Douluo Continent: The Eternal Dawn

Chapter 117 The Assassination Finally Arrives
The exhibition hall on the second floor of Jubaoge spans over 100 meters east to west and north to south, covering an area of ​​over 10,000 square meters, even larger than Shrek Plaza.

The entire space resembled a magnificent, opulent banquet hall, perhaps even rivaling the original palace of the Douluo Three Kingdoms. Small groups of inner court students were scattered throughout the exhibition hall.

Ye Xixuan hadn't noticed Ling Luochen's presence before, and he was unaware that this senior had actually noticed him the moment he stepped into the exhibition hall, and had been silently watching him from the corner.

Compared to Yu Mengdi, Ling Luochen's appearance was even more stunning. Her cool, deep blue eyes further accentuated her ethereal and otherworldly aura. She strode with her long, straight, snow-white legs, walking as if weightless, like a lone snowflake drifting in the snow, giving her a sense of aloofness and independence from the world.

If it were when he was still naive, Ye Xixuan might have felt pressure from Ling Luochen in this situation, but now he is much more composed.

He calmly approached her, a gentle smile playing on his lips, his words friendly yet respectful.

"Sister Luo Chen, it's been a long time."

"Is it because it's been a long time, or have you been deliberately avoiding me?" Ling Luochen scrutinized Ye Xixuan's deep black eyes, her cold expression seemingly suppressing something. However, due to her personality, her tone remained relatively calm.

Nearly a year has passed, and Ye Xixuan, who is in the midst of rapid physical development, has already surpassed Ling Luochen in height, being half a head taller than him.

When Ling Luochen and Ye Xixuan looked at each other at close range, with Ling Luochen slightly looking up at Ye Xixuan, the oppressive feeling in her eyes lessened considerably, and she instead exuded a strange sense of being a pampered wife.

Ye Xixuan looked directly into Ling Luochen's deep blue eyes and said calmly.

"Sister Luo Chen, I'm not deliberately avoiding you, but I really don't know how to handle our relationship. Our families have been on good terms for generations, and we were betrothed verbally by our elders when we were young. I understand your closeness to me, and I've gradually gotten used to your special attitude towards me, and even enjoy it." At this point, he suddenly changed his tone, and his deep voice carried a hint of melancholy.

“But I can also sense that this isn’t the whole reason. You see me as a source of emotional support, right, or as a substitute for your brother?”

"I..." Ling Luochen opened her red lips, her eyes surging with intense emotions, and for a moment she couldn't speak. She wanted to say something, but didn't know how to answer Ye Xixuan's question, and finally fell into a long silence.

This situation was extremely rare for Ling Luochen; at least, the other students in the inner academy had never seen her like this before.

Seeing Ling Luochen's expression, Ye Xixuan subconsciously clenched his fists, then slowly relaxed them.

"Sister Luo Chen, I will always respect and care about you, but I am never a substitute for anyone."

"No... I didn't..." Ling Luochen finally spoke again, but she bit her red lips tightly, her face full of struggle. She wanted to say that she had never regarded Ye Xixuan as a substitute for her younger brother, but the emotional attachment she felt was a fact.

Despite her aloof personality, Ling Luochen is actually very straightforward; she just doesn't talk much. The reason she and Ma Xiaotao don't get along is because they share the same trait: both are too direct and assertive.

After saying all his thoughts, Ye Xixuan calmed down considerably, and he had already gotten the answer from Ling Luochen's behavior.

"Sister Luo Chen, I'll go explore other places first."

Just as Ye Xixuan was about to turn and leave, Ling Luochen's mind was still in a mess, but her body's instincts drove her to grab Ye Xixuan's wrist.

Ye Xixuan stopped and turned around. Ling Luochen immediately let go of his hand in a panic. The guilt in her heart made it impossible for her to face Ye Xixuan at this moment.

Princess Tang, who had been spying from a dark corner, couldn't sit still any longer. She walked over aggressively, acting like an empress despite having no official title.

Earlier, when Ye Xixuan pulled her to other parts of the exhibition hall on the second floor of Jubaoge, Tang Wutong was so happy she almost fainted. She felt enveloped in a strong sense of happiness, and her head was spinning. Later, when Ye Xixuan told her to look around on her own, she obediently agreed and stayed in place very well.

The scene before her instantly snapped her out of her daze. Like a fluffy, light blue kitten, she deliberately made a crisp sound with her crystal high heels on the solid wood floor, as if to vent her emotions.

