A terrifying pressure, so tangible it felt like a physical force, came crashing down.
It was as if the entire sky had collapsed, bearing down hard on Lin Ciyan's spine.
Though he had grown up on Sea God Island and was used to seeing powerhouses like Mu En and Lin Qingmo,
he had never before faced the naked, murderous pressure of a Titled Douluo.
Especially not one from Tang Hao, hailed as "the continent's youngest Titled Douluo" and infamous for his bloodlust!
Lin Ciyan suddenly found it hard to breathe. Even his Soul Power felt sluggish.
Every cell in his body screamed danger!
The Holy Radiance Qilin Martial Soul frantically sounded the alarm inside him. Brilliant light poured from his body of its own accord, trying to resist that terrifying pressure that seeped into every crack.
A tall, disheveled figure took shape on the roof across from him. He looked down and out, yet stood as immovable as a mountain.
His hair hung in tangled locks, and stubble covered his face. Only his eyes were sharp as a bloodstained Clear Sky Hammer, fixed firmly on Lin Ciyan.
"Boy." Tang Hao's voice was hoarse and cold, like metal scraping against metal.
"Stay away from my son."
Lin Ciyan forced himself to stand straight. His heart was pounding wildly, but he still tried to keep his trademark lazy smile on his face, though it came out a little stiff. "Well, now... sir? Which one of your sons are you talking about? There are quite a few of us in the work-study dorm."
"Don't play dumb!" Tang Hao's gaze sharpened, and the temperature of the air around them seemed to drop.
"There's something strange about you, and your talent is far too abnormal."
"What's your purpose in getting close to Xiao San?"
"Speak! Or else..."
He didn't finish, but the killing intent of someone who had crawled out of a mountain of corpses and sea of blood had already engulfed Lin Ciyan like an icy tide.
An ordinary Soul Master—even a Soul Emperor or Soul Saint—would have likely lost their mind beneath such killing intent and pressure.
But Lin Ciyan's soul, forged in the nitpicking spirit of the modern world,
and the detached confidence bestowed on him by the Slacker System, let him hold firm.
He's rattled! He's rattled! Is this the legendary Tang Hao, who turned into a son-obsessed fool after his kid showed some talent?
He lived like a ghost, yet the moment a talented peer appeared beside his son, he grew suspicious.
Lin Ciyan took a deep breath and braced against the pressure, his tone tinged with mockery. "My purpose? Sir, have you been reading too many conspiracy theories?"
"I came to Notting Academy to study. And, while I'm at it, take it easy."
"As for your son, Tang San... honestly, I'm not impressed by his talent or that other Martial Soul he's keeping under wraps."
He deliberately brought up the "other Martial Soul." Seeing Tang Hao's pupils contract, Lin Ciyan felt a colder sneer creep across his face.
The Tang family was pretty amusing. Tang Hao himself was entangled with a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, yet he thought the whole world was interested in Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Rings?
Come on, sir, times have changed! Trying to get Soul Rings and Soul Bones by forming romantic bonds with Soul Beasts? How shameless could you get? Could you try broadening your horizons?
Scheming this and plotting that all day, thinking about how to become a god, how to become a Plane Master... Doesn't it get exhausting?
That's right, Tang Hao even wanted to become a Plane Master. What a delusional fantasy! Nothing but a laughingstock!
Lin Ciyan's words about Tang San landed squarely on Tang Hao's sore spot. He had given up on his own hopes for Tang San, yet now he wanted his son to overthrow Spirit Hall.
What was that, if not parents who thought having a child would make them rich? If their child didn't achieve anything, they called them useless.
If the child did well, they took all the credit.
"You... are asking for death!"
Tang Hao flew into a rage. His terrifying killing intent swept outward like a tangible storm!
He stopped wasting words. A massive phantom of the Clear Sky Hammer, wrapped in dark red markings, abruptly coalesced behind him.
The pressure of that phantom alone made Lin Ciyan feel his bones groan, as if they would be crushed to pieces the next instant!
A Titled Douluo's furious strike was more than a Great Soul Master suppressed to just over ten levels could withstand!
The breath of death clamped down on his throat!
Now!
Lin Ciyan silently called upon the item he'd kept ready to use at any moment!
[Cause-and-Effect Law Item · Definitely Next Time Amulet (Single Use)]
[Once activated, it can unconditionally and reasonably delay one deadly problem or challenge until "the next time" the parties meet. Its motto: "Stall tactics, slacking above all!"]
Just as the devastating Clear Sky Hammer phantom was about to fall,
and Lin Ciyan could feel the fierce wind of its blow,
he summoned every ounce of strength he had. Facing the furious Tang Hao, he put on an incredibly lazy, downright infuriating smile and said clearly:
"Sir, no need to get so worked up."
