I really am clever as hell!

Having her martial soul regress was simply more painful to Ning Tian than being killed.

Why had things turned out like this?

She had already received increased soul ring ages as a reward, along with the only hundred-thousand-year Wisdom Skull awarded so far. How had it ended up like this?

Ning Tian bitterly regretted her carelessness just now.

If those three purple soul rings hadn't exposed her, she would never have suffered this calamity!

"Tian, don't lose heart."

Seeing Ning Tian sink deeper into despair, Wu Feng hurriedly lowered her voice and comforted her. "Since that magical diary punished you by making your martial soul regress, that proves it must have a reward that can evolve your martial soul back again. This misfortune might even turn into a blessing someday, letting it evolve straight into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda."

"As long as you keep appearing in the diary, it'll evolve back sooner or later."

Listening to Wu Feng's reassurance, Ning Tian finally began to calm down.

Feng is right. It's not as though my martial soul can never evolve again just because it regressed. That magical diary can definitely evolve it back!

I just need my name to appear in the diary often and keep earning rewards!

Ning Tian looked at Aoyao again, her gaze noticeably more heated, as though she wanted to devour him, leaving nothing behind.

In a sense, Aoyao was actually responsible for Ning Tian's martial soul regressing. Yet she couldn't muster any resentment toward him. Never mind that she still hoped to rely on Aoyao and the diary to evolve it back, or even further-the hundred-thousand-year Wisdom Skull alone was enough to leave her without a single complaint.

Aoyao hadn't noticed the little exchange between Ning Tian and Wu Feng. Only one question remained in his mind.

If Ning Tian can read my diary, could other people read it too?

For example... Wang Dong'er?

After all, Wang Dong'er's first soul ring had already changed from yellow to purple. On top of that, rather than becoming Huo Yuhao's roommate, she had ended up sharing a room with him. All these abnormalities were enough to show that something was off about Wang Dong'er too.

If Wang Dong'er could read the diary, all her previous behavior would make sense.

But... testing her wasn't so easy now.

His sudden test had caught Ning Tian off guard, but the same trick probably wouldn't work a second time.

Assuming Wang Dong'er can read the diary too... how many other people can read it?

Hiss...

Aoyao couldn't help drawing a sharp breath inwardly. He felt as though he had stumbled into a massive game of Werewolf.

Find the person beside me who's secretly reading my diary?

[One Pat Brings Three Years of Luck: Is this martial soul regression a really serious punishment?]

[Expert at Flute-Blowing and Cauldron-Smashing: Seriously, how can you lack even this much common sense? This is the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda! Its cultivation ceiling was already only rank seventy-nine. Now that the martial soul has regressed, she can only cultivate to rank sixty-nine.]

[Expert at Flute-Blowing and Cauldron-Smashing: That's already a really harsh punishment! Thinking about it this way, that hundred-thousand-year Wisdom Skull Ning Tian received outright doesn't seem quite so tempting anymore...]

[Moon?: It goes beyond that, @Expert at Flute-Blowing and Cauldron-Smashing. A rank seventy-nine Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda wielder can easily provide enhancement support across ranks to Titled Douluos, or even Super Douluos. But a rank sixty-nine Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Soul Master would probably struggle even to enhance a Titled Douluo. Ning Tian's ceiling just dropped considerably.]

Deep within the Lake of Life in the Star Dou Great Forest, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion nodded, only half understanding.

Although she didn't quite understand, after hearing these humans explain it, she felt that it did indeed seem like a fairly serious punishment.

Fortunately, soul beasts like her didn't have that problem.

Still, perhaps this diary had other punishments for soul beasts?

In any case... it's best not to let Aoyao discover that I have a Diary Copy. That's right, isn't it?

At that thought, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion extended a claw and began poking the little jade stone again.

[I Really Don't Like Carrots, Thanks: It actually isn't that serious, is it? After all, this diary is so magical. Maybe it can evolve the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda back again in the future.]

[One Pat Brings Three Years of Luck: Evolve it back? Oh, right. The diary mentioned that martial soul evolution was one of the rewards.]

[One Pat Brings Three Years of Luck: Still, we'd all better avoid being discovered by Aoyao, right?]

The Three-Eyed Golden Lion racked her brains but couldn't think of anything to post in the group, so she could only send two rather dry messages.

She desperately wanted to earn the title of Chat-Spamming Dragon King. That would let her specify the subject of a diary entry-and she had already decided on its subject. She would request an entry about her lord.

That way, she could use the entry to determine whether her lord really was unreliable.

If her lord couldn't protect her properly, she needed to hurry and make plans in advance.

Hehe, I really am clever as hell!

The Three-Eyed Golden Lion couldn't help giving herself a mental thumbs-up, and a silly grin appeared on her face.

Watching the Auspicious Beast grinning foolishly, Gu Yuena felt a little puzzled, but said nothing.

Although she couldn't be bothered to say anything in that group, and disdained doing so anyway, if the Auspicious Beast enjoyed talking there, she might as well let her.

Keeping the Auspicious Beast here was probably quite boring for her, come to think of it.

If that chat group could serve as a diversion and relieve the Auspicious Beast's boredom, that wasn't bad either.

[One Pat Brings Three Years of Luck: Why don't we compete to see who'll be the last one discovered?]

[One Pat Brings Three Years of Luck: Or guess who'll be discovered next?]

[I'm Really Not a Face-Con: Well, it definitely won't be me... Even if I wanted to be discovered, I'd need the opportunity first.]

[Stars Fall, Crown Arrives: It's pretty unlikely to be me either...]

[External Brain: For Aoyao to discover someone, several conditions must be met. First, their reward must be difficult to conceal. For example, increased soul ring ages are very difficult to hide properly. Once they release their martial soul, they'll be discovered. Second, they must have a fairly close relationship with Aoyao. The more contact they have, the greater the risk of discovery. Third, they must lack composure, or let their guard slip for a moment, allowing Aoyao to spot a clue, as happened with Ning Tian.]

[External Brain: In conclusion, I don't think it can be me.]

[One Pat Brings Three Years of Luck: Uh... That makes a lot of sense.]

The Three-Eyed Golden Lion stared intently at the chat on the jade stone, feeling a little disappointed.

That External Brain had babbled on and on. She had thought this person would be able to say who was most likely to be discovered next, only for her to conclude that it probably wouldn't be herself.

Wasn't that the same as saying nothing at all?

Still... I don't seem to meet any of the conditions she mentioned.

So, in conclusion, I definitely won't be discovered!