Chapter 38: The Heartbroken Liu Erlong... Lu Yu’s Grand Declaration!

Although Lu Yu’s current strength is enough to contend with and even kill a five-ring Soul King, he had not yet reached the level where he could easily defeat one without even manifesting his own martial soul. He had just relied on the Four Symbols Celestial Talisman to forcibly quadruple his strength, and by catching his opponent off guard, he had secured a victory in a single move.

Likewise, Lu Yu was playing a psychological game with the three of them. If the opponent had scrambled up to continue the fight, Lu Yu would have fallen into a grueling battle without the aid of his martial soul. But clearly, the trio had been thoroughly intimidated.

After the three stood up, Yin Shu’s face was filled with respect as he said in a deep voice, "Senior, it was I who was blind. We cannot gauge your strength, so please, accompany us to meet the Dean!"

"Lead the way," Lu Yu nodded and said.

The reason he had caused such a scene was not simply to show off! His true objective was to meet Liu Erlong. Knowing Yu Xiaogang’s personality, once he reunited with Flender, he would likely rely on Flender’s strength as an eight-ring expert to cause trouble for Lu Yu in the future. However, if the Golden Iron Triangle could be dismantled, the threat posed by Yu Xiaogang would be greatly diminished.

The three led Lu Yu through the academy into a forest at the rear, stopping in front of a small lake deep within. A sign hung on a large tree reading, "Restricted Academy Area, Do Not Enter Without Permission." Near the lake stood a small courtyard enclosed by a fence, inside of which sat a thatched cottage. A mature, beautiful woman, appearing to be in her thirties, dressed in a cyan dress with a fiery physique and exquisite features, was watering flowers in the yard.

Seemingly hearing the commotion, the woman looked up, frowning at the group of four. Yin Shu took two steps forward, bowed respectfully, and said, "Dean, this senior is a soul master who just came to the academy to apply for a position. His strength is formidable, and we were unable to assess it, so we ask you to make the final decision."

Yin Shu then introduced to Lu Yu, "This is our Lanba Academy’s Dean, Liu Erlong, an eight-ring Soul Douluo."

Lu Yu feigned surprise. "Dean Liu is so young, yet her cultivation has already reached the eighth ring?"

Upon hearing this, the corners of Yin Shu’s mouth twitched slightly. *Good heavens! Where did that arrogant, sharp-tongued attitude of yours go from earlier? How did you suddenly become so good at making small talk?*

Liu Erlong set down her watering can and walked out of the courtyard. She looked at Lu Yu, who was draped in a black robe, and frowned slightly. She then looked at Yin Shu with an inquiring gaze. Yin Shu hurriedly recounted what had happened earlier. Upon hearing that Lu Yu had defeated a Soul King and two Soul Ancestors in a single move without even using his martial soul, Liu Erlong’s expression shifted slightly.

This was something even she could not do! A soul master’s combat relied heavily on their martial soul; without it, one could only fight with physical prowess and pure soul power. In such a situation, while Liu Erlong was confident she could defeat a Soul King, it would be impossible to do so in a single move.

Contemplating this, Liu Erlong’s expression grew more serious. She said softly, "Sir, would you mind coming into the courtyard to talk?"

Lu Yu nodded, and Liu Erlong waved to the trio, saying, "You all go back to your duties."

Inside the yard, Lu Yu and Liu Erlong sat at a stone table. As Liu Erlong sized him up, she asked quietly, "Your strength is surely above mine; why would you come to apply at Lanba Academy?"

Lu Yu remained silent for a moment before saying, "I have heard of the exploits of the Golden Iron Triangle. Coming here today, my main purpose is to share a piece of news with Dean Liu."

At the mention of the Golden Iron Triangle, Liu Erlong’s face changed slightly. Her fair hands tightened, and her already pale complexion grew even paler.

Lu Yu continued, "Yu Xiaogang, known as the Grandmaster, has become an elder of the Spirit Hall!"

As these words fell, Liu Erlong’s entire body shuddered. Even as she tried her best to maintain control, she could not help but shed tears. "In the end, he chose her after all..." Liu Erlong murmured in a trembling voice.

A long time later, Liu Erlong finally calmed her mind. Her eyes turned as cold as water, and she said politely, "Although I do not know your intentions, thank you for telling me this news."

Lu Yu waved his hand. "I have no other motives; I had simply heard some stories of the past, and since I happened to be interested in serving at Lanba Academy, I mentioned it in passing."

"You are willing to stay at Lanba Academy?" Liu Erlong’s eyes brightened. As an illegitimate daughter of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan who had fallen out with her family over Yu Xiaogang, she could never return. Now that she had completely given up on him, the only thing she cared about was this academy, into which she had poured years of effort. However, she knew full well that the faculty and student quality of Lanba Academy could not compare to the long-renowned Five Elements Academies or the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy.

Liu Erlong had concluded that Lu Yu was a powerhouse likely stronger than herself, and naturally, she hoped he would stay.

Lu Yu nodded. "The Soul Master Tournament is in two years. I want to train a group of students so they can stun everyone at the tournament!"

Liu Erlong’s eyes lit up again, and she pressed, "Are you confident, sir?"

Lu Yu replied confidently, "As long as Lanba Academy can assemble seven students under the age of eighteen, with cultivation above level twenty, and possessing the optimal soul ring configuration, I am confident I can lead them into the finals!"

Hearing this, Liu Erlong frowned slightly. While two-ring soul masters under the age of eighteen were not rare, there were only a few at Lanba Academy. The problem was... two-ring soul masters with optimal soul ring configurations were few and far between! Within the Heaven Dou Empire, sects and clans operated their own systems, exclusively cultivating their core disciples, while noble children were largely monopolized by the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy. This left other soul master academies to pick from commoners, resulting in uneven student quality.

After pondering for a while, Liu Erlong said, "I will find a way to handle that. Is there anything else you need, sir?"

Lu Yu continued, "I have many affairs to attend to and will not stay at the academy full-time; I will only teach them three lessons a week. Furthermore, when they are ready to obtain their third soul ring, I need Dean Liu to lead the team personally to help them find the most suitable ones."

Liu Erlong was taken aback, her eyes widening. "Are you confident, sir, that they can reach the three-ring level within two years?"

Lu Yu smiled. "If you can find students under eighteen who have already reached the three-ring level with optimal soul ring configurations, I could even help them reach level forty! And it would not be a case of 'pulling up seedlings to help them grow'; there would be no hidden dangers!"

Liu Erlong’s heart was shaken, and she felt the black-robed man before her was becoming even more mysterious. She probed, "May I ask how to address you?"

"My name is Jin. Assemble the students within three months, and I will arrive after three months to give them their first lesson!"

After saying this, Lu Yu stood up and walked out of the courtyard.