When Li Yuan saw the notification, he sat up excitedly. "System, can I choose which characters to invite?"
"For example, could I bring in Meng Hongchen from Douluo 2, or Gu Yuena from Douluo 3?"
[Of course not! Host, this system's guiding principle is random invitations. You may select a Douluo World, after which the Group Chat will randomly select someone and invite them.]
Li Yuan shook his head helplessly.
It seemed there was still no shortcut.
Originally, he had been thinking about the random invitations.
If he brought Meng Hongchen in, sweet-talked her a little, and tricked her into handing over a few powerful Soul Tools, wouldn't his ability to protect himself shoot through the roof?
Maybe he could even experience being a blond punk riding a Ghostfire scooter, parking beneath the Hongchen family's window: "Hey, old geezer, is my Ghostfire safe parked downstairs? It shouldn't interfere with me using your Hongchen family's Soul Tools, right?"
Now, it seemed those plans had gone up in smoke.
After all, the invitations were random. What if he brought in a monster, like the deranged Ye Xishui?
If he let his guard down and Bibi Dong managed to hoodwink her, bringing those two crazy women together...
Then Li Yuan and the entire Douluo 1 world would be in for a world of hurt!
After careful consideration, Li Yuan decided to play it safe.
He silently said to himself, System, bring in a character from Douluo 1.
[Ding—!]
Meanwhile, at the Speed Clan.
Bai Chenxiang wore a practical training outfit. Though fragrant sweat drenched her body, she continued performing high-speed shuttle sprints across the training ground.
Gritting her teeth, she quietly encouraged herself as she ran. "Grandpa, I refuse to be like you, spending my whole life as a pure speed-type Soul Master who can only run fast and has no way to attack! I want to get stronger. I want to be able to run and fight!"
Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks, stunned.
A black Little Brick hovered in front of her.
[Welcome to the Douluo Continent Chat Assistance Group!]
"Chat... assistance group?"
Bai Chenxiang blinked, utterly puzzled. "What is this thing? Who brought it in here?"
She immediately looked around warily. The training ground was wide open, with no one there except her.
She leaped up to a high vantage point and scanned the distance, but still spotted no suspicious figures.
Bai Chenxiang began to panic.
Could Spirit Hall be behind this?
After hesitating for a while, Bai Chenxiang picked up the Brick with trembling hands.
[Li Yuan: Everyone, come out. @All members, welcome our new group member!] [Richest Little Heiress of Heaven Dou: Welcome to the Chat Group! (Scattering flowers)] [Loves Eating Carrots: Hehe, newbie, hurry up and post a photo!] [Viper-Hearted Big Sister: Newbie, don't listen to her nonsense. This group is anonymous. Whatever you do, don't reveal your identity. Bibi Dong is in here, and her username is Yandere Mad Beauty of Martial Soul Hall. If you reveal who you are, that crazy woman really will send people to beat you up offline!] [Little Fox Who Loves Teacher Most: Nonsense! Newbie, don't listen to her. As long as you don't insult my teacher, we won't go around beating people up, okay?] [Child Without Parents: Don't listen to those two. Don't be scared, newbie. This is a legitimate chat assistance group.]
Bai Chenxiang swallowed, her heart racing.
She had more or less figured it out.
This seemed to be an anonymous chat group made up of strangers.
But Bibi Dong was actually in the group too?
Then she absolutely couldn't reveal her identity.
[A Life of Bitterness and Solitude: Thank you for the warning.] [Loves Eating Carrots: !!!] [Richest Little Heiress of Heaven Dou: !!!!!] [Viper-Hearted Big Sister: Qunqun, what's going on? Is that name for real?] [Child Without Parents: Holy crap! This is the first time I've seen a name even more miserable than mine!] [Ice-Snow Smart: Say... have you noticed that all our usernames seem to have something to do with our experiences or traits...? (Looking thoughtful)] [Single Academy-Running Housewife: That does seem to be the case... much as I hate to admit it, I really am a married woman.]
At Blue Tyrant Academy.
Dressed in a thin silk blouse, Liu Erlong reclined lazily on the sofa, her voluptuous curves fully on display.
