Chapter 467 Cultural Exchange!

Lu Yu was completely speechless and could only sigh helplessly and pick up the teacup to hide his embarrassment.

The atmosphere between the two fell into silence for a moment. After a moment, Ye Lingling suddenly laughed softly, and her tone softened a little.

"Okay, I'm just asking casually, you don't have to take it too seriously."

"Lingling..." Lu Yu looked up at her, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he didn't speak.

Ye Lingling lowered her head, took a sip of tea, and said lightly:

"Actually, Dugu Yan is a very special girl. Although her personality is a bit sharp, she also has her advantages. It's just..." She paused, her eyes fell on Lu Yu again, and asked lightly, "Are you two really just ordinary friends?"

Lu Yu could hear the sourness in her words and said with a wry smile:

"Of course it's true. I don't have any other feelings towards her, you're overthinking it."

Ye Lingling looked at him steadily with deep eyes, and after a while she nodded slightly.

"Okay, I believe you."

However, when Lu Yu heard these words, he always felt that something was not right, as if there was something unsaid. He opened his mouth and wanted to explain something, but found that no matter what he said, it seemed redundant.

After a moment, Ye Lingling stood up, straightened her sleeves, and said calmly:

"Okay, it's getting late, I should go back. You should also go to bed early."

"Oh... okay." Lu Yu was stunned for a moment, then nodded in response.

Ye Lingling turned and left, her steps light and calm. However, at the moment she turned around, a complicated look flashed across her face, which seemed to be a little unhappy and a little helpless.

Lu Yu looked at her back, and a slight bitterness rose in his heart. Ye Lingling didn't completely believe his explanation. But, what else could he say about some things?

In the grove behind the college, the sun shines through the gaps in the leaves, casting mottled shadows. A thin and tall figure stands there, wearing a dark green robe, with a sword at his waist gleaming coldly. Lu Yu puts his hands behind his back, looking calmly at the people in front of him, but his expression reveals a bit of seriousness that is different from usual.

"Ye Lingling, are you sure?" Lu Yu asked in a low voice, his eyes sweeping over the girl in white clothes in front of him.

Ye Lingling nodded slightly, her expression indifferent but firm, "Of course. There is no problem for me to join your team. What's more... your plan does sound interesting."

Lin Yuan, who was standing aside, couldn't help rubbing his hands and came forward with excitement, "Sister Lingling, are you really going to join? That's great! With you here, our second team will definitely be stronger!"

Ye Lingling smiled softly, without responding to Lin Yuan, and turned to look at Lu Yu, "But I'm curious, Lu Yu. Why do you want to set up a second team? With your strength, you should have gone all out in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Competition. Why are you wasting your energy on this kind of 'dividing the troops' approach?"

As soon as these words came out, several people standing nearby nodded. It was obvious that Ye Lingling was not the only one who was puzzled by this question. After all, everyone knew that as the highest-level soul master competition on the continent, the competition was very fierce. As the captain, shouldn't Lu Yu focus all his energy on the main team?

Hearing this, Lu Yu just smiled faintly and said calmly: "Dividing the troops is not a waste of energy. On the contrary, I think this is the way to maximize resources and strength."

"Oh?" Ye Lingling raised her eyebrows, with a puzzled tone, "Tell me your reasons."

Lu Yu glanced at the crowd, paused, and then slowly spoke, "You all know the rules of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Competition. Although there is only one champion in the end, the early stages of the competition are based on the overall performance of the academy. In other words, whether an academy can enter the finals depends not only on the strength of the main team, but also on the performance of the entire academy in other groups."

"You mean..." Jiang Fan, who had been silent the whole time, raised his head, a flash of realization flashed in his eyes, "You want the second team to become another support point for the academy in the early stages of the game?"

Lu Yu nodded and continued, "That's right. The main team is the key to the championship, but the overall ranking of the academy also needs other teams to support the situation. It is too risky to rely on one team to compete for all the points. If we can have two teams in the competition, even if the second team cannot make it to the end, at least we can gain more advantages for the academy in the early points."

"But even so, the strength of the second team..." Lin Yuan said hesitantly, "Although you are the leader, it is not easy to put together a competitive team in a short period of time, right?"

