First Death to Start

Douluo Continent II timeline.

Night at Shrek Academy was shrouded in a quiet, serene atmosphere.

However, in the office of Qian Duoduo, Vice Dean of the Soul Tool Department, the atmosphere was tense and on the verge of snapping.

Qian Duoduo acted as if he had heard some preposterous joke, slamming a palm onto the desk so hard the teacups jumped.

"What? Five million Gold Soul Coin? Why don't you just go out and rob someone!"

"I'm warning you, don't think that just because the academy values you, you can go around opening your mouth like a lion!"

The youth opposite him, however, didn't take it to heart at all, lazily picking at his ear with his fingertip, his expression nonchalant.

"That's enough acting. You know perfectly well in your heart whether the price I'm asking is extortionate or not."

Ye Guchen stretched out a foot to nudge the four or five large crates on the floor, his gaze toward Qian Duoduo carrying a hint of mockery.

"I say, Dean, you wear this sour face every time we meet—aren't you tired of the performance?"

As he spoke, he fished a piece of refined iron the size of a fist from the crate and tossed it in his hand.

"Don't try to fool me. This is Cold Heart Iron Essence used for forging the core of an eighth-rank Soul Tool. Just this small piece in my hand is worth more than 150,000 Gold Soul Coin on the market. I have at least a hundred pieces here; asking you for five million is a bone-breaking discount I'm giving you only because we're both at Shrek."

Qian Duoduo was rendered speechless, yet his face remained completely unchanged.

Not knowing where to put his hands, he simply picked up his teacup and took a sip, feigning composure.

Inside, however, he couldn't help but mutter: This is bizarre. There's no way this kid should recognize rare metals of this caliber!

Seeing that Qian Duoduo was about to resort to his old trick of playing dumb, Ye Guchen couldn't be bothered to entertain him further; he casually closed the crate and made a move to leave.

Qian Duoduo finally couldn't hold his composure any longer, hurriedly rising to his feet with a forced smile to block his path.

"Fine, fine, fine! Five million it is!"

Only then did Ye Guchen stop, skillfully taking the Gold Soul Coin card Qian Duoduo handed over and pushing the crates toward him.

"Hey, that's more like it, Dean. If you need more business next time, come find me!"

Walking out of the Soul Tool Department building, the smile on Ye Guchen's face faded bit by bit.

This batch of Cold Heart Iron Essence was goods his body from the Douluo Continent I timeline had sourced from Gengjin City.

The cost? It hadn't even reached five hundred Gold Soul Coin.

One flip, and he pocketed five million.

A net profit of a full ten thousand times.

"This trade... it's enough to make gamblers weep and drug dealers break their hearts..."

He slowly exhaled.

The bitter days of his past life, huddled in a cubicle working overtime until three in the morning for a three-hundred-yuan bonus, felt like a lifetime ago.

Just then, a strong sense of crisis surged through the connection between his two selves.

"Oh...? There's a tail behind me..."

Douluo Continent I timeline, Gengjin City.

Ye Guchen had just sold a batch of low-rank Soul Tool to the auction house and was mentally calculating where to hoard more rare metals, waiting for the Bead Space to accumulate enough energy for another transmission opportunity to Douluo Continent II.

He turned into a secluded alley, and a cold voice suddenly came from behind him.

"Finally caught you, kid. If you're smart, you'll come with me."

A chill ran down Ye Guchen's spine. When did he follow me? I didn't even notice!

In the span of a moment, he suppressed the panic in his heart, his face maintaining a guarded expression.

He spun around abruptly, assuming a defensive stance, and probed, "Senior, I don't believe we have any grievances between us, do we?"

In a flash, he combed through every person he might have offended since crossing over to the Douluo Continent, finding no connection to this man.

If it's not a grudge, then he's here for the money?

His Shark Tooth Sword martial soul appeared in his hand instantly, and the yellow, purple, purple, and black soul rings beneath his feet lit up one by one.

An old man stepped out from the shadows.

The newcomer was none other than the man behind this auction house, the Soul Douluo Zhao Ming.

Seeing him looking like he was facing a formidable enemy, Zhao Ming tilted his head and smiled.

"Don't be nervous, little one. I'm not here to cause you trouble. On the contrary, I am very sincere about wanting to cooperate with you..."

Ye Guchen wasn't lulled by these words; instead, he took another half-step back.

"Heh... I'm just a little Soul Ancestor, what qualifications do I have to talk about cooperation with you?"

Zhao Ming caught sight of the heaven-defying color scheme of the soul rings at his feet, his eyes narrowing slightly, but seeing Ye Guchen's repeated refusals, his patience began to wear thin.

"Deserving of being a genius. But whether you have the qualifications or not isn't for you to decide! You still have to consider my opinion!"

As the words fell, two yellow, two purple, and four black—a full eight soul rings exploded with a heavy pressure, crashing down upon Ye Guchen.

"With talent like this, could he be a core disciple of some major power?"

The brief moment of clarity failed to extinguish his greed. Zhao Ming hesitated for only a heartbeat before continuing to exert even greater soul power pressure.

"Can't worry about that now! Since I've already made my move, I might as well go all the way!"

