Lu Mingfei starts from Douluo.

Lu Mingfei didn't seem to feel any sadness or grief, after all, it was just Xue Qinghe.

It's like having a neighbor who's lived next door for over ten years, who would cheerfully greet you every morning on your way to school, and then suddenly one day they move away and never open the door again. You'd feel a little out of place.

But that's all. You'll still go to school every morning, and eventually the door next door might open again, but with a different person, or even more people. By then, you'll have already gotten used to it.

Maybe I'll suddenly remember him a few times when I leave the house in the morning?

Lu Mingfei fell asleep on the table, just like he used to sleep in the back row of the classroom, as if the whole world had shut him out.

He slept soundly without any dreams and no one disturbed him.

It wasn't until the sun rose the next day that Yu Tianheng and the others knocked on his door.

"Lu Mingfei, we're about to set off."

Yesterday, before it even got dark, Lu Mingfei came up to rest and didn't even eat dinner, which made them a little worried.

They only learned about Xue Qinghe's situation yesterday. They knew that Lu Mingfei and Xue Qinghe were very close, even best friends. They were sure Lu Mingfei was upset about what happened to Xue Qinghe.

"Coming, coming," Lu Mingfei responded, opened the door and came out. He had woken up early and was now full of energy, in much better condition than Yu Tianheng and the others who had been beaten up yesterday.

Seeing Lu Mingfei's condition, Yu Tianheng and the others felt somewhat relieved.

After going downstairs and having a hearty breakfast, the group, led by Bone Douluo, Poison Douluo, and Prince Xuexing, left Wuhun City in a grand procession. They then met up with the Royal Knights stationed outside the city and began their return journey.

Since we're just killing time anyway, even though we can't make it to the funeral, we should still go back and offer incense.

Meanwhile, on a hill in the center of Wuhun City, Qian Renxue, bathed in the sunlight of the rising sun, quietly watched the departure of the Heaven Dou Empire's convoy.

He silently apologized to himself, then slowly walked towards the Douluo Palace at the top of the mountain.

Qian Daoliu once said that Lu Mingfei had gone further than her, but she didn't want to lose to anyone. Next time they met, she was determined to win back her pride herself!

--

Meanwhile, inside the Heavenly Dou Imperial Palace.

On a snowy night after the grand court meeting, the emperor sat alone in his study, lost in thought.

Before dawn, Tiandou City had already received various messages from Wuhun City, a thousand miles away.

The descendants of the Thousand Families appear in the world, Lu Ming wins without fighting, the Heaven Dou Royal Academy wins the final victory in the Soul Master Competition, Tang San's identity is exposed, Tang Hao is ambushed and seriously injured by the Spirit Hall, and is then rescued by an unknown Clear Sky Hammer Soul Master.

All these messages left him exhausted.

However, the Spirit Hall has encountered an even greater threat: the Angelic Successor. The Haotian Douluo, whom they had painstakingly recruited, is seriously injured and his whereabouts are unknown. Compared to this, the so-called victory in the Soul Master Competition is utterly insignificant, and can even be described as somewhat bitter.

His perfect crown prince is gone, which also means that the kite string that the Heaven Dou Empire used to win over Lu Mingfei has been broken.

Furthermore, given that Xue Xing had previously participated in the attempt to intercept Lu Mingfei, they no longer had any chance of winning over this future supreme powerhouse.

Now that all the bad cards have been dealt, he could almost feel the Heavenly Dou Empire crumbling.

"Your Majesty, Master Tang of Yuexuan requests an audience."

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a guard reporting from outside the door.

"Summon." Emperor Xueye frowned.

After the Haotian Sect was closed down, Tang Yuehua secretly came to Tiandou City as the sect's representative and established Yuexuan. Now that Tang Yuehua has suddenly come to visit, it must be about Tang Hao.

A moment later, a graceful woman in palace attire slowly walked into the hall and gave a gentle bow.

"Yuehua greets Your Majesty."

"No need for such formalities, Master Xuan. Please have a seat." Emperor Xueye gently waved his hand, then dismissed everyone, including the guards. "What brings you here today, Master Xuan?"

Tang Yuehua did not sit down, but spoke directly: "Your Majesty, I have come here today to share your burdens. My elder brother is waiting outside the hall for Your Majesty's summons. We hope to discuss the alliance between the Haotian Sect and the Tiandou Royal Family with Your Majesty."

