[Lu Li, Lu Li, I want to see you]
Lu Li silently read the message from the other person and mercilessly sent back a stupid-face meme.
But he hadn't expected the other person's reply to surprise him even more.
[What's wrong with being stupid? If I could, I'd be a little fool who did nothing but sit in your arms.]
Lu Li: "..."
Was this the power of being lovesick?
But when he pictured how silly and innocent she acted around him, it really didn't feel out of character at all. Of course, that was if he ignored the fact that she was an assassin...
[Lu Li: That makes me want to punch you.]
[Na Nali: Want me to come find you?]
[Lu Li: Let's go back to what you said before.]
[Na Nali: Or you could come find me. My room number is 666. I'm about to take a bath, too. Maybe you could come over and talk about life with me.]
"..."
[Going to bed. I have things to do tomorrow.]
Lu Li sighed, typed a few words, and sent them off. Then he stopped chatting with her and began meditating in bed.
Meanwhile, when Na Nali saw that Lu Li had stopped replying, she pouted. She was only using the most basic kind of seduction, but it still hurt when he didn't take the bait.
"Lu Li is so cute. Even when you call me stupid, I still think you're adorable."
She reread their chat several times, a lovely smile on her face. Her beautiful features could make countless people fall for her at first sight.
"If only my Lingdang could charm you. I'd make sure we practiced together."
"But then again..."
"If I could really charm you, how could I pursue you so wholeheartedly like this?"
Na Nali giggled. As she mused, she turned off the light, hugged a custom-made plush doll modeled after a chibi Lu Li, and snuggled under the covers.
"Good night, my Lu Li."
"..."
[Xiao Li, Uncle Mu told me you're leaving tomorrow. Why not stay a few more days? Take a couple of days to relax, and learn a little about forging from me while you're at it.]
[Where are you? I didn't see anyone at your place.]
The next day at noon, Lu Li stepped out of his mecha and looked at the messages from Zhen Hua. He couldn't help smiling in silence.
[Uncle Zhen, I'm back in Donghai.]
[Just got here.]
[Zhen Hua: "..."]
"That fast?"
At the Blacksmith's Association, Zhen Hua nearly dropped his jaw in his office. He called Lu Li and couldn't help asking.
"Can't be helped. A friend of mine was too enthusiastic, and I was afraid she'd follow me here, so I had to keep it from you."
"I understand. You've got too many admirers. Those noble families in Heaven Dou City were all practically shoving their daughters at you and the Blacksmith's Association while you were there. There was nothing I could say to stop them..."
Zhen Hua sounded rather envious. Back when he'd been a forging prodigy, he hadn't seen many girls take an interest in him...
Oh, right. Lu Li was a forging prodigy, the greatest genius in the world, and devastatingly handsome. Well, that explained it!
"It's only a matter of looks. Compared with real talent, it's nothing. You're the one who can forge Heaven-grade metals, Uncle Zhen. Your skill charms both women and men..."
Of course, it also made people jealous.
Lu Li shook his head with a smile. He didn't think much of all the attention he got from women.
Naturally, nobody disliked being liked, but it was hard for anyone to make him feel anything in return. After all, he'd been raised by his teacher from childhood, and as for anyone who could compare to her...
Was there anyone?
So far, hardly anyone.
No one could surpass her in his heart, or in strength or beauty. Na Nali was no exception.
"Hahahaha! You sure know how to talk, kid!"
"All right. Since you're back, I won't ask you to stick around. I even turned down an invitation from the Tang Sect today. Their loss."
Zhen Hua laughed happily at Lu Li's flattery over the phone, then quickly ended the call.
"At this hour, Brother Chang Kong should be teaching the kids. It's not too late for me to head over."
Lu Li walked into the academy, heading straight for the teaching building.
Of course, that wasn't the main reason he'd come. What really mattered was whether that person was inside Wulin...
The God King, Tang San—Old Tang!
He soon reached Class Zero. After a light knock, he stepped inside.
"Teacher Lu Li, you're here!"
Wei Xiaofeng was the first to greet him. Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi beside him, along with Gu Yue, did the same.
"Mm. You're having a practical lesson today."
Lu Li glanced at the four of them, then looked toward the far end of the room. Wu Changkong was standing with a yellow Soul Ring beneath his feet, fighting Tang Wulin and Xie Xie.
Combat training.
That was one way Wu Changkong differed from the teachers of the previous two generations, Yu Xiaogang and Zhou Yi.
He would fight at the students' cultivation level and show them what they needed to improve, helping them see their weaknesses.
He wasn't a grandmaster who only knew theory and offered advice after the fact, nor did he make his students run in circles and expel them if they fell short.
