Chapter 13: The Meeting by the Lake
After fully grasping Li Chang'an's terrifying potential—particularly the possibility that he might one day ascend to the realm of Limit Douluo—Emperor Xue Ye of the Heaven Dou Empire began to treat this royal son-in-law with even more caution and reverence.
His protective measures intensified. Not only was all information about Li Chang'an's cultivation progress sealed tighter than a palace vault, but even rumors of his prodigious growth were snuffed out at the source. No one outside a select circle knew the truth about the boy's soaring soul power.
And so, within the walls of Heaven Dou Royal Academy, Li Chang'an lived like a shadow—low-profile, unassuming. Around other students, he kept his strength hidden. If someone casually asked about his soul rank, he'd deflect the question with vague words and a disarming smile. Few pressed him.
Behind the scenes, however, he enjoyed a level of privilege even imperial princes could envy. For any cultivation doubts, he went directly to the three deans of the Education Committee—the highest authorities in the school, and powerful Soul Douluo in their own right. It was an absurd luxury, like a private audience with the gods for every minor question.
This special treatment didn't go unnoticed.
Whispers began to spread. Some students half-jokingly claimed that Li Chang'an must be Emperor Xue Ye's illegitimate son. How else could a boy of such ordinary origins enjoy such favor?
Of course, anyone with a brain knew the truth. In a world where martial spirits were passed down through bloodlines, the origin of a child's spirit told the real story. The Heaven Dou royal family had long inherited the Swan martial spirit—noble, elegant, and unmistakable. Li Chang'an, on the other hand, bore a sword-type martial spirit, starkly different in form and essence. There was no possibility of him being a hidden royal heir. The facts simply didn't match.
Heaven Dou Royal Academy Cafeteria
As expected of an elite academy that catered to the scions of the empire's nobility, the cafeteria was a lavish affair. No lines, no preset menus. It functioned more like a high-end restaurant—students simply took a seat, browsed a menu, and ordered whatever they desired.
Li Chang'an strolled in alone, found an empty seat in the open hall, and casually picked up a menu. Around him, students chatted quietly as servers moved between tables with practiced grace. There were private rooms for those with company—or those wishing for discretion—but he had no need for one today.
His gaze swept across the menu, which offered a dazzling array of dishes. Yet the most interesting aspect wasn't the variety, but the ingredients.
Almost every dish incorporated materials harvested from soul beasts—whether it was the eggs of an avian-type beast, the flesh of aquatic-type creatures, or the edible leaves and roots of plant-type soul beasts. Eating such food over time nourished the body and, more importantly, subtly enhanced one's soul power. The gains from a single meal might be minimal, but accumulated across months and years, the effect was considerable.
And this, more than anything, illustrated the yawning gulf between commoners and nobles.
In the original tale, nobles often seemed unimpressive, even pitiful—outperformed by protagonists from humble backgrounds. But those protagonists were outliers. They had godlike talents, immortal herbs, divine guidance, and one miracle after another. In truth, the daily lives of noble-born soul masters provided resources and advantages that most commoners could only dream of.
The food they ate, the teachers they learned from, the soul rings they could afford to hunt—every facet of noble life contributed to faster cultivation and greater strength.
Ordinary soul masters? They barely survived.
Even the rare few commoners who could match noble children in power were already the cream of the crop—one in a million. And even then, they were only barely standing on equal ground with the nobility's average students.
After enjoying a sumptuous lunch that would've bankrupted most commoner families, Li Chang'an left the hall and wandered the campus, digesting both his meal and his thoughts.
Today was an important day.
Enrollment Day.
Heaven Dou Royal Academy's gates were open to new applicants—young nobles from across the empire, all eager to gain admission into the most prestigious institution of soul master education in the nation.
But it wasn't just about cultivation.
Here, in this academy brimming with young scions, alliances were forged, marriages arranged, and lifelong friendships born. It was a place where futures were written—not just through training, but through connection.
Li Chang'an strolled leisurely beneath the sunlit sky, hands in his sleeves, eyes scanning the campus with casual detachment. But his thoughts were sharp, focused.
"Dugu Yan should be enrolling around this time, right?"
According to the timeline he remembered from the original story, this was the year she'd join the academy. If he could approach her early, earn her favor and her trust, perhaps he could acquire the immortal herb from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well without resorting to force.
That would be the ideal outcome.
After all, Dugu Yan wasn't just a beautiful girl from a noble clan—she was the granddaughter of Dugu Bo, the Poison Douluo, and would later inherit his strength and legacy. If Li Chang'an could win her heart, he wouldn't just gain access to an immortal herb… he'd gain a Titled Douluo-class ally in the future.
And if that didn't work?
Well, he could always resort to deception—just as Tang San had in the original timeline. His own martial spirit had unique properties that could neutralize and absorb toxins. If he could rid Dugu Bo of his lifelong poison, the man would owe him a debt deeper than the sea. That could open all the doors he needed.
As he walked, a strange pulse ran through his body. He paused, tilting his head slightly.
His martial spirit was reacting.
It wasn't violent or hostile—more like a gentle tug, a resonance. A sign.
He didn't hesitate.
Trusting the instinct, he changed direction, his feet moving with purpose as he followed the pull like a predator sensing prey.
Elsewhere on campus…
A girl stepped out of the Academic Affairs Office.
She had short lavender hair, jade-green eyes, and an air of cold elegance about her. Though still young, her beauty already turned heads.
Dugu Yan.
After completing her enrollment, she'd planned to explore the campus. But barely a few steps into her walk, her martial spirit suddenly stirred—an inexplicable ripple of energy that tugged at her senses.
Something was calling her.
She blinked, startled. And yet… intrigued.
Guided by instinct and curiosity, she followed the pull in her soul, meandering across the neatly paved walkways. Before long, she reached an artificial lake surrounded by willow trees and marble pavilions.
There, by the water's edge, stood a lone figure.
His back was to her. Tall, straight, calm—like a sword planted in the earth.
Her breath caught.
She didn't understand why… but her heart skipped a beat.
It wasn't infatuation. Not exactly. It was something deeper. An unexplainable sense of familiarity and awe, as if the man standing there radiated a power she couldn't comprehend.
She took a few steps closer, unconsciously slowing her pace.
Two meters away, she stopped.
And in that moment, as the breeze stirred the lake's surface and rustled the leaves above, something in the air changed.
Two destinies had crossed paths.
And the story… was about to begin.
**********
If you want to read more there's 15, 30, 50 chapters there of my written fanfictions and translated works in my Pat.Reon.
Here is the link:
https://patreon.com/LordFisherman?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink
And if you can't find it just type my name: patreon.com/LordFisherman