Chapter 194 The Silence of the Lambs

Tang Yuehua's words immediately made Emperor Xueye's eyes light up.

Who is her elder brother? He is none other than Tang Xiao, the sect leader of the Haotian Sect, the number one sect in the world.

The intelligence we received yesterday stated that the person who rescued Tang Hao and Tang San was a Title Douluo Soul Master wearing a black robe and wielding a Clear Sky Hammer. It must be Sect Master Tang.

He paid a huge price for his cooperation and alliance with Tang Hao. If Tang Hao becomes ineffective, he might be able to make up for it by dealing with Tang Xiao.

"Please come in quickly," Emperor Xueye hurriedly said.

A moment later, Tang Xiao entered the hall, removed his hood, and gave a slight bow, saying, "Tang Xiao of Haotian Sect greets Your Majesty."

"Howling Sky Douluo, please have a seat." Emperor Xueye stood up and greeted him with a smile: "I wonder how the Clear Sky Douluo is doing now?"

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. Brother Hao is now fine." Tang Xiao shook his head.

Emperor Xueye breathed a slight sigh of relief upon hearing Tang Xiao's answer. Tang Hao had taken so many of his things; if he were to die so easily, their strength to resist the Spirit Hall would be greatly diminished.

"I am relieved to hear that Haotian Douluo is safe and sound. May I ask what matters Xiaotian Douluo has come to discuss today?" Emperor Xueye asked.

"For the past ten years or so, I am deeply grateful to His Majesty for taking care of my Haotian Sect." Tang Xiao nodded and continued, "Now that the angelic successor of the Spirit Hall has appeared in the world, turmoil is imminent. The murder of Prince Qinghe is clear evidence of this. In order to prevent the Spirit Hall from succeeding in its wolfish ambitions, I have come here today to formally establish an alliance with His Majesty to jointly fight against the Spirit Hall."

Emperor Xueye was slightly taken aback upon hearing this. The Clear Sky Sect had been like a cowardly turtle in recent years; otherwise, he wouldn't have bothered to seek an alliance with Tang Hao again. He never expected that the Spirit Hall would produce an Angel Successor, which would actually make the Clear Sky Sect's sect master unable to sit still. It was truly beyond his expectations.

"Since it's an alliance, I'll go and invite Sect Master Ning of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School to come and discuss our plans." Emperor Xueye sensed that something was amiss.

Compared to the Haotian Sect, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is more reliable. After all, Seven Treasure City is right next to them, and the alliance between the two has lasted for over a hundred years. It is quite unusual that the Haotian Sect, which had always supported Xingluo, would now take the initiative to visit them.

"Your Majesty, please wait." Tang Xiao raised his hand to stop him, saying, "It is not convenient for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School to know about today's events for the time being."

"Oh?" Emperor Xueye frowned. "The three upper sects are closely connected, and my Heavenly Dou royal family also has a deep personal relationship with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School. What is it that you cannot tell me?"

"Your Majesty, as I just said, it's only temporary. When the time comes, I will personally pay a visit to Sect Leader Ning," Tang Xiao said.

"What secrets does Xiaotian Douluo have? Please speak frankly." Emperor Xueye frowned and stared intently at Tang Xiao. He wanted to know what was going on that he had to keep from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.

"I wonder if Your Majesty is aware of what happened in Spirit City a couple of days ago?" Tang Xiao sighed. "My brother Hao and my nephew Tang San almost encountered danger outside Spirit City, but only about twenty people know their true identities."

"Through elimination, we can finally confirm that the person who leaked the information was Lu Mingfei, who ultimately participated in the final round. Only he had the motive to do so."

In fact, this was just an excuse that Tang Xiao made up. Tang San's identity had probably been exposed long ago, but the Pope of the Spirit Hall didn't expose him because Tang San only had a Blue Silver Grass spirit and was also a master. As for why the Spirit Hall suddenly took action, it was probably related to the sudden appearance of the Holy Maiden of the Qian Family.

Now that they've pinned the blame on Lu Mingfei, they can openly and legitimately take action against him.

Otherwise, this number one genius on the continent is already famous and at the height of his power. If their Haotian Sect were to make a move, they would inevitably be despised by the entire continent.

