Chapter 474 Waking Up

The first surprise obtained at the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace, witnessed by Emperor Xue Ye and Ning Fengzhi, was that he became the teacher of the current Heaven Dou Crown Prince Xue Beng, and thus the future Imperial Tutor.

The second surprise was that Emperor Xue Ye bestowed upon him a treasure of the nation – the Vast Sea Universe Cover – which, although appearing to be a soul tool, was in fact a divine artifact.

As for why he had fainted, it was related to this second surprise.

Unlike Tang Sui, who was sleeping soundly.

Despite being unconscious, Tang San's consciousness was being tugged by something, making him extremely uncomfortable even in his sleep.

This immense pulling force prevented him from controlling his body.

Gradually, the suction weakened him, as if everything around him was fading.

It was at this moment that a special power surged into his heart, then flowed slowly into his brain, merging with his mind as a cool sensation.

Though the feeling of weakness persisted, his mind became exceptionally clear.

He could not perceive the outside world, but he could clearly feel the circulation of blood within his meridians and even the slightest changes within his internal organs.

With his consciousness still hazy, the passage of external time became blurred.

When he regained consciousness and opened his eyes again, the sky had already darkened.

He turned his head and saw that Sui Sui had still not woken up.

After a brief exchange with his concerned companions, the Master looked at the still sleeping Tang Sui and then at Tang San, his heart heavy:

"Sui Sui is still not awake. Xiao San, what are your plans now? Will you continue to wait, or..."

What had started as a simple farewell had turned into a source of great worry for them.

"Tomorrow morning, we will depart for Sea God Island," Tang San replied with determination, looking at the still unconscious Tang Sui.

"But, what if something happens to Sui Sui..."

Dai Mubai hesitated.

Tang San looked at Dai Mubai, "Brother Dai, have you forgotten the divine artifact, the Vast Sea Universe Cover? If we encounter danger, we can simply adopt a group strategy! Moreover, with it, we won't need to leave anyone on guard during our overnight stays in the wild anymore."

Of course, as a precaution, he would also release a Blue Silver Emperor vine to wrap around Sui Sui's wrist, allowing him to check her pulse and monitor her physical condition at any time.

The others exchanged glances and cast their votes in favor, agreeing to depart first thing in the morning.

...

The next day, at the break of dawn, the Shrek Eight Monsters, with Tang Sui being carried by Xiao Wu, stood on the carriage prepared at the academy entrance, bidding farewell to their friends and family one by one.

The carriage had been prepared for them by the Master long ago.

Not only the teachers from Shrek Academy but also Ning Fengzhi, Sword Douluo, Bone Douluo, and the elders of the Tang Sect, all invited by the Master, had come to see off the Shrek Seven Devils and Bai Chenxiang as they boarded the carriage. All necessary belongings were packed into their soul tools.

Before their departure, even the Master and everyone else's instructions to them were almost entirely focused on prioritizing their safety.

Farewells are always sad, and this journey was uncertain in its duration. At least, Tang Sui, who had not yet awakened, was spared the pain of parting and could experience a period of complete rest.

The large carriage, capable of carrying over a dozen people, disappeared from view.

Soon, the carriage left the west gate of Heaven Dou City and headed west along the official road.

The Master had drawn a detailed map for Tang San.

They first needed to travel by carriage to the sea on the western side of the continent within the Heaven Dou Empire, and then transfer to a ship to reach their destination.

This journey was extremely long, and according to the Master's calculations, it would take them about two months to arrive.

To reach their destination as quickly as possible, they did not stop to rest in the cities they passed through, only taking short breaks when the horses grew tired, camping on the spot.

As night fell, the Shrek Seven Devils awoke from their slumber and took turns driving the carriage.

Despite the urgency, they chose to set up camp and rest at night.

Their physical condition was fine, but ordinary horses could not endure continuous travel day and night.

Ten days passed, and Tang Sui remained in her deep slumber, unawakened.

However, at night, Xiao Wu and the others would quietly move Tang Sui out of the carriage and place her in a prepared sleeping bag, keeping her within sight and constantly vigilant.

After setting up their temporary tents, Tang San retrieved drinking water and food from the Twenty-Four Bridges Moonlit Night.

It was autumn, and the temperature at night was colder than during the day.

Dai Mubai used his tiger claws to swiftly cut and gather a large pile of firewood in no time.

Ma Hongjun was responsible for igniting the fire with his phoenix flames, while the girls took out their kettles, heating water and toasting dried food over the bonfire.

They all sat around the bonfire in a circle.

Looking at Tang Sui, who was sleeping peacefully in the warm orange glow, Dai Mubai sighed and said, "Xiao San, when do you think Sui Sui will wake up? Including the days at the academy, it's been almost half a month."

Tang San shook his head, glanced at Xiao Wu and the others who were already looking sleepy, and said softly, "I don't know either. Now I can only hope that Sui Sui wakes up safely before we reach Sea God Island."

Dai Mubai patted Tang San's shoulder reassuringly and whispered, "If you need any help, just say the word. I'm going to start cultivating now too."

As they got closer to the sea, he was now among the most driven individuals.

Tang San nodded, and another night passed without incident.

...

Three days later, they had entered the western frontier of the Heaven Dou Empire.

The horses had been changed in a city they passed through.

The four newly acquired swift horses were capable of accelerating their journey to the coast.

"There's a village ahead. Brother Dai, should we go to that village to rest and resupply some provisions?" Tang San asked Dai Mubai, who was driving the carriage, as he checked the map.

Dai Mubai looked at the darkening sky and called out, "Alright, let's find a family in that village and rent a place to stay for the night."

With that, he guided the horses towards the village.

The spacious carriage was blocked by a narrow dirt path, so everyone had to dismount temporarily.

As they disembarked one by one, none of them noticed that the fingertips of Tang Sui, leaning against the sofa in the corner of the carriage, seemed to twitch. However, when Bai Chenxiang went to help her, the movement ceased.

Oscar, who was the first to get off the carriage, stretched his stiff joints and looked at the dimly lit wooden houses in the distance, exclaiming.

"Something's not right. Why is there no one in these farmlands?"

Ning Rongrong, standing beside him, scanned their surroundings and hesitated, "Could they have all gone home? After all, it's getting dark now."

Xiao Wu's nose twitched. As a soul beast who had transformed into a human, she was particularly sensitive to smells, including... the faint scent of iron that wafted from the wind.

"Something is indeed wrong. There's the smell of blood in the wind, coming from the direction of the village." She stated with certainty.

— Out of context —

There will be another update before midnight. Mo Li will take a short nap before returning to the keyboard.