Hearing this, Yu Tianheng raised an eyebrow slightly, a trace of surprise flashing in his eyes. "Level forty? Not bad at all."
Song Guan continued, "However, after Lei Long broke through the level-forty bottleneck, he didn't go to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt a Soul Beast and obtain a Soul Ring."
Curious, Yu Tianheng pressed him. "Why is that?"
Song Guan curled his lip and said teasingly, "He announced that if he fought you with the power of four rings, even if he won, people would say his victory was unfair. He insists on defeating you before hunting a Soul Beast and adding his fourth Soul Ring fair and square."
Yu Tianheng couldn't help chuckling when he heard this. "Well, this Lei Long has some spirit. In that case, when I fight him in the arena, I'll save him a little face and keep his defeat from being too ugly."
Hearing this, Song Guan couldn't help but smile bitterly to himself.
In his view, Yu Tianheng might have come from a prominent family and possessed considerable talent, but he was far too arrogant, with his eyes set above his head.
He didn't even take a top genius of the Soul Master World like Lei Long seriously. He was truly too full of himself.
After all, Lei Long's Soul Power Level was higher than his. Even without a fourth Soul Ring, he wouldn't be easy to defeat.
But there were some things Song Guan couldn't very well say outright.
"By the way, Song Guan, how are things going with the betting pool?" Yu Tianheng asked.
Yu Tianheng cared more about the betting pool than Lei Long's strength. After all, he was counting on it to make a tidy fortune.
Song Guan quickly raised his head, a confident smile on his face, and replied with certainty, "Everything's going smoothly. I've been running around these past few days, making careful arrangements at the academy. Quite a few students throughout Heaven Dou Royal Academy have already joined in. Everyone's very interested in the betting pool. They all want to use this chance to make a little money or show off their judgment in front of others."
"And it's not just the students. Even some teachers at Heaven Dou Royal Academy are taking part. They're very interested in the betting pool too, and most have made their moves. Now they're not only participating themselves, but also drawing in their colleagues and students to some extent. The betting pool is getting more and more popular."
"Even..."
"Even what?" Yu Tianheng quickly asked.
Song Guan's expression was somewhat complicated as he continued, "Even Heaven Dou City has received word of your arranged match with Lei Long. Quite a few nobles and wealthy merchants are planning to place bets too. I believe that when the day of your fight with Lei Long arrives, the place will definitely be a mountain of people and a sea of bodies."
The corners of Yu Tianheng's mouth rose slightly in a barely perceptible smile, and he nodded. "Very good. You've done well."
Yu Tianheng had only intended to draw the students of Heaven Dou Royal Academy into the betting pool and make a little money. He hadn't expected the nobles and wealthy merchants of Heaven Dou City to hear about it and want to participate as well.
Compared with those students, they undoubtedly had far greater wealth at their disposal. That meant the benefits he could gain would be all the greater.
Song Guan hurriedly replied, "Don't worry, I'll do everything I can to make sure the betting pool is properly managed. But I should warn you of one thing, Brother Tian Heng: the bigger this betting pool gets, the less we can afford to lose. If you're defeated, there's a good chance we'll end up bankrupt."
Yu Tianheng nodded. "I'm absolutely confident. You don't need to worry."
Song Guan nodded. After talking with Yu Tianheng a little more about the betting pool, he took his leave.
After more than half a year of secluded cultivation, Yu Tianheng no longer wanted to stay hidden away and bury himself in arduous training. He decided to go out for a walk.
Early the next morning, Yu Tianheng left Heaven Dou Royal Academy and headed to Heaven Dou City, the capital of the Heaven Dou Empire, to have some fun and relax.
Bustling and prosperous, Heaven Dou City had streets packed with carriages and horses, with people coming and going. A dazzling array of goods filled the roadside stalls, while vendors' cries rose and fell, weaving together into a song of everyday life.
Dressed in fine clothes, Yu Tianheng strolled leisurely through the streets, looking around with a measure of curiosity. For once, he had set cultivation aside to experience the smoke and fire of mortal life.
He first went to the largest restaurant in Heaven Dou City and ate his fill, then wandered around, buying whatever caught his eye.
Just then, a boy who looked twelve or thirteen was weaving through the crowd. He was small and thin, but his eyes showed a shrewdness and cunning beyond his years. He had spotted Yu Tianheng long ago, and seeing his fine clothes and free spending, had decided he was a young master from a wealthy family. Secretly delighted, he saw him as a "fat sheep."
He planned to "borrow" some money from him to spend.
The boy approached Yu Tianheng without a sound, as nimble as a cat. His hand darted like lightning toward the purse hanging at Yu Tianheng's waist, but the instant his fingers touched it, Yu Tianheng's eyes sharpened.
The keen senses he had gained through long years of cultivation alerted him to the disturbance at once. Without betraying any reaction, he turned slightly and seized the boy's wrist. He didn't use much force, but it was enough to leave the boy unable to move.
"Kid, I think your hand reached into the wrong place," Yu Tianheng said in a low voice, with a hint of amusement.
The boy's face went deathly pale. He struggled desperately, but couldn't break free of Yu Tianheng's grip. His eyes darted around as he tried to find a way out, and he kept protesting, "You... you've got it wrong. I just bumped into you by accident."
The corners of Yu Tianheng's mouth rose slightly in a smile that was not quite a smile as he sized up the panicked boy before him. "An accident? That excuse is a little flimsy."
"Or do you take me for an idiot?"
The boy stammered, unable to get a word out, his face flushing bright red.
Yu Tianheng didn't make things difficult for him. He chuckled and said, "You're lucky, kid. I'm in a good mood today, so I won't report you to the authorities and have you arrested."
"I'll let you off this once, but if I catch you again, don't blame me for showing no mercy!"
When he had touched the boy earlier, he had found no trace of Soul Power fluctuations in him, which meant he was an ordinary person. Seeing that, Yu Tianheng couldn't be bothered to pay him any more attention, so he let him go after a scolding.
When the boy saw that Yu Tianheng had let him go, he immediately slipped away, running as fast as he could.
Yu Tianheng gave it no further thought and continued strolling along Heaven Dou City's bustling streets.
He looked very relaxed.
But many thoughts were running through his mind.
He was thinking about what he should do after defeating Lei Long. But no matter what, he had to win Dugu Yan over. Only by winning her over could he get close to Dugu Bo, who stood behind her.
And seize the opportunity that had originally belonged to Tang San.
After that, he would recruit troops and buy horses, expanding his strength.
The Douluo Continent might look peaceful now, but before long it would descend into utter chaos. First, Spirit Hall would establish a nation and become the Spirit Hall Empire, then it would begin waging war. By then, the flames of war would spread across the continent.
Even a top power like the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan would be unable to remain aloof and would inevitably be swept up in it.