Douluo: One man returns, Fan Tianyin smashes Tang San to death

"Okay," Lu Yu took a deep breath and finally nodded, "Since it's the dean's decision, I won't refuse."

Hearing these words, Zhao Ming and Su Ziang cheered at the same time.

"I knew you would agree!" Zhao Ming laughed and patted Lu Yu on the shoulder. "Lu Yu, you are the pride of our dormitory! You must perform well in Xing Luo Empire and bring honor to our Tian Dou Royal Academy!"

"Yes, yes!" Su Ziang also said excitedly, "Don't forget to take more photos of the Xingluo Empire. I heard that the architectural style there is very unique, and... uh, the girls in the Royal Academy are very beautiful!"

Lu Yu shook his head helplessly, "I didn't go to the Xingluo Empire for these."

"I know," Zhao Ming waved his hand, "You are going to participate in the exchange on behalf of the college, and you care about the glory of the country and the college! But it's not too much to take a look at the beauties by the way, right?"

Wang Xuan sneered, "Can you two be more mature?"

"Tsk!" Zhao Ming and Su Ziang rolled their eyes.

Seeing this, Lu Yu felt much more relaxed. Although he was suddenly pushed into this position, with the support of his roommates, his pressure was also relieved.

"Okay, stop messing around," Wang Xuan stood up and patted Lu Yu on the shoulder. "Now that you've made the decision, prepare well. The Xingluo Empire is not our Tiandou Empire. I'm afraid there will be many challenges waiting for you in this exchange group."

Lu Yu nodded, with a firm look in his eyes, "Don't worry, I won't let the academy down."

The atmosphere in the room gradually became relaxed, but Lu Yu's heart was filled with complicated emotions. He vaguely felt that this trip to Xingluo would never be as simple as it seemed on the surface.

The night is falling, the stars are shining brightly, and the bright moonlight is shining on the edge of the Star Forest. Occasionally, low roars of beasts can be heard from the depths of the forest, carrying a hint of murderous intent.

Lu Yu stood at the edge of the camp, holding a long sword in his hand, the blade reflecting cold light, and a bonfire burning beside him, reflecting his slightly immature but determined face in the flickering flames. Several companions behind him were sitting around the bonfire and chatting, but his eyes were always fixed on the darkness in the distance, as if he was thinking about something.

"Lu Yu, what's wrong? You have been absent-minded since just now." The girl next to her asked softly, her voice flowing like a clear spring, with a bit of concern.

The girl's name is Su Ling, she is one of Lu Yu's teammates, she is beautiful, has waist-length black hair, and exudes a lively temperament. She holds a small heater in her hands and keeps her eyes on Lu Yu.

"Nothing, just thinking about something." Lu Yu smiled slightly, retracted his gaze, and put the sword back into his waist.

"Are you thinking about your fourth spirit ring?" Su Ling keenly caught his thoughts and frowned slightly, "Didn't you say that you would take this opportunity to look for spirit rings?"

"Yes, Lu Yu." A sturdy young man interrupted with a smile. His name was Guo Yan. He was a little older and had a straightforward personality. "Your third spirit ring is about to break through the limit. There is no reason not to absorb the fourth spirit ring!"

Lu Yu was silent for a while and shook his head slowly.

"That's what I originally planned, but now it seems... I have to slow down a bit."

"Slow down?" Guo Yan was stunned. "Why? This time we go deep into the Star Dou Great Forest. Isn't this a good opportunity to find high-quality spirit rings?"

Su Ling also showed a puzzled look, "Yeah, Lu Yu, this is not your style."

"Don't you think that our recent actions have been a little too smooth?" Lu Yu's voice was a little low. He glanced at the people present and spoke with a cautious tone, "This area is the core area of ​​the Xingdou Great Forest. Even though we have deliberately avoided powerful soul beasts these days, we haven't encountered any real danger for so long. This is not normal."

"It's indeed a bit strange." A middle-aged man in a robe said in a deep voice. He is the instructor of the team, named Zhuang Yue, who is very powerful and a Soul Emperor. He has not spoken a word, but now his brows are slightly furrowed, his eyes are sharp, "Lu Yu's caution is not without reason. The core area of ​​the Star Dou Great Forest has never been peaceful, and the soul beasts have a strong sense of territory. The quieter it is, the more it means something is wrong."

"But..." Guo Yan wanted to say something, but Zhuang Yue raised his hand to stop him.

"Lu Yu, why did you suddenly come up with this idea?" Zhuang Yue looked at him intently, as if he wanted to confirm whether he had any other discoveries.

