Douluo: One Man Returns, Heaven-Defying Seal Smashes Tang San

Over time, most people came to see him as aloof and rarely took the initiative to approach him.

Tang San, meanwhile, was inseparable from Xiao Wu in daily life. They went together to the Blacksmith Shop to practice the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer, then studied all kinds of martial soul knowledge under Yu Xiaogang.

Most of their dormmates greatly admired Lu Yu for burying himself in cultivation, but after Yu Xiaogang learned of it, he scoffed and even used Lu Yu as a negative example when teaching Tang San.

In Yu Xiaogang's eyes, Lu Yu was simply working behind closed doors!

A Soul Master's cultivation was certainly important, but practical combat experience was even more important!

Where there were people, there would be conflict. Although most students at the junior soul master academy were still young, frictions were inevitable among Soul Masters.

The academy's teachers turned a blind eye, deliberately allowing the students to learn how Soul Masters fought and accumulate practical combat experience through sparring.

As long as things did not get out of hand, the academy generally would not interfere.

But Lu Yu was a breath of fresh air. He never caused trouble and never clashed with anyone. He simply stayed in the dormitory, wholly focused on cultivation.

Two years passed in the blink of an eye.

In an office at Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy, Yu Xiaogang set down the book in his hands and looked at Tang San before him in surprise. "You said that Lu Yu just requested leave from the academy to go obtain his Second Soul Ring?"

Tang San nodded. "The academy confirmed that his Soul Power Level has reached level twenty, so they approved his request. He's already left."

As he spoke, Tang San's hand unconsciously clenched slightly.

After two years, his soul power had only reached level sixteen. It would take at least another half a year for him to reach the threshold of level twenty.

Back when Lu Yu had first obtained his First Soul Ring, Tang San had already decided that Lu Yu was inferior to him. Yet now, Lu Yu was far ahead of him in Soul Power Level, and Tang San found that hard to accept.

Thus, after hearing the news, Tang San felt rather bitter.

As though he had seen through Tang San's thoughts, Yu Xiaogang smiled. "There's no need to obsess over Soul Power Level."

"Cultivation progresses quickly in the early stages to begin with. Besides, he only knows how to work behind closed doors, dedicating all his time to cultivation. Coupled with his Innate Full Soul Power, his cultivation speed is naturally somewhat faster."

"When we went to the Soul Hunting Forest last time, I heard the guards there mention a child who entered the forest alone to obtain a Soul Ring. They must have been talking about Lu Yu."

"He had only just awakened his martial soul, so there was no way he could have defeated a hundred-year soul beast. His First Soul Ring was likely only a Ten-Year Soul Ring, which means he is destined never to achieve much."

At this point, Yu Xiaogang put down his book and continued with a smile, "Xiao San, after he returns with his Second Soul Ring, you can challenge him to a spar."

"Your daily hammer training at the Blacksmith Shop has made your physical condition far superior to that of Soul Masters your age. On top of that, your First Soul Ring is of the optimal age range..."

"Believe me. Even if he successfully obtains his Second Soul Ring, with no combat experience, he still won't be your match!"

Hearing this, Tang San felt relieved and nodded. "Teacher, then I'll head to the Blacksmith Shop."

Yu Xiaogang merely smiled without speaking as Tang San turned and left.

After he was gone, Yu Xiaogang sighed. "Even if he is working behind closed doors, being able to cultivate his soul power to level twenty in just two years means he is still a fairly promising seedling."

"Unfortunately, his temperament is far too poor..."

Someone who had looked at others through tinted glasses from the age of six, and who was so eager for quick success that he started with a Ten-Year Soul Ring—what great achievements could he possibly have in the future?

But Yu Xiaogang and Tang San did not know that after obtaining his First Soul Ring, Lu Yu had reached level twenty in less than half a year!

Over the remaining year and a half, Lu Yu had continuously honed the Reverse Birth Triple, Golden Light Spell, and Thunder Arts.

Only after all three techniques had reached bottlenecks, making further progress impossible without his soul power breaking through to level twenty-one, did Lu Yu submit an application to the academy to obtain his Second Soul Ring.

Eager for quick success?

Yu Xiaogang's martial soul theories might be hailed as invincible, but he had cultivated for half his life and still found it difficult to break through level thirty.

What the hell did he know?

Meanwhile, Lu Yu had already left Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy.

This time, Lu Yu did not return to the Soul Hunting Forest.

His target for his Second Soul Ring was a thousand-year soul beast, but there were too few thousand-year soul beasts in the Soul Hunting Forest. Finding a suitable one would be even harder!

Thus, Lu Yu directly chose the Star Dou Great Forest as the place to obtain his Second Soul Ring!

Fasinuo Province was located in the southern part of the Heavenly Dou Empire, bordering the Balak Kingdom and adjoining the Star Luo Empire.

After three days of nearly nonstop travel, aided by various talismans, Lu Yu finally arrived outside the Star Dou Great Forest.

The Star Dou Great Forest was a paradise for soul beasts, filled with countless dangers, yet innumerable Soul Masters still came here one after another.

Because here, Soul Masters could find the soul beasts best suited to their martial souls to serve as Soul Rings.

In places like the Soul Hunting Forest, where the empire raised soul beasts in captivity, thousand-year soul beasts were as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns.

But in the Star Dou Great Forest, even in its outermost regions, thousand-year soul beasts could be found everywhere.

