Soul Rings as Neon Lights? March 7th, the Poster Girl

Inside the shop.

Flender looked preoccupied. Even when he noticed customers entering from the corner of his eye, he could not be bothered to greet them.

After seeing that it was one man and two women, he ignored them and continued lounging in his rocking chair, wearing black-framed glasses.

Jingliu said nothing and quietly sensed her surroundings. Her little brother never acted unless there was something to gain.

If he had come here to hunt for treasures, he had to be confident.

"Little Gray Hair, this place doesn't look entertaining. It's just a pile of scrap metal."

Sparkle curled her lips and muttered softly.

Just as Sparkle said, there was no counter in the shop. A few battered old items hung on the walls, making the place look utterly shabby.

The rocking Flender paused slightly at her words and said hoarsely:

"Everything in this shop starts at one hundred Gold Soul Coins."

The black-hearted merchant Flender had gone online, but Xu Yuan had no intention of indulging him.

"One hundred Gold Soul Coins?"

"Everything in your shop combined isn't worth that much. How about I buy the whole shop for ten Gold Soul Coins?"

Xu Yuan had no intention of being taken for a sucker and immediately haggled.

Flender's eye twitched. This young man was bargaining far too ruthlessly.

"Now it's two hundred Gold Soul Coins per item."

At those words, Sparkle immediately fixed Flender with an interested look.

Xu Yuan stepped aside, ready to enjoy the show.

"Black-glasses old man, even SoulGlad soda from Penacony isn't as expensive as you. Lady Sparkle specializes in dealing with profiteers like you."

Before she finished speaking, Sparkle removed the red-and-white half-color fox mask from her head and swiftly put it over her face.

Buzz!

Nine Soul Rings appeared, rising from beneath Sparkle's feet.

White, white, yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, red.

The aura unique to a Titled Douluo spread out, instantly filling the shop and making it hard to breathe.

Flender: "?"

A nine-ringed Titled Douluo?!!

Flender shuddered. Several cracks spread across the rocking chair, and with a crack, its wooden leg snapped clean off.

Flender, with his shoe-sole face, looked utterly shocked as he fell flat on his back, kicking up a cloud of dust.

After recovering, he hurriedly got up and respectfully straightened himself.

Looking at Sparkle's nine Soul Rings, Flender found it strange. Why were two of them white?

A Titled Douluo was this harsh on herself? And... wasn't this far too Equilibrium?

White, yellow, purple, black, red.

It was a heaven-defying Soul Ring configuration, yet that aura was unquestionably real.

"Flender of Shrek Academy greets Your Excellency."

Flender respectfully bent at the waist in greeting.

Then...

Before Flender's baffled eyes, Sparkle's nine Soul Rings began flashing like neon lights, bursting with color.

Red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, purple.

Black and white intertwined, gold and silver gleamed, dazzling beyond compare!

Flender: "..."

"Little Gray Hair, this Soul Ring ability is pretty interesting."

"Get hyped! Move with the beat!"

Sparkle was having the time of her life. She tossed all nine Soul Rings into the air and used them as stage lights.

As she spoke, Sparkle's petite body stepped nimbly from side to side, dancing to the rhythm.

"As expected of you, the No. 1 Masked Fool."

Xu Yuan was impressed and gave Sparkle a thumbs-up.

"Miss Sparkle really is full of energy."

Jingliu commented softly, feeling noticeably more relaxed.

For a moment, the entire shop became as lively as a Tavern stage, complete with a thumping dance beat.

At this point, how could Flender fail to see that it was probably this lady's peculiar hobby combined with the effect of a Soul Skill?

The ever-changing lighting effects could blind enemies.

And the complicated, ever-changing Soul Rings also made it impossible to judge her true strength, allowing her to catch opponents off guard in battle.

Putting everything else aside, Flender felt like he was about to be blinded, yet he did not dare utter a single objection.

Two and a half minutes later.

Sparkle seemed to have had enough fun. With a wave of her little hand, she dismissed the stage-light effect.

The Soul Rings withdrew their effects and circled around Sparkle.

Then, the nine Soul Rings changed color again.

