"First Soul Skill, Thunder Dragon Claw!"
Thunder crackled around Yu Tianheng as he charged straight at Lan Yu, arcs of electricity covering his hands.
At nearly the same moment, Osler let out a low shout. His speed surged, and he became a blur as he slipped into the shadows among the trees.
"First Soul Skill, Leopard Shadow!"
"Second Soul Skill, Wind Blade!"
Yu Feng leaped into the air, and several Wind Blades shot through the air.
The three-pronged assault instantly sealed off Lan Yu's escape routes.
Purple light flickered in Lan Yu's eyes. The three incoming attacks seemed to slow down before him.
"Third Soul Skill, Purple Gold Qi!"
He gave a low shout. Purple-gold light suddenly burst from his body, and he sidestepped the Wind Blades like a ghost. Dragon-shaped streams of qi coiled around his fists.
"Derived Soul Skill, Chaotic Dragon Fist!"
Countless fists came crashing down. Before the others could react, Yu Tianheng grunted and went flying like a kite with its string cut, hitting the ground hard.
Lan Yu spun around without slowing his attack.
"Derived Soul Skill, Dragon Strike Claw!"
Three purple-gold claw blades tore through the air, heading straight for Osler in the shadows.
"Bang!"
Dust billowed from the spot where Osler had been hiding.
"Now it's your turn."
Lan Yu's cool voice reached their ears. He became a blur, and in an instant, he was before them.
"Stop him!" Dugu Yan cried out in alarm.
The Shi Brothers, Shi Mo and Shi Mo, activated their Soul Power at the same time.
"Second Soul Skill, Basalt Armor!"
"First Soul Skill, Basalt Shield!"
Heavy turtle-shell patterns covered their bodies, and they raised two solid turtle-shell shields in front of them, firmly protecting Yu Feng and Dugu Yan behind them.
"D-do you think he'll circle around from behind?" Yu Feng's voice trembled.
"Don't worry. I won't."
A voice suddenly came from above and ahead of them.
They looked up sharply and saw Lan Yu leap into the air, raising a massive dragon-headed hammer. His presence was terrifying.
"Derived Soul Skill, World-Shaking Dragon Hammer!"
"Boom!"
The enormous hammer crashed down with a dragon's roar. Amid the surging shockwaves, the Shi Brothers' shields shattered, and the two of them, along with Yu Feng behind them, were blasted out of the dust cloud.
Lan Yu slowly emerged from the dust, fixing his cool gaze on Dugu Yan. "You're the only one left."
"Third Soul Skill, Jade Phosphorus Purple Poison!"
Dugu Yan bit her lip and shouted. Purple poison mist poured from her palm, surging toward Lan Yu like a tide.
Lan Yu's expression didn't change. He casually swept his right hand, and a translucent dragon-patterned barrier appeared before him.
"Second Soul Skill, Roaming Dragon Qi Wall!"
He walked toward the poison mist, and the qi wall expanded with each step. The moment the approaching mist touched it, it was swallowed up completely.
"H-how is that possible?" Dugu Yan stared blankly at the boy before her, disbelief filling her eyes.
"Nothing's impossible." Lan Yu's expressionless face remained unchanged as he swung a hand strike. Dugu Yan's vision went dark, and she fell asleep on the ground.
With his hands on his hips, he glanced at everyone sprawled on the ground and remarked casually, "It's great to be young."
"Big brother~"
A soft, sweet voice came from behind him.
Tang Shan lifted the hem of her skirt and ran over from the villa. When she reached Lan Yu, a faint blush still colored her cheeks.
"You're awake?" Lan Yu raised an eyebrow, a hint of a smile on his face.
He reached out to touch the girl's cheek, but halfway there, he remembered he'd just finished a fight and his hand was dirty, so he started to pull it back.
To his surprise, a soft little hand suddenly closed around his wrist.
Lan Yu froze slightly, then lifted his eyes to meet Tang Shan's big, watery eyes.
The girl's cheeks flushed as she gently pressed her face against his palm. Her voice was soft and sweet. "Big brother, go ahead and touch~"
At the sight, Lan Yu's breath caught, and his fingers squeezed instinctively.
