Seeking Thrills, Heading to Suotuo City

Thinking back on everything that had happened over the past year, there had been no pressure, no danger, no opportunities—only relentless training, every moment of every day.

He was sick of it. This kind of life where he could see the end at a glance was something no modern person could accept. He was mentally exhausted.

"How could that be? I think it's quite fulfilling," Hu Liena said in confusion. She had lived like this for more than ten years and had never found it boring.

On the contrary, whenever she felt her strength improve, she was always delighted.

Lu Leng glanced at her, not knowing how to explain it, and could only sigh again.

Of course, Hu Liena could not understand his way of thinking. He was different from her; he was a modern man. Though he had grown up in peaceful times, madness was carved into his bones.

He especially loved thrills—preferably the kind where one walked between life and death, endlessly lingering at death's edge.

Otherwise, he would not have forcibly absorbed Soul Rings beyond their age limits every single time.

Nor would he have dared, at barely over level twenty, to steal Immortal Herbs. Dugu Bo's title as a Titled Douluo was no empty boast. One careless mistake, and he would be dead.

But he did not care, because it only made him feel exhilarated.

Yet now, the excitement he had felt upon first crossing into Douluo had gradually faded as he became familiar with this world, and his true nature began to show.

Though only a year had passed, this life of a trapped beast in a cage, freedom confined behind bars, had already worn his mind to the brink of collapse.

"Ah..."

Lu Leng truly had things he could not put into words, so they could only become sigh after sigh.

Hu Liena sat beside him, worry creeping into her clear, beautiful eyes. This was the first time she had seen Lu Leng like this, and she did not know what to do.

The Lu Leng from before had been so confident, so proud. But now, she did not know how he had become like this. What kind of troubling matters had he gone through?

Lu Leng's unceasing sighs reached her ears, and Hu Liena's heart tightened with them. Her brows were deeply furrowed as she blamed herself for being unable to ease his worries or help him solve his problems.

She looked at him. Suddenly, a trace of determination flashed through her eyes, as though she had made some decision.

She moved closer, abruptly stretched out her right arm, swiftly wrapped it around Lu Leng's neck, then pressed his head against her shoulder.

At once, Lu Leng's head rested on Hu Liena's shoulder.

Hu Liena forcibly suppressed her racing heartbeat. Her face was bright red, and she did not dare look at Lu Leng. Her voice trembled as she said, "No matter what happens to you, I'll be by your side."

Lu Leng was startled when Hu Liena suddenly pulled him into her embrace. Thinking something had happened, he instinctively wanted to struggle free.

But just as he was about to move, he heard Hu Liena's words.

The moment they entered his ears, they seemed to possess magic, turning into a warm current that made his body go limp.

The flames of irritation in his heart were soothed like earth nourished by spring rain. The exhaustion in his body seemed to have returned home, to a place where a lamp was left burning through the night, and vanished without a trace.

The negative emotions he had accumulated over the past year seemed to be quietly carried away by that single sentence.

His lips moved as though he wanted to say something, but he feared breaking this rare peace. In the end, he did not move. He simply rested against Hu Liena's shoulder, his state of mind gradually calming.

Eventually, he even began to breathe peacefully.

Under the moonlight, their shadows stretched long, seeming like a single person.

The next day, Lu Leng was still wandering about aimlessly. His mood remained gloomy, but it was much better than before.

As he looked at the Spirit Academy that everyone yearned for, the resistance in his heart only grew stronger.

"Leng Leng? Why are you here?" Lu Leng had his head lowered when he suddenly heard a surprised voice.

He looked up and found that it was Dudu.

Come to think of it, he had nearly forgotten about Dudu. If not for her distinctive voice and adorable baby fat, he probably would not remember her at all by now.

After not seeing her for a year, Dudu seemed to have gained a little weight. Her cheeks had become even chubbier, making people want to pinch them at first sight.

"It's Dudu." Lu Leng greeted her, then looked around and realized that he had somehow wandered into the junior academy campus.

No wonder he had run into Dudu.

"What's wrong? You look like you're in a bad mood." Dudu had initially been delighted to see Lu Leng, but seeing the troubled expression on his face, she could not help asking with concern.

"It's nothing. I just feel a little annoyed." Lu Leng forced a smile.

Seeing that smile, which looked even worse than crying, Dudu burst out laughing. But realizing it was inappropriate, she quickly covered her mouth. "You're already number one on the rankings. What could possibly bother you?"

"It's precisely because I'm number one that I'm annoyed."

"Oh, I get it. You're bored because you don't have any opponents, right?"

Hearing that, Lu Leng tilted his head and thought for a moment. "You could put it that way."

"That's easy. I have a way. As long as you've got the guts, you'll be able to find some fun." Dudu held up one finger and said with a smile.

"What way?" Lu Leng immediately perked up, intrigued.

"Have you heard of the Soul Fighting Arena?"

Soul Fighting Arena? The instant Lu Leng heard those three words, it was as though enlightenment had struck him, and his mind became crystal clear.

That's right! How hadn't I thought of that? If there's no fun, I can go find it myself!

If there's no excitement, I can create it myself! As long as I go to the Soul Fighting Arena, I can find the thrill I want while improving my strength. It'll satisfy both my physical and mental needs at once—killing two birds with one stone!

How hadn't I thought of that? Lu Leng silently reproached himself, but he soon became invigorated. Compared to just moments ago, he seemed like a completely different person.

"Thanks. I didn't expect you, the president, to actually be useful," Lu Leng said teasingly, his mood brightening as he returned to his usual unrestrained self.

"You're welcome. It was only something within my ability." Seeing Lu Leng happy, Dudu was happy to have helped him. Then she added, "By the way, if you're worried about being discovered by His Holiness the Pope in Spirit City, you can go find my older sister. Her name is Doudou, and she's a gold-medal host at the Great Soul Arena in Suotuo City. You can go there, and I'll ask my sister to pull some strings for you."

Pulling strings meant arranging weaker opponents for Lu Leng. After all, in Dudu's eyes, Lu Leng was strong, but he was still no match for those people who had spent years fighting ruthlessly.

"How did you know I was afraid of being discovered by His Holiness the Pope?" Lu Leng asked with a surprised expression.

This Dudu seemed remarkably well-informed. Since she said that, she probably even knew he was the Pope's disciple.

But it did not matter if she knew. Plenty of people knew anyway.

Indeed, he did not care much about the academy side of things. Skipping classes had become a habit for him, and Sols and the others could not be bothered to manage him.