"You'd better behave."
With those words, Lu Feng left, his figure vanishing into thin air, no one could even tell how he had disappeared.
"Th... thank you for sparing my life."
Tang Hao gritted his teeth as he forced himself up, then fled the scene in shame. He couldn't bear to stay a moment longer.
Revenge.
He would have his revenge!!!
A vicious, resentful glint flashed in Tang Hao's eyes.
Decades of cultivation, meticulous schemes—all shattered in a single, humiliating defeat. Worse than death.
Even at his peak, he had never been a match for Li Xunhuan. Now, as a mere Soul Sage, he was pathetically weak in front of the man.
But he still had one advantage—his powerful backing.
The seven elders of the Clear Sky Sect. His grandfather, Tang Chen, whose whereabouts were unknown.
There was still hope for vengeance.
Meanwhile, at the academy...
Xiao Wu emerged from the woods.
The shockwave from Tang Hao's attack had thrown her out of Lu Feng's arms, sending them both tumbling into the bushes. Moments later, Li Xunhuan, the legendary Douluo, appeared.
She had been terrified.
Terrified that a Supreme Douluo might come for her 100,000-year soul ring.
Luckily, Li Xunhuan only had eyes for Tang Hao.
And it proved Lu Feng right.
Tang Hao was truly cruel and heartless.
Tang San had the mighty Clear Sky Douluo as a father so why had he pretended to be a poor working student like her? What was he planning?
That day, a hooded figure had lured her to Dormitory Seven. She hadn't seen his face, but his build and voice... they reminded her of Tang Hao.
Was Tang San really as scheming and deceitful as Lu Feng said? Worse than his father, just better at hiding it?
The doubts in Xiao Wu's heart grew heavier.
When Tang San saw Xiao Wu, he rushed over to explain: "I didn't know anything about my father's actions."
"Prove it," Xiao Wu shot back, leaving Tang San speechless.
How could he possibly prove that?
"I—I swear—"
"Don't bother. It doesn't concern me anymore." Suddenly, as if realizing something, she turned away and called out, "Lu Feng! Lu Feng, where are you?"
'It doesn't concern me... doesn't concern me...'
The words echoed in Tang San's mind like a knife twisting in his chest. He wanted to cry, but no tears came.
Years of effort, building trust, crafting the perfect image, all ruined in an instant.
Now, Xiao Wu doubted him. Kept her distance.
He would've preferred her yelling at him over this cold indifference.
All she cared about now was finding Lu Feng.
Even Li Xunhuan had stepped in for Lu Feng.
And after years apart, his reunion with his father ended in humiliation, kneeling in surrender.
Lu Feng... Lu Feng!
This was all your fault!
If he ever got the chance... he would make him pay.
But for now, he had to endure.
What he hadn't expected was that the Tang Sect already existed in this world.
That legendary Douluo, Li Xunhuan, came from the Tang Sect. His divine blade technique was earth-shaking, a true marvel.
If he could use his Tang Sect connections to become Li Xunhuan's disciple... learn his hidden weapon techniques...
Tang San fell deep into thought.
"Xiao Wu, I'm here."
Lu Feng, now back in his usual appearance, stepped out from the crowd with a smile, waving at her.
Only then did everyone notice him, and the way they looked at him had completely changed.
"Lu Feng, are you hurt?" Yu Xiaogang was the first to rush up to him.
"No." Lu Feng kept his answer short.
"That Supreme Douluo... is he your master?"
"No. I don't have a master."
"Then... would you consider becoming my disciple? I am Yu Xiaogang, from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. I've devoted my life to researching martial souls, they call me the Master. I could greatly aid your growth."
Yu Xiaogang revealed his true intention.
True geniuses were rare—and Lu Feng was a genius among geniuses. If he didn't seize this chance now, he might never get another. So, for once, he boasted a little, hoping to win Lu Feng over.
If he could get Lu Feng as his disciple, his status would skyrocket—everything he ever wanted would fall into his lap.
"You think you're worthy?" Lu Feng didn't bother sparing Yu Xiaogang's feelings. The blunt remark left the man speechless as Lu Feng brushed past him.
Honestly, he'd been polite to this so-called "Master" who coasted on empty reputation.
A mere 29th-rank Great Soul Master, trying to take on a 33rd-rank Soul Grandmaster as his disciple? Delusional.