Lu Yu smiled faintly and glanced at Lin Yuan, "That's why I need your cooperation. I already have a preliminary list of candidates for the selection of the second team. Next, we just need everyone to work together and train as quickly as possible. If we lack strength, we can make up for it with time."

Having said that, he looked at Ye Lingling, "And you... are the key to the second team."

Ye Lingling was stunned, a little surprised, "Me?"

"That's right." Lu Yu nodded. "You are recognized by the academy as the best healing spirit master. If you join, the second team's survivability and team endurance will be greatly improved. More importantly, the spirit bone ability you have can also make up for many tactical shortcomings."

"It seems that you have investigated my situation very clearly." Ye Lingling chuckled, with a hint of teasing in her tone.

"If I don't know enough about you, how can I dare to invite you to join?" Lu Yu looked calm and his voice was firm.

"That sounds nice." Ye Lingling glared at him, but a smile appeared on her face. "However, you do have a point. If only the main team goes to compete for the championship, it is indeed too risky. In this case, I am willing to give it a try and see what your second team can do."

Lin Yuan was so happy that he almost jumped up, "Sister Lingling, does this mean you agree?"

"I agree to it for now." Ye Lingling looked at Lu Yu, "But I have one condition."

"You say." Lu Yu responded without hesitation.

"You must personally participate in the training of the second team." Ye Lingling's tone was calm, but there was a hint of seriousness in her eyes. "I don't want to join a team that is not even proficient in basic tactics. If you can ensure the quality of the training, I will naturally not let you down."

Lu Yu nodded, "That's natural."

"That's no problem." Ye Lingling nodded gently, her eyes moving, "But I still have a question."

"You ask." Lu Yu looked at her calmly.

"You just said that the second team already has a preliminary list of candidates." Ye Lingling thought for a moment and asked, "Then, besides me, who are the other candidates?"

Hearing this, Lu Yu raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a faint smile, "Well... this is kept secret for now. But don't worry, in the next few days, I will personally invite them to join."

"Are you still keeping me in suspense?" Ye Lingling shook her head slightly with a hint of smile on her lips.

Lin Yuan at the side couldn't help but interrupt, "Brother Lu, what about me? Am I also on the list of the second team? Although I know that my strength is not as good as yours, I can also give it a try!"

Lu Yu glanced at him and said calmly: "If you can pass the next test, I will naturally not refuse."

"Test?" Lin Yuan was stunned for a moment, "What test?"

"It's a very simple test." Lu Yu's gaze stayed on Lin Yuan for a moment, then he turned and left. "You'll know later."

Lin Yuan stood there and scratched his head, bewildered. "What's going on..."

Ye Lingling looked at Lu Yu's departing back, smiled slightly, turned around and walked to the other side, "Since you have already decided, I will wait for your notice. But Lu Yu, remember what you promised me - I will not let you off during training."

"Don't worry." Lu Yu's voice came from a distance, "I promise that Team 2 will bring you a surprise."

The latest novel is published first on Liu9shuba!

Looking at Lu Yu's receding back, Ye Lingling's eyes flashed with complex emotions. She had never thought that one day she would join a temporary team in this way. But strangely, Lu Yu's plan made her feel a little bit of anticipation.

Maybe... this elite competition will be a little different.

Lu Yu pushed open the door of the dormitory and just as he stepped into the room, a burst of noisy sound came towards him.

"Lu Yu! You're finally back! Have you read the college's notice today?" His roommate Zhao Ming was the first to jump up, with undisguised excitement in his eyes.

Lu Yu was stunned for a moment, then casually hung his cloak on the hook on the wall, and glanced at the people in the room. Zhao Ming's face was full of excitement, while another roommate, Su Ziang, looked as if he wanted to say something but hesitated, and the last one, Wang Xuan, just sat on the chair and sipped his tea calmly, but from his slightly raised eyebrows, it can be seen that he was also quite concerned about something.

"What notice?" Lu Yu frowned and took off his coat. "What are you guys up to?"

