After leaving the Sunset Forest, Tang Xiao arrived at a small town just outside its borders.
The town was called Dawn.
Although classified as a small town, its population and grandeur rivaled that of well-known provincial capitals. After all, it stood beside the second largest soul beast forest on the continent. Compared to the Star Dou Forest, where even hundred-thousand-year-old soul beasts lurked, the Sunset Forest's danger level was far too low.
More importantly, Dawn Town lay under the jurisdiction of the Heaven Dou Empire—only a hundred miles from the imperial capital. With imperial guards stationed here year-round, safety was never a concern, unlike in most other cities and towns.
Leisurely strolling along the bustling streets, crowded with people and lined with lively stalls, Tang Xiao bought whatever food smelled tempting and caught his eye. He sampled each delicacy one by one, savoring them with quiet satisfaction.
"Street stalls truly possess their own unique charm. Whether on Earth or here… they remain the same."
Chewing on chicken drumsticks beneath the night sky, Tang Xiao mused to himself.
When his hunger was finally sated, he walked straight toward a large, luxurious hotel near the red-light district of the town.
Unleashing only a faint trace of his aura, he was instantly greeted by the beautiful and mature lady owner, who approached him humbly and submissively in the presence of his power.
She was indeed a striking beauty—but what caught Tang Xiao's attention most was the ring on her finger, a clear sign she was married.
At first, Tang Xiao had only planned to order two maids for a massage and bath. Yet, for reasons unknown even to himself, his thoughts shifted. Acting on his belief that living freely mattered most, he displayed his domineering side, seizing upon the fear and submission she showed in greeting him.
"Your husband isn't here, right? Come with me."
Without waiting for her consent, he pulled her toward the room he had booked and closed the door.
Do not misunderstand—Tang Xiao bore no malicious intentions.
It was simply that, upon seeing her voluptuous figure, he merely wished to rest upon it, using her as a pillow for the night. Nothing more.
….
While Tang Xiao slept soundly, embracing another man's wife as his pillow, elsewhere in the empire—beneath the moon above and mountains below as witnesses—two people were getting married, bowing to heaven and earth.
"Ah Yin, from this day forward, you are my wife, and I am your husband. Until my final breath, I will never cease to love you, and I will protect you with my life. Let heaven and earth be witness to this vow." Tang Hao, clasping Yin's hand, spoke with resolute conviction, his gaze filled with unwavering tenderness and devotion for his former lover, now wife.
"Ah Hao… I too will love you for as long as I remain in this world, forever by your side." Touched by his words, Ah Yin threw herself into Tang Hao's arms, holding him tightly, as though she wished to merge into him.
Tang Hao was no fool. Gently, he lifted her in a princess carry, cautious yet affectionate, as though holding a priceless treasure. Step by step, he carried her toward the small hut they had built by the lakeside, his heart beating wildly.
….
More than six months passed in the blink of an eye.
Within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Pool, Tang Xiao—submerged in the spring—slowly opened his eyes.
"Peak of level 89…" he muttered, a flicker of joy flashing across them.
How vast was the gap between his current cultivation speed and that of the past?
After refining the Ice and Fire Alchemy Body, his talent had improved nearly one hundred percent, doubling his previous pace. Then, upon unlocking the eight extraordinary meridians, it had risen once more—by almost half again.
Now, his cultivation speed was 2.5 times greater than before.
Ordinarily, it would have taken two years to make progress at the Soul Douluo stage. But with this tremendous enhancement, he required only ten months to advance from level 89 to 90, stepping into the Titled Douluo realm.
Not to mention the astonishing boost granted by the Ice and Fire Pool to those possessing the Alchemy Body.
Though Tang Xiao could not cultivate here constantly and had to avoid Dugu Bo, he had still trained in this place for nearly two months out of six. That alone had pushed him to the peak of level 89.
"If I cultivate normally, within two or three weeks—at most a month—I'll be able to break through to level 90."
"But it's time to leave… I've already been away for seven months."
Tang Xiao was reluctant. The intoxicating sensation of growing stronger was overwhelming, especially for one who had once been just an ordinary earthling.
Still, his marriage awaited. It was acceptable to miss another's wedding, but not his own. Reluctantly, Tang Xiao leapt from the spring.
"If I leave now, I may not return for three or four years."
"But it doesn't matter. Four years from now, when my clan relocates to the Heaven Dou Empire in hiding, I can devote more time to cultivating here."
As he dressed, Tang Xiao reflected.
The battlefield where Qian Daoliu and Tang Chen once fought was not far from the Sunset Forest—only two hundred miles away.
With this thought, his reluctance eased.
"Regardless, my normal cultivation speed is already extraordinary. It's enough to leave everyone far behind."
Casting one final glance at the Ice and Fire Pool, which had elevated his talent and strength by leaps and bounds, Tang Xiao departed with a whoosh.
Reaching the edge of Sunset Forest, he boarded a comfortable carriage.
Of course, he would not use the carriage for the entire journey home—that would take more than two months. And his wedding was only a month away.
He would return the same way he had come before.
The carriage was merely to calm his mind, enjoy some leisure, and sort through his future plans.
"Go to Dawn Town, Cave Heaven Inn," Tang Xiao instructed the driver, then closed his eyes.
Before long, the carriage arrived.
"Lord, we are here."
"Mm." Tossing a gold coin to the wide-eyed driver, Tang Xiao swaggered toward the inn.
It was the very same inn where he had spent the night six months prior. After some thought, he had decided to return here to relax.
"Call your manager," Tang Xiao told the beautiful front desk girl.
She looked up, immediately recognizing him. Wasn't this the very man who had dragged their owner into a room that day? She still remembered her madam leaving the next morning, legs weak and face flushed.
"I… I… I'll call her at once…" Though she felt this scoundrel had returned to torment her madam, fear sealed her lips. After all, the man before her was a powerful soul master.
"Mm. Tell her to come to the room." After booking, Tang Xiao left.