Douluo Dalu 2: The True God King

With a hint of schadenfreude, Su Yu smiled playfully and put away the slips of paper. These matters had spread widely across the Douluo Continent, and sooner or later, the Sun Moon Empire would know about them. When that time came, he was looking forward to seeing Xu Tiantian's reaction.

Su Yu had no affection for the Sun Moon Royal Family, and he had even less for Xu Tiantian, a psychologically twisted person. It would be quite enjoyable for Su Yu to see him lose control.

It must be said that Shrek Academy had unknowingly caused quite a stir with their rumors. Interesting.

Stretching lazily, Su Yu took out a few metal blocks and prepared to test his skills. He had a feeling that he wasn't far from breaking through to a level 5 Soul Engineer.

The fine golden carving knife danced at Su Yu's fingertips, tracing playful, sprite-like curves. As a few metal shavings flew through the air, a new core formation began to take shape.

...

...

...

The next day, in the morning, Su Yu woke up from his sleep.

"System, check-in."

[Ding, check-in complete."]

[Ding, the host has completed a full six years of check-ins. Congratulations on receiving the anniversary gift pack.]

[Ding, anniversary gift pack opened.]

[Ding, congratulations on receiving 'The Thirteen Deadly Spears.']

[Ding, congratulations on receiving the sword technique—' Sword Qi Rolling Dragon Wall.']

[Ding, congratulations on receiving a piece of ten-thousand-year whale glue.]

"Oh?" Su Yu was slightly surprised. Had it been another year since the check-in? He hadn't been keeping track, but it seemed like it had been about a year since the fifth-anniversary check-in.

Looking at this year's anniversary rewards, they were as impressive as always.

The Thirteen Deadly Spears was an extremely powerful spear technique. It had thirteen forms, each with a unique name and powerful moves. The power and coolness of the techniques were top-tier.

The Sword Qi Rolling Dragon Wall was the signature move of the old sword master, Li Chungan. It was a magnificent, powerful move with a chilling sword intent, although, in terms of power, it was not stronger than the Wind God Leg.

The ten-thousand-year whale glue was the most important reward for Su Yu. Whale glue was a great item. A thousand-year whale glue could improve a soul master's soul ring's bearing capacity by about five hundred years. The ten-thousand-year whale glue, however, would have even more extraordinary effects.

Su Yu guessed that it could boost the bearing capacity of a soul ring by at least two thousand years.

Thinking about the potential of the ten-thousand-year whale glue, Su Yu was excited. This was the kind of reward that made the check-ins worthwhile.

"This is what I call cheating. The system keeps giving useless rewards, but this anniversary check-in has given me some good stuff."

With a slight smile, Su Yu accepted all the rewards. The training points for The Thirteen Deadly Spears and Sword Qi Rolling Dragon Wall"] appeared in his mind, and Su Yu quickly understood the basics. But to fully unleash their power, he would have to research them himself.

As for the ten-thousand-year whale glue, Su Yu didn't dare use it yet. Who knew how potent it could be? He didn't want to make a fool of himself.

Su Yu jumped up, washed up, and after a while, Snow Empress was woken up. Despite her angry gaze, Su Yu wiped her face and fed her breakfast before putting her back.

Soon after, breakfast was delivered to the academy. Wang Dong'er, rubbing her sleepy eyes, yawned and entered the bathroom.

After finishing breakfast, Su Yu and Wang Dong'er set off together. They parted ways at the teaching area, with Su Yu heading straight to Class Four of the fifth grade.

Since advancing to the fifth grade, Su Yu hadn't attended many classes. In his first year, he skipped several months altogether. In the second year, between pre-competition training and the actual competition, nearly three months passed without him attending class. The days Su Yu spent in class could practically be counted on one hand.

Fortunately, the homeroom teacher, Lin Sheng'an, was more of a research enthusiast. His greatest passion lay in his studies, and teaching was just a task to fulfill. Whether Su Yu attended or not, Lin Sheng'an didn't care.

When Su Yu arrived in the classroom, many students were already seated. Among them was the royal family member who had once clashed with Su Yu. However, the arrogance of the dark-skinned youth had significantly diminished. When Su Yu's gaze swept over him, the boy quickly averted his eyes, not daring to meet Su Yu's stare.

By now, Su Yu was a rising star at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy. Anyone picking a fight with him would have to be out of their mind. Most rational people wouldn't even consider such foolishness.

"Su Yu, over here, over here!"