"Mm~"
Tang Shan let out a soft little whimper.
"T-this..."
A startled exclamation suddenly came from the roadside.
Two men dressed like stewards walked over. Seeing the Soul Masters sprawled all over the ground, they couldn't help but widen their eyes.
At the sound, Lan Yu immediately withdrew his hand, turned around, and cleared his throat before asking seriously, "And you are?"
"We've come on the Crown Prince's orders to invite Young Master Lan Yu and your younger sister to a banquet." One of them stepped forward and respectfully handed him an invitation.
Lan Yu took the invitation, glanced at it, and said with a faint smile, "All right. I'll be there."
The two men were about to leave when Lan Yu suddenly raised a hand to stop them. "You know Qin Yue, a teacher at Heaven Dou Academy, right?"
The two exchanged glances, then nodded together.
At his question, the two men froze, exchanged a look, and nodded in unison.
"Then I'll have to trouble you both to tell her what happened here."
Lan Yu looked over the mess, his smile growing wider.
"Understood!" they replied, then turned and hurried toward the academy.
Before long, Qin Yue rushed over. When she saw the people lying on the ground, she let out a piercing shriek.
Meanwhile, Lan Yu and Tang Shan, now dressed in formal clothes, were already standing before the Crown Prince's Mansion.
After they presented the Crown Prince Token, the guards respectfully let them pass.
As soon as they entered the mansion gates, they saw Xue Qinghe approaching them in a hurry.
"Brother!"
Xue Qinghe hurried forward and grasped both of Lan Yu's hands, dragging him toward a carriage outside the mansion. "You finally made it! Get in first. We'll talk on the way!"
Tang Shan hurried after them, and the three climbed into the carriage together.
The carriage rolled smoothly away from the Crown Prince's Mansion, and only then did Xue Qinghe let go.
"Brother Xue, where are you taking us?" Lan Yu asked, puzzled.
"Lanya Pavilion."
Seeing his confusion, Xue Qinghe smiled and explained, "Lanya Pavilion is one of Heaven Dou City's top clubs, officially recognized by the Empire. Its pavilion master is named Lan Ya. She comes from the Blue Silver Sacred Heart Sect and is a control-type Soul Douluo."
The explanation only left Lan Yu more puzzled.
"Brother Xue, didn't you say the mainland's factions are mortal enemies of the Blue Silver Sacred Heart Sect? How can a place like Lanya Pavilion exist in Heaven Dou City?"
"Haha, you know about the Blue Silver Emperor Martial Soul, right?"
Xue Qinghe didn't answer directly, but asked him a question instead.
"Of course." Lan Yu nodded.
"Since you know about the Blue Silver Emperor, you must have heard of the title Undying Douluo."
Xue Qinghe tapped Lan Yu's palm with her fingers and said leisurely, "The various factions on the mainland joined forces to blockade the Blue Silver Sacred Heart Sect because they feared the Blue Silver Emperor—and the Undying Douluo."
"Then why don't the factions simply wipe out the Blue Silver Sacred Heart Sect?" Tang Shan couldn't help asking curiously.
"For one thing, the price would be too high. For another, some people don't want it to be destroyed."
Xue Qinghe smiled and continued, "So the situation's been deadlocked. Neither side can do anything to the other.
"Since the generation of the Undying Douluo, the various factions have already figured out how to identify the Blue Silver Emperor Martial Soul.
"As long as the current Blue Silver Emperor Soul Master doesn't show up near the Blue Silver Sacred Heart Sect, everyone leaves each other alone. Trade goes on, cooperation continues. But the moment they appear near the sect, everyone will attack together."
She paused, her tone tinged with amusement. "After all, the Blue Silver Sacred Heart Sect is at its best when it has no Blue Silver Emperor."
When she finished, Qian Renxue saw Lan Yu looking as if he'd suddenly understood everything. She couldn't help crossing her legs, smoothing the hair beside her ear, and secretly basking in satisfaction.
So what if he had great talent? He was still an ignorant boy, destined to become her servant beneath her skirts.
Soon, the carriage arrived at the entrance to Lanya Pavilion.