Dugu Bo cleared his throat, gathered his emotions, and said in a deep voice, "Yan Yan, did you not feel any déjà vu from Yu Xing's performance just now?"
"Déjà vu?" Dugu Yan showed a somewhat confused expression.
At this moment, under Ye Lingling's treatment, all the members of the Royal Fighting Team had regained consciousness. Upon hearing Dugu Bo's words, they couldn't help but fall into contemplation.
After all, considering Yu Xing's indiscriminate targeting of everyone just now, Dugu Bo's words might apply to others as well.
Ye Lingling, who had always maintained a relatively calm mindset, had come to a realization.
Meanwhile, Qin Ming, standing beside them, reacted faster than anyone else and said sternly, "It's arrogance!"
Hearing the answer from their respected teacher, Qin Ming, everyone was taken aback and turned to look at him in unison.
Qin Ming sighed lightly and said, "It's my fault. I initially thought you had corrected this. But… it seems you are merely in awe of me, rather than truly transforming arrogance into confidence."
"Exactly."
It seemed that Yu Xing's earlier display of arrogance was merely an act. Looking at Dugu Yan, he said lightly, "Actually, I was entrusted by Uncle Dugu to specifically correct this character flaw of yours. Your companions were just incidental."
Upon hearing this, Dugu Yan realized that Yu Xing's earlier demeanor was just a façade. She no longer felt the same awe as before and huffed, "Even so, there was no need to be so harsh! I won't mention the boys, but my Lingling has always been gentle and virtuous. Look at how scared you made her! Don't you know to be gentler with girls?"
She conveniently avoided mentioning her most resentful title of "niece."
Ye Lingling said lightly, "It's nothing, Yan Yan."
She looked at Yu Xing, nodded slightly, and recalled the name Dugu Bo had just called him, saying, "This… classmate Yu Xing, you've worked hard to play the villain."
Yu Xing responded, "No, regardless of the reasons, I did go a bit overboard. For this, I must apologize to you all."
Dugu Yan immediately puffed up in anger, "You two are being so polite to each other that I look like a troublesome woman!"
Meanwhile, Yu Tianheng and the others, who had just been beaten up, looked at Yu Xing, especially at how he was chatting and laughing with the only two girls in the team, feeling resentful but unable to say anything.
"Alright, Yan Yan. You must not be rude to our friend Yu Xing; by seniority, he is actually your uncle," Dugu Bo suddenly interjected.
Dugu Yan widened her eyes in disbelief, her mouth agape, staring incredulously at Yu Xing, then shot him a resentful glance.
Dugu Bo said softly, "Now, you should understand that there are always people beyond people, and heavens beyond heavens in this world. You may be considered top geniuses in the Tiandou Royal Academy, but outside this academy, there are certainly geniuses above you. Just like… this friend Yu Xing beside me. And you should also know that the younger the genius, the more unpredictable their background. With your current attitude of looking down on others, if you provoke some terrifying figure, it could lead to an unwarranted disaster."
Upon hearing this, Dugu Yan immediately clung to Dugu Bo's arm and acted spoiled, saying, "Grandpa, I have you, right? Even if I provoke some trouble, you will definitely protect me, right? Besides, looking at you today, you must have made great progress in your powers, right? Wouldn't that mean no one can match you anymore~?"
By the end, Dugu Yan's eyes sparkled with excitement.
However, her usually indulgent grandfather seemed to have changed his attitude today, repeatedly not siding with her, and instead said, "Yan Yan, I didn't tell you this before out of consideration for face, but now it seems it was my mistake. Let me tell you again… Although I am a Titled Douluo, in terms of strength, I am probably among the weakest of the Titled Douluo."
Dugu Yan sniffled, dissatisfied, "But still, Grandpa, you are a Titled Douluo! There aren't that many Titled Douluo in the world, right? I can't just provoke someone like that, can I?"
Yu Xing, listening to this, couldn't help but think to himself: 'That's hard to say.'
Dugu Bo glanced at the people around him, not directly voicing his thoughts.
Originally, he had similar thoughts to Dugu Yan.
Even though the rumors about the Pope spread throughout the world, shaking the entire Douluo Continent, he still felt a sense of "it doesn't seem to have anything to do with me."
But after You Chen, the main character, appeared before him, he suddenly realized… the person in those rumors didn't seem so far away from him after all.
In fact, he was already caught in the whirlpool.
Because… he was a guest of Prince Xue Xing. As a high-ranking member of the Tiandou Empire, with powerful ambitions, it wouldn't be surprising if something major happened on the continent that involved him.
And Dugu Yan, familiar with her grandfather, could see a hint of this even without Dugu Bo speaking.
"Yan Yan."
At this moment, Yu Xing spoke again, "Although I performed a certain act to provoke you, some of my words are not empty. My teacher indeed has the intention of accepting you as a disciple."
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire room was shaken.
They now understood that Yu Xing was not just an arrogant and ignorant brat, but a powerful soul master whose strength could crush their entire Royal Fighting Team!
Even though the Royal Fighting Team hadn't had time to set up their formation due to Yu Xing's surprise attack, it was still one against seven, which was no different from a complete thrashing.
