First Meeting with Dugu Yan

Qian Daoliu acted quickly. Luo Chen had barely returned to his room when Guang Ling Douluo came looking for him with a beaming smile.

"Little Chen, when are we setting off?"

As soon as he pushed open Luo Chen's door and saw him, Guang Ling Douluo spoke with a smile.

Qian Daoliu had just told him the whole story. Like Qian Daoliu, he thought Luo Chen was simply acting his age and wanted to see the outside world.

"Let's tell Grandpa, then set off right now, Grandpa Guang Ling."

Luo Chen smiled as he spoke.

He didn't care what his grandpas thought. As long as they were willing to come with him, that was all that mattered.

Once they got there, they'd believe him, and he'd be able to get all the Immortal Herbs.

Soon after Luo Chen said this, he and Guang Ling Douluo bade farewell to Qian Daoliu. Then Guang Ling Douluo took him out of the Worship Hall.

They didn't choose the fastest means of travel and have Guang Ling Douluo carry Luo Chen there at full speed.

Instead, they paid for a carriage in Spirit City.

Of course, this was all Guang Ling Douluo's arrangement. He claimed it would give Luo Chen a chance to broaden his horizons and see more of the outside world.

Since Luo Chen had been thinking the same thing, he naturally didn't refuse.

"Chen'er, are you really so sure the letter is telling the truth? The Great Worship and I have lived for so many years, but we've never heard of any Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well."

In the carriage, Guang Ling Douluo glanced at the ordinary Soul Masters passing by on either side of the road in Spirit City and started up a conversation with Luo Chen.

Luo Chen, seated beside him, merely smiled.

"Let's go take a look, Grandpa Guang Ling. If it turns out to be real, we'll have struck it rich."

Although Guang Ling Douluo still didn't take it too seriously, he smiled and nodded all the same.

"Alright, alright. We'll do as Chen'er says."

He truly liked Luo Chen. And it wasn't just him; not one of the seven old fellows in the Worship Hall could help smiling whenever they saw Luo Chen.

Luo Chen was simply too lovable, and he had excellent talent. Add Qian Daoliu's attitude toward him, and Luo Chen had long since become the Worship Hall's second darling after Qian Renxue.

The old man and the boy chatted off and on, and before long, they had left Spirit City behind.

--

The days passed one after another. Following the carriage, Guang Ling Douluo took Luo Chen to many places, and Luo Chen's horizons broadened considerably.

Whenever they came to a stretch of road the carriage couldn't cross, Guang Ling Douluo would carry Luo Chen over it, then fly at top speed to the next city along their route where they could rest and spend the night.

This went on for more than a month. At last, Luo Chen and Guang Ling Douluo stopped at an inn.

"Chen'er, what do you think? It's late now. How about we go in tomorrow?"

At the dining table in the inn, Guang Ling Douluo glanced up at Luo Chen as they enjoyed their meal.

Their destination, Sunset Forest, lay just ahead.

But since it was already the middle of the night, Guang Ling Douluo suggested they wait.

"Alright. I'll do as you say, Grandpa Guang Ling."

Luo Chen nodded without protest and agreed.

His voice, loud and clear, drew sidelong glances from the other guests in the inn.

Grandpa?

Guang Ling Douluo looked quite young. Sitting beside Luo Chen, he seemed more like an older brother or a teacher with a considerable age gap between them.

So Luo Chen's "Grandpa" drew plenty of attention.

Neither Luo Chen nor Guang Ling Douluo paid it any mind.

But while Luo Chen was still burying his head in his food, he suddenly heard Guang Ling Douluo speak to him by voice transmission.

"Chen'er, do you see those two people in the corner over there?"

Luo Chen paused, then looked up toward the direction Guang Ling Douluo indicated.

Three people were seated at that table.

The moment he saw the badges on the chests of two of them, Luo Chen froze.

He looked at Guang Ling Douluo, a questioning look in his eyes.

Guang Ling Douluo nodded without hesitation.

"The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. One of them is a Soul Saint, probably an elder of their clan. The other two should be juniors."

Luo Chen understood, but even after returning to his second-floor room to rest, he kept thinking about those three.

Guang Ling Douluo had probably only noticed that an elder of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had brought some juniors out to hunt for Soul Rings. But Luo Chen had noticed something different.

Besides the two wearing Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan badges, there was also a girl with purple hair and green eyes.

She sat beside the junior from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan who was next to Guang Ling Douluo. Although she didn't wear their badge, she was dressed just like the other person, and Luo Chen could tell it was a uniform.

So, just before they parted ways, Luo Chen had asked about her. Guang Ling Douluo told him she was probably from Heaven Dou Academy.

"Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan?"

Sitting on the bed, Luo Chen spent the whole night without sleep...

It wasn't until the next morning, when Guang Ling Douluo knocked on his door and took him downstairs for breakfast, that he finally came out.

"Grandpa Guang Ling, have those three people from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan left?"

Guang Ling Douluo had been smiling, but at the question, he paused. He swept the area with his spiritual power, then shook his head.

"Not yet. What is it, Chen'er? Interested in them?"

His smile quickly returned. As he led Luo Chen downstairs, he asked with a grin.

Luo Chen nodded honestly.

"Grandpa Golden Crocodile talks about the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan all the time. I finally got the chance to meet them, so I want to see how powerful the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon—reputed to be the greatest Beast Martial Soul under heaven—really is."

Of course, there was something Luo Chen didn't say aloud.

That girl was ninety percent likely to be Dugu Yan. If he could find her, she might save him and Guang Ling Douluo a lot of time.

After all, Sunset Forest was fairly large. Luo Chen only knew the general location of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well from the original story. When the time came, he'd still have to rely on Guang Ling Douluo's spiritual power to search for it.

But things would be different if Dugu Yan were with them.

Never mind whether Dugu Yan knew where her home was. As long as they had her, Dugu Bo would come looking for them on his own. That would surely save them quite a bit of time.

Meanwhile, Guang Ling Douluo burst out laughing when he heard Luo Chen.

He raised a hand and patted Luo Chen on the shoulder.

"Good, good! Tell me, Chen'er, how do you want to get a look at them? Your Grandpa Guang Ling is here. You can do whatever you like!"

Luo Chen smiled.

"No rush, Grandpa Guang Ling. They must be headed to the same destination as us if they're here. Why don't we wait until they enter Sunset Forest, then make our move?"