Next time for sure!

That terrifying pressure, heavy as if it had physical form, descended with a boom.

It felt as though the entire sky had collapsed, pressing down with crushing weight upon the spine of Lin Ciyan.

Though he had grown up on Sea God Island and was accustomed to the presence of powerhouses like Mu En and Lin Qingmo.

This was his first time facing such naked, murderous intent from a Title Douluo.

Especially from Tang Hao, the man hailed as the "youngest Title Douluo on the continent" and the one with the most blood-soaked aura.

Lin Ciyan felt his breathing suddenly hitch, and the circulation of his soul power became sluggish.

Every cell in his body was screaming of danger!

His Holy Radiance Qilin martial soul frantically sounded the alarm within him, and a brilliant halo of light spontaneously erupted from his body, attempting to resist that pervasive, terrifying pressure.

A tall, disheveled figure, as immovable as a mountain, solidified on the rooftop opposite him.

His hair was a wild mess, his face covered in stubble, and only his eyes—sharp as a blood-stained Clear Sky Hammer—were locked firmly onto him.

"Kid." Tang Hao's voice was hoarse and cold, like metal grinding against metal.

"You, stay away from my son."

Lin Ciyan forced himself to stand straight. Despite his heart hammering against his ribs, he struggled to maintain his signature lazy smile, though it appeared slightly stiff: "Yo, this... uncle? Which one is your son? We have quite a few people in the work-study dormitory."

"Don't play dumb with me!" Tang Hao's gaze sharpened, and the temperature of the surrounding air seemed to plummet.

"There is something strange about you, and your talent is far too abnormal."

"What is your purpose in approaching Tang San?"

"Speak! Otherwise..."

He did not finish his sentence, but the murderous intent, born from crawling through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, had already engulfed Lin Ciyan like a frigid tide.

If it were an ordinary soul master, even a Soul Emperor or Soul Saint, their mind would likely have collapsed under such killing intent and pressure.

But the soul of a contrarian from the modern world deep within Lin Ciyan.

Combined with the detachment granted by the "Slacker System," allowed him to stand his ground.

He's anxious, he's really anxious! Is this the legendary Tang Hao, the overprotective father who turned into a helicopter parent after his son showed talent?

He lives like a ghost himself, yet gets suspicious the moment someone with talent appears near his son.

He took a deep breath, bracing against the pressure, and spoke with a hint of mockery: "Purpose? Uncle, have you been reading too many conspiracy theories?"

"I came to Notting Academy simply to study... and to slack off."

"As for your son Tang San... to be honest, his bit of talent, and that other martial soul he keeps hidden away, I really haven't taken them to heart."

He intentionally pointed out the "other martial soul," and seeing Tang Hao's pupils constrict, he sneered even more in his heart.

It's funny how the Tang family is so entangled with a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, yet they assume the whole world is interested in a hundred-thousand-year soul ring?

Give me a break, times have changed, uncle! How shameless is it to rely on forming emotional bonds with soul beasts just to obtain soul rings and soul bones? Can you broaden your perspective a little?

Scheming about this and plotting about that all day, thinking about how to become a god, how to become the master of the plane... aren't you tired?

Right, this Tang Hao even wants to become the master of the plane. What a delusional fantasy! It's nothing but a joke!

Lin Ciyan's words regarding Tang San hit Tang Hao's sore spot with surgical precision—his expectations for Tang San... he had given up on himself, yet he wanted to rely on his son to overthrow the Martial Soul Hall.

This was no different from parents who want to get rich by having children; if the child has no grades, they think the child is useless.

If the child succeeds, they think it's all their own credit.

"You... seek death!!"

Tang Hao flew into a rage, and the terrifying murderous intent swept out like a physical storm!

He stopped wasting words, and a massive phantom of the Clear Sky Hammer, wreathed in dark red patterns, suddenly condensed behind him.

The pressure brought by the phantom alone made Lin Ciyan's bones groan, as if they would be crushed to dust in the next second!

An enraged strike from a Title Douluo was absolutely not something he, a Soul Grand Master suppressed to the teens, could withstand!

The scent of death instantly gripped his throat!

Now!

Lin Ciyan muttered in his heart, triggering the item he had kept ready at all times!

[Causality Item: Definitely Next Time Amulet (One-time use)]

[Upon activation, it can unconditionally and reasonably postpone a single fatal trouble or challenge to the "next" encounter. The core philosophy is: "Delaying tactics, slacking off is supreme!"]

Just as that destructive phantom of the Clear Sky Hammer was about to descend.

Lin Ciyan could even feel the sharp, cutting wind of it.

He used every ounce of his strength to look at the furious Tang Hao, wearing an extremely lazy, even slightly provocative smile, and said clearly:

"Uncle, don't be so irritable."

"Let's call it a day for now."

"We'll... definitely do this next time!"

