Journey to Suotuo City

"Ah! You mean you want to take me as your disciple? But we only just met. Isn't this too hasty?"

"Not at all. I've been in seclusion for decades and was getting rather bored. I happened to meet you today, so I'll take a disciple for fun."

Lin Mian was telling the truth. Ever since becoming a Limit Douluo, he had often gone into seclusion to create his own Divine Position, but none had satisfied him.

Now, a system had appeared at just the right time. Though it had arrived decades late, its missions could at least help him relax.

Zhu Zhuqing glanced at him again. He clearly looked so young, yet he spoke as though he were very old.

He had supposedly been in seclusion for decades, despite looking no older than twenty.

"Do you really want to take me as your disciple?" Zhu Zhuqing asked again to make sure.

This man had saved her. If he truly wanted to accept her as his disciple, then even if he looked a little young, it was not impossible.

If Lin Mian had looked a little older, Zhu Zhuqing would have agreed immediately.

After all, in most people's minds, masters were usually older.

"Of course. But if you're unwilling, I won't force you."

He was only out here to relax. He would not force a young girl over something like this.

Zhu Zhuqing took a deep breath and knelt on the ground.

"Disciple Zhu Zhuqing pays respects to Master."

"Good! From this day onward, you are my disciple."

At the same time, the system's voice rang out.

[Mission: Take Zhu Zhuqing as a disciple. (Completed)]

[Reward: One ten-thousand-year right leg spirit bone, one Level 95 Title Douluo Experience Card x1 (Issued)]

These rewards were truly useless to him. He did not lack spirit bones, though he could give this one to Zhu Zhuqing.

The Title Douluo Experience Card was too weak, and no one else could use it. It could only gather dust.

If he had received this reward when he had first entered the world of soul masters, it would have been quite good. Now, it could only gather dust.

But he was out here to relax anyway, so gathering dust was fine.

Lin Mian had no intention of giving the spirit bone to Zhu Zhuqing just yet. He would wait until her Soul Power had improved a little more.

The two said nothing after that. Zhu Zhuqing was still weak and needed to recover her Soul Power.

After a while, Zhu Zhuqing had recovered some Soul Power. She got up and inspected the condition of those who had pursued her.

She found that their deaths were extremely strange. There was not a single wound on their bodies, yet blood flowed from their eyes, mouths, noses, and ears.

"Master, how did you do that? Why were there no wounds on them, yet they all died?"

"Because they were too weak. If you reach my level of strength, you can do it too."

Lin Mian did not tell her that those people had been killed by a mental shock.

Those people, the strongest of whom were merely Soul Ancestors, could be killed with a single thought.

"Master, who exactly are you?" Zhu Zhuqing was curious about his identity. Her master seemed to be truly formidable.

"I am the Judgment Douluo of Judgment Hall," Lin Mian revealed.

"Master, you can't casually say things like that." Zhu Zhuqing naturally did not believe him.

To her, the Judgment Douluo was a legendary figure and the idol of most people across the continent. He had not appeared in the world for many years.

Her master was so young. How could he possibly be the elderly Judgment Douluo?

Lin Mian did not explain. Sooner or later, she would believe him.

"Have you recovered your Soul Power? If you have, it's time to go," Lin Mian said irritably.

"I've recovered. Where are we going, Master?"

She had not suffered any injuries. Once she had recovered some Soul Power, she could leave the Star Dou Great Forest.

"I don't know. Wherever you want to go is fine with me."

"Can we go to Suotuo City, Master?"

"Sure, I don't mind. But is there someone in Suotuo City? Is that why you want to go there?" Lin Mian knowingly asked.

Zhu Zhuqing looked conflicted, but she eventually told the truth. "My fiancé is there."

"So that's how it is. You ran away from home alone just to find your fiancé. That takes real courage."

"But aren't you afraid that the fiancé you've been searching for all this time is actually a terrible person? If he really is terrible, what will you do?" Lin Mian continued to knowingly ask.

"I don't know."

Zhu Zhuqing fell silent. She did not know what she should do.

Even when she had been at home, she had known that her fiancé did not have a good reputation.

But she had no choice. Her home was no longer a home.

"Don't be afraid. You still have me, your master." Lin Mian rubbed the soft hair atop Zhu Zhuqing's head. "With me here, no one on the Douluo Continent can force you to do anything you dislike."

"Not even the Pope of Spirit Hall."

Zhu Zhuqing looked at her master's confident expression. Anyone who did not know better might have thought he truly was the Judgment Douluo.

Still, her mood did improve considerably.

"I believe you, Master."

Lin Mian felt that this girl was just humoring him, but he did not care.

"Come on. We're heading for Suotuo City."

"Let's go."

Their voices echoed through the Star Dou Great Forest.

[After talking for a while, you noticed that Zhu Zhuqing was hiding something on her mind.

It turned out that she had run away from home to find her fiancé, but she did not know that her fiancé, Dai Mubai, was morally bankrupt—a complete scumbag.]

[Mission: Help your disciple Zhu Zhuqing see her fiancé's true character and prevent him from ruining her.]

[Reward: Soul Power raised to Level 14, one forty-square-meter storage Soul Tool x1 (can store living creatures).]

Hearing the system's voice, Lin Mian did not stop walking. Instead, he pondered as he walked.

The mission was not difficult for him, and he had been thinking the same thing anyway.

His disciple could not possibly end up with that scumbag Dai Mubai.

If she really did, then he would be far too unqualified as a master.

As for the pressure Zhu Zhuqing might face from the Star Luo Empire after he stopped it, Lin Mian did not care in the slightest. If they had the ability, they could come to Judgment Hall and find him.

Judgment Hall did not have only one Title Douluo. After years of cultivation, Judgment Hall had amassed nine Title Douluo.

Even without counting him, Judgment Hall was an extremely powerful force in the world.

Otherwise, he could not have entered seclusion with such peace of mind.

Those Title Douluo were all geniuses he had recruited after becoming a Limit Douluo. He had even helped them hunt their Spirit Rings. They were utterly loyal to Judgment Hall, no less so than Spirit Hall's consecrated elders.

Otherwise, no matter how strong he was alone, he could not have monitored the entire world.

After they had grown up, Lin Mian rarely interfered in the affairs of the hall.

Two days later.

Lin Mian and Zhu Zhuqing had arrived outside Suotuo City.

Lin Mian had not directly flown Zhu Zhuqing to Suotuo City. Instead, he had traveled at an unhurried pace. Given his speed, he would have reached their destination long ago otherwise.

He was not in a hurry. He was waiting for the right moment, so that the instant Zhu Zhuqing saw Dai Mubai, she would know exactly what kind of person he was.

"Master, didn't you say you were the Judgment Douluo? Why did it take us two days to reach Suotuo City?"

"We got here, didn't we? Why so much nonsense? Let's enter the city."

Lin Mian patted Zhu Zhuqing on the head and led her into the city.