Along the official road, two lavish carriages rolled slowly onward.
Snake Lance Douluo drove the carriage in front, while Porcupinefish Douluo held the reins of the one behind.
Li Taibai rode alone ahead on a magnificent black horse, leading the way. Its hooves struck the ground with a steady clip-clop.
Just moments earlier, a system upgrade notification had suddenly sounded in Li Taibai's mind. Using "leading the way" as an excuse, he had left the carriage where Qian Daoliu was and mounted his horse, taking advantage of the bumpy road to study this unexpected change.
"System, upgrading to Version Two costs a million points?" Li Taibai marveled inwardly, grumbling to himself, Are you planning to drain me dry all at once?
Over the past five years, he had risked life and limb to scrape together just over two million points.
Unlocking the bonding slots alone had cost him a fortune—the second slot cost ten thousand points, the third twenty thousand, and each one after that doubled in price. By the time he reached the eighth slot, for Qian Renxue, he had already spent six hundred and forty thousand.
And yet he couldn't earn a single point from Qian Renxue. Her affection had remained frozen at rock bottom. It was a downright money-losing deal.
Fortunately, he had bonded the first seven slots with the Seven Grand Elders. They now provided him with fifteen hundred points a day, with his teacher, Qian Daoliu, contributing more than half of that on his own.
He hadn't expected the system to demand a million points just to upgrade.
"Host, the current upgrade comes with a discount and includes three additional bonding slots," the system said mechanically.
"Three slots?" Li Taibai's eyes lit up. That was far more worthwhile than paying to unlock them himself. The eighth slot alone had cost him six hundred and forty thousand.
The slots after that would only get more expensive. Three of them would save him at least seven million points. "Worth it! System, upgrade!"
At his command, a million points vanished from his account in an instant, leaving the pitiful sum of 5,338.
Li Taibai felt a pang, as if his insides had been scooped clean.
"System upgrading... Progress: 30%... 50%... 70%... 90%... Upgrade complete!"
A new interface popped up. Alongside the original functions, it now had an option to "Inspect Destiny."
The more prosperous a bonding target's destiny, the higher their status and the greater their strength, the more points he would gain from checking in.
Even more surprisingly, a sub-system called the "Resentment System" had been added. The lower someone's affection for him, the more points he would earn from checking in.
"Interesting." Li Taibai stroked his chin, a gleam flashing in his eyes.
"Now I can earn points whether I win people over or offend them. This upgraded system really is something." He studied the new features as he rode the black horse, the corners of his mouth lifting in spite of himself.
At that moment, Qian Renxue sat cross-legged inside the rear carriage with her eyes closed. Soul Power flowed slowly around her as she meditated.
Her breathing was long and even, and her golden hair rested quietly on her shoulders.
But within her Sea of Consciousness, the scene was entirely different.
Chen Qingxuan reclined lazily in a rocking chair, looking utterly at ease.
Qian Renyou stood behind him, gently massaging his shoulders with her slender fingers.
Though he was only a soul, Chen Qingxuan was a Golden Immortal. Even with just a wisp of his remnant soul remaining, all five senses were intact, and he could clearly feel how soothing her touch was.
"A little harder... A bit lower... To the left. Yes, right there." Chen Qingxuan half closed his eyes, enjoying this rare moment of relaxation.
As she adjusted the pressure, Qian Renyou smiled and said, "Master, those people from earlier were really interesting. They didn't rely much on Soul Skills, and they all had their own ideas. They weren't like the others."
"They're transmigrators. If they didn't have even that much self-awareness, they might as well have wasted their lives," Chen Qingxuan replied calmly.
"What are transmigrators?" Qian Renyou asked, tilting her head curiously.
Chen Qingxuan opened his eyes, his gaze profound. "Transmigrators are a bunch of arrogant, unruly people who think themselves extraordinary. They always believe they're the chosen ones, and that every opportunity, romance, and connection in the world should belong to them."
"To put it nicely, they're plunderers. To put it bluntly, they're parasites on the world, surviving by stealing its resources."
"Are they all that powerful?" Qian Renyou covered her mouth, surprise flashing in her eyes. His words had clearly shocked her.
"Powerful isn't quite the word, but they are interesting." Chen Qingxuan smiled.
Earlier, while Qian Renxue had been sparring with those three Spirit Hall prodigies, Chen Qingxuan had had nothing to do, so he'd probed their souls. He discovered that they all came from the same place, and that their souls held a shared memory—the memory of this Douluo Continent.
A cold glint flashed in Qian Renyou's eyes. "Master, do you think I should keep them, or..."
"Keep them," Chen Qingxuan cut in. "Their existence can send a false signal to the planar will of Douluo Planet, making it believe that several peerless prodigies have emerged, with the potential to lead the plane to advance.
