Lin Chen leaned back against the chair. After finishing his diary entry, a clear notification suddenly rang in his mind.
[Diary completion rate: 95%] [Congratulations, host! The system rewards you with: Eight Spider Lances Soul Bone Evolution, Perfect Match!] [Reward details: Fuse the Human-Faced Demon Spider's external soul bone with the Zhuxian Sword Intent, remove its poison and limitations, and transform it into a killing weapon that perfectly suits the host. The host can fuse with it at any time!]
"Clang—!"
Lin Chen took a deep breath, and a beam of light condensed in his hand!
The Eight Spider Lances, which had originally been covered in a dark aura and black venom, had changed completely.
Now they gleamed with a metallic sheen, their surfaces covered in dense, scale-like black patterns. Every lance tip exuded a chilling, murderous aura!
"So this is... the Eight Spider Lances!"
"The system's reward can actually evolve a soul bone I haven't even absorbed yet..."
Lin Chen was overjoyed.
The original Eight Spider Lances were indeed formidable, but their poison and their incompatibility with his Zhuxian Sword Intent had made them somewhat awkward.
But now, these Zhuxian Sword Intent-enhanced Eight Spider Lances were like a soul bone made just for him, containing a terrifying killing intent.
They were a perfect match!
"Absorbing a soul bone in the academy might draw unwanted attention. I'll wait until I'm back in my dorm and have some time to myself before fusing with it."
Lin Chen suppressed his excitement and slowly closed his eyes to rest.
At the same time, in the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace.
In a secret chamber, Snake Demon knelt on the ground, recounting every scene that had taken place in the Star Dou Great Forest to Qian Ling'er.
"So... the story's plot is real..."
Qian Ling'er's gaze held a trace of coldness. "The diary is telling the truth! The Spirit Hall's betrayal, and the fact that I'm a god..."
"It must be someone from the Soul Eater clan. Someone..."
"But they have his diary, so they could easily predict my moves. Does that mean I can't trust anyone the diary mentions...?"
She rose and paced slowly around the secret chamber.
What she'd learned today had left her deeply shaken.
"And Bi Biyao has a diary too. What's more, she joined the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy with the other two. They're all people the diary says could prove useful..."
She turned back to Snake Demon and asked, "Uncle, what do you think of that young man?"
Snake Demon replied in a low voice, "That young man is unfathomable. His sword intent is extraordinary. Does the young mistress want to recruit him?"
"Even if I can't recruit him...I mustn't make an enemy of him."
Qian Ling'er waved her hand, dismissing Snake Demon.
"A person who knows all my secrets, even the tragedy that awaits me in the future, is someone I cannot afford to kill. I'll have to meet him myself."
She looked toward the bright moon outside the window, her gaze filled with determination.
"Have the preparations made. Tomorrow morning, I'm going to inspect the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy."
She wanted to see for herself the person who had appeared in the diary and saved her.
Her gaze turned cold.
The young man who had mastered the continent's future...just what kind of person was he?
"Even if it costs me dearly, I have to make him stand on my side, for Bi Biyao's sake..."
At the Shrek Academy in Soto City, in a shabby little wooden house.
The room was filled with Flender's furious roars, as though he were about to tear the place apart.
"What?! Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong just dropped out?!"
Flender clutched the letter in his hand, shaking with rage.
"Damn it! What have you been eating all this time? You only stepped away for a bit, and now the girls we recruited with such difficulty have both been made to leave?!"
Zhao Wuji stood off to the side, scratching his head sheepishly.
"I couldn't help it. Longgong and Snake Granny were making trouble..."
"I was almost beaten to death, so how was I supposed to stop them from taking the girls..."
Han San, Dai Mubai, and the others sat off to one side. The atmosphere in the room was stifling.
Dai Mubai in particular rubbed the scar on his chest, which still hurt. His face was ashen with fear.
"Damn Zhu Zhuqing! Damn woman!"
"Just wait!"
At that moment, a middle-aged man in gray robes walked over. He had an ordinary appearance, even somewhat weak and frail.
He was Yu Xiaogang, the deputy dean of Shrek Academy.
"What's going on? Flender, why are you so upset?"
Yu Xiaogang gave a slight smile. He'd been looking forward to showing off his prestige now that he'd officially joined the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy's education committee and become an important figure there.
Flender glared at him furiously.
"Xiaogang, you came at just the right time! Look, the two girls we worked so hard to recruit have left!"
"What?!"
Yu Xiaogang froze, then looked rather awkward. "I only just got back. I didn't know they'd left..."
He'd carefully prepared a whole set of theories to show off to the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy's young talents, but instead of waiting for him, the two girls had left first?
Han San sprang to his feet and hurriedly opened the door.
"Teacher...I want her. Zhu Zhuqing went to the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy."
Yu Xiaogang's expression darkened, and he hesitated.
He loved using his theories to make himself seem important!
Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong had joined the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy.
What did that mean?
Didn't that make his teachings seem inferior to Heaven Dou's?
"Absurd! On this continent, aside from me, who else can understand the essence of martial souls? The Heaven Dou Imperial Academy is nothing but a place for the children of powerful families!"
"She'll come to regret it!"
What Yu Xiaogang didn't know was...
Lin Chen, who possessed the diary, had already changed the fate of every person he had named.
That included Bi Biyao!
"So what if she's gone? I'll patiently teach you five. Next time we meet, I'll make her crawl at my feet."
"My Yu Xiaogang's teachings are something countless people would beg to receive!"
The next day, at the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy.
Lin Chen finally returned to the academy, located in the hills outside Soto City. Its buildings were magnificent, luxurious, and imposing.
"Captain, we're going to go and practice for a while. We'll meet up in the city tonight!"
"I know a good restaurant...in the city..."
Yu Tianheng patted Lin Chen on the shoulder with a smile.
Lin Chen smiled back and shook his head.
"I'll pass. I've had some insights while training in the forest, so I need to go into seclusion and solidify them. You all go ahead. I'll treat you next time."
After saying goodbye to his teammates, Lin Chen returned to his own cultivation dormitory.
He took a deep breath and drew the Eight Spider Lances, coldly gleaming with a dark sheen, from his Soul Artifact.
"Let's see what insights I can gain from the first volume of the Heaven-Defying Record..."
"While I have the chance, I'll absorb the Eight Spider Lances!"
At Lin Chen's urging, the ancient, grand golden characters of the Heaven-Defying Record surged around him, sealing his aura completely inside the room.
His aura rose, growing as vast as the sea!
"Whoosh—!"
At the same time...
A luxurious carriage was slowly approaching the academy's main gate under the escort of a group of imperial guards.
Qian Ling'er stepped down from the carriage and headed toward the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy.
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