Lin Chen, arm in arm with Dugu Yan, strolled along the tree-lined path of the Heavenly Dou Royal Academy.
He had been in a hurry before, but this was the first time he had taken such a detailed look at the empire's highest institution of learning.
The pavilions and towers were arranged in a well-organized manner, and the students exuded an air of refinement.
It could indeed be considered a pure land for cultivation.
"elder brother!"
A clear, yet slightly aggrieved, call came from behind.
Lin Chen turned around and saw a pink figure rushing towards him like a swallow returning to its nest—it was Xiao Wu. Behind her followed a beautiful young woman in brocade robes, with bright eyes and white teeth—Ning Rongrong, the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.
"Brother! I've been at the academy for several days and haven't seen you. I thought something had happened to you!" Xiao Wu threw herself into Lin Chen's arms, hugging his arm tightly, her little face full of dependence and lingering fear.
Lin Chen patted her head helplessly and said gently, "I was delayed by some personal matters and came back late. I'm sorry to have worried you."
Seeing this, Dugu Yan tightened her grip on Lin Chen's other arm, and a hint of subtle rivalry flickered in her eyes as she looked at Xiao Wu.
Xiao Wu keenly noticed Dugu Yan's movements, wrinkled her little nose slightly, and, not to be outdone, hugged Lin Chen's arm even tighter, almost pressing her whole body against him.
Lin Chen felt a soft touch on each of his arms. Caught between two stunningly beautiful girls, he was momentarily at a loss for words, feeling both amused and exasperated.
He looked up and his gaze fell on Ning Rongrong not far away. A playful smile appeared on his lips: "Little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, what brings you to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy? Didn't you run away from home before?"
Ning Rongrong was sorely offended by Lin Chen's words, and her cheeks puffed out in anger. She put her hands on her hips and retorted, "It's all because you stole my things! I had no choice but to go home and tell on you! You wait, I've already notified my dad. When my Grandpa Jian comes, he'll beat you to a pulp!"
"Oh my, how old are you? If you can't beat someone, you go home and call for reinforcements. Aren't you ashamed?" Lin Chen deliberately dragged out his words, teasing him with a playful expression.
Ning Rongrong was so angry she couldn't speak, she could only glare at him fiercely. But then her eyes lit up, an idea came to her, and her gaze swept over Lin Chen's two companions, Xiao Wu and Dugu Yan, who were holding his arms, a sly smile flashing in her eyes.
She cleared her throat and said mysteriously, "Lin Yuan, Zhu Zhuqing asked me to tell you that she misses you a lot and says she'll definitely come to see you. She hopes you can give her some 'guidance' then~"
The moment the name "Zhu Zhuqing" was uttered, the atmosphere instantly became subtle.
Xiao Wu, her face still smiling, subtly pinched the soft flesh of Lin Chen's waist with her fingers, while her smile was incredibly sweet: "Brother~ I didn't know you met a sister named Zhu Qing?"
The force was both sour and soft, carrying a strong hint of jealousy.
On the other side, Dugu Yan also wore a gentle smile, but her actions were anything but gentle. Her jade-like fingers precisely pinched Lin Chen's waist on the other side, and she asked softly, "Brother Lin Yuan, who is this Zhu Zhuqing? It sounds like their relationship is quite special."
Lin Chen felt a sharp, tingling pain coming from both sides of his waist at the same time. On one side was the hidden power of the 100,000-year-old Soft Bone Rabbit, and on the other side was the precise control of the evolved Poison Dragon. Even with his strong physical body, he couldn't help but twitch his lips.
He looked at the three girls in front of him, each with their own thoughts. One was trying to sow discord, while the other two were consumed by jealousy. He was immediately at his wit's end.
Ning Rongrong crossed her arms, looking on with amusement, her lips curving into a smile. She thought to herself, "Serves you right for bullying me! Now you know what's what!"
Lin Chen was caught in a pincer attack, and a series of "gentle" pains came from his waist. He glared at Ning Rongrong, his eyes full of a "you just wait" threat.
Ning Rongrong, however, was not afraid at all. She raised her chin, snorted coldly, and looked smug.
Lin Chen knew that if he continued to drag this out, he would definitely get hurt. He made a quick decision and said gently to Xiao Wu, "Xiao Wu, come with me for a moment. There's something I need to tell you privately."
