Chapter 42: Formidable Foe! Who Is the Hunter? The Vast Disparity in Strength!

Nothing significant happened for three consecutive days. Aside from mealtimes, Lu Yu spent the entire time cultivating inside his carriage.

Following the incident three days ago, the students from various academies deliberately kept a certain distance from him.

The only exception was Shui Yue'er...

This girl was not only infatuated to the point of absurdity, but she was also extremely bold, making no effort to conceal her admiration for Lu Yu. She would run over to his carriage on the slightest pretext or none at all, chattering away and asking endless questions.

Every single time, it was her elder sister, Shui Bing'er, who simply could not bear to watch any longer and forcibly dragged her back.

As for Shui Ningyan, she did not intervene at all. Whether it was because she had no control over her daughter or because she wanted to let nature take its course remained unclear...

Until the fourth day, when a change finally occurred!

The imperial delegation encountered a band of rogue bandits. The opponents possessed considerable strength, boasting several Spirit Kings and two Spirit Emperors. However, in the presence of the powerhouses from the various academies and the imperial family, they were utterly insignificant.

Yet, the enemy fled very quickly. To ensure the safety of the students, the powerhouses of the imperial delegation chose not to pursue them, merely cutting down some of the small fry.

This, however, only served to reinforce the suspicions forming in Lu Yu's mind!

A probe!

This was most likely the Spirit Hall testing the strength of the imperial delegation!

On the fifth day, a sudden transformation occurred!

While the carriage convoy was in motion, an oppressive and terrifying aura suddenly descended. The horses pulling the carriages instantly panicked, plunging the entire convoy into chaos.

Lu Yu leaped out of his carriage at the very first moment, and Meng Shenji appeared directly by his side.

Meng Shenji’s most crucial mission on this trip was to protect Lu Yu’s safety. Back when the convoy faced the bandits, Meng Shenji had not made a move, choosing instead to remain constantly at Lu Yu’s side.

"Chief Meng, what is going on?"

Lu Yu narrowed his eyes. Imbued with the charm of the Dao, he naturally remained unaffected by that oppressive aura.

Yet, he could clearly sense that this pressure was more than a hundred times stronger than the elderly Spirit Emperor he had faced previously!

A Spirit Douluo? Or perhaps a Titled Douluo?

"Powerful foes are attacking! Most likely a Titled Douluo! Do not leave my side!" Meng Shenji’s expression turned grave.

Feigning astonishment and doubt, Lu Yu asked, "A Titled Douluo? How could such a high-level powerhouse be found among a band of rogue bandits?"

Meng Shenji took a deep breath and did not answer the question, but his expression suggested he had anticipated this all along.

Seeing him look this way, Lu Yu immediately understood that it was not just him who had perceived the problem; likely, many of the powerhouses within the convoy had already foreseen it!

Connecting this to the original plot—where the upper echelons of the various academies had never suffered any devastating blows prior to the start of the Elite Continental Advanced Spirit Master Tournament—Lu Yu’s gaze flickered uncertainly.

Could this truly be a conspiracy by the Spirit Hall? Or perhaps a trap set by the Heaven Dou Empire?

Who was the prey? And who was the hunter?

Just as Lu Yu and Meng Shenji were conversing, the Five Elements Academies had already formed their own defensive perimeters, with the instructors gathering their students together and preparing for battle.

As for Xue Qinghe, he was closely guarded in the center of the crowd by over twenty Spirit Kings, eight Spirit Emperors, and three Spirit Douluo.

At that moment, the previously sunny sky suddenly darkened. Gusts of chilly, eerie wind swept through the area, and faint, ghost-like wails could be vaguely heard.

The powerful pressure grew increasingly terrifying, causing even many of the lower-cultivation students to find it difficult to breathe, their faces turning pale.

The next instant, a series of dark figures darted out from the woods beside the road. Every single one of them was dressed in black and wore masks, wrapping themselves up completely.

Yet, the moment they surged forward, all of them unleashed their Spirit Avatars, displaying a dazzling array of soul rings.

