Douluo: The Unrivaled Demon Lord

Chapter 128 Nan Qiuqiu's Dark Day Junior Sister Ling, open the door! Senior Sister Brings Warmth!
The morning mist was hazy, a light rain was falling, and the teacups on the table were steaming, their delicate aroma filling every corner of the room.

A wonderful day begins with a cup of morning tea.

The weather wasn't great today. Dark clouds covered the horizon, and the sky was somewhat gloomy. Fog enveloped the entire Poseidon Island, so all you could see when looking out the window was a vast expanse of white.

"If I don't do some exercise before bed, my sleep always feels a little off..."

Ling Luochen held the teacup and gently exhaled.

For some reason, ever since she opened the door to this new world, her mind and body seemed to have undergone some strange changes.

To be honest, she really misses Shu Yan right now. Without him by her side, it feels like she's returned to a cold and lonely place. This sense of loss is hard to bear and can easily lead to feelings of depression and confusion.

In Shu Yan's words, Ling Luochen is a person with a huge contrast... Even Shu Yan finds it hard to connect the person in bed with the person in everyday life, because they are completely different people.

"Terrible weather..."

Ling Luochen sighed softly, suddenly abandoning her plan to cultivate at the simulated cultivation site, and decided to stay at home to refine the energy that Shu Yan had sealed in her body.

Ever since experiencing the power of ultimate ice in Ice City, she has become deeply fascinated by that feeling, and evolving her martial soul into true ultimate ice as soon as possible is one of the things she values ​​most right now.

She hoped that she could keep up with Shu Yan in the future. Even if she couldn't, at least she shouldn't hold him back. This was Ling Luochen's minimum requirement for herself.

……

While Ling Luochen was focused on his cultivation, Han Ruoruo and Wu Ming changed into their red school uniforms, symbolizing their status as inner court students, and then embarked on their journey to the outer court together.

Looking at the familiar road layout in front of him, Wu Ming was momentarily stunned.

Since entering the inner academy, she hasn't been to the outer academy for a long time.

Now, revisiting this place, many long-forgotten memories surged up again, flashing before my eyes like a slideshow, yet their images were excessively clear.

The two students, standing in front of Class 7, Grade 3, paused involuntarily, their red school uniforms causing the teacher inside to stop talking animatedly.

As a seasoned veteran of Shrek Academy, even though he was only an outer court teacher, he understood what the red school uniform symbolized at Shrek Academy. So, after subtly raising his hand to signal the students to lower their voices, he cleared his throat, walked to the classroom door, and then spoke:
"Two students, is there something you need?"

Han Ruoruo smiled gently, and then said:

"Excuse me for interrupting the lesson, teacher. I'm looking for Nan Qiuqiu; I need her help with something. Would it be possible for her to come with us?"

"Are you looking for Qiuqiu...? May I ask who you two are...?"

The teacher scratched his almost completely bald head, and then asked.

Han Ruoruo's smile remained unchanged, and she simply said softly:

"My name is Han Ruoruo, and this is Wu Ming. We are both students of the Inner Academy. Our teachers should have heard of us, right?"

"Oh, it's Han and Wu. Okay, okay, I'll call Qiuqiu out right now. Please wait a moment."

A bead of sweat rolled down the teacher's forehead, and he quickly agreed.

The Golden Fairy Han Ruoruo and the Golden Crow Saintess Wu Ming are both renowned figures in the inner academy. Although he is their teacher and they are merely their students, in terms of actual status, Han Ruoruo and Wu Ming are far beyond what he, an outer academy teacher, can compare to. The fact that they are willing to call him "teacher" is a sign of respect; if they are unwilling, he still has to put on a smiling face...

After all, not everyone has a husband like the department head as a powerful backer like Zhou Yi…

……

At the same time, Nan Qiuqiu, who was idly dozing off, also heard the teacher's call. She looked up and was met with a pair of gentle, watery eyes.

But for some reason, Nan Qiuqiu felt a sudden tremor in her heart. Just a moment ago, she felt as if she had been targeted by a ferocious beast lurking in the darkness, but when she came to her senses, that feeling disappeared strangely.