It's hard to go unnoticed with such a commotion.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, a certain Tang princess arrogantly weaved between Ye Xixuan and Ling Luochen, glaring at Ling Luochen with an icy expression, looking like she was protecting her food.

Is Ye Xixuan the only man in the entire Shrek Academy? Why are there always bad women chasing after him?!

Ling Luochen ignored Tang Wutong and instead asked Ye Xixuan.

"Your girlfriend?"

"Senior, you have excellent taste!" Tang Wutong then demonstrated what an epic change of expression looks like. She immediately beamed with joy, a gentle and charming smile appearing on her beautiful face as she couldn't help but praise her.

Do you also think that Ye Xixuan and I make a good match?

Ling Luochen watched Ye Xixuan and Tang Wutong walk into the exhibition hall on the second floor of Jubaoge together, so it's understandable that he had such doubts.

"No." Ye Xixuan shook his head gently, then left and walked towards the other booths in the hall.

Upon hearing Ye Xixuan's reply, Tang Wutong's expression froze. However, she surprisingly displayed her elegant demeanor in front of Ling Luochen. She smiled again and politely nodded to Ling Luochen.

"Goodbye, senior. I'm going to find him now. Don't let his appearance fool you, he's just being stubborn."

Tang Wutong pouted her red lips haughtily and quickly followed behind Ye Xixuan. She had a very good impression of Ling Luochen; he was the first person to mistake her for Ye Xixuan's girlfriend!

Hehe, we really are a match made in heaven.

After Ye Xixuan and Tang Wutong left, Ling Luochen remained alone, her eyes lowered, her mind replaying Ye Xixuan's earlier questioning of her.

"I am indeed a selfish and bad woman who did not consider your feelings. Xi Xuan, I'm sorry..." she murmured to herself, thinking more about how to make it up to Ye Xi Xuan.

Xu Sanshi and Yu Mengdi, who were not far away, witnessed the entire process from beginning to end.

Yu Mengdi couldn't help but ask with great interest, "Is your junior always this popular?"

"Sister Mengdi, what do you think?" Xu Sanshi smiled smugly, making it seem to anyone who didn't know better think he was talking about himself.

"The number of upperclassmen and underclassmen in the academy who like Xi Xuan could probably stretch from the north to the south of Shrek City. But Xi Xuan is very devoted when it comes to relationships. He actually already has a girlfriend, who happens to be in the same year as me and Bei Bei, and is three years older than him. Hehe, let me tell you another secret about Xi Xuan, but don't tell anyone else. This guy likes older women the most, just like me."

“You’re just like your junior in this respect.” Yu Mengdi blushed and glanced at Xu Sanshi with annoyance. “In other aspects, you are far inferior to him. From your previous conversation, I can sense that his talent and potential are probably far above yours.”

“Sister Mengdi, I won’t lie to you anymore. Xi Xuan is the future successor of the Sea God Pavilion, whom the academy is grooming with all its might. Do you think I’m comparable to him? Let alone me, even if Bei Bei and I were together, I’m afraid we wouldn’t have much of a chance to beat Xi Xuan.” Xu Sanshi sighed dejectedly, but the next moment he became less serious, and reached out and wrapped his arm around Yu Mengdi’s slender waist in a lewd manner.

"However, I believe that I am no less capable than anyone else in that area."

"How dare you say that?" Yu Mengdi slapped Xu Sanshi's hand away with disdain, crossed her arms, and walked to the next booth. Soul Masters are exposed to more things, and most female Soul Masters are actually more open. Of course, this is also related to their own personalities.

"Let's talk about it when you can satisfy me."

"Uh, I wasn't in good shape last time." Xu Sanshi's face flushed red as he habitually made excuses for himself.

Yu Mengdi didn't even glance at Xu Sanshi, and said in a nonchalant tone with her back to him, "What about the time before last?"

"I was just too excited when we first met!" No matter what, this person always has an excuse.

Yu Mengdi, however, did not want to continue this topic with Xu Sanshi. She glanced at him solemnly and said in a deep voice, "Since he is the future successor of the Sea God Pavilion Master, you should strengthen your bond with him in advance. Moreover, we already owe him a huge favor. I'm not saying you should involve too much self-interest, but rather treat him with sincerity. This even concerns our future. Do you understand?"

"Sister Mengdi, don't you know me yet?" Xu Sanshi patted his chest casually, then quietly placed his hand on Yu Mengdi's shoulder.

