Diary Reward Settlement, Wang Dong'er's Shock

After grumbling a few more times, Lin Ye chose to settle today's rewards.

[Today's Diary Evaluation: Excellent]

[Rewards Issued: Soul Power increased by 5 levels, Storage Soul Guidance Device ×1]

Golden light surged into Lin Ye's body in an instant. His previously steady Soul Power flowed wildly upward like a boiling river, while warm energy washed through every meridian without the slightest obstruction.

Within a few breaths, his Soul Power level rose steadily from level 21 to level 26.

At the same time, a palm-sized black jade pendant engraved with hidden cloud patterns landed in his hand. It felt cool and smooth. The moment he extended his Divine Sense into it, a storage space of nearly a hundred cubic meters appeared clearly before him.

Lin Ye weighed the jade pendant in his hand, unable to stop the corners of his mouth from curving upward. His heart was filled with pure satisfaction.

Not bad, not bad. These rewards were exactly what he wanted.

He knew that for Soul Masters around level 20, even once-in-a-generation geniuses at Shrek would need two or three months of single-minded cultivation to steadily advance by one level.

Ordinary Soul Masters would need half a year or even a full year just to cross a single level threshold.

Yet he had merely written a diary entry and gained five levels in a single day. It had directly saved him one or two years of arduous cultivation. That feeling of soaring to the heavens in one step was something no conventional cultivation could compare to.

He played with the storage jade pendant, put all the miscellaneous items he carried into it, then stretched lazily to loosen his muscles.

There was nothing important to do today. Since he had some free time, he might as well listen to some music and relax.

He had already asked around. Although the city had no pleasure houses or brothels, there were plenty of theaters where performers sold their art but not themselves, singing and telling stories. It would be perfect for relieving his boredom.

No sooner said than done. Lin Ye changed into a clean, neat set of casual clothes and headed straight out toward the most prosperous part of the city.

Before long, a grand theater with carved beams and painted rafters, bustling with visitors, appeared before him. The three bold characters of "Listening Wind Tower" hung above its entrance. The guests coming and going were either wealthy or noble. It was the largest theater troupe venue in the city.

Lin Ye stepped inside. Seeing his extraordinary bearing, an attendant hurried over to greet him enthusiastically.

Without saying much, he placed a gleaming Gold Soul Coin on the counter and said calmly, "Give me a private room with the best view, and bring some good tea and pastries."

The attendant's eyes lit up at once. One Gold Soul Coin was more than enough to rent their best private room for an entire day. He immediately bowed and led Lin Ye toward the elegant rooms on the second floor.

The private room was tastefully furnished. From the window, he could take in the entire stage below, and the soundproofing was excellent. Once the door was closed, the noise outside was completely shut out.

Lin Ye reclined against the soft couch, listening to the melodious singing from below while savoring fragrant hot tea. He felt every muscle in his body relax, and the tension of recent days faded away entirely as he peacefully enjoyed this rare moment of leisure.

While Lin Ye was relaxing with music, Wang Dong'er was sitting at a table in a courtyard in Haotian Sect's outer city. Her fingers held a stack of dossiers that had just been delivered, and the brows she had furrowed for days finally relaxed somewhat.

Ever since obtaining a copy of the Diary and learning of her future fate—that she was merely a pawn at the mercy of Sea God Tang San—she had not stopped searching for the Diary's owner for even a moment.

As the young mistress of the Haotian Sect, the resources she could use to investigate someone far exceeded what ordinary people could imagine.

Through the sect's hidden agents in the city, she had long since obtained a complete list of every outer sect steward. After all, the Diary's owner had made no attempt to hide it in his entries, clearly stating that he was the son of an outer sect steward.

Although there were many outer sect stewards, after filtering for those surnamed Lin, the list immediately shrank to only a few dozen names.

Wang Dong'er's fingertips traced the names on the page, and the heart she had held suspended for days finally settled somewhat. Although there were still dozens of targets to investigate, checking them one by one should not take too long.

She knew better than anyone that if she wanted to obtain the Diary's generous rewards, her name had to appear more often in its main text.

Only by coming into contact with the Diary's owner would she have a chance to escape her predetermined fate and obtain the power to rewrite everything.

With that thought, Wang Dong'er put away the list, rose to her feet, and headed outside to begin investigating them one by one.

Meanwhile, beside Lake of Life in the core region of Star Dou Forest, the atmosphere was somewhat solemn.

The Emperor Auspicious Beast sat on a bluestone by the lake with her head lowered. Her beautiful eyes were filled with complicated, indecipherable emotions. She did not even have the heart to groom the golden fur that usually mattered most to her, its soft glow dimmed as she sat there listlessly without the slightest spirit.

A black figure silently appeared behind her. His black robes fluttered lightly in the wind, his square face stern and hard-lined, and a terrifying pressure that made hearts tremble radiated from his body. It was Di Tian, the Beast God standing at the pinnacle of the Soul Beast Clan.

His human form had always been that of a dignified and imposing middle-aged man. Across the entire continent, few dared act presumptuously before him.

Yet as Di Tian looked at the listless Auspicious Beast before him, his tone carried a trace of barely perceptible gentleness. "What is it? You've been unhappy ever since you returned from outside. Who upset you?"

