Chapter 25: Epiphany! The Contradictory Girl in the Black Dress! Are You Trying to Seduce Me? The Academy Tournament!

Standing by the lake, gazing at the sparkling water and the dense forest in the distance, with mountains piercing the clouds behind him, Lu Yu felt truly refreshed and at ease.

His expression shifted, and he suddenly extended a finger, tracing shapes slowly into the air before him.

A faint blue radiance swirled at his fingertip, quickly outlining a pale blue talisman.

The moment the talisman took form, a sharp glint flashed in Lu Yu’s eyes, and a smile broke across his face.

Success!

The fifth supreme talisman he had been painstakingly studying for three years had suddenly been enlightened just now!

As the talisman condensed, the space around Lu Yu distorted slightly, and ripples spread across the lake before him.

He waved his hand, dispelling the talisman.

After all, this was the entrance to the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy; if he caused too much of a commotion, it would inevitably attract unwanted attention.

Just as Lu Yu turned to head back, he suddenly noticed a graceful silhouette standing in the woods not far away.

It was a girl who looked to be about seventeen or eighteen, slender and lithe, with cascading blue hair. She wore a black dress and a black veil over her face, revealing only eyes that resembled blue gemstones.

At this moment, the girl’s gaze was fixed intently on Lu Yu.

Seeing that Lu Yu had discovered her, the girl turned to leave.

Lu Yu frowned slightly, his figure flickering as he chased after her and blocked her path.

The girl looked at him, her voice cold and detached: "Apologies, I did not intend to spy. Please let me pass."

Lu Yu looked at her with a hint of suspicion and asked softly, "Are you also a student at the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy?"

The girl nodded without speaking. Seeing that Lu Yu was no longer obstructing her, she bypassed him and walked away slowly.

Watching the girl’s retreating figure, Lu Yu fell into deep thought.

He possessed spiritual power comparable to that of a Soul Saint, yet he hadn’t even noticed the girl spying on him from such a short distance away!

Did this girl possess a special martial soul talent?

Or was it that...

Her strength was far greater than his own?

Back when Lu Yu was in the Star Dou Great Forest, he had been able to detect Dugu Bo appearing behind him only because the distance between them was very close. Otherwise, he certainly would not have been able to detect the presence of a Titled Douluo.

But the girl looked to be only seventeen or eighteen; she didn't look like a Titled Douluo at all!

Looking back at the clear lake, Lu Yu shook his head and laughed, "It seems Grandpa was right; one must balance work and rest."

It was precisely because his mind had been so completely relaxed that he had managed to grasp the fifth supreme talisman in one go.

Over the next month, aside from practicing in his dormitory, Lu Yu would go to the lake at the foot of the mountain every few days to relax, and occasionally he would go to the summit to watch the sunrise and sunset.

By balancing work and rest, the progress of his various techniques and the improvement of his cultivation actually advanced faster than if he had focused solely on arduous practice.

What surprised Lu Yu was that every time he went to the lake at the bottom of the mountain, he would encounter the girl in the black dress.

She would always stand a hundred meters away from the shore, watching the water in silence, looking quite lonely and desolate.

At the foot of the mountain, by the lake.

Lu Yu waved his hand to dispel the talisman he had just condensed, sighed, and muttered, "This 'God-Invoking Talisman' is the most unique. It is divided into three levels, yet I have no clue how to proceed with the second..."

The God-Invoking Talisman was the fifth supreme talisman he had comprehended a month ago.

Just then, Lu Yu’s eyes flickered.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a black silhouette quietly appearing at another spot along the shore.

He was slightly stunned, then walked over, sat on a rock by the lake, and said softly:

"Why are you standing so close today? Every other time you’ve stood so far away, I thought you were afraid of the water..."

Lu Yu was very curious about this girl, or more accurately...

He was curious about the means she used to evade his spiritual detection!

The girl did not speak, but turned to stare at Lu Yu. After a long silence, she suddenly said in a cold tone: "Are you trying to pick me up?"

As soon as these words were spoken, Lu Yu froze.

Damn...

This girl was a bit too direct, wasn't she?

Lu Yu shook his head with a strange expression and said, "My perception is very strong, and it has never failed me."

"Yet every time you appear, I haven't had the slightest awareness of it."

"Can you tell me why?"

This time it was the girl's turn to be stunned; clearly, she hadn't expected that this was the reason Lu Yu had approached her.

After a moment of silence, she said softly, "Sorry, I cannot tell you."

Lu Yu shrugged and said nothing more, simply watching the lake quietly, and the girl did the same.

Everyone had secrets. Since she was unwilling to speak, there was no need for him to pry.

Half an hour later, Lu Yu stood up slowly, brushed off his pants, and said, "I'm heading back! See you around!"

With that, he turned and walked away.

The girl tilted her head slightly, watching Lu Yu's back, lost in thought for a moment.

Then, she turned back to the lake, but only her own reflection remained on the water.

She loved this quiet feeling, yet she also feared loneliness—it was quite a contradiction.

Although there were some classmates in the academy she could barely call friends, no one could accompany her in enjoying the silence.

A trace of desolation flashed in the girl's eyes, and she rose to leave.

The next day, the entire Heaven Dou Imperial Academy became lively.

The annual academy competition had arrived on schedule!

Every student who had not yet graduated was eligible to participate, but not everyone chose to sign up.

Some senior students thought too highly of themselves to bother with such duels. After all, most students at the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy were of noble birth and didn't care about the prize money.

As for the freshmen, they knew their strength was insufficient and didn't want to embarrass themselves on the field.

But this year was different!

Because the prize money for this year's champion had doubled compared to previous years!

Furthermore, an additional reward—a temporary VIP qualification for the Heaven Dou Auction—had been added!

This made all the students eager, as only the super-elites of the empire possessed VIP qualifications for the Heaven Dou Auction.

Although they would only get temporary status, it was still a great honor!

It was laughable, really; these students didn't care about the value of the prize as much as the vanity it would bring them...

The mountaintop was already crowded.

A large space had been cleared in the center and divided into six fighting rings.

Around the rings were rows of seats.

Near the entrance to the Academic Affairs Office, a temporary platform had been erected with a few sparse seats.

Those qualified to sit there were high-ranking officials of the Academic Affairs Office and some visiting nobles.

There were seven seats in total. Six of them were currently occupied: the five high-ranking officials led by Meng Shenji, and one elderly man in magnificent robes with small eyes.

The soul power fluctuations from the elderly man were very weak, yet he sat in the main seat with an arrogant expression.

Lu Yu was sitting in the spectator area, sizing up this elderly man in the magnificent robes.

If he wasn't mistaken...

This person must be the younger brother of the Heaven Dou Empire's Emperor, Xue Ye—Prince Xue Xing!

This old fox appeared arrogant on the surface, but in reality, he was the "mentor" of Xue Beng; both of them were master actors from the same mold.

Just then, Lu Yu’s eyes narrowed slightly as he caught sight of a familiar figure.