"When that time comes, the planar will will break down its own origin into destiny and send it to them, continuously.
"The stronger the transmigrators become, the more destiny they receive, which in turn accelerates their growth."
He paused, then continued, "If Douluo Planet originally had only a hundred points of destiny to distribute each year, their presence might double that to two hundred."
Qian Renyou suddenly came to Chen Qingxuan's side and crouched down, gazing up at him with clear eyes. "Master, do you need destiny very much?"
Chen Qingxuan raised an eyebrow. "Why do you ask?"
"Ever since you drew Li Taibai's Karmic Thread here, I've been able to sense the flow of destiny clearly."
Qian Renyou spoke softly. "I absorb Li Taibai's destiny, but after it stays with me for a little while, it eventually flows toward..." Her gaze settled on Chen Qingxuan, certain of what she saw.
Chen Qingxuan looked at her and nodded frankly. "That's right. I need destiny to recover my strength."
"I'm from beyond this world, and the world instinctively rejects me. I can't absorb its spiritual energy directly. Only by converting destiny into origin can I replenish the strength I've lost."
Ever since attaining the Dao, he had disdained lying to people he knew. Treating others with sincerity was the only way to keep his heart clear.
As for strangers and enemies, that depended on his mood.
(Chen Qingxuan could alter the rules or forcibly invade the planar will and refine it, but doing so would attract the Dao's attention. Even at his peak, he'd been killed by the Dao's Immortal Tribulation. For now, he could only keep a low profile.)
Hearing this, Qian Renyou suddenly smiled, her eyes curving with delight. Master hadn't lied to me. That's wonderful.
She lay gently across Chen Qingxuan's lap, her voice soft and sweet. "Master, if you need destiny, I'll bring you all the destiny in the world."
"Silly girl, do you know how vast the world is?" Chen Qingxuan chuckled and reached out to ruffle her hair.
Qian Renyou blinked and replied innocently, "Isn't the world just this big?"
In her mind, the world was Douluo Continent. Surely it couldn't be much bigger than that.
"Not even close." Chen Qingxuan shook his head and patiently explained.
"Worlds are divided into Great Thousand Worlds, Middle Thousand Worlds, and Small Thousand Worlds, from highest to lowest. Even the smallest Small Thousand World contains countless life-bearing planets and nurtures all kinds of civilizations."
"Some rely on technology to fly through the heavens and burrow through the earth; some live in symbiosis with magical beasts; some can control nightmares; some are cultivators who refine true essence; some are martial arts grandmasters who temper their bodies; some are necromancers who command the dead; some belong to civilizations that pilot mechs. There are also beastfolk, winged folk, merfolk... All kinds of life, without end."
He paused and looked at Qian Renyou. "And this Douluo Continent is merely a tiny life-bearing planet in the vast cosmos. In the entire hierarchy of worlds, it's no more than a grain of dust."
Qian Renyou froze, confusion flickering in her eyes before determination took its place. She sat up and clenched her little fists. "Then I'll unify Douluo Continent first, and afterward I'll venture beyond it and bring the entire world under my command. I'll gather destiny for you, Master!"
"Xiaoyou." Chen Qingxuan gently patted her head. "When things reach their height, they decline; when hardship reaches its limit, good fortune turns up. If a faction becomes too powerful, it only hastens its own decline and eventual destruction."
"Why?" Qian Renyou asked, staring at him in confusion.
"Heaven and earth were not benevolent; they treated all things as straw dogs." Chen Qingxuan sighed. "Living beings are merely products of the world's instincts."
"The world nurtures life, which seems like a gift, but in truth, it's so that it can destroy it."
"Again and again, it creates and destroys. Only then can the world draw enough energy from the process to advance."
Qian Renyou was utterly bewildered. She stared at Chen Qingxuan with wide eyes. "Master, what are you talking about? Creating things just to destroy them—doesn't that mean the world has nothing better to do?"
Chen Qingxuan countered, "For example, the world creates life and gives it one measure of power. Once that life has grown and then dies, the world can reclaim ten measures of power. Doesn't that increase the world's total power?"
Qian Renyou suddenly understood and blurted out, "I get it! It's raising pigs!"
Chen Qingxuan looked at her strangely, the corner of his mouth twitching.
"What is it?" Qian Renyou huffed. "Is there something on my face?"
Qian Renyou thought for a moment, then suddenly realized what she'd said. Her face flushed bright red, and she stamped her foot. "Master, you're awful! You're the little pig!"
With that, she turned and ran. Her lively figure quickly disappeared into the mist of the Sea of Consciousness.
Chen Qingxuan watched her go and shook his head helplessly, a fond smile flickering in his eyes.
Before you continue