"Really? Are you planning to introduce your sister to me?"
Su Yu teased with a smile, pretending to be completely unaware of the situation.
"Yes. After much observation, I've concluded that your talent and character are passable. Out of the goodness of my heart, I can introduce my sister to you," Wang Dong puffed out her chest, pretending to be bold and confident while trying to hide the shyness and nervousness underneath.
Since entering the academy, so much has happened. Unknowingly, many things had already taken root in her heart.
"Heh, thanks for the offer, but I don't need it for now. I don't have any plans for romance at the moment."
Su Yu ruffled Wang Dong's hair with a smile.
This is a lie!
I don't have plans for romance! (False)
You're Tang San's daughter, and I have many concerns. (True)
Until he had enough confidence to face Tang San, the God King, there were certain things Su Yu wouldn't consider.
Besides, when it came to personal preference, he liked older women more.
He couldn't resist the allure of mature women at all. Whether it was their long, well-shaped legs or the seductive air they carried, it was simply intoxicating.
Simply irresistible!
"Huh?"
Wang Dong was dumbfounded when Su Yu ruffled her hair and started walking away.
She had finally mustered the courage, and Su Yu just rejected her like that?
"Su Yu!"
"Su Yu!"
Seeing Su Yu walking off into the distance, Wang Dong quickly chased after him.
...
As the sun set, Su Yu and Wang Dong sat down to eat in their dorm.
The meal had been specially prepared by the academy, made with high-quality ingredients.
Wang Dong opened his meal box: two dishes, one soup, a bowl of rice, and a piece of fruit—all top-tier. It was much better than what he usually ate in the cafeteria.
One dish, a stew, even used meat from a thousand-year-old soul beast, which was incredibly rare. The accompanying peony shrimp was also a delicacy, and Wang Dong was quite satisfied.
But when he saw Su Yu's meal, his satisfaction quickly faded.
In front of Su Yu were three dishes, one soup, a bowl of rice, and two spirit fruits. The dishes included braised ox tendon, chicken and mushroom stew, and steamed fish, with lobster soup on the side.
The problem was the ingredients.
The ox tendon came from a ten-thousand-year-old soul beast, the chicken from a thousand-year-old soul beast, and the fish was a deep-sea whitefish, living over 5,000 meters below the ocean—extremely nutritious and difficult to catch.
The lobster in the soup was a rare sea-blue lobster, a natural treasure.
Wang Dong's food was good enough, but compared to Su Yu's, the difference was stark.
"Ahhh, this is unfair! Unfair treatment!"
Wang Dong shouted, expressing his frustration and envy.
"You're too old to fuss over some food. Is it that big of a deal?"
Su Yu chuckled, moving his food over to Wang Dong's table.
"Let's just eat together!"
"Really?"
Wang Dong blinked his pink-blue eyes, looking adorably surprised.
"Would I lie to you?"
Su Yu lightly tapped Wang Dong's forehead.
"Hehe!"
Wang Dong giggled, a sparkle flashing in his eyes as he looked at Su Yu.
Soon, the two of them finished their meal.
Wang Dong rubbed his belly, satisfied and relaxed. The food tonight was amazing.
Wang Dong had a slight obsession with cleanliness, especially concerning men. But when he was with Su Yu, it hardly ever bothered him. Even Su Yu sitting on his bed didn't seem to trigger it.
Wang Dong leaned back lazily in his chair, muttering, "I wonder what delicious food they'll send tomorrow."
Su Yu found it amusing. This girl was such a foodie.
But thinking about how he'd be leaving soon, Su Yu realized that for a while, Wang Dong would be left alone.
His gaze softened as he thought about it.
"Wang Dong!"
"Hm?"
Wang Dong looked over curiously.
"I'm going to be away for a while," Su Yu said calmly.
"What?"
Wang Dong sat up quickly, looking anxious.
"Why are you leaving?"
"I'm going to get my fourth soul ring," Su Yu explained softly.
In truth, it was because the system had suddenly issued a new task.
Earlier that afternoon, just after Su Yu returned to the dorm, the system's voice rang out:
[Ding! A random check-in task has been issued. Location: Extreme North. Time: within three days.]
The sudden task had disrupted Su Yu's plans. This was the first time the system had issued a check-in task, so naturally, Su Yu had to go.