"Feeling." Lu Yu said in a deep voice, "These past few days, I always feel that someone is watching us, but every time I try to find the source, the feeling disappears immediately."

"Attack?" Su Ling hugged the heater tightly in his arms, a trace of uneasiness on his face, "You mean...we are being targeted by the soul beast?"

"I'm not sure yet, but I can't rule out this possibility." Lu Yu nodded, "If this is true, my plan to absorb the spirit ring will have to be postponed. Absorbing spirit rings requires time and absolute safety, and right now, I'm afraid we don't have such conditions."

Zhuang Yue nodded, and after a moment's silence, he said, "Lu Yu's judgment is correct. In the case of an unclear situation, the most important thing is to prioritize the safety of the team. As for the spirit rings, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future."

"But we can't keep dragging it out like this." Guo Yan frowned, "Lu Yu's cultivation is almost stuck. If we drag it on, his progress will be affected."

"I know." Lu Yu smiled, "But you can't rush into cultivation, especially absorbing spirit rings. If you rush in because of greed, you may end up in even greater danger."

Guo Yan opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing.

Su Ling looked at Lu Yu, then at Zhuang Yue, and asked softly, "What should we do next? Should we continue to stay here, or leave as soon as possible?"

Zhuang Yue thought for a while and said, "Let's continue to observe. If there are really soul beasts watching us in secret, they will reveal their tracks sooner or later. We'd better not act rashly to avoid alerting the enemy."

Several people nodded, and the atmosphere suddenly became solemn.

"But..." Zhuang Yue paused and suddenly said, "Lu Yu, since you don't plan to absorb the spirit ring now, then help me with a task."

"Mission?" Lu Yu was stunned. "What mission?"

"There's news from the Xingluo Empire that something unusual has happened in a place where soul beasts gather within the empire. They want us to go investigate." Zhuang Yue said calmly, "Originally this mission was not in our plan, but since you've decided to postpone absorbing the soul ring, this might be a good choice."

"The gathering place of soul beasts in the Xingluo Empire?" Su Ling asked in surprise, "The soul beasts there are quite strong, and we are a bit far away from there, right? Why do they want us to go there?"

"Because the nearest team is still on other missions, and our schedule is more flexible." Zhuang Yue explained, "More importantly, this mission may not just be a problem with soul beasts. The Xing Luo Empire suspects that human forces are involved." "Human forces?" Lu Yu's eyes narrowed slightly.

"That's right. They found some soul beast corpses in that area. Judging from the wounds, they were killed by human soul masters. And these soul beasts don't seem to be ordinary hunting targets. Instead, they seem to be driven away or provoked by some special means."

"This is interesting." Guo Yan's eyes flashed with excitement. "It's okay if it's just a dispute between soul beasts, but if it's caused by humans, then it's even more worth investigating."

"Teacher, is this mission dangerous?" Su Ling asked with some concern.

"Any mission related to soul beasts is not without danger." Zhuang Yue said slowly, "But according to the description of the Xingluo Empire, the abnormal situation this time has not yet affected the realm of high-age soul beasts. As long as we don't take the initiative to provoke those powerful soul beasts, there shouldn't be too many problems."

Lu Yu pondered for a moment and nodded: "Okay, I accept this task."

"Lu Yu, you'd better think it through." Zhuang Yue looked at him with a sharp gaze. "The situation in the Xingluo Empire is unclear. We may encounter unexpected troubles. Moreover, you need to play a major role in this operation. You can no longer just assist like before."

"No problem." Lu Yu looked calm, but his tone was firm. "I am already a member of the team. I can't always rely on my teachers and teammates for this kind of thing. This is a good opportunity to hone myself."

"In that case, then it's settled." Zhuang Yue nodded, then looked at the others, "We'll set off tomorrow morning and have a good rest tonight. Su Ling, you'll be responsible for arranging logistics supplies; Guo Yan, you and I will check the equipment together. Lu Yu, you'll be responsible for organizing the map and action plan."

"Understood!" everyone responded in unison.

The fire of the campfire gradually dimmed, and the night wind blew, bringing a bit of chill. Lu Yu returned to his tent, sat on a simple wooden chair, spread out a map, and looked in the direction of the Xingluo Empire.

"Soul beast gathering place, abnormal situation, human forces..." He muttered to himself, with a sharp look in his eyes, "I hope this operation will allow me to gain something."

He clenched his fists, a sense of anticipation surging in his heart.

For some reason, he always felt that this mission would not be that easy.

