—is that the Senior Sister Ju Zi you told me about? The one who bullied you behind your back?!"
Since Wang Dong'er had long since revealed her identity and solidified her relationship with Huo Yuhao, he felt nothing for Ju Zi now—she was just another senior. And given how she'd secretly mistreated him, there'd never been any genuine camaraderie or mutual support between them.
"Uh…" Huo Yuhao rubbed his head awkwardly. "It's not that bad. We sort of reconciled later, and she was expelled anyway. I just never expected… she'd join the military."
He said it casually—but the others heard far more.
The moment Ju Zi's name was spoken, a cold smile curved Chen Junting's lips. A faint, chilling killing intent seeped into the air.
Ju Zi?
The Empress-General?
Ah—so this was the very place from the original canon where she'd met her fate.
Without Huo Yuhao's intervention in that timeline, this hillside would have become her grave.
Chen Junting didn't consider himself a good man.
But his home—the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect—lay within the Tianhun Empire. His family and friends were all there too. If war truly broke out, the sect couldn't stay neutral.
So this side had to win.
Which meant Ju Zi—destined to become a formidable foe in the future—had to die here.
Her death would also cripple Crown Prince Xu Tianran, robbing him of a crucial ally.
And as for unforeseen consequences?
Heh.
Ever since those strange patterns appeared in the Star Dou Forest… ever since statues of the Holy Emperor began gathering faith… the original timeline had already been shattered beyond recognition. One more deviation wouldn't matter.
"Uncle Tai Tan—please open a gap in the barrier."
"Oh? So you want to kill someone, boy."
Tai Tan, of course, sensed the killing intent instantly.
"No," Chen Junting said calmly. "I just want to drop something."
Confused, the others watched as he pulled out a fixed-ammo soul guidance shell. The moment they saw it was a Grade-8 shell, everyone except Tai Tan felt a chill run down their spines.
"Brother Junting, you're—?!" Huo Yuhao gasped.
Before he could finish, Chen Junting cut in: "Yuhao—a capable fiancée of the Crown Prince will inevitably become our enemy. That's what my instincts tell me."
He tapped his forehead meaningfully.
Huo Yuhao, having experienced firsthand the mysteries of fate—guided by Tianmeng Ice Silkworm and Ice Empress—understood immediately. He fell silent.
If their enmity was already written in destiny… then no mercy was needed.
Just like… the future Tang Sect!
At that thought, his Spirit Detection quietly locked on. Ju Zi's image sharpened in Chen Junting's mind.
"Uncle—please."
Tai Tan sighed, hovering in midair, and with a casual shrug, opened a large gap in the barrier.
The Grade-8 fixed-ammo shell plummeted like a falling star.
And right behind it—several more shells followed.
Afterward, the figure who'd dropped them hesitated briefly…
Then…
Five minutes later—another Grade-8 shell streaked downward.
…
Down in the hills, Ju Zi's face was etched with worry.
Her plan should have been flawless.
But she'd gravely underestimated the rebel forces' numbers and strength, leaving her soul guidance squad trapped in a desperate last stand.
Just then—someone suddenly shouted in elation:
"Look! Reinforcements are here!"
Ju Zi's eyes lit up. She scanned the horizon—and sure enough, a vast army was approaching from all directions, blackening the edge of sight.
Battle cries surged toward the heavens.
Tears of relief nearly spilled from Ju Zi's eyes. Her tactical goal had finally succeeded:
Lure the enemy deep—then encircle and annihilate!
She took a deep breath and pulled out the Crown Prince's token.
"Soldiers of the Empire! I am the Crown Prince's betrothed—but also a warrior of this nation, a comrade among you! Today, I fight and die with you all! Follow me—CHARGE!"
She led the charge herself, spearheading the assault.
The troops, unsure if her claim was true, were nonetheless awed by her commanding roar and the imperial token she brandished. They believed her instantly.
Morale soared to unprecedented heights!
The rebels, caught off guard by the sudden reinforcements and the revitalized defenders, faltered in panic.
Facing a counterattack from the "broken" troops and encirclement by the main army, Zhao Yang—the eldest son of Duke Huihuan—made a swift decision: Strike the head to kill the snake. He ordered all forces to target the Crown Prince's fiancée.
Cannon fire erupted.
Soul Masters and soul guidance engineers fought with blood in their eyes.
Thanks to the soldiers' desperate defense, Zhao Yang's assault was repelled, and Ju Zi remained unharmed. Moments later, the main army linked up with her—and in an instant, Zhao Yang's forces were shattered.
Some fled. Others fell.
Within breaths, his entire unit collapsed.
Just as Ju Zi savored her triumph, Ke Ke—ever observant—suddenly shrieked in terror, pointing skyward:
"Ju Zi! Ju Zi! Look above us!"
Every head snapped up.
A black dot was plummeting from the sky.
Then… more dots followed.
"DEFEND!" Ju Zi roared.
She instantly activated the Crown Prince's emergency soul guidance device—a one-time-use artifact that shielded everyone within ten meters.
Then—
BOOOOM!
A mushroom cloud bloomed into the sky.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A chain of explosions followed.
As the smoke cleared and the barrier faded, Ju Zi stood shaken—but still alive.
Then… another black dot appeared.
This time, even Ju Zi could only watch silently, awaiting death.
The Prince's device was single-use—designed to withstand any attack, with a protection duration of a full three minutes.
On a battlefield meant to suppress a minor duchy's rebellion, that should've been more than enough.
Who could've guessed a wildcard would drop two Grade-8 fixed-ammo shells—far beyond standard threat levels?
KABOOOOOM!
Scorching heat and rolling smoke engulfed the hills once more.
High above, Chen Junting watched the second mushroom cloud rise—his expression utterly calm, showing not a trace of remorse.
"Uncle, it's done."
"Then let's go," Tai Tan replied.
To him, what had just happened was nothing more than a trivial detour—not worth mentioning.
------------------------------------------------------
Join my Patreon to read an exclusive novel – 'Douluo: Rebuilding Hao Tian Sect'
40+ Chapters Ahead: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow
There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)