The next morning.
A carriage of extreme luxury stood at the gates of Spirit City.
Two Dragon Scale Horses with Soul Beast bloodlines pulled it. Their coats were snow-white, and they looked magnificent.
The carriage was made from the finest agarwood. Even before you approached, you could smell its soothing, calming fragrance.
This kind of pomp would have been fit for a royal outing not only in Spirit City, but even in the capitals of the Heaven Dou Empire and the other great empire.
Su Yun stood beside the carriage, looking at the scene before him. The corners of his mouth twitched.
"Elder Ju, isn't this a little too flashy?"
He pointed at the carriage, which practically had the words "I'm rich, come rob me" carved across its forehead, his expression one of utter speechlessness.
I'm going to steal someone else's opportunities, not parade through the streets.
Making such a spectacle of myself—what if a Titled Douluo suddenly jumped out along the way and kidnapped me?
Sure, I have a system, but I'm not max-level yet!
Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan stood to one side, fingers curled delicately like an orchid. He laughed so hard he seemed ready to burst into bloom.
"Oh, Your Highness, what are you saying? You're the Holy Son of our Spirit Hall, and you represent His Holiness the Pope's dignity. If you went around looking shabby, wouldn't the whole world laugh at us?"
"Besides," Chrysanthemum Douluo said, giving him a flirtatious wink, "His Holiness specifically instructed us to send you off in grand style and bring you back safe and sound."
Su Yun shivered.
Grand style?
More like "stark raving mad."
That crazy woman had definitely done it on purpose!
She was trying to put me on a roasting spit, make me the target of everyone's attention, and see just how many trump cards I was hiding.
"Heh. A woman's heart is the most poisonous thing of all."
Su Yun silently made a note to remember this.
"All right. Since this is my teacher's kind intention, I'll accept it."
Su Yun sighed, wearing an expression that said, "I'm deeply moved, but I don't want to talk about it," and climbed into the carriage.
Watching Su Yun's "ready to face death" expression, Chrysanthemum Douluo couldn't help covering his mouth and chuckling.
This Holy Son was much more entertaining than the wooden, timid boy he used to be.
"By the way, Your Highness."
As if suddenly remembering something, Chrysanthemum Douluo reached into his robes, took out a token, and held it out.
"This is the Pope's Order. His Holiness said that a remote backwater like Notting City is bound to have a few blind dogs who don't know their place. If anyone dares offend Your Highness..."
A chilling murderous intent flashed in Chrysanthemum Douluo's eyes, but his voice remained soft and sweet.
"Just kill them."
Su Yun took the token and ran his fingers over its cold patterns. His heart settled.
With this thing, and his cheap teacher's fearsome reputation, he could basically swagger wherever he pleased on the Douluo Continent.
"Thank my teacher for me."
Su Yun waved and climbed into the carriage.
"Let's go!"
The carriage rolled smoothly out of Spirit City and headed north along the wide highway.
Su Yun didn't waste any time inside.
He sat cross-legged on a soft Snow Fox fur cushion, eyes closed as if resting, but in reality he was busy arguing with the system.
[System, open my personal panel.]
Whoosh!
A screen of light appeared before him, visible only to him.
[Host]: Su Yun
[Identity]: Holy Son of Spirit Hall / Transmigrator / Diary Writer
[Martial Soul]: Judgment Angel (God-level)
[Soul Power]: Level 20 (Innate Full Soul Power +10)
[Soul Rings]: Purple (Thousand-Year), Black (Ten-Thousand-Year)
[Skills]: Sword of Judgment (innate to Martial Soul), Mind Reading (fake), Charm Aura MAX
[Items]: Ten-Thousand-Year Right Arm Bone (gift from Bibi Dong), Bibi Dong's original-flavor... Ahem, Bibi Dong's Pope's Order.
Looking at his impressive stats, Su Yun nodded with satisfaction.
It was only his second day since transmigrating, and he'd already built up quite a stash.
This diary-based cultivation path really was much more satisfying than those miserable, grind-your-levels trash paths.
"But it's still not enough."
Su Yun opened his eyes and gazed through the window at the scenery flashing past, his gaze deep and thoughtful.
"That kid Tang San has the Asura God and Sea God backing his Dual Godhood. He's practically a fighter jet among cheaters."
