Simultaneous Transmigration: From Douluo Continent to the Pinnacle

Chapter 40 Settling Down, Imperial Struggle

The afternoon sun shone through the glass dome of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy's Soul Arena, casting dappled light and shadows onto the arena where the battle had just ended.

Lin Yao held the Star Sword in his hand, the silver radiance flowing across its blade not yet completely faded, as if crushed starlight clung to it.

He slightly turned his body to avoid a sliver of light falling on his shoulder, his gaze calmly sweeping over the jubilant crowd below the stage.

Those eyes were clear yet carried a composure beyond their years, as if the battle that had just ended in an instant was nothing more than a routine practice.

Below the stage, a murmur of discussion surged forth, mixed with amazement, envy, and a hint of barely perceptible apprehension.

Some people stood on tiptoe, trying to get a clear look at the still-young boy on the stage.

Some people whispered among themselves, their fingers unconsciously pointing at the Star Sword Martial Soul in Lin Yao's hand, which exuded a faint aura of power.

Even though the two thousand-year soul rings on it had disappeared, the scene of instantly killing the owner of the Blue Sky Tyrannosaurus Rex Martial Soul was still extremely amazing.

This is a sword spirit that has never appeared on the continent before.

Although it lacks the profound foundation of the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Martial Soul, which has been passed down for thousands of years, it suppressed Yu Tianheng's Thunder Dragon Claw with overwhelming force in the previous battle. Its sharpness was enough to shut up anyone who underestimated it.

"Is this the true top genius of the continent? So young, yet his martial spirit is ridiculously strong!"

In the crowd, a girl in a school uniform clasped her hands together, her eyes sparkling with the light of a fan.

"Look at the way he stands there. He's still just a kid, but he has more presence than the older students. He's so cool and cute! I really want to rush up and give him a hug!"

Her companion chuckled and gave her a nudge, "Stop being a fangirl. Didn't you see his powerful backers? The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School and Sword Douluo, are neither of those people we can just casually approach?"

These words instantly calmed everyone around them down.

Everyone knows the strength of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, and Sword Douluo Chen Xin is the most powerful Title Douluo on the continent in terms of offensive capabilities.

If anyone dares to harbor any ill intentions towards Lin Yao, the Sword Douluo's Seven Kill Sword will likely descend upon them before they even have a chance to make a move.

"With such talent and such a background, Lin Yao will definitely stand at the top of the continent in the future."

"Someone remarked."

"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School has really struck gold this time. Before Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo grow old, Lin Yao might become an even stronger Guardian Douluo."

At that time, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's status will likely rise to another level.

At the edge of the crowd, several geniuses who had initially shown displeasure at Lin Yao stealing the spotlight could only swallow their resentment.

Looking at the figure on the arena, and recalling how Lin Yao had just defeated Yu Tianheng, one of the twin stars of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, with a single sword strike, they felt powerless to face such a prodigy. Any resentment seemed pale and futile.

Some people have even started planning how to take the initiative to curry favor, since building a good relationship with such a promising individual would only benefit their future.

Just then, a slightly flustered figure rushed to the edge of the ring; it was Oslo.

He gripped the railing at the edge of the ring with both hands, leaned forward slightly, and wore a fawning smile. He paid no attention to the strange looks from those around him and said loudly to Lin Yao, "Brother Lin Yao, those flower arrangement rumors about you and Brother Yu Tianheng that I made up were not made up."

I just wanted to make your duel more talked about. Please forgive me this time, I'm being magnanimous!

As he spoke, he kept bowing to Lin Yao, his usual carefree demeanor completely gone, replaced by a strong will to survive.

Before Lin Yao could speak, a slight noise came from behind him, and Yu Tianheng, who had fallen to the ground and been judged to have lost by the referee, slowly stood up.

His white outfit was torn in several places by the wind from the Star Sword, revealing his undergarments. There was also a faint bloodstain on the back of his right hand.

Those were the marks left when he used Thunder Dragon Claw to fight against the Star Sword.

