Nalan Yanran Arrives

"Fine, but movement-type Self-Created Soul Skills cost more. Take your pick. Once you're done, I'll have Zhu Qing copy them for you."

With a wave of his hand, Lu Chuan set over a hundred Dou Technique manuals in neat stacks on the floor.

"That many?!"

Xue Qinghe stared at the piles of Self-Created Soul Skills and cried out in surprise.

He had no objection to movement-type Self-Created Soul Skills costing more.

After all, Spirit Bones came in different grades.

External Soul Bone > torso bone > Head Soul Bone > right arm bone > Left Arm Bone > left leg bone > right leg bone.

Lu Chuan placed the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone he had bought yesterday on the table and instructed him:

"The tall stack on the left is Low Yellow Tier, the middle stack is mid-tier, and the short stack on the far right is high-tier.

You can only read the titles and descriptions, not the contents. Otherwise, I'll blacklist you!"

Xue Qinghe's face darkened. Did he think I was some kind of scoundrel? He didn't trust me at all!

Swallowing his irritation, he lowered his head and searched through the High Yellow-Tier Dou Technique manuals for moves that suited him.

After a while, though, he sensed a gaze fixed firmly on him.

Xue Qinghe looked up and met Lu Chuan's unblinking stare.

His mouth twitched.

"Brother Lu Chuan, stop looking at me like that. I won't sneak a peek..."

Lu Chuan shook his head without looking away.

"You do your searching. I'll do my watching."

"..."

My fists are itching.

Xue Qinghe struggled to keep his temper in check and continued searching.

In the end, he selected four Dou Techniques.

Movement: "Gale Step"

Offense: "Fierce Charge Fist" and "Mountain-Splitting Palm"

Defense: "Iron Mountain Shoulder"

Lu Chuan took the four manuals and handed them to Zhu Zhuqing along with the "Flame Scripture," then returned the rest to System Space.

"Zhu Qing, make copies."

Zhu Zhuqing nodded lightly, spread out the manuals containing the Dou Techniques and Cultivation Method, and began copying them.

Her handwriting was neat and elegant, each stroke swift and sure.

Lu Chuan pulled Xue Qinghe aside to chat and listened to gossip about the Heaven Dou Empire.

It turned out that even a cool, fiercely driven woman like Qian Renxue could not escape the love of gossip buried deep in her code.

Once she started talking, she barely stopped.

An hour later, Zhu Zhuqing set down her brush.

Only after the ink had dried completely did she arrange all the pages in order.

Lu Chuan took back the five originals, drew up another contract, and had Xue Qinghe sign it.

Ding! Congratulations, host, on completing client Qian Renxue's commission.

Received 54,000-Year Left Arm Bone: permanently increases left arm strength by 60%.

Feeling power surge through his left hand, Lu Chuan sighed to himself.

Now my left fist really hits hard, while my right fist hits even harder.

I can hardly imagine how strong I'll be if the boosts keep stacking up.

Could I kill a god of Douluo Continent with one punch?

He gathered his thoughts, looked at Xue Qinghe, who was reading through a Dou Technique, and spoke slowly.

"If I'm not mistaken, you're planning to try teaching these Dou Techniques and the Cultivation Method to your subordinates when you get back, aren't you?"

Xue Qinghe looked up with an open smile and waved a hand. "How could I? I'm not the sort of person who breaks an agreement."

Lu Chuan smiled faintly.

"No need to deny it. Go ahead and try it here. I don't mind. You can see how binding the contract is for yourself."

"In that case, let Qinghe see it with his own eyes."

With his intentions laid bare, Xue Qinghe stopped pretending.

He summoned a subordinate, handed him a stack of pages recording a Dou Technique, and ordered sternly:

"Read it carefully and try to cultivate the Spirit Skill written there."

"Yes!"

The subordinate held the pages and examined them closely.

Then something strange happened. He could recognize every individual word perfectly.

But the moment he tried to piece the words together and follow the Soul Power route to understand the cultivation method, his mind went blank.

