Several days later.
The convoy led by Dan Heng and his family was finally about to pass through the final checkpoint into the Fontain Empire.
At the checkpoint, there was a stationed garrison commander, flanked by a squad of soul masters who stepped forward to inspect them.
These soul masters were from the Spirit Hall, all wearing official robes indicating their affiliation.
At the head of the convoy was the Tianshui Team, a group of female soul masters known far and wide—essentially celebrities. None of them wanted to be searched.
Their supervising teacher stepped forward to negotiate.
Normally, any decent officer would give the Tianshui Team so face.
But this ti, things took a turn.
The garrison commander didn’t object, but the Spirit Hall soul masters wouldn’t budge. They insisted on conducting a full inspection, claiming it was by order of the Pope herself.
The girls of the Tianshui Team were visibly annoyed.
No respect at all!Don’t they understand they’re dealing with the number-one girl group of the Douluo Continent?!They had fan power second to none!
And then... there was nothing they could do.
They were all forced to comply with the inspection.
Shui Yue’er pouted as she walked over to Dan Heng, grumbling:
"They’re too much! What could we possibly be hiding? We even offered them a toll, and they still wouldn’t let us go!"
Dan Heng raised an eyebrow slightly, quickly guessing the reason.
It must be Qian Renxue ordering a search for Bibi Dong.
Elder Long ngshu said, "For Spirit Hall to be this tense and conducting inspections even at border checkpoints, this must be sothing serious. We should cooperate, or we’ll invite trouble."
Even though Long ngshu ca from a top-tier clan, when facing a behemoth like Spirit Hall, all he could do was play nice.
ng Yiran secretly glanced at Dan Heng and suddenly asked:
"Mr. Dan Heng, do you have any connections to Spirit Hall?"
She rembered soone important from Spirit Hall had once visited Dan Heng in person...
Dan Heng looked at her with slight surprise, then shook his head calmly.
"If they want to check, let them. It doesn’t look like they’ve caused any real trouble yet."
Gu Yuena, holding Bao’er in her arms, stood in front of Dan Heng and frowned.
"I don’t want anyone touching our belongings. I’ve already stored everything in the soul tool."
Then she rembered that Qian Renxue had once given her a token—and hesitated on whether to use it.
While they were still discussing, the Spirit Hall soul masters approached.
Their leader was a Platinum Bishop. He glanced over at Dan Heng’s group and was just about to signal his n to begin the inspection—
But the mont he saw Dan Heng and Gu Yuena, he froze.
Several soul masters behind him were excitedly stepping forward to search the caravan.
Each of them had a smile on their face, clearly enjoying the idea—after all, Dan Heng’s carriage was filled with beautiful won.
Their thoughts?
Jackpot.
But—
"Stop right there! Don’t you dare move!"
The Platinum Bishop suddenly shouted in panic.
The soul masters halted in confusion, turning back to look at him.
"Your Excellency...?"
The bishop quickly glanced at Dan Heng again to confirm.
Yes, this was the man that the Grand Worship had repeatedly warned them never to offend under any circumstances.
Cold sweat instantly beaded on his forehead.
If he had allowed this group to be searched...His entire career would’ve ended right there!
Shui Yue’er narrowed her eyes and took a smug step forward.
"What now? Realizing you should be afraid, huh?"
ng Yiran was stunned.
So it really was related to Mr. Dan Heng?Was I completely blind before?All those powerful figures really did admire and respect him?
The Platinum Bishop, thinking quickly, suddenly walked over to Elder Long ngshu and, with a face full of excitent and flattery, exclaid:
"You must be the famous Elder Long ngshu, right?!"
Long ngshu blinked in confusion.
"Yes... that’s ..."
He was completely baffled by this sudden show of enthusiasm.
He knew the reputation of Spirit Hall’s Platinum Bishops—typically arrogant and domineering, noses up in the clouds.
He’d never experienced such flattering behavior before.
"How could we possibly offend soone as esteed as Elder Long? This convoy is clearly above suspicion. Let them pass!"
The bishop declared loudly.
"???"
Long ngshu was stunned.
Are you sure... I’m actually that important?
The Platinum Bishop quickly stepped aside and ordered the soul masters to disperse and allow them through.
Ziji clapped her hands with a smirk.
She’d just been about to use dragon breath and wipe them all out.
The bishop wiped his sweat and kept smiling—even being snapped at by Ziji didn’t seem to bother him.
The convoy passed through the checkpoint unimpeded.
But then, another plain-looking carriage ca up behind them.
"Is that another of Elder Long’s carriages?"
The bishop asked aloud, though his gaze was actually fixated on Dan Heng’s group.
Long ngshu noticed this and imdiately understood the situation.
So that’s how it is.
I was just the excuse—they were actually scared of Mr. Dan Heng!