"What does Xiaotian Douluo mean?" They were all old foxes. Emperor Xueye immediately understood that Haotian Sect was preparing to take action against Lu Mingfei. Today's alliance was to prevent the Tiandou Empire from interfering and even to provide them with convenience.

He certainly admired Lu Mingfei, but now this kite was clearly drifting away. Even the Spirit Hall's offer of the next Pope's position to retain him was unmoved. After Xue Qinghe's passing, their Heaven Dou Empire was even less able to keep people.

"I only hope that Your Majesty can have Sect Leader Ning stay in the palace to protect Your Majesty on that day," Tang Xiao finally revealed his purpose.

The biggest variable in their plan is the attitude of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School. If the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School finds out in advance, they will inevitably play both sides, either informing Lu Mingfei beforehand or deciding to suddenly intervene and show favor to Lu Mingfei after the battle breaks out on the day of the battle.

"Xiaotian Douluo overestimates me. Sect Master Ning is not someone I can stop." Emperor Xueye shook his head with a wry smile.

This is just an excuse. The Clear Sky Sect has not offered any incentives to make him completely side with them. After all, Lu Mingfei also has a Title Douluo behind him, and Lu Mingfei himself is younger and more promising than Tang Hao. Offending Lu Mingfei would be completely disproportionate to the consequences and benefits; only a fool would do it.

"I can swear that if Your Majesty agrees, then the eight Title Douluos, including myself and Brother Hao, will do their utmost to assist the Heaven Dou Royal Family. I myself am also willing to take the Fourth Prince as my disciple and do my best to help him grow up safely into a qualified Crown Prince. Moreover, after defeating the Spirit Hall, I will never set foot in the conflict between the Star Luo and Heaven Dou Kingdoms again," Tang Xiao said with conviction.

Emperor Xueye was completely stunned when he heard the number of eight Title Douluos.

Eight in total, and they are all Clear Sky Hammer Soul Masters!

"Is Xiaotian Douluo joking?" Emperor Xueye straightened up and asked incredulously.

"I swear on the honor of the Clear Sky Sect that what I just said was absolutely true, without the slightest deception of Your Majesty." Tang Xiao stared solemnly at Xue Ye. "There is another secret I can tell Your Majesty: my nephew Tang San actually possesses twin martial souls, and his second martial soul is also the Clear Sky Hammer."

The room suddenly fell silent. Emperor Xueye was silent, and he could only hear his own heartbeat. After a long while, he sat down in a chair and nodded. His full head of white hair swayed and he looked extremely weathered. He thought that even if Xue Qinghe were still alive, he would agree today.

"Your Majesty, you can inform Sect Leader Ning of what you said today on the same day. He is a smart man and knows how to make a choice."

Tang Xiao stood up, bowed, and took his leave. Tang Yuehua followed him out.

The deterrent power of eight titled Douluo and a genius with twin martial souls is self-evident.

Their purpose in coming here was simply to make the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School and the Heaven Dou Empire stand by and do nothing, as if nothing had happened.

Thus, a vast net has been quietly cast, waiting for someone to walk right into it.

Chapter 195 The Return Journey

The firewood crackled in the campfire, and the flickering flames reflected a peaceful scene on everyone's faces.

The return journey was faster than expected, as everyone from top to bottom was eager to get home.

The teams from each ducal kingdom had already dispersed and returned to their respective countries, leaving only the Four Elements Academy, the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, and Shrek Academy.

As the saying goes, every great event has a beginning and an end. Most of the participants in this competition will graduate and go their separate ways.

Therefore, this journey home turns into a bonfire party for each college every night, where everyone reminisces and talks about their glorious years at the college.

Before, they were opponents on the field, but now that the game is over, after a bottle of wine, it's no big deal for a few men to put their arms around each other.

After all, I'm about to venture out into the mainland, and everyone knows the saying that having more friends means having more options.

Of course, the most attention-grabbing figure among them is undoubtedly the champion, the Heavenly Dou Royal Academy, or more accurately, Lu Mingfei.

At a time like this, we should seize the opportunity to have a good chat with this awesome legend, so we can have something to brag about later.

