Yu Tianheng's Challenge

That day, Lin Ming had just finished a challenge match and was about to leave the training grounds when a tall, extraordinary-looking young man blocked his path.

The young man looked sixteen or seventeen. He had short blue hair, sharply defined features, and keen blue eyes that gleamed with a cutting light. He wore a fitted blue combat outfit, with a clan emblem of intertwined lightning embroidered on his chest.

The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan!

Lin Ming narrowed his eyes slightly.

"You're Lin Ming?" the blue-haired young man asked, his voice low and forceful. "My name is Yu Tianheng, direct heir of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. I heard you're quite capable. I'd like to test your mettle."

Yu Tianheng!

Lin Ming's heart tightened. This was the captain of the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy team from the original story, a direct descendant of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, Qin Ming's disciple, and one of the most outstanding talents of his generation.

The surrounding students erupted the moment they saw Yu Tianheng.

"Holy shit! Senior Yu Tianheng is here!"

"Senior Yu Tianheng is the number one genius of our academy! A level forty-one Soul Ancestor! Undefeated among his peers!"

"Now this is going to be good! Little Spear God against Yu Tianheng—who's stronger?"

Lin Ming looked at Yu Tianheng, a smile curling across his lips. "You want to challenge me?"

Yu Tianheng shook his head. "I'm not interested in Ning Rongrong. The one I like is Dugu Yan. I came to find you only to see whether you're really as formidable as the rumors say, or just someone with an undeserved reputation."

The training grounds were already packed with students who had rushed over after hearing the news. A sea of heads filled the area, easily two or three hundred people.

As the publicly recognized number one genius of Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, a level thirty-six Soul Elder, and the direct heir of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, Yu Tianheng's battles had always been among the academy's most eye-catching events.

And Lin Ming, the recently famous "Little Spear God," had likewise drawn a great deal of attention. A duel between the two was undoubtedly the biggest news at the academy that day.

At the center of the training grounds, the two stood facing one another, the air thick with the scent of gunpowder.

Blue-violet dragon scales had already begun to emerge over Yu Tianheng's arms, tightly layered and gleaming with a metallic sheen.

Arcs of electricity danced over his fingertips, crackling as they ionized the surrounding air with the pungent smell of ozone. His gaze was as sharp as a blade, locked firmly onto Lin Ming. Like a beast about to pounce on its prey, every muscle in his body was taut, ready to unleash a fatal strike at any moment.

Lin Ming, however, still looked lazy and relaxed. The Heaven-Piercing Divine Spear rested casually on his shoulder, its tip pointing behind him. That signature roguish grin hung on his lips as his eyes lazily swept over the surroundings, as though he had not taken this duel seriously at all.

He even had the leisure to yawn, drawing murmurs from the surrounding crowd.

Just as the battle was about to erupt, a delighted female voice suddenly rang out from the crowd, crisp and pleasant, filled with barely concealed joy.

"Lin Ming? What are you doing here?!"

Everyone turned toward the voice and saw a purple-haired girl squeeze through the crowd, a delighted smile on her face as she hurried toward Lin Ming.

It was Dugu Yan.

She wore a purple combat outfit that outlined her slender waist and long legs. A dark green belt was tied around her waist, from which hung an exquisite little sachet.

Her purple hair was tied in a high ponytail, revealing her smooth forehead and delicate features. Several loose strands fell beside her ears, swaying gently with her steps.

Her complexion was far better than before. Her once slightly pale face was now rosy and radiant, and she looked refreshed and vibrant, as though she had been completely reborn.

"Yan Yan!" Yu Tianheng's eyes lit up the moment he saw Dugu Yan. A smile immediately spread across his face, and he hurriedly greeted her with enthusiasm, his voice rising several octaves higher than usual.

"You've come out of seclusion? I went to see you a few days ago, but your grandfather said you were cultivating in seclusion, so I didn't dare disturb you. Your aura now... level thirty-six? You've improved so quickly! Congratulations, congratulations!"

Dugu Yan glanced at him, nodded politely, and replied in a calm, distant tone, "Mm, I just came out of seclusion."

Then she ignored him completely, without another word, and turned to Lin Ming. The smile on her face instantly became brilliant, her eyes curving into crescents.

"Lin Ming, why did you come to Heaven Dou Imperial Academy? You didn't even tell me beforehand! I could have come to pick you up!"

Lin Ming smiled, his tone easy. "I arrived yesterday and hadn't had the chance to let you know. You look much better. The poison issue should be completely resolved now, right?"

"Resolved? It's far more than that!" Dugu Yan said excitedly, her eyes full of gratitude and her voice trembling with uncontrollable emotion.

"That Immortal Herb you gave me was incredible! Not only did it clear every trace of poison from my body, it even evolved my martial soul into the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor! My grandfather said the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor is an entire tier above the Jade-Scaled Snake, with stronger venom and greater potential! And my soul power soared all the way to level thirty-six! Even my grandfather said it was a miracle, like the heavens had finally opened their eyes!"

As she spoke, she walked up to Lin Ming and looked up at him. An unusual light shimmered in her eyes—a gaze mixed with gratitude, admiration, and an indescribable emotion.

"Lin Ming, thank you. Truly. If it weren't for you, I might not have lived past twenty-five. I could only have waited to die in despair. You saved my life, and you saved my grandfather's life too. I'll remember this kindness for the rest of my life."

Lin Ming felt a little embarrassed under her gaze and scratched his head. "It was nothing, no need to be so polite. Besides, your grandfather lent me the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. It was a fair trade."

"To you, it may have been nothing. But to me, it was a life-saving favor."

Dugu Yan spoke earnestly, her tone firm. "If you ever need my help in the future, just say the word. I will never refuse. Even if I have to climb mountains of blades or cross seas of fire, I, Dugu Yan, won't so much as frown."

The two chatted warmly, trading line after line, treating Yu Tianheng beside them as if he were invisible—as if he did not exist at all.

Yu Tianheng's expression shifted from delight to embarrassment, then from embarrassment to livid fury, and finally to deathly gray.

Watching Dugu Yan smile so sweetly at Lin Ming, her violet eyes brimming with tenderness and admiration, Yu Tianheng felt as if a jar of mixed flavors had been overturned in his heart. Sourness, sweetness, bitterness, spice, and salt all surged up at once, churning his insides.

He had known Dugu Yan for two years—two whole years. Countless times, he had looked for chances to approach her, talk to her, and give her gifts, yet she had always been polite and distant toward him.

She was courteous as though he were a stranger. Never had she been so warm, so openly happy as she was today. And how long had she even known Lin Ming? A month? Why?