It possesses an extremely troublesome energy intertwined with wood and fire attributes, which even his lightning power finds difficult to dissipate.

It will take some time for the wear and tear to wear off and for the wound to heal.

Upon hearing Oslo's words, Yu Tianheng frowned, his gaze falling on Oslo. A hint of doubt flashed in his eyes at first, then he suddenly realized, mixed with a touch of anger: "So it was you who did this! No wonder those female classmates were looking at me strangely when I came to the Soul Arena earlier. So it was you who made up some nonsense!"

Despite being defeated by a single sword strike, Yu Tianheng harbored no resentment whatsoever.

He clearly remembered that Lin Yao's sword could have hit his vital points directly, but at the last moment he held back and only used the back of the sword to knock him back.

This act of leniency earned Yu Tianheng's respect for Lin Yao. Looking at Lin Yao bathed in sunlight, he sighed inwardly.

Previously, I was somewhat resentful that Dugu Yan was closer to Lin Yao, but now it seems that I was just being narrow-minded.

Lin Yao's talent and character both deserve this attention.

Taking a deep breath, Yu Tianheng suppressed the complex emotions in his heart and silently made up his mind:

If we can't beat him now, then we'll train hard and win someday, even if it's just once. Even if we can't win, we must never fall too far behind him.

When Oslo saw Yu Tianheng making trouble, cold sweat instantly broke out on his forehead. While smiling ingratiatingly at Yu Tianheng, he quickly explained, "Brother Tianheng, those female classmates only like your type. I'm just trying to earn more gold soul coins, there's nothing I can do."

I'll give you half the profits later, no, more than half!

After saying that, he immediately turned to Lin Yao, lowering his voice even further, with a hint of pleading: "Brother Lin Yao, you're a big shot, you certainly won't hold this small matter against me. I'll give you the vast majority of the profits, please have pity on me and forgive me this time!"

"I wouldn't say I'm being petty, but what you did was definitely inappropriate."

Yu Tianheng shook his head, his tone serious.

"Junior Lin Yao has just joined the academy. What if he gets a bad impression of our academy because of your messy rumors? You don't know how to be sensible at all."

Just as Oslo was about to defend himself, a slender, fair hand suddenly reached out from behind him and gently tapped his shoulder with its fingertips.

Oslo's heart tightened, and he turned around abruptly, only to see Ye Leng Leng standing there.

She wore a light green dress, her long hair flowing smoothly over her shoulders. She was beautiful and charming, but her face was expressionless. She looked at Oslo calmly, as if she were looking at something that had nothing to do with her.

"Osro, I've already calculated it. You earned over 13,000 gold soul coins this time with those messages and cartoon albums."

Ye Lengleng's voice was soft, yet it carried an undeniable power.

"These messages have damaged the reputations of junior Lin Yao and Yu Tianheng; a few words of apology are not enough."

Since it's about making money, let's make up for it with money. Ten times the compensation, but since you're a teammate of the Heaven Dou Team, we'll round it down to a whole number: 200,000 Gold Soul Coins.

She paused, then added.

"This is just a small lesson to remind you that there are some things you can't touch, because if they spread, the harm will be far greater than these few gold soul coins."

Upon hearing this, Oslo's face instantly fell. He opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but saw Lin Yao nod slightly, clearly agreeing with Ye Lengleng's statement.

Left with no other option, he turned his attention to Yu Feng, shouting into the crowd, "Yu Feng! Stop hiding! You helped with making up the news and printing the photo album, you can't leave me to pay for it all!"

However, no sooner had the words left his mouth than a figure in cyan leaped up from the crowd, summoning his Wind Chime Bird Martial Soul. With flapping wings, he flew swiftly into the distance.

"You're the boss, I'm just an employee, this has nothing to do with me!"

His voice came from the air, tinged with a hint of mockery, and vanished from everyone's sight in the blink of an eye.

Watching Yu Feng run faster than a rabbit, Oslo was on the verge of tears. This guy really sold out his teammates without hesitation.

"Oslo, give me the money quickly."