Moreover, given the strength Yu Xing had displayed, many felt that even if they had set up their formation, they might not win. After all, he had defeated them without even releasing his Martial Soul!
To be able to teach such a disciple, how could the teacher be anything less?
—It must be said that this simple thought, in a pure era, was the basis for incompetent individuals like Yu Tianheng to think of relying on Tang San to restore their reputation.
Upon hearing that Yu Xing's teacher wanted to accept Dugu Yan as a disciple, the members of the Royal Fighting Team felt a mix of emotions.
It was a feeling of being both afraid of their brother suffering and afraid of their brother driving a luxury car.
But generally, they still held a mindset of wishing her well.
"Me?"
Dugu Yan pointed at herself, feeling as if she had been showered with unexpected wealth.
Yet she still looked at her grandfather with a hint of pride and said, "I, I'm good with poison, and my Martial Soul is similar to Grandpa's. It's enough for Grandpa to teach me."
Seeing this, Dugu Bo felt a great sense of relief. Although he noticed Dugu Yan's intentions, didn't this just highlight his granddaughter's affection for him?
He stroked his nonexistent beard and said kindly, "Yan Yan, you're mistaken. I can indeed impart my experience to you, but even I know I'm not a good teacher. However, that person is definitely a good teacher who can teach according to your aptitude. If you become his disciple, you will surely become much stronger than you are now! Of course…"
Dugu Bo paused for a moment and glanced at Yu Xing, "You shouldn't think about the level of strength that Yu Xing possesses; he is an existence of a different caliber."
Seeing her grandfather hold Yu Xing in such high regard, Dugu Yan's heart grew increasingly restless.
It must be said that because the soul master system largely leveled the physiological differences between genders, female soul masters in the Douluo Continent were often very independent.
In a sense, that unique "love brain" was an extreme product of this independence.
If one had to say, the strength of female soul masters was not necessarily inferior to that of male soul masters; they could naturally pursue a more absolute self.
In such a situation where they didn't have to consider anything else, they naturally acted more according to their own wishes, but this also made them more easily driven by emotions, leading to extremes and outbursts.
On the other hand, their pursuit of power was no less than that of male soul masters.
The sublimation of life and the enhancement of strength brought about self-realization, which was the life pursuit of most powerful female soul masters.
And Dugu Yan, as a talented female soul master, was clearly of this temperament.
Under Yu Tianheng's complex gaze, Dugu Yan looked at Yu Xing with a gentle expression, "So… what should I call you next? Little Junior Brother? No, you entered first, so that would be~"
Dugu Yan looked at Yu Xing's cold, aloof face and couldn't help but feel playful. She threw him a flirtatious glance and said sweetly, "Little Senior Brother~?"
Yu Tianheng stiffened, his fists clenched.
However, Yu Xing showed no sign of being affected by Dugu Yan's charm. Instead, he ruthlessly shattered her beautiful fantasy, saying, "It's still too early to say that. Sister Yan Yan, according to my teacher's requirements, if you want to become a disciple, you must leave the Tiandou Royal Academy."
"This…"
Dugu Yan was taken aback, showing a troubled expression, "Can't I attend classes and train at the academy while receiving my teacher's guidance after school?" What kind of after-school tutoring is this?
Yu Xing internally scoffed at this and said openly, "Do you think the teacher has no other matters to attend to? Do you want the teacher to move from his residence to Tiandou just for you?"
This was a perfectly reasonable argument.
However, Dugu Yan was clearly caught in a dilemma, glancing at the members of the Royal Fighting Team from time to time.
The Royal Fighting Team had not been established for long, but during their training and daily life, she had already built a relatively deep bond with these companions.
"Are you reluctant to leave your companions here?"
Yu Xing said lightly, "You can say your goodbyes to them. After all, I will also be staying with Uncle Dugu for a while. Just give me your answer before I leave."
Seeing Dugu Yan's hesitant and conflicted expression, Yu Tianheng's face suddenly darkened.
He liked Dugu Yan, that was true, but he also held a significant utilitarian mindset towards her.
Is Dugu Yan beautiful? Yes. But is there no one more beautiful than her? Clearly, there is; the universally acknowledged Ye Lingling in the Royal Fighting Team is more beautiful than Dugu Yan.
Talent goes without saying; if Dugu Yan didn't have a good grandfather, her talent would be far inferior to several teammates with top-tier Martial Souls.
As for personality? Dugu Yan's personality, if one were to say it was likable, it could only be said to be ambivalent, and Yu Tianheng had no particular preference for Dugu Yan's character.
Everyone likes beautiful women; Yu Tianheng likes Dugu Yan, naturally because she is beautiful and her personality isn't particularly off-putting. In a situation where he tends to invest feelings actively, over time, he would naturally come to like her.
But ultimately, it was still because she had a solitary Titled Douluo grandfather!
Aside from Dugu Yan, it could almost be said that there were no other real ties to a grandfather!
If Yu Tianheng could win over Dugu Yan, he would have one more Titled Douluo as a backing compared to his peers in the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, making it almost certain that he could become the next clan leader!
