Douluo Continent: Becoming a disciple of Jing Liu, illuminating all the gods

Chapter 73 Wang Qiu'er

After Chen Qiye forced Long Xiaoyao to retreat with the power of a Soul Saint, they returned to Shrek Academy together after Huo Yuhao pressed him for answers.

In the distance, Shrek City finally came into view, and Huo Yuhao calmed himself down. He was finally back. The feeling of returning home eased the anxiety in his heart. Looking at the towering city walls in the distance, Huo Yuhao unconsciously clenched his fists.

One must take things one step at a time; his journey is long. The continent is rife with undercurrents, and all he can do is continuously strengthen himself. In a few months, the next Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament will be held in the Sun Moon Empire. Undoubtedly, this will be another fierce battle. And he and his companions will not only be going into battle with their main force, but also as the Shrek Seven Devils.

Led by Elder Xuan, the group landed dozens of miles outside Shrek City. Shrek City's defenses were formidable; even their own people wouldn't dare fly over it rashly to avoid misunderstandings. The same was true for Shrek Academy. With the development of the Soul Guidance System, various defensive Soul Guidance Devices were continuously being deployed in Shrek City and Shrek Academy.

For these powerful individuals, traveling dozens of miles was merely a matter of moments. When Huo Yuhao saw the gates of Shrek Academy again, he couldn't help but burst into tears.

For him, this place is not just the academy that educated and nurtured him, but also his home!

The day he left the White Tiger Duke's mansion, he told himself that from that moment on, he was an orphan. His mother was gone, and he had to rely on himself for everything. Later, Shrek Academy gave him the warmth of home, educated him to become a talent, and bestowed upon him strength, allowing him to gradually transform from an orphan into the outstanding individual among his peers. Upon returning after completing his studies, Huo Yuhao's heart was filled with longing for Shrek Academy and for his companions.

"Everyone, go back and rest. Chen Qiye, Huo Yuhao, you'll stay at the Sea God Pavilion for now. We'll arrange accommodations for you after the events are over in a few days. Your original dormitory on Sea God Island has been assigned to someone else," Elder Xuan said.

"Event? What event?" Huo Yuhao wondered.

Yan Shaozhe saw through his thoughts and smiled, "Silly boy, forget about it. It's time for our academy to take the entrance exam for the inner academy soon."

Huo Yuhao then realized what was going on.

Shrek Academy's inner academy holds an annual entrance examination. The examination is primarily for senior students from the outer academies, but some outstanding students from other academies who wish to enter Shrek Academy's inner academy can also participate with a recommendation letter from their respective academies. Those who pass the examination can also become members of Shrek Academy's inner academy.

However, because Shrek Academy's Martial Soul Department is the best in the entire continent, it is extremely difficult for students from other academies to pass Shrek Academy's rigorous inner court examinations. It's considered very good if one or two students pass each year; more often than not, there aren't any outside students at all.

Back when he first entered Shrek Academy, Huo Yuhao dreamed of the day when he could participate in the inner court assessment of Shrek Academy! Now, at only seventeen years old, he has already become a member of the Sea God Pavilion.

"Dean Yan, should I also participate in the Inner Academy assessment?" Huo Yuhao asked. He was even feeling a little itchy to participate.

Yan Shaozhe looked at him with a strange expression and chuckled, "What? Want to show off your skills in front of this year's trainees? Of course, you can if you want."

Upon hearing this, Elder Xuan and the other elders couldn't help but laugh. They had watched Huo Yuhao grow up; he was Elder Mu's last disciple and the key figure among the new generation of Shrek Seven Devils. If he couldn't even pass the inner court assessment, then the Soul Guidance Department's Extreme Individual Soldier Plan would be a complete failure.

Huo Yuhao blushed and weakly defended himself, "I... I was just worried that not participating in the assessment might make my classmates feel it was unfair."

Elder Xuan said with a half-smile, "Alright, what kind of assessment are you going to take? Winning against the Dragon Emperor Douluo is already the best assessment you can do. I think if that's the standard, no one else in this year's candidates will pass the assessment except you. However, there will still be an assessment for you, and it will be much more difficult than the inner academy's assessment. You'll be in trouble then."

"My assessment? What is it?" Huo Yuhao asked curiously.

Elder Xuan's smile deepened: "You'll find out then. Are you coming back to the Sea God Pavilion with us now?"

Huo Yuhao shook his head and said, "No. I haven't been back for so long, I want to look around the academy."

"Very well." Elder Xuan nodded. "Your companions should know you're back today. Bei Bei and the others are waiting for you at the Tang Sect. After you've taken a stroll around the academy, go find them."

