Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, Student Dormitory.
As the wealthiest school in the empire, the students' dormitories were luxuriously decorated. All were single rooms and equipped with private bathrooms.
On the highest floor of the dormitory building, the air trembled slightly, and She Long's figure emerged.
The highest-ranking teacher in the entire Imperial Academy was only at the Soul Douluo level. Therefore, She Long naturally had no scruples about doing things here.
"Bang!" He arrived outside Lu Feng's room and pushed the door open directly.
"Huh, no one? Isn't it the weekend today? Could this kid have broken his routine?"
Just as She Long was puzzled, the space outside the corridor distorted slightly.
"Sou!"
A cyan-purple Snake Lance appeared in his hand, and She Long's eyes sharpened. "Who's there!"
A figure slowly emerged, revealing a man dressed in a bright red formal suit.
His skin was as tender as a baby's, his alluring appearance giving off a peculiar feeling. If not for the Adam's apple on his neck, no one would think he was a man.
"Elder Ju!" She Long immediately retracted his aura and bowed.
Although both were Titled Douluo, their status in Spirit Hall was worlds apart.
She Long's soul power was level 92, but he was single-handedly cultivated by the Qian family and could only be considered a retainer of the Qian family.
Yue Guan not only had a soul power as high as level 95 but was also a high-level official in the Pope's Palace. Yue Guan and Gui Mei represented the original batch of believers in Spirit Hall.
That is, the vast number of commoner Soul Masters.
His transcendent status could be seen from the chrysanthemum pattern on the Pope's Decree.
Strictly speaking, he and the Pope were colleagues.
"Where is Lu Feng?" Yue Guan looked at the empty bed and asked indifferently.
She Long stroked his chin and said uncertainly, "He might be at Shrek Academy, or he might have gone to find Dugu Yan."
"Dugu Yan?" Yue Guan's eyes flickered.
"You go to Shrek Academy. I'll go to the Sunset Forest to meet an old friend."
"Yes."
"Achoo!"
On the main road, Lu Feng sneezed heavily. "Is someone thinking of me?"
He rubbed his nose and continued walking southwest along the road.
The Soul Master qualifiers had ended, and the next step was the ranking competition. The location was the Royal Hunting Ground, lasting about a month.
The ranking competition was different from the qualifiers. To protect the privacy and safety of the Soul Masters, no audience was allowed to watch the ranking competition.
Moreover, the hosts were replaced by commanders from the Heaven Dou Empire's army.
Lu Feng was 'unemployed'.
As a person with no house and no car, after careful consideration, he decided to return to his hometown to look for development opportunities.
Meanwhile, his sworn brother was representing the empire in the Elite Tournament.
Under Luo Wu Pao's perception, Lu Feng discovered that Tang Hao had been following Tang San, presumably to protect him.
Possessed by Luo Wu Pao, Lu Feng traveled for several days and finally returned to the familiar small village.
Looking at the village entrance, at the three somewhat quaint characters "Holy Spirit Village" on the wooden sign, Lu Feng's expression was slightly dazed.
"Long time no see. Unwittingly, it must have been seven years."
Returning here again, a gratified smile appeared on Lu Feng's handsome face.
On the main road, people were constantly driving ox carts to transport vegetables out. When these people passed by Lu Feng, they would all involuntarily glance at him.
Lu Feng's appearance was disguised. With a Black quality skill, let alone ordinary villagers, even a Titled Douluo couldn't see his true identity.
"Young man, you're from out of town, aren't you?"
Just then, an aged voice came from behind.
Lu Feng turned around and saw an old man sitting on an ox cart, looking at him with a smile.
This person was an acquaintance of Lu Feng, Old Jack.
Lu Feng smiled slightly. "When I was studying at Nuoding Academy, I once came here with a classmate."
Hearing this, Old Jack immediately jumped off the ox cart, cupped his hands, and said with a smile, "So it's a Soul Master, welcome to our Holy Spirit Village."
