Lovesick Heartbreak Red

"Lovesick Heartbreak Red?" Zhang Lexuan froze for a moment, then a faint blush rose on her pretty face as she stole a glance at Lu Cheng ahead.

"What do you want that for?" Lu Cheng frowned slightly. "Something to improve her Martial Soul... As my whetstone, she'd make me look bad if she were too weak."

"A moon Martial Soul? Then try this..." Reading their expressions, Jiaojiao hurriedly offered a pale blue Immortal Herb.

But Zhang Lexuan did not reach out to take it.

She merely stood quietly in place, stubbornness written all over her pretty face.

"I want the Lovesick Heartbreak Red." Zhang Lexuan stared fixedly at Lu Cheng, enunciating every word.

"What the hell do you want..." With a cold expression, Lu Cheng studied the stubborn beauty, but she refused to yield an inch, meeting his gaze.

"Forget it. You'll die anyway. What difference does it make..." Only after several seconds did Lu Cheng glance at her indifferently and wave a dismissive hand.

Jiaojiao hurriedly produced a pure white flower.

It was embedded in a black stone.

"Drip your heart's blood onto it, then try to pluck it while thinking of that person..." Jiaojiao instructed softly from the side.

"Pfft~"

Zhang Lexuan struck her chest hard and spat out a mouthful of blood, splashing it over the snow-white flower.

Her delicate hand gently grasped the stem, and she slowly closed her eyes.

Lu Cheng felt somewhat helpless. Folding his arms across his chest, he thought it truly was a waste of effort.

If everything that followed had never happened, he could have understood that woman plucking this Lovesick Heartbreak Red. But the problem was... with all the chaotic incidents now, he did not believe Zhang Lexuan could actually pluck it.

Yet in the next instant, the Black Absolute Stone fell away to the ground.

The pure white flower landed in the beauty's hand.

"..."

Everyone fell silent.

They looked at Lu Cheng with peculiar expressions.

The corner of Lu Cheng's eye twitched as well. This... how was this possible?!!

Zhang Lexuan gazed entranced at the Lovesick Heartbreak Red, seemingly recalling something.

Only after an unknown length of time did she open her eyes and look wistfully at Lu Cheng. "Brother..."

"Shut up."

Lu Cheng spoke coldly.

"Since you're my whetstone, just behave and grow stronger. Then, when I reach the absolute pinnacle, I'll crush you to death with my own hands. Swallow that Lovesick Heartbreak Red as soon as possible. If you want to imitate Xiao Wu, I'm no Tang San..."

"Brother... are you really so heartless?" Zhang Lexuan's eyes reddened. Holding the flower stem in her delicate hand, she bit her red lip as she spoke.

"Who's your brother?" Lu Cheng scoffed.

"Don't forget... your entire family died horribly at my hands. Have you forgotten about revenge so soon? Zhang Lexuan, I really did think too highly of you. Choosing you as my whetstone might have been a complete waste."

With that, he signaled for Jiaojiao to sacrifice herself.

Scarlet flames encircled them in a barrier, blocking the view inside.

But Zhang Lexuan merely stared blankly at the Lovesick Heartbreak Red.

A trail of clear tears flowed down her face.

Her former happiness seemed like a dream. Now that she had awakened, it was time for her to face all this crushing weight...

"Roar~!"

The flames spread wildly outward.

The body of a giant from the ancient wilderness towered at the summit of the valley. The might it radiated made even Wu Ya, who had just advanced to rank ninety-six Super Douluo, feel his eyelids twitch wildly as he stared at the figure in astonishment.

Advancing to Titled Douluo should not, by rights, have caused such a tremendous spectacle.

But this kid...

Tsk, tsk, tsk. A true monster indeed.

He had just been thinking of showing off a little and finding time to spar with him. Now it seemed he would have to avoid his edge for a while longer.

Lu Cheng stood in midair.

His eyes slowly opened, each seemingly containing a three-legged Golden Crow, radiating dazzling, scorching light.

Soul Rings rose one after another from beneath his feet.

Five eerily scarlet Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings radiated terrifying might, pressing down on the Immortal Herbs until they could barely breathe. They lowered their petals one after another, as though submitting.

"Sun-Shooting True Body!"

Coldness glinted in Lu Cheng's eyes.

He gave a low shout.

A longbow appeared in his hand, and a magnificent giant bow likewise appeared in the hands of the giant behind him.

Lu Cheng gazed toward Shrek Academy.

Was it far?

Extremely far-at least several thousand kilometers away, most likely.

But his ninth Soul Skill locked onto a location. Once fired, the arrow would accelerate toward that location, its power growing more terrifying the farther it traveled.

With every kilometer it crossed, rather than losing energy, it accumulated more.

And he... had once stayed at Shrek Academy.

That counted as having an anchor point.

Lu Cheng slowly raised the Sun-Shooting Bow and aimed toward Shrek Academy. The giant behind him did the same.

He curled two fingers slightly, hooked the arrow, and drew the bow fully.

In the next instant, the fiery red arrow swept forth with terrifying might, pierced layer after layer of clouds, and howled toward Shrek Academy.

It painted the entire sky fiery red.

The arrow vanished from above the valley in an instant, leaving only successive rumbles from afar. The phantom behind Lu Cheng dissipated, and he landed in the valley.

"Just how deep does this grudge run?" Wu Ya's gaze was filled with wonder.

"Heh, I'm merely demanding an explanation. Xuan Zi's eye is far from enough..."

Lu Cheng spoke indifferently.

He would take back, bit by bit, what Mu En had schemed against him.

For now, this was merely a little interest.

"Boom~"

Lu Cheng tossed the dying Blood-Eroding Devil Python out from somewhere, sending up a cloud of dust as he studied Zhang Lexuan.

A flippant smile curled his lips.

"Absorb it..."

"I hope you can shoulder the heavy responsibility of being my whetstone."

"Don't disappoint me, my dear little sister."

Shrek Academy.

Sea God Pavilion.

Atop the Golden Ancient Tree.

Xuan Zi grumbled, "Mu En, you even told Shaozhe, yet kept only me in the dark. Aren't you treating me like an outsider?"

Mu En shook his head and sighed softly.

"You've always had a big mouth. If word of this got out and that girl learned about it, all my planning would go down the drain."

"Well..." Xuan Zi's face twitched.

"And he actually shot out one of your eyes? You even neglected your duties, leaving Lexuan and the others on their own in the core region of the Star Dou Great Forest?" Mu En's tone suddenly grew stern.

He scrutinized Xuan Zi solemnly.

"Wasn't I just... in a hurry to report to you?" Xuan Zi scratched his head, looking embarrassed.

"Had Lu Cheng not appeared, more than half the inner court disciples might have been injured or killed. Xuan Zi, you cannot escape responsibility for this!!" Mu En said coldly.

Xuan Zi trembled. Faced with Mu En's reprimand, he was genuinely afraid.

"Confine yourself within the Sea God Pavilion for three months. Without my orders, you are not to set a single foot outside," Mu En said coldly.

"Yes..."

Xuan Zi's face fell as he answered feebly.

Mu En slowly closed his eyes, the look in that youth's eyes that day resurfacing in his memory.

Fear?

No, it was more like amusement, mockery.

Was everything truly going as smoothly as he had anticipated?

At this moment, even he could no longer guarantee it.

"That Lu Cheng is far too brazen!" Yan Shaozhe hurried over, anger flashing in his eyes after learning the details of what had happened to Xuan Zi.

"He's demanding an explanation from Shrek Academy..." Mu En sighed deeply.

"After all, I failed to do what I promised him."