After stashing everything away into the Nullspace, Li Chang'an finally left the forest—if it could still be called a forest after the destruction it had endured.
Still, he didn't need to recuperate. Even after burning through so much energy, he felt ridiculously good. The power of that Origin Fruit truly lived up to its name!
Unfortunately, what really bummed Li Chang'an out was the fact that his points were gone. All he had left was three. Just three measly points! Pathetic!
The good news? He had advanced to the rank of Spirit Sage, a major milestone for any Spirit master. At this rank, while he wouldn't go as far as claiming he could beat down a Title Douluo, he certainly wasn't afraid of taking on your average one.
But that wasn't his most urgent concern right now. What mattered more was that he still lacked two soul rings. Before anything else, he needed to find and attach those rings!
Thankfully, his body was now strong enough to support soul rings of up to 200,000 years. That meant his next soul ring choices needed to be made very carefully—after all, on this continent, Spirit beasts over 200,000 years old were all considered fierce beasts.
And he'd just confirmed his relationship with Gu Yuena. If he turned around now and immediately went into the Star Dou Great Forest to slaughter two ferocious beasts, how would that even make sense?
But where else besides the Star Dou Great Forest could you find Spirit beasts over 100,000 or even 200,000 years?
'Wait—the ocean!'
Suddenly, a thought struck Li Chang'an—the ocean!
On the planet of Douluo, the ocean covered vast territory, filled with secrets and hidden dangers. The Spirit beasts of the sea were full of unknowns, filled with dragons and crouching tigers. For instance, there was that legendary 990,000-year-old sea Spirit beast…
Now that he thought about it, he'd been gone a long time. It was probably time to head back and check in. And this time, he could bring his teacher along—have her accompany him to the ocean to obtain his sixth and seventh soul rings.
Once the decision was made, Li Chang'an returned to Shrek Academy, briefly arranged his upcoming tasks, then dragged Xiao Wu off to a hotel for some in-depth communication. Only after that did he temporarily leave the academy.
He had considered visiting Zhu Zhuqing before leaving, but after thinking it over, he decided against it. After all, their relationship wasn't exactly official. Visiting her now might make things worse, not better. Still, he was pretty sure she did have feelings for him.
Since he was traveling solo, Li Chang'an didn't bother with a carriage or anything. He didn't need it—he wasn't bringing any of his women with him, after all.
He summoned the Donghuang Bell, and after a few spatial jumps, he quickly arrived near Spirit City.
Spirit City had changed a lot in recent years. Its walls had been expanded, its territory had grown several times over, and traffic in and out had significantly increased.
Unbeknownst to many, Spirit City had also set up various security installations—brand-new soul tools, state-of-the-art equipment.
And the city's defense forces had improved drastically. Not only did they now include Spirit masters, but many of the guards were equipped with soul tool gear for their patrols. The city's security had skyrocketed.
Spirit City itself was more prosperous than ever. Thanks to recent reforms and people-friendly policies, more and more individuals and merchants were choosing to settle here.
In recent years, the Spirit Hall's reputation among the common people had soared. They came from the people, and now they were returning to the people. They were increasingly beloved by the masses.
In contrast, the two great empires had gone the opposite direction. The endless dukes, kingdoms, and nobles—they were the rule-makers, and naturally, their rules didn't benefit ordinary people.
Still, both empires had been trying to win over powerful clans and Spirit master sects to bolster their strength. For example, the Heaven Dou Empire had established close alliances with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, while the Star Luo Empire had recruited several powerful noble families…
Returning to the Spirit Hall Academy, Li Chang'an couldn't help but feel a bit emotional.
He didn't go looking for Mu Xi right away. Instead, he headed to the cafeteria. As soon as he released a bit of his spiritual sense, he immediately located Hu Liena and Mu Xi having a meal together.
Ever since Li Chang'an had gone off claiming he was on some top-secret mission, Hu Liena had made a habit of checking in on Mu Xi. The two girls had gradually begun eating together, chatting occasionally.
Today, Hu Liena wore a bright orange dress that hugged her fiery figure perfectly. Her sexy lips and chestnut hair exuded a vibrant youthful charm.
Mu Xi, on the other hand, wore a simple white shirt with black pants and ordinary pink canvas shoes. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail. Combined with her delicate features and sorrowful peach blossom eyes, she gave off an air of gentle vulnerability.
They were two women of completely different styles and personalities, yet they now sat at the same table—all because of one man. It was strange how fate worked.
Of course, it was Hu Liena who had taken the more active role. Being older and more emotionally mature, she understood the importance of a united front.
She knew Li Chang'an was a remarkable man. So during his long absence, she had naturally been worried he'd attract other women. To head that off, she'd made an effort to befriend Mu Xi first.
Mu Xi was a very easy person to get along with. Her gentle temperament made it impossible for Hu Liena to bully her even if she'd wanted to. In the end, the two got along surprisingly well.
What Hu Liena didn't know was that her greatest rival wasn't sitting across from her…
It was her teacher.
"Ahh, my dear Mu Xi… that guy's been gone nearly half a year, and he hasn't sent a single message. You think he's forgotten about us already?"
Hu Liena had seen Mu Xi's face plenty of times, but every time, she still couldn't help feeling a twinge of pity. What a sweet girl she was.
The moment Mu Xi heard Hu Liena refer to "that guy," her peach blossom eyes immediately lit up with a soft smile. In her world, Li Chang'an was everything.
"N-no, it's not like that," she said, quickly shaking her head. Her soft voice dropped to a near-whisper. "He's not that kind of person… he's probably just busy…"
Her words were quiet, but filled with sincerity. She wasn't the kind to overthink things, but the longing in her heart had been growing stronger by the day. She'd been noticeably more withdrawn lately.
"Yo, two beautiful ladies—mind if I join you for lunch?"
A lazy, familiar voice interrupted out of nowhere. Hu Liena scowled, already irritated, and was about to chase the guy off—until she looked up.
The moment she saw who it was, those seductive eyes of hers filled with sudden tears.
"You bastard… you're finally back!"
Mu Xi's eyes flew wide open, and she immediately turned around.
There he was—the man who had haunted her dreams countless nights.
Her peach blossom eyes overflowed with tears, falling uncontrollably.
"You… are you hungry?"
Mu Xi was Mu Xi after all. Even now, her first concern was whether or not Li Chang'an had eaten.
____
T/N:
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