Undercurrents Stirring

Dark Soul Cult stronghold.

The third stronghold, a three-story building with black brick walls.

Basement.

A Titled Douluo sat in a chair.

He wore a black robe, his face hidden beneath the hood.

Several Spirit Douluo stood beside him.

"He refused."

The level eighty-one black-robed person spoke.

"Quan Cangtian refused to become the Pontifex's man."

He raised a hand.

A Soul Tool sat on the table.

He pressed it.

The Soul Tool lit up.

A voice came from it.

"Since he will not come, make him come."

It was the Pontifex's voice.

The Titled Douluo nodded.

"Understood."

The Soul Tool went dark.

He stood up.

"Begin the arrangements."

"East Gate."

"Three days from now."

The several Spirit Douluo nodded.

They left the basement.

The Titled Douluo remained where he was.

He looked at the Soul Tool on the table.

"Young Patriarch."

"What a pity."

Tianhun City.

Street.

Quan Cangtian and Zixiao walked down the street.

The sunlight was pleasant.

Vendors along the street sold steamed buns, candied hawthorns, and cloth.

People streamed back and forth.

Quan Cangtian stopped in front of a pharmacy.

"Shopkeeper, three qian of Dragon Whisker Grass, five qian of Purple Ginseng, and two qian of Snow Lotus."

The shopkeeper was an old man.

His hair was white, and his hands trembled.

He turned around to fetch the herbs.

Quan Cangtian watched his back.

Zixiao stood beside him.

She looked toward the street corner.

An old man selling candied hawthorns stood there.

The old man was watching them.

There was something wrong with his gaze.

Quan Cangtian paid and accepted the herbs.

He turned around.

He used Miracle Perception.

Three.

One at the street corner.

One in the teahouse across the street.

One in the alley behind them.

All were Spirit Douluo level.

They were watching them.

They had not made a move.

Quan Cangtian did not expose them.

He took Zixiao's hand and continued forward.

"Finished buying?"

"Finished."

"Back to the inn?"

"Let's go to the Body Sect first."

"Alright."

The two walked down the street.

Sunlight shone over them.

But Quan Cangtian could feel the gazes behind him.

Three.

They had been following them the whole time.

Body Sect stronghold.

Basement.

Huo Yuhao sat cross-legged on the floor.

Du Busi stood beside him.

"Begin."

Huo Yuhao closed his eyes.

Spiritual Sea.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was beside him.

"Little Yuhao, the essence of the Spirit Eye is spiritual power."

"What you need to visualize is the form of spiritual power."

"Not the form of an eye."

"The form of spiritual power."

Huo Yuhao nodded.

He focused his mind.

His spiritual power surged.

He felt his spiritual power changing.

Condensing.

Taking shape.

An eye.

A pale golden eye.

It floated at the center of the Spiritual Sea.

Ice Empress observed from the side.

"Your spiritual power is strong."

"But it is still not enough."

"Continue."

Huo Yuhao continued visualizing.

Spiritual power condensed within his Spiritual Sea.

Slowly taking shape.

An eye.

The pale golden eye.

It hovered in the center of the Spiritual Sea.

Du Busi watched from the side.

He sensed Huo Yuhao's aura changing.

"Not bad."

"You have talent."

"That boy from the Quan Family explained your situation."

"Triple Martial Soul."

"Spiritual power far beyond the ordinary."

Huo Yuhao did not respond.

He continued visualizing.

The eye within the Spiritual Sea grew clearer and clearer.

Inn.

Quan Batian sat beside the table.

A letter lay on the table.

A message from the Quan Family.

"The Body Sect and the Quan Family have a longstanding friendship."

"Du Busi can be trusted."

Quan Batian set down the letter.

Zixiao stood beside him.

"Extra training."

"Starting today."

"Three hours every day."

Zixiao nodded.

Quan Cangtian entered.

He placed the herbs in his hand on the table.

"The Dark Soul Cult is watching us."

"Three Spirit Douluo."

Quan Batian nodded.

"They will use harsher methods."

Quan Cangtian.

"What will they do?"

Quan Batian.

"Force you."

Quan Cangtian.

"How?"

Quan Batian.

"Create chaos."

"Make you act."

"Then surround and kill you."

Quan Cangtian fell silent.

Tianhun City.

Outskirts of the Dark Alley District.

Several shops had been attacked.

Their doors and windows were shattered.

Goods were scattered across the ground.

Residents were discussing it.

"Things have been unsettled lately."

"Yeah, several shops have been smashed."

"I heard men in black did it."

Quan Cangtian and Zixiao walked down the street.

Quan Cangtian sensed the Dark Soul Cult's aura spreading.

Zixiao wanted to make a move.

Quan Cangtian stopped her.

"This is a test."

"They are creating pressure."

"They're forcing us to make a move."

"Let's return to the inn first."

"Don't fall for it."

Zixiao nodded.

The two turned around.

And headed for the inn.

They encountered several residents on the way.

"Things haven't been peaceful lately."

"Yeah, be careful when you go out."

Quan Cangtian said nothing.

He sensed the presence behind him drawing closer.

The inn.

Quan Cangtian's room.

He sat cross-legged on the bed.

And closed his eyes.

His consciousness sank.

The Path Rift.

Beneath his feet was black ground, and above him was a starry sky.

Silver-white stars flickered.

He looked up.

And saw it.

An emerald green star.

It flickered.

A star of the Path of Abundance.

He reached out.

With a thought.

The star flickered.

It did not resist.

It was willing to descend.

Emerald green light surged toward his palm.

