Everyone Left, Drawing Again

"Ah? No, I didn't mean that. By 'quiet,' I only meant that I wanted some peace and quiet. There was absolutely no other meaning."

Hearing Tian Yan's words, Jiang Lin hurriedly waved his hands and explained.

"Oh? Is that so?"

A trace of suspicion appeared in Tian Yan's eyes. Not only her, but the other two also looked somewhat doubtful.

"Absolutely true. That's really all there was to it."

Jiang Lin's face was full of sincerity, without the slightest hint of falsehood.

Seeing this, Little Dragon Girl and the others finally nodded.

"Jiang Lin, you've already obtained your second Soul Ring. What are you planning to do next?"

"Next? Hmm, there doesn't seem to be anything else to do. I plan to return to the cabin and cultivate properly for a while, striving to raise my Soul Power a little more."

Hearing this, Xiao Wu nodded slightly, but then a hint of hesitation appeared on her face.

"What's wrong, Xiao Wu? Do you have something else to do? My cultivation isn't urgent. If there's somewhere else you want to go, I can go with you."

"Mm, I plan to go home. But if I go back this time, I probably won't be able to come out again for quite a long time. Jiang Lin, how long do you think you'll cultivate in Star Dou Forest?"

Going home? At this point in the plot, Da Ming and Er Ming shouldn't have anything going on. Could this be Xiao Wu's own reason? Was she afraid of falling too far behind me in strength, so she wanted to go back and hurry to improve her cultivation?

After staring silently at Xiao Wu for a while, Jiang Lin said, "Mm, I estimate I'll stay in Star Dou Forest for five or six years. Xiao Wu, during that time, you can come find me at the cabin we built anytime."

"Five or six years? Jiang Lin, why do you want to stay here for so long?"

Hearing that number, surprise appeared in the eyes of not only Xiao Wu, but Little Dragon Girl and the others as well.

Jiang Lin was not too surprised by their reactions.

The greater reason behind his plan was that he wanted to raise his strength as quickly as possible. He did not want to keep placing his safety in the hands of Little Dragon Girl and the others.

Besides, there was also the matter of Tian Yan's seal.

He planned to keep dragging out Tian Yan's remaining two chances to act, only telling her about the favorability method once his strength was enough to stand on equal footing with hers.

That way, even if Tian Yan could not accept the method and chose to leave him, Jiang Lin could still rely on his overwhelming strength to forcibly keep her by his side!

Naturally, he could not say such things outright.

After arranging his words, Jiang Lin slowly spoke.

"Sister Long, don't you think the air here is fresh and the scenery beautiful? Besides, there's none of the scheming and strife of the outside world here. You know, I've never liked fighting with people..."

Hearing this, Tian Yan immediately fell silent, a trace of hesitation surfacing in her eyes.

Little Dragon Girl and Xiao Wu, however, did not think much of it. After all, one had lived for years in a dark Ancient Tomb that never saw daylight, while the other had originally lived in Star Dou Forest. Jiang Lin's reasoning was indeed easy for them to accept.

Little Dragon Girl said, "Xiao Wu, when are you planning to leave? How about we accompany you home?"

"Ah? No need, Sister Long. My home isn't far from Star Dou Forest."

Xiao Wu quickly shook her head. No matter how Little Dragon Girl and Jiang Lin tried to persuade her afterward, she showed no intention of agreeing.

"Then be careful on the road, Xiao Wu. If anything happens, remember to come back and find us anytime."

"Mm, I will."

Very soon, Xiao Wu's figure disappeared from everyone's sight.

Suddenly, Little Dragon Girl spoke softly. "Jiang Lin, Xiao Wu's identity isn't ordinary, is it?"

Jiang Lin merely nodded lightly and said nothing more.

He believed that one day, Xiao Wu would reveal her identity as a soul beast herself.

Just then, Tian Yan's voice sounded beside Jiang Lin's ear.

"Brat, can we change the agreement about acting three times?"

"Hmm? Sister Tian Yan, are you planning to go back on your word?"

Jiang Lin frowned slightly.

"I am indeed going back on my word. Don't think I don't know what you're thinking. Now I'll give you another choice. Either tell me how to remove the seal immediately, and I'll still act for you twice, or I'll leave right now. Choose for yourself."

Tian Yan spoke these words very seriously, clearly having made up her mind.

Jiang Lin could only feel deeply helpless about this. Tian Yan truly was not comparable to Little Dragon Girl, who had only just left the Ancient Tomb. She had seen through his thoughts immediately.

In fact, these two choices made little difference to Jiang Lin. He knew that with Tian Yan's personality, she would definitely not accept the favorability method. She would still leave when the time came.

So Jiang Lin simply chose the latter.

"Sister Tian Yan, if you truly want to leave, then go. But our agreement will remain valid. Once you've thought it through in the future, come back and fulfill the agreement. I'll naturally tell you how to remove the seal."

"Heh, brat, it seems you're very confident in yourself. In that case, make sure you keep your little life. Don't be dead already by the time I come back for you!"

"Little Sister Long'er, take care. Until we meet again!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Tian Yan's figure vanished directly before their eyes.

"Jiang Lin, Sister Tian Yan, she—"

"Sister Long, this is between Sister Tian Yan and me. I believe she'll definitely come back to find us someday."

"Let's go, Sister Long. Let's go home."

"Mm."

At dusk, on the outskirts of Star Dou Forest, inside a cabin deep within a bamboo grove.

Jiang Lin sat cross-legged on the bed. Looking at Little Dragon Girl cultivating silently in the distance, a trace of determination appeared on his face.

He summoned the Bronze Roulette again, preparing to continue the second draw he had not completed earlier.

[Ding!]

[Collapse Points -1000, current Collapse Points: 5630]

With a thought, the Bronze Roulette began spinning again, but this time, it still did not yield gold.

[Ding!]

[Congratulations, host, you have obtained the one-star Bronze-grade pill, Yin-Yang Bliss Powder.]

[Effect: A supreme item for dual cultivation. Consume it to reach ultimate bliss.]

"What the hell is this? Even something like this came out?"

Listening to the system prompt, Jiang Lin's mouth twitched slightly. Only after glancing at his inventory did he confirm that he had really only drawn a bottle of medicine.

"Damn it!"

"I've really lost my shirt today! My 2,000 Collapse Points, and I only drew these two pieces of trash!"

"System, refund me!"

[Ding!]

[Warm reminder: Once Collapse Points have been used, they cannot be refunded or exchanged.]

"Crook! What a crook!"

"Damn it, I don't believe this! They say things never happen three times. I refuse to believe the third draw still won't give me something good!"

Gritting his teeth, Jiang Lin summoned the Bronze Roulette once more.

[Collapse Points -1000, current Collapse Points: 4630]

"Come on. Let's see what you can draw for me this time!"

The next moment, the Bronze Roulette spun wildly, its indicator repeatedly sweeping past the one-star and two-star card sections.

Seeing this, Jiang Lin's expression instantly turned ugly, and the hope in his heart kept sinking.

"Damn it, system, don't mess with my head. This is already the third time—"

At last, the indicator stopped. A blinding golden light appeared before Jiang Lin's eyes, nearly dazzling him blind.