"I've got a god-level Martial Soul now, but if I want to crush him completely, I'll have to snatch all his opportunities."
"First stop: Notting City."
"Target: that Hundred Thousand Year rabbit."
At the thought of Xiao Wu, Su Yun's expression turned a little strange.
Truthfully, he had no particular taste for human-beast romance.
But this rabbit was Tang San's Achilles' heel!
Stealing Tang San's wife and leaving him with no wife to marry would be the greatest blow of all to a child of destiny.
Besides, Xiao Wu had a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring and Soul Bone. Even if I didn't kill her, keeping her around as a lucky charm—or using her as a "power bank" at a crucial moment—would be pretty great.
"Heh-heh, Tang San. I'll take care of your rabbit for you first."
Su Yun gave a wicked grin and pulled out the black notebook that made Bibi Dong grind her teeth in frustration.
Since he was already on the road, he might as well write another diary entry.
He had nothing better to do. He might as well give Dong'er something to laugh about.
[On my way to Notting City.]
[To be honest, I really don't want to ride in this carriage. It's so flashy. Seriously, way too flashy. Bibi Dong's taste is stuck at nouveau-riche levels.]
[Though, to be fair, the inside does smell pretty good. Chrysanthemum Douluo said they used the finest Dragon Saliva Incense, but why does it smell like Bibi Dong?]
[Did that woman do something to the carriage? Or maybe... she's spying on me?]
[Forget it. Whatever.]
[On this trip to Notting City, aside from that rabbit, I also have to meet that so-called "Grandmaster," Yu Xiaogang.]
[Speaking of Yu Xiaogang, I can't help laughing.]
[Some theory guy who does nothing but copy books has been hyped up as the encyclopedia of the Spirit Master World? That's like a virgin who only watches porn getting crowned a relationship expert. It's an absolute laughingstock.]
[His whole theory of "There are no useless Martial Souls, only useless Soul Masters" is good for fooling country bumpkins like Tang San, who haven't seen the world.]
[If it actually worked, why doesn't he train himself? Why doesn't he turn his farting pig into a Golden Sacred Dragon?]
[Plainly put, he's just making excuses to cover up his own incompetence.]
[The funniest part is that he struts around with Spirit Hall's Elder Token. What a shameless freeloader.]
[When I get there, I'm going to strip the skin off his face and show the world what this "Grandmaster" is really made of.]
[Oh, right. And Tang San.]
[At this point, Tang San should only be six, right? Still just a little kid.]
[Tsk. Picking on a child might be a little No Martial Virtue, but for the sake of my grand ambitions...]
[As long as I have no morals, morality can't hold me hostage.]
[Little San, your big brother is coming. Ready for a beating from society?]
Spirit Hall, Pope Palace.
"Crack!"
Bibi Dong crushed another innocent teacup.
Scalding tea ran between her fingers, but she seemed not to feel it at all. She just stared at the line about her taste being "stuck at nouveau-riche levels."
"Su! Yun!"
"What's wrong with my taste?!"
"This is the finest Dragon-Patterned Agarwood the Heaven Dou Empire has ever paid tribute! You uncultured bumpkin!"
She was so furious that her chest tightened. She wished she could fly over right then and flick that brat on the forehead.
But when she reached his remarks about Yu Xiaogang, her gaze gradually turned cold.
"A virgin who watches porn... a relationship expert..."
Though she couldn't make sense of those strange terms, the scorn and disdain behind them were unmistakable.
In the past, if anyone had dared to speak of Yu Xiaogang that way, Bibi Dong would have killed them on the spot.
But now, reading those words, she found herself thinking... maybe he had a point?
"There are no useless Martial Souls, only useless Soul Masters..."
Bibi Dong repeated the words softly, a self-mocking smile curling her lips.
"Yes. If there are truly no useless Martial Souls, why couldn't you break through level thirty in your entire life?"
"Xiao Gang, were you really deceiving me?"
A crack called the collapse of faith quietly began to spread through her heart.
Meanwhile, the one responsible for all this was humming a little tune, eating hot pot and singing in the carriage as he sped toward Notting City.
The gears of fate had begun to turn.
And they were spinning madly in an extremely bizarre direction.
Before you continue