Although he had long suspected that the Diary might be visible to more than just him, seeing the system explicitly confirm it still stirred a strange feeling in Yu Tiancheng's heart.
At the same time, a new prompt appeared in the Diary Copy:
[This week's designated theme setter: Dugu Yan]
By a quiet lakeside at Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling sat side by side on a bench, each holding a faintly glowing Diary Copy.
They had possessed the Diary Copies for quite some time. As early as the first few updates, they had confirmed through each other's reactions and probing questions that they both shared this secret.
But they had always kept their distance from the Diary's protagonist, Yu Tiancheng. Aside from occasionally seeing some astonishing spoilers, they had never been mentioned, nor had they ever triggered any of the rewards described in the Diary.
That was, until just now, when the rules were updated and Dugu Yan was lucky enough to be chosen as the one to set the first week's theme.
"Lingling, what do you think we should write about in our first week?"
Excitement glittered in Dugu Yan's emerald snake eyes. She unconsciously twirled a strand of hair around her fingertip. "This is our first chance to actively influence what he writes."
Ye Lingling's cool gaze shifted from the window to the Copy in her hands. Her voice was calm, but thoughtful. "The lucky reader and the person who sets the theme are chosen at random, so we can't control that. The only reward we might be able to compete for is the basic one given to whoever gets mentioned by name the most each week."
She paused and looked at Dugu Yan. "So the theme should make him mention us naturally, and more than once."
"Mention us..." Dugu Yan tilted her head, tapping her fair cheek with a finger. Suddenly, her eyes lit up.
"I've got it. How about we set the theme as 'Heaven Dou Royal Academy Team'? He says this is a novel's world, right? Then he must know about our team. If he writes about the team, he can't avoid writing about its members. He can't avoid writing about us."
Ye Lingling furrowed her brow slightly. "But this is your chance, Yan Yan. You're the one setting the theme, but the reward would have to be shared with me..."
"Oh, don't be so formal with me." Dugu Yan wrapped an arm around Ye Lingling's waist. Her waist was slender and supple.
"We're best friends. We should share the good things. Besides, I'll let you have this one. If you get the chance next time, you can make sure he writes about me, right? Let's keep the benefits among friends."
Ye Lingling still seemed hesitant, so Dugu Yan made the decision for her. "That settles it. The theme is specific enough, but it still gives him room to write. He'll have to write something."
Blue Tyrant Academy, Courtyard Seven.
Yu Tiancheng looked at the new words that had appeared in the Diary:
[This week's theme has been confirmed: Heaven Dou Royal Academy Team]
[Please write about this theme in the next Diary update]
"Heaven Dou Royal Academy Team?" Yu Tiancheng raised an eyebrow. He didn't need to think twice to know that whoever had proposed the theme must be a member of the team.
Was it Dugu Yan or Ye Lingling?
He couldn't be bothered to dwell on it. With a thought, he withdrew the Diary into his sea of consciousness, looking relaxed.
The reward wouldn't be calculated until a week later, so he could deal with it then.
The other holders of Diary Copies felt a little sour when they saw the new theme.
But what could they do? They couldn't choose the subject this week.
Of course, Liu Erlong was the exception. She saw Yu Tiancheng every day, so she had no reason to worry about being mentioned in the Diary.
Meanwhile, in Spirit City, at Pope's Palace.
Deep inside the spacious, imposing hall, Bibi Dong sat high upon the papal throne, her eyes half-closed as if she were resting.
A gentle, steady knock came from outside the hall.
"Teacher." It was Hu Liena's voice.
"Come in." Bibi Dong didn't open her eyes. She simply uttered one word.
Hu Liena pushed open the door and entered with graceful steps.
She had only recently returned from the Star Dou Great Forest when she was summoned here. She couldn't help feeling a little apprehensive, unsure what her teacher wanted.
She stopped below the dais and bowed respectfully. "Teacher."
Bibi Dong slowly opened her eyes. Her deep violet gaze seemed able to see into people's hearts, and her invisible pressure made the air in the hall grow heavy.
Her eyes settled on Hu Liena, and she spoke calmly. "Nana, first tell me about your trip to the Star Dou Great Forest."
"Yes, Teacher." Hu Liena steadied herself and began her detailed report.
She recounted how their team had entered the forest and helped her brother successfully obtain his fifth Spirit Ring, how her own cultivation had advanced, and how they had later searched for a suitable Spirit Ring for her.
Her account was clear and well organized.
But when she mentioned "running into" a young Spirit Master in the Mixed Zone and temporarily keeping him by her side to avoid complications, her voice faltered ever so slightly. She instinctively left out some specific details and parts of their conversation.
"That's roughly what happened. This disciple successfully obtained her fifth Spirit Ring, and her cultivation has stabilized." Hu Liena finished her report and stood with her head bowed.
On the throne, Bibi Dong's slender fingers tapped the armrest at measured intervals, making a soft, regular sound.
Her gaze did not seem fixed on Hu Liena. Instead, it wandered over the murals on the hall's vaulted ceiling, and her voice betrayed no emotion.
"That young man was called Yu Tiancheng, of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, wasn't he?"
Hu Liena's body jolted. She abruptly looked up, her alluring eyes filled with shock and disbelief. She met Bibi Dong's violet gaze, which seemed to see through everything and held a hint of amusement.
An unbelievable thought flashed through her mind, almost making her blurt it out.
"Could it be... Teacher, do you have a Diary Copy too?"
The moment the words left her mouth, Hu Liena regretted them. Cold sweat instantly dampened her back.
She clearly remembered the Diary Copy's ironclad rule: she must not reveal the Diary's existence or anything related to it to anyone who did not possess one. Anyone who broke that rule would face an unbearable punishment!
What had she just said? She had directly asked her teacher whether she had a Copy!
What if... what if her teacher had simply learned Yu Tiancheng's name and basic details from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan? Hadn't she just given herself away and broken the rule of her own accord?
At the thought of the suffocating punishment that might descend upon her, Hu Liena's face paled. She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself for the terrible sensation.
But the pain she expected never came.
A few breaths later, she cautiously opened her eyes. Bibi Dong's beautiful yet icy face was just as before, the corner of her lips curved in a faint, unreadable smile.
Could it be... that the Diary's rules had automatically blocked what she'd just said? Had her teacher not heard her at all?
She tested the waters, her voice trembling almost imperceptibly. "Teacher... did you hear what this disciple just said?"
The curve of Bibi Dong's lips seemed to deepen slightly. Looking at her perceptive disciple, who now seemed flustered, she slowly and clearly repeated the word:
"Diary."
The simple word struck Hu Liena's heart like a thunderclap!
It hadn't been blocked! Her teacher had heard her! And... her teacher knew about the "Diary"!
Before you continue