Heaven Dou Royal Academy
The canteen was spacious and bright, and the students sat together in twos and threes to eat, creating a lively yet orderly atmosphere.
Lin Kong and Dugu Yan found a seat by the window and sat down facing each other. Two sets of tableware were laid out on the table, and the dishes were exquisite and delicious, with a good balance of meat and vegetables. Sunlight streamed through the window and shone on the two of them, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere.
Dugu Yan stirred the food on her plate with her chopsticks and started the conversation. "That day I watched you participate in the Soul Fighting competition in the VIP viewing area, and I noticed you..."
Your skill in using poison is truly impressive!
As a poison-attribute Soul Master, she was well aware of the rarity of this type of Martial Soul.
Normally, let alone her peers, even older Soul Master rarely have anyone she can talk to about poison techniques. Now that she has finally met someone who is quite accomplished in poison arts, she naturally can't help but want to exchange a few more words with them.
But before she could finish speaking, Lin Kong suddenly interrupted her.
"Isn't he handsome?" Lin Kong put down his chopsticks, rested his chin on his hands, and looked at her expectantly.
Dugu Yan's beautiful eyes widened slightly, a smile unconsciously curving her lips. She was caught off guard and paused for a moment, then exclaimed, "Huh?"
"Wasn't it cool that I single-handedly took down three Diamond Mammoth Soul Master?" Lin Kong's skin was as thick as a city wall, and he didn't feel there was anything wrong with boasting. His tone even carried a hint of smugness.
If it were anyone else, Dugu Yan would definitely not have given them a good look if they dared to boast like that in front of her. But Lin Kong in front of her was not only handsome, but his performance in the Soul Fighting Arena that day was also amazing - he poisoned three Diamond Mammoth Soul Master with terrifying defense in one move, and the way he calmly counted the numbers afterward made him a perfect show of bravado.
Dugu Yan carefully recalled the scene from that day, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she turned her face away somewhat shyly. "Well, you were pretty handsome, weren't you?"
"Guess?" Lin Kong suddenly blinked, his tone laced with a hint of slyness.
Dugu Yan turned her head in confusion. "Guess what?"
"Did I poison you?" Lin Kong said, slowly raising his right hand to show her both the palm and the back of his hand. "You were staring at my hand earlier, guessing if I had poison hidden under my fingernails, right? Now, guess whether I poisoned you or not?"
If these words were said to other Soul Master, they would probably be terrified and immediately get up and leave, or even turn hostile on the spot.
But Dugu Yan is different.
As the granddaughter of Poison Douluo, and a poison-attribute Soul Master has been surrounded by poison since childhood, she has a sensitivity to toxins far exceeding that of ordinary people, as well as a courage far exceeding that of ordinary people.
Hearing Lin Kong's words, she was not afraid at all. Instead, she seriously thought about it. She looked down at the food on her plate, picked out a little of each dish and put it in her mouth. She chewed slowly and savored the taste of the food and felt the changes in her Soul Power.
A few seconds later, she looked up, her eyes resolute, and said, "No! Your poisoning skills aren't good enough. Even though I wasn't watching you closely, you still couldn't escape my notice."
"Hey!" Lin Kong sighed with feigned regret and shook his head helplessly.
"What's wrong with you?" Dugu Yan asked, intrigued by his appearance.
Lin Kong didn't answer, but simply extended his right hand in front of her. "Here."
"Huh?" Dugu Yan was taken aback, not understanding what he meant.
"Look!" Lin Kong repeated, gesturing for her to look carefully.
Dugu Yan hesitated for a moment, then stretched out her slender fingers and gently pinched the front half of Lin Kong's palm, holding his hand in front of her eyes to examine it carefully, her movements very light and gentle.
Lin Kong's voice rang out at the same time. "Who would hide toxins under their fingernails every day if it weren't necessary? My fingernails are spotless today. I think you're a bit silly."
She should have insisted that she didn't poison him.
Upon hearing this, Dugu Yan sniffed and retorted somewhat defiantly, "I'm not stupid!"
"Idiot," Lin Kong teased with a laugh.
"Shut up!" Dugu Yan's cheeks flushed slightly as she gently slapped his hand, her tone carrying a hint of coquettishness but without a trace of anger.
Sunlight streamed through the window, falling on their clasped hands, and a faint, ambiguous atmosphere seemed to permeate the air.
If Ning Fengzhi saw this scene, he would definitely regret it to the core.
What terrifying speed!
It's our first meeting, the timing is perfect, and having lunch together seems normal. But it's only been a few minutes since we started talking.
The two have already started holding hands?
Can you handle Dugu Yan and Dugu Bo in two and a half days?
It seems like they won over Dugu Yan with just one meal!
"You two..."
A somewhat complicated voice suddenly rang out, breaking the ambiguous atmosphere between the two.