And formed a door.

Written on the door were the words: Simulated Universe: Abundance (Beginner).

He pushed the door open.

And walked inside.

Beyond the door was a forest.

The trees were tall.

Their branches and leaves were dense.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves.

The air was fresh.

Quan Cangtian felt the Abundance Seed within him pulse.

It felt comfortable.

Then—

He heard it.

A rustling sound.

It came from every direction.

He looked around.

The bushes were moving.

Something was approaching.

A Vine Beast.

Vines twisted together, forming a sphere.

There were eyes on its surface.

Many eyes.

All of them stared at him.

It did not attack immediately.

It was observing him.

Quan Cangtian sensed its aura.

It was about the same as his.

Slightly weaker.

He raised his right hand.

Abundance Power surged out.

Emerald green light.

The Vine Beast moved.

Vines shot out.

They were fast.

Quan Cangtian shifted aside and dodged.

The vines brushed past his clothes.

He grabbed a vine.

And pulled hard.

The Vine Beast was dragged over.

He threw a punch.

It slammed into the Vine Beast.

The vines scattered.

But quickly twisted together again.

It was not dead.

Quan Cangtian felt Abundance Power surging.

He mobilized Abundance Power.

And made the surrounding plants obey him.

The grass on the ground began to grow.

It wrapped around the Vine Beast's roots.

The Vine Beast struggled.

But the grass held it fast.

Quan Cangtian rushed forward.

One punch.

It slammed into the Vine Beast's core.

The core shattered.

The Vine Beast scattered.

It turned into emerald green motes of light.

And dissipated into the air.

He used Abundance Power to control the surrounding plants.

Vines, tree roots, and blades of grass.

They all became his weapons.

He felt Abundance Power growing stronger.

Evolving.

The last one.

It was larger than the previous ones.

Its vines were thicker.

And it had more eyes.

It charged at him.

Vines shot toward him from every direction.

Quan Cangtian could not dodge.

He was bound by the vines.

He felt them tightening.

Crushing him.

But he did not panic.

He mobilized Abundance Power.

And made the vines obey him instead.

The vines stopped.

Then loosened.

Quan Cangtian broke free.

He rushed forward.

One punch.

It slammed into the Vine Beast's core.

The core shattered.

The Vine Beast scattered.

It turned into emerald green motes of light.

And dissipated into the air.

Then—

He felt it.

A surge of power entered his body.

The power of the Path of Abundance.

He felt the Abundance Seed pulse.

Growing stronger.

Then—

He saw it.

There was something on the ground.

An emerald green crystal.

He walked over.

And picked it up.

An Abundance Crystal.

An Instance Dungeon reward.

He clenched the crystal.

The crystal turned into emerald green motes of light.

And flowed into his body.

The Abundance Seed grew stronger.

Quan Cangtian opened his eyes.

He was back at the inn.

Dusk lay beyond the window.

He felt the changes within his body.

The Abundance Seed was growing stronger.

Zixiao sat beside him.

She sensed his aura changing.

"You've become stronger."

"Mm."

The next day.

Tianhun City.

The streets.

Quan Cangtian and Zixiao walked down the street.

The sunlight was bright.

There were many people.

They reached an intersection.

An old man appeared ahead.

He wore a gray robe.

His hair was white.

He leaned on a cane.

He looked utterly ordinary.

But Quan Cangtian sensed that his aura

was profound.

At least at the level of a Titled Douluo.

The old man stopped.

He looked at Quan Cangtian.

"The Pontifex asked me to deliver a message."

"Three days from now."

"Tianhun City's East Gate."

"Be there."

After saying that, the old man turned around.

And left.

He was incredibly fast.

He vanished in the blink of an eye.

Zixiao wanted to pursue him.

Quan Cangtian stopped her.

"You can't catch him."

"He's a Titled Douluo."

Zixiao stopped.

She looked in the direction where the old man had vanished.

"A trap."

"I know."

Inn.

Quan Cangtian and Zixiao walked inside.

Quan Batian sat by the table.

"How did it go?"

Quan Cangtian told him about the mysterious man's message.

Three days from now.

Tianhun City's East Gate.

After listening, Quan Batian

stood up.

He walked to the window.

"It's a trap."

"But we have to go."

Quan Cangtian.

"I'll go."

Quan Batian.

"I'll go with you."

Zixiao.

"I'm going too."

Quan Batian turned around.

He looked at Zixiao.

"You stay behind."

"Protect Huo Yuhao."

Zixiao was unwilling.

But she did not argue.

Quan Batian nodded.

"Three days from now."

"See you at the East Gate."

Body Sect stronghold.

Basement.

Huo Yuhao sat cross-legged on the ground.

Spiritual Sea.

A pair of pale golden eyes floated there.

They grew clearer and clearer.

Brighter and brighter.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm cheered beside him.

"Success!"

"Initial success!"

Ice Empress observed from the side.

"This is only the beginning."

Du Busi watched from nearby.

He sensed Huo Yuhao's aura changing.

Huo Yuhao continued meditating.

The eyes within his Spiritual Sea grew brighter and brighter.

Tianhun City.

Dark Alley District.

Third stronghold.

Basement.

A Titled Douluo stood beside the table.

Several Soul Tools lay on the table.

He was setting them up.

Several Spirit Douluo stood nearby.

"This time, we must bring him back."

"The Pontifex's order."

The Spirit Douluo nodded.

The Titled Douluo picked up a Soul Tool.

He pressed it.

The Soul Tool lit up.

Light flickered throughout the basement.

The trap was taking shape.