Ye Lengleng urged again, her tone still indifferent.

"Otherwise, even if you get injured during the next training session, I won't use the Nine-Heart Begonia to treat you."

She had a very good relationship with Dugu Yan and had heard Dugu Yan mention Lin Yao before. In addition, she had a brief conversation with Lin Yao before and had developed a good impression of this calm and talented young man.

As a support-type Soul Master, she knew very well that befriending such a genius would be of great benefit to her future.

Oslo looked at Lin Yao and Ye Lengleng with a pained expression, "Big Brother Lin Yao, Big Sister Ye Lengleng, could you write me an IOU? I really can't come up with that many Gold Soul Coins right now."

Although he was quite talented and came from a family with minor noble status, the cost of cultivation resources was enormous, and he didn't have much pocket money on a daily basis.

If my family found out that I offended geniuses like Lin Yao and Yu Tianheng by making money through making up rumors, they'd probably break my legs.

Ye Lengleng glanced at Lin Yao, and seeing that he didn't object, she nodded: "Okay."

She never really intended to make things difficult for Oslo, after all, he was her teammate; she just wanted to teach him a lesson.

She quickly brought over a piece of paper and a box of inkpad. "I've already written the IOU. Put your fingerprint on it."

Looking at the IOU that read "Owes Lin Yao and Yu Tianheng 200,000 gold soul coins", Oslo desperately reached out his hand and let Ye Leng Leng press his handprint on it, thus officially becoming a "debtor".

Not far away, Dugu Yan looked at Oslo's dejected appearance and couldn't help but smile slightly.

In the past, Osro was always the most outgoing member of the team. This time he was properly "punished," which can be considered as a lesson for him.

After this battle, Lin Yao's name spread far and wide throughout the Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

Unlike Yu Xiaogang's cowardly nature, Yu Tianheng did not choose to leave because of the defeat, but stayed in the team. However, the core of the team naturally changed from him to Lin Yao.

Even so, no one dared to underestimate Yu Tianheng. Among geniuses of the same level, apart from Lin Yao, who was an "anomaly," he was still in a class of his own.

Not long after, Qin Ming officially announced that he would rebuild the Tian Dou team with Lin Yao as the core.

When the news reached the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, Ning Rongrong was sitting in the courtyard, playing with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda martial spirit in her hand.

When she heard the maid say that Lin Yao was "making a big splash" at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy and was surrounded by many pretty young ladies, her eyes lit up. She immediately ran to Ning Fengzhi, tugged at his sleeve, and pleaded, "Daddy, I want to go to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy too! Brother Lin Yao is there, and I'm so bored all alone in the sect!"

Looking at his daughter's charming appearance, Ning Fengzhi glanced at Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo beside him and asked with a smile, "What do you think?"

Sword Douluo Chen Xin, holding his sword, said calmly, "It's good to let her go. Lin Yao is a steady and calm boy. If Rongrong goes with him, she can restrain her temper."

Bone Douluo Gu Rong also nodded: "Besides, with Lin Yao around, no one will dare to bully Rongrong. It's a good opportunity for her to go to the academy to broaden her horizons, instead of always staying in the sect as a little princess."

With the three's consent, Ning Rongrong cheered immediately, packed her bags that very day, and rushed to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

Lin Yao was quite looking forward to Ning Rongrong's arrival, as he possessed the ability to connect all the worlds and had a wealth of knowledge beyond what this continent could comprehend.

Previously, I had thought that if there was an opportunity, I would allow the support-type Soul Masters of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School to break out of the traditional cultivation framework without relying on Soul Guidance Devices. Ning Rongrong, as the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, was undoubtedly the first to try this.

A few days later, when Ning Rongrong arrived at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, Lin Yao specially brought Dugu Yan and Ye Lingleng to greet her at the entrance.

It was early morning, and the sunlight shone on the white jade bridge at the entrance of the college, while the river below rippled with light.

Ning Rongrong was dressed in a pink dress, with her hair styled in playful pigtails. Two sect disciples carrying luggage followed behind her. From a distance, she looked like a blooming peach blossom, delicate and lively.