Two yellow, two purple, four black, one red.

The optimal Soul Ring configuration!

"Little Gray Hair, neither you nor Sister Jingliu played with me. Lady Sparkle is very unhappy."

Sparkle puffed out her cheeks and removed the Mask of Elation.

"Looks like I don't have the talent to become a Masked Fool."

Xu Yuan smiled. He decided he would tell Sparkle a story later and decide where to go have fun tomorrow.

Seeing this, Flender took a deep breath.

So that was it. It seemed this was Lady Sparkle's true strength.

After pondering for a long time, Flender gave up. He had never heard of this lady's name anywhere on the continent.

After glancing at Xu Yuan, Flender could tell that he was the backbone of the group, so he simply said:

"Three honored guests, meeting is fate. Everything in this shop is yours for free."

Flender had his own calculations as he spoke with feigned generosity.

This pile of junk in the shop was not worth one hundred Gold Soul Coins, but the favor of a Titled Douluo...

That was priceless!

"Forget it. We have money."

Xu Yuan shook his head. He had no intention of owing Shrek Academy a favor for no reason.

With no ties between them, it would be easier to stir things up and have fun.

He casually tossed out one Gold Soul Coin and took the head-sized Slab Crystal.

Flender looked embarrassed, but in the end, he still accepted that one Gold Soul Coin.

Watching the three of them leave, Flender sighed and lost all interest in doing business. He simply closed up for the day.

After leaving Flender's shady shop, Xu Yuan casually flipped his hand and stored the Slab Crystal in his system space.

The next second, the golden finger's notification sounded.

[Main Quest Honkai Progress Bar: 13.5%. Reward: [Contract Summoning Card] ×1]

What was going on? Good things really did come in pairs?

What kind of day was this? It felt amazing to fleece the system.

By intercepting the Slab Crystal, Xu Yuan's progress bar had risen by 1%.

Although Xu Yuan could not wait to use the summoning card, he still decided to accompany the girls shopping first.

The three of them wandered around Suotuo City for half the day, eating, drinking, and having fun, only returning to the Rose Hotel at dusk.

Along the way, Xu Yuan used the power of money to replace everything in the room with new sheets and bedding.

They would probably be staying in Suotuo City for several days.

So when it came to food, clothing, shelter, and travel, he could not shortchange himself or the people around him.

Wasn't cultivating and becoming stronger all about living a better life and pursuing immortality?

"Little Gray Hair, try this candied hawthorn skewer."

Sparkle handed him a bright red candied hawthorn skewer. Xu Yuan opened his mouth to take a bite, only to hear a bang.

The bright red candied hawthorn skewer turned into a party popper, spraying ribbons all over his face.

Xu Yuan: "..."

"Hehe, Little Gray Hair, Lady Sparkle never waits until tomorrow to get revenge."

Sparkle made a face, then slipped away on the spot with the speed of a startled rabbit.

Seeing this, Jingliu spoke softly from beside him.

"Little brother, do you need my help?"

Sparkle might have been mischievous, but... Jingliu still favored Xu Yuan more in her heart.

"Big sister, I Trailblazed another summoning card."

Xu Yuan watched Sparkle return to her room as he walked beside Jingliu, the white-haired, red-eyed woman.

"Little brother, your luck is truly good. In that case, let's return to the room first."

Jingliu marveled at Xu Yuan's luck, her voice carrying a faint hint of anticipation.

Afterward, the two returned to the room together.

With a sweep of his eyes, Xu Yuan saw Sparkle, her twin ponytails swaying as she sat on a stool and sorted through the Elation props she carried with her.

Xu Yuan locked the door and immediately began the summoning.

A flash of light appeared in his hand, and a nine-colored card emerged.

Following the mysticism of card draws, Xu Yuan silently recited the names of more than a dozen Aeons before crushing the card.

Buzz!

A rift tore open in the space before him, followed by the figure of a girl with a pair of slender legs.

The next second, a girl with short pink hair appeared.

"Wait, wait, wait! How did I end up here?"

The short pink-haired girl looked confused. Six-Phased Ice flickered in her hand, condensing into a longbow.

March 7th?

The poster girl.