Douluo, my clone Groudon

Chapter 313 Conflict, Dai Yun'er (Combined)

After cleaning up the mess, the Shrek Academy group boarded a new train and traveled in silence until they finally arrived safely at the heart of the Star Luo Empire—the magnificent Star Luo City.

After settling in at the Xingluo City Hotel, the team leader, Wu Changkong, immediately gathered everyone together.

"Listen up," Wu Changkong's voice remained cold as he swept his gaze over the crowd. "Our main purpose for this trip is to participate in exchange activities with the Star Luo Empire, and our main itinerary will be exchanges with various academies."

"But at the same time, the 'All-Continent Youth Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament' hosted by the Star Luo Empire will also open during the exchange. The academy has decided that you will represent Shrek Academy in the competition."

This news invigorated everyone, igniting a fighting spirit in their eyes. The name Shrek Academy was legendary on the Douluo Continent, and equally renowned in the Star Luo Empire; its fame was considerable.

Wu Changkong continued, "In this competition, you need to pay special attention to one opponent—'Monster Academy'."

"Monster Academy?" Xie Xie asked curiously. "The name sounds pretty arrogant, but isn't it just copying Shrek Academy?"

“They have the right to be arrogant.” Wu Changkong’s tone became more serious. “Monster Academy is the highest-level Soul Master Academy built by the Star Luo Empire with the full strength of the nation, bringing together the most outstanding geniuses of the Star Luo Empire in this generation.”

"Their goal is clear: to defeat Shrek Academy head-on in this competition and prove the strength of the younger generation of the Star Luo Empire."

"So put aside any underestimation, this will be a tough battle. The specific rules of the competition and information about our opponents will be sent to you later."

Wu Changkong was very serious. This time, he would never allow the academy to be disgraced because of him again.

So, as soon as he learned the news from the elder, he immediately used his connections in the Tang Sect to purchase information and intelligence about the Monster Academy.

"Disband."

After the meeting, Tang Wulin's thoughts drifted elsewhere. As a blacksmith, he was filled with curiosity about the rare metals that might exist in the Star Luo Empire.

He looked at Gula beside him: "Gula, do you want to go out for a walk? I heard that the Star Luo Empire has some unique minerals. I want to see if there are any suitable rare metals."

Gula's eyes also showed interest: "Alright, I've been wanting to see that for myself."

The others were not interested in metal and returned to their rooms to rest. Only two people left the hotel together and strolled through the bustling streets of Xingluo City.

The rows of shops, the exotic architecture, and the generally stronger physiques of the pedestrians on the street all fascinated Tang Wulin.

“By the way, Gula,” Tang Wulin said, recalling Gula’s gains during the attack, his tone filled with envy and curiosity, “that beast-type mech you acquired was truly impressive. If it’s convenient, could I take a closer look? I’m very interested in its construction and forging method.”

"No problem." Gula nodded readily. "I can take it out for you to study when we get back to the hotel room."

Tang Wulin broke through to the fourth ring and became a sixth-level blacksmith. Gula never underestimated Tang Wulin, who had extraordinary skills in blacksmithing. If their cultivation levels were the same, their talents in blacksmithing would actually be about the same.

One relies on the special infusion and forging of metal by the bloodline of the Golden Dragon King, while the other relies on the special sensing of metal by the power of the earth. Both have enormous power, and before the Heavenly Forging was added, the difference was not significant.

The conversation naturally turned to forging. Tang Wulin shared his experiences and insights on striving to become a level seven forging master, his words filled with enthusiasm:

"The field of Soul Forging is vast and profound. I feel like I've only just begun to grasp the basics. Every attempt feels like opening a new door."

After breaking through to the Soul King realm, Mu Yi, under Mu Ye's supervision, was busy cultivating his physical martial soul. He had no free time for formal soul forging to try and become a seventh-level blacksmith.

Since the two-word battle armor didn't require soul forging, Gula wasn't in a hurry. However, upon hearing this, he felt a sense of urgency. He was already far ahead, and he couldn't let Tang Wulin catch up.

The two were engrossed in their conversation and unknowingly walked into a relatively quiet street, but with more upscale shops on both sides and a wider, brighter road, called Xingluo Avenue. There were many shops that specialized in rare metals and soul tool materials.

Just as Tang Wulin was enthusiastically pointing to a metal materials store with a simple yet grand decor, preparing to go in and take a look with Gula, an unexpected incident occurred.

