Level Forty-Eight: Dugu Bo

What answered her was an incomparably powerful instant-cast soul skill.

A crimson sword light over three meters long slashed down before Dugu Yan in the blink of an eye, severing her right arm as easily as chopping vegetables.

Her severed arm fell limply to the ground, spraying blood, while blood gushed from the neat stump like a fountain.

Dugu Yan's face turned paper-white. The immense pain twisted her features into a savage grimace as a miserable scream tore from her lips.

"Let this be a lesson. Don't cut in line so overbearingly again. Take your arm and go. If you get treatment in time, it can still be reattached."

Lin Xianxian withdrew her Dragon's Roar Sword Martial Soul, tossed out those words, and ignored Dugu Yan no further.

The other party had intended to kill her. Losing an arm was already a light punishment, especially since it could still be reattached. If it had been Lin Tianyi with his fiery temper, Dugu Yan would never have left in one piece.

Dugu Yan shot Lin Xianxian a resentful glare, then abruptly snatched up her severed arm from the ground and, enduring the agony, sprinted toward the academy infirmary.

Lin Xianxian then queued up and bought two breakfasts before vanishing with Teleportation, leaving behind only the shaken, stunned crowd and shopkeeper.

Dugu Bo's residence.

Looking at the pale-faced Xue Xing and Xue Beng before him, Dugu Bo furrowed his brows slightly and narrowed his eyes, as though weighing something.

Dugu Bo was tall and lean, standing straight as a javelin. His hair and beard were both dark green, and his eyes shone like emeralds. His entire person gave off an ethereal impression, as though he were a phantom.

Xue Xing looked at Dugu Bo with nervous anticipation.

Xue Beng, meanwhile, was filled with bitterness. He truly did not want to provoke that terrifying demon again, but Xue Xing had insisted on forcing him to meet Dugu Bo and play up their misery to make Dugu Bo act.

Seeing that Dugu Bo had not responded for a long while, Xue Xing's heart sank slightly. A look of grief suddenly appeared on his face.

"Senior Dugu, in consideration of all the years our imperial family has supported you, please act to restore our imperial family's dignity.

That little bastard brazenly beat me, a prince, and Xue Beng, an imperial prince, in public. He clearly has no regard for our imperial family. Please kill that little bastard!"

Xue Xing knew that Dugu Bo valued loyalty, so he deliberately emphasized the imperial family's support.

"Four years ago, when Senior Dugu's medicinal garden was robbed, our imperial family immediately issued a nationwide warrant for the thief, and we are still pursuing that damned thief to this day!

Could it be that Senior Dugu truly has the heart to watch our imperial family's dignity be trampled beneath another's feet?"

Dugu Bo's brows shifted slightly. In the end, he relented, his voice cold and harsh.

"I can act, but Lin Tianyi is Duke Lin Hongtu's youngest son. As far as I know, that old man of the Lin family has remained a peak Soul Douluo for more than a decade and could break through to Title Douluo at any time.

At most, I will break that little bastard's limbs and leave him bedridden for several months. I will absolutely not kill him."

Dugu Bo was not alone, after all. He still had his beloved granddaughter, Dugu Yan.

Xue Xing's expression tightened, and he wanted to say more, but when he suddenly caught the chill in Dugu Bo's eyes, he immediately shut his mouth.

Dugu Bo said coldly, "Don't think I don't know what you're thinking. You want to stay out of it and hide behind the scenes. In consideration of your imperial family's years of support, I am willing to show my face once.

But I will never forge a deadly feud with the Lin family. Put an end to those petty schemes of yours, or don't blame me for turning hostile!"

Though unwilling, Xue Xing still forced an ugly smile onto his aged face. After offering a few flattering words, he respectfully took his leave with Xue Beng.

Dugu Bo watched Xue Xing and Xue Beng's departing backs, a trace of helplessness flashing through his eyes.

He hated owing favors most of all. Once he acted this time, he would have repaid the imperial family's favor. In the future, he absolutely could not owe anyone anything again.

