Douluo Dalu 2: The True God King

With a slight smile, Su Yu suddenly felt a tinge of emotion in his heart.

Setting aside whether Wang Dong'er's actions were a bit over the top, wasn't she doing all of this because of him?

Putting everything else aside, her feelings for him were genuine.

After all, she was the princess of the Clear Sky Sect. If she didn't truly like him, why would she go to such lengths?

Su Yu wasn't a heartless person—he had noticed all of this.

But seeing her behavior today, it seemed as though she was deliberately trying to play games with him.

Su Yu found it amusing. She wasn't that clever, yet she insisted on playing high-stakes games.

Did she think she could manipulate him?

Was she so adorably naive?

Even Gu Yuena had severely miscalculated before, to the point where she got deflowered.

Did this silly girl want to follow Gu Yuena's example?

He wasn't exactly a proper gentleman—if given the opportunity, he wouldn't hesitate to take advantage.

Still want to play games?

Alright, let's see who outplays whom. Let's see who loses their composure first.

The thought made Su Yu chuckle slightly, his lips curving upwards unconsciously.

Encountering Wang Dong'er at Shrek Academy was quite a surprise, but honestly, it was a pleasant one.

It had been months since they last met, and Su Yu realized he did miss her.

As Su Yu continued to gaze in the direction where Wang Dong'er had walked away, Ma Xiaotao, who had unknowingly come to stand beside him, spoke up.

"Is it that interesting to look at?"

Her calm voice brought Su Yu back to reality. He glanced at Ma Xiaotao, his expression unreadable.

"What's wrong?"

Ma Xiaotao crossed her arms, exuding an air of mischief.

Sounding a bit dissatisfied, she said, "Am I not good-looking enough?"

"With such a beauty like me by your side, you still have the mind to look at other girls?"

"Look at her. That bean sprout of a figure—does that attract you so much?"

Women can be competitive, and Ma Xiaotao was even more so.

She had been around Su Yu for a while now, yet she hadn't seen him pay her much attention. But he seemed so captivated by that little girl.

Sure, she admitted the girl was pretty, but that thin, flat figure couldn't possibly compare to hers.

Was she not more attractive than that little girl?

She really couldn't figure out what Su Yu was thinking.

Surely Su Yu wasn't oblivious to Yan Shaozhe's intentions in having her guide him around, yet he still acted like this.

This stung Ma Xiaotao's pride, and there was no way she didn't have some complaints about it.

Even if it wasn't about romance, Ma Xiaotao was in a mindset where she didn't want to lose.

Su Yu gave her a strange look but didn't say a word.

Of course, he understood what Ma Xiaotao was thinking. It was nothing more than dissatisfaction and competitiveness.

But could Ma Xiaotao even compare to Wang Dong'er?

She should know exactly why she was trying to get close to him. Did she think she could compete with someone who had sincere feelings?

Wang Dong'er might not be the brightest, but she was honest and pure, without any hidden motives.

If it weren't for some annoying god-king, Su Yu would've solidified his relationship with her long ago.

And Ma Xiaotao? What did she have to offer compared to that?

Other than her good figure and a bit of willpower, there was nothing remarkable about her.

Her fiery temper would scare off most men.

Though he hadn't said it outright, that didn't mean Su Yu liked her personality.

Her figure might earn her a bit of respect, but her attitude and background? No, thank you.

Turning slightly, Su Yu clasped his hands behind his back and said calmly, "Let's keep exploring."

"Hey, you haven't answered me yet!"

Ma Xiaotao said, feeling unsatisfied.

Su Yu replied in a soft voice, "I already said, I just felt she looked familiar. It wasn't intentional."

"Yeah, right!"

Ma Xiaotao muttered, but she didn't press further.

She gave Su Yu a resentful look. Could it be that he preferred those bean sprout types?

No way, right?

He couldn't have such bad taste, could he?

Don't all men prefer bigger ones?

Ma Xiaotao quietly muttered to herself.

As Su Yu gazed at the vast, clear Sea God Lake in the distance, his expression grew thoughtful.

