Dugu Yan Comes Calling?

At this moment, on the street outside the Scripture Depository.

Two graceful figures were strolling along, chatting idly. One had purple hair and green eyes, her temperament flamboyant; the other was veiled in light silk, cold and flawless.

"So full, so full! Thanks, Ye Lingling, you're the only one willing to come out with me this late!"

"As long as you ask, I'm sure Yu Tianheng would be more than willing to... Hm? Yanzi? Why are you dazed? Let's go!"

Coming back to her senses, Ye Lingling realized Dugu Yan had fallen several steps behind. Seeing that Dugu Yan didn't respond, she had no choice but to walk back.

"Hey!"

Dugu Yan jumped. "You scared me!"

Ye Lingling smiled sweetly, a flash of mischief sparkling in her eyes as her prank succeeded. "What are you looking at so intently?"

Dugu Yan pointed toward a pavilion-style building not far away and asked uncertainly, "Lingling, do you see a pavilion over there?"

Huh?

A look of bewilderment flashed through Ye Lingling's beautiful eyes... A pavilion? What pavilion? Where would a pavilion come from on Gourmet Street?

This street was a famous Gourmet Street in Heaven Dou City, leading straight to the Heaven Dou Great Soul Arena. For the sake of practical combat training, they had frequented the Great Soul Arena often, and by extension, this street. They knew every tavern, restaurant, and snack stall here by heart.

But when she looked in the direction Dugu Yan was pointing...

Ye Lingling stood frozen on the spot. There, truly, stood a majestic nine-story pavilion. Moonlight spilled over it, revealing its basic silhouette. The first floor had flickering lights, while the eight floors above were pitch black. Above the door hung a plaque with the powerful, vigorous calligraphy: "Scripture Depository."

At first glance, it looked like a dark monster crouching on the ground, its bloody maw wide open, waiting for passersby to walk right in...

This...

How could this be...

She clearly remembered that this spot was where the mobile snack stalls operated!

How did it turn into a pavilion?

Most importantly, the architectural style of this nine-story pavilion was completely different from anything else in Heaven Dou City. There was no such building in the entire city; it actually looked somewhat similar to the architecture of Seven Treasure City and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

It was as if this pavilion had appeared out of thin air... No, not as if—it had appeared out of thin air!

There was absolutely no such building on the original Gourmet Street!

Where did this pavilion come from?

Could it be...

At this thought, an indescribable sense of horror swept through her entire body. Various horror stories surfaced in Ye Lingling's mind... Haunted houses, eerie forests...

Even though she was already a thirty-ninth-level Soul Elder, facing this situation, she felt as if someone were blowing cold air against the back of her neck...

"Hoo~ ah-hoo~"

Ye Lingling turned her head and saw Dugu Yan blowing cold air against the back of her neck...

"Oh, you're going to be the death of me!" She rolled her eyes in annoyance.

Dugu Yan laughed. "Come on, let's go take a look..."

With that, she swung her long legs and strode toward the Scripture Depository.

"Hey... Yanzi, don't..."

Ye Lingling reached out to grab Dugu Yan's arm but grasped only air.

Whoosh—

At this moment, the night wind howled, and the shadows of the trees danced.

Watching Dugu Yan walk away, Ye Lingling's delicate body trembled, and she shivered violently.

"Yanzi, wait for me, Yanzi... Don't go... Yanzi, what will I do if you leave, Yanzi!"

"Oh, come on... I'm here, what are you afraid of!"

Dugu Yan turned back in two or three strides, grabbed Ye Lingling, climbed the steps in two bounds, and pushed the door open to enter.

Creak—

The door opened!

Ye Lingling immediately shrank back, not forgetting to pull on Dugu Yan.

"Forget it, Yanzi... let's not go in, let's go back!"

She lowered her voice.

"Oh, it's fine. I'll take the lead, don't be afraid. Let's just go in and take a look, just one glance."

Dugu Yan spoke lightly, but her pupils had already turned into snake eyes. Red, blue, and purple toxins swirled in her palms, and the phantom of her Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul coiled around her body.

Seeing this, Ye Lingling had no choice but to risk her life for her friend. Gritting her teeth, the Nine Heart Begonia bloomed in her palm.

But when the two of them actually stepped inside...

What met their eyes was... bookshelves?

And at the far end, that figure standing tall as a pine.

A figure in a green robe stood there, light brown hair draped over his shoulders. His face was as handsome as polished jade, his eyes bright as the stars, and his entire being exuded an air of detached composure.

Yet, his actions were inexplicably strange. He seemed to be circling an irregular path, occasionally raising his hands to the heavens, then straightening his back... As his movements shifted, the rhythm of his breathing changed in tandem.

The two women exchanged a glance, clear disappointment in Dugu Yan's eyes. I thought there would be something special here, but this is it?

Ye Lingling, on the other hand, quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Regaining her composure, she looked at the green-robed figure in the distance, then at the nine sets of bookshelves arranged in a three-by-three grid, and immediately became interested.

She was an avid reader, fond of medical texts, pharmacopoeias, and especially various novels and stories.

"Excuse me, is this a bookstore... are you the owner?"

Thinking back to her earlier behavior, she found it laughable. She had actually been frightened by a bookstore; she would never read those kinds of books again.

Unexpectedly, the shop owner acted as if he couldn't care less, maintaining those bizarre movements and not even sparing them a glance.

"Guests at such a late hour?"

"Heh, how rare..."

"Look for yourselves, pick what you want!"

The voice was indifferent, laced with impatience and detachment.

In truth, Li Jingzhe had sensed them the moment they stepped onto the stone stairs of the Scripture Depository.

The Scripture Depository was both his Martial Soul and a manifestation of the system; since the two had entered the Scripture Depository, they had entered his innate domain, so he naturally sensed them.

"Hey, what is wrong with you..."

Dugu Yan made a move as if to step forward and argue. Damn it, I'm trying to talk to you nicely, stop putting on such an act. As the granddaughter of Poison Douluo, she had never seen someone act so pretentious in her life!

Especially after sensing that the other party's soul power fluctuation was only around level five, her disdain reached its peak.

He looked decent enough, and his temperament wasn't bad, but it was a pity he was a waste—at best, a down-and-out noble.

Since when did such trash dare to act so arrogant in front of her, Dugu Yan?

"Yanzi..."

Ye Lingling pulled her arm, dragging her back. "There's no need, really. Let's just browse; don't lower yourself to his level."

Hmph—

Dugu Yan let out a cold snort in Li Jingzhe's direction.

"Fine, I'll give my Lingling some face. Otherwise... I'd definitely beat him until his face bloomed like a peach blossom!"

She deliberately dragged out the second half of her sentence to provoke Li Jingzhe. But despite her words, as a dignified level 42 Control-type Soul Ancestor, could she really lower herself to bicker with a level five piece of trash?

However, after this commotion, she had no heart left to browse.

"I'll wait for you at the door."

She said this to Ye Lingling, then walked over to lean against the doorframe, watching as Ye Lingling flitted between the bookshelves like a butterfly among flowers.

"Yanzi, Yanzi..."

Ye Lingling suddenly stopped in front of a set of bookshelves and called out without turning her head. Her tone was urgent, yet carried a strange quality. "You need to come see this!"