Spirit City, Pope's Palace.
Bibi Dong sat upon her throne, her splendid papal robes cascading around her and lending her an even more imposing, peerless beauty.
The light from the Soul Tools that burned perpetually in the hall was soft and steady, yet it could not reach the deep, secluded pool in her eyes.
The latest entry in Yu Tiancheng's diary unfolded in her mind.
When she saw the place name "Star Dou Great Forest," the fingers stroking her scepter paused ever so slightly.
"Star Dou Great Forest..." Her red lips parted. Her voice was calm and even, yet the Temple Guard Knights standing in attendance instinctively lowered their heads further.
She had not previously known Yu Tiancheng's exact whereabouts. From scattered information in the diary, she had only deduced that he was traveling and training.
Now, this Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan boy, who carried a strange diary and seemed to possess a special concealment Soul Tool, had appeared in the Star Dou Great Forest of his own accord.
That was where Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan and Ghost Douluo Gui Mei were leading the Golden Generation's Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan into the depths of the forest to hunt a fifth Spirit Ring for Xie Yue, who had just broken through level fifty.
The faintest, almost imperceptible curve appeared at the corner of Bibi Dong's lips, then vanished beneath her eternal majesty.
Coincidence? Or the pull of fate?
She raised her slender, fair hand. A deep purple-black light gathered around her fingertips as she traced a shape in the air.
The light swirled, forming a complex, mysterious rune. It flickered briefly, then turned into a streak of light and vanished into the void.
This was the Long-Distance Communication Method she used exclusively with her two trusted Titled Douluo, Yue Guan and Gui Mei.
The order was clear and concise: "Keep an eye out for a boy named Yu Tiancheng, from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. He may possess a special concealment Soul Tool and should currently be near the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest. If you encounter him, do not alert him. Observe and assess him discreetly. Prioritize ensuring Nana and the others complete their mission."
After sending the order, Bibi Dong slowly leaned back in her chair and gently ran her fingers over the cold gemstone on her scepter.
Yu Tiancheng's "concealment" and "voice mimicry" abilities, as described in his diary, seemed limited in effect and range. But their principles were unknown, and their potential remained to be explored.
More importantly, it was the diary itself. Its ability to transmit information across space and subtly influence its holders was what truly interested her.
The level of power that might lie behind it could far exceed the understanding of ordinary Spirit Masters.
"The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan... Yu Yuanzhen." A glimmer of inscrutable light flashed in her eyes.
The Upper Three Sects stood in the way of Spirit Hall's advance. This Yu Tiancheng, who had suddenly appeared with his strange diary, was an intriguing variable.
Perhaps he could become a chess piece for observing the Upper Three Sects' movements, or even one she could make use of in the future.
She was in no hurry to bring him under her control.
Having Yue Guan and Gui Mei observe him discreetly and gather more information first was the prudent course.
"Star Dou Great Forest..."
Bibi Dong's gaze seemed to pierce the thick walls of the Pope's Palace and settle on the distant horizon. "This is getting more and more interesting."
Somewhere near the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.
Meng Yiran followed Dragon Duke Meng Shu and Snake Dowager Chao Tianxiang. The three of them carefully made their way along a game trail, searching for a suitable place to spend the night.
The forest was dangerous at night, and they needed to find a suitable spot and set up a temporary camp as soon as possible.
Suddenly, the Diary Copy in Meng Yiran's arms gave off a familiar warmth.
She paused, and her heart inexplicably skipped a beat.
She quickly glanced at her grandparents, who were a few steps ahead, quietly discussing something. Seeing that they were focused on surveying their surroundings, she relaxed a little and let a sliver of her awareness sink into the diary.
When she saw that Yu Tiancheng's diary had mentioned her, surprise flashed in Meng Yiran's purple eyes.
But what shocked her even more was another piece of information the diary revealed—
"They'd never guess that the person who messed with them just now was nearby—and a Spirit Master about their age, too, right?"
The words echoed in Meng Yiran's mind.
Someone their age?
She didn't know who Tang San and Zhao Wuji were, but a teacher leading students out on a trip would have to be at least a Spirit King, wouldn't they?
To make Shrek Academy suffer right under a Spirit King's nose without anyone noticing?
And the person responsible was a boy about her age?
She quickly recalled the scene in the inn's lobby the previous night.
When she and her grandparents had checked in, there had indeed been several Spirit Masters their age in the lobby.
But she had been in a bad mood, worrying about her third Spirit Ring, and hadn't paid much attention to the people around her.
Now that she thought about it... Yu Tiancheng might have been at the inn then.
Images from the previous night flashed through Meng Yiran's mind. Had he been the boy drinking tea alone in the corner?
