A Meeting, a Plan

Heaven Dou Royal Academy, Training Ground.

Yu Tianheng stood beneath the corridor, his gaze resting on Lin Yao in the distance. His fingers unconsciously rubbed at his cuff. A flicker of realization passed through his eyes before they took on a certain look.

"Lin Yao, a familiar name. Coupled with that astonishing talent, if nothing unexpected happened, you must be the disciple His Excellency Sword Douluo took in not long ago."

His voice was soft, almost as if he were speaking to himself, yet it reached Lin Yao's ears clearly.

As his words fell, he nodded slightly, clearly highly confident in his own judgment.

The moment he finished speaking, Yu Tianheng's gaze unconsciously swept over Lin Yao.

When they had first met, he had vaguely sensed the aura of Soul Power surrounding Lin Yao.

It was clearly a fluctuation of the same level as his own, yet the boy before him looked a full two or three years younger.

At that thought, his brows knit slightly, and a complicated look surfaced in his eyes—surprise, scrutiny, and a faint, barely perceptible wariness.

Although the Upper Three Sects had always claimed to be united as one and appeared to stand together before outsiders, the competition between the sects had never ceased. Among the younger generation especially, undercurrents ran deep.

Yu Tianheng came from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and had taken pride in his sect's supreme martial soul since childhood. The people he usually looked down on most were those seemingly weak direct descendants of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, who relied on support.

Yet Lin Yao's appearance had shattered his established understanding.

A younger boy had actually reached a Soul Power level comparable to his own. How could that not leave him unsettled?

He took a deep breath and suppressed his turbulent thoughts, fixing his gaze on Lin Yao once more.

"Even if you are not a direct descendant of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, as Sword Douluo Chen Xin's disciple, your status within the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is second only to Ning Rongrong, the sect master's direct descendant. It would not be an exaggeration to say that you represent the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."

A light breeze passed through the corridor, lifting the hem of Lin Yao's robes. He raised his eyes to Yu Tianheng, his expression calm as he simply said two words. "That's right."

That simple response seemed to ignite some fuse within Yu Tianheng's heart.

He stepped forward, and even the air around him seemed to tighten with his emotions. His tone became several degrees sharper.

"A member of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect joined Heaven Dou Royal Academy—and came in after I did. You came for me, didn't you?"

As he spoke, his peripheral vision darted toward Dugu Yan, who stood beside Lin Yao.

The intimate way Dugu Yan had treated Lin Yao earlier remained vivid in his mind.

She had naturally brushed the dust from Lin Yao's shoulder, her eyes full of smiles when she spoke to him. Yet toward Yu Tianheng, she had always been cold and unfriendly.

At that thought, Yu Tianheng's fist silently clenched at his side. An inexplicable unwillingness welled up within him, and the way he looked at Lin Yao gained a touch more hostility.

Lin Yao naturally sensed the gunpowder in Yu Tianheng's words. He raised a brow. Rather than backing down, the corners of his lips curved into a faintly mocking smile, his tone light yet edged with sharpness.

"Ah, so the people of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan don't only know how to flex their muscles. You can use your brains a little too."

Those words were like a thorn, piercing precisely into Yu Tianheng's heart. His expression darkened slightly as he gave a cold snort.

"Heh heh, fine. Even if your talent is formidable, before you have fully matured, you should know to respect the strong.

"Besides, I come from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. I am no weakling either!"

Before his words had even faded, Soul Power erupted from Yu Tianheng's body. Pale blue lightning surged out from within him, winding around his limbs and body.

Accompanied by a deep dragon's roar, the phantom of a fierce Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon appeared behind him. Its cold dragon eyes seemed capable of piercing the human heart, and the temperature in the air appeared to drop several degrees under the force of that lightning.

Sensing the powerful martial soul aura, the surrounding students instinctively retreated several steps, their eyes filled with awe.

