Parting, Dugu Yan, Yu Tianheng's Breakdown

Dugu Yan froze on the spot.

One strike, delivered so casually, had instantly killed a thousand-year soul beast?

He had not even used his full strength.

She once again reevaluated everything she knew about Lin Yichen.

Six rings.

He was about on par with Teacher Qin Ming, yet judging from the effect of that single strike alone, even Teacher Qin Ming would never have been able to withstand it.

"Stunned? I left it with one last breath. Hurry up and kill it so you can absorb it."

His magnetic voice rang out, pulling Dugu Yan from her dazed state.

"Okay, okay."

Dugu Yan hurriedly responded and walked toward the half-dead Mandala Snake.

The flower bud atop its head was still trembling. It still had one breath left.

It wanted to escape.

With one swift motion, Dugu Yan brought down her blade, and the Mandala Snake immediately went still.

Dugu Yan gave Lin Yichen one last look, then sat cross-legged and began absorbing the soul ring.

Yet Lin Yichen stared silently at the Mandala Snake's corpse.

That had been one night tens of thousands of years ago, when he and Xiao Wu had been in the grass...

Then he had heard the sound of a snake flicking its tongue.

When he turned around,

he found that it had been this very type of soul beast, a Mandala Snake with at least a thousand years of cultivation.

It had opened its bloody maw and lunged at Xiao Wu.

Lin Yichen had quickly grabbed her and run for his life, only to be forced to the edge of a cliff.

Just as they had run out of options, another, stronger Soft Bone Rabbit had descended from the sky. With at least ten thousand years of cultivation, she had barely managed to kill that Mandala Snake.

That had also been a female Soft Bone Rabbit. After killing it, she had glanced at Lin Yichen and Xiao Wu, then hopped over, rubbed Xiao Wu's ears, and took her away.

It was then that Xiao Wu had a mother to protect her, while Lin Yichen remained alone, lonely and helpless.

Luckily, Xiao Wu came to find him every day... to play.

Pushing those thoughts aside, Lin Yichen glanced at Dugu Yan, who was still absorbing her soul ring, and looked into the distance.

He faintly sensed Xiao Wu's aura.

Was she at Notting Academy?

He would go take a look later.

By evening, the setting sun spread across the sky, bathing the Star Dou Great Forest in a golden glow.

Dugu Yan stood up.

"What are you looking at?"

Dugu Yan walked over to Lin Yichen's side. It was the first time she had seen an expression of "nostalgia" on his face.

"An old friend."

Those two casually spoken words seemed to span countless mountains and rivers, carrying all the weight of time.

"Then... she must be very important to you?"

Dugu Yan asked tentatively. For some reason, she felt inexplicably nervous.

"Very, very important."

Dugu Yan nodded, lowered her head, and fell silent.

"All feasts must come to an end. Since your task is complete, it's time for us to leave as well."

Dugu Yan abruptly raised her head at those words, her eyes slightly moist.

"Lin Yichen! Come visit me at Heaven Dou Royal Academy when you have time!"

Lin Yichen waved his hand.

"Douluo Star is round. We'll definitely meet again."

"Douluo Star? What did that mean?"

Dugu Yan wondered in confusion, but she did not dwell on it. Her heart was already overwhelmed by the sorrow of parting, and she had no desire to think about questions she could not understand.

Heaven Dou Empire, Fasno Province, Notting City.

A small city in the southwest of the Heaven Dou Empire. Its only academy was Notting Junior Academy.

Early that morning, Lin Yichen arrived in the city.

By searching through his memories of the original story, combined with his own sense of Xiao Wu's aura,

he vaguely felt that Xiao Wu was here.

In this ordinary little city, Lin Yichen's clothing was already exceptionally eye-catching.

Though he did not release any alluring aura, the natural temperament of the Lunar Jade Rabbit still drew the gazes of most people.

Before him, a little beggar stood outside a bun shop, begging for breakfast.

The proprietress inside was full of impatience.

"Get lost, get lost, get lost! You stink! Don't dirty my bun shop and drive away my customers, or I'll break your legs."

Lin Yichen could not stand it. When it came to the poor, his personality was rather "saintly."

Naturally, he could not tolerate those of a higher class bullying those beneath them.

Especially since the bun seller's status was not even that high.

"Boss, how much are the buns?"

"Three copper soul coins each, or three for ten copper soul coins. Hurry up and buy them, don't hold up the people waiting behi—oh my, Young Master! For someone as nobly dressed as you to come buy buns, I'm truly blessed for three lifetimes! No charge, they're free."

The proprietress immediately put on a flattering smile...

She probably took Lin Yichen for some young nobleman.

Snobs like her were the kind of people Lin Yichen had seen plenty of, both in his past life and back in the Star Dou Great Forest.

"Mm."

Lin Yichen nodded without saying anything.

Then, right in front of the proprietress, he handed three buns to the little beggar.

The little beggar immediately kowtowed in thanks.

The proprietress instantly lost all face.

Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

Dugu Yan had already returned.

She was absentminded.

"What's wrong, Yan?"

Ye Lingling came over to ask. She and Dugu Yan were the only two girls on their Heaven Dou Royal Academy team, so they were naturally very close.

"Lingling, didn't I go to Star Dou to hunt for a soul ring? On the way, I met a... a lecher..."

"What?!"

Ye Lingling's expression changed drastically. She slapped the table and shot to her feet.

"He... what did he do to you? Should we tell Senior Dugu?"

Dugu Yan's pretty face instantly turned red.

"No, no, no, Lingling, it's not what you think... We..."

Dugu Yan told Ye Lingling everything that had happened over the past two days.

They were best friends. What private topic could they not discuss?

Dugu Yan's face remained flushed and showed no sign of cooling down.

"And that's how I came back."

As soon as she finished speaking, Dugu Yan lowered her head and rubbed her index fingers together.

A few seconds passed.

"Hahahaha! Our Yan is in love? Oh my~ What happened to our 'Poisonous Ice Goddess'? Why was she hugging some man and kissing him~?"

"Lingling! Stop talking!"

Dugu Yan's face turned crimson as she hurriedly covered Ye Lingling's mouth.

But she could not stop her giggling laughter.

"Poor Captain, though~"

"Lingling!"

The two girls playfully wrestled inside the room, but outside the door, Yu Tianheng...

His face had turned hideous. His clenched fists had gone white and bloodless.

He had heard that Dugu Yan had returned and come specifically to congratulate her on obtaining her third soul ring. He even held a flower in his hand.

But just as he was about to push open the door, he heard everything Dugu Yan had said to Ye Lingling.

His face had gone utterly black.

Their relationship was obvious to everyone at the academy. Although Dugu Yan usually did not interact with others, she had let down her guard slightly around Yu Tianheng.

Everyone thought there was something special between them.

Yu Tianheng thought so too.

Even Dugu Yan had begun considering Yu Tianheng's place in her heart.

They simply had not officially established a relationship yet.

Yu Tianheng had only been waiting for Dugu Yan to return this time before formally confessing. He believed that, given Dugu Yan's somewhat special attitude toward him, he would definitely succeed.

He had even fantasized about the academy's renowned "Poisonous Ice Goddess" tossing and turning in his arms.

But now...

"Aah!!!!"

Yu Tianheng let out a furious roar, threw down the flower, and stormed away.

The roar made the two girls inside stiffen. They exchanged a glance.

"Was that the captain?"

Ye Lingling asked.

"Probably..."

"It's fine, Yan. Since you already have someone in your heart, you don't need to bother with the captain anymore."

Ye Lingling comforted Dugu Yan.

"What do you mean, someone in my heart... He... he's just a lecher..."