Lin Kong and Dugu Yan simultaneously turned their heads to look to the side, only to see Yu Tianheng standing by the table with Shi Mo, Shi Mo, Yu Feng, and Osler. All five male members of the Imperial Fighting Team had actually arrived.
With the addition of Dugu Yan, a Control System Soul Master, the only missing character is Ye Lingling, Support System Soul Master.
All five people's eyes were fixed on the same spot— Dugu Yan was holding Lin Kong's forearm, her fingertips still resting on the back of his hand. The expressions of the group were somewhat subtle, and several glances unconsciously drifted towards Yu Tianheng's back, carrying a hint of watching the show.
Why?
Just two days ago, the Imperial Fighting Team was established, and Yu Tianheng publicly declared that he wanted to pursue Dugu Yan.
The other four had also privately considered that, in terms of talent and background, they were no match for Yu Tianheng. Moreover, Dugu Yan was a poison-attribute Soul Master, her entire body shrouded in toxins, so even if they did manage to catch up with her, they wouldn't dare to get close to her casually.
But Yu Tianheng is different. His Martial Soul is the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, a lightning-attribute Soul Power that can counteract poison to some extent, so he doesn't need to worry about being harmed by Dugu Yan's poison.
Everyone thought that Yu Tianheng's pursuit this time was very likely to succeed.
Who would have thought that he had just identified his target and hadn't even taken the first step when he stumbled upon Dugu Yan being so intimate with another man?
When Dugu Yan saw the group, she blinked her beautiful eyes slightly, like a child caught red-handed. She immediately let go of Lin Kong's hand and quickly hid her hand under the table. A faint blush appeared on her fair cheeks, and her eyes were somewhat evasive.
Lin Kong showed no emotional fluctuation, remaining calm as if he hadn't been the one whose hand had just been held.
Yu Tianheng's hands were clenched tightly behind his back, his knuckles digging into his palms so hard they almost drew blood. Yet, he maintained a polite smile, showing no sign of distress. He walked straight to the table, sat down in an empty seat to the side, and asked casually, " Lin Kong, what brings you here? Are you here to join our Heaven Dou Royal Academy?"
The other four people sat at the table next to them.
"Yes," Lin Kong nodded, answering calmly, "Teacher Qin Ming is helping me with the enrollment process, and if all goes well, the paperwork should be completed today."
"Not bad, not bad." Yu Tianheng nodded with a smile, seemingly praising you, but his words carried a hidden meaning. "You are the future of our academy. You definitely won't be able to make it to the All-Continent Elite Tournament of Advanced Soul Master Academy four years from now, but you're only twelve years old this year. In the tournament nine years from now, you will definitely be the core player of the team."
These words, seemingly an acknowledgment of Lin Kong's abilities, were actually a subtle reminder that he was too young and his Soul Power Level was insufficient, leaving him with no chance of joining this year's Imperial Fighting Team.
After all, the members of the Imperial Fighting Team all had a minimum Soul Power of level 30 or above, while Lin Kong, in Yu Tianheng's opinion, even if he had good talent, was at most level 20 or above, which was far below the team's selection criteria.
"Oh right, we'll be classmates from now on." Yu Tianheng smoothly steered the conversation, casually asking, "What level is your Soul Power now? You can tell me, right?"
He wanted Lin Kong to reveal his Soul Power Level in public, so that everyone would know that there was an insurmountable gap between Lin Kong and the members of the Imperial Fighting Team.
Lin Kong looked up at him and casually said, "Level 25, not bad luck, you've leveled up four times in a month."
As soon as he finished speaking, the five people present fell silent!
Shi Mo lifted his buttocks to move the stool, but lost control of his strength and slammed it back onto the floor with a loud thud; Shi Mo Mill waved to call the staff to take orders, but his mouth was wide open and no sound came out; Yu Feng's eyes widened, his mouth so open it could fit an egg; Osler stared intently at Lin Kong, as if he had heard some unbelievable story.
Yu Tianheng's smile froze, his pupils suddenly contracted, and he was shocked.
Increase Soul Power by four levels in one month?
What terrifying talent!
Pooh!
Forget about talent, what did you use?
The first reaction of everyone present was that Lin Kong had absorbed and fused with the Soul Bone.
Soul Bone!
Is it okay to just say things like that?
Dugu Yan hesitated, " Lin Kong, you..."
"How did you know I have a Soul Bone?" Lin Kong's lips curled into a smile.
Dugu Yan: "..."
"How do you know that I have an External Soul Bone?"
Lin Kong stared intently into Dugu Yan's eyes, forcing her to look away, her cheeks growing even redder.
Yu Tianheng, Shi Mo, Shi Mo, Yu Feng, Osler: "..."
They were completely numb!