Lu Mingfei starts from Douluo.

Do I really look like an easy target?

With a sigh, after collecting his bonus, Lu Mingfei went to Gate 3 to wait for the others. Li Lan, with a smile brighter than any flower, jogged over and said, "Brother Lu, you were amazing today! Another instant kill!"

Li Lan's tone was somewhat obsequious, thinking to himself that he was right after all; Lu Mingfei's strength was even more terrifying than he had imagined. He was determined to cling to this powerful figure!

Lu Mingfei took the stored-value card from the other party. It contained 1,400 gold soul coins. He was a little confused: for some reason, he had a strange feeling of accepting tribute from his underlings, but in fact, it seemed like he was the one doing the hard work.

"I have a question for you nobles. Are there any rules for gift-giving among you nobles?" Lu Mingfei hesitated for a moment before speaking. He was afraid of breaking some taboo, since this was a gift to be given to the Crown Prince. It was better to be careful.

"A gift? Brother Lu, you have other friends besides me?" Li Lan was a little surprised. He had never seen Lu Mingfei be so close to any classmate in the academy that he needed to prepare a gift for them.

"Wait, you're not talking about His Highness the Crown Prince's coming-of-age ceremony in two months, are you?" Li Lan said excitedly in a low voice. He suddenly remembered that Lu Mingfei had arrived in a royal carriage the very first time.

"What's wrong?" Lu Mingfei was startled by his sudden outburst.

“This is a banquet that only the highest-ranking nobles of the entire Heaven Dou Empire are qualified to attend. What do you think is going on?” Li Lan said, patting her thigh, and put her arm around Lu Mingfei’s shoulder. “There are hardly any people in our academy who are qualified to attend.”

There may be tens of thousands of noble families of all sizes in the entire Heaven Dou Empire, but less than one-tenth of them have ever entered the imperial palace. For events like the Crown Prince's coming-of-age ceremony, only the noble couple who inherit the title can represent their family to attend. Only a very small number of children in the academy have this qualification.

As for aristocratic families like Li Lan's, they wouldn't even get a chance to receive an invitation.

Lu Mingfei also realized that he had underestimated the invitation. No wonder Xue Qinghe had specifically instructed him to take a carriage into the city with Xue Beng.

If he were to attend a banquet at the palace alone, even if he presented an invitation, who would recognize him as just a little kid?

"Stop talking about that, hurry up and help me think of something to give you," Lu Mingfei said, grabbing the other person's right hand that was on his shoulder. "Also, remember to pinch yourself next time you get excited."

Lu Mingfei rubbed his shoulder, looking disgusted.

"Ahem." Li Lan cleared her throat, realizing she had lost her composure, but immediately put on a bitter face: "I don't know either, this level is just too high-end. Anyway, try not to give anything related to swans, just like how ordinary nobles in Xingluo can't keep white tiger soul beasts."

"Only royalty and nobility can touch those things. Not only can others not use them, but even manufacturing them is considered a great disrespect."

"Is that so?" Lu Mingfei knew that the Heaven Dou royal family's inherited martial soul was a swan. He had originally planned to use a thousand gold coins to melt down a swan statue and send it over if all else failed. He didn't expect there to be such a taboo. Seeing Li Lan's troubled look, Lu Mingfei didn't expect him to give any advice. He planned to go shopping in the commercial street outside later. He couldn't afford anything valuable, so he could only think of something else.

Thinking of Lu Mingfei, she prepared to leave, but was stopped by Li Lan.

"What's wrong with you again? You've already used up your one chance a day, what's the point of keeping it?" Lu Mingfei asked, puzzled.

"Aren't you curious about Senior Yu's battle? That's the number one beast martial soul on the continent, the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex!" Li Lan's eyes lit up. The name of Yu Tianheng, the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex Thunder Twin, was too famous. Although he was only three years younger than him, Yu Tianheng had enrolled in the advanced academy on the mountain as soon as he arrived two years ago. He had only seen him a handful of times.

Lu Mingfei's interest was piqued by his reminder. The Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex! The book said that it was the only true dragon martial soul on the continent, and even qualified to pursue the title of the strongest martial soul on the continent. He had long wanted to see what the difference was between the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex and his own martial soul.

“But there are thirty-seven arenas here. How do you know where they are now? If you search for them one by one, he'll probably be done by now.” Lu Mingfei sighed. They had run too fast to avoid that teacher.

"Is there even a question? The name of the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex is enough to attract the attention of the manager of the Great Soul Arena. As long as he doesn't lose his mind, this kind of battle will definitely only be assigned to the Main Soul Arena. If we hurry up now, we should still make it in time!"