"And Chen Qiye, you should go take a look around too! Everyone was quite worried when you disappeared."

"Yes."

For several years after Chen Qiye disappeared, no one knew where he went. Chen Qiye didn't tell them either.

After giving Huo Yuhao a few instructions, Elder Xuan transformed into a beam of light and disappeared. The other elders and the two deans also departed. Back on Shrek Academy's territory, they naturally no longer needed to worry about Huo Yuhao and Chen Qiye's safety.

Are my senior brothers all waiting for me at Tang Sect? I'd better go to Tang Sect first.

"Then I'll go take a look around Shrek City first."

And so the two parted ways.

As soon as Chen Qiye arrived in Shrek City, he noticed a figure rushing out from Shrek Academy. The figure was very fast and was already in front of him in the time it took him to turn around.

It was a woman, tall and slender, dressed in a white, fitted outfit with silver trim. Her hair was wrapped in a cloth, and her face was covered with a veil.

It's early spring now, and the area around Shrek Academy is all plains, a time when sandstorms are frequent, so it's quite normal for girls to wear veils.

For some reason, Chen Qiye felt a sudden sense of déjà vu when he saw this person. Just then, a gust of wind blew the headscarf off the girl's head, sending it flying towards Chen Qiye.

Chen Qiye subconsciously raised his hand to catch the cloth, and in that instant, his whole body trembled violently, and he could no longer take his eyes off the girl.

The blouse fell, and a head of long, wavy, light blue hair cascaded down, covering the girl's entire back as she gasped in surprise.

As he turned around, above the veil, a pair of slightly panicked, pinkish-blue eyes met Huo Yuhao's staring gaze.

That fleeting gaze!

Chen Qiye felt as if his soul was about to leave his body. The familiarity, the exquisite gaze, and the excitement from the deepest part of his soul almost made him lose control of his emotions.

The words "Goddess of Light" almost slipped out of my mouth.

Yes! Why does it feel so familiar? Everything about this girl is exactly the same as the Goddess of Light! Huo Yuhao almost wanted to go up and remove the veil from her face.

"You..." Huo Yuhao uttered the simple word, only to find his voice trembling with embarrassment.

The girl's panic lasted only a moment. She subconsciously reached out her slender hand to gently smooth her long hair and extended her other hand to Huo Yuhao.

Her hands were fair and slender, and they still looked so familiar. Yes, they were exactly the same as the Goddess of Light in Chen Qiye's "Light and Rainbow" audio! Chen Qiye felt as if his soul was groaning.

"Give it back." The girl's melodious voice was like a lark singing softly.

Chen Qiye instinctively returned the cloth to her, but before he could speak, the girl took it and turned to run away, a layer of golden light faintly emanating from her body. By the time Chen Qiye reacted, all that remained for him was a slender figure.

Chen Qiye watched the departing figure, "Emperor Beast, you still showed up."

...

the other side

More than two years have passed, and I wonder how they are doing now. How are my eldest and third senior brothers? And my fourth and fifth senior sisters? I don't know if Wang Dong is at the academy or the Tang Sect. I'll go to the Tang Sect first and see.

Thinking of this, he pulled out a map from his Twenty-Four Bridges Under the Moonlit Night. This was a map that Bei Bei had drawn for him, which contained the detailed address of the Tang Clan in Shrek City.

The Tang Clan occupies a considerable area. Although it is located in a relatively remote part of the city, in a place like Shrek City where land is extremely valuable, having such a piece of land is already a special privilege granted to them by the academy.

Taking large strides, Huo Yuhao traversed the city. It had been a long time since he'd returned, and Shrek City was still thriving. The city was bustling with people, and the shops lining the streets all seemed to be doing brisk business. As one of the most important trading centers on the Douluo Continent, the prosperous Shrek City had always been Shrek Academy's most important source of income. Otherwise, how could Shrek Academy support the research of the Soul Guidance Department?

Just as Huo Yuhao was heading towards the Tang Sect, not far away, inside a shop, a pair of beautiful eyes remained fixed on him, watching him until he disappeared at the end of the street before finally stepping out of the shop.

This was Huo Yuhao's first time visiting the Tang Sect, and he was relying on a map to find it, which ultimately took him some time. It took him a full half hour to finally locate the Tang Sect.

From afar, he could see the outer wall of the Tang Clan. The vermilion wall was over two zhang high and extended for nearly a hundred meters towards the street.

The main gate of the Tang Clan was three zhang high, with a huge plaque hanging above it, bearing the two gilded characters "Tang Clan". When Huo Yuhao saw the signature below the plaque, his heart was instantly stirred.

Moon!