Also because he was backed by a Titled Douluo, Yu Tianheng truly needed to invest feelings in Dugu Yan. Otherwise, if a solitary Titled Douluo thought that someone had ulterior motives towards his only relative, even the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan might not be able to protect him.
With the insight of a Titled Douluo, Yu Tianheng had no confidence that he could hide his intentions from the other party, so he indeed had "real feelings" for Dugu Yan!
'Fortunately, this kid isn't asking Yan Yan to decide right now but has given her time to consider. I'll try to ask Yan Yan what she thinks privately later…'
Regarding the differences in Dugu Yan's level of concern for him, there would naturally be different options.
However, Yu Xing would never act according to his wishes.
"This brother Yu Tianheng, I see that your expression doesn't seem too good. I heard from Uncle Dugu that you have the best relationship with Sister Yan Yan here, so it's normal to have such a reaction."
Yu Xing nodded, but then added softly, "However, you wouldn't want to stop Sister Yan Yan from going to a better platform to improve, would you?"
Although the goal was to make Dugu Yan willing to leave the Tiandou Royal Academy, You Chen's target from the beginning was not Dugu Yan, but Yu Tianheng!
Yu Tianheng suddenly looked up, his hostility towards Yu Xing escalating once again, coming dangerously close to murderous intent.
But he ultimately held it back.
He saw Dugu Yan casting a somewhat complex glance at him in response.
No words were exchanged, but her eyes seemed to convey a thousand words.
Yu Tianheng's heart sank.
"I…"
He opened his mouth, knowing that if he chose to run away at this moment, it would mean completely giving up on Dugu Yan, and there would be no way to make amends afterward.
Countless thoughts flashed through his mind.
Yu Tianheng felt that not only Dugu Yan, but everyone else, including that annoying Yu Xing and the squinting Dugu Bo, were all watching him.
Yu Tianheng felt his face grow slightly warm.
Before he could think more deeply, he forced a smile and said, "How could I do such a thing?"
Any proud young man would never say "no" at such a moment.
But Yu Tianheng didn't realize that at this moment, the very words the girl hoped to hear were precisely that "no."
And it was evident to everyone that after hearing this answer, Dugu Yan's expression suddenly returned to calm and natural. It seemed no different from usual.
But seeing Dugu Yan's expression, Yu Tianheng's pupils constricted, and he belatedly realized: 'Did I say something wrong?'
But at this point, could he take back those words? In front of so many people, in front of Dugu Yan's grandfather, the Bi Phosphorus Douluo?
It was already impossible to do so.
The more a man is a traditionalist, the less he can thicken his skin at such a moment. In this era, where feudalistic values prevail, the vast majority of men can be said to be traditionalists.
Yu Tianheng, of course, was no exception.
However, another problem arose.
Even if Yu Tianheng did say that "no" and tried to keep Dugu Yan, would it really work?
Clearly, it wouldn't.
Dugu Bo declared Dugu Yan's freedom in love, but how could he entrust his most cherished granddaughter to someone who, for his own selfish desires, chose to hold her back?
True love, shouldn't it be about letting go? — True love is certainly not about mindless letting go, but at least in front of the girl's parents, one must show that one is willing to make sacrifices for their daughter or granddaughter, rather than trying to hold them back out of fear of being left behind.
If Yu Tianheng tried to play the emotional card to force Dugu Yan to stay, at that moment, he would be sentenced to death in Dugu Bo's eyes as a potential boyfriend.
Of course, this problem was not without a solution.
The most moderate approach, which would neither provoke Dugu Bo's dislike nor have a reasonable chance of success, would be to express both blessings and generosity, along with deep feelings and reluctance for his partner, and then choose to send her off gracefully, waiting for the day they would meet again.
He could even make some love vows about what they would do when they meet again.
Usually, if Yu Tianheng were to say such things to Dugu Yan, who had not yet established a deep relationship with him, she would definitely find it extremely annoying and might even give him the cold shoulder for a while. But at this moment, in such a situation filled with special ritualistic significance, it would give Dugu Yan the illusion of "truly recognizing the person she loves," and of course, there was also a chance that it wasn't just an illusion.
In this world, the feelings of soul masters are generally quite simple and direct, and there is basically no situation where one would cut off their feelings for someone they love.
Because in a relationship, male and female soul masters are mutually supportive.
But… how could Yu Tianheng, who had never been in a relationship and held a significant utilitarian mindset, think of such things?
If he were a bit more utilitarian, holding purely rational and calculative thoughts, he wouldn't find it difficult to come up with this solution or other similar solutions.
If his feelings were more pure, he would directly choose to let go while expressing reluctance and deep feelings. This would be a natural thing to do, and he could also complete the unfinished pursuit of Dugu Yan and thereby win her heart.
But Yu Tianheng… he was precisely stuck in that situation, unable to go up or down!
Having already put on this generous facade in front of everyone, how could he privately try to keep Dugu Yan?
Yu Tianheng had a bit of ambition, but… he wasn't at the point of sacrificing his own face to do something as pathetic as that.
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