A petite, cute girl waved at him. She had twin ponytails, an adorable little face, and two small tiger teeth showing in her smile, making her irresistibly charming.

Su Yu glanced in her direction and recognized her instantly. It was Ke Ke—a legal loli, small and delicate despite being an adult.

Beside her sat a tall, graceful girl with a lazy elegance and a slightly ditzy demeanor. Her almost glowing, flawless skin was unmistakable—it could only be Ju Zi. At the moment, Ju Zi wore a gentle smile, exuding a soothing aura.

These two were the only classmates Su Yu acquaintances within Class Four of the fifth grade. As for the others, they were complete strangers to him.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Su Yu walked over and sat near the two girls.

Barely had Su Yu settled into his seat when Ke Ke spun around and began chattering away, her lively personality on full display.

"Su Yu, congratulations!"

Ju Zi tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and spoke softly.

"Hmm?" Su Yu looked at her with a hint of confusion, but he quickly understood.

"It was a team effort," Su Yu replied calmly.

"But you contributed the most, didn't you? You've become quite famous after this competition," Ju Zi said with a smile.

"Fame isn't always a good thing," Su Yu replied with a faint smile that was as refreshing as a spring breeze. "Who knows what kind of trouble it might attract? Don't you think?"

Ke Ke stared, completely entranced by Su Yu's smile, while Ju Zi's heart skipped a beat. Her face remained composed, but unease crept into her thoughts.

Was Su Yu hinting at something?

For a moment, Ju Zi wondered if Su Yu knew about her secrets. But she quickly dismissed the idea. He shouldn't have any reason to know about her connection to Xu Tiantian. She hadn't exposed anything, after all.

Just as Ju Zi considered probing further, Su Yu suddenly turned his head. Lin Sheng'an had entered the classroom, prompting Ju Zi to suppress her curiosity.

Lin Sheng'an began the lecture, continuing from the previous session without paying special attention to Su Yu. Luckily, Su Yu often studied on his own and could keep up with Lin Sheng'an's pace. The class turned out to be quite enlightening.

Lin Sheng'an, a Level 7 Soul Engineer, explained everything thoroughly and insightfully. Even some of Su Yu's doubts were resolved during the lecture.

Before long, the class ended. Lin Sheng'an packed up his materials, looked at Su Yu in the back of the classroom, and said calmly, "Su Yu, decide on your research direction for soul tools. Submit it to me by the next class."

Soul tools came in countless varieties, and no one could master them all. Even a master like Jing Hongchen had areas he wasn't proficient in.

Typically, one would choose a field of interest and dive deep into it. For lower-level Soul Engineers, this wasn't as critical. However upon reaching Level 4, a research direction needed to be established. Focusing on a specific area was the only way to achieve greater accomplishments.

While aiming for all-around mastery was unrealistic, only the Sun Moon Empire, with its advanced soul tool studies, had the capability to offer specialized training in soul engineering.

Shrek Academy, in comparison, couldn't achieve the level of specialization that the Sun Moon Empire had. Even an eighth-level soul engineer at Shrek would only rank as a seven-and-a-half level in the Sun Moon Empire. The Empire's standards for soul engineers were far stricter than those of the three original continent nations.

After Lin Sheng'an finished speaking, he hurriedly left the classroom. Ke Ke and Ju Zi immediately approached Su Yu, drawing the envious eyes of the other students. However, no one dared to make trouble for Su Yu this time.

Ke Ke tilted her head and smiled, showing her little tiger teeth. "Su Yu, which field are you planning to specialize in?"

Ju Zi also looked at Su Yu curiously.

Su Yu gave a faint smile and replied, "I'm interested in high-powered, long-range soul tools like fixed-installation soul cannons. In the future, I'll probably focus on that category. I might also dabble in close-combat soul tools."

His preference for powerful firepower was undeniable. Among all soul tools, his favorite was the fixed-installation soul cannon shells—strong and explosive, the top choice for any man. As for close-combat soul tools, that was more of a personal interest, stemming from his fondness for close-quarters combat.

"I see. I thought you'd choose mid- to long-range soul tools, but you've gone for two extremes instead," Ke Ke remarked. After all, one was high-powered long-range, and the other was close combat—opposite ends of the spectrum.

Su Yu smiled and said, "Typically, my opponents either fight me in close quarters or run away as soon as they see me. If they choose to fight me, escaping afterward isn't an option. Mid-range soul tools don't serve much purpose for me."