Hearing his voice, the Emperor Auspicious Beast trembled slightly. She turned to look at Di Tian, opened her mouth, but swallowed her words again.

The matter of the Diary was far too strange and unpredictable. She did not dare speak of it, and in the end, she merely shook her head lightly and said in a low voice, "It's nothing. I'm just a little tired."

Di Tian raised an eyebrow, and a trace of confusion flashed through his eyes. He had lived for hundreds of thousands of years. How could he fail to see that the Auspicious Beast was hiding something?

But since she did not wish to speak, he could not force her to answer. He could only nod, remind her to rest well, and then turn to leave.

Once the Auspicious Beast's figure disappeared into the forest, the gentleness on Di Tian's face vanished instantly, replaced by deep gravity.

He raised a hand and snapped his fingers. A crimson figure immediately tore through the air toward him. It was Scarlet King, who was responsible for the Auspicious Beast's personal protection.

"Tell me. What exactly has happened these past few days?"

Di Tian's voice was low and imposing, carrying an unquestionable pressure. "The Auspicious Beast's emotions have been abnormal all along. As her personal guard, you should know the situation best."

A sheen of cold sweat appeared on Scarlet King's forehead as he hurriedly replied, "Reporting to the Beast God, the Auspicious Beast went out a few days ago and did experience intense emotional fluctuations. Later... later, she seemed to develop a deep fear. I asked her about it, but she refused to say."

Fear? Di Tian's pupils narrowed slightly. He raised his brows, instantly attaching great importance to the matter.

The Emperor Auspicious Beast carried the fortune of Star Dou Forest and was tied to the future of the entire Soul Beast Clan. Nothing could be allowed to go wrong.

His face darkened as he sternly instructed Scarlet King, "From now on, stay by the Auspicious Beast's side at all times. Protect her safety with utmost care. Report to me immediately if there is even the slightest abnormality. Do you understand?"

Seeing Di Tian become serious, Scarlet King did not dare be negligent. He hurriedly acknowledged the order.

Time passed unnoticed, and in the blink of an eye, it was midnight.

Amid the deathly silence, the Golden Diary in the minds of everyone holding a copy of the Diary simultaneously emitted a dazzling golden light. Identical lines of notification appeared on every copy's pages.

[Today's Diary Settlement Complete]

[Character Appearing Most Frequently in Today's Diary: Wang Dong'er]

[Exclusive Rewards Issued: Soul Power increased by 3 levels, Ten-Thousand-Year Right Leg Bone ×1, Sea God Tang San Perception Obscuration (valid for 1 year)]

The moment they saw these rewards, everyone holding a copy of the Diary sucked in a sharp breath.

They had long known from the Diary's rules that simply appearing in it would earn generous rewards, but none of them had expected these so-called "generous rewards" to be this outrageous!

A three-level increase in Soul Power was an enormous opportunity for young Soul Masters in their golden period of cultivation, let alone a complete Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Bone!

A Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Bone was an invaluable treasure throughout the continent. Even Core Disciples of the Upper Three Sects might not obtain a flawless Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Bone at such an age.

But what made everyone's hearts pound the hardest was the final reward: obscuring Sea God Tang San's perception for an entire year!

He was a deity standing at the peak of the continent, an existence admired by countless people. Yet his perception could be directly blocked for a full year?

For a time, everyone's thoughts began racing. Their eyes fixed on the Diary with undisguised heat and desire.

At that moment, in the outer city, Wang Dong'er was preparing to investigate the next steward surnamed Lin when the Diary in her mind suddenly began trembling violently.

Her footsteps halted. Her consciousness sank into it, and the moment she saw the reward notification, her entire body froze.

Before she could recover, three warm, dazzling halos floated out of the Diary and hovered before her.

One halo instantly entered her body. Her Soul Power, which had remained at level 21, began skyrocketing as though propelled by a rocket—level 22, level 23, level 24!

In the span of an instant, her Soul Power had risen directly to level 24. She was only one step away from the Soul Elder realm, making her one of the most outstanding Great Soul Masters.

But Wang Dong'er did not even have the mind to look at the right leg Soul Bone beside her, which emanated the dense aura of ten thousand years. All of her attention was locked firmly onto that final reward.

One year. A full year in which the perception of the lofty Sea God Tang San had been completely obscured by this Golden Diary.

Ever since learning from the Diary that she had been a pawn Tang San arranged for his daughter Tang Wutong from the day she was born—that her life, her feelings, even her future fate had all been meticulously arranged by someone else—she had spent countless nights tossing and turning without sleep.

Whenever she thought of a deity's eyes watching every move she made at every moment, a chill ran through her entire body, as though needles were pricking her back.

And now, this Diary had given her an entire year that wholly belonged to her, a year in which no one could spy upon her.

Wang Dong'er's fingers tightened around the Diary until her knuckles turned white, yet an unprecedented fiery light ignited in her eyes.

One year was enough for her to do far too many things.

Enough time to find the Diary's owner, enough time to gather sufficient strength, enough time to try to escape that predetermined fate controlled by others.

The night wind swept through the silent streets. Wang Dong'er took a deep breath, put away the Soul Bone reward, and strode toward her next target with even greater determination than before.