Douluo Dalu 2: The True God King

"What's wrong with it?"

Su Yu's eyes gleamed with excitement as he eagerly replied, "I've been wanting to see the strength of the senior brothers and sisters in the inner courtyard. I've heard Miss Wu Ming's Golden Crow True Fire is incredibly powerful—I'd like to experience it firsthand."

"In that case, I don't mind letting you experience it properly," Wu Ming responded coldly, clearly provoked by Su Yu's words.

"Wu Ming!"

Zhang Lexuan stopped Wu Ming and turned to Su Yu with a helpless expression. She couldn't figure out what Su Yu was thinking. Was he that confident in his strength? Wu Ming was a Soul Sage, after all.

While it was true that Su Yu had defeated Ma Xiaotao, a Soul Emperor, back when he was only a Soul Elder, that didn't mean he could now defeat a Soul Sage as a Soul King.

Soul Sage was a crucial dividing line in a Soul Master's journey. Crossing into this realm brought immense power, as it granted access to their Martial Soul Avatar. The gap between a Soul Sage and a Soul Emperor was even greater than that between a Titled Douluo and a Soul Douluo because of the existence of the Martial Soul Avatar.

Wu Ming's Golden Crow was undoubtedly a top-tier Martial Soul. Even with Su Yu's Ultimate Ice, he might not stand a chance against her.

Yet, whenever Zhang Lexuan thought about Su Yu's mysterious abilities, a sense of confidence in him arose. Su Yu wasn't one to act recklessly—perhaps he truly had a plan.

After a moment of silence, Han Ruoruo spoke up, breaking the tension. "Su Yu, you don't appreciate Lexuan's kindness, do you? Are you that eager to get beaten up? Don't let your looks fool you—Wu Ming won't hold back."

Su Yu smiled faintly. "That's exactly what I'm hoping for, Miss Wu Ming's full effort. Winning too easily would be no fun."

"Arrogant!" Wu Ming's voice turned colder, clearly provoked.

"Indeed, arrogant," Han Ruoruo agreed, nodding in support.

Zhang Lexuan sighed and asked, "Are you sure about this?"

Su Yu nodded lightly. "We can't just leave things unresolved after the challenge has been issued. I prefer to see things through to the end."

Zhang Lexuan shook her head helplessly. "Fine, since you insist, I won't stop you. But not today. This is your first day at Shrek Academy, and I won't allow a fight to break out just yet. Otherwise, it'll make us look like we don't know how to treat our guests properly. If you want to duel Wu Ming, set a date yourselves."

Su Yu shrugged. "I'm fine with that."

Wu Ming added, "So am I."

Su Yu looked at Wu Ming and chuckled. "How about three days from now? I already have a sparring match scheduled with Miss Xiaotao in three days—might as well combine them and settle it all at once. As for the battlefield, the Sea God's Lake would be perfect."

Hearing this, Wu Ming's expression turned icy. "You're truly arrogant, daring to challenge both me and Ma Xiaotao at the same time?"

Ma Xiaotao, also a Soul Sage, was no less powerful than Wu Ming. Challenging both of them simultaneously was nothing short of audacious.

"No, no, not just the two of you—everyone. Three days from now, I'll set up a challenge platform on the Sea God's Lake. Aside from you two, I welcome all the senior brothers and sisters to come and teach me. I just hope your skills are strong enough not to disappoint me," Su Yu said with a hearty laugh, his tone brimming with unrestrained confidence.

Unsurprisingly, this arrogance provoked widespread anger. Wu Ming and the other inner courtyard students were furious, and even Ma Xiaotao's face darkened.

He didn't just challenge her one-on-one—he lumped her in with the others!

Ma Xiaotao's eyes burned with rage, nearly spewing fire. If Zhang Lexuan hadn't been present, she'd have demanded an explanation from Su Yu on the spot.

Han Ruoruo's tone turned cold. "Su Yu, are you including me among those 'senior brothers and sisters' as well?"

"Why not? Miss Ruoruo is willing to teach me, I'd be honored." Su Yu blinked, his face full of innocent charm.

