The most important thing is this: Chen Ming, a guy whose family doesn't even have a single Soul Douluo, dares to compete with Yu Tianheng for a woman.
When Dugu Yan was six years old, shortly after awakening her martial soul, Yu Tianheng saw her at a banquet while accompanying his grandfather, Yu Yuanzhen.
At that time, Yu Tianheng was eight, and Dugu Yan was six. The moment Yu Tianheng, who had just begun to understand the ways of men and women, laid eyes on Dugu Yan, his heart started pounding uncontrollably.
After returning home, Yu Tianheng lost his appetite and couldn't sleep, his mind consumed by thoughts of Dugu Yan. His grandfather, Yu Yuanzhen, eventually noticed.
When Yu Tianheng told Yu Yuanzhen about it, his grandfather was initially surprised but reluctantly agreed to ask Dugu Bo for his consent at an appropriate time.
However, back then, Dugu Yan had just awakened her martial soul, and many people eager to curry favor with Dugu Bo were lining up to propose marriage agreements involving Dugu Yan. This infuriated Dugu Bo, who, during a court assembly in the Heaven Dou Empire, dragged out the forty- or fifty-year-old men hoping to marry his granddaughter and publicly beat them.
Those beaten nobles were also poisoned by Dugu Bo. For a week, they were mentally disoriented, unable to distinguish reality from illusion. For a month, they lost control of their bowels. It took three full months before they could walk again.
Some of the younger ones reportedly recovered after nearly a year, while the older or frailer ones are said to have never regained their full abilities.
Seeing Dugu Bo's near-mad reaction, even Yu Yuanzhen hesitated to bring up the matter at that time.
Although Dugu Bo's strength was indeed weaker than Yu Yuanzhen's, his threat level was unmatched.
Dugu Bo was one of the most dangerous figures on the entire continent. His only soft spot was his granddaughter, Dugu Yan. If provoked, Dugu Bo could easily hide Dugu Yan and go on a rampage across the continent.
And so, they waited for several years.
Years later, Yu Yuanzhen and Yu Tianheng finally visited Dugu Bo to discuss the matter. Out of respect for Yu Yuanzhen's superior strength, Dugu Bo politely declined, saying the children were still too young and suggesting they revisit the matter in a few years.
After that, Yu Yuanzhen stopped paying much attention to Yu Tianheng's pursuit of Dugu Yan, choosing instead to focus on his cultivation in seclusion.
Ironically, this lack of concern further provoked Yu Tianheng, whose behavior gradually turned more obsessive.
As the eldest grandson of the sect leader, Yu Tianheng had the support of his elders. Unlike Yu Yuanzhen, these elders were much more enthusiastic about Yu Tianheng's pursuit of Dugu Yan.
Over the years, Yu Tianheng became deeply infatuated with Dugu Yan. He knew everything about her—what she liked to eat, her favorite colors, and even that she despised weak people, preferring those with strength and a cold demeanor.
Ever since Dugu Yan entered the academy, Yu Tianheng had been closely monitoring her movements. He even secretly incited some less enthusiastic students to pursue her fanatically, just so he could create opportunities to eliminate these toads in front of her and earn her favor.
Initially, many students didn't dare pursue Dugu Yan, especially those whose elders had been victims of Dugu Bo's public punishment in the palace. They vividly remembered the torment their families had endured.
But the influence of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan ensured that everyone played their part.
Through coercion, bribery, or a mix of both, the clan had many methods to ensure compliance.
In the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, Yu Yuanzhen was the only titled Douluo. However, he spent most of his time in seclusion pursuing greater heights, leaving most clan affairs in the hands of his younger brother, Yu Luomian, the second strongest in the clan.
To many, Yu Luomian seemed more like the clan leader than the often-absent Yu Yuanzhen.
If Yu Yuanzhen was a proud dragon soaring in the heavens, expressing anger through thunderous force that obliterated all before him, then Yu Luomian was a calculating snake slithering on the ground. Though superficially similar to a dragon, his core was one of shrewdness and cunning.
Not only did he leverage the dragon's prestige, but he also had his hidden agendas.
Although Yu Tianheng was Yu Yuanzhen's biological grandson, within the sect, his talent was inferior to that of his cousin, Yu Tianxin. Furthermore, with Yu Yuanzhen often detached from worldly affairs, the clan had effectively become Yu Luomian's domain.