Ke Ke: "…"

Ju Zi: "…"

He was certainly confident. Wasn't modesty supposed to be a virtue? Ju Zi couldn't help but doubt the humility Su Yu displayed before class—surely it was just an act. Beneath that calm demeanor, this man was full of silent arrogance.

As the two girls fell silent, Su Yu gathered his belongings, ready to leave.

"Su Yu, wait a moment," Ju Zi called after him. "How about having a meal together later? I'll cook for you."

Ju Zi extended her invitation, her voice warm and inviting.

Ke Ke nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, Su Yu, let's eat together! Ju Zi's cooking is amazing."

Su Yu smiled gently. "I appreciate the offer, but I already promised Meng'er to have lunch with her. Maybe next time."

With that, Su Yu nodded politely and left.

Ju Zi watched his departing figure, her eyes glimmering slightly. This was the first time someone had refused her invitation—and also the first time she had ever extended one to a man.

"He said no… He's going to have lunch with Miss Meng. Miss Meng is so lucky. I'm so jealous!" Ke Ke cried dramatically, though not a single tear fell.

Ju Zi chuckled. "Well, he's going to spend time with his girlfriend. It can't be helped. Come on, it'll just be the two of us for lunch."

Ju Zi led Ke Ke out of the classroom, her clear eyes glinting faintly. Xu Tiantian had instructed her to get closer to Su Yu, but Su Yu proved to be far more difficult to approach than she had anticipated.

Though he appeared calm, his pride surpassed most people's. His smiles seemed warm, but his eyes remained icy and distant. This was a man whose thoughts ran deep, matched only by his unshakable sense of self-worth. It was as if he didn't consider her significant at all.

Ju Zi knew her appearance wasn't lacking—in fact, she was stunning enough to rival even Meng Hongchen. Yet Su Yu was entirely unmoved.

Difficult.

That was Ju Zi's first impression of him. But she didn't feel discouraged. This was just her first attempt. She bore no ill intentions toward Su Yu and believed that with more interaction, she could eventually lower his guard.

With these thoughts, Ju Zi walked out of the classroom with Ke Ke, who was happily chattering about what they should eat.

Meanwhile, Su Yu returned to his dormitory and had lunch with Wang Dong'er. The excuse he had given Ju Zi about Meng'er was entirely fabricated.

As for Ju Zi, Su Yu was highly cautious of her. A woman with too many schemes naturally made him wary. He disliked dealing with people who were overly calculating. In contrast, someone like Wang Dong'er, who was straightforward and naïve, was much easier for him to get along with.

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Thirteen Deadly Spear Techniques:

First Spear: Yearning

"Endless longing in fleeting moments; memories that span the heavens and earth."

Second Spear: Heartbreak

"What the eyes see is false; what the heart hears is true. Blind strikes with three fingers."

Third Spear: "Blind Dragon"

"With heaven and earth as a guide, I roam the world; the moon is like a hook, hard to pursue yet harder to part."

Fourth Spear: "Romance"

"The fragrance of books holds countless flavors; who in the world is worthy of wearing white robes?"

Fifth Spear: "Peerless"

"The spear dances like a dragon, wielded by a thousand hands; life charges forward, never turning back from the yellow springs."

Sixth Spear: "White Dragon"

"Only through suffering can one understand the pain of others; only through attachment can one learn to let go. To cultivate Buddhism, one must first cultivate the heart. One spear of snow, one spear of ice."

Seventh Spear: "Clairvoyance"

"Clouds rise and fog gathers, concealing murderous intent; sweeping across thousands of miles and legions of foes."

Eighth Spear: "Kunpeng"

"Even if Han Xin's spear breaks, I alone bear the pain. Since no spear technique truly exists in the world, let the Ninth Spear summon the night march of a hundred ghosts."

Ninth Spear: "Night March of a Hundred Ghosts"

"Thirty years of blood-soaked battles; fifty years of enduring storms. With wind and rain, thunder and lightning, the spear moves, and the white dragon sings."

Tenth Spear: "Unending War, Peerless Victory"

"How much hatred does the world hold? In the night, a lone voice weeps without end. Grieving spirits do not resent fate; when the spear strikes, even kings weep."

Eleventh Spear: "Vengeance"

"Facing the king, I will not bow my head; three armies of soldiers kneel in reverence."

Twelfth Spear: "Appointed General, Sealed Marquis"

"A million soldiers wave their flags once more; General Han Xin, invincible in battle."

Thirteenth Spear: "My Fate is Mine, Not Heaven's"

"My life is mine to command, not dictated by the heavens."