"Brother Lin Yao!"

Upon seeing Lin Yao, Ning Rongrong immediately quickened her pace and ran over, a bright smile on her face.

"I've finally arrived! I'm exhausted from the journey!"

She ran up to Lin Yao and then noticed Dugu Yan and Ye Lengleng beside her. She immediately toned down her liveliness and greeted them politely, "Hello, sisters. My name is Ning Rongrong, and I'm a friend of Brother Lin Yao."

Looking into Ning Rongrong's bright eyes, Dugu Yan felt a surge of goodwill and smiled as she replied, "Hello, I'm Dugu Yan, and I'm also Lin Yao's teammate."

Ye Lengling nodded and said gently, "My name is Ye Lingling. Like Dugu Yan, I am a member of the Tiandou Team."

"So you're all Lin Yao's teammates!"

Ning Rongrong's eyes lit up, and she grabbed Lin Yao's arm, asking curiously.

"Brother Lin Yao, is the team you mentioned before the Heavenly Dou Team they belong to? Can I join them? I heard the team is full of geniuses, so I can train with you all!"

Lin Yao looked at Ning Rongrong's expectant eyes, then glanced at Dugu Yan and Ye Lengleng. Seeing that the two did not object, he nodded: "Of course you can, but team training is very tough. You can't be as lazy as you are in the sect."

Ning Rongrong immediately patted her chest and assured him, "Don't worry, Brother Lin Yao, I definitely won't slack off! I'm going to become the strongest support-type Soul Master!"

Dugu Yan couldn't help but laugh: "Look at you, you're quite motivated. But let me make this clear: if you can't keep up during training, we won't go easy on you just because you're Lin Yao's friend."

Ning Rongrong pouted, unconvinced, and said, "Don't worry, sister, I can definitely keep up! I'm from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, and my martial soul is the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, which has super strong support abilities!"

Ye Lengleng stepped forward and said gently, "Your martial soul is indeed very powerful, but a support-type soul master in the team not only needs to know how to release soul skills, but also needs to know how to cooperate with teammates."

"During future training, I can teach you some practical support techniques."

Upon hearing this, Ning Rongrong immediately smiled happily: "Thank you, Sister Leng Ling! You're so kind!"

The group chatted and laughed as they walked into the academy.

Ning Rongrong was full of curiosity about everything in the academy. She would point to the ancient trees by the roadside and ask questions, and then stare at the Soul Masters on the training ground in the distance in amazement.

Dugu Yan patiently explained the layout of the academy to her, while Ye Lengleng occasionally reminded her to watch her step.

Lin Yao followed behind, watching the three girls get along well, and a smile appeared on his lips.

When they arrived at the team's training ground, Oslo, Yu Tianheng, and others were already waiting there.

When they saw Lin Yao bring over a pretty and cute little girl, everyone looked on with curiosity.

Oslo leaned closer and asked with a smile, "Brother Lin Yao, who is this little sister? She's so cute."

Ning Rongrong immediately puffed out her chest and proudly declared, "My name is Ning Rongrong, I'm the young sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, and I'm here to join the Heavenly Battle Team!"

Upon hearing the words "Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School," everyone couldn't help but show expressions of surprise.

Unexpectedly, after Lin Yao, another genius from a top sect joined the team.

Yu Tianheng stepped forward and nodded to Ning Rongrong: "Welcome to the team. I'm Yu Tianheng. From now on, we'll be teammates."

Over the next few days, Ning Rongrong officially began her training life with the team.

At first, she was still quite excited and trained very hard, but before long, she couldn't keep up.

The training intensity of the Heavenly Battle Team far exceeded her imagination when she was in the sect. The daily physical training, martial spirit cultivation, and team coordination practice left her so exhausted that she almost collapsed on the ground.

That evening, after training, Ning Rongrong sat on the stone steps by the training field, her body exhausted, pouting and looking aggrieved.

Dugu Yan walked over, handed her a bottle of water, and asked with a smile, "What's wrong? Are you feeling too tired from training?"

