NOVEL NEXT Chapter 20: Chapter 20: Dugu Yan’s Bold Declaration
"It seems that Dugu Yan and her grandfather, Dugu Bo, have quite the close relationship with Lu Yunzhou," Qian Renxue mused, her mind racing as she listened to their conversation.
"Your little jade piece is a gift from your grandfather. As for my gift to you, I haven't given it to you yet." Lu Yunzhou stepped down from the carriage and tossed a storage ring, crafted by him, over to Dugu Yan.
With quick reflexes, Dugu Yan snatched the ring out of the air without hesitation. Having spent a year with Lu Yunzhou in the Sunset Forest, she was well-versed in the basics of cultivation techniques, so she knew exactly how to use the storage ring.
As she instinctively checked its contents with her spiritual energy, a delighted expression appeared on her face.
Seeing her happy, Lu Yunzhou couldn't help but tease, "I came all the way here, but… aren't you going to give me a proper welcome?"
Snapping back to reality at his words, Dugu Yan replied with a smirk, "In honor of the gifts, I'll lower my standards for the day and personally take care of you."
With that, she slipped the ring onto her finger and gestured for Lu Yunzhou and the others to follow her.
Watching this exchange, the professors standing nearby, including Meng Shenji, didn't dare to utter a word. After all, Dugu Bo alone was enough to intimidate them, let alone Lu Yunzhou, whose status exceeded even that of Dugu Bo and Crown Prince Xue Qinghe.
Seeing Dugu Yan taking the lead, the three professors reluctantly decided to follow along to prevent any trouble she might stir up.
"That must be Yan Yan's brother. He… seems extraordinary," Ye Lingling murmured, still staring at the receding carriage with shock.
Hearing this, Yu Tianheng crossed his arms arrogantly and scoffed, "Extraordinary? Hah! It's just an ordinary-looking ring he gave her. Nothing special at all."
Raising an eyebrow, Ye Lingling responded, "Ordinary? Are you sure? I have a feeling that ring is anything but simple."
"Not simple?" Yu Tianheng chuckled dismissively. "It looked pretty unimpressive to me."
With that, he walked off, unwilling to argue further. As far as accompanying Lu Yunzhou went, he had no intention of joining. After all, Yu Tianheng was the designated heir of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. Only Titled Douluo-level experts were worthy of his attention, and Lu Yunzhou was clearly not one of them.
Led by Dugu Yan, whom he'd affectionately called a "wild girl," Lu Yunzhou strolled around Heaven Dou Royal Academy, observing the grounds. After a while, they returned to their starting point. Nodding with satisfaction, Lu Yunzhou commented, "Heaven Dou Royal Academy truly deserves its reputation as the top academy of Heaven Dou Empire. The learning environment here is unparalleled, especially the simulation training area. Facilities like that are rare across the entire continent. For an academy to possess one… I must admit, I'm impressed."
At his words, the professors broke into smiles, with the portly Bai Baoshan chuckling obsequiously, "You flatter us, Immortal Lu, truly."
Nodding slightly, Meng Shenji added, "The foundation of Heaven Dou Royal Academy as the empire's premier institution relies on not only outstanding faculty but also this 'Simulation Training Area.' Across all academies on the continent, only ours possesses such a place; none others have it."
The other professors chimed in enthusiastically, "Yes, with the simulation area, we believe our academy is well on its way to becoming the best in Douluo Continent!"
"Absolutely! We're destined to become the continent's number one academy!"
The so-called simulation training area could replicate unique natural environments, enhancing the efficiency of cultivating specific Martial Souls. However, maintaining these simulated settings required considerable resources, so few forces on the continent had one of their own.
Amid their enthusiastic praise of the academy, a less-than-amiable voice interrupted, "Simulation training area? I think it's overrated. It's not as good as training at home."
The speaker was none other than Dugu Yan, a "wild girl" pampered by both Lu Yunzhou and her doting grandfather, Dugu Bo.
Surprised, Ye Lingling instinctively spoke up, "Sister Yan Yan, aren't you going a bit too far? Simulation training grounds are rare on the entire continent—how could home possibly be better?"
Others joined in, agreeing, "Exactly, the simulation grounds are our academy's foundation! Without them, Heaven Dou Royal Academy wouldn't be what it is today. Training here has to be better than at home. Are you just feeling homesick, Senior Dugu?"
"Yeah, I get homesick too. It's been nearly a year since I last went home."
"Same here. But still, we need to work hard on our cultivation. Opportunities to train this efficiently are hard to come by."
In a secluded spot, Ning Fengzhi, overhearing this, thought, "She's got quite a bold tongue. The simulation grounds… even our Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect lacks one, and she dares to say home is better? Truly, she doesn't know how fortunate she is."
Yu Yuanzhen, observing her haughty demeanor, shook his head and mused, "If the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had a simulation training ground, I wouldn't have sent Tianheng here. And this Dugu Yan says home is better… utterly clueless."
Just as everyone assumed Dugu Yan was merely venting, she doubled down on her point. "I'm not joking, nor am I homesick. I'm just stating the truth. This place can't compare to my home in terms of training speed or environment. Frankly, they're worlds apart."
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