After Li Lan finished speaking, she took off running. Seeing this, Lu Mingfei quickly followed. There were still two months left, so there was no rush for gifts, but the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex was definitely not to be missed.

Main Battle Arena.

As the flagship of the Heavenly Dou Arena, all kinds of exciting battles are given priority to be arranged here.

Especially gambling battles, life-or-death battles, and team battles, and the lowest level of battles is usually a Soul Master cultivation.

But tonight was an exception. After a fierce team battle, a contest between Grand Soul Masters was introduced.

For regulars who frequent the Grand Arena, they immediately guessed that the upcoming battles would be special, and their hearts were filled with anticipation.

"Thank goodness you finished quickly, otherwise we really wouldn't have made it." Li Lan took a few breaths.

When they arrived, the host was announcing the next five one-on-one games.

Lu Mingfei also sat in the audience with great anticipation, waiting for the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex to appear.

"Let's welcome tonight's first one-on-one battle between two Soul Masters: Lan Zhan, a Battle Soul Master with the Ironclad Horned Bull Martial Soul, and Yu Tianheng, a Battle Soul Master with the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Martial Soul, the number one beast Martial Soul on the continent!"

"Wow!"

"Oh!"

"Mouth!"

The tens of thousands of spectators in the stands immediately erupted in cheers.

------

"This popularity is just too exaggerated!" Lu Mingfei was dumbfounded.

"Of course, the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex is of extraordinary significance to the Heavenly Dou Empire," Li Lan explained while cheering.

Among the three major sects, the Haotian Sect is recognized as the strongest, but it has long supported the Xingluo Empire in the south, while the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect have steadfastly supported the Tiandou Empire.

Although the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School is currently the strongest, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda is ultimately a support martial soul without combat power, and its strength is not stable. In the hearts of the people of the Heaven Dou Empire, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon can even be said to be the guardian martial soul of the Heaven Dou Empire.

The title bestowed upon the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan by the Heaven Dou Empire is that of a Super Duke. Even if Emperor Xue Ye were to encounter the current sect leader of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, Thunder Douluo Yu Yuanzhen, he would still have to treat him with the respect due to a junior.

"That's amazing?" Lu Mingfei hadn't expected there to be such connections involved.

Amidst the deafening cheers of the crowd, Yu Tianheng, dressed in a blue outfit, stepped onto the stage. His gaze remained fixed straight ahead, and his expression remained unchanged, as stiff as a stone, unmoved by the cheers of the audience.

"Is this guy putting on airs?" Lu Mingfei thought to himself. He had noticed this when he first met Yu Tianheng in the simulation training ground. This guy looked a bit like that Master from Notting Academy.

The thought of the master's disgusting actions gave Lu Mingfei goosebumps and even made him feel nauseous, which made him dislike Yu Tianheng no matter what he did.

However, he came to see the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex today, so he could still tolerate it.

"Please activate your Martial Souls!" the host announced.

Lan Zhan instantly activated his Martial Soul, a white phantom of a horned bull enveloping his entire body, two yellow Soul Rings floating around him, and the massive muscles in his arms bursting out of his shirt. It was clear at a glance that he was an absolute strength-type Soul Master.

On the other side, Yu Tianheng also activated his Martial Soul Possession. A dazzling blue light burst forth and spread from between his eyebrows, and visible lightning bolts circled around him. A blue lightning bolt symbol appeared on his forehead, and two yellow soul rings floated up and down around him.

Lu Mingfei's eyes widened. The state of the person opposite him seemed to be very similar to his own. It should be that they had only activated part of their martial soul power.

However, while he flashed his eyes, the person opposite him was surrounded by lightning, as majestic as Thor descending to earth.

"The Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex Martial Soul is terrifying indeed," Lu Mingfei thought to himself.

"That's incredible! I heard this isn't even the true form of the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Spirit." Li Lan said excitedly, "Our teacher once told us that Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Spirit Masters only show their true power after level 30. Starting from level 30, a part of the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Spirit Master will transform into a dragon, and by level 70, their entire body will transform into a dragon, making them the strongest Spirit Master of their level."

"Huh?" Lu Mingfei was a little stunned. Partial dragon transformation after level 30? This seems to be quite different from what he had imagined.

"You mean he can't transform into a dragon right now?" Lu Mingfei asked.

“Yes, didn’t I make myself clear just now?” Li Lan said.

