Chapter 25: Sudden Enlightenment! The Girl in the Black Dress with a Contradictory Personality! You Want to Pick Me Up? College Competition Begins!
Standing by the lake, looking at the sparkling water, the dense jungle in the distance, and the towering peaks behind him, Lu Yu felt relaxed and happy.
His expression shifted slightly as he raised a hand and began tracing in the air in front of him.
A faint blue glow swirled around his fingertips. Soon, a light blue talisman gradually took shape.
The moment the talisman was fully formed, a flash of light flickered in Lu Yu's eyes, and a smile appeared on his face.
It worked!
He had spent three years studying the fifth strongest talisman, and now—he had suddenly achieved enlightenment!
As the talisman formed, the space around Lu Yu slightly distorted, and the lake in front of him rippled as if stirred by invisible energy.
Lu Yu quickly waved his hand and dispersed the talisman.
After all, this was the entrance to Heaven Dou Royal Academy. If he made too big of a commotion, it would draw unnecessary attention.
Just as he turned to leave, he suddenly caught sight of a graceful figure standing quietly in the woods not far away.
It was a girl, about seventeen or eighteen years old. She had a slender frame, long blue hair cascading like a waterfall, and wore a black dress. Her face was hidden behind a thin black veil, revealing only a pair of sapphire-like eyes.
At this moment, the girl was staring straight at Lu Yu, unblinking.
When she saw Lu Yu had noticed her, she turned to leave.
Lu Yu's brows furrowed slightly. With a flash, he appeared in front of the girl and blocked her path.
The girl looked up at him and said in a cold voice, "Sorry, I didn't mean to peek. Please let me go."
There was a trace of doubt in Lu Yu's eyes as he asked gently, "Are you also a student of Heaven Dou Royal Academy?"
The girl nodded silently. Seeing that Lu Yu didn't stop her again, she walked past him and left slowly.
Watching her retreating back, Lu Yu sank into thought.
He possessed mental power on par with a Spirit Sage, and yet…
He hadn't even noticed her presence while she was watching him from nearby!
Could this girl possess some special Spirit talent?
Or... could her strength be far beyond his own?
Back in the Star Dou Great Forest, Lu Yu had only detected Dugu Bo's presence because of their proximity.
Otherwise, even he wouldn't have been able to detect a Titled Douluo's concealment.
But this girl clearly looked only seventeen or eighteen—
She didn't resemble a Titled Douluo in the slightest!
Looking back at the still waters of the lake, Lu Yu shook his head with a smile.
"Seems like Grandpa was right… Cultivation requires a balance of work and rest."
Just now, it was precisely because his mind was relaxed that he was able to comprehend the fifth strongest talisman all at once.
In the following month, besides training in the dorm, Lu Yu would regularly visit the lake to unwind, and occasionally climb to the mountain peak to watch the sunrise and sunset.
With such a balance between effort and rest, his progress in both technique and cultivation had actually surpassed those who practiced rigidly day and night.
What surprised Lu Yu even more—
Was that every time he came to the lake, he would encounter the girl in the black dress.
Each time, she would stand about a hundred meters away, silently gazing out at the water, giving off a faint sense of loneliness and isolation.
At the foot of the mountain, beside the lake.
Lu Yu once again dispersed a newly condensed talisman and sighed, murmuring to himself,
"This summoning talisman is really special… It has three levels, but I still have no clue how to access the second."
This summoning talisman was the fifth strongest talisman he had comprehended a month ago.
Just then, Lu Yu's gaze flickered.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a familiar black figure quietly appearing by the lake once more.
He was a little surprised, then walked over, sat on a stone near the lake, and said softly:
"You're closer than usual today… You always stood far away before. I thought you were afraid of water."
Lu Yu had always been curious about this girl—or more precisely—
Curious about how she could avoid his mental detection completely!
The girl didn't respond but turned her head to stare at Lu Yu. After a moment of silence, she suddenly asked coldly:
"You trying to pick me up?"
Lu Yu froze.
What the...
Wasn't this girl a little too straightforward?
He shook his head, expression a little strange, and replied,
"My perception is very sharp—it never fails."
"But every time you show up, I don't sense a thing."
"Can you tell me why?"
This time, it was the girl's turn to be stunned. Apparently, she hadn't expected Lu Yu to approach her for that reason.
After a moment of silence, she replied softly,
"Sorry… I can't tell you."
Lu Yu shrugged. He didn't press further and just gazed quietly at the lake. The girl did the same.
Everyone has their own secrets. Since she didn't want to explain, there was no need to push it.
Half an hour passed, and Lu Yu slowly stood up, patted the dust off his clothes, and smiled:
"I'm heading back. See you next time!"
Then he turned and left.
The girl tilted her head slightly, watching Lu Yu's back. For a moment, she seemed distracted.
She turned her eyes back to the lake, but the only reflection in the water was her own.
She liked this sense of solitude, yet also feared loneliness—
Her personality seemed a bit contradictory.
Although she had a few classmates who could barely be called friends, none of them ever joined her in enjoying the quiet.
A faint loneliness passed through her eyes as she turned and left.
---
The next day, the entire Heaven Dou Royal Academy was in an uproar.
The annual college competition had arrived as scheduled!
All students who had not yet graduated were eligible to register—
But not everyone chose to participate.
Some senior students were proud and looked down on this kind of contest.
After all, most students at the Royal Academy came from noble families—
They didn't lack a little prize money. Meanwhile, many freshmen were aware of their own inexperience and didn't want to make fools of themselves.
But this year was different!
Because this year, the prize for the champion had doubled!
And more importantly—
There was an additional reward: temporary VIP status at the Heaven Dou Auction!
That alone made all the students envious—
After all, in the entire empire, only the true bigshots had VIP access to the Heaven Dou Auction.
Even temporary access was a huge privilege!
Ironically, what most students cared about wasn't the value of the prize—
But the vanity that came with it.
At the peak of the mountain, the area was already packed.
A large central space had been cleared, with six sparring arenas.
Seats were arranged around them.
Not far from the Academic Affairs Council, a high platform had been constructed, with several seats at the top.
Only a few were qualified to sit there—senior members of the council and some nobles invited to watch the matches.
There were seven seats total. At the moment, six were occupied—
Including five senior council members led by Meng Shenji, and an old man in luxurious robes with small eyes.
The soul power fluctuations from this old man were faint—
Yet he sat proudly in the central seat.
Lu Yu sat in the spectator area, watching the old man thoughtfully.
If he guessed right—
This must be Prince Xue Xing, younger brother to Emperor Xue Ye of the Heaven Dou Empire!
This sly old fox looked arrogant on the surface—
But he was Xue Beng's "teacher", another expert actor.
At that moment, Lu Yu narrowed his eyes.
He spotted a familiar figure approaching.
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(End of this chapter)