A Chance Encounter with Yu Tianheng—You're Not Worthy of Making Me Reveal My Soul Rings!

After stepping down from the Soul Arena, Lin Ye still drew plenty of attention from the surrounding spectators.

Lin Ye could not be bothered with them and headed toward the exit with Zhu Zhuqing.

"We'll only fight this one match this afternoon. We'll come back tonight."

"Mm."

Zhu Zhuqing nodded and followed at his side.

However,

just as the two of them exited the passageway, a crisp voice suddenly rang out ahead.

"Hey, Lin Ye."

Hearing the voice, Lin Ye looked up.

A young girl in a jade-green dress stood at the entrance to the passageway with her arms crossed.

Her dark green hair fell casually over her shoulders, and her delicate features carried an unrestrained, arrogant air.

It was Dugu Yan.

And behind her stood a tall young man.

The young man stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping over Lin Ye from above. The arrogance in his eyes was undisguised.

"Dugu Yan?"

Lin Ye raised a brow.

Actually, he was not surprised to see her.

Dugu Bo had said that Dugu Yan competed at the Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena. Running into her was only a matter of time.

"What? Not welcoming me?"

Dugu Yan tilted her head, her gaze traveling over Lin Ye before drifting toward Zhu Zhuqing at his side.

"Oh? And who's this?"

"My partner."

Lin Ye answered briefly.

Zhu Zhuqing nodded slightly without speaking, but her gaze lingered on Dugu Yan for a moment.

A woman's intuition told her that this girl had an unusual relationship with Lin Ye.

"Kid, I watched that match from the stands just now."

Dugu Yan withdrew her gaze and looked back at Lin Ye, her tone turning more serious.

"You knocked down a level thirty-eight Soul Elder with just a few punches without even summoning your martial soul. You really are..."

She paused, as though searching for an appropriate word.

"Pretty freakish."

"You flatter me."

"I wasn't complimenting you."

Dugu Yan rolled her eyes.

"But honestly, Grandpa really didn't misjudge you."

Just then, the young man behind Dugu Yan stepped forward.

He was roughly as tall as Lin Ye, radiating the distinctive noble bearing of a scion from a great clan.

"Yanyan, is this the person you mentioned?"

His voice was not loud, but every word carried a condescending edge.

Dugu Yan glanced back at him.

"Yes, it's him. Lin Ye, the one I told you about."

Then she turned to Lin Ye and introduced him.

"Lin Ye, this is Yu Tianheng, captain of our Imperial Team. The two of us have also been taking part in two-versus-two matches lately."

"Yu Tianheng?"

Lin Ye looked him over from head to toe.

His face was cold and stern, while his bearing was arrogant and imposing.

No wonder he was from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect.

"Mm."

Yu Tianheng gave a slight nod, which counted as a greeting.

But there was practically no politeness in that single "Mm."

Then he spoke directly.

"Kid, my name is Yu Tianheng, captain of the Imperial Team."

With his hands behind his back, he swept Lin Ye with an indifferent gaze.

"I heard from Yanyan that your name is Lin Ye, and that you possess Double Thousand-Year Spirit Rings?"

"That's right."

"Oh?"

Yu Tianheng gave a contemptuous smile.

"Double Thousand-Year Spirit Rings are indeed rare on a Soul Master below level thirty. I, Yu Tianheng, greatly admire such talent."

Then he paused and spoke in an even tone.

"Kid, could you reveal your Thousand-Year Spirit Rings for me to inspect?"

On the surface, his words sounded like appreciation.

But in truth, Yu Tianheng's eyes were full of scrutiny and condescension.

In his view, Double Thousand-Year Spirit Rings were absurd in the first place.

Why should some brat who had appeared out of nowhere possess Thousand-Year Spirit Rings?

Most likely, he was deceiving Dugu Yan.

After hearing him out, Lin Ye smiled faintly.

Just as expected of someone from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect. He sure spoke aggressively.

Demanding to see someone else's secrets right off the bat—who did he think he was? Spirit Hall's Pope, Bibi Dong?

At the side, Dugu Yan frowned slightly, seemingly feeling that Yu Tianheng's words were somewhat inappropriate.

Even Zhu Zhuqing's gaze gradually turned cold.

"Sorry."

Lin Ye smiled, his expression faint.

"I'm under no obligation to."

At Lin Ye's answer, the smile on Yu Tianheng's face instantly froze.

The next second, Lin Ye turned and left.

As he walked away, he casually took Zhu Zhuqing's hand.

At that moment, Zhu Zhuqing felt as though she had been struck by lightning, her body suddenly going rigid.

"Lin Ye, what are you doing..."

Her face flushed bright red.

"There are so many people watching..."

Zhu Zhuqing tried to pull free, but Lin Ye's grip was terrifyingly strong. She could not shake him off at all.

She could only turn her head aside and use her loose hair to cover her burning ears.

Behind them, Yu Tianheng's expression darkened completely.

"Kid, what the hell do you mean?"

He was Yu Tianheng, a member of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect and captain of the Imperial Team. When had he ever been ignored like this by some brat?

Yet Lin Ye did not even look back and merely tossed out a casual remark.

"I'll be fighting again tonight."

"If you really want to know, come watch tonight."

Then he paused, a hint of amusement entering his voice.

"Just don't piss yourself when the time comes."

As his words fell, the two figures had already vanished at the end of the passageway.

Yu Tianheng stood there blankly, his expression shifting unpredictably.

Dugu Yan tilted her head and looked at him.

"What? Are you angry?"

"Hmph." Yu Tianheng sneered.

"Yanyan, do you really think that kid has Double Thousand-Year Spirit Rings?"

Dugu Yan did not answer directly and merely shrugged.

Then a trace of disdain flashed through Yu Tianheng's eyes.

Double Thousand-Year Spirit Rings?

Only a fool would believe that.

He was just a brat seeking attention. Maybe he could fool a sheltered girl like Yanyan.

Just wait until tonight.

I'd like to see how you get out of this.

West District, Heaven Dou City. Snack Street.

Only after leaving the Great Spirit Arena did Lin Ye release Zhu Zhuqing's hand.

Zhu Zhuqing's entire face was as red as a cooked shrimp.

She had been embarrassed the whole way.

"You just now..."

"Mm?"

"N-Nothing!"

Zhu Zhuqing quickly turned her head away and hurried ahead.

Lin Ye looked at the faintly reddened tips of her ears, smiled, and said nothing more.

The bustle of Snack Street gradually eased Zhu Zhuqing's embarrassment.

Heaven Dou City truly lived up to being the capital of the Heaven Dou Empire. Its Snack Street was more than ten times the size of Soto City's.

All kinds of scents mingled together—grilled meat skewers, candied chestnuts, osmanthus cakes, honey-glazed flatbreads...

Zhu Zhuqing's pace unconsciously slowed.

Her gaze fell on a stall selling iced pear syrup and lingered there for two seconds.

Then it drifted to the fried crispy pork stall beside it.

Then to the roasted sweet potatoes.

"..."

Looking at her eyes, Lin Ye felt as though her whole body was glowing.

"Hey, if you want something, just buy it."

"Who said I wanted to eat anything!"

Zhu Zhuqing answered stiffly, but her steps had already turned toward the fried crispy pork stall.

Three minutes later.

Zhu Zhuqing held a skewer of candied chestnuts in her left hand, a bowl of fried crispy pork in her right, and even had a grilled meat skewer between her lips.

Lin Ye walked beside her with his arms crossed, watching her as he held himself back again and again.

In the end, he could not hold back any longer.

"Hey, big kitty, if you eat that much, will you still be able to fight tonight?"