He turned to Dan Heng and asked, "Mr. Dan Heng, is that carriage part of our group?"
Dan Heng shook his head.
He had already sensed several familiar soul forces—the Shrek group had arrived.
The bishop, realizing they weren’t part of Dan Heng’s party, didn’t bother asking for permission anymore.
He waved his hand, and the soul masters swiftly blocked the incoming carriage.
Things quickly grew tense.
anwhile, Dan Heng and his party boarded their carriage and began crossing into the Fontain Empire.
Inside the other carriage, the Shrek group heard they were being searched and were visibly displeased.
Dai Mubai and Davis exchanged a glance.
Though irritated, they didn’t dare reveal their identities.
They were princes of the Star Luo Empire.
Who knew if these people might hand them over to Fontain?
Flender also didn’t want to pay any bribes. He pointed at Dan Heng’s departing convoy and asked indignantly:
"Why didn’t they have to be searched?"
The bishop sneered and shot back:
"They have important people with them. What, do you guys have any special background?"
Flender’s face turned red.
What background? They had nothing!
Ning Rongrong wasn’t with them.Yu Xiaogang had been expelled from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon clan.The Dai brothers couldn’t reveal their royal lineage...
All things considered—best to just behave and accept it.
A few soul masters moved around the carriage to check for hidden passengers.
Tang San and Tang Hao stepped down.
When the Platinum Bishop spotted Tang Hao, he laughed disdainfully:
"Aren’t you a soul master group headed for Fontain? Why are you dragging a cripple along?"
"You bastard!" Tang Hao instantly roared in fury.
Tang San also glared at the bishop, killing intent flashing in his eyes.
This man had just chosen the path of death.
Flender rushed forward to block the two, trying to calm things down.
Don’t make a scene!
But the bishop narrowed his eyes and sneered coldly:
"Murderous intent? You’re not simple people, are you?For ordinary travelers, to dare act like this in front of Spirit Hall soul masters on official duty—clearly you’re hiding sothing!"
"You’re all staying right here. I’m going to find out exactly who you really are!"
Everyone was startled.
This was bad.
They couldn’t fight their way out of this!
The Dai brothers felt their dislike for Tang Hao and Tang San deepen again.
Why couldn’t they just behave?
Always acting arrogant—look where it got them now.
anwhile...
Dan Heng and the others finally reached the borders of the Fontain Empire.
On the road, ng Yiran slowly ca to a painful realization.
She had ssed up badly.
She had soone as valuable as Dan Heng by her side, and she had never once tried to build a sincere relationship.
Instead, she had always viewed him from a place of superiority.
With Dan Heng’s intelligence, he had surely seen right through her all along.
No wonder Grandpa had been so angry...
Inside the carriage, she sat with her head bowed, clearly depressed.
The subtle jolts of the moving carriage only made her more upset.
If only she had another chance...
Elder Long ngshu gently patted her head and sighed:
"No need to feel bad. I’ve thought it over too—If it’s ant to be, it will be.If not... don’t force it."
ng Yiran felt even worse upon hearing this.
It was obvious her grandfather had hoped to groom her as the next family head—and build ties with Dan Heng through her.
But what had she done?
She couldn’t even compare to Shui Yue’er, that starry-eyed girl!
ng Yiran covered her face and cried silently, tears dripping through her fingers.
The Gashina Dragon-Serpent couple exchanged a glance but said nothing.
Things had co this far—there was no changing it now.
Fortunately, they had inherited divine power and extended lifespans.
At least, they would live long enough to see the next generation.
The coachman outside said, "We’ve arrived within the borders of the Fontaine Empire!"
"Wipe your tears and co out to take a look. It’s been two or three years—we don’t even know what the Fontaine Empire looks like now."
Grandfather ng Shu said.
The three generations of grandfather and grandchildren got off the carriage.
People from the other carriages also stepped out.
Clearly, this place was still a city of the Star Luo Empire two or three years ago, but now it genuinely gave off the feeling of being in a foreign land.
The streets were wide, bustling with people, lined with shops... and at the center of a nearby plaza stood several enormous statues of dragon-type soul beasts.
But at the center was a statue of a human—albeit one with horns on his head and long hair flowing over his shoulders...
As soon as Dan Heng stepped off the carriage, he saw the huge statues in the plaza.
And right in the middle—wasn’t that him?!
Surrounding him were three dragon-type statues: Gu Yuena, Ziji, and Ditian. Among them, the originally smallest Ziji had a statue only slightly smaller than Gu Yuena’s.
Ditian’s Black Dragon Clan, which was originally known for their robust physiques, was now made to look almost slender in comparison!
"..."
Dan Heng’s mouth twitched slightly.
As he looked around, he noticed the dominant color of the streets was a shade of cyan—it had a sort of alternative aesthetic.