While harmony appeared to prevail on the surface, Yu Tianheng secretly coveted the position of heir to the clan. Deep down, he wished for nothing more than for his cousin Yu Tianxin to drop dead on the spot.
To win over Dugu Yan and leverage Dugu Bo's influence to solidify his position as the future sect leader, Yu Tianheng had reached a point where he was willing to pay any price.
Once a few leading figures took on their roles, the rest of the crowd, who lacked much self-awareness, naturally became part of the drama.
In a student body dominated by mediocrity, it only took one or two ringleaders to dispel their awe of a Titled Douluo. The remaining fools, already not the brightest, would fall into place and play their parts perfectly.
With the help of his elders, Yu Tianheng had already prepared the stage and cast. He was just waiting for Dugu Yan to acquire her third soul ring so he could perform his grand act—a dramatic display of his cold demeanor and overwhelming strength to leave a lasting impression on her.
But before Dugu Yan even obtained her soul ring, news spread that Chen Ming had openly embraced Dugu Yan in broad daylight at the academy, flaunting their relationship.
How could Yu Tianheng tolerate this?!
Though he desperately wanted to unleash his Thunder Dragon Claw and humiliate this scoundrel before everyone, Yu Tianheng knew better. After all, the cafeteria was not devoid of teachers.
If he couldn't deal with Chen Ming swiftly, he risked being caught by the teachers. Even with his advantage as a potential future leader of the world's top sect, the three academy elders would still punish him.
Even if he weren't sent back to the sect, he'd face several days of confinement.
Worse, if this incident reached his second uncle, Yu Luomian, the latter would seize the opportunity to spread the story within the sect and, accidentally, let it reach his grandfather Yu Yuanzhen.
If that happened, Yu Tianheng's aspirations for the sect leader position would grow even more distant.
So, after a single Thunder Dragon Claw attack, Yu Tianheng could only glare at Chen Ming, hoping Chen Ming would retaliate so he could justify taking him down.
Though Yu Tianheng thought his intentions were well hidden, to Chen Ming, they were blatantly obvious. While Chen Ming's soul power surged, as if ready to strike, he intentionally refrained from attacking, leaving Yu Tianheng without a valid excuse.
As the two stood off, a fiery figure suddenly flashed into the scene—a Soul Master surrounded by flames intervened, his soul power flaring with anger.
"If you want to fight, take it to the arena! Using spirit abilities against a fellow student in the school cafeteria—do you want to be expelled?!"
Qin Ming shouted furiously, though inwardly, he felt conflicted.
He had been about to eat in the staff cafeteria when he heard someone yell that spirit abilities were being used in the student cafeteria. He immediately activated his martial soul and rushed over.
On his way, he overtook several other teachers. Being the first to arrive, Qin Ming was immediately dumbfounded when he saw that the conflict involved Chen Ming and Yu Tianheng.
As the first on the scene, the other teachers who arrived afterward either retreated even faster or hid themselves, offering no help to Qin Ming.
Though conflicted, Qin Ming was a responsible teacher. Bracing himself, he stepped in to stop this ridiculous cafeteria drama.
When Qin Ming looked at Yu Tianheng, the latter's eyes flashed with disdain as he let out what he thought was a subtle snort.
Though Yu Tianheng himself had just barely reached the rank of Soul Elder, his background made him look down on Qin Ming, a Soul King nearing Soul Emperor rank.
Seeing that Qin Ming didn't show him any favoritism, Yu Tianheng was naturally displeased.
"Teacher, that person ambushed my friend and poisoned him. I couldn't stand to see my friend humiliated, so I lashed out in anger."
"If anyone deserves punishment, it should be Chen Ming."
"Hmm?" Qin Ming turned his suspicious gaze toward the injured figure on the ground—a minor character no one had paid attention to.
This minor character's martial soul was the Thunder Dragon, a dragon martial soul. Even at the academy, he was somewhat notable. Qin Ming had seen his file before and knew he was one of Yu Tianheng's lackeys. His reputation in the academy was far from stellar.
Given the circumstances, Qin Ming immediately deduced that, even if Yu Tianheng hadn't orchestrated the situation directly, he was undoubtedly involved.
However, seeing the massive chunks of missing flesh and the blood flowing from the injured student's body, Qin Ming couldn't simply ignore him.
Casting a deep, meaningful glance at Yu Tianheng, Qin Ming approached the injured student, using his soul power to stabilize his condition. He then called over a nearby healer-type student who had been watching the commotion to use their spirit ability.