The Seven Devils Gather

Luo Chuan did not feel particularly burdened. He was merely considering how to obtain the system's rewards. Flender had already begun questioning the Heavenly Ranking, yet the system's rewards had not arrived. From this, it was clear that the system's rewards were not so easily earned.

As Dai Mubai spoke, Ma Hongjun's expression shifted slightly. Oscar also gave an awkward smile, yawned, and said, "All right, all right. I'm tired. Time to sleep."

Oscar turned and left. As he passed Luo Chuan, he offered him an apologetic smile.

Luo Chuan did not mind. He looked at Dai Mubai and smiled. "What did you want to say?"

Dai Mubai held his head high. Now that his Soul Power was higher than Luo Chuan's and he was on the Heavenly Ranking, he naturally had reason to be proud. Still, mindful of Ma Hongjun and Oscar's feelings, he did not completely fall out with Luo Chuan. Instead, he looked at the Golden Ranking with fake sympathy and said, "Ah, what a pity. Xiao Chuan, don't lose heart. Maybe this Heavenly Ranking isn't accurate."

Dai Mubai appeared to be comforting Luo Chuan, but the meaning he wished to convey could not have been clearer. How could the Heavenly Dao Ranking, with rewards as miraculous as divine signs, possibly be wrong?

Dai Mubai left without waiting for Luo Chuan to reply. Luo Chuan ignored him as well; he could not be bothered with someone like Dai Mubai, who bullied the weak and feared the strong.

Still round and chubby beneath his clothes, Ma Hongjun came over to Luo Chuan. "Chuan, don't take it to heart. Dai Mubai's just like that. Maybe what you said back then got under his skin.

"Actually, it got under mine too. But I can't avoid going to those places. I'm afraid of dying."

Ma Hongjun's smile was helpless. They were true fellow disciples. Back then, Luo Chuan had said that Dai Mubai was all bark and no bite, merely seeking validation through women. A man who could not even control his lower half was, no matter how strong, nothing more than a stud!

Dai Mubai had flown into a rage and wanted to fight Luo Chuan. At the time, Luo Chuan was only level twenty, while Dai Mubai was level thirty-two.

If they had truly fought, Luo Chuan would not have backed down. But Ma Hongjun had smiled placatingly and soothed Dai Mubai's anger.

"You know I wasn't talking about you back then. I'll find a way to solve your problem." Luo Chuan was no fool. Over the years, he had remembered everyone who had treated him well.

Ma Hongjun was one of them. Though only a few months older than Luo Chuan, he was a qualified senior brother.

Ma Hongjun shrugged. "My evil fire is a problem with my martial soul. Changing one's martial soul is too difficult."

"Plenty of people would love to have your problem!" Luo Chuan joked.

"Heh." Ma Hongjun gave a bitter laugh. How could he not want to eradicate the problem at its root?

Lust was part of human nature, for both men and women. Ma Hongjun admitted that he was lustful, but he absolutely did not want to become a stud!

Luo Chuan understood Ma Hongjun's situation. After all, there was nothing wrong with wanting to live.

The next day, Luo Chuan returned to Flender's shop, but Flender was nowhere to be found.

Lying in a battered rocking chair, Luo Chuan sank his consciousness into his sea of consciousness.

The Great Freedom Contemplation Method was a comprehensive cultivation method. It was both a cultivation technique and a combat art. By contemplating Great Freedom, one gained the carefree ease of Great Freedom.

As he contemplated Great Freedom, Luo Chuan seemed to have fallen asleep.

Time passed minute by minute. At last, two customers arrived outside the shop.

But Luo Chuan paid them no attention until one of them spoke.

"Excuse me, how much is this stone?"

"A stone?" Luo Chuan raised a brow. Judging by the timing, the person buying the stone had to be Tang San.

He opened his eyes and glanced at the pair of golden boy and jade girl in the shop. After a brief moment of surprise, he understood and closed his eyes again. "One hundred thousand!"

Tang San froze. Looking at Luo Chuan, who seemed untouched by the mortal world as he lay in the rocking chair, curiosity flashed across his face. There was actually such an otherworldly youth in this world.