No need to guess—he already knew this must be Ziji’s doing, that wretched kid.
Ziji exclaid, "Wow! What a beautiful city! So unique! You’d never see this kind of sight in the other empires!"
Out of everyone, she was the only one making such a fuss.
The others were amazed too, but not to such an exaggerated degree.
Shui Yue’er suddenly pointed at a nearby wall and said, "Look over there—even the walls have dragon patterns! And that human figure... it is human, right? Though the face isn’t carved, why does it look a bit like Mr. Dan Heng?"
The other girls began chattering noisily.
Cold sweat broke out on Ziji’s forehead. She tugged on Bi Ji’s clothes and tried to hide behind her, not daring to look at Gu Yuena!
"..." Bi Ji’s face froze. She hadn’t noticed this the last ti she ca, but now—this was getting out of hand.
The carriages were parked by the roadside, and passersby looked at them curiously.
Upon hearing Ziji’s exclamations, many wore proud expressions and began speaking enthusiastically:
"Oh, you must be from outside? Welco to our Fontaine Empire!"
"Our Fontaine Empire is also known as the Nation of Dragons. It’s said that the legendary Dragon King helped us found this nation. We’re so blessed..."
"Do you need a guide? It’s free..."
"..."
So people were just showing off their good life.
But so of the n had eyes shining—not just with curiosity, but genuine interest in getting involved.
There wasn’t a single unattractive woman among the ones stepping out of those carriages!
Even Granny Snake, Zhao Tianxiang, had a kind of... benevolent charm.
Won are like fine wine—the older they are, the richer the flavor. Several elderly gentlen were practically itching to approach.
Ziji planted her hands on her hips and shouted, "Scram! Scram! Scram!"
The crowd imdiately scattered.
After chasing them away, Ziji quickly skipped over to Gu Yuena’s side and giggled:
"Sis, sis, do you like it here?"
Her heart was in her throat.
All the changes here, after all, had been made during her two years of being the "Empress."
Gu Yuena was silent for a mont, staring at the statue in the plaza, and said nothing.
This level of nonsense wasn’t worth punishing Ziji over—for now.
"This place is so beautiful! There’s still a long ti before the Soul Master Tournant. Why don’t we explore this city a bit and leave tomorrow?"
Shui Yue’er suggested cheerfully.
Dan Heng looked at Gu Yuena. Gu Yuena gave a slight smile and said, "Sounds good. Everyone can take a look around. We’ll set out tomorrow morning."
"Yay!"
Shui Yue’er cheered and ran back to the group.
The won of the Heavenly Water Girl Group couldn’t help but laugh at her enthusiasm.
She’d truly beco a silly fangirl, a devoted puppy.
Wasn’t this the sa girl who used to be a goddess adored by countless n?
Xue Wu smiled and asked, "What’s this? Did Mr. Dan Heng agree to sothing that’s got you this excited?"
Shui Yue’er swayed her body bashfully and grinned without answering.
Shui Bing’er looked at her sister and shook her head in helplessness.
So goddess she was!
"We should go look around too! Even from outside the city, I noticed that the commoners here seem to be more well-off than in the other two major empires! And there doesn’t seem to be much nobility. Yue’er, you’re not still clinging to Mr. Dan Heng, are you..."
Shui Bing’er asked.
Xue Wu teased, "Seriously, what’s going through Yue’er’s head? We’re already in the Fontaine Empire, and she’s still clinging on. Does she think Mr. Dan Heng can actually help her win by doing that?"
Shui Yue’er ignored the teasing and shook her head. "No more clinging, I’m not going to be a third wheel."
...
By evening, the city lit up with warm lanterns. Few carriages traveled the roads; most people were strolling peacefully.
Dan Heng and Gu Yuena left the children with Bi Ji and the others and went out for a walk.
They stopped in front of a small street stall. The stall had many tree leaves laid out. An elderly man wearing glasses was using a needle-like knife to carve sothing on the leaves, occasionally sneaking glances at the couple.
"Don’t leave yet... I’ll give you this leaf carving as a gift... You two are such a beautiful couple, even more stunning than the empresses in the royal palace..."
The old man said with a smile.
Dan Heng noticed that each leaf had intricate patterns carved into it. Under the lamplight, they had a very artistic aura.
"Which empress?" Gu Yuena asked curiously.
The old man kept carving and blinked at her question. "Ah—wrong words, wrong words! I ant the empress of the Star Luo Empire. You two are certainly beautiful, but definitely not as beautiful as the Empress of the Fontaine Empire..."
Gu Yuena smiled, just about to reply.
But the old man stopped carving, handed the leaf carving to Dan Heng, and said:
"Ah, such a sha I could only capture two or three parts of your beauty... what a waste..."
(End of Chapter)
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