Main Quest Settlement! Return to Spirit City

Tang San's figure gradually disappeared at the end of the road, his back held ramrod straight, clearly unwilling to reveal even the slightest hint of embarrassment before Qian Renyuan.

Qian Renyuan did not continue watching. He simply lowered the carriage curtain, shutting the muffled laughter of the two guards outside the carriage.

Tang San's first soul ring had already become a ten-year white ring, and the soul skill he should have obtained had turned into the laughable Blue Silver Pole Vault.

The system's voice continued to ring out in Qian Renyuan's mind.

[Main quest settlement complete!]

[The host successfully shattered Yu Xiaogang's reputation as a master, prevented Tang San from taking him as a teacher, and intercepted Tang San's first soul ring opportunity!]

[Tang San's predetermined fate has undergone an irreversible deviation. Quest evaluation: Perfect!]

[The stage reward for "Exposing Yu Xiaogang" has already been issued. The main quest completion rewards will now be distributed!]

[Reward One: God-tier cultivation technique—Nine-Turn Soul Cleansing Art!]

[Reward Two: One enhancement of the Twelfth-Grade World-Destroying Black Lotus's origin!]

[Reward Three: 50,000 Villain Points!]

The successive notifications made the smile in Qian Renyuan's eyes deepen.

Fifty thousand Villain Points went directly into the system panel, and the number representing his Villain Points began rapidly ticking upward.

He did not rush to inspect the uses of the Villain Points. Instead, he first turned his attention to the other two rewards.

A cultivation technique wrapped in golden light appeared deep within his consciousness.

With a thought from Qian Renyuan, a vast amount of profound text immediately flooded into his mind.

The Nine-Turn Soul Cleansing Art neither strengthened the body nor directly increased Soul Power. Its true power lay in tempering the soul, gradually stripping away and refining wicked thoughts and foreign wills that had invaded it.

Once cultivated to a profound level, it could gradually cleanse even the evil thoughts a god had left within one's soul.

After reading the technique's effects, the first person Qian Renyuan thought of was Bibi Dong.

Back in the Pope Palace, although he had used the Twelfth-Grade World-Destroying Black Lotus to devour some of the Rakshasa Evil Intent, that had only been a small portion of what Bibi Dong had accumulated over the years.

As long as the Rakshasa God's divine trial continued, new evil thoughts would constantly erode her soul.

The World-Destroying Black Lotus could devour those evil thoughts for her, but it could not free her from that erosion herself. The Nine-Turn Soul Cleansing Art filled precisely that gap.

Once Bibi Dong mastered the technique, she could personally refine the Rakshasa Evil Intent within her and no longer have her mind repeatedly affected by that power.

Qian Renyuan's lips slowly curved upward. "Mother should like this gift."

He temporarily put away the Nine-Turn Soul Cleansing Art and silently said in his heart, Extract the Black Lotus origin enhancement.

Inside the carriage, Qian Renyuan raised his left hand. Dense black light surged from his palm as the Twelfth-Grade World-Destroying Black Lotus slowly emerged.

Its petals unfolded layer by layer. Dark Gold Veins appeared across the formerly smooth black lotus body, spreading continuously along its twelve petals before converging at the lotus core.

Buzz!

The Black Lotus trembled slightly, and a visible ring of black ripples spread out from the carriage. The light around the carriage dimmed with it.

The devouring vortex at the center of the Black Lotus had become several times more solid than before. Its violent suction was firmly compressed within the lotus core, without the slightest leak.

Qian Renyuan could clearly feel that the Black Lotus's devouring speed had increased greatly.

If he encountered an ownerless soul ring like the Datura Snake's again, there would be no need to tear and break it down as before. Once the Black Lotus locked onto it, the Soul Power within would be swiftly devoured.

[Black Lotus origin enhancement complete!]

[Devouring speed increased, refinement efficiency increased, martial soul carrying capacity increased!]

Qian Renyuan clenched his hand, and the Black Lotus folded its petals before turning back into a wisp of black light and sinking into his body.

The aura inside the carriage dissipated, but Xiao Wu, sitting in the corner, remained pressed tightly against the carriage wall. The hand hidden in her sleeve trembled faintly beyond her control.

When the Black Lotus had appeared, she had thought she had already witnessed the terror of Qian Renyuan's martial soul. Yet the aura just now was clearly far stronger than it had been in Dorm Seven.

This guy had grown stronger again.

Xiao Wu lowered her head, not daring to let Qian Renyuan see the unwillingness in her eyes.

Qian Renyuan glanced at her without any intention of explaining. No one besides him needed to know of the system's existence.

He raised a hand and knocked on the carriage door.

Jiangmo Douluo immediately lifted the curtain and lowered his head to await orders.

"Have the soul masters stationed here send a message to Ma Xiunuo."

"Keep Yu Xiaogang imprisoned and deal with him according to the charges already decided. No one is allowed to release him without authorization."

"As for Tang San."

Qian Renyuan glanced in the direction of Notting City, his expression calm.

"Just send people to keep an eye on him."

"Without my orders, there is no need to touch him again. If anything unusual happens to him or around him, send word directly back to Spirit City."

Tang San's opportunity had already been destroyed. Continuing to remain in Notting City to watch him would only waste time.

Moreover, Tang Hao had already revealed a trace of himself. As long as Tang San remained within Spirit Hall's sight, that rat hiding in the shadows would sooner or later appear again.

"Understood."

Jiangmo Douluo turned toward the soul master guarding the forest entrance. The man immediately strode forward and dropped to one knee beside the carriage.

Jiangmo Douluo relayed Qian Renyuan's orders. The soul master did not dare delay. After accepting the command, he mounted a fast horse and headed directly toward Notting City.

After dealing with the final matter, Jiangmo Douluo returned to the carriage. "Your Highness, shall we return to Notting City now?"

"We won't."

Qian Renyuan leaned back inside the carriage and closed his eyes.

"There is nothing worth staying for here."

"Return directly to Spirit City."

"Yes!"

Jiangmo Douluo personally climbed onto the driver's seat and pulled the reins.

The horses let out a long neigh, and the carriage slowly turned around, traveling along the road leading to Spirit City.

At the words Spirit City, Xiao Wu abruptly raised her head.

Of course she knew what that place was: Spirit Hall's headquarters, where Titled Douluo gathered, the place she should never approach.

A single Jiangmo Douluo had already left her unable to find any chance to escape.

Once they entered Spirit City, how many powerful figures would she have to face?

Xiao Wu instinctively had the urge to jump from the carriage and flee. The moment that thought surfaced, the mark deep within her soul immediately trembled.

Sharp pain spread through her soul. Xiao Wu's body stiffened, and the hand she had just raised fell back onto her knee.

Qian Renyuan opened his eyes and looked at her with a faintly amused smile.

"Afraid?"

Xiao Wu bit her lip and gave a slight shake of her head.

"No."

"You had better not be."

Qian Renyuan withdrew his gaze, his tone icy. "Remember your identity now. As long as you obediently listen, no one in Spirit City can harm you in the slightest, not even a Titled Douluo. But if you entertain any more foolish thoughts of escape, bear the consequences yourself."

Xiao Wu shuddered all over. She knew full well that even her life and death rested on a single thought from him, and all resistance was futile.

She could only lower her head in despair and answer in a voice as faint as a mosquito's, "Yes... Your Highness."

Xiao Wu watched the forest continuously recede beyond the carriage window, leaving only one thought in her mind.

Once they reached Spirit City, she absolutely could not let anyone see through her identity.