Chapter Fourteen: Taking Action! Lu Yu’s Cunning! Dugu Yan’s Plea

Amidst the whirlwind of thoughts, Lu Yu instantly dispelled the power of the Concealment and Invisibility Talismans, his figure materializing. At the same moment, a delicate Fan Tian Seal appeared in his palm, encircled by a ring of dark yellow soul rings.

The soul ring glowed, and the Fan Tian Seal flew from his hand, swelling rapidly until it transformed into a grand golden seal. Lu Yu lifted the Fan Tian Seal with one hand, his entire body enveloped in golden light. With a forceful stomp, he surged forward toward the direction where Du Gu Yan and the Nine-Segment Jade Serpent were locked in battle.

At this moment, Du Gu Yan’s spiritual power was nearly depleted; she had reached the brink of exhaustion, barely managing to dodge the attacks from the ninth-grade jade serpent. As her spiritual and physical strength waned, her speed slowed progressively.

Just as the ninth-grade jade serpent lunged at her again, mouth wide to strike, and she was unable to evade in time, a nimble figure leapt high from behind the serpent. Bathed in dazzling golden light, holding the golden seal, he appeared like a god descending to earth!

“Clang!”

The golden seal slammed fiercely onto the jade serpent, producing a metallic chime. The little snake was knocked to the ground instantly.

Du Gu Yan stood frozen, staring blankly at the struggling serpent on the ground, unable to move due to its injuries. Then she glanced at the young face, slightly immature yet beginning to show striking handsomeness, and for a moment, she was at a loss.

“Clang! Clang! Clang!”

While Du Gu Yan was dazed, Lu Yu showed no hesitation. Swinging the Fan Tian Seal repeatedly, he hammered the defeated jade serpent on the ground.

After three consecutive blows, the jade serpent finally went limp, motionless. Only then did Lu Yu disperse the golden light around him and retract his martial soul and soul ring, as though the golden light had been a skill of the soul ring itself.

“Truly tough...” Lu Yu murmured, marveling at the still-breathing jade serpent on the ground.

He had deliberately held back, refraining from using lightning techniques or talismans, nor did he rely on the right palm bone of the Golden-Maned Lion Mastiff; instead, he relied solely on the Golden Light Curse and his physical strength, wielding the Fan Tian Seal as a weapon.

But one must not forget—the first level of the Reverse Ascension Triple Strengthening technique is focused on body enhancement!

With Lu Yu’s current physique, even without obtaining a second soul ring, he was by no means inferior to an ordinary Soul Master!

And strengthened further by the Golden Light Curse!

Yet this jade serpent endured four strikes before losing its fighting ability. No wonder it was famed for a body as tough as steel.

Of course, if Lu Yu had unleashed his full power, a single blow would have been enough to incapacitate it.

But Du Gu Bo, watching from somewhere unknown, would certainly be suspicious if he learned Lu Yu possessed external soul bones. Who could tell if he might resort to murder and treasure theft?

Moreover, lightning techniques and talismans were unexplainable forces, likely to be mistaken for soul bone powers as well.

---

Standing beside the Nine-Segment Jade Serpent, Lu Yu glanced toward Du Gu Yan not far away. The young girl was also staring at him. One was dressed in lavish, fitted attire; the other wore patched coarse cloth, forming a stark contrast.

Lu Yu blinked, disguising his gaze with the innocence and playfulness typical of a child, then spoke: “Are you alright?”

Hearing his words, Du Gu Yan snapped back to reality. Uncertain what she had been thinking moments ago, her cheeks flushed slightly as she shyly replied, “I... I’m fine... Thank you!”

Lu Yu waved his hand dismissively. “It was nothing. The soul beast isn’t dead yet. If you want its soul ring, you’d better act quickly!”

An eight-year-old child speaking with such seasoned experience sounded somewhat strange.

Seeing Du Gu Yan’s bashful and timid expression, Lu Yu felt a chill down his spine.

Something was off!

He had intended to build goodwill with Du Gu Yan to gain favor with Du Gu Bo for future schemes involving the Ice-Fire Dual Eyes, yet somehow it had turned into a scene of a hero rescuing a damsel.

Most importantly...

Lu Yu was well aware that Du Gu Bo was surely watching all of this from the shadows!

Good grief!

What was with this mischievous young man’s aura that reminded him so much of Old Deng’s teasing?

Realizing this, Lu Yu felt uneasy and quickly turned to leave without hesitation.

“Wait... wait!”

But before he could take more than a few steps, Du Gu Yan called out crisply from behind.

Lu Yu turned, eyes filled with suspicion.

Considering her character, she wouldn’t throw herself at someone just for being saved, right?

Du Gu Yan awkwardly pointed at the jade serpent and said, “Little brother, I don’t recognize this soul beast, nor do I know its cultivation level. Do you know what kind of soul beast this is?”

Lu Yu shook his head. “I only know it’s called the Nine-Segment Jade Serpent. Its poison is extremely potent, but I can’t determine its age.”

“Judging from the fight just now, its cultivation likely does not exceed two thousand years.”

Upon hearing this, Du Gu Yan’s eyes brightened.

Extremely poisonous? Cultivation under two thousand years?

This was practically the perfect soul ring for her!

What is the strongest trait of the Green Phosphorus Serpent?

Poison!

Moreover, the ideal age for the third soul ring is 1,760 years. Since she had been strengthening her body with various medicinal baths since childhood, even if the serpent was slightly older than that, as long as it didn’t exceed two thousand years, she could still give it a try!

With this thought, Du Gu Yan’s expression grew eager. Her eyes carried a pleading look as she said to Lu Yu:

“Little brother, I just used up a lot of energy and need time to recover. Besides, this is the Soul Beast Forest. If I’m ambushed by other soul beasts while absorbing the soul ring, the consequences would be disastrous!”

“Could you please help guard me?”

At this, Du Gu Yan quickly added in a hurried tone: “Don’t worry! You just saved my life and are protecting me. I will definitely repay you!”

“Do you have money?” Lu Yu suddenly asked.

Du Gu Yan was momentarily stunned, then nodded. “Yes!”

Of course! With a grandfather who was a titled Douluo, how could she not have money?

Without hesitation, Lu Yu said, “If you agree to give me a storage soul guide device, I won’t only protect you, I’ll also escort you out of the Star Dou Forest!”

“Okay, no problem!” Du Gu Yan agreed without hesitation.

Lu Yu said no more, simply grabbing the barely alive Nine-Segment Jade Serpent and leaping onto a nearby large tree.

Du Gu Yan puffed her cheeks, silently cursing Lu Yu for being insensitive.

After all, she was a beauty with many admirers at the Intermediate Soul Master Academy, yet this boy wouldn’t even speak more than a word to her.

But then she shook her head and smiled to herself. Lu Yu was obviously much younger than her, a child who wouldn’t understand matters of love and romance.

Looking at him once more, Du Gu Yan felt a twinge of doubt.

During the fight, Lu Yu had displayed his martial soul and soul ring, which appeared quite extraordinary, yet he had only one soul ring.

To come to the Star Dou Great Forest with just one soul ring?

But considering how easily he had subdued the Nine-Segment Jade Serpent with just a few moves, even if it was a sneak attack, it was enough to prove his strength.

Judging by his attire, he was not from a prominent family.

Du Gu Yan realized — this was a genius!

And a genius without any background!

She wondered...

Could she recruit him to her side?

While thinking this, Du Gu Yan sat cross-legged on the ground and began to recover her strength.