I Picked Up Fragments in Douluo Continent

Lu Feng had never planned to stay at the academy for long. There was no need to practice the Purple Demon Eye on a whim and expose himself.

Now, under mental stimulation, the Purple Demon Eye had directly advanced to the second level. It was truly an unexpected delight.

"Hahaha, Brother Tang Er, when we get back to Soul Hunting Town, I'll treat you to drinks!" Gulas laughed heartily, patting his large belly.

"I'm afraid that won't work. I'm still growing. If I drink now, I might not grow tall later."

"Oh, really? Brother Tang Er must have only just graduated from a Soul Master Academy, right?"

"Mm, I turned fifteen just last month."

In the latter half of the night, the moon was hidden and the wind was strong.

"Brother Gulas, let me take the night watch." Lu Feng walked over to Gulas and said with a faint smile.

"Hm? Why would an auxiliary-type Soul Master stand watc—"

Before Gulas could finish, he suddenly remembered how Lu Feng had smashed Yellow Three's dog head apart with one punch during the day.

"All right, then. There are still a few hours until dawn. If you can't hold on, call me directly."

With that, Gulas crawled into the tent. Before long, a burst of snoring came from within.

Lu Feng looked at the sleeping group, narrowing his eyes slightly before leaping away from the camp.

Dozens of li away, in a hollow.

Lu Feng stood atop a large tree and took an iron box from his Soul Tool, expressionlessly watching the tent in the distance.

Click, click, click.

A series of mechanism snaps rang out as sixteen sharp arrows shot swiftly toward the tent.

A muffled groan came from inside the tent, followed by silence.

Whoosh!

A blazing fire rose up.

"Five, your dog nose is really sharp!" Lu Feng patted Cannon Five's large head.

"Luo!"

Cannon Five gave an unhappy cry and tugged at Lu Feng's pant leg with his mouth.

"Hmph, stupid dog! You? A descendant of the Dragon King of Light? Then I'm Qin Shi Huang!"

Lu Feng crouched down and viciously rubbed Cannon Five's head.

Before long, the tent had turned into a pile of ashes.

Listening to the roars of wild beasts around him, Lu Feng flashed away and quickly left the area.

A ray of sunlight pierced the darkness, and dawn quietly swept across the horizon.

"Quick, pack up. We're setting out."

At Aixie's command, the team swiftly sprang into action.

Gulas stacked several tents together, pressed down on them with his knee to compress them as much as possible, then tied them up with rope. With a wave of his right hand, the tents vanished.

Lu Feng looked closely and saw an inconspicuous ring on Gulas's left pinky. It appeared to be a Storage Soul Tool.

Whoosh!

Ya Li's Soul Power surged, and a blade of wind slashed out. A wild gust immediately swept over the grass, destroying every trace left behind by the camp.

Aixie glanced over the grass and nodded slightly. "Let's go. Move out!"

A Year of Changes ### "Cheers!"

Inside the tavern, everyone raised their cups together amid laughter and cheers.

Soul Master hunters were professionals who walked on the edge of a blade. They could end up buried in the forest any day. Whenever the team returned from the forest, they would come to the tavern to relax.

"Boss, this cup is for you. Thank you all for fighting to the death for me." Gulas raised a full mug of ale and gestured to Aixie.

Aixie smiled faintly, lifted her own ale, and drained it with Gulas.

The team had been together for ten years. They had all risked their lives for one another.

"Man Sandao." As he spoke, Gulas raised his cup and walked toward Man Sandao.

"No, no, no, Fatty. No need for thanks." Man Sandao waved him off disdainfully. "If you really want to thank me, kneel down and kowtow once."

"Fuck you!"

"Hahaha!" Gulas and Man Sandao looked at each other, then drained their ales at the same time.

Watching the two fool around, Lu Feng's lips curved into a slight smile. He also raised his fruit juice and took a light sip.

At that moment, Gulas walked over to him. "Brother Tang Er, this cup is for you. You're the most badass auxiliary-type Soul Grandmaster in the entire Heaven Dou Empire—no, the entire Douluo Continent!"

The rest of the team also came over and raised their ales together.

After several rounds of drinks.

"Brother Tang Er, what are your plans for the future?" Gulas asked solemnly.

"I plan to train in the forest for a while. What about you, Boss, brothers?" Lu Feng asked calmly.

Could these people be planning to recruit me? Lu Feng pondered to himself.

During this Soul Hunting Operation, Lu Feng had also formed a bond with them through life-and-death situations.

Moreover, they had risked their lives to protect Gulas while he absorbed his Soul Ring. They seemed like trustworthy comrades.

At that moment, Aixie exchanged glances with the others and said, "The few of us have spent ten years scraping by in the Star Dou Great Forest. It's time to rest."

"Huh?"

Aixie's words caught Lu Feng completely off guard.

"Brother Tang Er, we originally wanted to bring you along. But after thinking about it, you're exactly like we were back then." Aixie said with a faint smile.

"Fresh out of the academy, full of spirit!" Man Sandao took over. "But little by little, we've all grown old."

"Compared to success and fame, having friends and family safe and sound is far more important."

After saying that, Man Sandao raised a hand and scratched his head. Then he grinned foolishly at Aixie.