The pressure of a Soul Doulu was like a physical weight. Ye Guchen's bones creaked throughout his body, and the Shark Tooth Sword nearly slipped from his grip.

He gritted his teeth, forcing his soul power to circulate as he desperately resisted the oppression. This is not the time to strike blindly. I only have one Level 7 Fixed Soul Guidance Shell on me, and with his Soul Doulu agility, he would definitely dodge it. It's better to follow him for now and wait for an opportunity to finish him off.

Immediately, Ye Guchen squeezed a few words through his teeth: "Fine... I'll go with you!"

Only then did Zhao Ming retract his aura, a trace of a smile appearing on his face: "Wouldn't it have been easier to just do that from the start?"

Before long, Ye Guchen followed him into a secret chamber deep within the auction house, the heavy metal gate slowly sliding shut behind them.

So, I've finally lured in a wolf.

Ye Guchen sneered inwardly. He had long guessed that those offensive Soul Tools, which shouldn't have existed in this era, would sooner or later attract greedy wolves. And this one before him had an exceptionally large appetite.

Zhao Ming sat brazenly in the main seat, looking down at him from above, and got straight to the point:

"I won't beat around the bush. From now on, I'm taking all your Soul Tools. The channels, the forging techniques—spit it all out."

Ye Guchen showed no surprise, knowing full well he likely wouldn't be walking out of here in one piece tonight, so he simply asked: "And what price do you intend to pay?"

Zhao Ming's face revealed his greed as he shook his finger.

"No, no, no, you've misunderstood. I want your supply channels—or to be precise, I want you to forge Soul Tools exclusively for me from now on."

"Of course, I will provide all the materials you need."

As he spoke, he released another wave of pressure, as if warning Ye Guchen to think carefully before he spoke.

Ye Guchen was so infuriated by this shameless rhetoric that he laughed.

"You think quite highly of yourself. And what if I refuse?"

The moment the words left his lips, the soul power pressure pinning him down spiked to a new level.

Zhao Ming stood up and stepped forward, his eight soul rings rotating slowly around him, each rotation carrying a suffocating weight.

"A mere Soul Ancestor, what right do you have to say 'no'?" He reached out and gripped Ye Guchen's chin, forcing the young man's face upward. "You only have two choices—nod your head yourself, or... I'll make you nod."

The soul power pressure surged several times over. No matter how Ye Guchen circulated his own power to resist, it was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

The immense pressure forced his spine to hunch, making even breathing incredibly difficult, while his bones groaned under the unbearable strain.

Thoughts raced through Ye Guchen's mind, a flash of resolve crossing his eyes.

"Fine! I agree!"

Zhao Ming roared with laughter and released his grip: "Very good. Then you will live here from now on."

He pointed toward a small compartment inside the secret chamber.

Want to lock me up for good?

This is intolerable!

Ye Guchen lowered his head, a subtle arc forming at the corner of his mouth.

Heh, someone stupid enough to wear their greed on their face isn't qualified to trap me.

He immediately pulled a fist-sized spherical metal device from his storage Soul Tool.

This was his ultimate trump card, transmitted from the second era—a Level 7 Fixed Soul Guidance Shell.

Across the entire first era continent, not a second one could be found.

Ye Guchen then looked at Zhao Ming, a smile on his face as if he had truly accepted his fate.

"Hahaha... since we are going to be partners, let me show you my sincerity first."

Zhao Ming's eyes lit up; he hadn't expected the kid to come around so quickly.

He took the metal sphere, weighed it in his palm, and nodded with satisfaction.

"You're a sensible kid. Do well, and if you perform brilliantly, I'll even reward you with a few women to pass the time later..."

Zhao Ming toyed with the spherical Soul Tool, which he had never seen before, and looked puzzled: "But how do you use this thing? What are its abilities?"

Ye Guchen stepped forward, placing his palm gently on the surface of the metal sphere and beginning to inject his soul power.

"This is a Level 7 Fixed Soul Guidance Shell." Ye Guchen looked directly into Zhao Ming's eyes, his gaze turning cold. "As for how to use it—you're about to find out."

Zhao Ming suddenly felt that something was wrong.

He looked down at his palm, where the metal sphere was rapidly expanding, its surface glowing with a blinding, blood-red light. A terrifying energy capable of shattering everything was churning wildly inside.

The chill of death instantly gripped Zhao Ming. Cold sweat soaked through his clothes, and his pupils shrank to the size of needles.

"You brat, you dare—!"

He didn't even have time to finish the sentence.

BOOM!!!

The Level 7 Fixed Soul Guidance Shell exploded violently in Zhao Ming's arms.

A frenzied storm of soul power engulfed the entire secret chamber in an instant; walls, ceiling, floor... everything was reduced to powder in the explosion.

Zhao Ming did not even have the chance to scream. His protective soul power, as fragile as paper, shattered in a heartbeat, and his body was vaporized instantly by the intense heat and pressure.

As for Ye Guchen, he was likewise torn to shreds at the center of the blast.

Billowing smoke and dust rose into the air as the entire auction house cracked and collapsed amidst violent tremors.

Meanwhile, in another space, the body of Ye Guchen began to reshape itself.