So, Blazing Fire Academy grilled skewers, Divine Wind Academy fanned the air, Heavenly Water Academy drank ice wine, Thunder Academy used electricity to fish, and Heavenly Dou Royal Academy used their prize money to buy ingredients and chatted and boasted. Only Shrek Academy, which clearly came in third place, seemed unusually quiet.

Because Liu Erlong had already returned to Tiandou City to search for the Grandmaster's whereabouts, only Flander, the only teacher left in Shrek Academy, led the team back alone.

Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing directly stated their intention to graduate and leave.

Shrek Academy is now like a pile of loose sand, and even the usually arrogant Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun have lost their spirit.

After all, their arrogance was based on Tang San and Tang Hao, but now that both of them are missing and their fates are unknown, they no longer dare to be arrogant and can only keep a low profile.

Dai Mubai, in particular, was fuming. The family trial was just around the corner, but Tang San and Tang Hao were still in grave danger. If he couldn't find them when he returned to Tiandou City, he would be captured and killed immediately.

"Here you go, Mingfei." Huowu from Blazing Fire Academy handed over a skewer of grilled meat from the side.

"Thank you." Lu Mingfei said with a smile, and Ning Rongrong, who was standing next to him, handed him a grilled sausage at the same time.

Seeing that the atmosphere was getting a bit awkward, he didn't hold back and stuffed all the food into his mouth.

Ning Rongrong and Huo Wu exchanged a glance, snorted at each other, and turned their heads away without saying a word.

This scene, witnessed by Feng Xiaotian, made him so envious he almost cried. He picked up a bottle of wine and gulped it down.

The world is so diverse.

"Mingfei, what are your plans after you return to Tiandou City this time?" Ning Rongrong asked sweetly as she sat down next to Lu Mingfei, twirling her hair with her fingers.

She hadn't dared to ask the question the whole way, fearing that Lu Mingfei would disappear after she did.

But with only a day's journey remaining to Tiandou City, she finally asked the question.

"Travel the continent and cultivate diligently." Lu Mingfei smiled and shook his head; the word "future" was simply a blur to him.

He has never been a very ambitious person. If it were in the past, he would probably have graduated from university by now, found an ordinary job, bought an apartment with his parents' help, played a couple of StarCraft games online in the evenings, and maybe even went on a blind date in a couple of years to find a decent partner, get married, and have kids.

And here, it seems there's nothing else to do besides cultivate.

After listening to Lu Mingfei's words, Ning Rongrong felt both helpless and somewhat relieved. There are advantages to being a cultivation fanatic. If Lu Mingfei really had any ulterior motives, she would be even more worried.

Putting aside everything else, not long ago the Spirit Hall even offered the future position of Pope, but fortunately Lu Mingfei was not tempted.

Although their Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School is incredibly wealthy, the gap between them and the Spirit Hall is simply too great; they are incomparable.

Especially after hearing from Yu Feng these past few days that the Holy Maiden of the Spirit Hall seemed to be paying special attention to Lu Mingfei, she felt an even greater sense of crisis.

Everything seems normal now; Lu Mingfei is still the same blockhead, showing no signs of suddenly becoming enlightened.

Lu Mingfei had no idea that Ning Rongrong's words contained so many hidden meanings.

However, Ning Rongrong's words did indeed remind him that he should think carefully about his next plan.

Besides leveling up, shouldn't we look for other side quests or something?

However, the risks of side quests seem quite high. Last time, the pure-blooded true dragon and the half-body of the dragon god that appeared in the Star Dou Great Forest almost killed him. Thinking about it, it's definitely better to play it safe first and find a place to survive and develop first.

Ning Rongrong rolled her eyes as she looked at Lu Mingfei, who was lost in thought again. Was her charm really that little?

Lu Mingfei can even get distracted while talking to her?

However, before she could even find the right words to condemn Lu Mingfei's excessive behavior, perhaps even the heavens couldn't stand it anymore, and a muffled clap of thunder shattered the entire night sky.

Large raindrops brought the evening's bonfire party to a close, and everyone reluctantly packed up their belongings and boarded the carriages to take shelter from the rain.

The heavy rain lasted all night and showed no signs of stopping until daytime. This rain slowed down the entire convoy's journey. Originally scheduled to arrive at Tiandou City by sunset in the afternoon, they did not arrive until late at night.