Aixie rolled her eyes at Man Sandao and turned her head away.

"Is that so?" Lu Feng fell silent for a while after hearing this.

But he soon understood.

This was a real world, not the cold words of the original novel.

No one was the protagonist.

Yet everyone was the protagonist of their own life.

Then Gulas said loudly, "I've had enough of this fighting and killing too. I planned it long ago: once I earn enough money, I'll return home and open a tavern. I've even picked out the name—Happy Hour!"

"Since you brothers have made your decision, then as your little brother, I naturally support you unconditionally." Lu Feng smiled calmly.

"Hahaha, Brother Tang Er, if you ever come to Dragon Rise City in the Star Luo Empire, remember to stop by my tavern for a few drinks."

"Sure, Brother Gulas. Remember to prepare the best fruit juice for me."

"No problem! Just for saying that, my tavern will reserve a serving of the freshest fruit juice for you every day!"

After parting ways with them, Lu Feng went Hunting alone in the forest, occasionally teaming up with others.

Of course, every so often, he would change his appearance and clothing.

Time passed quickly, and a year slipped by without him noticing.

Inside a restaurant, Lu Feng had unusually ordered a glass of ale. Since it was afternoon, there were not many customers. Several servers gathered by the counter, chatting leisurely.

Lu Feng had already removed his disguise. He was no longer that dark-skinned boy and had returned to his clean, handsome appearance.

Over the past year, Lu Feng had grown several more centimeters, reaching roughly 1.65 meters. His body was strong and muscular. No one could tell that he was only nine years old.

This past year, Lu Feng's greatest gain had not been collecting fragments, but gaining more experience in society.

In his previous life, Lu Feng had spent several years working his way through society. His life and work had seen some modest success, and he could be considered a seasoned veteran.

But the experience of that stable life under the red flag was useless on Douluo Continent. He might not even compare to a child here.

Some people worked hard all year and still failed to earn a single Gold Soul Coin; others threw money around like dirt and spent the income of several decades on a single cup of wine.

Strength stood above the law, while morality could only step aside for the powerful and wealthy.

This was Douluo Continent!

Lu Feng raised his glass and took a small sip. "Fortunately, I'm also one of those evil exploiters."

Over the past year, Lu Feng's combat experience had also improved significantly.

At the academy, Lu Feng's fights with Tang San and Xiao Wu could only be called sparring, not "battle."

In the Star Dou Forest, aside from fighting Soul Beasts, Lu Feng had gotten into at least a dozen conflicts with other Mercenary Groups. Bloodshed and even death were common occurrences.

If Lu Feng encountered Yellow Three again now, he would not only be able to smash the man's head apart with one punch, but he could also dance beside Yellow Three's corpse without the slightest psychological burden.

At the same time, because he often fought Soul Beasts, Lu Feng had gained a deeper understanding of all kinds of Soul Beasts, including their characteristics, habits, weaknesses, and more.

Reading ten thousand books was not as good as traveling ten thousand miles.

Not only that, Lu Feng had discovered that maintaining a high-intensity combat state could also increase the speed of Soul Power cultivation.

After advancing to Soul Grandmaster, Lu Feng had clearly felt his cultivation speed slow down.

"In the original novel, Tang San was level thirteen after absorbing his first Soul Ring, and level twenty-nine when he enrolled at Shrek Academy."

"In six years, Tang San cultivated sixteen levels of Soul Power, roughly two and a half levels per year."

"No wonder Tang San gets criticized by so many people. So that's why!"

"But my situation isn't looking too good either."

Lu Feng raised his glass and took a large gulp.

"From level five to level twenty, I only took two years. Excluding the Soul Power gained from absorbing the thousand-year spirit liquid, I could still increase by an average of five and a half levels each year."

"But this past year, I haven't missed a single day of cultivation. With the extra boost from my wood and fire attributes, I only gained four levels of Soul Power."

"Level twenty-five. I only broke through yesterday."

"After being tempered by the thousand-year spirit liquid, I already have the talent of Innate Full Soul Power. Other than absorbing Soul Rings and Soul Bones, what else on Douluo Continent can let me cheat?"

Lu Feng raised his glass and drained it in one gulp.

"Sir, would you like a refill?"

The beautiful server at the counter walked gracefully over to Lu Feng and playfully winked at him. "It's free."

"Free? Then could I have a glass of fruit juice instead? Thank you." Lu Feng said with a faint smile.

"Fruit juice?" The server frowned slightly. "Sir, we don't have any—"

Ding!

Before she could finish, a Gold Soul Coin suddenly flicked up from Lu Feng's hand.

The Gold Soul Coin spun rapidly across the tabletop, producing a soft hum. As its speed gradually slowed, it finally came to rest standing upright on the table.

"Certainly, sir. I'll go buy it for you right away."

With that, the beautiful server excitedly bowed to him at a ninety-degree angle.

"Mm."

Lu Feng nodded. Once again facing the abyss-like unknown, his expression remained unchanged and his heart unruffled.

"Lingling, let's take this one. This dump is barely acceptable. Boss, where are you?"

At that moment, an arrogant voice came from the doorway.

This part of the story is over. Quite a few readers said it felt a little padded.

What I wanted to write can be summed up in one sentence: the protagonist killed someone, and his mindset matured.