"You—" Han Ruoruo was so infuriated she nearly lashed out. But she managed to hold herself back, repeatedly reminding herself that he was just a young man and that his background was untouchable. She needed to stay calm.

"Lexuan, you see this, right? You see what kind of troublemaker he is, don't you?" Han Ruoruo complained to Zhang Lexuan.

Zhang Lexuan rubbed her forehead, clearly exasperated. She had come here intending to mediate, but Su Yu refused to cooperate. All her efforts were wasted.

Seeing her expression, Su Yu chuckled softly. He understood her meaning perfectly, but enduring insults wasn't his style. He was fully confident in his victory, so why should he hold back?

If the inner courtyard students ended up losing badly, would Yan Shaozhe and the others intervene? Let them try. Did they think he, Su Yu, was easy to deal with?

The Ice Emperor had been ready for a long time, and if push came to shove, even Mu En might have to step in.

Su Yu wasn't the least bit worried he found the situation rather amusing.

"Fine. If you're set on this, I won't stop you," Zhang Lexuan finally said with a sigh.

She could see Su Yu was determined, and once he decided on something, she never doubted him. Whether it was right or wrong, she was willing to support him unconditionally.

Since he was insistent on fighting, she'd let him. With three days to prepare, she could at least give him some advice.

After all, while she cared for her sisters, Su Yu was far more important to her.

"Lexuan, are you going along with this madness?" Han Ruoruo asked.

"There's no stopping him. Instead of letting them fight in secret, it's better to put it out in the open. And a bit of competition isn't necessarily a bad thing," Zhang Lexuan said calmly.

"Well said, beautiful sister. You always know what to say," Su Yu chimed in with a grin.

Han Ruoruo: "…"

Competition? She doubted they wouldn't tear the place apart.

With Zhang Lexuan's nod, the challenge was set.

Beside Su Yu, two curvaceous young women glared at him, their eyes practically boring holes into him.

But Su Yu remained calm, even glancing at them and nodding secretly.

Not bad. No wonder they were called the volcanoes of the inner courtyard—great figures.

Ignoring their tempers, they were certainly easy on the eyes.

Compared to their exaggerated figures, Meng Hongchen seemed to pale in comparison, and as for Wang Dong'er, she was even further behind.

In truth, Ma Xiaotao wasn't wrong—Su Yu indeed liked curvier physiques. Seeing such figures made him excited, but he wasn't one to let his desires govern his actions.

Watching the still-indignant inner court students in the distance, Zhang Lexuan shook her head and said, "Xiaotao, Ruoruo, you two entertain Su Yu. I'll go inform Dean Yan and the others."

The duel had already been set, and it wasn't a trivial matter. It had to be reported to Yan Shaozhe.

"Lexuan, go ahead. Leave this guy to me; I'll make sure he feels completely at home," Huo Ruoruo said with a sly smile.

Though she was smiling, Su Yu couldn't help but feel a hint of coldness in her demeanor.

After giving a few more instructions, Zhang Lexuan disappeared and headed toward the Sea God Pavilion.

Left behind at the scene were Huo Ruoruo, Wu Ming, Ma Xiaotao, and the others.

"Why are you all still here? If there's nothing else, disperse," Huo Ruoruo ordered.

With Zhang Lexuan gone, Huo Ruoruo's authority as the most senior member became evident. Even though the inner court students were still upset, they gradually dispersed upon hearing her words.

In front of the pavilion, only the group from the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy remained.

"Su Yu, are you coming with us, or do you want to catch up with old friends first?" Huo Ruoruo asked with a playful smile.

Su Yu replied with a faint smile, "Please wait for a moment. I have a few words to exchange with them."

Ma Xiaotao seemed to realize something, and the angry look on her face turned into one of amusement.

Meanwhile, Wu Ming remained visibly upset, glaring at Su Yu. She had already formed a bad impression of him, influenced by Xiao Hongchen stirring up trouble under Su Yu's name.

Even Su Yu's good looks didn't help. Typically, his appearance alone would disarm most women, but Wu Ming was the first to show outright hostility toward him from start to finish.

Su Yu wasn't naïve; he fully understood whose credit this was.