This time, Yu Mengdi didn't stop Xu Sanshi's actions. Despite her strong personality, she still hoped that Xu Sanshi would improve in the future. After all, their interests were aligned.

Because of the previous incident, Ye Xixuan suddenly lost all interest in admiring the treasures.

Passing by the various booths, he mostly just glanced at the exhibits casually. Tang Wutong, on the other hand, was in high spirits beside Ye Xixuan, chattering away incessantly. In her eyes, this was her and Ye Xixuan's first formal date, so naturally she wanted to cherish this opportunity.

However, it was Tang Wutong who was talking the whole time, and Ye Xixuan hardly responded at all.

Even so, Tang Wutong herself always enjoyed it.

Before long, the two had finished looking at all the exhibits in the exhibition hall.

The other soul bones that appeared at the Inner Court disciples' treasure hunt were also at least ten thousand years old, but none of them were more than thirty thousand years old. The oldest one was the right arm soul bone from a twenty-thousand-year-old ice bear.

This soul bone was crystal clear, a deep ice-blue color, as if it were cast from ice crystals, radiating a dazzling light. Even through the crystal glass shield, one could feel waves of coldness emanating from it, and the surrounding temperature had noticeably decreased.

However, because there are few ice-attribute soul masters among the inner court disciples, and because of the high price of this soul bone, not many people linger here.

Of course, the reason why these soul bones are considered to be of average quality is based on Tang Wutong and Ye Xixuan's perspective. Soul bones of ten thousand years or more are already considered rare treasures in the entire soul master world, and even ordinary inner court disciples may not be able to possess them.

Tang Wutong bent down and moved closer to Ye Xixuan, looking at the strange ice-blue soul bone in the exhibition hall. She raised her right hand to comb the messy pink-blue hair around her ears and began to show off her superiority like a peacock spreading its tail.

"The exhibits in this Treasure Pavilion are all quite ordinary. The best quality among those soul bones is actually the Golden Light Left Arm Bone, which is not even as good as the collection of our Haotian Sect."

"So what are you trying to say?" At this moment, Ye Xixuan's mood improved slightly, and he subconsciously took half a step back to avoid Tang Wutong's close-up pink cheek.

Seeing that Ye Xixuan deliberately distanced himself from her, Tang Wutong's gaze immediately turned resentful, but then she smiled charmingly.

"What I want to say is that you can come with me to the Haotian Sect in the future if you have the chance. I will take you to our Haotian Sect's treasury. If you take a fancy to any soul bones, I can decide to give them to you directly."

"Forget it." Ye Xixuan couldn't help but tremble slightly. Going to Haotian Sect with Princess Tang would be like walking into a trap.

Tang Wutong snorted arrogantly and said, "Do you know how rich the collection in our Haotian Sect's treasury is?"

"How abundant can it be? Do you have any true dragon soul bones that are over 100,000 years old?" Ye Xixuan replied casually.

Tang Wutong said somewhat dejectedly, "Do you think the True Dragon Soul Bone is as common as cabbage?"

One thing she didn't mention was that while the Haotian Sect didn't have a true dragon soul bone, it did have a god-level true dragon! Her father's true form, the Azure Dragon, did meet Ye Xixuan's requirements. Should she take advantage of this holiday to go back and ask her father?

What Ye Xixuan never expected was that Tang Wutong, who was head over heels in love, had actually seriously considered this issue.

However, Princess Tang still has her bottom line. All she wants is to obtain a True Dragon Soul Bone without harming her great-father.

At the same time, Ye Xixuan greeted Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, and Yu Mengdi before leaving the second-floor exhibition hall.

"You didn't wait for me again!" Tang Wutong snapped out of her daze, stomped her foot in frustration, and quickly followed after him.

Under Tang Wutong's persistent entanglement, Ye Xixuan and she left Shrek City one after the other.

Ye Xixuan walked ahead, while Princess Tang followed behind, glaring angrily at his retreating figure. They were now more than five kilometers from the north gate of Shrek City, the wide official road flanked by dense forests.

Just then, Ye Xixuan suddenly stopped, and Tang Wutong's figure pressed against his back once again.

She was about to say something coquettish when she caught a glimpse of the solemn look in Ye Xixuan's eyes.

"Interesting. With only a fourth-ring Soul Master cultivation, you actually have such keen perception." A strange voice rang out from all directions, and then a cloud of black mist instantly expanded from the sky, and boundless darkness immediately swallowed up a space with a diameter of nearly a hundred meters.