He walked along the inside of the shop, his gaze still fixed on the shop's signboard. Suddenly, the shop's heavy wooden door was pushed open from the inside, and four exceptionally burly middle-aged men dressed in dark, close-fitting clothes filed out, their steps steady and powerful, exuding a fierce aura.

Tang Wulin couldn't dodge in time, and his shoulder collided solidly with the burly, cold-faced middle-aged man walking at the front.

"Huh?" Tang Wulin felt as if he had bumped into a hard rock, but with his physique, he naturally didn't budge. He immediately realized he hadn't been watching where he was going and quickly said, "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention..."

However, before he could finish his apology, the middle-aged man he had bumped into showed anger on his face, as if he felt offended.

Without a word, a fierce glint flashed in his eyes, and his large, fan-like hand, carrying a sharp gust of wind, suddenly pushed towards Tang Wulin's chest.

This push was extremely powerful, containing the formidable physical strength of a Soul Master. If an ordinary person were to be bumped or grazed by it, several of their ribs would probably be broken!
The incident happened suddenly, and the distance was too close. Tang Wulin did not expect the other party to be so aggressive. In his haste, he only had time to slightly turn his body to deflect the force and was unable to completely dodge.

"Snapped!"

A clear, muffled thud rang out. The burly man's palm slammed hard into Tang Wulin's shoulder.

However, the expected scene of Tang Wulin vomiting blood and flying backwards did not occur. Tang Wulin's body only swayed slightly, and he didn't even frown.

Instead, the burly man who had made the move suddenly changed his expression, feeling as if his palm had struck a diamond that had been hammered a thousand times. A strong shock came from the impact, making his wrist numb and his finger bones ache.

"Hiss..." The burly man subconsciously gasped, his eyes filled with astonishment and then rage as he looked at Tang Wulin. This kid, how can he be so stubborn?
"You're asking for death!" The burly man was enraged. His other hand shot out like lightning, his five fingers like hooks, and with a sharp whooshing sound, he grabbed Tang Wulin's wrist, intending to subdue him.

This time, Tang Wulin was prepared. His eyes turned cold; the other party's ruthless attack without asking any questions had already ignited his anger.

Just as the large hand was about to grab his wrist, Tang Wulin flicked his wrist with lightning speed, precisely locking the strong man's wrist joint.

At the same time, he shifted his feet, exerted force from his waist, and executed a clean and swift grappling move.

"boom!"

The burly man, a size larger than him, felt an overwhelming force surge through him, his joints throbbing with pain. He instantly lost his balance, and Tang Wulin swiftly twisted his arm, slamming him to the ground, his face pressed against the cold stone pavement. He knelt before Gula, letting out a muffled groan. Gula glanced at the burly man indifferently, remaining unmoved.

"asshole!"

The other three burly men were both shocked and furious upon seeing this. Their soul power erupted instantly, and they roared as they rushed forward to attack Tang Wulin.

"What's going on here?"

Just then, a clear and somewhat authoritative female voice rang out from the shop entrance.

A young girl in a pale yellow dress emerged. She appeared to be fifteen or sixteen years old, with exquisitely beautiful features, snow-white skin, and long, flowing golden hair styled in an updo, exuding an air of nobility. She slightly furrowed her delicate brows as she surveyed the chaotic scene before her.

The burly man who was being pinned to the ground by Tang Wulin struggled to lift his head. Upon seeing the girl, he hurriedly shouted, "Your Highness, there's some ignorant brat rushing in. Let's deal with him right away."

The girl in the yellow dress glanced at the burly man who was being suppressed, then at Tang Wulin, who had a cold expression and a tall and straight figure, and finally at Gula, who stood beside her with an arrogant demeanor and a scrutinizing look in his eyes.

Her gaze lingered on Tang Wulin for a moment, her brows furrowing even more. She snapped at the burly men who were about to attack, "Enough! How many times have I told you? This is Xingluo City, not a border military camp! Control your temper and don't cause trouble."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried an unquestionable tone of command.

Upon hearing this, the burly men, though still bearing resentment and anger on their faces, immediately withdrew their soul power, stopped in their tracks, and stood aside with their hands at their sides, though their eyes remained fiercely fixed on Tang Wulin.

Tang Wulin was unwilling to cause trouble in the first place, and seeing that the person in charge of the other party stepped forward to stop him, and that the person seemed to be reasonable, he did not want to get entangled any further.

He snorted coldly, released the burly man on the ground, nodded slightly in the direction of the girl in the yellow dress as a greeting, and then said to Gula, "Let's go." He turned to leave.