As Lin Yao watched the scene before him, the mockery on his face gradually faded, replaced by calm. He met Yu Tianheng's gaze, his voice still gentle but carrying an unquestionable firmness.

"What's the point of saying so much? Let's fight. In the world of Soul Masters, strength is what matters."

Lin Yao had his own calculations at this moment.

He acknowledged that the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul was indeed powerful, but the sect that possessed it was far from truly top-tier.

In the vast Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, their strongest expert was merely a Super Douluo.

Above them, there was no existence beyond a Title Douluo, while below, even ordinary Title Douluo were few and far between. Compared with Spirit Hall's foundation, they were truly too shabby.

Even if Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan Soul Masters could match four or five opponents of the same level, faced with Spirit Hall's suppression, they likely would not even be able to stir up a ripple.

What was more, Lin Yao's Soul Power had now reached level 25. Although he was one or two levels below Yu Tianheng, he had absolute confidence in his own strength.

If they truly fought, he was certain he could crush the other side with ease.

The atmosphere beneath the corridor grew increasingly tense. Yu Tianheng's lightning power and the restrained Soul Power around Lin Yao faintly confronted each other, as though even the air had frozen.

The other disciples of the Heaven Dou Team stood some distance away, their faces full of hesitation.

Someone instinctively wanted to step forward to stop them, but after taking a step, they looked up at Teacher Qin Ming standing by the window.

Qin Ming stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze resting on the two confronting each other. His brows were slightly furrowed, as though he were considering something.

Noticing the students' gazes, he gently shook his head, signaling for them not to interfere.

Seeing this, the students could only stop, muttering to themselves.

One was a genius of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, while the other was Sword Douluo's disciple. Both were descendants of top powers they could not afford to offend. If they rashly interfered, they would likely only bring trouble upon themselves.

At that moment, Dugu Yan stepped forward and silently took her place behind Lin Yao.

She tilted her head slightly. Her gaze toward Yu Tianheng carried a touch of coldness, making her stance unmistakably clear.

Sensing the movement behind him, Lin Yao was slightly surprised.

He had not expected Dugu Yan to so directly take his side.

Seeing this, Yu Tianheng's expression darkened further, and an indescribable discomfort welled up in his heart.

Before the plan in his mind could even unfold, there were already signs of failure. This only made him more irritable.

Lin Yao quickly suppressed his surprise and turned his gaze back to Yu Tianheng, speaking calmly:

"You just finished a match today and used up quite a bit of soul power. I don't want to take advantage of you in that regard. Tomorrow, at the Battle Soul Arena, we'll fight. That'll be more useful than any amount of arguing."

His words were crisp and decisive, directly setting the time and place.

Hearing this, Yu Tianheng took a deep breath, suppressing the impulse in his heart, and nodded.

Against such a monstrous genius, he had to give it his all. Failure was not an option.

A fair fight at the Battle Soul Arena tomorrow would be the perfect chance to see just how capable this disciple of Sword Douluo truly was.

Then, both of them turned their gazes toward Qin Ming, waiting for his response.

Qin Ming slowly nodded, saying nothing more.

With him present to oversee things, and perhaps the academy's three education committee members watching from behind the scenes, nothing would go wrong even if the two exchanged blows.

With the duel settled, Lin Yao no longer paid Yu Tianheng any attention. He turned to look at Dugu Yan behind him, his voice softening slightly.

"By the way, Sister Yanyan, once this soul battle is over, I have something to tell you."

His words carried a faint lingering note. After saying them, Lin Yao turned and headed toward his room, his robe fluttering in the wind as he left behind a carefree silhouette.

He completely ignored the fact that Yu Tianheng behind him had been provoked again and was nearly unable to restrain himself from attacking.

"Huh..."

Hearing Lin Yao's words, the surrounding students all showed curious expressions. Their eyes shifted back and forth between Lin Yao and Dugu Yan as they whispered among themselves.

