Opportunity Arrives

Lu Fan, accompanied by two bodyguards, joined Qin Ming and his group at a bustling late-night snack stall.

Lu Fan and Qin Ming sat side-by-side at a table, while Yu Tianheng, Dugu Yan, and Ye Lingling sat opposite them. Lu Fan's two bodyguards stood behind him, their gazes scanning the surroundings with vigilance.

"Boss, bring us thirty skewers of grilled soul beast meat," Qin Ming called out.

For the next while, the two of them ate skewers while chatting about past events at Shrek Academy.

Dugu Yan, Ye Lingling, and Yu Tianheng ate quietly to the side, occasionally interjecting, but mostly listening in silence to the conversation between the two.

From the ensuing dialogue, Lu Fan confirmed the suspicions he had held in his heart.

The two young women ate quietly.

One girl, dressed in a long green dress with a stunning appearance and a hint of arrogance in her eyes, was none other than Dugu Bo's granddaughter, Dugu Yan.

The other girl, wearing a white dress with a gentle temperament and clear eyes, was Ye Lingling, possessor of the world's premier healing martial soul.

"How have Dean Flender and the others been lately?" Qin Ming picked up a skewer of grilled soul beast meat, placed it in his mouth, and asked indistinctly.

His face carried a trace of nostalgia, clearly reminiscing about his days at Shrek Academy.

Lu Fan nodded, a smile appearing on his face: "Everything is well. Dean Flender actually made a small fortune recently, earning several tens of thousands of Gold Soul Coins."

However, he did not elaborate on how Dean Flender had managed to earn that money.

Upon hearing this, Qin Ming's face lit up with joy: "That's good! But given the Dean's temperament, it's truly surprising that he could earn so much money all at once."

Qin Ming then asked: "Why does Junior Brother happen to be here? This is quite a distance from the academy, I fear."

Lu Fan nodded, a look of helplessness appearing on his face: "Due to some reasons, I returned home for a while, and since I had some free time, I decided to head back to the academy to visit the Dean and the others."

His words were half-truth and half-false, making it difficult to distinguish reality from fabrication.

Qin Ming said with a touch of guilt: "I am ashamed; I haven't returned even once in all the years since I graduated."

A look of self-reproach appeared on his face.

Hearing this, Lu Fan felt an idea stir, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes as he said: "Why don't you accompany me to Suotuo City, Senior Brother Qin? I happen to be planning a trip to Heaven Dou City to handle some business after visiting Suotuo City, so we could travel together."

Qin Ming thought for a moment and said: "That works. I am currently taking my students around to various Great Soul Arenas for practical combat training. Suotuo City also has a Great Soul Arena, and it was already on my list of options. I had intended to go in a couple of years, but taking the students to see it a bit early won't hurt."

The others continued to eat their late-night snacks, with Lu Fan and Qin Ming being the only ones primarily engaged in conversation.

"I wonder what Junior Brother Lu's current cultivation level is, and what your martial soul might be?" Qin Ming looked at Lu Fan with a hint of curiosity in his eyes: "To have been able to cultivate at Shrek Academy for so many years, Junior Brother Lu must be truly extraordinary."

Lu Fan smiled upon hearing this, a look of confidence appearing on his face: "My martial soul is a mutated Purple Gold Flower. As for my soul power, I am currently a level 32 Soul Elder."

The group was startled, their faces showing expressions of disbelief.

Lu Fan did not look very old, and they had not expected him to already be a level 32 Soul Elder.

One had to realize that even Yu Tianheng had only just broken through to become a Soul Elder, and Dugu Yan was still lingering at the Soul Grand Master stage.

"May I ask how old Junior Brother Lu is this year?"

Qin Ming's tone was somewhat excited, clearly shocked by Lu Fan's talent.

Lu Fan thought for a moment and gave a fake age: "14 years old."

14 years old was still somewhat acceptable, but even so, it was already terrifying; at the very least, he had already surpassed Yu Tianheng.

Yu Tianheng's expression shifted slightly, and a hint of gravity entered his eyes as he looked at Lu Fan.

He had always considered himself the standout among his peers, and he had not expected someone to be even more outstanding than him.

There is always someone better, and a sky beyond the sky, Yu Tianheng thought to himself.

The gazes of the other two women toward Lu Fan also changed; they had not expected to encounter such a genius on this trip.

A flash of curiosity crossed Dugu Yan's eyes, and a look of surprise appeared on Ye Lingling's face.

Qin Ming felt a sudden desire to recruit talent. He looked at Lu Fan with a hint of eagerness: "Would you be willing to come to our Heaven Dou Royal Academy? With your talent, I can guarantee you a spot on the Heaven Dou Team's first squad."

Lu Fan shook his head, a look of apology appearing on his face: "I cannot, I cannot. I have tasks arranged by my family, and it is not convenient for me to join an academy for study at the moment."

Qin Ming had no choice but to drop the subject, a look of regret appearing on his face: "That is truly a pity. But it doesn't matter; if there is an opportunity in the future, Heaven Dou Royal Academy will always welcome you."

He then added: "However, you are all of the same age and possess comparable talent; you should interact more."

Qin Ming said with a smile, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Yu Tianheng and Lu Fan, clearly hoping that the two could become friends.

This was mainly because there had been some friction between the two back at the hotel.

Qin Ming felt they were all on the same side.

It is better to resolve grievances than to let them fester.

Seeing this, Lu Fan also looked at Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling with a full smile, extended his hand, and said: "My name is Lu Fan, please treat me well."

He wore a gentle smile, and combined with his excellent looks, it was difficult for anyone to feel any aversion toward him.

The two women also introduced themselves, their tones carrying a hint of politeness.

"Dugu Yan."

"Ye Lingling."

Lu Fan nodded, a hint of satisfaction appearing on his face.

His goal was already halfway achieved; at the very least, he had made the acquaintance of Dugu Yan, and now he only needed to find an opportunity to contact Dugu Bo through her.

After the group exchanged a few brief words, Lu Fan seemed to suddenly recall something. He pulled a key from his robes, handed it to Dugu Yan, and said, "I presume Brother Yu wanted to book a room earlier because you were short on space. I can squeeze in with my guards, so if you two don't mind, you are welcome to use the extra room."

Dugu Yan smiled and nodded, taking the key: "Many thanks. I'll pay you for the room."

Lu Fan shook his head, a generous smile on his face: "No need. It's just a small sum, not worth mentioning. Consider it my treat."

He then turned to Qin Ming with an apologetic expression: "My apologies, Senior Qin, I don't have any more rooms to spare."

Qin Ming shook his head with a smile, his expression indifferent: "It's fine. I am already grateful that you were willing to offer one up."

Qin Ming looked at Yu Tianheng and said: "It is already so late that finding a room is unlikely. Let's just go over there and squeeze in with them for the night."

There was a hint of helplessness in his tone.

Yu Tianheng nodded, a look of dissatisfaction crossing his face, though he said nothing.

Seeing that the hour was late, Qin Ming led Yu Tianheng away.

Meanwhile, Lu Fan accompanied Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling back to the hotel.

Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling walked ahead while Lu Fan followed behind, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the two, lost in his own thoughts.