Elder Xuan led the group, and Shrek Academy’s various powerful individuals protected everyone else as everybody activated their flying-type soul tools and soared into the sky. They wanted to avoid any more conflicts with the Sun Moon Empire’s powerful individuals, so they flew towards the west for a little while longer before they went around in a large circle towards the Heavenly Soul Empire.

No matter how strong the Sun Moon Empire’s soul engineers were, they couldn’t scout and patrol every single inch of the empire’s borders. Everyone flew at full speed for a day and a night before they exited the Sun Moon Empire’s borders and entered the Heavenly Soul Empire.

Elder Xuan made sure that they were safe before he took everyone to a relatively tranquil and remote forest. They descended into the forest, and Elder Xuan instructed everyone to rest where they were.

Huo Yuhao had been carrying Wang Dong’er this entire time, and he had even activated a protective soul barrier to protect her while they flew.

Wang Dong’er was still in a very, very deep sleep. She seemed to have entered a peculiar state of hibernation, and her blood circulation became a lot slower after flying through the air for an entire day. However, her life energy was still exuberant, but she almost didn’t expend any energy at all, to the point where it was almost undetectable. She resembled a winter animal that was hibernating for the winter.

Huo Yuhao scanned her sealed spiritual sea with his spiritual power, but didn’t detect any changes at all. Wang Dong’er’s spiritual undulations had become exceptionally weak, but Huo Yuhao found it easier to come to terms with this fact – no matter what, Wang Dong’er’s condition was relatively stable, at the very least.

The other five members of Shrek’s Seven Monsters conscientiously circled around Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong’er so that they could protect them.

Bei Bei heaved a faint sigh as he watched the grief that flowed from Huo Yuhao’s eyes from time to time. He squatted down and patted Huo Yuhao on his shoulder as he carefully placed Wang Dong’er on a woolen blanket that had been laid out for her. Bei Bei said, “You don’t have to be so depressed, Yuhao. Dong’er will definitely recover. Everyone has absolute faith that she will recover. Remember to ask if she needs any exotic herbs of whatnot after you take her back to the Clear Sky Sect, and the few of us will bring those things to you even if we have to risk our lives.”

Huo Yuhao looked up at Bei Bei. “Eldest senior brother, Dong’er will definitely recover. You guys don’t have to worry about me – I’ll be alright. I have to be even stronger, more resilient, and calmer for Dong’er’s sake. I will definitely make her better. I’ll take her back to the Clear Sky Sect after a little while, and I’ll meet you guys back at the Academy when Dong’er has recovered.”

“Alright. Send us a letter if something happens when you’re there, and everyone will try their best to help you. We’ll hold down the fort at the Tang Sect, so you don’t have to worry too much. Treating Dong’er and helping her recover is more important and urgent.”

Huo Yuhao’s eyes shifted between his companions. Xu Sanshi and He Caitou nodded in his direction and made encouraging gestures and hand signs, while Jiang Nannan and Xiao Xiao remained silent with reddened eyes as they squatted down next to Wang Dong’er.

Jiang Nannan said, “Give way, everyone. Xiao Xiao and I will help Dong’er clean her body. Yuhao, you can go take a break. You can’t be too exhausted. You can only take her away when you’ve had enough rest.”

“Thank you, fourth senior sister.” Huo Yuhao nodded.

Bei Bei suddenly muttered irresolutely, “Yuhao, how about this – you shouldn’t go by yourself, since we’re not very assured by your current state. Why don’t we follow you, and when we’re there, and if Dong’er’s family can help her, then we will wait. If her family members can’t do anything, then we will think of some other way.”

Warmth coursed through Huo Yuhao’s stifled heart as he heard Bei Bei’s words. He understood that his eldest senior brother was worried that Huo Yuhao would be mentally and psychologically affected if Dong’er couldn’t be treated.

“Thank you, Bei Bei. Don’t worry, I will be strong. Dong’er’s life is not in danger after she ingested the Yearning Heartbroken Grass, while the Tang Sect needs you guys back there to direct things. You guys don’t have to follow me. I can do this by myself.” The Tang Sect had created quite a stir during this tournament. This was their best opportunity to expand and develop as much as they could. Furthermore, people like Nan Qiuqiu and Gao Dalou had joined the Tang Sect, and arrangements had to be made for them when everyone returned. There were so many things they had to do, so Huo Yuhao couldn’t affect the Tang Sect’s development because of his own interests.

Bei Bei thought for a moment, then said, “Let’s do it this way – not all of us will follow you there. Sanshi, you and Nannan will follow Yuhao to the Clear Sky Sect. Taking care of Wang Dong’er will be more convenient with Nannan around. Everyone else will follow me back to the Tang Sect. Alright, that’s enough. If you keep pushing and rejecting, Yuhao, you won’t be treating me like an elder brother.”

“Alright.” Huo Yuhao stared at Bei Bei’s determined gaze and nodded in acknowledgment. The Tang Sect was his home, and every single senior brother and senior sister had shown him care and concern as if they were family. Bei Bei’s arrangement was also appropriate – He Caitou was a soul engineer, and he was a lot more important for the Tang Sect’s current development strategy, so tasking Xu Sanshi and Jiang Nannan to follow Huo Yuhao was the most appropriate decision.

Two hours later, Elder Xuan nagged Huo Yuhao and reminded him to take care of himself again and again before he led everyone else into the sky, and the company flew in the direction of Shrek Academy. Elder Xuan was the Master of Shrek Academy’s Sea God’s Pavilion, and he had to bear immense pressure on his shoulders at this time. Shrek’s Seven Monsters, who represented the Tang Sect in combat, and in addition, Shrek Academy’s team members who represented the academy, consisted of the academy’s elites who possessed the greatest potential in the younger generation. Anything bad that happened to these children would be a huge blow to Shrek Academy.

