Douluo: This Legend of the Dragon King is not quite right

Chapter 216 With that kind of laughter, how many Soul Hall elders could he eat in one go?

"Jie Jie Jie Jie..."

A hoarse, dry laugh, like sandpaper rubbing against rotten wood, suddenly broke the silence in the room, shattering the stillness but bringing an even deeper chill.

The laughter seemed not to come from under the mask, but rather to penetrate directly into Lu Jun's mind.

"Not bad, really good..."

The masked man, or rather, Gui Yan, spoke slowly in a sickeningly hoarse voice, his pale mask swaying slightly as if he were sizing up Lu Jun.
"As expected of the peerless prodigy who tops the list of genius teenagers, at such a young age, he actually possesses spiritual power at the Spirit Abyss Realm level. Even I could detect him instantly. This perception is truly remarkable."

He spoke words of praise, but his strange laughter and the eerie expression frozen on his mask offered no warmth, only a chilling feeling.

The next second, without any warning, Gui Yan's figure began to distort and fade, like a reflection in water being disturbed.

Then, Lu Jun felt a chilling wind carrying a rotten smell rushing towards him.

The eerie figure in black robes had appeared out of thin air less than a meter in front of him.

Lu Jun was so close that he could even see the fine cracks on the pale mask and the dark red stains that looked like dried blood.

A tremendous sense of oppression suddenly descended.

Lu Jun felt as if the air around him had instantly solidified into a heavy block of lead, squeezing his body frantically, making even the circulation of his soul power extremely difficult.

The back of my clothes was instantly soaked with cold sweat, clinging to my skin and bringing a chill.

But he forcibly suppressed the turmoil in his heart.

Although I don't know what this person is trying to do.

But any panic at this moment would be a fatal flaw.

He took a deep breath, suppressing his surging blood and the extreme chill that threatened to burst from his body. He leaned forward slightly and performed a respectful yet firm Soul Master salute, his voice surprisingly remaining steady:
"Junior Lu Jun greets Your Majesty the Ghost Emperor. May I ask what brings Your Majesty here so late at night?"

"Hehehe..." Gui Yan seemed to appreciate Lu Jun's composure beyond his years, and let out another series of unsettling laughs.

He tilted his head slightly, the pale, distorted mask almost touching Lu Jun's face, and a chilling aura emanated from him, as if it could freeze the soul.

Lu Jun could even feel the penetrating, inhuman gaze behind the mask scrutinizing him inch by inch, trying to peel back his skin and delve into the secrets of his soul.

“Little friend, you are very interesting, very interesting…” Gui Yan’s voice carried a chilling curiosity. “The fact that you can arouse the interest of Lord Hades proves your extraordinary nature.”

"This special quality makes me want to see it for myself."

"Hades?"

Lu Jun frowned slightly.

Why would this gentleman suddenly notice me?
Gui Yan seemed to enjoy the sudden tension in Lu Jun's nerves, and the eerie smile on his mask seemed to deepen.

"Not long ago, your dean contacted our Spirit Pagoda in a great hurry. Tsk tsk, he wanted to use you as a sharp knife to give the Shrek Academy a good slap in the face in Shrek City."

"I'm really looking forward to it."

"However, little one, I admire your courage even more." He changed the subject. "Therefore, the Spirit Pagoda has decided to provide a small favor unilaterally. When you set off for Shrek City for your final exams, I will personally escort you."

He raised a hand encased in a black glove and casually patted Lu Jun on the shoulder.

"Don't worry. With me here, none of those so-called elders and monsters in Shrek City will dare to lay a finger on you. Just go ahead and cause trouble, the bigger the better."

"Jie Jie Jie Jie..."

A shrill laugh echoed through the room.

Even Lu Jun felt a little upset after hearing this.

Dude, can you laugh normally?
With that kind of laughter, how many Soul Hall elders could he possibly eat in one sitting?

"Alright, the main purpose of my trip is to inform you. And by the way..." Gui Yan's voice suddenly turned cold, and the suffocating sense of oppression intensified once again.