Ning Rongrong took the water, took a sip, nodded, and said in a slightly hoarse voice, "Yeah, it's much harder than in the sect. I feel like I can barely lift my arms anymore."

Ye Lengleng also came over and sat down next to Ning Rongrong, saying gently, "It's always like this at the beginning, you'll get used to it. Look at Lin Yao, his training volume is more than all of ours every day, but he has never complained."

Ning Rongrong looked into the distance and saw Lin Yao practicing swordsmanship alone. The Star Sword was wielded in his hand, drawing smooth arcs.

The afterglow of the setting sun shone on him, as if gilding him with a layer of gold.

"Brother Lin Yao is amazing."

Ning Rongrong murmured, her eyes filled with admiration.

"But can I really persevere like him?"

Dugu Yan patted her shoulder and encouraged her, "Of course you can! You are the young sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School. With such great talent, as long as you are willing to work hard, you will definitely be able to keep up with our pace."

And look, you've made great progress these past few days. When you were teaming up, you used your support soul skills much more flexibly than before, far surpassing your peers.

Ye Lengleng added, "Yes, your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul has great potential. As long as you hone it properly, you will definitely become a top-tier support-type Soul Master in the future."

If you feel tired during training, you can tell me, and I can use Nine-Heart Begonia to help relieve your fatigue.

Hearing their encouragement, Ning Rongrong's grievances gradually dissipated.

She stood up and gave Dugu Yan and Ye Lengleng a determined smile: "Thank you, Sister Yan Yan, Sister Lengleng. I won't give up. I must become the strongest support-type Soul Master and not let Brother Lin Yao and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School down!"

Just then, Lin Yao finished practicing his swordsmanship and walked over. He looked at Ning Rongrong and asked with a smile, "What's wrong? Are you exhausted?"

Ning Rongrong shook her head and said earnestly, "I'm not tired! Brother Lin Yao, I want to be like you in the future, practice a little more every day and try to catch up with everyone as soon as possible."

Lin Yao nodded, his eyes showing approval: "Good, it's good that you have the intention. But don't push yourself too hard. Training should be gradual. If you feel that your body can't handle it, just say so."

From then on, Ning Rongrong seemed like a different person. She never complained during training again, and even when she was covered in sweat, she still gritted her teeth and persevered.

Dugu Yan and Ye Lengleng also often helped her, teaching her practical combat skills and relieving her fatigue.

Lin Yao would occasionally give her guidance on martial soul cultivation methods, incorporating some cultivation concepts from his own world into her understanding, which gave her a new perspective on the cultivation of support-type soul masters.

As time went on, Ning Rongrong not only became more and more adept at training, but also developed a more and more harmonious relationship with her team members.

She was no longer the pampered little princess; she became more independent and strong, and Dugu Yan and Ye Lengleng took care of her like a younger sister.

Lin Yao felt quite gratified as he looked at Ning Rongrong's transformation.

He knew that Ning Rongrong's addition not only boosted the strength of the Tiandou team, but also made the team warmer.

A few days later, the three members of the college's teaching committee summoned Qin Ming and all the members of the team.

Looking at everyone before him, especially Lin Yao and Ning Rongrong, Meng Shenji's eyes were full of satisfaction: "After Lin Yao and Rongrong joined, the team's strength improved rapidly. We discussed it and decided to allocate a significant amount of cultivation resources to the nine of you. We hope you can make good use of these resources and cultivate diligently."

He paused, then continued, "Also, the name of your team has been officially decided. From now on, it will be called the Royal Fighting Team."

We hope that you will make a name for yourselves in the next Continental Elite Soul Master Tournament and bring glory to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy!

Upon hearing the name "Royal Fighting Team," Lin Yao and the others accepted it readily, believing their efforts were worthy of such an honor.

It can be said that, unless there is a deus ex machina, with Lin Yao and Ning Rongrong's Royal Fighting Team, it is impossible for them to lose to Shrek Academy or Spirit Hall Academy again.