"But what can you do within my dark sky?"

Ye Xixuan, however, showed no sign of panic. His gaze suddenly sharpened, and an invisible pressure swept out without warning, his absolute majesty like that of a king in the darkness.

The boundless darkness receded swiftly like a tide, and starlight once again descended upon this world. The strange laughter immediately ceased.

Faced with this sudden turn of events, Tang Wutong immediately turned to Ye Xixuan for support, gripping his wrists with both hands and watching the woods ahead with a wary expression.

In her sight, Ye Xixuan's lips curled into a mocking smile.

"So now, what can you do? Are you going to continue your assassination mission, or turn around and run immediately? And are you prepared to face Shrek Academy's retaliation?"

"Little brat, do you think you can scare me off with bluffing? I can kill you all and still get away unscathed." The surrounding light dimmed, and a thin figure appeared in front of Ye Xixuan and Tang Wutong in an instant. He was dressed in black, so his face could not be seen, but he was surrounded by seven spirit rings.

Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, purple, black, black.

The light from the spirit rings was exceptionally conspicuous in the darkness, bringing an incomparably powerful sense of oppression. The magnificent brilliance of the fourth-ranked purple spirit ring was slowly receding, clearly indicating that the previous dark sky was the effect of the thin, black-clad man's fourth spirit skill.

Tang Wutong had already exclaimed in surprise.

"A Seven-Ring Soul Saint?!"

"You go first!" Ye Xixuan said calmly in a low voice, grabbed Tang Wutong's wrist with his backhand, and threw her into the air behind him.

A dazzling blue-gold light shot into the sky, accompanied by the appearance of three purple spirit rings. Tang Wutong subconsciously released her Light Goddess Butterfly spirit in mid-air. However, she did not fly directly towards Shrek City. Instead, she spread her butterfly wings and hovered above Ye Xixuan's head, her face full of anxiety.

"how about you?!"

"None of you are leaving here today!" Ye Xixuan didn't have time to answer Tang Wutong's question anymore, because the man in black had already made his move. A huge, illusory black wolf-shaped phantom silently appeared behind him, with two yellow spirit rings flashing alternately in front of it.

His martial soul is the Shadow Demon Wolf that Ye Xixuan encountered in the Star Dou Great Forest. It is between a high-level martial soul and a top-level martial soul, and belongs to the same type of martial soul as Zhu Lu's Netherworld Cat.

The man in black transformed into a streak of black light and appeared in front of Ye Xixuan in an instant, sweeping out with his right claw.

His speed was incredibly fast, almost like teleportation. Five deep, dark claw marks ripped through the sky, and the cold, extremely sharp aura made Ye Xixuan's skin sting.

At this critical moment, Ye Xixuan reached into the dark void with his right hand, and a dark demonic sword, branded with intricate patterns, appeared in his grasp. He held the sword upright in front of him with both hands, blocking the five pitch-black claw marks.

And what pulsed around him were four spirit rings that far exceeded conventional understanding.

Purple! Purple! Black! Black!
Upon seeing this, the black-clad man's pupils contracted. What shocked him most was that, from that clash just now, he was absolutely certain that Ye Xixuan's martial soul possessed the attribute of extreme darkness!
No wonder his fourth soul skill, Dark Sky, which was supposed to give him a certain domain-type soul skill effect, was completely ineffective; it turns out it was due to the absolute advantage of his attributes.

Although the man in black only used his first two soul skills, and was countered by Ye Xixuan in terms of martial soul attribute, he still possessed the cultivation level of a Soul Saint. The difference in soul power exceeding thirty levels immediately caused Ye Xixuan's figure to slide backward uncontrollably for dozens of meters.

His first soul skill is Dark Demon Claw, and his second soul skill is Demon Wolf Instant Kill. Speed ​​and attack are perfectly combined, fully demonstrating his characteristics as an agility-based battle soul master.

What he never expected was that Ye Xixuan, who only had a fourth-ring cultivation level, was able to block his attack when caught off guard.

Tang Wutong quickly landed beside Ye Xixuan in the sky, her beautiful pink-blue eyes filled with determination.

"I'm not leaving, I want to stay with you!"

"Whatever you want." Ye Xixuan gripped the hilt of the Dark Demon Sword again and looked at the man in black in the distance. He didn't insist on anything.

In fact, neither he nor Tang Wutong are likely to encounter any danger this time.

(End of this chapter)