Lu Yu condensed a Clarity Talisman and applied it to himself, dispelling the mental fatigue brought by his long journey before stepping into the forest.

Over these two years, Lu Yu had cultivated the Golden Light Spell to the Lesser Mastery realm. He could already condense solid golden light and project it outward, wielding it as easily as his own limbs.

The Reverse Birth Triple had reached the peak of its First Layer. Lu Yu had wanted to cultivate the Reverse Birth Triple to the Second Layer before obtaining his Second Soul Ring, but unfortunately, his wish had not been fulfilled.

However, after obtaining his First Soul Ring and successfully achieving Inner Sight, Lu Yu had begun cultivating the Thunder Arts. He had now reached the peak of the introductory stage, still some distance from Lesser Mastery.

In his previous life, Lu Yu had cultivated the Yin Five Thunders, but in this life, he cultivated the Yang Five Thunders. Therefore, compared to the Reverse Birth Triple and the Golden Light Spell, his progress in the Thunder Arts was slower.

It was worth mentioning that during these two years, Lu Yu had thoroughly mastered every talisman in the Compendium of Talismans except for the remaining five supreme talismans!

It was no exaggeration to say that even in the world of metahumans, not even Zheng Zibu, who had comprehended the Heavenly Talisman back then, could match Lu Yu's current mastery of talismans!

After entering the Star Dou Great Forest, Lu Yu became vigilant. He condensed a Concentration Talisman and applied it to himself, keeping his spiritual power intensely focused at all times as he watched for movement around him.

Although he had plenty of trump cards and would hardly encounter danger in the outer regions of the Star Dou Great Forest, it was never wrong to be cautious.

If his luck was bad and he ran into a ten-thousand-year soul beast without noticing it in advance, getting ambushed would be troublesome!

After all, this was the soul beasts' territory!

After walking for only an hour, Lu Yu encountered more than thirty soul beasts, but they were all ten- or hundred-year ones. This was, after all, the very edge of the Star Dou Great Forest. Thousand-year and ten-thousand-year soul beasts simply could not be bothered to fight over territory here.

Another two hours passed, and Lu Yu had reached the depths of the outer region of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Here, ten-year soul beasts were almost nowhere to be seen. Thousand-year soul beasts began appearing frequently, though most had cultivation levels below three thousand years.

For an ordinary soul master, the optimal age limit for the Second Soul Ring was seven hundred and sixty years. This was likewise the limit a level-twenty soul master could endure.

But Lu Yu's first soul ring had already been eight or nine hundred years old; he simply was not sure of the exact age of that Golden Mane Lion-Mastiff.

After all, it was a nearly extinct soul beast. There had been no record of Golden Mane Lion-Mastiffs in the soul beast courses at Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy.

Lu Yu had set his target for his Second Soul Ring at over two thousand years, but no more than three thousand years!

Within this range, he would search for a suitable soul beast—the older, the better!

If Yu Xiaogang learned what Lu Yu was thinking, it would probably completely overturn his worldview and even overturn all the soul master theories he had developed before.

A first soul ring of eight or nine hundred years, and a second soul ring exceeding two thousand years—this could absolutely be called unprecedented!

One had to know that according to Yu Xiaogang's theories, the limit an ordinary soul master could endure for their third soul ring was only one thousand seven hundred and sixty years!

In other words, Lu Yu's Second Soul Ring already exceeded the limit of an ordinary soul master's third soul ring!

"Hmm... I should still look for a strength-type soul beast for my Second Soul Ring. As long as I gain an offensive soul skill, I'll be able to maximize the advantages of the Diamond Seal!"

Thinking this, Lu Yu continued onward.

Lu Yu advanced for another hour or so. By now, soul beasts under five hundred years were almost impossible to spot, while thousand-year soul beasts appeared even more frequently.

Only then did he stop moving forward, intending to move laterally and search this area for a suitable target.

But at that moment, Lu Yu's eyes flickered. He raised a hand and condensed an Evasion Talisman, which landed on his body.

The next moment, his body vanished from where he stood.

Or, more accurately...

The Evasion Talisman distorted the light around him, blending him into the surroundings and creating the effect of visual invisibility.

But this invisibility was not absolute. Lu Yu's aura and scent would still spread outward, and once he made a move, the light along his path would distort accordingly, making him easy to spot.

He then condensed a Breath Concealment Talisman and applied it to himself. The aura and scent emanating from his body immediately faded by more than half. Even if a soul beast passed nearby, it would be difficult to notice him unless it possessed an exceptionally keen sense of smell.

Naturally, Lu Yu had not done this because some powerful soul beast was approaching.

After all, any soul beast capable of making him this cautious would have to be at least five thousand years old with a superior bloodline, or else be a ten-thousand-year soul beast.

Yet neither the Evasion Talisman nor the Breath Concealment Talisman could deceive either type of soul beast.

He had done this because someone was coming!

The Star Dou Great Forest was a lawless land, where countless people died every day.

Therefore, compared to soul beasts, certain ill-intentioned humans were even more dangerous.

Soon, a burst of hurried footsteps suddenly came from the distant forest, sounding somewhat disordered.

Immediately afterward, a petite figure darted out of the bushes and entered the area where Lu Yu was.

This petite figure had short dark-purple hair and a somewhat childish face. She looked to be only fourteen or fifteen years old.