The fact that Wang Dong'er had joined Shrek Academy under her real identity was certainly something Yan Shaozhe was aware of.

While others might not notice, someone at Yan Shaozhe's level could easily discern that Wang Dong'er and Wang Dong were the same person.

The Goddess of Light Butterfly could only belong to someone extraordinarily beautiful woman. From the very beginning, Wang Dong'er's identity had been an open secret to those well-versed in the world.

Her admission to Shrek Academy likely involved negotiations between the Clear Sky Sect and the academy. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been placed directly in the fourth year upon joining.

From Yan Shaozhe's perspective, it made sense not to reject her. After all, who would turn away a dual-martial soul master?

However, Yan Shaozhe probably didn't anticipate that Wang Dong'er would eventually drop out.

No one understood Wang Dong'er better than Su Yu.

From the moment he saw her at Shrek Academy, he knew exactly what she was planning.

Su Yu was even curious to see Yan Shaozhe's expression when Wang Dong'er eventually withdrew.

Did he think she came here to study?

From the very core of her being, Wang Dong'er was not someone who enjoyed studying. And really, what could Shrek Academy teach her? Running laps?

Su Yu's eyes gleamed with contemplation as thoughts raced through his mind.

Meanwhile, Ma Xiaotao glanced at him with irritation. This guy—spacing out again.

"Hey, are you going or not?"

Ma Xiaotao urged impatiently.

Su Yu turned to look at her and asked, "Miss Xiaotao, don't you think Wang Dong'er looks familiar?"

Logically, Ma Xiaotao, having participated in the Soul Master Tournament, should have recognized her.

"Nope."

Ma Xiaotao shook her head.

What Su Yu didn't know was that Ma Xiaotao's attention during the tournament had been focused entirely on him.

As for Wang Dong'er, she hadn't appeared much after the top sixteen, so Ma Xiaotao hadn't paid her much attention.

After all, by the time Ma Xiaotao recovered and rejoined the competition, the tournament was already halfway over.

Her memories were mostly of Su Yu, Ma Rulong, Xiao Hongchen, Meng Hongchen, and a few others.

The one with the clearest impression of Wang Dong'er was likely Wang Yan, who had studied her battles while gathering intelligence.

"Alright."

Hearing Ma Xiaotao's response, Su Yu shrugged indifferently.

It didn't matter whether Ma Xiaotao recognized her or not.

Gazing at the vast, clear waters of Sea God Lake, Su Yu's eyes narrowed slightly.

He asked softly, "Miss Xiaotao, can I visit Sea God Island?"

"Of course."

Ma Xiaotao nodded and said, "I can take you anywhere, except Sea God Pavilion."

"Then I'll trouble you. I've always wanted to see what the inner courtyard is really like," Su Yu said with a cheerful smile.

"Alright, let's go. Need me to take you?" Ma Xiaotao asked as she grabbed Su Yu's arm.

Su Yu instinctively pulled his arm back to avoid her grip, but in doing so accidentally bumped into her, sinking slightly into a soft, cushion-like sensation. Ma Xiaotao's face flushed, and she quickly pushed him away.

"Ahem!" Su Yu coughed lightly to compose himself and said seriously, "Let's get going."

With that, Su Yu's figure flickered, and he leaped onto Sea God Lake. Gliding across the surface, he moved swiftly as though walking on solid ground.

"Not a decent guy," Ma Xiaotao muttered under her breath, transforming into a fiery streak to follow closely behind him.

The two figures, one ahead and one behind made their way toward the island at the lake's center—Sea God Island.

...

Sea God Island.

Situated in the middle of Sea God Lake, Sea God Island spanned roughly two square kilometers. Unlike flat terrain, the island resembled a small mountain, adorned with various pavilions and elegant structures.

The entire island exuded an air of tranquility and peace, like a secluded paradise. Hidden amidst towering vegetation, the pavilions were exquisite and serene.

Walking along a stone-paved path, Su Yu and Ma Xiaotao ascended the island. The ancient vegetation, some thousands of years old, provided a refreshing atmosphere, with massive trees towering over 100 meters tall, their canopies shading much of the path.