After leaving Dugu Bo's residence, Xue Xing suddenly stopped and looked back at the plaque bearing the words "Dugu" above the residence gates. A vicious, venomous glint flashed through his eyes.

"That little bastard must die!!"

That morning, after Lin Tianyi and Lin Xianxian finished breakfast, they arrived at their classroom.

Because Lin Tianyi and Lin Xianxian's Soul Power was too astonishing, they had been directly assigned to the academy's highest-level class, taught by the genius instructor Qin Ming.

Qin Ming was a first-generation graduate of Shrek Academy and its finest graduate in the twenty years since its founding. He possessed the mutated Blazing Fire Azure Wolf Martial Soul and was recorded by Spirit Hall as the second-youngest Soul Emperor on the entire continent.

Of course, if Lin Tianyi and Lin Xianxian registered, Qin Ming could only rank fourth. The first and second places would undoubtedly belong to them.

There were not many students in this class. All of them were Heaven Dou level students, meaning they were above level thirty.

The brothers Yuan Ding Tian and Yuan Li Di were in this class as well.

They were students of Heaven Dou Royal Academy, after all. Although Lin Tianyi had no interest in attending class, he still needed to show his face before the teacher, so that he could lead a team in the Soul Master Competition more than a year later.

There was still some time before class began, so Lin Tianyi and Lin Xianxian casually found seats and sat down.

The brothers Yuan Ding Tian and Yuan Li Di immediately ran over. Under the astonished gazes of the whole class, they respectfully bowed before sitting behind Lin Tianyi and Lin Xianxian.

At that moment, a group appeared at the classroom door, their faces dark and their eyes filled with barely restrained fury.

The leader looked to be in his early twenties. He was tall and slender, standing over 1.9 meters tall, with neat black hair standing upright like steel needles and long, powerful hands.

He could not be called handsome, and his face rarely showed any expression, as though his facial muscles were stiff. He wore a plain blue fitted outfit without any adornment. His entire person gave off a simple impression, yet that very simplicity made him seem dangerous.

This person was Yu Tianheng, the eldest grandson of Yu Yuanzhen, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's patriarch!

Behind him were members of the Imperial Fighting Team: Ye Lingling of the Nine Heart Begonia, the Black Tortoise brothers Shi Mo Shi Mo, Yu Feng of the Wind Chime Bird, and Osler of the Ghost Leopard. All of them were Soul Elders of at least level thirty-five.

They were the standouts of this class.

Dugu Yan, who had only recently had her right arm reattached and still looked pale, entered the classroom on unsteady feet with Yu Tianheng supporting her.

Suddenly, Dugu Yan's expression spiraled out of control, becoming twisted and venomous as she stared fixedly in a certain direction in the classroom.

Noticing his lover's abnormality, Yu Tianheng asked what had happened. Dugu Yan stared fixedly at Lin Xianxian, her lips moving as though she were saying something.

Immediately afterward, every member of the Imperial Fighting Team, including Yu Tianheng, turned furious eyes toward Lin Xianxian. Even the normally indifferent Ye Lingling showed anger.

Yu Tianheng handed the weak Dugu Yan over to Ye Lingling. Then, disregarding Dugu Yan's attempts to pull him back and stop him, he stalked down the aisle toward Lin Xianxian with a dark, enraged expression.

The other members of the Imperial Fighting Team followed close behind, all furious and aggressive.

In an instant, the spacious classroom fell dead silent. The atmosphere suddenly became heavy and stifling, like drawn swords and bent bows.

Everyone watched the scene in shock and confusion, not knowing what had happened.

Seeing Yu Tianheng and the others approaching so aggressively, Lin Tianyi raised a brow, the corner of his mouth curling into a disdainful sneer.

Naturally, he knew why they had come. Lin Xianxian had already told him the whole story.

It was one thing for Dugu Yan to be domineering and ruthless in her daily life, but she had bullied Lin Xianxian.

Even if they were dragons, they had to lie down before him. Even if they were tigers, they had to crouch!