Since it was the Extreme North, Su Yu figured something important might happen there. If he didn't go, he might miss something crucial.
But thinking about Wang Dong, Su Yu decided to wait until after dinner to bring it up. He knew that once he left, Wang Dong would be alone again.
This girl didn't have any other close friends.
"So, it's for a soul ring."
Wang Dong relaxed a little and asked, "Why did you suddenly decide to get one?"
"I can't put it off forever. With the fourth soul ring, I'll be stronger," Su Yu smiled.
"...True!"
Wang Dong admitted, knowing that getting a soul ring was serious. He hesitated before asking, "How long will it take?"
"That's hard to say. It depends on the situation. Finding the right soul beast isn't always easy," Su Yu explained.
"I see..."
Wang Dong was quiet for a moment before saying, "You better come back quickly. I... I..."
"I'll come back as soon as I can. In the meantime, you can hang out with Sister Meng. She'd make a good friend," Su Yu suggested.
"I won't go," Wang Dong pouted, acting proud.
After all, Meng Hongchen liked Su Yu so much that he wasn't interested in spending time with her.
"Being stubborn again? Without me around, there'll be no one to protect you," Su Yu teased, pinching Wang Dong's cheek.
"Tch, I'm invincible! I don't need your protection."
Wang Dong raised his head, pretending to be disdainful.
"Yes, yes, Young Master Wang Dong is the best," Su Yu chuckled.
Wang Dong pouted.
"When are you leaving?"
"Tomorrow morning," Su Yu replied.
"So soon?"
Wang Dong frowned.
"The sooner I leave, the sooner I'll be back," Su Yu reassured him with a smile.
"Did you tell the academy?"
"I'm about to," Su Yu nodded.
Wang Dong fell silent, staring at Su Yu, unsure of what to say.
Su Yu was leaving, and Wang Dong felt an inexplicable sense of emptiness and anxiety.
Ever since they started at the academy, Wang Dong had grown used to relying on Su Yu. Su Yu had shielded him from almost all trouble. Now that Su Yu was leaving, even if it was just to get a soul ring, Wang Dong felt a bit lost.
"You stay here in the dorm. I'll go get permission from the Hall Master," Su Yu said, patting Wang Dong's shoulder.
"No, I'm coming with you," Wang Dong responded quickly, his tone urgent.
"Alright then."
"Let's go together."
Seeing the nervous and reluctant look in Wang Dong's eyes, Su Yu couldn't bring himself to refuse.
The two of them headed to Jing Hongchen's office together.
When Su Yu requested a leave of absence, Jing Hongchen initially refused. How could he allow a student to take time off in the middle of their studies?
However, when Su Yu explained that he needed the leave to obtain his fourth soul ring, Jing Hongchen immediately agreed. He couldn't stand in the way of Su Yu growing stronger. After all, Su Yu was a student of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy, and as its Dean, Jing Hongchen naturally hoped Su Yu would reach his full potential.
Su Yu quickly arranged his leave and informed Meng Hongchen.
...
The next morning, at the crack of dawn, Su Yu was ready to depart. Time was tight, and he had to hurry.
To Su Yu's surprise, Wang Dong was up unusually early. Watching Su Yu, who was fully prepared to leave, Wang Dong's face was filled with reluctance, and his pink-blue eyes glistened with unshed tears.
"Come on, it's not like I'm not coming back. Don't act like a little girl."
"I'm off!"
Su Yu pinched Wang Dong's cheek, then turned and left without further delay.
As Su Yu's figure gradually faded into the distance, Wang Dong's tears, which he had held back all night, finally fell.
"Su Yu, you big idiot!"
Wang Dong muttered softly, watching as Su Yu's silhouette disappeared.
...
After leaving the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy, another figure quietly appeared beside Su Yu. Dressed in an ice-blue robe with long white hair, the newcomer looked to be in his forties. It was none other than Mu Wu, a nearly Ultimate Douluo-level powerhouse.
With Su Yu's strength, reaching the Extreme North in just two or three days would have been impossible. The Extreme North was tens of thousands of miles away, so Su Yu had to rely on Mu Wu for the journey.
"Young Master!"
Mu Wu greeted Su Yu respectfully with a bow.
"Senior Mu Wu, did you notice anything strange yesterday at the barbecue restaurant?"
Su Yu asked casually.