"That's right, Teacher Lu. Teacher Wu had us fight him today. Gu Yue already tried once."
"She lasted ten minutes. Now it's Xie Xie and Tang Wulin's turn."
Wei Xiaofeng spoke earnestly.
"Mm."
Lu Li nodded slightly, turning his gaze to the three in the middle of the fight.
"Light Dragon Blade!"
"Wulin, use Blue Silver Entanglement on Teacher Wu! Stop using your hammer—you can't even hit him!"
Xie Xie clutched two daggers and gritted his teeth, looking a little worn out as he spoke.
He couldn't catch up. He just couldn't catch up!
"Xie Xie, do you really think Teacher Wu is afraid of Blue Silver Entanglement?"
Tang Wulin gave a wry smile. He didn't stop moving, and he struggled to control the plants as they formed an extra layer of protection around Xie Xie. It was an offshoot of his first Soul Skill: Blue Silver Defense!
"Ugh! Teacher Wu is ridiculous!"
Xie Xie smiled helplessly and kept moving, his gaze fixed on Wu Changkong in the distance. Was this how effortlessly a strong fighter carried himself?
Even at the same cultivation level, he—a Soul Master of the Agility Attack System—couldn't bring out any strength or make the slightest difference. His opponent was even faster than he was!
That strange footwork left him utterly helpless!
Before long, both of them had run out of stamina and had no choice but to leave the field.
"Lu Li."
Wu Changkong greeted him. His eyes conveyed another message: Don't leave after class.
Then he turned his kindly gaze toward Zhang Yangzi, Wang Jinxi, and Wei Xiaofeng. "Your turn."
He still needed to have a serious discussion with Lu Li about his students.
"Teacher Lu Li is back!"
Tang Wulin and Xie Xie brightened. Their earlier struggles under Wu Changkong's pressure seemed like a thing of the past as they smiled at him.
"I'm back. There wasn't much for me to do in Heaven Dou City. I heard Wulin passed out earlier. Are you all right?"
Lu Li smiled faintly and looked toward Tang Wulin, speaking with concern.
"Hehe, I'm fine, Teacher Lu Li. I was probably just too tired. But after class..."
"I might need to trouble you with something."
Tang Wulin smiled shyly and shook his head.
But as he spoke, his expression suddenly turned serious. He could trust only Big Brother Lu Li with the matter of the Golden Dragon King. Xie Xie wasn't someone he could confide in yet.
"It's no trouble. Come with me after class."
Lu Li shook his head, his expression calm, though he was already on guard beneath it.
Because just now, he'd sensed something probing him. The sensation had been faint, but it still caught his attention.
Tang San!
"He looks so young, yet he's a Titled Douluo. What a remarkable talent!"
"Too bad the Divine Realm was swept away by the spacetime turbulence. Otherwise, this boy would surely become a First-Level God."
That was exactly what was happening. Inside Tang Wulin, Tang San was actively sensing Lu Li's presence and couldn't help speaking.
Wulin's luck was truly incredible.
With such a powerful teacher, he would surely have a great deal of support in the future!
"So Tang San has awakened after all."
"He can sense me. The thing I was most worried about has happened..."
Lu Li couldn't help sighing. It was inevitable that Tang San's divine sense would awaken, but he'd considered two possibilities: either Tang San lacked enough energy and could wake only from time to time, or he could remain conscious.
Clearly, it was probably the latter. He'd have to watch what he said and did from now on.
Lu Li didn't dwell on it. He sat down with Tang Wulin and Xie Xie, watching Zhang Yangzi, Wang Jinxi, and Wei Xiaofeng fight Wu Changkong.
Wu Changkong had raised his cultivation to the second ring. The difference of one ring had changed the fight from him beating Tang Wulin and Xie Xie to him beating Zhang Yangzi, Wang Jinxi, and Wei Xiaofeng all at once.
Even the Martial Soul Fusion Skill, Dark Eagle Dragon, hadn't helped much. They couldn't even touch him.
"Teacher Wu is amazing."
"Even a Martial Soul Fusion Skill can't hit him."
Xie Xie murmured, and Tang Wulin beside him nodded in agreement. Only Lu Li wore a solemn expression.
The system's voice had sounded in his mind again, bringing him a new quest...
[Challenge: Wu Changkong]
[Host, during class, your homeroom teacher, Wu Changkong, will put you through special combat training. Lasting three minutes will make you an outstanding student.]
[Please fight hard. If possible, try to last three minutes against Wu Changkong.]
[Quest Reward: Ultimate Ice Affinity, one randomly selected rare treasure of an Ice Element]
[Reminder: Wu Changkong is strong. Are you really sure you want to challenge him?]
"..."
Before you continue