Douluo: Heaven Seal

Chapter 42: A Strong Enemy! Who Is the Hunter? Huge Gap in Strength!

For three days, nothing major occurred. Apart from eating, Lu Yu stayed in the carriage, focusing solely on his cultivation.

Since the "barbecue poaching" incident three days ago, the students from the various academies had deliberately started keeping their distance from him.

The only exception was Shui Yue'er...

This girl was not only lovestruck but also incredibly bold. She made no effort to hide her admiration for Lu Yu. Whenever she had a chance, she would run to Lu Yu's carriage to ask questions.

Every time, her older sister Shui Bing'er would get annoyed and forcibly drag her back.

As for Shui Ningyan, she did not interfere. Whether it was because she was helpless with her daughter or she simply chose to let things unfold naturally, no one could say...

---

On the fourth day, something finally happened!

The royal delegation was ambushed by a group of bandits. The attackers were quite powerful, including several Spirit Kings and even two Spirit Emperors. But they couldn't withstand a single exchange against the strong guards from the royal family and the colleges.

The problem was… the enemy retreated very quickly.

In order to prioritize student safety, the royal guards did not pursue and only eliminated a few stragglers.

But this made Lu Yu even more certain of his previous suspicions.

> This was a test.

It was likely Spirit Hall probing the strength of the royal delegation!

---

On the fifth day, something truly strange occurred.

While the convoy was moving forward, a terrifying pressure suddenly descended.

The horses at the front exploded in fear, and the entire convoy fell into disarray.

Lu Yu immediately jumped off the carriage, and Meng Shenji quickly came to his side.

Meng Shenji's top priority on this trip was to protect Lu Yu. Even when the bandits appeared a few days ago, he hadn't acted—he had simply remained by Lu Yu's side.

> "Dean Meng, what's happening?"

Lu Yu narrowed his eyes. Because he carried the Dao Yun, he was completely unaffected by the oppressive aura.

However, he could clearly feel that this pressure was more than a hundred times stronger than that of the Spirit Emperor-level old woman he had faced previously!

> Spirit Douluo? Or even… Title Douluo?!

> "There's a powerful enemy approaching—likely a Title Douluo! Don't leave me!" Meng Shenji's face was grave.

Lu Yu feigned shock and asked, "A Title Douluo? How could there be such a powerful figure among mere bandits?"

Meng Shenji inhaled deeply but didn't reply. His expression made it clear that he had already been anticipating this.

From that alone, Lu Yu understood: he wasn't the only one who had seen through the situation.

Many of the powerful Spirit Masters in the convoy had likely already sensed that something was wrong.

Thinking back to the original plot—how the leaders of the major academies had suffered severe losses before the Spirit Master Tournament—Lu Yu's expression became thoughtful.

> Was this all part of Spirit Hall's conspiracy?

Or… the Heaven Dou Empire's trap?

Who is the prey… and who is the hunter?

---

While Lu Yu and Meng Shenji were speaking, the Five Elemental Academies had already organized their formations.

The teachers gathered their students and stood at the ready.

On Xue Qinghe's side, over twenty Spirit Kings, eight Spirit Emperors, and three Spirit Douluo surrounded the royal carriages, forming a powerful defensive perimeter.

Suddenly, the previously sunny sky darkened. Cold wind howled, and eerie sounds like ghosts wailing and wolves howling filled the air.

The pressure became even more terrifying. Many students with lower cultivation began to feel suffocated, their faces turning pale.

Then, figures in black burst from the forest beside the road!

They were all masked, their bodies tightly wrapped. But the moment they appeared, each one unleashed their Spirit, spirit rings glowing brightly beneath them.

A total of 43 attackers—30 Spirit Saints (seven-ring) and 13 Spirit Douluo (eight-ring)!

Seeing this lineup, the entire Heaven Dou Empire exchange group was instantly overwhelmed.

On their side, there were barely over a dozen Spirit Saints, and only a few Spirit Douluo-level powerhouses. The rest—aside from the students—were Spirit Kings and Emperors.

Worse still...

There was an unseen Title Douluo whose oppressive aura alone had plunged the entire camp into dread.

> "Run! I'll hold them off with the rest of the masters!"

Meng Shenji made a quick decision, turning to Lu Yu with a serious face.

> "Even if we all die, you and His Highness the Crown Prince must not fall!"

Lu Yu nodded, inhaled deeply, and turned to flee without hesitation.

At the same time, Xue Qinghe also fled in another direction, protected by three Spirit Emperors.

As both fled, the teachers of the academies responded quickly.

Shui Ningyan was the first to shout:

> "Follow Lu Yu! Heaven Dou Royal Academy values him highly—he must have a way to survive!"

The flower-crazed Shui Yue'er's eyes immediately sparkled. She nodded like a pecking chicken, dragged her sister Shui Bing'er, and ran after Lu Yu.

The other teachers all gave similar orders—have the students retreat while they faced the enemy head-on.

Despite the massive gap in strength, they were determined to buy time for the students to escape.

---

After Lu Yu and Meng Shenji separated, Lu Yu continued fleeing—his speed no different from that of a regular three-ring Spirit Master—while calmly analyzing the situation.

From Meng Shenji's behavior, Lu Yu could deduce that the teachers had expected an ambush.

Was it because they sensed something wrong before setting out? Or because they found clues during the earlier bandit attack?

Lu Yu believed it was the latter.

After all, they didn't know Xue Qinghe's true identity, nor did they know that Elephant Armored Sect had allied with Spirit Hall.

So, in the eyes of these teachers, the enemy was most likely…

> The Star Luo Empire.

But Lu Yu knew—this was definitely the work of Spirit Hall!

Especially that hidden Title Douluo, whose oppressive aura could darken the sky and summon howling winds.

That ability…

> Was clearly the work of Ghost Douluo, Bibi Dong's trusted enforcer!

---

But then, another question emerged.

> What was Spirit Hall's goal?

To eliminate the Heaven Dou Empire's rising talents?

To weaken its high-end Spirit Master power?

But if everyone died, and Xue Qinghe was the only survivor, wouldn't that raise suspicion?

And Lu Yu, who was familiar with the original plot, knew very well:

> Bibi Dong is far too smart to make such a crude move.

So what exactly was her true intent?

At that moment, Lu Yu suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked back toward the battlefield.

The difference in strength was stark—the exchange group was already at a disadvantage.

Those black-clothed Spirit Hall powerhouses could've easily dispatched a team to hunt down the students.

But they didn't.

Lu Yu's eyes narrowed.

He vaguely sensed the truth.

> This wasn't a real assassination attempt…

It was all just for show.

If Ghost Douluo truly wanted to eliminate the students, how could these young Spirit Masters—barely above four rings—possibly escape?

> No… the true target must be Xue Qinghe!

Click. Everything connected.

Lu Yu's expression sharpened. Without another word, he turned around and sprinted back toward the battlefield.

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(End of this chapter)