Mu Wu thought for a moment before replying, "Reporting to the Young Master, I did not detect anything unusual yesterday."
Su Yu paused, his gaze sharpening momentarily before returning to normal.
"There's still a gap," Su Yu sighed inwardly.
Mu Wu hadn't even noticed the presence of the Ultimate Douluo. Was the gap between an Ultimate Douluo and a non-Ultimate Douluo really that vast?
"The Dragon Emperor Douluo, Long Xiaoyao, truly has some skills," Su Yu mused silently.
Su Yu had already formed a guess about the old man in black. There were only four known Ultimate Douluos in the current world: Long Xiaoyao, Ye Xishui, Mu En, and the Master from the Clear Sky Sect. The chances of another hidden Ultimate Douluo appearing in Radiant City, in the Sun Moon Empire, were slim. An old man with dark attributes? It had to be Long Xiaoyao.
Long Xiaoyao had gained fame nearly two hundred years ago, and his true age had long surpassed two hundred. Of the three known Ultimate Douluos, Mu En was the weakest, while Long Xiaoyao was likely the strongest.
Even Ye Xishui, who was both an Ultimate Douluo and a soul engineer, might not be able to defeat him. In the past, Su Yu wouldn't have necessarily thought Ye Xishui was weaker than Long Xiaoyao, but after seeing him in person yesterday, his view changed.
Long Xiaoyao's true power wasn't far from that of Di Tian. In the current world, the only one who might surpass him was probably Di Tian.
In Douluo 2, the classification of Ultimate Douluos wasn't clear, but by Douluo 3, they were categorized as quasi-demigods, demigods, and quasi-gods. Long Xiaoyao's strength likely approached that of a demigod, and it was even possible he was already one.
As for Di Tian, he was at least at the demigod level, and with the Dragon God Claw, he probably had the combat power of a quasi-god. Di Tian's status as the strongest below the god level on the Douluo Continent was unquestionable.
Ye Xishui was powerful, but her abilities hadn't come from hard work, which left a flaw in her strength.
As for Mu Wu and Taotie Douluo Xuan Zi, they didn't compare. Xuan Zi was widely recognized as the weakest 98th-level Super Douluo. What Su Yu didn't know was that after being struck by Bear Lord's Sky Splitting Claw, Xuan Zi wasn't even at level 95 anymore.
If Su Yu knew this, he would have applauded Bear Lord. Well done, Bear Lord!
"If Long Xiaoyao is this strong, then Tang San must be even stronger. That hypocritical God King... his power is likely no less than that of the God of Destruction," Su Yu reminded himself to stay vigilant and keep improving.
Then, thinking of Tang San, Su Yu remembered the lightning shock card he had left unused.
"This thing won't lay eggs if I keep it. Better to use it sooner than later. God King Tang San, prepare for divine retribution!"
Su Yu selected Tang San and casually crushed the card.
...
In the Divine Realm, Tang San had just finished dealing with the Golden Dragon King's outburst and returned to the Sea God Palace.
"I don't know what got into the Golden Dragon King, but it went on such a rampage, shaking the entire Divine Realm. It's inherently evil and deserves to die," Tang San, the God King, fumed.
After wasting half a day dealing with it, Tang San was frustrated. Half a day in the Divine Realm meant six months in the mortal world. What if the Child of the Destiny was led astray? Or worse, what if his precious daughter got bullied?
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He wanted to hack the Golden Dragon King to pieces with his Asura Sword. Just as he was about to check on the Douluo Continent, the sky erupted with a thunderous roar.
Dark clouds rolled across the sky, covering the Sea God Palace with terrifying pressure.
"Boom!"
A massive purple thunderbolt, transforming into a thunder dragon, descended from the sky, instantly shattering the Sea God Palace and striking Tang San directly.
Even with his God King physique, Tang San was left charred, his face blackened, and his hair standing on end from the shock.
"Who dares to attack? Show yourself!"
Tang San shouted in fury.
But before he could finish, another bolt of lightning descended, once again targeting him.
"Do you think this God King has no wrath? Endless Waves!"
Tang San summoned his Sea God Trident, unleashing Endless Waves. The golden ring it released seemed poised to swallow the lightning.
PS: Hmm... I'm not sure if it's better to use 'he' for Wang Dong because she is disguised as a man now, or if it's better to use 'she' since we already know her gender.