As he spoke, he gently pulled away from Dugu Yan's embrace and said apologetically, "Yanzi, I have something to discuss with my sister."
Dugu Yan looked at his withdrawing arm and then at Xiao Wu's triumphant expression. Her pretty face was instantly filled with loneliness, and her fingers clenched slightly.
Ning Rongrong watched with great interest, a smile of anticipation playing on her lips. She thought to herself, "Just wait, Sister Yan will definitely settle accounts with you later!"
Xiao Wu proudly linked arms with Lin Chen, like a victorious kitten, and pulled him quickly to a secluded spot.
Once he confirmed that the distance was sufficient, Lin Chen's eyes narrowed, and he said in a low voice, "That's about right."
Before he finished speaking, a pale blue aura instantly spread from his body, and the Blue Silver Domain quietly unfolded, forming an invisible barrier that completely isolated the two of them from the outside world. Sound and aura were completely sealed off.
Inside the isolated area, Xiao Wu looked up, her eyes filled with a mixture of curiosity and nervousness: "Brother, what do you want to tell me?"
Lin Chen's expression turned serious, and his tone became solemn: "I'm asking you, the two Title Douluos, Chrysanthemum and Ghost, have come to our door. You should know what that means, right?"
Xiao Wu's expression changed drastically, her pupils contracted slightly, and then a surge of anger rose on her face: "They... came to see you?"
Lin Chen nodded slightly: "The news of my return will reach them soon, and it won't be long before they come knocking on our door."
"Then I'll face it with you!" Xiao Wu clenched her fists without hesitation, her eyes resolute.
"Smack."
Lin Chen flicked her smooth forehead with his finger.
"Ouch! Brother, what are you doing! It hurts!" Xiao Wu covered her forehead and pouted, looking aggrieved.
"You think you can rest easy just because you have the Love-Sickness Red to cover up your presence?" Lin Chen looked at her, his tone serious. "Have you forgotten? You met them when you were little."
"When I was little..."
Xiao Wu's aggrieved expression froze instantly, her eyes dimmed, and a trace of sadness and fear welled up in her heart.
How could she forget?
That day, Bibi Dong, accompanied by Chrysanthemum Ghost Douluo, hunted down and killed her mother. That bloody scene was the deepest nightmare of her childhood. And at that time, she was not far away; at the age of six, she was caught in a glimpse by Chrysanthemum Ghost Douluo.
"They...have seen me." Xiao Wu's voice trembled as she gripped Lin Chen's sleeve tightly. "Brother, what do we do? Should we...run away?"
Seeing Xiao Wu's frightened expression, Lin Chen's heart softened. He reached out and ruffled her hair, a confident smile playing on his lips: "Run? We won't run anymore."
"My current identity is Lin Yuan, a genius soul master from the Heaven Dou Royal Academy. I have a powerful background and strength. The Spirit Hall wouldn't dare to exterminate me on the territory of the Heaven Dou Empire, as that would be tantamount to declaring war on the Heaven Dou Empire. But it's inevitable that we'll cross paths in the future."
He paused, his gaze fixed on Xiao Wu, his tone gentler than ever before: "You are my sister. You are the one I worry about the most."
"Next, what you need to do is stay by Dugu Yan's side." Lin Chen's voice echoed in the domain. "Her grandfather, Dugu Bo, is a Title Douluo. He can protect you while I'm away."
When Xiao Wu heard that Lin Chen was leaving alone, her face turned deathly pale. She grabbed his sleeve tightly and cried out, "Brother, you're leaving? Where are you going? To the Spirit Hall? No! Absolutely not! Going there is like throwing yourself to the wolves!"
Seeing his sister's anxious expression, Lin Chen felt a warmth in his heart. He gently ruffled her hair and said firmly, "We're not going to the Spirit Hall, but to another place for training. It's too dangerous there, so I can't take you. For the next period of time, we shouldn't meet. You need to completely hide yourself and minimize your presence. You absolutely cannot run into Chrysanthemum Ghost Douluo."
Xiao Wu's face was full of reluctance, and her eyes were red. But seeing Lin Chen's unquestionable serious expression, she knew that he had made up his mind. In the end, she bit her lip and nodded heavily.