Nobody had expected the Sun Moon Empire would be so extreme when they came for the tournament. Nobody had expected that the Sun Moon Empire would use the tournament to snipe students from academies all over the Continent so that they could weaken the Douluo Continent’s three native empires, and so that they could weaken the three empires’ soul masters’ strength and future.

The other teams’ situations were still unclear, and Elder Xuan and the others had to return to Shrek Academy as quickly as possible so that they could receive firsthand intelligence, and so that they could take action based on whatever information they could obtain.

The enormous explosion that had rocked Radiant City completely knocked the Sun Moon Empire off course and sent their plans into disarray. Without discussing other things, the destruction of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy, the Illustrious Virtue Hall, and the countless soul tools that the empire had prepared was painful enough for them. War was temporarily avoided, but that didn’t mean war wouldn’t come in the future. The Douluo Continent’s three native empires had to form an alliance and pressure the Sun Moon Empire, and they had to take this opportunity to do everything they could to save the students from those academies who had been trapped in the Sun Moon Empire.

Huo Yuhao was still carrying Wang Dong’er as they got back on the road, while Xu Sanshi and Jiang Nannan followed by his side.

Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi had exchanged a few looks before they parted ways. The two of them were too familiar with each other, and there was nothing more that needed to be said for Xu Sanshi to understand what Bei Bei was trying to convey.

They activated their soul power and channeled their flying-type soul tools at full power as they tore through the clouds and flew rapidly through the sky. They were flying more than a thousand meters above the ground toward the north.

There was a lonesome and solitary figure who was still standing there as she watched them leave. She didn’t follow Shrek Academy’s company back to the academy, and she didn’t follow Huo Yuhao and the others to save Dong’er. She was just standing there and watching everyone depart.

Wang Qiu’er’s eyes were full of desolation, and the corner of her mouth curled into a self-mocking smile. “You are far more important to him than I am even after your death. It’s time for me to return, as that is my world, after all.”

Wang Qiu’er tapped her foot lightly on the ground as she bolted into the air. She had told Elder Xuan that she wouldn’t return with everyone to the Academy because she wanted to visit her home. Elder Xuan knew that she was feeling a little despondent, so he didn’t try too hard to keep her. He only told her that she should return to the Academy as soon as possible after she returned home.

But would she really go back? Shrek Academy was no longer a home to her, but instead a place of grief and sorrow.

Wang Qiu’er transformed into a golden beam of light as she leapt through the air, and disappeared beyond the horizon like a shooting star.

—

Huo Yuhao carried Wang Dong’er and flew through the sky almost without any rest at all, while Xu Sanshi and Jiang Nannan followed him quietly. They could both feel Huo Yuhao’s urgent concern and his anxiety, and they also knew that no words of consolation could compare to simply accompanying him to reach their destination as quickly as possible. Xu Sanshi insisted forcibly that they had to rest every four hours, and they were only allowed to continue travelling after having something to eat.

Jiang Nannan helped Huo Yuhao take care of Wang Dong’er. Wang Dong’er hardly expended any energy at all because she was in her state of hibernation, while her vitals were normal and stable the entire time. Her life energy seemed even stronger than before, and everything about her couldn’t be better, except for the fact that she wouldn’t wake up. The state of Wang Dong’er’s body didn’t change at all over the next two days, and this calmed Huo Yuhao’s turbulent emotions a little.

—

Finally, the snowcapped mountain came into view.

At the end, they had to climb into the clouds, and up a steep and perilous mountain path. Huo Yuhao had only been here once, but his mighty spiritual power had allowed him to memorize the path up the mountain the last time he was here, and his spiritual power was a lot stronger than back then. He shared his Spiritual Detection with Xu Sanshi and Jiang Nannan as he led them swiftly up the mountain, and they arrived at the mountaintop in no time.

Clear Sky Castle was still as it was before, and nothing much seemed to have changed. It also seemed especially calm and quiet at this moment.

Right when Huo Yuhao and the others were walking towards the castle’s main gate, the gate suddenly opened, and two rows of people streamed out. Niu Tian had a dark and gloomy look on his face as he and Tai Tan followed behind everyone else and walked out.

Huo Yuhao heaved a sigh of relief when he saw them. His mind had been wandering a lot throughout their journey, and he had contemplated many things. He had even considered what he would do if the Clear Sky Castle’s two lords weren’t around. Huo Yuhao felt a lot more relaxed when he saw these two reclusive and incredibly powerful individuals, and even Wang Dong’er’s biological uncle was present.

Tai Tan strode towards Huo Yuhao. He didn’t utter a single word as he took Wang Dong’er from his hands.

Huo Yuhao was momentarily stunned as he watched Tai Tan turn back towards Clear Sky Castle with Wang Dong’er in his hands.

“Uncle Tai Tan, Dong’er..”

Niu Tian raised his hand to interrupt Huo Yuhao. He lowered his voice and said, “You don’t have to say any more. We already know about what happened, and you don’t need to ask how we found out. Dong’er followed you, but she has landed herself in such a situation. You’re responsible for this. You may go – Dong’er needs a good rest, and we will take care of her.”

Niu Tian actually turned and walked back into the castle as he spoke.

Huo Yuhao became incredibly worried and anxious as he took a few brisk steps forward and caught up to Niu Tian. “Uncle Niu Tian, when will Dong’er wake up? Is this happening to her because her old injury is acting up?”