Xiao Wu was also drawn in by Luo Chuan's aura. The youth was not especially handsome, nor did he give people an immediately stunning impression. Yet once one looked closely, one would be drawn in by his temperament, gradually sinking into it and becoming unable to pull away.

Tang San looked at Luo Chuan. Then purple light flashed in his eyes. He gently tugged Xiao Wu beside him and said to Luo Chuan, "Ten Gold Soul Coins!"

"You're being insincere. One hundred thousand, no bargaining." Without even looking at them, Luo Chuan's rocking chair creaked beneath him.

Xiao Wu, however, spoke up in dissatisfaction. "It's just a broken stone. Ten Gold Soul Coins is already expensive. Don't be so greedy."

"Turn left when you leave!" Even for a goddess like Xiao Wu, Luo Chuan showed no mercy. This Rogue Rabbit was not clean; looking was enough.

Seeing Luo Chuan's merciless attitude, Tang San knew he would not be able to get a bargain. He immediately said, "Brother, my name is Tang San. At present, I can only come up with seven hundred Gold Soul Coins. Would you consider—"

"Not enough."

"I... I also have a Hidden Weapon for self-defense, a Silent Sleeve Sword..."

"Not enough."

"I also have a dagger forged from thousand-refined meteorite iron..."

"Not enough."

"I... I also have another Silent Sleeve Sword, and a wrist crossbow with twenty cold iron arrows. Its power can seriously injure a Soul Elder."

"Fine. You're getting off cheap." Luo Chuan shook his head slightly and agreed reluctantly, but he only took the coins. He placed all the remaining Hidden Weapons on the shelf.

Tang San immediately let out a breath of relief, but Xiao Wu was unwilling to accept it. "Xiao San, how could you do this? Seven hundred Gold Soul Coins! We don't even have a thousand in total, and we still need to pay tuition later. And those Hidden Weapons..."

"Xiao Wu, the money we have left is enough. I'll explain it when we get back." Tang San pulled Xiao Wu over and took out seven money bags.

Though Xiao Wu was unhappy, she obediently went along with Tang San. Before leaving with him, she shot Luo Chuan a fierce glare.

Luo Chuan put away the seven bags of Gold Soul Coins, the corners of his lips curling upward as he directly stored them in his Soul Guidance Wristguard. Flender did not even know what was in his own shop. He would not notice one stone missing.

Though Luo Chuan knew the plot well, he truly had done nothing over the past ten-plus years. Even his only income had been withheld by Flender. He was short on cash!

The system had only given him a cultivation method, physique, and martial soul. At such a young age, without a powerful backer, Luo Chuan could only keep a low profile. As for joining Spirit Hall? There was no point.

Just after Tang San left, Flender entered the shop. "The academy opens tomorrow. Go lend a hand."

Luo Chuan remained sprawled leisurely in the rocking chair. Flender's mouth twitched. Had he adopted an ancestor instead of a child?

The Golden Ranking had appeared last night, and by this morning, a frenzy over the Heavenly Ranking had already swept through the city. Everywhere one walked, all one heard were discussions about the Heavenly Ranking.

Flender dragged over a battered stool and sat down. "Tell me, what do you think of the Heavenly Ranking?"

"The Heavenly Dao isn't very smart," Luo Chuan blurted out. Then he added, "The continent is about to fall into chaos. Spirit Hall will eliminate dissidents, and every genius who has not joined Spirit Hall will be placed on an assassination list."

Flender nodded approvingly, then said, "You didn't make the ranking. I don't know whether that's good or bad for you."

"I sold a broken stone today."

"How many coins did you sell it for?"

"Coins? You really dare to dream. I traded it for some scrap metal, all of which is on the shelf. I also got five silver coins. Those are mine."

"That won't do."

"Old man, give me back my Soul Master stipend!"

Outside the shop, a figure seemed to hear their argument and paused briefly. Flender immediately stepped forward. "Miss, what would you like?"

"No need." The black-clad girl looked cold and detached. She merely swept her gaze over the two of them inside the shop before leaving.

Flender sighed softly, while Luo Chuan stared at the girl's retreating figure for a long time. The Shrek Seven Devils were about to assemble.

Who should the female leads be? No female lead would work too.