Dugu Yan watched Lin Yao's departing figure. After a brief daze, a smile appeared on her face, tinged with helplessness and mock reproach as she softly muttered:

"Yao, you really are still pretending to be mature."

Her voice was not loud, yet it was just enough for those around her to hear. A round of soft laughter followed, instantly easing the previously tense atmosphere.

Yu Tianheng stood where he was, watching the scene with his fists clenched even tighter. Thunder power flickered faintly at his fingertips, but he ultimately forced it back down.

He took a deep breath, turned, and walked in the opposite direction, his back carrying a trace of loneliness.

After returning to his room, Lin Yao walked straight to the bed and sat down.

He closed his eyes. With a thought, his consciousness quickly sank into his Spiritual Sea.

It was clear and tranquil here, free from the distractions of the outside world. His focus became sharper, and his efficiency in learning was several times greater than outside.

As his consciousness settled within the Spiritual Sea, Lin Yao's thoughts gradually drifted away, returning to that period in the Divine Eagle World.

Back then, in order to resolve the excessive depletion of his origin caused by overdoing Body Tempering, he had spent a great deal of time studying medicinal materials.

He had searched through every medical text and pharmacopoeia he could find in the Divine Eagle World, gaining an intimate understanding of the properties and effects of all kinds of herbs.

Yet in that world, rare medicinal materials capable of replenishing one's origin were simply too scarce. No matter how much knowledge he possessed, he had nowhere to put it to use.

Had he not been able to connect with his other selves across the myriad worlds and replenish his origin from them, the version of himself in the Divine Eagle World would likely have died from exhausted origin before even reaching thirty.

Thinking of this, Lin Yao could not help but feel emotional, while quietly feeling fortunate that his self in the Divine Eagle World possessed the ability to connect with the myriad worlds.

However, while studying medicinal materials, Lin Yao had also incidentally researched much knowledge concerning poisonous herbs.

As the saying went, medicine carried some poison. Medicinal herbs and poisons had never truly been separate.

Many extremely toxic substances could become life-saving medicine in the hands of someone who knew how to use them.

And on Douluo Continent, although there was a method of transferring poison through soul bones, it was far from simple.

Not only did it require a special guiding method, but it also had to be paired with corresponding medicinal treatment. The slightest mistake could cause the poison to turn on the user, endangering their life.

For example, Tang San's Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record happened to contain the relevant guiding method and antidote formula.

The knowledge of medicinal materials Lin Yao had learned in the Divine Eagle World also included many records regarding the use and neutralization of highly toxic substances.

If the two could be combined, perhaps he could find a way to completely resolve the poison afflicting Dugu Bo and his daughter.

Lin Yao's gaze gradually became firm.

Once he had integrated this knowledge, he would contact Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan and try to help them free themselves from the poison's torment.

Moreover, his soul power was now close to the Soul Elder realm. It was also time to use Immortal Herbs to raise his potential.

After all, having come to Douluo Continent, a world filled with geniuses everywhere, it would be rather out of place not to consume a few Immortal Herbs to improve his potential and shorten the time needed to raise his Soul Power Level.

Besides, Lin Yao had always believed in mutual benefit and had never intended to keep the Immortal Herbs all to himself.

Only by using them together could their value be maximized. Naturally, he would not leave out Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan.

Furthermore, when he confronted Yu Tianheng today, Dugu Yan had stood behind him without hesitation. Lin Yao remembered that bond in his heart.

He had never been someone who kept all the benefits for himself. Since Dugu Yan trusted him so much, he would naturally treat her sincerely and take her troubles to heart.

His consciousness slowly drifted through the Spiritual Sea as Lin Yao began sorting through the knowledge in his mind.

The lights and shadows within the Spiritual Sea shifted constantly with his thoughts. At times, densely packed words appeared; at others, phantoms of various medicinal herbs emerged. Everything proceeded in an orderly manner.