The girl in the yellow dress's gaze briefly met Tang Wulin's as he was about to leave. Tang Wulin's eyes were clear and open, carrying a hint of displeasure at being disturbed, but without any fear or obsequiousness.

A barely perceptible look of surprise flashed in the girl's eyes, as if she was surprised that Tang Wulin could easily subdue her guards and that he was so composed.

Their eyes met, and they both paused slightly, seemingly finding each other more agreeable, at least not the unreasonable and domineering person they had imagined. They then nodded, silently reaching a tacit understanding to let the matter drop.

When the girl in the yellow dress appeared, Gula's gaze sharpened slightly. The girl's signature blonde hair, exquisite face, the guards' respectful address of "Your Highness," and the royal air that she exuded effortlessly made Gula instantly guess the girl's identity—Dai Yun'er, the only princess of this generation of the Star Luo Empire's royal family.

'Even the spoiled princess is a sucker for good looks; no wonder it's from Douluo Continent.'

Gula thought to himself that his spiritual power at the Spirit Realm level made him extremely sensitive to people's emotions. After seeing the two people's appearances, Dai Yun'er's anger clearly subsided.

He chuckled and followed Tang Wulin.

Gula had little interest in the Star Luo royal family, and kept his distance from the princess who was rumored to have a bad temper.

After confirming her identity, he indifferently shifted his gaze, as if everything happening before him had nothing to do with him. He simply said to Tang Wulin softly, "Let's go." He turned around first, not even bothering to glance at Dai Yun'er again.

Tang Wulin sensed Gula's coldness and had no intention of lingering; the two quickly disappeared around the corner.

Dai Yun'er watched their departing figures, especially the green-haired boy who seemed overly calm and even somewhat indifferent from beginning to end, and pondered something.

She turned her head and sternly swept her gaze over the guards: "If there's a next time, you won't need to follow me anymore! Remember, this is the capital, not a place for you to act tough and violent. Go inside!" After saying that, she turned and walked into the shop.

The burly men fell silent, quickly following him inside. The heavy wooden door closed again, and the street returned to calm.

After walking a distance, Tang Wulin whispered to Gula, "Those guards all have strong soul power. That girl in the yellow dress is probably not simple."

Gula continued walking, her tone calm and even: "Yes, if I'm not mistaken, it's Dai Yun'er, the only princess of the Star Luo royal family, who is the emperor's favorite."

He paused, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips, and teased, "If I'm not mistaken, she seems to have a good impression of you. How about staying in the Star Luo Empire as a prince consort?"

Upon hearing this, Tang Wulin recalled Dai Yun'er's commanding tone and the guards' respectful manner, and suddenly realized, "So it was her."

He then shook his head with a wry smile, putting the incident behind him. "Forget it, I have no interest in being a prince consort. Besides, we only met once, and we won't have any further relationship in the future."

"Princess? That's none of our business. Let's go, let's continue searching for rare metals! Hopefully, the Star Luo Empire's mineral resources won't disappoint me."

The two continued walking toward the shops selling rare metals. The slight unpleasantness from the brief conflict was quickly replaced by their anticipation of the unknown materials.

The two quickly put the little incident with Princess Dai Yun'er behind them and quickened their pace, entering the shop that Tang Wulin had previously chosen, which had a simple and grand decor and a sign that read "Hundred Refinements Pavilion" above the door.

Upon entering, a slightly heavy smell, a mixture of various metallic scents, hits you.

The shop has a large interior space, but the lighting is not very bright. Rows of heavy metal shelves are placed against the wall, displaying metal ingots or ores of various shapes and colors.

Some shimmered with a restrained, ethereal light, while others displayed strange textures, and the air was filled with a unique "aura" belonging to metallic materials.

The shopkeeper was a sprightly old man with gray hair, wearing a white-gray robe and reading glasses. He was carefully examining a fist-sized dark red mineral with a magnifying glass.

Seeing guests enter, he raised his head, a shrewd glint flashing in his cloudy eyes, and sized up Tang Wulin and Gula, two young men who looked young but had quite an extraordinary air about them.

Tang Wulin's gaze was immediately drawn to the dazzling array of metals. Like a child entering a treasure trove, he wandered among the counters and shelves, his fingers carefully brushing against each piece of cold metal, sensing the energy fluctuations and properties within them.

Gula, on the other hand, appeared much calmer, his sharp gaze scanning the area as he used his metallic senses to search for targets that interested him.

(End of this chapter)