"Otherwise, wouldn't I have been wrongly accused for nothing?"
"Little brother Wang Dong, can't you see how dirty the dorm is?"
"Hurry up and clean it, will you?"
"How can you have no sense of awareness?"
Su Yu pretended to act like an older brother, ordering his "little brother" around.
Wang Dong rolled his eyes and pouted, but a slight smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
"Hmph, fine, I'll clean. But when I'm stronger than you, I'll make you sweep every day."
Wang Dong snorted, picked up the broom from behind the door, and started cleaning. Seeing Wang Dong get to work, Su Yu's lips curled into a faint smile.
Su Yu resumed his task.
...
The next morning, the bell signaling the end of class rang. Wang Dong, hands in his pockets, leisurely walked out of the classroom. Compared to the previous day, his mood seemed much better. A bright smile lit up his face, and his large pink-and-blue eyes sparkled.
Around him, several students whispered as they watched him, but Wang Dong didn't care. He glanced around casually before heading back.
He stepped onto the same path, at the same time, and in the same place.
Once again, Wang Dong found his way blocked.
"You three again? What, didn't you get beaten up enough last time?"
Seeing the familiar trio, Wang Dong sneered, his eyes filled with disdain. They were just three losers, yet they still dared to come looking for trouble.
"Wang Dong, don't get too cocky. Today, you're done for," the lead boy said, his face still bearing bruises but looking confident nonetheless.
As soon as he finished speaking, two youths who appeared to be around fifteen or sixteen stepped out from the shadows.
Wang Dong still looked proud.
"No wonder you're so confident today. You brought reinforcements."
"Hmph, dealing with someone like you doesn't require playing by the rules," the lead boy snorted before turning around with a flattering smile.
"Brother Mo Cheng, Brother Lin Ling, it's him! He's the one who looks down on soul tools. He even said that we soul engineers are worthless chickens, not worth anything at all," the boy exaggerated, painting an extremely negative picture of Wang Dong.
The one called Brother Mo Cheng frowned and looked at Wang Dong.
"Is what Lin Dong said true?"
"And what if it is? What if it isn't?"
Wang Dong replied, too proud to bother explaining, even though he hadn't said the latter part.
"Hmph, to be this arrogant at Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy—it's no wonder you're from the original Douluo Continent. You lack manners," Lin Ling, standing next to Mo Cheng, snorted coldly, his eyes full of disdain.
He was a pure elitist, hostile toward outsiders. This time, he had coaxed Mo Cheng into standing up for Lin Dong. Otherwise, Mo Cheng would rarely participate in such bullying of underclassmen.
"And you soul engineers, bullying someone younger—does that show your manners?"
Wang Dong retorted indignantly. These two were older students, and they were coming after him, a first-year. Talking about manners in this situation?
What a joke.
"If you hadn't insulted soul tools, we wouldn't have come after you," Mo Cheng shot back.
"Mo Cheng, stop wasting time with him. These slick-talking kids don't learn until they're beaten. Once we teach him a lesson, he'll understand how to behave."
With that, Lin Ling made the first move. Two yellow and two purple soul rings appeared, and armor like that of a warrior emerged around his body. In his hand, he wielded a broad sword—he was a close-combat soul engineer, just like Mi Jia.
"A four-ringed Soul Ancestor?!"
Wang Dong's pupils contracted as he became extremely alert. This seemingly fifteen or sixteen-year-old youth was a four-ringed Soul Ancestor, which was beyond Wang Dong's expectations.
No matter how confident he was, he didn't dare claim he could defeat a Soul Ancestor.
Brilliant wings unfurled from Wang Dong's back as he released his martial soul, the Bright Goddess Butterfly.
"A thousand second soul ring? Looks like you're a genius," Lin Ling remarked.
"But in the face of absolute strength, that's not much. Today, I'll show you the power of a soul tool."
With that, Lin Ling leaped into the air, and his broad sword came slashing down toward Wang Dong. Wang Dong quickly dodged, not daring to block the attack head-on.
Lin Ling's sword missed, and Wang Dong created distance. With a flap of his wings, he took to the sky, his eyes filled with caution as his wings beat behind him.
"A flying martial soul? You're not the only one who can fly!"
