Gui Mei no longer hesitated. A dense shadow swept around Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan, firmly shielding the three of them. Then, heading in the direction opposite the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast and the valley, it became a ghostly blur and sped away at an astonishing pace.
Wrapped in shadow, Hu Liena suddenly felt a sharp pain deep in her mind, as if countless needles had pierced her soul all at once.
[Warning: A violation has been detected. Subjecting the host to a Mental Attack] [First offense: warning issued] [If you harm the host again, you will be immediately erased]
The cold, mechanical voice rang directly in the depths of her consciousness, devoid of emotion.
Hu Liena grunted, her face turning deathly pale as fine beads of cold sweat formed on her forehead.
Gritting her teeth, she endured the pain of this punishment imposed by the rules themselves, then looked back one last time at the forest's Core Zone, now rapidly receding, thick with an aura of chaos and danger.
The area where Yu Tiancheng had disappeared was already hidden behind layers of trees.
But her intense frustration at having fallen just short of success coiled around her heart like a poisonous vine.
The enhanced Fox Charm Soul Skill was faintly warm in her Sea of Consciousness, as if reminding her of the power she had gained—and burning with her nearly obsessive desire for the person who could bring her even more power.
"Yu Tiancheng..." she murmured, complicated emotions swirling in her pink eyes.
"We'll meet again. Next time... you won't be so lucky."
Meanwhile, in a hidden cave somewhere on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.
Silver light flashed, and space rippled like water.
Yu Tiancheng stumbled out of the still-closing spatial passage, lost his balance, and slammed hard into the cold stone wall.
He groaned and slid down the rock face to the ground, panting heavily. Each breath trembled with the shock of having survived.
His face was as pale as paper, his Soul Power nearly depleted, and the Soul Power vortex in his dantian had gone dim.
Worse still was his Spiritual Power. Forcibly deflecting Hu Liena's enhanced Fox Charm attack had left his Sea of Consciousness as battered as if it had been ravaged by a storm. It throbbed with pain, and his vision blurred and doubled.
"Cough... cough, cough..." He coughed a few times, then managed to prop himself up and lean against the wall.
He'd made it.
In the moment of utter chaos caused by the Titan Giant Ape's earth-shaking roar—a moment that had distracted even Titled Douluo—he'd seized the fleeting opportunity and activated the Teleportation Talisman.
A long-distance teleportation of five hundred kilometers.
Normally, with the Diary in his possession, a Mental Attack of Hu Liena's caliber shouldn't have affected him so severely.
But at the instant the teleportation began, he'd indeed felt his mysterious connection with the Diary briefly cut off.
It was as if some kind of protective mechanism had been temporarily severed as he passed through the spatial barrier.
But none of that mattered now.
He was alive. He'd escaped the encirclement of two Titled Douluo and the Golden Generation.
"Safe... for now," Yu Tiancheng murmured hoarsely.
The nerves that had been stretched to their limit suddenly relaxed, leaving him not only exhausted but with an almost unreal sense of relief.
His clothes were already soaked with cold sweat, clinging to his skin and making him feel chilled.
But rational thought quickly overpowered his post-escape relief.
The danger was far from over.
That old chrysanthemum, Yue Guan, might already be tracking him by the spatial fluctuations. Spirit Hall's influence spanned the continent, and a vast net to hunt him down might already be closing around him.
He had to recover as quickly as possible, then leave at once and get as far away as he could.
Yu Tiancheng suppressed the discomfort in his Sea of Consciousness and checked his condition first.
Aside from his depleted Soul Power and injured mind, he hadn't suffered any serious physical injuries.
Recovery was the priority.
He focused, and his consciousness sank into his Sea of Consciousness.
The ancient, mysterious Diary floated quietly at its center, radiating a soft, warm glow.
The light flowed like a gentle stream, slowly but steadily nourishing and repairing his injured Spiritual Power. Under its soothing touch, the needle-like pain gradually eased.
While the Diary repaired his mental wounds and his ring restored his Soul Power, Yu Tiancheng decided to fill out today's Diary first.
[Yesterday was bad enough. Today was even worse] [Yesterday was my first time running into Ghost Douluo and Yue Guan. They chased me like a stray dog, and after barely fooling them with my cloak, I thought I'd finally get a breather] [And what happened? They doubled back and came straight after me! They cornered me right in the Mixed Zone] [I had no choice but to "volunteer" to go with them] [Luckily, I was quick on my feet. I used the fake identity "Lin Fan" and made up an excuse that sounded reasonable] [They probably thought I might be useful, or wanted to play the long game and see what I'd lead them to, so they didn't crush me on the spot] [If I'd been stupid enough to say, "My surname is Yu, and I'm from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan"] [Heh. My corpse would probably be cold by now] [Spirit Hall has never gone easy on the Upper Three Sects, especially the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan]
The other holders of Diary Copies were also in turmoil.
Yesterday, they had just been marveling at how Yu Tiancheng had cleverly evaded a Titled Douluo's Spiritual Detection. Then, in the blink of an eye, they learned that he'd been caught anyway and forced to join Spirit Hall's team.
The roller-coaster turn of events had left them unable to keep from worrying about him.
In the Pope's Palace, Bibi Dong sat upright with an air of authority, lightly tapping her fingertips against the armrest.
Yesterday, when she learned that Yu Tiancheng had evaded Ghost Douluo and Yue Guan's Spiritual Detection, she'd felt a little regretful. After all, she'd missed her chance to get close to Yu Tiancheng.
But when she saw that Yu Tiancheng had eventually crossed paths with Hu Liena and the others, a faint glimmer flashed in her eyes—the cold satisfaction of seeing her plan move forward.
And Nana had guided him, too.
Bibi Dong was clever. Yesterday, her name had been mentioned once, but she hadn't received a reward. The only person whose name had been mentioned more often was Hu Liena.
When Nana returned, Bibi Dong would have to question her carefully.
[Still, the system did manage to do one decent thing] [Today's reward was a Teleportation Talisman. I could use it as long as I found an opportunity when no one had me locked down] [But Yue Guan was watching me, and Gui Mei was right there. What chance was there that no one would have me locked down?] [Then, just when all hope seemed lost!] [Titan Giant Ape! Brother Er Ming! Your roar couldn't have come at a better time] [The pressure of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast erupted, creating absolute chaos in an instant] [Yue Guan and Gui Mei were distracted by that overwhelming power. That was the moment!] [I seized it. Used Void Flash to reposition, then activated the Teleportation Talisman] [I got away]
As he wrote this, Yu Tiancheng paused, then let out a long breath, as if reliving that heart-stopping moment. He felt relieved, but also shaken by how close it had been.
Meanwhile, as she was being escorted away, Hu Liena had only just recovered from the headache caused by the system's warning. Now that she'd read the Diary, her chest tightened again, and a faint metallic taste rose in her throat.
So it really was him! Yu Tiancheng!
Before you continue