[DD]: 213

Han Li and his group had been back in Wuhun City for some time. Although there was still a while before the finals, more and more people were gradually pouring into the city.

The thirty teams from the two empires, along with the two teams granted direct advancement, making a total of thirty-two teams, had also begun their journey toward Wuhun City after a brief period of rest.

Han Li had already confirmed Tang San's whereabouts. At that moment, Tang Hao was with him in the Sunset Forest, searching for a suitable soul beast to add a soul ring to Tang San's Clear Sky Hammer martial soul.

Although Tang Hao had scouted ahead and wounded a suitable soul beast, soul beasts are mobile creatures, so it was expected that the father and son would only rejoin their team in the latter part of the journey.

The entourage from the Heaven Dou Empire was large and impressive, with all its members gathered together.

However, Ning Fengzhi noticed that the already-eliminated Godwind Academy was mingling with the team from Blazing Academy. Moreover, Elephant Armor Academy seemed to have grown quite close to them.

Ning Fengzhi furrowed his brows and glanced at Xue Qinghe beside him.

"Qinghe, do you know what's going on here?"

He discreetly gestured toward the Elemental Academy teams, only to see Huyan Zhen smiling at him. Ning Fengzhi could only nod back politely.

Amidst the sound of horse hooves, Xue Qinghe's voice rang out.

"Teacher, I inquired about this before we set out. According to what they said, they are now all members of Blazing Academy. Godwind Academy was indeed eliminated."

As she spoke, Xue Qinghe didn't hide the strange expression on her face. From the moment she learned the news, she had a clear understanding of what was likely going on.

"The rules of the Soul Master Tournament don't explicitly forbid this."

Hearing this, Ning Fengzhi instinctively searched for the figure of Yu Yuanzhen.

Xue Qinghe, however, understood his reaction and whispered, "Sect Master Yu did try to imitate them when he learned of this, choosing to partner with Skywater Academy. But Salas rejected his request."

"According to Salas, 'There can be one, but no more than one.' Finding a loophole in the tournament's rules is a skill in itself, but it can only be exploited once. He's already adjusted the rules to prevent this from happening again."

"As you know, the tournament rules are always set by Spirit Hall, and they have a reasonable case. We're not in a position to object."

Ning Fengzhi nodded and chose not to dwell on the matter. He began mentally reviewing previous intelligence reports, pausing at the information about the two teams that had publicly visited Han Li.

He glanced at the calm expression on Xue Qinghe's face, then at Ning Rongrong, who was playfully sparring with Sword Douluo, and finally at the nervous-looking members of the second team from the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy nearby.

Ning Fengzhi thought of Tang San, who had been taken by Tang Hao and had yet to rejoin the group and sighed internally.

Sigh, these are turbulent times. I just hope nothing unexpected happens during this trip to Wuhun City.

...

While the participating teams were making their way to Wuhun City, Han Li was busy familiarizing Zhu Zhuqing with the city and had taken her to meet Ma Xiunuo and Su Yuntao.

Brother Tao had gotten married. To be precise, he had already tied the knot before Han Li left Wuhun City last time. Even though Brother Tao usually didn't drink, he had quite a bit on his wedding day.

Ma Xiunuo's health was still in good condition. After being treated with Han Li's powerful medicinal bath, he reached a cultivation level of 39, and his energy seemed quite strong.

Brother Tao, on the other hand, had reached level 48. After absorbing two soul rings beyond his limits, his Lone Wolf martial soul had evolved significantly.

Walking out of the residence, Han Li instructed the nearby guards. He needed to make an appearance at the area designated for the competition participants. It was a routine task, but Bibi Dong had sent word that she'd dispatched someone to assist him. He wasn't sure what she was planning, but he wouldn't mind giving her some trouble in advance.

"Yes, sir," the guard replied, turning and heading toward a nearby pavilion. Liu Erlong had arrived even earlier than the competition teams and had arranged by Han Li to stay nearby.

A large group of people was moving toward the allocated quarters. At the entrance, Han Li spotted Hu Liena, who had brought a few guards with her.

"Greetings, Your Highness the Holy Son," Hu Liena said, biting her lip as she bowed.

"Oh, it's you. Long time no see. But why did the Pontiff send you here?" Han Li asked indifferently, glancing at her.

"Teacher sent me to assist you and to observe the competition teams in advance," Hu Liena replied, lowering her head. That was the official reason, but in truth, she was a bit confused, as she had been focused on her cultivation until now.

"Alright, that's for the best. Just follow along, then," Han Li said. He couldn't guess Bibi Dong's intentions, so he decided not to dwell on it. Instead, he simply added Hu Liena to the group to see what she might be planning.

"Yes, Your Highness," Hu Liena nodded. As she prepared to join the group, she noticed the space behind Han Li was already filled by four other women. With no other option, she stepped back and stood beside another woman.

The guards remained outside the camp, while Han Li and his group continued inside. Hu Liena and Liu Erlong, walking at the back, discreetly sized each other up.

Is this Bibi Dong's disciple?

Who is she? I've never seen her before.

Both women saw the confusion in each other's eyes and began to quietly exchange words, but Han Li continued leading the group without pause.

After learning of Liu Erlong's identity and her reasons for being there, Hu Liena was left bewildered by Han Li's actions. Unable to make sense of it, she resolved to report everything back to her teacher.

Liu Erlong, on the other hand, didn't overthink things. She was only here to fulfill an agreement. As for Bibi Dong and Yu Xiaogang, those old matters were too embarrassing to even think about. At some point, her mindset had completely shifted. Once this situation and Flender's issue were resolved, she planned to sever ties with her family and roam the world freely.

The group attracted attention as they moved through the camp, mainly due to Han Li's presence and the six strikingly beautiful women following him. Some people recognized Han Li and whispered to their companions, but no one dared to approach him.

As they passed a pavilion, an uncertain voice called out, "Erlong? What are you doing here?"

Han Li's group stopped and turned toward the voice. The pavilion bore the emblem of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.

The owner of the voice was none other than Yu Xiaogang, who had just stepped out of the pavilion. He stared at Liu Erlong, trailing behind Han Li, with an expression of disbelief.

Han Li wasn't a stranger to making public appearances, and rumors about the women who usually accompanied him had spread widely. Naturally, Yu Xiaogang had heard about it. But what he hadn't expected was to see Liu Erlong by Han Li's side in Wuhun City.

"So, it's you, Grandmaster. Long time no see. What's it been, ten years? Have you returned to your clan?"

Han Li asked with a smile, as though greeting an old acquaintance. They had indeed met several times in Nuoding City.

Yu Xiaogang was momentarily distracted by Han Li's words and forced a bitter smile.

"Greetings, Your Highness the Holy Son. I'm only here to see my father," he replied before turning his gaze back to Liu Erlong. His eyes were filled with fury as if he felt utterly betrayed.

At that moment, Yu Yuanzhen stepped out of the pavilion. He glanced at both groups, then at the onlookers around them, before turning to Han Li and making a gesture of invitation.

"Your Highness, the Holy Son, why don't you come inside and sit for a while?" he offered.

Since it was part of the formalities and seeing that they had been invited, Han Li didn't hesitate. He smiled and nodded, leading his group into the pavilion.