"No problem, go ahead," Huo Ruoruo waved her hand.

With a light chuckle, Su Yu took Meng Hongchen's hand and walked toward the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy group.

Among the group, half were acquaintances of Su Yu. Xiao Hongchen naturally required no introduction. Others like Mi Jia and Chen Feizhi were also familiar faces.

There were also some students from the Illustrious Virtue Hall whom Su Yu had met before. However, there were a few unfamiliar faces too—unsurprising given how large Illustrious Virtue Hall was, and Su Yu didn't have the time to know everyone.

Nevertheless, all of them had heard of Su Yu. After all, he was now the top prodigy of Illustrious Virtue Hall. His achievements, praised even by Jing Hongchen, and his record-breaking feats were still fresh in their minds. Even the top student, Ma Rulong, felt overshadowed.

As Su Yu approached, the students were visibly excited. Seeing a familiar face abroad was undoubtedly a joyous occasion.

"Su Yu, long time no see!"

"Su Yu, you finally came!"

"It's been a while!"

One by one, Mi Jia and the others greeted him warmly.

Responding to them with a smile, Su Yu nodded before turning his gaze to the one leading the group—Xiao Hongchen.

Still as flamboyant as ever, Xiao Hongchen broke into a grin upon seeing Su Yu. "Brother-in-law! Why are you here so soon?"

It had only been a few months since they parted, so Xiao Hongchen hadn't expected Su Yu to arrive at Shrek Academy so quickly.

With a half-smile, Su Yu replied, "If I didn't come, who knows how much worse my reputation would get because of someone."

Xiao Hongchen's heart skipped a beat as he nervously said, "B-Brother-in-law, w-what do you mean by that?"

"We'd never tarnish your reputation, right, everyone?"

But his so-called allies took a step back, leaving Xiao Hongchen awkwardly alone.

"..." Xiao Hongchen stood frozen.

Seeing Su Yu's calm yet slightly mischievous expression, Xiao Hongchen felt a chill run down his spine.

Nobody else might understand, but Xiao Hongchen knew all too well how terrifying Su Yu could be. Su Yu wasn't afraid to get physical, and even Jing Hongchen had once commended him for his decisiveness.

"Brother-in-law, did you hear some baseless rumors? Those are just lies—they're trying to sow discord!" Xiao Hongchen pleaded.

"Relax, Brother Xiao. Of course, I trust you," Su Yu said, smiling gently.

Hearing this, Xiao Hongchen breathed a sigh of relief. "Brother-in-law, it's great that you think this way. After all, we're family—there's no way I'd let anything damage your reputation!"

Still smiling, Su Yu stepped closer and placed a hand on Xiao Hongchen's shoulder.

Xiao Hongchen flinched. "B-Brother-in-law, w-what are you doing?"

"Nothing much," Su Yu said with a serene expression. "I just thought it'd be nice to spar with my dear brother-in-law after not seeing him for so long."

Hearing this, Xiao Hongchen felt his hair stand on end.

What do you mean you trust me? You've held a grudge!

Nobody else might know Su Yu's strength, but Xiao Hongchen did—intimately. Su Yu had once bested even Elder Ma, an eighth-level soul engineer, and easily crushed Ma Rulong, a seventh-level soul engineer.

Against Su Yu, Xiao Hongchen knew he didn't stand a chance.

Without a second thought, Xiao Hongchen activated four sixth-level soul propulsion devices, launching himself at full speed out of Sea God Island.

At such speed, even a Soul Sage would struggle to catch him.

But Su Yu simply vanished in a blur of motion, reappearing in front of Xiao Hongchen and calmly placing a hand on his forehead.

Xiao Hongchen froze mid-air, and his escape abruptly halted.

"Where are you off to, Brother Xiao?" Su Yu asked with a smile.

"Don't hit the face!" Xiao Hongchen pleaded desperately.

Su Yu's smile widened, and a fist promptly found its mark on Xiao Hongchen's eye.

"Ahhh!!!"

Xiao Hongchen's miserable screams echoed, marking the start of an all-too-familiar scene—a thorough and satisfying beatdown.