Watching the discussion in the Group Chat, she felt both angry and helpless.
The term "married woman" should have been so far removed from her that even an eight-foot pole couldn't reach it!
It was all that damned Yu Xiaogang's fault!
And that absurd chapter of her past!
At that moment, Liu Erlong suddenly felt a little understanding, even a little gratitude, toward Yu Luomian, her father in name.
Had he not stepped in and forcibly stopped the wedding back then... she probably would have become Yu Xiaogang's wife without knowing what she was getting into.
That would have been a true tragedy!
Her only consolation now was that she was a wife in name only, not a "wife."
[A Life of Bitterness and Solitude: Huh? Surely not? Then my name...]
Bai Chenxiang panicked.
A life of bitterness and solitude?
Did this name mean her future would be miserable?
She hadn't done anything that offended heaven or harmed others!
Why?
[Li Yuan: What's wrong with you lot? Don't scare the newbie. Don't worry just yet, newbie. There's a Group Chat Red Envelope above. You can claim it first, and I'll explain these usernames to everyone in a moment.] [A Life of Bitterness and Solitude: Okay, thank you, Group Leader Brother. (Feeling a little reassured)]
Bai Chenxiang obediently tapped the glittering Red Envelope icon.
[Congratulations! A Life of Bitterness and Solitude has obtained: Cloud Ladder Step x1!] [Li Yuan: Holy shit!]
Seriously, girl?
Are you using cheats?
One shot, right on target, and you snagged the most valuable technique?
[Richest Little Heiress of Heaven Dou: Aaaaaah! Why?! (Sniffling)] [Loves Eating Carrots: Sigh... maybe this is just our fate. (A miserable expression)] [Big Cat in the Night: Actually, your luck is just too awful. (Completely serious, with no ill intent)] [Child Without Parents: That's exactly it.]
Pfft—!
You're even twisting the knife?
As Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu read those knife-twisting comments on the Screen, they felt as though two more arrows had pierced their hearts.
Were they supposed to survive this?
Having terrible luck was miserable enough, and now they had to suffer a public execution too.
[A Life of Bitterness and Solitude: Um, what does this technique do?] [Viper-Hearted Big Sister: You can read its description. It's in the chat history above.]
Bai Chenxiang hurriedly scrolled upward and soon found the detailed description of Cloud Ladder Step.
When she read, "At the beginner stage, your body becomes light as a wild goose, your footwork mysterious and peerless beneath heaven"...
She froze, her breathing quickening.
This... wasn't this incredible?!
Although she only half understood the later description of "mastery"...
The effects of the "beginner stage" alone were enough to set the heart of a pure speed-type Soul Master like her soaring!
A body light as a swallow, mysterious footwork... weren't these precisely the abilities she had dreamed of?
[Yandere Mad Beauty of Martial Soul Hall: @A Life of Bitterness and Solitude, newbie, I can see that you have an extraordinary constitution. You're a Soul Master prodigy, one in ten thousand!] [I shall give you an opportunity to pledge allegiance to Spirit Hall. As long as you offer up this technique, I can make an exception and promote you to Red Cardinal! What do you say?]
At the Pope Palace.
The corners of Bibi Dong's lips lifted slightly, her face brimming with smug satisfaction.
Li Yuan, you don't want me getting any rewards?
You're opposing me at every turn, aren't you?
Fine, then I'll get one anyway!
Let's see you choke on your anger!
Since I can't win it in the draw, I'll just "hoodwink"... ah, no, "recruit" the newbie!
Trading the position of Red Cardinal for a technique she had never even heard of was a huge windfall for the newbie, no matter how she looked at it.
She didn't believe the newbie could resist that temptation.
[A Life of Bitterness and Solitude: Huh?]
Bai Chenxiang suddenly felt like crying, but no tears would come.
She had only just gotten this precious technique and hadn't even warmed it in her hands. Was the Pope of Spirit Hall already going to snatch it away through threats and sweet promises?
She was a member of the Speed Clan!
Her relationship with Spirit Hall... was complicated!
Before you continue