A special soul tool appeared behind Lin Ling. Orange-yellow wings unfurled, and with the help of soul power, Lin Ling's body lifted off the ground. Having reached the Soul Ancestor level, Lin Ling could just barely use a flying soul tool.
This caught Wang Dong by surprise. Before he could react, Lin Ling was already close to reaching him, his sword blazing with red flames as it slashed down.
Wang Dong's first soul ring lit up, and the edges of his radiant wings turned golden, clashing against the sword. This was Wang Dong's first soul skill, Wing Guillotine.
The beautiful wings collided with the sword, producing a metallic sound. The next moment, a tremendous force struck Wang Dong, sending him flying downward, where he crashed to the ground.
Just as he was about to hit the ground, Wang Dong quickly flapped his wings, trying to regain his balance. At that moment, a figure swept in like the wind and caught him in their arms.
Startled, Wang Dong looked back, and a familiar face came into view.
He blurted, "Su Yu!"
Wang Dong froze, instinctively stopping his struggle.
"I just got out of class and heard the commotion, so I came to check it out. Didn't expect to find you getting blocked. Wang Dong, Wang Dong, I was only gone for two days, and you're already getting ambushed?"
Su Yu teased.
Wang Dong shot him a glare but said nothing.
Su Yu laughed heartily and gently placed Wang Dong back on the ground. Once his feet were firmly on the ground, Wang Dong stood up straight, though his hands lingered around Su Yu's neck.
"Are you okay?"
Su Yu asked.
"I'm fine. I can still fight," Wang Dong shook his head, indicating he wasn't ready to give up.
"Forget it. He's a level-four soul engineer. You can't handle him. Let me take care of this."
As Su Yu spoke, he let go of Wang Dong, stretched his arms, and walked forward a few steps.
"What an eye-opener. Fifth-year students bullying first-years—what impressive power. Is this what the academy teaches you?"
Su Yu said, his gaze cold.
"And who are you? I'm telling you, stay out of this!"
Lin Ling threatened, frowning.
"Lin Ling, that's Su Yu, our class monitor," Lin Dong whispered from the side.
"So, you're Su Yu? You don't look like much," Lin Ling glanced at Su Yu disdainfully.
He had thought that the monster genius Lin Dong and the others spoke of would be something extraordinary. But now that he saw him, he realized it wasn't anything special after all.
"I'm just an ordinary person."
Su Yu shrugged, indifferent to Lin Ling's remark about him being unimpressive. His gaze swept over Lin Dong and the other two, causing them to tremble and smile awkwardly.
"Cla... class monitor!"
"This whole situation has something to do with you three, doesn't it?"
"I'll deal with you guys later."
Su Yu shot them a glare, making the trio jump in fear. Over the past two months, Su Yu had firmly established his authority. Though he had only been a class monitor for a short time, almost everyone in Class 8 respected him. If he hadn't been promoted to the second grade, they wouldn't have dared to block Wang Dong like this.
"Hey, Su Yu, right?"
"I suggest you be smart and get lost. Otherwise, don't blame me for beating you up too."
Lin Ling was starting to lose patience. Su Yu had the nerve to threaten Lin Dong and his group right in front of him, clearly not taking Lin Ling seriously at all. But considering that Su Yu was a soul tool genius who could contribute to the academy in the future, Lin Ling, despite his dislike for outsiders, didn't mind giving him one last chance.
"Get lost? I don't think so. Why don't you show me what that looks like?" Su Yu smiled pleasantly.
"You're asking for it!"
Lin Ling decided to stop holding back. With a burst from the soul tool thrusters on his back, he charged at Su Yu, swinging his blazing red greatsword.
Su Yu sidestepped lightly, dodging the attack. Then, with a flick of his finger, he tapped the blade.
Clang!
A tremendous force traveled through the sword, and Lin Ling suddenly felt his grip loosen. His sword flew out of his hands and embedded itself in the ground not far away.
"What's the matter, senior? Didn't you eat breakfast? Can't even hold onto your sword?"
Su Yu chuckled softly and quickly closed the distance.
Lin Ling hurriedly retreated, flying higher into the sky. But Su Yu leaped effortlessly, grabbing one of the wings of Lin Ling's soul tool.
"Come down, you."
With a firm yank, Su Yu pulled Lin Ling down from mid-air. Then, with a light slap, Su Yu struck Lin Ling's chest.
