Chapter 130: Parting

"These two spirit herbs are specifically for healing external injuries."

Tie Li took the two spirit herbs from his storage ring and handed them to Zhu Zhuqing.

"Thank you."

"No need to thank me—one hundred Gold Soul Coins."

"……"

At first I worried Tie Li hadn't applied enough, but now I see I was being overly cautious.

She took out the pouch containing one hundred Gold Soul Coins and gave it back to Tie Li.

Tie Li naturally accepted it without protest.

The two stayed in the inn for the time being; Tie Li planned to leave on the third day.

"Wait, where are you going?"

Zhu Zhuqing couldn't help but ask; after what happened last time, she harbored some lingering shadows in her heart;

Although she still kept some guard against Tie Li, at least having him nearby gave her a sense of safety.

Tie Li originally intended to go straight back to the Tian Dou Royal Academy; once back at the academy, he would be safe, and the only trouble would be having to explain that he had obtained the Thunder Stone Seal.

But Tie Li had a question in his mind,

Having exposed his soul bone, would Bolia learn of it?

After all, three Soul Emperors were hunting a Soul Ancestor, yet a Soul Ancestor managed to escape; that alone was riddled with doubts.

If Bolia learned about the soul bone, would he still report it to the Spirit Hall?

Opening the Fenglei Sect's treasure would mainly benefit the upper echelons of the Spirit Hall, but if he captured me and obtained the soul bone, Bolia would be the biggest beneficiary.

Tie Li thought the latter was more likely; if Bolia chose to conceal the matter, his focus would certainly be on me, making a return to the academy potentially unsafe.

He could be lying in wait for me near the academy.

And the reality was close to Tie Li's speculation.

Bolia's party entered the Thunder Prison Forest, but those who emerged were only Bolia and a Soul Emperor, both bearing serious injuries and looking utterly disheveled.

"Lord Bishop…" the Soul Emperor began, and a cold flash streaked by, taking his life.

"If I hand him over, I could receive a sizable reward, but compared to a ten‑thousand‑year soul bone, that's far less."

Bolia's greed was unmistakable; in his view, Tie Li was an inheritor disciple of the Fenglei Sect, nurtured by the sect, so this soul bone must have been a sect grant.

But having fled for so long, where would he go?

Recalling Zhao Tianhe's desperate attempts to buy him time earlier, Bolia formed a rough guess in his mind.

The Tian Dou Royal Academy?

……

Tie Li and Zhu Zhuqing set out together, but their destination was not Tiandou City—it was Sotto City.

Zhu Zhuqing received two pieces of information: the first said Dai Mubai was in Sotto City, a student of Shilake Academy; the second claimed Dai Mubai was at the Tian Dou Royal Academy.

The two reports arrived almost simultaneously, leaving her unable to tell which was true and which false, with no extra time to discern; she could only go herself.

Tie Li naturally understood her thoughts, but since she didn't voice them, Tie Li wouldn't act unnecessarily.

As for Tie Li heading to Sotto City, he merely wanted to try his luck in the Star Dou Great Forest; if he could truly obtain an External Attached Soul Bone, it would be a huge boost for him.

Traveling from Gu Yu Cheng to Sotto City at their pace would take half a month.

On the road, if they could reach a town by night, they'd rest at a town inn; if in the wilderness, they'd divide duties and take turns keeping watch.

The only troublesome thing was that her fiery figure and looks always attracted the gaze of the opposite sex.

Tie Li simply draped a black robe and mask over her, concealing her appearance and figure, but her icy aura would still slip out unintentionally, stimulating some people's senses.

Yet in relatively backward towns, there is no shortage of self‑righteous Soul Masters who think they're the strongest in the area, when in fact they're merely Three Ring Soul Honorable.

Tie Li didn't kill him; he crippled his soul power, condemning the rest of his life to torment.

After half a month's journey, they finally reached Sotto City, and Zhu Zhuqing immediately headed to the former location of Shilake Academy.

But the outcome was destined to disappoint her.

Tie Li also wanted to see what the former Shilake Academy had looked like.

"Shilake Academy is indeed gone, so he must be at the Tian Dou Royal Academy?" Zhu Zhuqing muttered to herself.

Tie Li paced around the former Shilake Academy site once, then decided to leave.

"Alright, let's part ways here!"

Next, I will enter the Star Dou Great Forest to try my luck; I might not gain anything, but not trying would be a real pity.

As for her, she should head to the Tian Dou Royal Academy next to look for Dai Mubai, right?

"Wait, is there anything I can help you with?" Zhu Zhuqing said somewhat shyly.

All along this journey, thanks to Tie Li's care; she's just cold, not without feelings.

"We'll talk about it later; you can't help me with anything right now."

Zhu Zhuqing nodded; with her Second Ring Great Soul Master strength, it was indeed hard to aid Tie Li.

I originally came to Sotto City, bringing her along, and gaining her favor—it's not a loss for me!

Watching Tie Li's departing figure, Zhu Zhuqing's eyes flashed with an unusual emotion.

Tie Li entered Sotto City, found an inn and rested for two days, marking on the map the route from Sotto City to the Star Dou Great Forest.

After a brief recuperation, Tie Li set out for the Star Dou Great Forest.

He originally planned to send a letter to the academy; with any member of the Three Great Sect Committee arriving, he would be much safer.

What worried Tie Li was that the letter might be intercepted before reaching the academy, exposing his location.

Now he needed to hide his trail as much as possible; after all, Bolia is a bishop of WuHunZhuDian and can mobilize some mid‑ and lower‑tier forces of the Spirit Hall.

Arriving at a town at dusk, night would soon fall, making it impossible to enter the Star Dou Great Forest at that hour.

This time, Tie Li is here to try his luck; even according to his own plan, he still needs another half‑year, waiting for the timeline when the External Attached Soul Bone appears in the original spacetime, then entering the Star Dou Great Forest.

But this time he ran into a chase by Bo Li Ya, arriving early at Suo Tuo City; besides attempting to obtain the External Attached Soul Bone, who could have imagined he would hide in the Star Dou Great Forest?

The next morning, Tie Li set out for the Star Dou Great Forest.

From the moment he entered the Star Dou Great Forest, Tie Li became vigilant, constantly guarding against Soul Beasts that could appear at any time around him.

Roar

A tiger‑type Soul Beast let out a furious roar, and a battle erupted nearby.

From the general scene, it seemed that an elder of a Soul Master family was bringing younger members here to obtain a Soul Ring.

(End of chapter)