The moment the words fell, a profound, incomprehensible, and irresistible force of law descended!

Tang Hao's lethal strike, condensed with monstrous killing intent and terrifying soul power, seemed to hit a pause button, freezing in mid-air.

His eyes were filled with astonishment, bewilderment, and the stifling frustration of having his will forcibly twisted.

He clearly wanted to blast this brat who knew too much and spouted nonsense into dust immediately.

Yet, a voice deep within his heart directly stopped him, telling him "not now" and "we'll talk next time"!

This sense of contradiction made him almost vomit blood!

It was like that feeling when... you are about to finish, but the next moment, it's absolutely impossible.

He stared fixedly at Lin Ciyan, his gaze as if he wanted to swallow him whole.

But that phantom of the Clear Sky Hammer, under the influence of that invisible law of causality, dissipated slowly and awkwardly.

"...Hmph!" Tang Hao squeezed a cold note through his teeth.

Tang Hao took a deep look at Lin Ciyan, a gaze that seemed to say, "I'll remember you."

Immediately, his figure flickered, vanishing like a ghost, and the suffocating, terrifying pressure dissipated along with him.

"Phew..." Lin Ciyan let out a long breath, his back already soaked with cold sweat.

He slumped on the roof, feeling his entire body go limp.

Good grief, is this the pressure of a Title Douluo? It's like being targeted by a prehistoric beast.

He had never felt such pressure from a Title Douluo on Sea God Island.

Living surrounded by people above the Title Douluo level every day had made him ignore the horror of this top-tier rank in the world.

Especially for someone with his low cultivation level.

He thought with lingering fear, "Using 'next time' is equivalent to hanging a permanent Tang Hao pursuit debuff on myself..."

"If I transmigrate back here next time, I'm going to be in big trouble."

Still, it was always a good thing to save his own life.

Not long after, the sky began to turn a pale, fish-belly white.

As the first ray of dawn shone upon Lin Ciyan, the long-awaited system notification sounded in his mind:

[Ding! Challenge time over!]

[Returning...]

[Beginning settlement of "Slacker Paradox Simulator" challenge rewards...]

[Evaluating...]

[Within seven days, through practical combat demonstrations, theoretical debates, and writing, the host successfully spread the concept of "Slacker Cultivation" in Nuoding City and its surrounding areas, causing significant cognitive impact on major plot characters (Tang San, Xiao Wu, Yu Xiaogang, etc.). Regional influence rating: B+]

[Congratulations to the host for obtaining Slacking Value: 12,327 points!]

The massive influx of Slacking Value made Lin Ciyan instantly cast Tang Hao's threat to the back of his mind, his face blooming with a smile.

Immediately following, an even more surprising notification sounded:

[Ding! Detected that the host's cumulative Slacking Value has exceeded 10,000 points. Hidden achievement "Small-Time Slacker" unlocked!]

[Reward: 666 Slacking Value]

[Current cumulative Slacking Value: 13,527 points!]

[Slacker Shop upgrade permission unlocked!]

[Upgrading... Upgrade complete!]

[Congratulations to the host, Slacker Shop (Primary) has been promoted to Slacker Shop (Intermediate)!]

The virtual interface before his eyes shimmered with light; the originally crude shop interface became much more refined, and the product categories were clearer.

[Slacker Shop (Intermediate)]

[New permissions unlocked:]

1. Product refresh frequency increased: From once a month to once every half month.

2. Can lock refreshed items; current lock limit: 3.

3. Added "Limited Discount Zone": Each time the shop refreshes, there is a chance for 1-3 discounted items to appear.

4. Opened "Slacker Trait Enchantment" service: Can consume Slacking Value to attach random "Slacker-style" trait effects to existing skills or items (effects and costs depend on the quality of the skill/item).

5. Can preview partial unlock conditions for the next shop level (Advanced): (Requires 100,000 cumulative Slacking Value and completion of one "Gold-tier" slacking achievement).

[Current available products (partial display)]:

[Great Dream Freedom Scripture (Second Layer)]: Price 5,000 Slacking Value.

[Winning-by-Lying-Down Aura: Team Enhanced Version]: Slightly increases cultivation speed and luck for team members; range expanded. Price 8,000 Slacking Value.

[Random Slacker Trait Enchantment Voucher (Primary)]: Price 2000 Slacking Value.

(Other items omitted...)

Looking at the dazzling array of more powerful items in the intermediate shop, Lin Ciyan felt his heart surge with excitement.

Now, his confidence to trick... no, to invite the Light Maiden Xiyao, was much greater!

This challenge, while perilous, was a massive profit!

He thought happily as his consciousness began to withdraw from the challenge world, returning to the familiar Glazed Light Realm.

In the real world, there was still a 300,000-year-old "homebody" Light Elf.

Waiting for his Soul Hyperion!