Tang Lan had rushed to Star Dou Forest using Blood Escape Technique,
But there was no urgency on the way back.
After all, he and Xiao Wu had been apart for far too long.
There were countless whispers and affections to share.
As for Jing Ling, the third wheel,
He was definitely not needed here.
So Tang Lan let him return to Tang Sect on his own.
Meanwhile, Tang Lan and Xiao Wu wandered through mountains and rivers,
Enjoying their journey to the fullest.
At first, Xiao Wu was unaware of how uninhibited Tang Lan had become.
At night, she still habitually sought him out for dual cultivation.
Then—
She was completely conquered.
Xiao Wu's remarkable flexibility was pushed to its absolute limits by Tang Lan!
The pleasure was overwhelming!
It was a totally different experience from Zhu Zhuqing.
And once Xiao Wu was introduced to this new world, she couldn't stop.
She even tossed her communication Soul Tool into her storage ring,
utterly engrossed in their travels.
The two lovers hopped from city to city,
Leaving traces of their love in various inns and hotels.
They were so indulged that they completely forgot about home.
One Month Later – Heaven Dou City
A huge number of people had arrived, seeking to join Tang Sect.
But due to the conflict with the royal family, Tang Sect had stopped recruitment.
The masses of displaced people now crowded Heaven Dou City.
The numbers were so overwhelming that—
Prince Xue Xing had to rent out three entire streets of inns and hotels just to accommodate them.
And the number kept increasing every day!
This was giving him a massive headache!
But there was nothing he could do.
The issue stemmed from the conflict between Tang Lan and the royal family.
Most of these new arrivals were Soul Masters.
Even though their average rank wasn't too high,
if they weren't properly handled, it could cause serious security issues.
And to make matters worse—
Ever since Tang Lan left, there had been no word from him.
Before leaving, Tang Lan had even ordered a halt to production—
The firearm assembly line was shut down,
causing serious delays in military armament.
The communication Soul Tools had also stopped production,
because the Blue Silver Kings collectively went on strike.
Even Emperor Xue Ye had personally urged them several times to fix this problem.
If Xue Xing didn't find a solution soon, he would be in deep trouble!
But Tang Lan was nowhere to be found,
so what could Xue Xing do?
He could only grit his teeth and endure.
"Ding—"
The screen of his communication Soul Tool lit up.
Xue Xing glanced at it—
Then suddenly stood up!
"Earl Tang and a woman… have appeared in Tianji City!"
Tianji City was only a few hundred kilometers away from Heaven Dou City.
Finally!
That bastard finally showed up!
Just as Xue Xing stood up to leave,
Prince Xue Beng came rushing in, panting with excitement.
"He's appeared!"
Xue Beng's eyes shone with eagerness.
"That guy finally showed up!"
"Uncle, we have to go find him immediately!"
"We can't let Xue Qinghe get to him first!"
Xue Xing frowned deeply.
He scolded, "So impulsive! How do you expect to achieve great things acting like this?"
Xue Beng's steps slowed, his excitement gradually calming down.
"Uncle, I can't help it," he said seriously.
"Tang Sect is simply too important!"
"If we gain their support—if we control the firearms and communication Soul Tools—then I'll have the power to compete with Xue Qinghe!"
"With that protection, he won't dare to blatantly try to kill me!"
"That's why—"
Xue Xing's frown finally relaxed.
"Before we go to Tang Lan, we must first invite Dugu Bo."** He spoke gravely. "To prevent any unforeseen dangers along the way."
Xue Beng was startled.
"No way… Would Xue Qinghe really—"
Xue Xing cut him off with a wave of his hand and strode out.
Xue Beng had no choice but to follow him.
As It Turns Out—Xue Xing Was Absolutely Right.
Just twenty kilometers outside Heaven Dou City,
an assassination squad had already set up an ambush.
The squad consisted of—
Two Spirit Douluo (Rank 80+),
Six Spirit Saints (Rank 70+),
and even possessed a Martial Soul Fusion Technique!
If Dugu Bo hadn't reacted immediately,
unleashing a massive wave of Jade Phosphor Snake Venom to form a protective poison barrier—
Xue Beng would have been killed on the spot!
Watching the assassins retreat,
Xue Beng's face twisted with fury, his teeth grinding together!
"He actually dared?!"
"Why wouldn't he?" Xue Xing said calmly.