Though the slap seemed gentle, the armor covering Lin Ling's body shattered as if it had taken a heavy blow. Lin Ling himself was sent flying, rolling several times on the ground before spitting out a mouthful of blood.
"Lin Ling!"
Mo Cheng's face changed as he rushed forward to check on his friend.
Lin Ling struggled, coughed up more blood, and his face turned pale.
"My... my soul tool!"
Lin Ling looked at the shattered pieces of his armor, heartbroken. He had painstakingly crafted that soul tool piece by piece, and now Su Yu had destroyed it just like that.
"Senior, it seems your soul tool isn't very sturdy. Did you cut corners during its construction?"
Su Yu shook his hand and glanced at Lin Ling, who looked as if he'd lost his dearest possession. He smirked and said, "So fragile, yet you still come out here trying to fight?"
"Now, senior, let's see you demonstrate the meaning of the word 'get lost.'"
Su Yu's eyes flashed coldly, radiating an overwhelming sense of pressure. People like Lin Ling weren't uncommon at the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy. Extreme nationalists existed everywhere—it was just a matter of numbers.
Su Yu didn't particularly like or hate these kinds of people. Normally, their prejudice against foreigners didn't concern him. But when that hostility was directed at him, it became a different story. Lin Ling had only himself to blame for getting a beating.
"Su Yu, enough is enough. Why push things so far?"
Mo Cheng glared at Su Yu, clearly displeased.
"Oh? Senior, are you getting anxious now?"
"So it's okay for you to bully the weak, but we're not allowed to fight back?"
"And who do you think you are? Are you trying to teach me how to do things?"
Su Yu retorted coldly.
In the background, Wang Dong silently watched. Su Yu's not-so-imposing figure somehow gave him an inexplicable sense of security. Honestly, it did feel pretty good to have someone backing you up.
"It seems this fight is inevitable," Mo Cheng said as he stood up and faced Su Yu.
"You've already come here to bully us. Do you think there's a reason for me not to fight back?"
Su Yu's gaze remained calm.
He and Wang Dong were roommates, both from the Heaven Dou Empire. They were both outsiders at this academy. The connection between them was hard to sever. So today's battle wasn't just about helping Wang Dong out of a tough spot—it was also about establishing his authority. If he didn't handle this fight well, there would be more trouble in the future.
"What happened today was rash, I admit. But Wang Dong also has a problem. He belittles soul tools, and as soul engineers, how could we tolerate that?"
Mo Cheng's argument wasn't without merit. After all, they were all soul engineers and Wang Dong's attitude was offensive to them.
"Whether Wang Dong insulted soul tools or not, even if he did, I'll be the one to teach him a lesson. It's not your place to interfere."
"Do you think you can lay a hand on one of my people?"
Su Yu remained unmoved.
He openly admitted to being protective of his own. So what if he was? Wang Dong might sleep through class every day, but that was because a certain god-king was messing with his head. As for the claim that Wang Dong insulted soul tools, Su Yu didn't believe it for a second. It was just some idle people stirring up trouble and exaggerating things. And Wang Dong, being as proud as he was, couldn't be bothered to explain himself.
That's why they had misunderstood him. Su Yu understood this, but he couldn't be bothered to explain or argue. Who were they to him, anyway? Did he owe them an explanation?
To be honest, Su Yu's pride was no less than Wang Dong's. Back in the Star Dou Forest, he was always the center of attention. Who didn't have some personality?
If they had approached the situation calmly, Su Yu might have explained things. But if they came at him aggressively, did they expect him to back down? He was the kind of person who responded better to kindness, not threats.
"Fine, fine. No wonder you two come from the same place—you're both so stubborn. Let's see if your skills are as tough as your words," Mo Cheng trembled with anger. These two—Su Yu and Wang Dong—were truly a pair of arrogant soul masters.
"Why don't you give it a try?"
Su Yu stretched out his hand.
"Let's see how strong you are."
"Then keep your eyes wide open."
Mo Cheng let out a low growl. Two yellow and two purple soul rings appeared around him. Countless metal tubes emerged from his body, making him look like a porcupine. Soon, the metal tubes began to glow with white light.
A powerful aura filled the air as the white light built up.
"Watch out."
Mo Cheng gave a warning before the metal tubes released beams of white light, all aimed at Su Yu.