Lu Mingfei shook his head and scratched his cheek: "No, I think I misheard."

So Yu Tianheng wasn't hiding it like he did, thinking it was unnecessary, but rather it was just the nature of his martial soul? For some reason, he suddenly felt a little disappointed.

On the field, both were offensive-type Soul Masters. Instead of using Soul Skills, they chose the most direct approach of head-on confrontation.

Whether it was unexpected or reasonable, Yu Tianheng, who was not very tall, suppressed his opponent immediately. The two of them joined hands and wrestled, and Lan Zhan's burly figure was forced to retreat continuously.

Seeing that he was being suppressed in terms of strength, Lan Zhan struggled to break free and create distance. He immediately used his second soul skill, causing his muscles to bulge. Yu Tianheng was not to be underestimated either. He immediately activated his first soul skill, his hands forming dragon claws and his arms wrapped in dazzling lightning, before unleashing a powerful attack.

"boom!"

A violent collision rang out, and the next moment Lan Zhan's body flew backward, twitching slightly as he hit the ground. Several charred lines appeared on his body, clearly indicating that he had been electrocuted.

"Wow, it's a dual cultivator of physical and magical attacks!" Lu Mingfei was also surprised. Although this Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex wasn't particularly outstanding in terms of strength and speed, the fact that it could electrify upon contact with objects was quite ingenious.

Lu Mingfei thought about it and realized that if he didn't reveal his martial spirit and words of power, unless he intended to kill his opponent with a single sword strike, he really wouldn't be a match for him in a simple head-on sparring match.

It's his lack of ranged attack capabilities that's the problem; if it were close combat, he'd probably get electrocuted.

As Yu Tianheng decisively ended the battle, another wave of thunderous cheers erupted.

Next up was Dugu Yan. After watching the battle, Lu Mingfei was surprised again. The opponent's martial soul possession had completely transformed her legs into snake tails, and the poison mist she used was even more astonishing.

Lu Mingfei even felt that Dugu Yan's martial soul was far more terrifying than Yu Tianheng's Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex. He could withstand the electric current with his soul power and physical strength, but this poison was no joke. He was not sure how long he could last in the poisonous fog with his soul power. Even if he killed the other party, he was afraid that he would die from the poison.

Lu Mingfei felt like he had been taught a lesson tonight.

These past few days, he seemed to have become a bit arrogant after defeating a few weaklings of the same level. But now, seeing the truly top-tier martial spirits on this continent has instantly brought him back to his senses. He still has many shortcomings and must not be complacent.

"I have to find a way to get a ranged attack skill." With that thought in mind, Lu Mingfei walked out of the Great Soul Arena.

Although the battle that night was quite shocking, Lu Mingfei did not forget about choosing a gift, and immediately strolled around the shopping street with Li Lan.

Lu Mingfei had only one requirement for this gift: it had to be passable.

It seems simple, but upon closer examination, the standard of "good enough" is actually just as problematic as "anything goes," a problem that has been around for ages.

For people of that social class, what kind of things are acceptable? Lu Mingfei stood there pondering.

"Brother Lu, have you decided what to give him yet?" Li Lan was also getting a little annoyed with shopping.

“I was thinking, could I dress you up in women’s clothing, put you in a gift box, and send you over as a present?” Lu Mingfei said.

"No way, Brother Lu!" Li Lan's legs went weak. He never imagined that Lu Mingfei, who was only six years old, could be more adept at games than his father.

"Of course I was just teasing you." Lu Mingfei also showed a disgusted expression.

Going shopping with one boy and buying a gift for another boy seems really strange.

Just as Lu Mingfei was preparing to retreat and find a hotel for a late-night snack, a shop in a secluded corner caught his attention.

"By the way, Xue Qinghe seems to be pretending to be a scholar, this thing will definitely work!"

Chapter 35 Heavenly Dou Imperial Palace

"Young people these days are so impetuous. You've only been here a short time, how come you've already been led astray..."

In the Academic Affairs Office, Lu Mingfei and Li Lan sat on chairs with bitter faces, while Director Lin, sitting in front of the desk, clasped his hands and rested his chin on his hand, earnestly advising them.

The corridor is right outside the window of the Academic Affairs Office. Behind the blinds, you can vaguely see the college teachers walking by. They can't help but shake their heads and sigh when they see two dejected students in the director's office, but they don't stop to watch as if it's commonplace. They just carry their lesson plans and walk away slowly.

In their academy, there are no students who can be called easy to deal with. If you randomly pick one and reprimand them, you will never be wronged.