The boy in blue checking in at the front desk? Or the figure she'd brushed past by the stairs? She tried to remember, but realized she hadn't paid attention to any of those details at the time.
Wait... She suddenly remembered catching sight of someone in a dark cloak hurrying down the corridor the previous night.
She hadn't thought much of it then, but now that she considered it, the cloak's design had seemed somewhat unusual.
"A cloak..." She remembered Yu Tiancheng mentioning the "new little toy" he'd gotten and "the cloak's concealment and interference abilities" in his diary.
Could that cloaked figure from last night have been him?
The realization stirred up a complicated feeling in Meng Yiran.
On one hand, she felt a little regret that she might have brushed past him the previous night without recognizing him.
On the other hand, Yu Tiancheng's actions—hiding in the shadows, quietly teaching those arrogant Shrek students a lesson, then getting away unharmed—made her think he was kind of impressive.
No, not just kind of. He was really impressive.
She thought about how Yu Tiancheng had described making Dai Mubai "almost take a face-first dive," making Ma Hongjun's Phoenix Fireline "go poof and die out," and even using a Simulation to warn them with someone else's voice...
The corners of Meng Yiran's mouth lifted slightly despite herself. His methods were a little... well, mischievous, but it was satisfying to see someone take down arrogant bullies like Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun.
Besides, he had mentioned her in the diary and said, "I hope she finds a suitable Spirit Beast this time and doesn't get 'sniped' by the Protagonist Group again."
The considerate way he had wished her well warmed Meng Yiran's heart.
And when she recalled how Yu Tiancheng had described her in an earlier diary entry—"purple hair and eyes, tall, with a unique air and a wild yet haughty beauty"—
The wording had been a little flippant, but... she didn't seem to mind it?
Meng Yiran shook her head, casting the thought aside.
Now wasn't the time to think about things like that.
What mattered was that Yu Tiancheng was also near the Star Dou Great Forest, and he planned to enter the forest tomorrow to obtain his Second Soul Ring.
In this vast forest, would they run into each other?
Once the thought occurred to her, it quietly took root in Meng Yiran's heart.
She tightened her grip on her Serpent Cane, a hint of anticipation flashing in her purple eyes, though she didn't notice it herself.
"Yiran, what are you daydreaming about?" Snake Dowager Chao Tianxiang's voice brought her back to reality. "Hurry up. There's a clearing ahead. We'll make camp there tonight."
"Coming, Grandma." Meng Yiran answered and hurried to catch up with her grandparents.
Night deepened, and a campfire blazed in the clearing.
Meng Yiran sat beside the fire, watching the dancing flames, but her mind kept drifting to the indistinct image of a boy—mysterious, interesting, bold yet careful, and... somewhere in this very forest.
Deep in the Mixed Zone of the Star Dou Great Forest.
Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan advanced cautiously through the night in a triangular formation, sheltered by the intangible auras of Yue Guan and Gui Mei, the two Titled Douluo.
Their goal was to find a suitable fifth Spirit Ring for Xie Yue. They would need to venture deep into the Mixed Zone, possibly even reaching the edge of the Core Zone, making this an extremely dangerous mission.
Hu Liena suddenly felt a faint but familiar warmth in her arms.
A flash of understanding and thought passed through her alluring fox eyes, but her expression didn't change, and her pace remained steady.
It was that mysterious Diary Copy. She remembered this feeling.
But this was no time to look at it.
Her brother Xie Yue's fifth Spirit Ring was crucial, and the two Elders were with them. Any distraction could bring needless risk.
She temporarily suppressed her curiosity about the diary's new contents and focused all her attention on sensing the Spirit Beasts around them and any potential dangers.
Not far away, Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan, hidden among the trees, seemed to sense something. His fingers twitched inside his sleeve as he received a communication rune from the Pope.
Light swirled in his uncanny eyes as he quickly understood the order.
"Yu Tiancheng... That boy from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan is in this forest?"
Yue Guan wondered silently, exchanging a glance with Gui Mei, who was nearly indistinguishable from the darkness on the other side.
Gui Mei gave a slight nod to show that he had received the order as well.
The two silently noted the additional and somewhat unexpected task, but neither acted at once nor informed the three young people ahead of them.
Finding and hunting a suitable Spirit Beast for Xie Yue was still their top priority.
As for Yu Tiancheng... If they happened to meet in the vast and perilous Star Dou Great Forest, they could discreetly observe him and assess his worth while they were at it.
Since the Pope had specifically said, "Do not alert him," they knew to be careful.
As night deepened, Yu Tiancheng wrote the final line in his diary in his inn room, then closed it, both apprehensive and eager about the forest trip ahead.
Completely unaware that last night's entry had already cast a stone into the hearts of so many, sending ripples quietly spreading—soon to converge with the waves in the forest.
Before you continue