Strange Train

Gu You shook the gourd in his hand, and a rich aura of Soul Power rushed forth.

"I heard Master say that quite a few thousand-year spiritual herbs were added to it. The spiritual liquid brewed inside can even increase Soul Power when consumed."

It was a fine item. Not only could it store the Soul Power of a single Soul Douluo or above and continuously feed it back to him, but it could also be filled with water to quench his thirst. It truly was a top-tier holy grail.

Leng Yaozhu had said that the Soul Guide Milk Bottle before him had been jointly crafted by three level seven professionals and was already nearing the standard of a Level Eight Soul Tool. Its interior was divided into two modules and shaped like a gourd. The lower half could store Soul Power, while the upper half could brew spiritual liquid into wine. After adjustment, the two modules could be switched freely. It was truly one of the finest level seven Soul Tools.

"Passengers, please board Soul Guide Train No. 87. This route travels from Mingdu to Heaven Dou City, passing through thirty-four cities. Upon reaching each station, the train will stop for five minutes, during which passengers may choose to disembark or continue their journey."

The broadcasts continued without interruption. Honestly, if this train had not been so cheap, Gu You would have switched to a Soul Guide High-Speed Rail long ago and booked a VIP compartment.

Since he had given the red card to Na'er, he did not have much money on him. He had applied for another card himself and deposited roughly three hundred thousand Federation Coins into it, all painstakingly earned through forging over the past two days.

Do not think three hundred thousand was a small amount. In the Douluo Federation, anyone capable of earning that much in just a few days was already ahead of more than ninety percent of the population.

The interior of the train was extremely chaotic. Gu You finally managed to seize a seat and began meditating.

"What a beautiful child! What Martial Soul does your child have?"

Gu You's six senses were exceptionally keen at the moment. Though he appeared to be cultivating, he had actually surveyed the entire train. The only thing he found strange was that a stronger Spiritual Power in the two carriages ahead blocked his probing.

Over the past few days, Gu You had often risen early to cultivate the Purple Emperor's Roar. At the same time, he had discovered that the Purple Emperor's Roar seemed almost too easy. He had already reached the so-called Microcosm Realm.

Microcosm meant delving into the tiniest details, instantly detecting subtle changes in a target, from its outward appearance to its minutest features.

"Martial Soul... I'm sorry, my child doesn't have one."

Gu You's attention was drawn to the conversation.

"Ah! I'm sorry."

She was a very beautiful young girl, her eyes currently filled with ease. Across from her sat a mother and daughter. The mother looked to be in her forties, while the younger girl appeared to be only six or seven. The little girl was adorable, with a pair of bright, crystal-clear eyes.

"That's not what I meant. My daughter missed the day for Martial Soul awakening. By the time we went, the Spirit Communicator had already left. If she wants to awaken her Martial Soul afterward, we have to pay for it at the Spirit Pagoda or certain designated government locations. It costs over twenty thousand. It's too expensive..."

Gu You clenched his fists. Those words sounded so deserving of a beating, yet that was reality. For a family that could not even afford twenty thousand, even if the little girl had Soul Power and became a Soul Master in the future, it would be difficult for her to obtain Soul Rings—unless her talent was exceptionally good. But the odds of that were very low.

Putting himself in their shoes, Gu You felt that once he established his own faction, he had to make Martial Soul awakenings completely free, just like Spirit Hall. No matter the region, poor or rich, anyone with Soul Power fluctuations could enter his faction to study and develop. As for the money, he would pay for it himself. Of course, that was only wishful thinking. Resource competition existed, and this world had never been fair for a single moment. It had not been fair in the past, and it was not fair now. Since one had good talent, one had to seize it properly. Even if one's talent was poor, there was no need to despair, because no one knew what they would become three years later.

"So sleepy. What's wrong with my mental state today? Why are my eyelids unconsciously..."

So sleepy...

Gu You suddenly felt lightheaded as well. Not good! He instantly mobilized his Spiritual Power, and the Purple Emperor's Roar stared ahead.

In a place no one else could see, a girl stood silently, four Soul Rings winding around her body. Her lips kept playing a flute.

The Nine Serene Flute?

Gu You instantly recognized this Martial Soul, but the Nine Serene Flute before him emitted spreading black mist. Countless auras of the dead leaked out, and the dense black energy instantly covered everything around him. Gu You could see nothing.

Evil Soul Master!!

Gu You was inwardly alarmed. He had merely taken a lousy train—how had every kind of bad luck found him? For now, he could only wait and observe. Evil Soul Masters generally did not appear alone, especially not one with four rings.

The people in the surrounding carriages peacefully fell asleep. Gu You pretended to sleep as well. He wanted to see what they were up to.

The train continued moving, and everything outside remained calm. After waiting for an hour, Gu You's hands began to ache. This posture was far too uncomfortable. He wanted to change positions, but he feared that doing so might expose him.

Five hours.

He could not take it anymore. Change positions, change positions.

Fortunately, no one noticed Gu You.

Noranalin City, on the Far North border.

This place was remote, beyond the reach of true Federation control. It had long become a gathering place for Evil Soul Masters, black-market merchants, and assassins. Even though the city's administrator had been appointed by the Federation, bribery was unavoidable, and they still engaged in wicked dealings.

"Xiao Lai, you did well this time. The boss should give you enough Resentful Spirit Energy to let you break through to Soul King." The burly man's eyes were filled with madness. His body was covered in countless wounds, yet they only made his ferocity more apparent.

"You needn't tell me that. I know it already. It's just that we were too conspicuous this time. The Federation will definitely notice. Not to mention, the government already suspected this place. It's only because it's too far away, and the inspectors they sent were replaced, that they could not verify anything." Xiao Lai said coldly.

"Ha ha! Then let them come. It's been a long time since I killed anyone. My Martial Soul is hungry." A blood-red bear phantom appeared behind Kuang Zhan. His body instantly swelled dozens of times larger, and seven Soul Rings floated around him. The only regrettable thing was that his first Soul Ring was white.

This was Kuang Zhan's Martial Soul, the Bloodthirsty Bear. It was a mutated form that relied primarily on slaughter and bloodlust to increase its cultivation. He had already reached seven rings, and no one knew how many innocent lives he had massacred.

"Where is this?"

Most of the passengers had awakened. Outside the train lay endless wind and snow. Violent gales swept across the land, and a snowfield stretched before their eyes.

"What's going on?! Weren't we just in Shrek City?"

Order began to collapse. Gu You's left eye twitched. They said a twitching left eye brought wealth and a twitching right eye brought disaster, but this looked like nothing but trouble.