"Nan, these two senior students from the inner academy need your assistance. You don't need to attend classes this morning; go and take care of these matters first."

The teacher said very kindly.

"Oh…"

Although Nan Qiuqiu was somewhat curious and confused, it was a good thing for her not to have to spend her time in the classroom listening to these boring lessons.

Besides, she didn't know these two senior students at all. Could they possibly harm her?

So it was probably just another round of questions. Nan Qiuqiu didn't think much of it and got up to leave the classroom.

After the three left, the teacher's demeanor changed abruptly. The classroom, which had been filled with whispers, suddenly fell silent. The teacher didn't say anything more, but simply continued with the lesson...

……

Walking along the lakeside path, Nan Qiuqiu looked at the two inner court senior students with very different temperaments with some curiosity, and then asked:

"Senior sisters, could you please tell me what specific matter you sought out?"

Wu Ming turned around and smiled, then said:
"It's nothing serious, just a few questions. Don't be nervous, just follow us."

"All right…"

Although Nan Qiuqiu was confused, she didn't say anything more.

As the three of them wandered around, they came to a secluded spot under the shade of trees.

Just then, Han Ruoruo suddenly stopped and turned to look at Nan Qiuqiu. The smile on her face had disappeared, replaced by indifference.

Nan Qiuqiu's heart skipped a beat, and she unconsciously took two steps back. Just as she was about to sigh at how strong Han Ruoruo's aura was, she suddenly bumped into a soft embrace.

Nan Qiuqiu looked up slightly and saw Wu Ming's face.

The atmosphere suddenly became eerie. Nan Qiuqiu's body stiffened. She looked at the two people surrounding her, somewhat bewildered, then suppressed her panic and spoke in a trembling voice:

"What are you two doing, seniors? I haven't offended you, have I..."

"Of course we haven't offended you, junior. Don't be nervous. We're just here to ask you a few questions. But you can only tell the truth from now on. If you dare to lie... hehe, I won't mind making you run back to the dormitory naked."

Wu Ming ignited the Golden Crow True Fire in his hand, and the scorching heat caused the air to subtly distort and deform, while the surrounding temperature increased significantly in an instant.

Han Ruoruo also stared at Nan Qiuqiu's face, and after a moment of silence, she asked directly:
How did you and Ling Luochen meet?

"ah…?"

Nan Qiuqiu's fear and panic were briefly dispelled by Han Ruoruo's question. After a moment's thought, she weakly spoke:

"Not long ago, Senior Ling's boyfriend brought her to our Earth Dragon Gate to make a deal, taking away a treasure from a secret realm that our Earth Dragon Gate has guarded for thousands of years. That's when Senior Ling and I met and got to know each other. My coming to Shrek Academy was arranged by my mother..."

Han Ruoruo clenched her fist suddenly, then her eyes turned cold as she continued:

What's her boyfriend's name?

Nan Qiuqiu trembled at Han Ruoruo's murderous gaze, and quickly said after realizing what was happening:
"It seems...it seems like his name is...his name is Shu Yan..."

As soon as the words were spoken, Han Ruoruo and Wu Ming's expressions turned gloomy at the same time.

Han Ruoruo slapped a huge rock on the lake shore beside her. The immense force stacked up, and in the next instant, the boulder shattered and collapsed with a roar, kicking up a cloud of dust.

In the smoke and dust, Nan Qiuqiu seemed to have seen something extremely terrifying. Her legs went weak, and she collapsed to the ground, her lips trembling uncontrollably.

"What a Ling Luochen... what a Ling Luochen! Daring to steal from my house, she has such audacity..."

Han Ruoruo's eyes were bloodshot, and her immense soul power uncontrollably poured out. Wu Ming couldn't bear it and stood protectively in front of the limp Nan Qiuqiu. Otherwise, the aura emanating from Han Ruoruo alone would have been enough to force Nan Qiuqiu to stay in bed for a while. "Ming'er, let's go back to the inner courtyard. I need to find Ling Luochen and have a good talk... see where she got the guts..."