"Alright, I've said everything I needed to say. Let's go back now."
Lin Chen raised his hand and dispelled the Blue Silver Domain, then pulled Xiao Wu back towards Dugu Yan and Ning Rongrong.
When Dugu Yan saw Lin Chen return, a hint of jealousy and displeasure lingered on her face. But before she could speak, Xiao Wu, like a cheerful little bird, broke free from Lin Chen's hand and rushed into her arms, sweetly saying, "Sister Yan, thank you for taking care of my brother all this time!"
This sudden closeness stunned Dugu Yan for a moment. Then, the slight displeasure in her heart vanished, and a gentle smile appeared on her face. She reached out and put her arm around Xiao Wu: "Little Wu, you're too kind. This is what I should do."
Seeing the two who were just at odds now holding hands intimately, Lin Chen couldn't help but chuckle.
Friendships between girls can come so suddenly and unexpectedly.
Just as the two women were getting along well, a suffocatingly powerful pressure descended from the sky without warning, enveloping the entire plaza of the Heavenly Dou Royal Academy.
The air seemed to freeze instantly. The surrounding trainees turned pale and retreated in terror, finding it difficult to even breathe.
A chilling voice, imbued with immense soul power, boomed through the air like thunder: "Lin Yuan! His Holiness the Pope has ordered you to immediately return with us to the Spirit Hall for an audience!"
Before he could finish speaking, two figures appeared in front of Lin Chen and the others.
The man on the left, with a delicate and handsome face, wore a chrysanthemum-yellow robe and had golden chrysanthemums adorning his hair; it was none other than Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan. His face was still pale, clearly indicating that the deadly poison from Dugu Bo a few days ago had not been completely eradicated, and his eyes held a hint of fear and greed as he looked at Lin Chen.
On the right stood a figure, emaciated and shrouded in eerie black mist, exuding a ghostly aura—it was none other than Ghost Douluo, Ghostly Phantom. His pupil-less, ghostly eyes were fixed intently on Lin Chen.
The Spirit Hall, along with the Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluos, have arrived!
Xiao Wu's face turned pale instantly. Remembering Lin Chen's instructions, she hid behind Dugu Yan without saying a word, tightly gripping her sleeve, revealing only a pair of wary eyes.
Dugu Yan stepped forward, blocking Lin Chen's path. A faint aura of emerald green venomous dragon emanated from her as she coldly said, "The Spirit Hall has quite the airs! In broad daylight, you dare to forcibly demand someone from the Heaven Dou Royal Academy? Do you even respect the Heaven Dou Empire?"
Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan sneered, his gaze sweeping contemptuously over Dugu Yan: "Little brat, you have no right to speak here. Get out of my way! Otherwise, don't blame me for being impolite!"
Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan's effeminate gaze fell on Lin Chen, his tone carrying an unquestionable command: "Boy, you're Lin Yuan? Come with us, His Holiness the Pope wants to see you."
Upon hearing this, Lin Chen's lips curled into a mocking smile, and he asked indifferently, "Oh? Since the Pope wants to see me, why doesn't she come in person?"
"How dare you!"
Yue Guan flew into a rage, his golden ninth spirit ring suddenly blazing, petals swirling around him, his aura surging: "You, a mere Soul Master, dare to demand His Holiness the Pope personally come to receive you? You are utterly ignorant of your own limitations! Surrender obediently, and I might spare your life; otherwise, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
The Ghost Douluo standing to the side was even more ghostly, with black mist swirling around him. He said in a chilling tone, "You won't listen to reason, so you'll have to suffer the consequences. Since that's the case, then we'll capture you first!"
Lin Chen showed no fear on his face. Instead, a cold smile appeared on his lips. The ultimate purple-gold lightning danced at his fingertips, and the faint light of the Thunder God Armor shone under his skin.
"Since you want to make a move, then I'll give it a try."
Lin Chen's tone was icy, carrying an air of arrogance that looked down upon the world: "Today, I'll see just how much I'm lacking compared to a Title Douluo!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he stopped wasting words and rushed towards the two Title Douluos in a flash!
Read 30+ Advanced Chapters At Pa Treon.
patreon.com/FictionPower
Remove@ to a
(End of Chapter)