Heaven Dou Empire, Seven Treasure City.
The setting sun washed the ancient walls in gold.
As the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's own territory, Seven Treasure City rivaled the empire's capital in splendor. Crowds thronged its streets, and vendors' cries rose and fell.
Yet on a secluded hillside outside the city, a boy of about twelve or thirteen threw back his head and howled.
"Thirteen years..."
Grief and fury twisted Lin Ming's face. Tears even welled in his eyes. "System, do you know how I spent these thirteen years?"
An awkward cough sounded in his mind.
[Ahem... Host, this... really was my mistake.]
"A mistake?" Lin Ming nearly choked. "You call that a mistake? When my Martial Soul awakened at six, I looked at that lousy Iron Spear and my two and a half levels of Innate Soul Power. Do you know how I felt? I thought I'd been handed an underdog comeback story! But what happened? I spent thirteen whole years as a good-for-nothing!"
[Calm down, Host. I'm here now, aren't I? And I've brought good news!]
"What good news? Go on." Lin Ming's face was blank.
[Remember the five wives you chose before you crossed over?]
Lin Ming froze. His thoughts flew back to that night.
He had been lying in bed, scrolling through short videos, when he saw a question:
[If you could travel to Douluo Continent and choose five of nine heroines as your wives, who would you pick?]
The nine candidates were:
Spirit Hall's three beauties—Bibi Dong, Qian Renxue, and Hu Liena.
Shrek's three beauties—Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ning Rongrong.
And Douluo's three great beauties and powerhouses—Gu Yuena, Bo Saixi, and the Snow Empress.
At the time, Lin Ming had taken it as a joke. Bent on getting the most out of his choices, he had picked 2, 6, 7, 8, and 9.
Qian Renxue, Spirit Hall's Holy Maiden and the future Angel God, had Qian Daoliu and the entire Worship Hall behind her.
Gu Yuena, the Silver Dragon King and sovereign of the Soul Beasts, stood at the very pinnacle of power.
Bo Saixi was Sea God Island's high priestess, a level 99 Peerless Douluo.
The Snow Empress, foremost of the Far North's Three Great Heavenly Kings, was a 700,000-year Soul Beast.
Ning Rongrong, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's little princess, was heir to the richest sect on the continent.
The combination had seemed perfect—three top-tier fighters to guard his path, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to bankroll him, and Qian Renxue's side offering the protection of Spirit Hall's entire Worship Hall.
Lin Ming had even bragged about his "optimal solution" in the comments.
Then... the next moment, he crossed over.
And now here he was, a good-for-nothing for thirteen years.
[That's why I'm here to make it up to you.] [The five wives you chose still count. You only have to find them, and the bond will form automatically. Once bonded, they'll be forced to fall in love with you, devote themselves to you completely, and stand by you in life and death.]
Lin Ming's eyes lit up.
"Forced to fall for me? Love-obsessed and everything?"
[Exactly. You'll be the most important person in each woman's life. She'll trust you unconditionally, depend on you, and protect you. You'll also receive an extra reward each time you bond with a wife.]
Lin Ming sprang to his feet, the gloom vanishing from his face. "Now that's more like it! You do have a conscience after all."
But his brow soon furrowed again.
"Wait... Easy for you to say. I'm just a level 16 weakling, barely a Soul Master. Where am I supposed to find these extraordinary women?"
Lin Ming paced, his mind racing.
Qian Renxue should now be inside the Heaven Dou Empire's palace, posing as Crown Prince Xue Qinghe. The palace was heavily guarded. A commoner Soul Master like him would struggle even to get close.
Gu Yuena, Bo Saixi, the Snow Empress... Those three were even further out of reach. One ruled the Soul Beasts, one lived on Sea God Island, and one dwelled in the Far North. With his current strength, going after any of them meant marching to his death.
"When I picked them, all I thought about was getting the most out of it. I never considered how I'd actually reach them." Lin Ming smacked his forehead in frustration.
"It's like choosing five max-level powerhouses for my team when I'm a level-one character who can't even leave the starter village."
As Lin Ming fretted, a burst of noise rose in the distance.
He looked up. A large crowd had gathered by Seven Treasure City's gate, apparently reading a notice.
He hurried over and squeezed through the crowd. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was recruiting menial servants.
The notice read: The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's monthly recruitment of menial servants is now open. Applicants must be between twelve and twenty-eight years old, have Soul Power of at least level 10, and be of good character. Those selected will receive food, lodging, and basic cultivation resources from the sect.
"There's my chance." A smile tugged at Lin Ming's lips.
Without another word, he went straight to the registration desk.
The man recording applications was a middle-aged steward in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's standard uniform, with the emblem of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda embroidered on his chest. He glanced over Lin Ming and asked offhandedly:
"Name, age, Soul Power Level."
"Lin Ming. Thirteen. Level 16 Soul Power."
The steward's brush paused. He looked up in surprise. "Level 16? And you're only thirteen?"
"Yes, sir."
The steward gave Lin Ming another look, taking him more seriously now. Level 16 at thirteen was no genius, but it was far from bad. Plenty of commoner Soul Masters never rose beyond their twenties or thirties in their entire lives.
"Not bad. Get in line over there for the tests."
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's tests were straightforward: one for Soul Power and one for Martial Soul. Even servants had to meet fairly high standards to work for the sect.
In the end, Lin Ming stood out among more than twenty applicants and secured a place as a servant of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
"Here's your identification token." The steward handed him a wooden tag engraved with a number—9527.
"That's your number. Inside the sect, you'll be addressed by it," the steward explained.
"You're new, so you'll be housed with the lower-rank servants for now. Work hard, and you may have a chance to move up."
Lin Ming nodded and followed another servant into the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Beyond the towering sect gates, a magnificent complex of buildings came into view.
Pavilions and towers rose among carved beams and painted rafters, each proclaiming the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's wealth and deep foundations. Disciples in splendid clothes passed back and forth, the emblem of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda pinned to every chest.
Lin Ming drew a deep breath, his heart swelling with ambition.
"Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect... here I come!"
P.S. Brothers, if you're enjoying this, add it to your favorites! This is pure wish fulfillment—the protagonist won't suffer one bit!
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