The Douluo Continent was full of wonders—yet someone who couldn't even handle 400-year soul beasts at the outskirts of the Star Dou Forest dared call himself an expert? What real experience did he even have?
Just because he read a few books and scribbled some theories, he thought he could claim authority?
Worse, most of his so-called "theories" in the original story were flat-out wrong.
"..." Yu Xiaogang stood frozen, face twisted in humiliation.
[Ding! Mission complete: Prevent Tang San from winning Xiao Wu's favor. Reward: 1,000 Energy Points.]
[New mission triggered: Win Xiao Wu's heart. Reward: 3,000 Energy Points.]
The system's voice chimed in his mind.
With this, he now had 2,000 Energy Points saved up.
He hadn't decided how to use them yet.
Permanently increasing his soul ring age was tempting, but his current ones were already strong enough—adding 2,000 wouldn't make a noticeable difference.
The real allure was the lottery for divine-tier items.
But luck was fickle. What if he wasted points and got nothing? That'd just sour his mood.
Better to save up more first, higher chances of pulling something good.
Winning Xiao Wu's heart offered 3,000 points, twice what Zhuqing's mission had given.
Proof that the system judged Xiao Wu harder to conquer.
As a 100,000-year soul beast reborn in human form, she naturally distrusted humans. Tang Hao and Tang San's schemes had only deepened that wariness.
Capturing her affection? It was far from easy.
But today… he'd made a solid start.
A faint smirk curled on Lu Feng's lips as he walked up to Xiao Wu. Without hesitation, he took her hand.
"I have to leave now."
"So soon?"
Her smile vanished, replaced by a pang of sadness.
Their first meeting had left a mark on her life.
And after their close contact earlier, she'd felt something new, a warmth, a pull toward him.
A flicker of attachment had taken root.
Her trust, once placed in Tang San, has now shifted to Lu Feng.
There was so much she wanted to ask him, so much she didn't know yet.
And now he was leaving?
The sudden ache of parting briefly overshadowed her shyness.
Her delicate fingers, which had instinctively tensed to pull away, now relaxed, letting him hold her hand.
Pickup artist rule #2: Retreat to Advance.
If you drool over a girl and cling to her like a lost puppy, she'll only look down on you.
A truly remarkable girl won't be won by desperation.
Leaning close, Lu Feng whispered by her ear, low enough that only she could hear:
"But we'll meet again soon. After you graduate here… you're planning to go to Shrek Academy, right?"
"Yeah, how did you know?" Xiao Wu's ruby-like eyes widened in surprise.
"I heard about it. Anyway, I'll be going to Shrek Academy too."
"Really!?"
Hearing this, Xiao Wu's glistening eyes instantly lit up with excitement, like stars reigniting in the night sky.
"Absolutely. I'm looking forward to being your... classmate."
Lu Feng flashed his most charming smile.
To siphon away Tang San's protagonist luck, he had to go to Shrek Academy.
The path chosen by the Child of Destiny was always the path of greatest fortune!
Wherever Tang San went, opportunities and lucky encounters would follow.
He didn't have to rigidly follow the original storyline, but he did need to make an appearance, to claim those fated opportunities for himself.
That's why the Child of Destiny couldn't be killed.
Well, that... and out of respect for Ah Yin, he wouldn't kill Tang San anyway.
"I... I look forward to being your classmate too." Xiao Wu's earlier gloom vanished like passing rain, her face blooming into a radiant smile once more.
Lu Feng tilted his head slightly. "Before I leave... would you walk with me in that small grove over there? There's something I'd like to say, and it's too noisy here."
"The... the grove?" Xiao Wu hesitated, her cheeks flushing pink.
That particular cluster of trees was infamous among students, the academy's "lovers' paradise."
"O-okay," she finally murmured, fingers nervously twisting the hem of her skirt.
The surrounding students exchanged knowing glances as they watched Lu Feng and Xiao Wu stroll away, hand in hand, toward the notorious grove.
Everyone knew what older students typically did in those shaded thickets.
Tang San could only stand there, helpless, as Xiao Wu disappeared into the romantic foliage with Lu Feng.
His face turned ashen.
His chest felt like it was being ripped apart.
But this time...
He couldn't intervene.
Xiao Wu wasn't officially his girlfriend. What right did he have to interfere?
Not to mention the far more pressing issue, he was hopelessly outmatched by Lu Feng.
Above him, the faint green glow of humiliation still hadn't fully faded.