Ma Xiaotao explained as they walked, "Sea God Island is sparsely populated. Generally, only elders and inner courtyard disciples have the privilege of staying here. Most of the pavilions you see belong to specific individuals."

Su Yu glanced around, his spiritual sense extending naturally, though he refrained from probing too much out of respect for this sacred part of Shrek Academy. Nevertheless, his innate sensitivity allowed him to detect several powerful presences scattered across the island. The most awe-inspiring one emanated from the peak of the mountain—likely the location of the Sea God Pavilion.

As his gaze flickered, Su Yu turned to Ma Xiaotao and asked, "Do you know where the exchange students from the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy are staying?"

Ma Xiaotao raised an eyebrow. "Looking for Meng Hongchen?"

Su Yu smiled faintly. "You guessed it?"

Ma Xiaotao snorted. "With that big mouth Xiao Hongchen around, your connection with Meng Hongchen isn't exactly a secret.

"Let me warn you, though—Xiao Hongchen has been causing quite the stir in the inner courtyard, using your name to antagonize people. Don't be surprised if you get ganged up on because of him."

"Oh?" Su Yu raised an eyebrow. "What has he been doing to provoke others?"

Ma Xiaotao's voice carried a hint of irritation. "That guy doesn't have much ability himself, but he's amazing at being infuriating.

"He goes around mocking us, saying things like we're no match for you or that we were easily defeated by you. He constantly bullies soul king-level students while avoiding stronger ones. And whenever someone challenges him, he shamelessly says, 'If you've got a problem, go fight my brother-in-law, Su Yu!'

"Thanks to him, almost every soul emperor-level student in the inner courtyard knows your name. Even Wu Ming, one of the top senior students, has openly declared she wants to give you a good beating. So, you'd better be prepared."

Su Yu: "..."

Wonderful. My dear brother-in-law is digging a hole for me again, huh?

Su Yu rolled his eyes. He had anticipated that Xiao Hongchen wouldn't behave, but he hadn't expected him to exploit his name so blatantly. He could already imagine the trouble this would cause.

Although annoyed, Su Yu couldn't entirely blame him. Xiao Hongchen's personality was naturally prideful and a bit reckless. Having won the recent Soul Master Tournament, it was only natural for him to feel smug.

However, being on Shrek Academy's home turf meant hostility from the local students, which Xiao Hongchen would undoubtedly reciprocate. But since he couldn't take on stronger opponents, he had decided to drag Su Yu into the mess instead.

With a calm smile that didn't reach his eyes, Su Yu said, "Miss Xiaotao, please lead the way."

"You're not afraid of getting beaten up?" Ma Xiaotao teased. "Don't say I didn't warn you. I won't help you if you cry for mercy later."

Su Yu's voice carried a hint of pride. "If they want to beat me, they'd better be prepared to see if they're up to the task. Who knows? They might end up blaming their defeat on carelessness."

"Hmph! You and Xiao Hongchen are cut from the same cloth—both equally arrogant," Ma Xiaotao scoffed. "But don't underestimate Wu Ming. You'd better brace yourself."

Su Yu chuckled but didn't respond.

"Fine, follow me," Ma Xiaotao said, taking the lead.

Following the stone path, Ma Xiaotao guided Su Yu to a small, two-story building halfway up the mountain. In front of it lay a flat clearing where an elderly man with white hair and a beard was giving a lecture. Several students sat cross-legged on cushions, listening attentively.

Among the crowd, Su Yu spotted a few familiar faces, including his girlfriend—Meng Hongchen. Beside her sat Xiao Hongchen, who was scratching his head, his expression comically simpleminded.

The group of Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy students was easily recognizable in their signature uniforms. In the front row sat two young women. One of them was Han Ruoruo, dressed in a graceful white dress that exuded elegance and intellect. Beside her was another girl in a golden gown, whose voluptuous figure rivaled even Ma Xiaotao's. Her powerful soul force fluctuations hinted that she was already at the soul sage level.