What he had just memorized vanished in an instant, as though an invisible force had erased the memory.

Several attempts proved futile. His face gradually paled, and he hurriedly bowed.

"Your Highness, something strange is happening... I recognize every word, but I can't remember how to cultivate it!"

Xue Qinghe frowned and tried several more groups of people. The result was the same for all of them.

He even tried describing it aloud, copying it onto different materials, and having someone guide the cultivation from the side.

Nothing worked, as if the heavens themselves opposed them.

Apart from Xue Qinghe, who had signed the contract, no one could comprehend or activate the Spirit Skill.

All ease vanished from Xue Qinghe's face, and his expression turned grave.

No ordinary means could impose such an uncanny restriction.

It was just as he had suspected: this was the power of a god!

He applauded softly, his face full of admiration.

"Brother Lu Chuan, you truly are remarkable. Qinghe is impressed."

"Given up?"

"Yes. It's not as if I have a choice, is it?"

Xue Qinghe sounded resigned.

Lu Chuan chuckled and popped a cherry into his mouth.

Zhu Zhuqing leaned obediently against his side, quietly focusing on the circulation method of "Gale Step."

Xue Qinghe shook his head, put his other ideas aside, and took a seat to begin cultivating the "Flame Scripture" he had just acquired.

But as soon as he opened it and read the main text, his brow furrowed.

He asked in confusion:

"Brother Lu Chuan, what are these Meridians and Acupoints? Why have we never seen them recorded here?"

Lu Chuan slapped his forehead. He had nearly forgotten about that.

People in Douluo World only knew how to absorb Soul Power and cultivate it.

They knew Soul Power flowed through pathways in the body, which they called Soul Power channels, but they had no concept of Meridians or Acupoints.

Looks like I'll need to draw up a chart of the body's meridians and acupoints next time. Charging a mere 10,000 Gold Coins wouldn't be too much, would it?

Once you buy a Cultivation Method, you'll have to buy the matching meridian chart.

Otherwise, those Cultivation Methods and Combat Skills you paid a fortune for will be worthless in your hands. Heh heh heh~

With that thought, Lu Chuan raised one finger.

"Ten thousand Gold Coins, and I'll tell you about the human body's meridians and acupoints."

Xue Qinghe's face stiffened. He cursed Lu Chuan's greed and cunning inwardly; no one could work an abacus like him. Yet Xue Qinghe was helpless, a fish on the chopping block beneath another man's knife.

I can't just let a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone go down the drain, can I?

It was not that he could not afford it. He simply hated letting this profiteer fleece him again.

Once the ten thousand Gold Coins were paid, Lu Chuan took out a sheet of paper and began drawing a meridian chart on the spot.

Half an hour later.

Clutching the meridian chart, Dou Techniques, and Cultivation Method, Xue Qinghe stormed out of the Guest Room.

He was afraid that if he stayed any longer, he really would throw a punch.

Lu Chuan paid him no mind and continued helping Zhu Zhuqing study the Dou Techniques.

Meanwhile, in the Battle Through the Heavens World.

Inside the Xiao Family's main hall.

Xiao Yan rushed in, breathless.

"Father, you were looking for me?"

His gaze swept quickly around the hall and immediately landed on a woman seated among the guests.

The woman was strikingly beautiful and had an air of refinement, but what baffled Xiao Yan was the look she gave him. There was not a trace of goodwill in it, only deep disgust and contempt.

Xiao Yan was bewildered. I've never met her. We're complete strangers. Why is she looking at me like that?

Beside her sat an elder in the white robes of the Misty Cloud Sect, composed and imposing.

Behind the elder stood a fierce-looking man. His eyes were wide, and he glared at Xiao Yan with hostility he made almost no effort to hide.

Xiao Yan's heart sank. The Misty Cloud Sect's visit probably means trouble.

From the seat of honor, Xiao Zhan saw Xiao Yan and Nalan Yanran exchange glances and mistook it for flirtation. He burst out laughing.

"Hahaha! Yan'er, come sit over here. Let me introduce you. This is your fiancée—Nalan Yanran."