Outside of Mingdu, teams and spectators from all over were converging as the new tournament drew near.
High above, about a hundred kilometers from Mingdu, the Titan Gryphon carrying Chen Junting and his group came to an abrupt halt, circling in place without advancing further.
"It's stopped," Ning Tian said, turning toward Chen Junting.
"If we go any farther, we'll be entering Mingdu's territory," Chen Junting replied, patting the Titan Gryphon's head to signal it could descend. After all, Mingdu was not only the imperial capital but also the nation most proficient in soul engineering. Flying any closer and then suddenly landing might very well paint them as targets for the city's formidable defensive systems.
Thus, the order to halt had come directly from Chen Junting himself.
"Squawk—"
The Titan Gryphon let out a sharp cry and began descending rapidly—it was more than eager to be rid of the humans on its back as quickly as possible.
Yet just as it neared the ground, only a few hundred meters above, something unexpected happened.
"Screech—!"
Another cry echoed—but this time, fear was unmistakable in its tone.
A violent tremor shook its back.
"What's going on?" Dugu Xin and the others swayed violently; had it not been for Sky Azure Vine coiling around them to stabilize their balance, they would have tumbled off the gryphon's back from hundreds of meters in the air!
"It's not its fault," Huo Yuhao said calmly, already reacting the moment the disturbance began. His vast spiritual energy surged outward, scanning below and in all directions.
Then, to everyone's surprise, his face lit up with sudden delight. He turned and shouted, "Brother Junting! It's Senior Sister Zhang and the others down below!"
Chen Junting instantly understood why the Titan Gryphon had panicked. Without hesitation, he ordered, "Yuhao, notify them."
"Yes!"
A soul ring slowly rose around Huo Yuhao. He immediately linked a straight-line mental connection—Spiritual Sharing—directly toward Zhang Lexuan's position below.
Meanwhile, several hundred meters beneath them…
"How on earth did a seventy-thousand-year soul beast appear here out of nowhere?" Bei Bei, as team captain, swiftly flew to Zhang Lexuan's side, eyes locked on the massive creature hovering above, ready for battle.
Normally, a seventy-thousand-year beast wouldn't pose a real threat to Zhang Lexuan—no need for such tension. But this wasn't normal ground; they were hundreds of meters above the earth. If their flight-type soul tools failed, every soul master below the Soul Saint rank—save those with flying martial souls—would face certain death from the fall. On top of that, they were already exhausted from continuous travel.
Zhang Lexuan, however, appeared far calmer than Bei Bei. After all, she knew that powerful backup was nearby.
The problem? That "powerful backup" was none other than Elder Xuan.
(An emoji of exasperated laughter flashed through her mind.)
It wasn't that she didn't trust him... it's just that, well… hmm…
Alright, fine—she admitted it. She had slight doubts—especially regarding his reliability in protecting students. After all, one misstep, and…
"Bei Bei," she said, "I don't know why a seventy-thousand-year soul beast is here, but take everyone down first."
"Got it. Be careful, Senior Sister Lexuan."
Bei Bei understood the stakes and didn't hesitate. Besides, he knew full well Zhang Lexuan's strength. Without the rest of them—these "dead weights," as he privately thought—she could handle the beast without breaking a sweat.
"Bei Bei," Xu Sanshi flew up beside him as the group began descending, "do you think that soul beast could be a trained mount for some major faction? Otherwise, how'd it end up flying here all by itself?"
If that were true, they'd be making a huge blunder.
Bei Bei hesitated. "That shouldn't be…"
"It's absolutely impossible!" interrupted Di Yao before he could finish, bluntly rejecting Xu Sanshi's theory. "The Titan Gryphon is one of the sovereigns of the skies—arrogant and untamable by nature. And this one's already seventy thousand years old, among the strongest of its kind. It would never submit to become a mount."
Her tone carried no trace of politeness.
But Xu Sanshi merely smiled inwardly—I'm a gentleman. No need to argue with girls over a mere guess.
Wang Dong'er, however, had long harbored dislike for Di Yao. Between Di Yao's perpetual air of superiority—acting like she ranked third only after Heaven and Earth—and her uncanny resemblance to Wang Dong'er herself… Well, Xu Sanshi might indulge her, but Wang Dong'er certainly wouldn't.
"Ohoho~" Wang Dong'er drawled with feigned admiration. "Our deputy captain really is well-informed."
"Hmph—" Di Yao scoffed. She and Wang Dong'er had never seen eye to eye, and she returned the jab without hesitation: "At least I'm better than someone as ignorant as you."
But no sooner had she spoken than she was immediately proven wrong.
Bei Bei turned back—and saw, to his astonishment, that Senior Sister Lexuan had already retracted her martial soul and was now standing calmly on the Titan Gryphon's back.
"Wait—something's up," he muttered.
In the next instant, a familiar spiritual ripple washed over their minds from above.
"It's Yuhao's Spiritual Detection Sharing!" Wang Dong'er's face brightened instantly. Then, as if remembering something, she added with a smirk, "Now, who was it again who so confidently claimed this beast could never be a mount? Oh! That was you, wasn't it?"
Ignoring Di Yao's darkening expression, Wang Dong'er shot upward toward the gryphon's back—she couldn't wait another moment to reunite with Huo Yuhao after nearly a month apart.
Bei Bei didn't stop her. In fact, he led the way onto the gryphon's back himself—conserving soul power was always wise.
One by one, the others followed.
Only Di Yao lingered, shooting the Titan Gryphon a glare as she approached. You useless creature—how could you be so spineless?!
But what truly irked her wasn't the gryphon's submission—it was the fact that she'd just been publicly humiliated. Everything else was trivial.
Besides… it was serving as a mount for their partner from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, so it wasn't entirely shameful.
Sensing Di Yao's aura, the Titan Gryphon almost looked pitiful. It didn't want to serve—but what choice did a mere seventy-thousand-year soul beast have when commanded by the Beast God himself?
Once the entire Shrek group had boarded, they first bowed respectfully toward Zhi Yong—the Titled Douluo—before dispersing.
Wang Dong'er immediately sought out Huo Yuhao, and the two soon joined Dugu Xin's side.
Meanwhile, Zhang Lexuan, Bei Bei, and Di Yao approached Chen Junting and Ning Tian—essentially a meeting between team leaders.
"Junting, Xiao Tian." ×2
"Senior Sister, Brother Bei." ×2
After exchanging greetings—with Di Yao offering only a cool nod—Chen Junting and Ning Tian paid it no mind.
After brief pleasantries, Zhang Lexuan inquired about the Titan Gryphon's origins. Chen Junting didn't hide the truth: he'd borrowed it directly from Di Tian.
"Oh?" Zhang Lexuan's brow furrowed slightly. "Why?"
At that, Chen Junting's smile faded.
"I assume the Academy has already informed you—Sun Moon Empire harbors treacherous ambitions. They're likely to ambush us on our way back. This gryphon is our escape route—flying high enough to vanish from their sight."
Ah—now it made sense!
The three of them nodded in understanding.
They didn't speak much after that. The Titan Gryphon's speed was extraordinary; in moments, they had already touched down smoothly.
From here on, they'd have to walk.
As for the gryphon's next assignment:
"There's a remote mountain near Mingdu, rarely visited by humans. Stay there for now. I'll send someone with food. When the time comes, I'll send word—and you'll pick us up at this location."
"Screech—"
The Titan Gryphon nodded, let out a clear, ringing cry, then spread its mighty wings and soared into the sky, vanishing into the distance.
After a brief rest, the group set off together toward Mingdu.
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