Heaven Dou Empire, Fasinuo Province.
Notting Junior Spirit Master Academy.
In the pitch-black night, when not even a hand could be seen before one's face, a shadow silently slipped into the academy.
"Rustle, rustle~"
The intruder moved nimbly and swiftly. Before long, he had found the entrance to Dorm Seven.
"For a Soul Master Academy in such a remote little city, even the work-study students' dormitory is this luxurious. Tsk, tsk~"
Chu Men tugged at his black bodysuit, quickly checked the tools in his Soul Tool, then drew a deep breath and slowly pushed open the door to Dorm Seven.
This was his first time kidnapping someone.
He had no experience or technique. All he could rely on was speed, precision, and ruthlessness!
But with his Martial Soul's aid, the pitch-black room was as bright as day to him.
He quickly found his target.
On the small bed to the right, a pink-clad figure lay curled up, her long scorpion braid spread across the pillow.
You're the one!
Xiao Wu!
In the real world, some year on a livestreaming platform.
Livestream room name: Xiaoyu's Xiaoxiang Pavilion.
The famous actress Lin Xiaoyu smiled at the camera. "Now, for the final random call-in of the night!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the livestream screen split in two.
On the left was the nation's hugely popular actress, Lin Xiaoyu, who played Sister Lin.
The right side was pitch-black, with only the faint outline of a blurry figure visible.
Comments flooded the livestream room in a dense stream:
[What's this, a surveillance feed?]
[It's pitch-black. No wonder there aren't many viewers.]
[This kind of looks like a crime scene.]
The livestream's brightness automatically increased, and the figure on-screen became a little clearer.
Lin Xiaoyu had been about to explain, but when she saw the outline of the person in the other livestream, whose movements seemed utterly focused, she instinctively fell silent and peered closely.
Chu Men took out a sturdy sack he had prepared earlier from his Soul Tool and crept toward the bed.
Just as he was about to bundle Xiao Wu up and carry her off, her eyes suddenly snapped open, meeting his!
What a vigilant little girl!
Good thing this young master came prepared!
Chu Men flipped his palm, and his Martial Soul slid from his sleeve—
the Inversion Pen!
The pen tip swiftly jabbed Xiao Wu. The next moment, her status changed from "startled awake" to "unconscious"!
"Heh heh, against a puny little Soul Master like you, this Soul Ancestor can take you down without lifting a finger!"
Chu Men grinned. The Inversion Pen spun smugly in a circle around his fingertip.
With the sack in hand, he swiftly bundled her up, tied it, and hoisted it over his shoulder. The whole thing took three seconds!
He glanced at the empty bed beside them, the one that belonged to Tang San, snorted, and strode away.
He had already checked the place out. Today was the day Tang San went with Grandmaster to hunt for his First Soul Ring. Tang Hao would most likely be following them secretly, too.
There was no point lingering in a place of trouble!
With the sack over his shoulder, Chu Men followed the route he had planned in advance, darting and weaving as he sprinted away!
Lin Xiaoyu's pupils contracted sharply.
That girl's appearance, her pink dress, her long scorpion braid, and those distinctive rabbit-ear hair ornaments!
Her voice trembled with excitement as she narrated, "If I'm not mistaken, that looks like... Xiao Wu?"
The comments instantly erupted:
[Holy crap! Sniper here, that really is Xiao Wu! Douluo Continent?!]
[Kidnapping Xiao Wu? And livestreaming the whole thing?]
[What show is this? This is some damn thrilling stuff!]
The live audience shot from over four hundred thousand to nearly a million, and the gift panel flashed wildly.
But the shadow on-screen only focused on vaulting the wall, landing, and escaping. He never once looked at the camera.
After handing the city gate guards the agreed-upon bag of Gold Soul Coins, Chu Men raced out of the city and into a small grove. Only then did he finally breathe a little easier!
"The plan went smoothly. Wonder how things are going with Tang San."
This was an essential skill for every transmigrator: always make sure to deal properly with the Child of the Plane!