A moment later, just as Nan Qiuqiu was clinging to Wu Ming's leg and almost burst into tears, the vortex of energy around Han Ruoruo, caused by the violent fluctuations in soul power, finally disappeared, followed by Han Ruoruo's somewhat hoarse voice.

Wu Ming's body trembled slightly, and she silently lit an incense stick for Ling Luochen before quickly agreeing.

As she was leaving, Han Ruoruo gave Nan Qiuqiu a cold glance, then slowly said:
"If you dare to tell anyone what happened today, I guarantee you'll never have a peaceful day at Shrek Academy again... Little sister, you need to learn to behave, understand?"

"Mmm... I'll definitely be better from now on..."

A tear slid down her cheek, and Nan Qiuqiu nodded frantically, afraid that Han Ruoruo might smash her into pieces like that boulder if she was displeased.

Poor Nan Qiuqiu had no idea what was going on for a moment, but based on her instinct to face a life-or-death crisis, she obediently continued to tell Han Ruoruo what she was saying.

Wu Ming sighed quietly, then pulled Nan Qiuqiu up and transformed into a golden-red streak of light, chasing after the direction Han Ruoruo had gone...

……

Nan Qiuqiu stood there for a long time, processing her reaction. It wasn't until a gentle breeze came that the coolness on her face woke her up and dispelled some of the panic and fear in her heart, allowing reason to return to her mind.

After pondering for a while, she suddenly slapped her thigh and remembered a piece of information she had previously gathered. Combining this with everything that had just happened, she, Nan Qiuqiu, understood!

"Damn it, what a blockhead I am! I clearly looked up this information before, but I forgot about it again right away..."

"I was wondering why something always felt off when I was around Shu Yanling. Turns out, Ling isn't Shu Yanling's girlfriend after all..."

"Ugh, what an idiot I am! Why didn't I think of this sooner..."

Nan Qiuqiu slapped her head in annoyance. Shu Yan and Ling Luochen had been so sweet and loving that she had been so preoccupied with her own resentment, being fed dog food (a Chinese slang term for witnessing public displays of affection), and running errands for them. Plus, she had been left unattended for the past few days and had gone wild in Tiandou City, completely forgetting about this whole thing. As a result, she suddenly stumbled upon this explosive piece of gossip...

"This is really bad. Senior Ling definitely can't beat these two seniors. That jerk Shu Yan, he's always out there flirting with other women. Now look what's happened, he's gone out to have his fun, while Senior Ling is in mortal danger. What a scoundrel..."

Nan Qiuqiu was so anxious that she stomped her feet. Although Ling Luochen was a bit cold, he had taken great care of her along the way.

Especially after she enrolled at Shrek Academy, Ling Luochen took care of all the trivial matters for her. Now, at Shrek Academy, her closest friend is Ling Luochen.

Now that Ling Luochen is facing imminent disaster, she is utterly powerless to help him. This sense of powerlessness has caused a great sense of defeat and helplessness to rise in the heart of the usually proud Nan Qiuqiu...

……

The inner court.

As the two long streaks of light streaked across the sky, many people's attention was drawn to them.

On an open space on the south bank, Ma Xiaotao stopped what he was doing with a puzzled look. Opposite him, a tall, composed young man also stopped what he was doing and looked into the distance.

"Wow, what a powerful aura! It feels several times stronger than Xiaotao's..."

A soft, gentle male voice came from the side. The speaker had a handsome face and a slender figure. His beautiful appearance was quite pitiful.

Upon hearing this, Ma Xiaotao frowned slightly, then said:
"Indeed, if I'm not mistaken, this seems to be the aura of Senior Sister Han and Senior Sister Wu. After all, in the inner courtyard, the only person who can rival me in terms of flame aura is Senior Sister Wu... and Senior Sister Wu is inseparable from Senior Sister Han. If I'm not mistaken, it's undoubtedly the two of them."

Dai Yueheng walked over from the side and then said in a deep voice:

"What on earth happened that would make these two senior students choose to return to Seagod Island at such a rapid pace..."

Ma Xiaotao shook her head, glanced at Chen Zifeng and Xixi who were equally curious, and continued:

"We have no way of knowing exactly what happened, but it must be some kind of private matter, otherwise the inner courtyard wouldn't be so quiet..."