Zhao Ming grabbed Lu Yu's hand, dragged him to the table, and said impatiently: "Tiandou Royal Academy has just released a blockbuster news that it will select a student representative to participate in the exchange group to Xingluo Empire! And you, Lu Yu, you have been selected!"

"Huh?" Lu Yu didn't react for a moment, he just looked down at Zhao Ming who was holding his hand tightly in excitement, "What did you say? I was selected?"

Su Ziang quickly came over, nodded and added: "It's true. The academy just announced that you have been named as a student representative and will follow the academy team to the Xingluo Empire to participate in the Empire Exchange Group."

"Yes!" Zhao Ming released his hand and said with a sigh, "Lu Yu, I knew you would be chosen! You are a genius in our academy, with strong combat power, excellent character and academic performance. Who else can be chosen besides you?"

Lu Yu finally understood, his brows still slightly furrowed, "Wait, how was this chosen? I remember never hearing about the exchange group before."

Wang Xuan put down his teacup and said calmly, "The exchange group was suddenly decided by the higher-ups. I heard that it is a cultural exchange activity jointly promoted by the royal family and the Xingluo Empire. It is intended to ease the relationship between the two countries and to show the strength of the younger generation. I am not surprised that you were chosen."

"But I haven't signed up, and I haven't even filled out the application for participation." Lu Yu asked puzzledly.

Zhao Ming scratched his head and said awkwardly, "Uh... well, I heard that it was decided directly by the dean. It was completely a recommendation by name. We also felt it was very sudden, but the dean seemed to have high hopes for you and thought that you could represent the best image of the college."

Su Ziang echoed in a low voice: "Indeed, the dean mentioned you in the afternoon announcement, saying that you are the best of the younger generation of the entire Tiandou Royal Academy and the most suitable student to represent the academy in this exchange."

Lu Yu listened to these words, but his heart was a little complicated. He has always been low-key and doesn't like to show up in public, not to mention that this time he has to go to Xingluo Empire, a strange country, and face unknown challenges.

"Why me?" he asked in a low voice, looking up at Zhao Ming with some confusion in his eyes.

"Lu Yu!" Zhao Ming slammed the table, his expression becoming serious. "What on earth are you thinking? This kind of opportunity is what many people dream of! It is a great honor to represent the academy to the Xingluo Empire! Not only the academy, but you will be noticed by the entire Tiandou Empire in the future. Do you know what this means?"

"Zhao Ming is right," Su Ziang took over the conversation, "Lu Yu, do you know how much we envy you? If I could be chosen, let alone going to the Xing Luo Empire, I would even be willing to fight soul beasts in the Soul Beast Forest!"

Lu Yu looked at his expression and sighed, "You know, I'm not someone who likes to be pushed to the front. For things like this, I would rather stay in the academy and practice, quietly improving myself."

Wang Xuan snorted coldly, "There are always opportunities to stay in the academy to practice, but not everyone can get such an opportunity. The dean chose you, which means you have the ability and the responsibility. Besides, Lu Yu, don't you want to know what the young spirit masters in the Xingluo Empire are like? Perhaps, they are the ones who can truly rival you."

Lu Yu was silent for a moment. Wang Xuan's words hit the mark. As a soul master who pursued higher soul power and limits, he was indeed curious about the unknown world. The young soul masters of the Xingluo Empire might really give him a different feeling.

"Moreover," Su Ziang added with a smile, "I heard that this exchange group will also hold a joint exchange activity with the Royal Academy of the Xingluo Empire. Not only will there be soul master competitions, but there will also be cultural exchanges. It is said to be very interesting. It is better to go and see it than to stay in the academy, right?"

Lu Yu finally raised his head, glanced at the three people in front of him, and sighed softly, "It seems that you all think I should go."

Zhao Ming nodded repeatedly, and Su Ziang said with a smile: "It's not just us, the whole academy feels this way!"

"Even if I disagree, I can't change the dean's decision, right?" Lu Yu smiled bitterly.

"Of course," Wang Xuan said expressionlessly, "this is not something you can refuse. The list of the exchange group has been reported to the Imperial Parliament. If you refuse now, I'm afraid even the dean will be embarrassed."