The gaze beneath the pale mask was fixed intently on Lu Jun's face.

"I have been investigating something very interesting."

"Mingdu, Tang Clan branch, that night when it was razed to the ground... it was truly spectacular."

"In addition, I have also found some clues." Lu Jun's heart sank the moment he heard the words "Tang Clan branch".

This, perhaps, is his real purpose?
Otherwise, he wouldn't have made the trip here in person.

"That night, the surveillance footage showed that you happened to be away from your dorm room."

Gui Yan's pale mask moved forward another half step, his icy breath almost hitting Lu Jun's face, his hoarse voice like a curse.

"This coincidence has surprised and intrigued me greatly."

"Therefore, I have decided to come and see you in person. Some truths, when viewed through intelligence, remain shrouded in mist. Only by seeing with one's own eyes and touching with one's own hands can one confirm even a fraction of them."

The immense pressure, like a real mountain, crashed down on Lu Jun's shoulders.

Lu Jun knew that he absolutely could not reveal any flaws at this moment.

He forced his voice to steady, which was almost trembling, and his eyes maintained their initial calmness, even carrying a just-right hint of doubt and composure, as he met Gui Yan's penetrating gaze:

"So, I wonder if Your Majesty has gained anything from this trip?"

His voice was steady, without the slightest hint of emotion.

Gui Yan stared at Lu Jun with his pale mask, remaining silent for a full three breaths.

Those three breaths felt like an eternity, and the invisible mental pressure washed over Lu Jun's willpower like a tidal wave.

"Jie Jie..."

Finally, Gui Yan let out a low, enigmatic laugh, slowly straightening up. The suffocating oppressive aura receded slightly like the tide, but did not disappear completely.

He shook his head, somewhat regretfully:

"What a pity... what a pity. I didn't sense any divine artifact aura on you."

Lu Jun remained calm and wasn't particularly surprised.

Nonsense, we're using the normal form right now. If we used the artifact's original form every day, what would happen?

Even a dog knows that the Ice Abyss Sword is the divine weapon everyone is looking for.

So if Guiyan can really see it, then there really is something fishy going on.

But what Lu Jun was more curious about was how he came to his door just to test him.
Have I already become a suspect? What are the suspicious points?

Lu Jun remained silent, his mind racing.

"I'm actually happy to see the Tang Clan branch destroyed," Gui Yan's tone turned sinister and eerie again. "But... that mysterious friend who wielded the power of the divine artifact and acted so ruthlessly and domineeringly..."

His voice suddenly lowered, like a murmur from the abyss, carrying an indescribable apprehension and a deeper sense of inquiry:
"Is he... an enemy... or a friend to our Spirit Pagoda?"

"...I don't understand, but the Tang Clan branch was destroyed? Why wasn't that mentioned in the news?"

Lu Jun pretended not to understand.

"News is just for reassuring the public," Gui Yan continued. "Alright, don't be nervous, little guy. I'm just doing my job. Scaring you a little will help me relieve some pressure. You're much more relaxed now."

Gui Yan chuckled, feeling quite satisfied as he looked at Lu Jun's somewhat frightened expression.

"Let me put it simply. Last year, the Tang Clan's branch in Mingdu was destroyed. I was ordered to come and investigate. Using the most basic methods, combined with the power of technology, I examined each person one by one."

“Before I came here, I had already investigated at least tens of thousands of people. The common feature of you is that you all left home on the day the Tang Clan branch was destroyed.”

At this point, Gui Yan's tone was full of exhaustion and resentment.

With just this one commonality, Mingdu is still a big city. If people go out at the same time on the same day, there must be at least tens of thousands of them.

He had to investigate them one by one; otherwise, it wouldn't have taken so long for it to be Lu Jun's turn.

So, who understands the pain in the hearts of working people?

Therefore, if Gui Yan's resentment could be converted into cultivation, he would probably break through to the Limit Douluo level and become a god.

(End of this chapter)