At daybreak, Lu Yu had packed his luggage and stood outside the dormitory building. He looked up at the rising sun with a hint of expectation and determination in his eyes. This time when he entered the Sunset Forest, he not only wanted to find a fourth soul ring that suited him, but also hoped to harvest natural treasures from the Yin-Yang Eyes of Ice and Fire to help him further his cultivation.

"Old Lu, have you really decided to go to Sunset Forest alone?" The fat man Zhang Heng next to him walked over, rubbing his sleepy eyes, and looked at Lu Yu with confusion on his face.

Lu Yu nodded and smiled, "Well, my martial soul is special, and it's not easy to find a suitable spirit ring. Others can't help me with this kind of thing. It's better to act alone, which is more efficient."

Zhang Heng frowned: "But the Sunset Forest is full of dangers after all. There are many powerful soul beasts even in the periphery. Even if you are strong, you can't take it lightly."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Lu Yu patted Zhang Heng's shoulder, his tone was relaxed, but his eyes were filled with deep thought.

"Okay, okay, I can't persuade you anyway. Be careful on your way, and use flares to notify me if anything happens." Zhang Heng muttered, yawned again, and turned back to the dormitory.

Lu Yu watched Zhang Heng's back disappear, took a deep breath, and then walked out of the academy.

Sunset Forest was not too far from Tiandou City, and it only took half a day to get there by horseback. In order to save energy, Lu Yu hired a horse and traveled light without any cumbersome equipment.

……

It was already noon when we arrived at Sunset Forest. The scorching sun cast mottled shadows through the dense leaves, and the air was filled with the smell of dampness and decay.

Lu Yu stood at the edge of the forest with his horse, his eyes scanning the scene in front of him. He whispered to himself: "The fourth soul ring is best for a soul beast of 4,000 to 5,000 years old... Soul beasts of this age usually don't appear in the periphery. It seems that we have to go deeper this time."

As he spoke, he tied the horse to a thick tree trunk, took off his backpack, checked the dry food and water bottle he carried with him, and then walked into the forest.

As soon as he entered the forest, he could hear the roars of various soul beasts and the chirping of birds. Lu Yu looked around vigilantly, and his fingers subconsciously touched the martial soul pendant on his waist. His martial soul was an extremely rare dual attribute - fire and ice. When released, it showed two completely opposite extreme powers, which also made his demand for soul rings particularly demanding.

Not long after walking, he suddenly stopped and fixed his eyes on the bushes ahead. A black-striped cheetah was crouching there, staring at him with its amber eyes.

"This guy looks like he has been practicing for more than 2,000 years." Lu Yu quickly judged in his mind, "But its attributes do not meet my needs, so there is no need to waste time."

The black-striped cheetah seemed to have sensed the dangerous aura from Lu Yu. It growled, flashed, and disappeared into the depths of the dense forest in the blink of an eye.

Lu Yu breathed a sigh of relief and continued to move deeper.

……

Two hours later, Lu Yu stopped beside a river, squatted down, scooped up the cold river water with his hands and washed his face. He looked at his reflection in the river, smiled bitterly and said, "I have walked for so long, but I haven't found a suitable soul beast. It seems that I have to go deeper."

"Gulu——"

Suddenly, there was a sound of water coming from the depths of the river. Lu Yu raised his head alertly, and saw a giant soul beast with a dark blue body slowly emerging from the water, with the fin on its back flashing coldly like a sharp blade.

"Icefin Fish Dragon!" Lu Yu's eyes flashed with excitement. This is a rare water-attributed soul beast. When it is over 4,000 years old, its soul ring can give the soul master extremely powerful ice control ability.

However, his excitement only lasted for a moment before he was interrupted by the unusual movement around him. Just as the Icefin Ichthyosaur surfaced, a flaming tiger suddenly jumped out from the bushes on the shore, opened its bloody mouth and pounced on the Icefin Ichthyosaur.

"Flame Demonic Tiger?!" Lu Yu took a breath of cold air.

The two soul beasts in front of them were obviously natural enemies of each other. The Ice Fin Fish Dragon roared and released a breath of ice, while the Flame Demon Tiger responded with a blazing flame. A fierce battle broke out by the river in an instant.

While the two soul beasts were fighting, Lu Yu quietly stepped back a few steps and hid behind a tree. His eyes flickered, and he was secretly thinking.
Calculation: "The age of the Flame Demon Tiger and the Ice Fin Fish Dragon is about 5,000 years, which is exactly what I need. If they fight to the point of both suffering losses, I might be able to get a bargain." (End of this chapter)