Chapter 109: Soul Hunting Forest
While Dugu Bo was cultivating with full intensity, at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy—
Inside Dugu Yan's classroom, a middle-aged teacher with a square face and glasses stood at the front, giving a lecture. All the students below listened attentively.
The classroom wasn't too large, but not small either—at least fifty to sixty students filled the room.
There were four rows of desks in total.
Two rows were placed along the walls, while the remaining two stood in the middle.
Dugu Yan sat in the third row of the middle section.
On her left was Meng Yiran, with short brown hair.
On her right was the gentle and quiet Ye Lingling.
This seat—Dugu Yan's seat—was the one every boy in the class dreamed of having.
Ring ring ring—
As the bell rang, the teacher ended his lecture, said "Class dismissed," and walked out with his materials.
The moment the bell sounded, the students rushed out of the classroom in a frenzy—
Not for anything else, but because the cafeteria food was too good.
If they were late, there'd be nothing left.
"Let's go, Lingling, Yiran. If we don't hurry, those stinky boys will eat everything."
Dugu Yan spoke lazily.
Her short dark-purple hair gave her a heroic charm, while her emerald-green eyes combined with her stunning appearance created a faintly enchanting beauty.
Meng Yiran and Ye Lingling each had their own unique charm as well.
At this moment, Dugu Yan had one arm around each of them, looking like a carefree young master—making several boys nearby feel extremely uncomfortable.
Just as the three were about to leave the classroom, the students who had rushed out suddenly returned.
Before Dugu Yan could react, a voice sounded:
"Don't rush off yet—I have something to announce."
A young man walked in.
He looked around thirty years old, with ordinary features, simple black hair, and plain clothing. However, his eyes were exceptionally bright.
"Teacher Qin Ming?"
Recognizing him, Dugu Yan and the others returned to their seats.
Qin Ming was a genius teacher at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy. With the support of the academy's three education committee members, his status was extremely high—few students dared to provoke him.
Once everyone was seated, Qin Ming stepped onto the platform.
"The academy has decided to establish an Elite Class. Selection will begin tomorrow. Go back and prepare yourselves—restore your energy and spirit."
"That's all. Go eat."
With that, he left.
The classroom erupted into discussion as students gathered in small groups and headed toward the cafeteria.
Dugu Yan pulled Meng Yiran and Ye Lingling along as they followed the crowd out.
By the window, a tall young man with long black hair watched the three girls leave, his expression unreadable.
His appearance wasn't particularly handsome, and his face seemed almost stiff, as if his facial muscles rarely moved.
He wore a simple blue outfit with no decorations.
Everything about him seemed plain—
Yet faintly dangerous, like a lurking wolf.
He was none other than one of the twin stars of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan—
Yu Tianheng.
"They're already gone—what are you staring at? Snap out of it, boss. Let's go eat."
A fair hand waved in front of him.
"Boss, what exactly happened between you and Sister Yan?"
The speaker was a handsome young man of average build, with short golden hair and lively eyes—
Yufeng, a Wind Chime Bird spirit master (future member of the Heaven Dou Royal Team).
"Yeah, boss. Ever since Sister Yan came back from break, you two haven't really talked."
Another youth dressed in black, also blond and delicate-looking, leaned in curiously.
Their words brought Yu Tianheng's thoughts back to a few months ago.
On the third day after school started, Dugu Yan had pulled him to a secluded corner of the academy.
At the time, he thought she wanted to take their relationship further—
But things turned out completely different.
Dugu Yan… wanted to break up.
He had been stunned.
When he demanded a reason, she told him:
She wanted to become a powerful woman like Bibi Dong.
And emotions would only become shackles on her path to strength.
Yu Tianheng had nearly blurted out—
Wasn't this script reversed?
Shouldn't he be the one striving for strength and breaking up?
He still remembered how her words left him completely frozen.
He had even suspected she found someone else.
But over the following months, Dugu Yan hadn't gotten close to any other man.
Aside from spending more time with another girl, her behavior hadn't changed much.
Well… except that her cultivation had improved drastically.
Could it be… she likes girls?
That was the only explanation he could come up with.
Otherwise, nothing made sense.
What puzzled him even more was her sudden leap in soul power.
He couldn't understand how a single trip to the Sunset Forest had boosted her strength so much.
He decided that during the next break, he would ask his grandfather about it.
A cold breeze blew in from the window.
Yu Tianheng snapped back to reality and glanced at the two.
"You're not women—why are you gossiping so much? Let's go eat."
With that, he turned and left.
"Wait for us, boss!"
Oslo and Yufeng exchanged a glance and hurried after him.
Meanwhile, Dugu Yan and the other two had already arrived at the academy cafeteria.
The Heaven Dou Royal Academy truly lived up to its reputation as the top academy in the Heaven Dou Empire.
Even the cafeteria was extremely luxurious.
It was so vast that one couldn't see the end at a glance.
Since all grades dined here, it was packed with people.
There were four food counters:
A, B, C, and D.
D Counter – Free food: steamed buns and plain porridge. Low nutrition, poor taste.
C Counter – Decent meals: various dishes made from ordinary ingredients. Affordable, but not very nutritious.
B Counter – High-end food: includes hundred-year soul beast meat and nourishing delicacies. Costs silver soul coins.
A Counter – Top-tier ingredients:
Thousand-year bear soul beast paws
Braised rabbit heads
Spicy rabbit legs
…and more.
Since most students were nobles, D Counter was completely empty.
The most crowded were A and B.
Dugu Yan brought the two girls straight to A Counter, ordering their favorite dishes.
As usual, the "rich lady" Dugu Yan generously paid for everything.
Even though this wasn't the first time, Meng Yiran and Ye Lingling still blushed slightly and thanked her softly.
Every time, Dugu Yan would smirk mischievously, lifting their chins.
"Why thank me? With our relationship, are you trying to be polite? Want a beating?"
Meng Yiran boldly raised her head.
"Yan Yan… are you raising us like your girlfriends?"
Without waiting for a reply, she added:
"If it's you… I wouldn't mind."
The shy Ye Lingling couldn't help but scoff softly at them.
The bond between the three had already grown extremely close.
Between their friendship—and the martial soul fusion technique between Dugu Yan and Meng Yiran—their relationship had become inseparable.
After getting their food, they found an empty table and sat down.
Chatting cheerfully, they began eating together…