Arriving at Suotuo City

Ye Lingling, sitting beside Lan Si, let out an unconscious sigh of relief upon hearing his refusal.

It wasn't that she didn't want him to join other powers besides the Nine Heart Begonia; on the contrary, as long as Lan Si could achieve a better future, she was willing to support him.

However, joining a faction was not as simple as saying it; it was a lifelong commitment.

Especially for a sect like the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, which viewed martial soul inheritance as everything, joining would be akin to asking for trouble.

Fortunately, Lan Si refused, otherwise, she truly wouldn't have known how to handle the situation.

She probably would have pulled him aside for a talk and tried to persuade him before he agreed.

Perhaps sensing Ye Lingling's thoughts, Lan Si gave her a reassuring smile and skipped the previous topic: "By the way, where is Teacher Qin Ming? Has he not returned yet?"

Dugu Yan scanned her surroundings and shook her head, "He's probably dealing with something at the Soul Arena. After all, we've been here for almost a month, winning every day. The nobles who bet on us have been making a fortune. What, do you need him for something?"

Lan Si nodded, "Yes, I also asked Teacher Qin Ming to place a bet."

"How much?" Dugu Yan's interest was piqued.

"One hundred thousand," Lan Si said with a mysterious smile.

"One hundred thousand?" The other Imperial Dou team members, shocked, couldn't help but swallow hard. One hundred thousand was no small sum. Even among them, who were all noble scions, they couldn't easily produce that much money. It wasn't that their families didn't have it, but with their current strength, they couldn't obtain the authority from their families to match such wealth.

It was likely only people of Ning Fengzhi's level, the sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, who could casually spend a hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins to buy Catwoman.

"My goodness, A'Si, are you sure it wasn't ten thousand copper soul coins, or ten thousand silver soul coins? No, ten thousand silver soul coins is equivalent to one thousand gold soul coins, which is already a lot." Yu Feng, the most restless, widened his eyes, his face filled with disbelief.

"Does your family count copper and silver soul coins in the tens of thousands?" Lan Si rolled his eyes.

"Where did you get so much money? Did your uncle give it to you? You know, almost no one had high hopes for our Imperial Dou team's match against the Undying Phoenix Team. The odds were one to five. One hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins, my goodness, that's a fivefold increase, instantly becoming five hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins." As he spoke, Yu Feng's gaze shifted to Ye Lingling.

Ye Lingling shook her head and explained in a clear, cold voice, "It's A'Si's own money. Every time there's a soul fight, before going on stage, he asks Teacher Qin Ming to bet on his own team."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the private room erupted:

"Good job, A'Si, so you've been secretly earning so much without taking me along."

"If only I had bet too."

"Leopard, you? A'Si bet on himself. Would you dare to bet on yourself?"

"Yu Feng, what do you mean by that? What did I do?"

"Alright, stop arguing. Look at your lack of ambition. If you keep arguing, watch out, or this auntie will castrate you."

A commotion ensued in the private room, and finally, Dugu Yan's voice put a stop to it. Then she said to Lan Si, "Little brother A'Si, since you've earned so much money this time, don't forget about your sister."

"Any restaurant within the Heaven Dou Empire, you can choose." Lan Si smiled faintly, indifferent. Money, to him, was just a byproduct; as long as it was enough, it was fine. The reason he wanted so much gold was simply to gather the best materials to forge a complete set of the strongest firearms for himself.

He had long coveted the two extremely destructive firearms, Barrett and Gatling. Unfortunately, with his current forging skills, it was difficult to forge them. Even if he could forge them, it would take a considerable amount of time, delaying his cultivation, which would not be worth the effort. It would be a good option to commission blacksmiths in Gengxin City to forge the parts and then assemble them himself.

Just then, the private room door creaked open. Qin Ming walked in with a stack of documents, a smile on his face. "Everyone's here. What's all the excitement about?"

As he spoke, Qin Ming walked up to Lan Si and handed him a gold card.

The Imperial Dou members' eyes lit up when they saw the gold card in Lan Si's hand. They said with a smile, "Teacher Qin Ming, A'Si has been secretly earning so much money behind our backs. We were just wondering where he's going to treat us."

"That's easy. Our next stop is Suotuo City. When we get there, there are a few good hotels. I'll take you guys then," Qin Ming chuckled.

Upon hearing this, the Imperial Dou members all chimed in their agreement. Only Lan Si mused inwardly, Has the time come already? It seems after this soul fight in Suotuo City, I can start planning for the immortal herbs. I wonder how the little kitten is doing.

Seven days later, led by Qin Ming, the eight members of the Imperial Dou team arrived in Suotuo City.

According to the original plan, they first found accommodation, and then, under Qin Ming's guidance, they went to the most luxurious restaurant in Suotuo City that evening.

After dinner, they returned to their lodgings to rest, preparing for the soul fight the next day.

In the room, Lan Si sat cross-legged on the bed as usual, cultivating his technique and refining his soul power.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Lan Si withdrew from his cultivation state, got up, and opened the door. Ye Lingling's sweet, familiar voice greeted him.

"Lingling, is something wrong?" Lan Si asked, somewhat surprised.

"Do you have time now?" Ye Lingling first glanced at the neatly made bed inside the room, then hesitantly asked Lan Si.

"I do have time..." Lan Si was a little confused. Although their relationship had improved significantly after they acknowledged each other, and Lan Si could see Ye Lingling's sincerity towards him, and he reciprocated her sincerity, neither of them were people who enjoyed crowds. This was the first time he had been actively invited.

Before he could finish speaking, Ye Lingling grabbed his right hand and said with a light laugh, "Then come out for a walk with me. Your current clothes seem a bit ill-fitting."

Hearing this, Lan Si looked down at his attire. After obtaining his third soul ring, his body seemed to have grown a bit taller. His previously loose black tight-fitting clothes seemed to have become a bit snug.

"Then let's go. I wanted to explore Suotuo City anyway." And perhaps see if he could run into the little kitten.

Because they were participating in soul fights, the Imperial Dou team was staying at a hotel near the Suotuo City Great Soul Arena. Stepping out of the hotel entrance led to a wide street. Suotuo City, as one of the two major cities in the Bala Kingdom, lived up to its reputation, with wide, clean streets and numerous shops.

Even at night, the streets were bustling with a continuous stream of people.

Lan Si and Ye Lingling, like siblings, found a decent clothing store near the hotel. Under Ye Lingling's selection, Lan Si chose a few suitable outfits.

Then, at Lan Si's suggestion, the two of them arrived at the Suotuo City Great Soul Arena in advance.

ps: First update, thanks to [Yan Ji Yan Ji] for the 1500 Qidian coins reward.