"Alright, everyone, let's continue the drill. If we are needed, someone will notify us. But until then, let's continue the drill. Otherwise, when Shu Yan returns from his training, all of us combined might not be a match for him."

As soon as Ma Xiaotao finished speaking, everyone's expression stiffened... Only Gongyang Mo asked with some curiosity:
"Xiao Tao, is Shu Yan really that strong?"

Ma Xiaotao glared at him, then said in an annoyed tone:

"In my state of unleashed evil fire, I was completely powerless against him, and that was only after he used his first soul skill and some spatial power. Do you think he's strong or not?"

Gongyang Mo raised his hand slightly to his lips, then exclaimed in surprise:
"Is it really that powerful? I was busy cultivating before and didn't pay much attention to these things..."

"Not only is he strong, but he's also excessively talented. A Soul King at twelve years old is even more astonishing than Xiao Tao becoming a Soul Emperor at eighteen or nineteen. Especially since his Martial Soul is even more powerful and mysterious than Xiao Tao's Evil Fire Phoenix, after all... that's the purest Dragon Clan bloodline inheritance..."

"I'm leaning against a tree," Xixi said softly.

She had fought Shu Yan before and knew just how terrifying he was. Her pride and joy, her speed, was utterly insignificant compared to Shu Yan's. After all… no matter how fast she was, how could she possibly be faster than teleportation…

"Yes, he is indeed a very special and powerful person. At least I don't think I can defeat him now."

Dai Yueheng also said in a deep voice.

When Shu Yan joined the Inner Academy, he fought with Shu Yan. At that time, he used all his skills, even his soul bone skills, but he still couldn't defeat Shu Yan. In the end, he gave up the battle. In the eyes of outsiders, he was undoubtedly the loser, and that was indeed the case.

"Alright, alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Shu Yan has been away from the inner courtyard for several months now. If nothing unexpected happens, he will be back soon... Otherwise, we may have to wait until before the competition to see him."

Chen Zifeng smiled slightly and then said.

Ma Xiaotao glanced at him, then said in an annoyed tone:

"You'd better hurry up and start cultivating. When Shu Yan returns, one of us will definitely be eliminated before he can successfully join the Shrek Seven Devils. That's the teacher's condition. Think about it, if nothing unexpected happens, your position among the Seven Devils might be in jeopardy..."

Cheng Zifeng nodded in agreement with Ma Xiaotao's words, but he didn't seem to care much about them, simply smiling nonchalantly:

"It's all about timing and fate. I don't think I'm a match for that guy. Losing my place among the Seven Devils is just that—losing it. In the end, it's my own fault for not being strong enough. I can't blame anyone else..."

"You're quite carefree..."

Ma Xiaotao rolled her eyes, but also secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

She was worried that Chen Zifeng would be dissatisfied when he was eliminated, but seeing his attitude now, she no longer trusted him.

……

Two figures then landed on the dappled path, their crisp yet muffled footsteps seeming to pound on one's heart. Ling Luochen, who was meditating in the quiet room, suddenly frowned at this moment, then slowly woke up from her meditative state. She raised her hand, feeling her wildly beating heart, and a great sense of foreboding welled up in her heart, making her somewhat uneasy.

"What on earth happened..."

Ling Luochen murmured to himself, then got up, pushed open the door, and went out.

bang bang——

A crisp knock sounded as Ling Luochen came downstairs. She paused for a moment, then quickened her pace and stood in front of the door shortly afterward.

For some reason, the seemingly ordinary door suddenly appeared as heavy as a mountain in her eyes... But in that moment of distraction, two knocks and a call came into her ears, which completely woke her up.

"Junior Ling! Open the door! Your senior is here to bring you warmth!"

Ling Luochen's hand gripping the doorknob trembled slightly. She recognized the voice, but she clearly didn't have time to think. She had a premonition that if she didn't open the door soon, it might be lost forever...

Taking a deep breath, she flung open the door, flooding the dimly lit room with light. Ling Luochen squinted, but then a flash of red light caused her pupils to contract sharply. Before she could even react, her body tensed, and she lost control…

……

(End of this chapter)