"Let's call it even this time."
"We'll... definitely settle it next time!"
The instant the words left his mouth, an inexplicable, unfathomable, irresistible force of law descended!
Tang Hao's killing blow, packed with murderous intent and terrifying Soul Power, was as if someone had hit pause. It froze in midair.
His eyes filled with shock and bewilderment, along with the frustration of having his will forcibly bent.
He clearly wanted to blast this brat, who knew too much and ran his mouth, to smithereens right then and there.
But somewhere deep inside him, a voice directly stopped him, telling him, "Not now," and "Next time."
The contradiction nearly made him spit blood!
It was just like being right on the verge of coming, only for it to become absolutely impossible the next second.
He glared at Lin Ciyan as if he wanted to tear him apart and swallow him whole.
But the Clear Sky Hammer phantom, under the influence of that invisible law of cause and effect, dissipated slowly, with great reluctance.
"...Hmph!" Tang Hao forced a frigid sound through clenched teeth.
Tang Hao gave Lin Ciyan a long, deep look, as if to say, "I'll remember you."
Then his figure blurred and vanished like a specter. The suffocating pressure vanished with him.
"Whew..." Lin Ciyan let out a long breath. Cold sweat had soaked his back.
He slumped down on the roof, his whole body weak.
"Well, damn. Is this the pressure of a Titled Douluo? It's like being stared down by some primeval beast."
Even on Sea God Island, he'd never experienced pressure from a Titled Douluo.
He was surrounded by Titled Douluos and stronger beings every day, and had forgotten just how terrifying the continent's top tier could be.
Especially for someone with such a low cultivation level as himself.
He thought with lingering fear, Using "Definitely Next Time" is basically giving myself a permanent Tang Hao wanted-level debuff...
If I end up back here again next time, this is going to be a riot.
Still, it was good to have escaped with his life.
Before long, the sky began to lighten.
When the first rays of dawn fell on Lin Ciyan, the long-awaited system notification sounded in his mind:
[System Notification! Challenge time is over!]
[Returning...]
[Calculating "Slacker Paradox Simulator" challenge rewards...]
[Evaluating...]
[Within seven days, the host successfully spread the "Slacker Cultivation" philosophy throughout Notting City and the surrounding areas through practical demonstrations, theoretical debates, published works, and other means. The host caused a significant impact on the understanding of major plot characters (Tang San, Xiao Wu, Yu Xiaogang, and others). Regional influence rating: B+]
[Congratulations, host. You have earned 12,327 Slacking Value!]
The huge influx of Slacking Value instantly made Lin Ciyan forget Tang Hao's threat. His face lit up with a broad grin.
Then came an even more delightful notification:
[System Notification! The host's total Slacking Value has exceeded 10,000. Hidden achievement "Small-Time Slacker" unlocked!]
[Reward: 666 Slacking Value]
[Current total Slacking Value: 13,527!]
[Slacker Shop upgrade permission unlocked!]
[Upgrading... Upgrade complete!]
[Congratulations, host. The Slacker Shop (Basic) has been upgraded to the Slacker Shop (Intermediate)!]
The virtual interface shimmered with dazzling lights. The once bare-bones shop looked far more polished, and its product categories were clearer.
[Slacker Shop (Intermediate)]
[New features unlocked:]
1. Increased refresh frequency: from once a month to once every half month.
2. Items can be locked in the refresh list. Current lock limit: 3.
2. New "Limited-Time Discount" section: 1–3 discounted items may appear with each refresh.
3. "Slacker Trait Enchantment" service unlocked: spend Slacking Value to add a random "slacker-style" trait to an existing skill or item. Effects and costs depend on the quality of the skill or item.
4. Preview partial unlock conditions for the next shop tier (Advanced): accumulate 100,000 Slacking Value and complete a "Gold" slacking achievement.
[Currently available items (partial list):]
[Great Dream Freedom Scripture (Second Layer)]: 5,000 Slacking Value.
[Winning-by-Lying-Down Aura: Team Enhanced Version]: Slightly increases team members' cultivation speed and luck, with an expanded range. 8,000 Slacking Value.
[Random Slacker Trait Enchantment Coupon (Basic)]: 2,000 Slacking Value.
(Other items omitted...)
Looking at the dazzling array of items and the more powerful Intermediate Shop, Lin Ciyan felt his excitement surge.
Now he had more than enough confidence to trick—no, to invite Light Maiden Xiyao!
"This challenge was dangerous, but I made a killing!"
He grinned as his consciousness began to drift away from the challenge world, returning to the familiar Glazed Light Realm.
In the real world, a three-hundred-thousand-year-old "homebody" Light Elf
was waiting for his "Soul Hyperion."