"By stepping forward, we've already exposed our ambitions."
"Since Tang Sect can't be destroyed quickly, the only option left is to eliminate you."
Xue Beng fell silent.
Xue Xing didn't press further.
He simply turned to Dugu Bo and cupped his hands.
"Once again, we must thank you for your assistance."
Dugu Bo ignored him.
His gaze remained fixed in the direction where the assassins had fled,
his expression thoughtful.
The Martial Soul Fusion Technique of those two Spirit Douluo was incredibly powerful!
How could such strong individuals remain unknown?
Prince Xue Xing, however, wasn't surprised by being ignored.
He was used to it.
Dugu Bo had always been antisocial.
If it weren't for the time when Xue Xing used the Heaven Dou army to drive away Yue Guan and saved Dugu Bo's life,
he probably wouldn't even be able to request this old master's help.
Their group rushed toward Tianji City.
Following their intelligence sources,
they located Tang Lan and Xiao Wu—
at a small food stall, enjoying a meal.
Before Xue Xing could even open his mouth,
the reclusive Dugu Bo actually spoke first!
"You little monster, you're having the time of your life, huh? Meanwhile, this old man nearly got his bones shattered!"
Judging by his tone…
He sounded familiar?
Tang Lan swallowed the wonton that Xiao Wu had fed him and glanced at Dugu Bo.
"Your hair turned black again. Looks like the poison is almost fully purified?"
"All thanks to your method," Dugu Bo sat down across from him, sighing. "If it weren't for the enhancement from the Jade Phosphor Serpent Poison, I would've been dead this time."
Oh?
Tang Lan's interest was piqued.
He pressed for more details.
Upon hearing how Dugu Bo was almost taken out by two Spirit Douluo,
Tang Lan's expression turned a little… strange.
So the phrase "Titled Douluo are just fancy paving stones" wasn't an exaggeration after all, huh?
"What's with that look?" Dugu Bo was not pleased. "Aside from those two Spirit Douluo, all the Spirit Saints were poisoned to death by me!"
Tang Lan's mouth twitched.
Dude, you're a freaking Titled Douluo…
Are you seriously bragging about killing a few Spirit Saints?
Dugu Bo was about to lose his temper!
Seeing this, the neglected Xue Xing hurriedly stepped in to smooth things over.
Meanwhile, Xue Beng seized the opportunity to step forward and speak.
"Sect Master Tang, I am Xue Beng!"
Xue Beng bowed respectfully and said,
"I have come on behalf of the Heaven Dou Empire to apologize for Xue Qinghe's offense against you."
Tang Lan lifted his bowl,
casually sipping his soup as he spoke as if offhandedly—
"Xiao Wu, what were the conditions we discussed with Star Luo Empire?"
—Boom!
Both Xue Xing and Xue Beng felt their hearts tighten!
This guy disappeared for a whole month…
Had he really gone to personally inspect the Star Luo Empire?
Was he actually planning to move his sect there?!
"They offered us a lot of things."
Xiao Wu raised her delicate fingers, counting them off one by one.
"Money, manpower, special privileges, cultivation resources…"
Xue Beng couldn't hold it in anymore!
Years of pretending to be a useless playboy had conditioned him—
He instinctively retorted:
"You think the Heaven Dou Empire will just let you leave?! If you dare—"
"AARGH—!"
Before he could finish his sentence,
Prince Xue Xing's footsmashed into Xue Beng's knees—
Forcing him to kneel!
Then, stepping forward,
Xue Xing deeply bowed toward Tang Lan.
"Please forgive my nephew's ignorance, Sect Master Tang!"
Xue Beng was completely dumbfounded.
What the hell just happened?!
Sure, maybe his words were a bit harsh,
but was it really necessary to be this submissive?!
Tang Lan glanced at Xue Beng's unconvinced expression and shook his head.
This idiot…
And he was supposed to be the future ruler of Heaven Dou?
If Qian Renxue hadn't cleared all obstacles for him,
and if Emperor Xue Ye wasn't on his deathbed,
there was no way in hell he would've become Emperor.
Without even acknowledging Xue Xing,
Tang Lan turned to Dugu Bo and spoke—
A single sentence that instantly made everyone tense up.
"Old poison, if I decide to go to Star Luo Empire… would you try to stop me?"
(End of Chapter)