After that incident, Tianyu focused on his academic life. At school, he always paid close attention to the teachers and often studied on his own in the library. In both theoretical and practical exams, Tianyu consistently ranked first.
Since that afternoon, Ning Xue hadn't approached him again. Perhaps she felt ashamed for not standing up for him at the time. Tianyu didn't make any effort to approach her either. Although he had initially suspected that Ning Xue's intentions weren't sincere, he had once thought that if she showed loyalty and kindness, he wouldn't have minded introducing her to Xu Jiujiu. However, her indifference during his time of trouble revealed her true character.
Tianyu never saw Huo Yunxi—the girl he once saved—again. One day, he saw her with bruises all over her body. When Tianyu asked about her condition, she remained silent and walked away without saying a word.
At first, Tianyu thought Dai Huabin would send stronger seniors to retaliate. But strangely, no one came after him. Tianyu didn't dwell on it too much—maybe Dai Huabin had learned his lesson and decided not to mess with him anymore.
And just like that, four months had passed.
At present, Tianyu was training in his room. He had now changed his training method. No longer simply balancing heavy weights on his head, he began to adopt a more structured routine to train his entire body. For his training equipment, he asked Princess Xu Jiujiu to help him create portable weights made from various materials.
Xu Jiujiu agreed to the request on one condition: Tianyu had to accompany her on a soul beast hunting expedition for her third soul ring. Tianyu readily accepted the offer. Even without being asked, he would have gone—this was a golden opportunity to witness creatures he had only read about in books.
Since receiving the specialized training equipment from Xu Jiujiu a month ago, Tianyu had made it a permanent part of his daily life. He barely took off the portable weights, except when bathing. He even wore them to sleep. This intensive training had begun to show tangible results—Tianyu's body was nearly ready to condense his second soul ring.
For this important process, Tianyu had planned everything meticulously. He decided he would undergo the condensation during the soul beast hunt with Xu Jiujiu. The reason was clear: in the quiet forest, the energy fluctuations would be more easily masked by the ambient aura of the surrounding soul beasts. If he did it at school, the process might cause a disturbance due to its impact on the surrounding environment.
Tianyu carefully envisioned the execution scenario. He would look for an opportunity while Xu Jiujiu was busy hunting, then sneak away to a secluded spot to carry out the condensation in secret. That way, even if someone sensed an unusual energy surge, they would assume it came from a soul beast. Coincidentally, tomorrow was the long-awaited day—the hunting trip with Xu Jiujiu. And even better, Tianyu's body only needed one final push to reach peak readiness. Everything had been perfectly arranged for this crucial moment.
In the morning, Tianyu stretched his body one last time before resting. After cleaning up and putting on his school uniform, he said goodbye to Xu Jiujiu. "I'm heading out now, Sister Jiujiu," he said.
Xu Jiujiu simply replied, "Alright, be careful."
Tianyu then set off for school on foot. Ever since he started wearing the weights from Xu Jiujiu, he deliberately maximized the effect of his training by moving as much as possible. That was why he refused to ride the carriage with her. The weights he wore totaled around 1,700 kilograms—600 kilograms on his arms (300 per arm), 800 on his legs (400 per leg), and 300 kilograms on his upper body.
Along the way, some students glanced at him with curiosity. Over the past four months, Tianyu's reputation as the top student and a powerful fighter had spread widely. However, no one dared to approach or bother him. Ever since the incident with Ning Xue, he hadn't accepted anyone trying to befriend him just to get closer to Xu Jiujiu.
Upon arriving at school, Tianyu headed straight to the library. Among the stacks of books and notes he had studied, one particular topic captured his interest: Soul Tools. These spiritual devices, introduced by the Sun Moon Empire after the continent's unification 4,000 years ago, piqued his curiosity.
However, the books available there didn't explain how to make Soul Tools. This was because the three empires on the Douluo Continent looked down on Soul Tools, believing that true Soul Masters didn't need them. As a result, the development of Soul Tools in these empires lagged far behind the Sun Moon Empire.
Tianyu sighed in disappointment and looked around at the empty library. He was puzzled for a moment, but then remembered that class had already started. He quickly hurried off to his classroom.
Today, classes proceeded as usual. Tianyu was on his way back to the pavilion when he noticed a group of people gathered around someone. As he got closer, he realized that the person being surrounded was Huo Yunxi—the girl he had once saved. The ones encircling her were the same seniors who had bullied her before, subordinates of Dai Huabin. However, this time, Dai Huabin was not present.
Tianyu carefully observed the situation. Huo Yunxi looked even thinner and weaker than the last time he saw her. Her bruises were still visible, and this time, there was a fresh wound on her arm, lightly bleeding. The seniors hurled harsh insults at her while Huo Yunxi kept her head down, as if she had already resigned herself to her fate.
Without a second thought, Tianyu stepped forward.
"Hey, you all. Stop it. Now."
The seniors immediately fell silent and turned to look at him. Their expressions shifted from arrogant to wary when they recognized who he was.
"You think you can meddle again?" one of them shouted with a defiant tone. "This time, there won't be any teacher around to save you!"
Tianyu didn't waste any time. In a flash, he dashed forward.
Bam!
His first punch slammed into the stomach of the leading senior. The man was sent flying backward, crashing into two of his comrades and knocking them to the ground.
"Leave. Now," Tianyu growled, his eyes glinting coldly.
The remaining seniors exchanged glances. In unison, they activated their Martial Souls. Pale yellow spirit rings appeared beneath their feet.
"You can't beat all three of us!" one of them shouted, conjuring a pair of iron claws—his Martial Soul manifestation.
Tianyu merely sighed. Without even activating his own Martial Soul, he charged through them. Every punch hit its mark, every dodge was flawless. Within seconds, all three seniors were lying on the ground, groaning in pain.
With his breathing still steady, Tianyu turned and walked toward Huo Yunxi, who was still sitting on the ground.
"You're hurt," he said, pointing at the wound on her arm. "What's going on? Why do they keep bothering you?"
Huo Yunxi lowered her head, her long hair covering her face. Her hands trembled as she tried to hold back the tears falling to the ground.
"Please… just ignore me," she whispered, barely audible. "If you don't… my mother will…"
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