See? Hadn't Chu Men kindly sent an elder of Spirit Hall to Tang San's family?
What a generous gift for Tang San, who hadn't had a chance to grow yet!
No need to thank him!
That's right. To deal with Tang Hao, Chu Men had tipped off Spirit Hall in advance.
He'd even used the connections of Salas, the new bishop of the Spirit Saint Hall in Heaven Dou City!
Besides, there was a handsome reward on Tang Hao's wanted poster!
Chu Men bent down and opened the sack. The first thing he saw was a pair of small white stockings.
He scratched the black stocking mask pulled over his head, feeling a little awkward.
Uh... this was what happened when an amateur tried to do a professional's job!
He'd stuffed the hostage in upside down!
Looking at Xiao Wu's delicate, doll-like face, Chu Men's heart softened. He turned her around... and stuffed her back into the sack.
"There, that's what you call humanitarian consideration!"
[Oh my god, the little actress playing Xiao Wu is so pretty!]
[This kidnapper actually shoved her into a sack. Absolutely inhuman!]
["Humanitarian consideration"—that's some damn funny stuff, hahaha!]
[Help! This kidnapper even knows to turn her right side up. This isn't kidnapping; it's an actor getting paid to babysit!]
[For a cute little girl like that, I'd pay to take her off his hands!]
Chu Men didn't forget to jab Xiao Wu with the Inversion Pen again, temporarily replacing the nonhuman aura around this Soft Bone Charm Rabbit.
His destination, Heaven Dou City, was nothing like Nuoding City. High-ranking Soul Masters were everywhere there. If an expert at the Soul Douluo level discovered him, he'd be in trouble.
Chu Men nodded in satisfaction.
Just as he hoisted the sack onto his shoulder, ready to continue running, a voice came from behind, low and hoarse:
"How dare you!"
An overwhelming pressure came with the voice.
A Titled Douluo!
No, the Clear Sky Douluo, Tang Hao!
There was no moonlight, and Chu Men didn't even need to look back. By instinct alone, he guessed the identity of the person behind him!
"Damn it! That old coffin-dodger didn't follow Tang San after all!"
Chu Men cursed inwardly, then silently turned around to face the scatterbrained, disheveled old man.
"This dead Haozi values money more than his life!
Though Xiao Wu, this Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, is precious, if Tang San doesn't have the Tang Sect's tricks up his sleeve, he'll probably die at the hands of the Mandala Snake alongside that useless Grandmaster!"
Could Tang Hao have made other arrangements? Or had something happened to the people from Spirit Hall?
By then, Chu Men no longer had time to think.
Plans never kept pace with change!
The crushing pressure of a Titled Douluo bore down on Chu Men's every limb. Even moving his body took an incredible amount of effort!
Chu Men opened his system panel. Sure enough, a new status effect had appeared in the status column: "Suppressed."
"With such a huge Soul Power gap between me and Tang Hao, I wonder if I can hold out until Spirit Hall arrives!"
As Chu Men calculated his chances, he kept his back to Tang Hao and discreetly jabbed himself with the Inversion Pen.
It took a full thirty percent of his Soul Power before the "Suppressed" status in the status column began to flip. After bouncing like jelly for a moment, it turned into "Amplified"!
His whole body felt light, and the Soul Power he had spent rapidly recovered.
But Chu Men deliberately pretended to be suppressed by his opponent. He turned around slowly and spoke with "difficulty":
"May I ask what brings you here, senior?"
As he spoke, the Inversion Pen in Chu Men's hand flashed. Four Soul Rings rose beneath his feet: two yellow and two purple.
Facing Tang Hao directly was the worst-case scenario in Chu Men's plan, but he had still prepared for it!
All his Soul Power surged into the Inversion Pen. Chu Men gripped it again and jabbed it fiercely into his chest!
Powerful status effect reversal!
"Taking Damage" was reversed into "Receiving a Boost"!
Based on his experience, the effect should last at least fifteen minutes.
Before you continue