The two characters "Tang Sect" were actually written by Elder Mu before his death! Upon seeing these two characters, Huo Yuhao not only thought of Elder Mu, but also of another teacher who had just passed away, and a deep sadness welled up in his eyes.

"Teacher." Huo Yuhao murmured these two words, and his body trembled slightly.

Just then, the main gate of the Tang Sect opened, and a person walked out, coming face to face with Huo Yuhao.

"Nana?" Upon seeing this person, Huo Yuhao exclaimed in surprise. The girl in front of him was none other than Nana, the one with the Ghost Martial Soul, whom he had rescued from the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy!

Nana was overjoyed to see him. She quickly took two steps forward, knelt down on one knee, and called out, "Master."

Huo Yuhao was startled and quickly stepped aside, refusing her greeting. "Nana, what are you doing? Get up."

Nana refused to get up, and shook her head vigorously, her eyes reddening.

Huo Yuhao stepped forward, took her arm, and helped her up: "What's wrong, Nana? Don't cry!"

Nana wiped away her tears, gazed deeply at Huo Yuhao, and said, "Master, I will never forget your kindness in giving me a second chance. Since coming to the Tang Sect, I have learned what happiness and joy truly mean. Master, you not only helped my parents find peace, but you also gave me a completely new life. In this life and the next, I will serve you as your servant and repay your kindness."

Compared to before, Nana looks much better. Her face is fair and rosy, and she is full of youthful vigor and vitality. Her mental state is far superior to what it used to be.

Huo Yuhao was relieved and chuckled, saying, "When I saw you crying, I thought you were unhappy in the Tang Sect. Let's not talk about gratitude anymore. You're actually older than me. From now on, just call me by my name, and I'll call you by your name too. You're already a member of the Tang Sect, so we're friends now."

"How can that be?" Nana refused flatly. "There is a distinction between master and servant. How can I call my master by his name? I always keep my word, Master. Are you testing me?"

Huo Yuhao smiled bitterly, "You're overthinking it. Nana, listen to me. If you insist on acknowledging me as your master, then you'll never forget the past. If that's the case, you can never truly be happy. Do you understand? I helped you back then not to make you my servant, but because I genuinely wanted to help someone with a similar experience. My childhood was similar to yours; I also lost my beloved mother. We're bound by fate. How can I be your master? Forget everything from the past. Since we're starting anew, let bygones be bygones. Your joining the Tang Sect and contributing to its reconstruction is already the best help you can give me."

Nana was about to say something, but when she saw Huo Yuhao's persistent gaze, she swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

"Owner……"

"Hmm? Still calling me that?" Huo Yuhao put on a stern face.

Nana said awkwardly, "Yuhao."

Huo Yuhao laughed and said, "That's right. Nana, are you going out on errands? Then you should go quickly. Are my senior brother and the others there?"

Nana nodded and said, "Mr. Bei is here. Please come in."

"Use 'you,' not 'formal'," Huo Yuhao reminded Nana again, then waved goodbye and quickly entered the Tang Sect. He was so eager to see his companions again.

Watching him slip through the door, Nana smiled sweetly and muttered to herself, "If you won't let me call you that aloud, then I'll just call you that in my heart. Anyway, I've decided you're my master, and that will never change. You can't control me on that."

With that, she happily turned and left.

Upon entering the Tang Clan, Huo Yuhao didn't see a spacious courtyard. The front yard was small, with side rooms on both sides and little decoration, a stark contrast to the grandeur he had seen from the outside. Most of the space had been converted into rooms.

Upon seeing him enter, two young men dressed in white immediately came forward and blocked his path.

"What do you want?" one of the young men, who looked to be around twenty years old, asked.

Huo Yuhao chuckled and said, "Let's go home."

"Go home?" The young man paused for a moment.

Huo Yuhao said, "My name is Huo Yuhao, and I'm also a member of the Tang Sect. Bei Bei is my senior brother. Is he here?"

Upon hearing this, both young men in white showed surprise and delight. The one who had spoken first said, "So you're Sixth Senior Brother. Eldest Senior Brother is here. I'll take you inside."

Huo Yuhao said modestly, "I'm probably not even as old as you, so there's no need to call me 'senior brother.' Just call me by my name."

The young man chuckled and said, "Sixth Senior Brother, that's not how it's said. Eldest Senior Brother said that we're ranked according to the order of entry. Besides, we're all just nominal disciples right now; only after passing the sect's assessment can we become formal disciples."

Huo Yuhao's heart skipped a beat. It seemed that his senior brother had already established rules within the sect! This was a good thing. Without saying anything more, he followed the young man into the second courtyard.

(End of this chapter)