There were forty--three people in total: thirty seventh-ring Spirit Saints and thirteen eighth-ring Spirit Douluo!

Upon seeing this lineup, the hearts of everyone in the Heaven Dou Empire delegation sank to the bottom.

On their side, the number of Spirit Saint powerhouses barely exceeded ten, and powerhouses at the Spirit Douluo level could be counted on one hand. Among the remainder, aside from the students, most were merely Spirit Kings and Spirit Emperors.

What was even more critical...

There was still a Titled Douluo who had yet to show their face, using only their aura to suppress the entire field!

"Run! I and the powerhouses of the delegation will buy you time!"

Decisive and with a stern expression, Meng Shenji said to Lu Yu, "Even if all of us die here, you and His Highness the Crown Prince must not come to any harm!"

Lu Yu took a deep breath. Without any hesitation or fuss, he turned and fled.

Simultaneously, under the escort of three Spirit Emperors, Xue Qinghe bolted off in another direction.

Watching the directions in which Lu Yu and Xue Qinghe had departed, the instructors from the other academies reacted as well. Leng Ningyan was the first to speak, "Follow Lu Yu! The Heaven Dou Royal Academy places immense value on him; he must possess a means to preserve his life!"

The thick-skinned, infatuated Shui Yue'er immediately lit up, nodding like a chick pecking at rice, before grabbing her elder sister Shui Bing'er and chasing after the direction Lu Yu had taken.

The instructors of the various academies also successively issued orders for the students to escape, while they themselves charged forward to meet the incoming enemies.

Although the disparity in strength between the two sides was vast, battles between powerhouses were difficult to resolve in a short span of time, giving them confidence that they could buy enough time for the students to escape.

After parting ways with Meng Shenji, Lu Yu maintained a speed comparable to an ordinary third-ring Spirit Elder as he fled, while calculating the ins and outs of the situation in his mind.

From Meng Shenji’s attitude, it was not difficult to deduce that the powerhouses of the various academies had likely anticipated the arrival of formidable enemies.

Were these people just like him, realizing something was amiss upon departure, or had they discovered clues during the previous encounter with the bandits?

Lu Yu leaned toward the latter possibility, given that these people were unaware of Xue Qinghe’s true identity, nor did they know that the Elephant Armor Sect had long been secretly colluding with the Spirit Hall.

Therefore...

In the eyes of the powerhouses from the various academies, this attack originated from the Star Luo Empire!

Yet Lu Yu knew with certainty that this was entirely the handiwork of the Spirit Hall!

Especially that Titled Douluo hidden in the shadows, capable of dimming the light of day and whipping up angry, ghostly winds—such methods...

bore a striking resemblance to the signature style of Ghost Douluo, the trusted confidant of the Supreme Pontiff of the Spirit Hall!

The question, however, was...

What was the purpose of the Spirit Hall in doing this?

To eliminate the geniuses of the Heaven Dou Empire? Or to weaken the high-level spirit master combat strength of the Empire?

If everyone in the imperial delegation met with misfortune while Xue Qinghe alone managed to escape unscathed, would that not inevitably arouse suspicion?

Well-versed in the original plot, Lu Yu knew very well that Bibi Dong was an extremely intelligent woman and would never commit such a foolish act.

What other objective could she possibly have?

At that moment, Lu Yu suddenly halted his steps and turned his gaze back toward the battlefield of the powerhouses.

The disparity between the two sides was too great; the powerhouses of the imperial delegation had already fallen into a disadvantageous position. Those men in black could easily have detached a faction of fighters to hunt down the geniuses.

Yet the enemy had not done so!

Lu Yu narrowed his eyes, a faint glimpse of the truth dawning upon him.

Most likely...

This attack was merely for show!

Otherwise, with Ghost Douluo present, how could students whose cultivation generally did not exceed the fourth ring possibly have escaped?

Bibi Dong’s true objective must surely be Xue Qinghe!

A rendezvous!

The pieces suddenly fell into place in Lu Yu’s mind, and without further delay, he turned and sprinted away.