While Director Lin was nagging, Lu Mingfei would often drift off into his own thoughts. Back in Shilan, he would often be called to the office by his teachers and scolded. He would always try to distract himself and not let those words get to him or make him feel uncomfortable.

"What a lovely day," Lu Mingfei thought. Sunlight streamed into the room, and the air was filled with golden dust, as if something heavy had been pulled away. It was warm and cozy, and made him feel drowsy.

The entire campus seemed to be in a dreamlike state of afternoon nap. The sound of cicadas could be heard, but it wasn't noisy; it just made people feel even more drowsy.

"Alright, I've said what I needed to say. Go back now, and don't let me see you in a place like that again, especially you, Li Lan. Don't think I don't know it was your idea!"

"Understood... Thank you, Director." Li Lan sighed with relief, opened the door to let Lu Mingfei out first, and then smiled and nodded at the old man behind the desk as if begging for forgiveness before closing the door completely.

After slinking out of the academic affairs office, the two finally straightened their heads and puffed out their chests a little.

As the old saying goes, "He who walks by the river will eventually get his shoes wet," let alone in this noble academy where almost everyone is lawless. Lu Mingfei only went to the Great Soul Arena twice and it became a hot news story.

Moreover, what spread was not Lu Mingfei's heroic figure in defeating a powerful enemy, but the news that Li Lan, an inconspicuous figure in the academy, had made a fortune with a few friends.

Lu Mingfei then learned the truth. No wonder Li Lan, a minor nobleman from the countryside, was able to put up a thousand gold soul coins on the first night. It turned out that she had raised funds from her friends.

So a few days ago, one of his friends got carried away after drinking and revealed the truth. When the news reached Director Lin's ears, his heart felt like it had been set on fire, burning with pain.

According to him, Li Lan was one of the few honest and good students in the academy, while Lu Mingfei was an outstanding student with exceptional talent. How come the two of them suddenly became accomplices after they got together?

Lu Mingfei was specifically criticized here. He's only been here a short time, how come he's already picked up the bad habits of the nobility and gone astray?

When Lu Mingfei heard this, he really wanted to refute it. Li Lan may look like she has thick eyebrows and big eyes, but her honesty is all an act. In fact, she is full of tricks.

I was only temporarily blinded by the allure of the world, but I have made up my mind to mend my ways.

However, although he didn't know the whole story, he had taken the lion's share, so he had no choice but to admit his mistake.

"I have to say, you're incredibly audacious. Borrowing money to gamble, aren't you afraid of losing everything?" Lu Mingfei said, still shaken, after walking a bit further away.

"What do you mean I'm bold? I mean I have unwavering faith in you, Boss." Li Lan nudged Lu Mingfei's shoulder, clearly knowing his mistake but not admitting it. Then, as if remembering something, he scratched his head and said, "But we really shouldn't go recently. I bet several people in the academy have their eyes on you, Boss. If you take advantage of them a few more times, the Great Soul Arena will take notice."

The odds in the Grand Arena are adjusted based on the win rate. If he wins a few more matches, the odds will only decrease. Unless he throws the matches, he will only earn less and less in the future.

Lu Mingfei nodded. He had the same idea. Anyway, he wasn't short of money. As for practical experience, the Great Soul Arena couldn't satisfy him. He should just focus on cultivating for a while and calm his mind.

-

Days passed, and Lu Mingfei returned to his previous life of only cultivating and studying. Except for going out to pick up the suit he had ordered, he never stepped out of the academy gates again.

Until the day of the celebration two months later.

Early in the morning, Lu Mingfei put on his custom-made suit and rushed to the school gate. The royal guard's convoy was already waiting there, along with carriages from other families, who also seemed to be heading to the palace for a banquet.

The avalanche arrived late, and its expression upon seeing Lu Mingfei clearly made it very uncomfortable.

"Oh, I heard you're doing quite well at the academy." He chuckled dismissively at Lu Mingfei's cheap suit and boarded the carriage.

It was common knowledge that Lu Mingfei had participated in the Great Soul Arena battles. In the upper-class noble circles, this was actually a despised behavior. Most nobles valued their reputation the most, and going to the Great Soul Arena to show their faces and fight in the arena was something that only people from the lower class would do.

"Your Highness is joking." Lu Mingfei chuckled awkwardly, not caring at all. It would be strange if someone like Xue Beng, with his playboy persona, could speak properly.

Once seated in the carriage, Xue Beng closed his eyes to rest, no longer provoking Lu Mingfei, who was naturally happy to have some peace and quiet.