Lu Feng nodded and smiled. "Old man, no need for formalities. Coming here for the first time, could I trouble you for a bowl of water?"
"Aiya, don't mention a bowl of water, even staying for a few days is no problem." Old Jack laughed loudly, his wrinkled face bunching up like a chrysanthemum.
After speaking, the two walked slowly into the village.
Walking on the road paved with crushed bluestone, Lu Feng's state of mind quietly relaxed.
Ever since leaving Holy Spirit Village to study at the Soul Master Academy, Lu Feng had been racing against time. Competing with time, cultivating day and night.
This carefree feeling, he hadn't experienced it for a long time.
Looking at the familiar yet strange village before him, Lu Feng felt a sense that things had changed while people remained the same. Today's Holy Spirit Village was obviously much larger than back then, and there was much more foot traffic.
As they walked, Old Jack chattered incessantly, introducing the village to Lu Feng.
"Back in the day, our village produced a Soul Saint."
"In recent years, our village produced two more good seedlings. Look at that courtyard, it used to house a little genius with innate level five soul power."
Lu Feng looked in the direction Old Jack pointed, and that familiar small courtyard came into view.
Mud walls, thatched shed, bamboo fence.
In the small courtyard, yellow-orange golden thread flowers were blooming.
The thatch on the roof looked like it had been recently renovated, and the ground of the courtyard had been swept very clean.
The two soon arrived at Old Jack's home.
During the conversation, Lu Feng learned that Old Jack's son, daughter-in-law, and eldest grandson had all gone to the city to do business.
Old Jack couldn't bear to leave the village, so he didn't go with them.
However, three years ago, the young couple brought back a little grandson for him, which made Old Jack overjoyed.
"Er Hu-zi, come here."
Lu Feng beckoned to the little brat at the door, turned his right hand, and a cyan-purple pill appeared in his palm.
"Er Hu-zi, call me Big Brother, and I'll give you candy." Lu Feng coaxed.
"Big Brother!" Er Hu-zi sniffled, his eyes staring at the 'candy bean' in Lu Feng's hand, shining.
"Hahaha, take it."
Er Hu-zi took the 'candy bean' and put it directly into his mouth.
The pill melted in his mouth. Immediately, Er Hu-zi's small face scrunched up. "Wuwuwu, Big Brother, you lied! This candy is so bitter."
"Hahaha." Seeing this, Lu Feng burst into laughter.
This pill was no ordinary pill, but one Lu Feng refined using Immortal Herbs from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Innate Soul Birth Pill.
As the name suggests, it gives birth to innate soul power.
Even a person with zero innate soul power would awaken at least level one innate soul power after taking this pill.
If a Soul Master with level nine innate soul power took it, they could directly upgrade to innate full soul power.
However, it could only be taken in childhood; it had no effect after the age of seven.
Lu Feng didn't have much stock of this pill either. Only about ten or so.
Although Lu Feng couldn't use it himself, it would obviously be excellent to give to his descendants or as a gift in the future.
In this Douluo world where bloodline matters, no one could guarantee whether their descendants would end up in a situation like Yu Xiaogang.
Lu Feng chatted with the old village chief for a while longer, declined the offer to stay the night, and left the village alone.
Back mountain of Holy Spirit Village.
"Sou!"
Lu Feng's soul power surged, and a small yellow-skinned dog appeared at his feet.
"Luo luo!" Luo Wu Pao shook its big head and rubbed against Lu Feng's trouser leg.
"Wu Pao, can you sense the aura of any soul beasts nearby?"
Lu Feng scanned the surroundings and said, "If there's any powerful Blue Silver Grass soul beast, I have to get rid of it."
Luo Wu Pao raised its head and sniffed vigorously.
"Luo luo!" Luo Wu Pao barked loudly toward the west.
"Found it? Good job, Wu Pao!"