The world of Blue Star!
After repeatedly breaking down emotionally, Qian Renxue finally collected herself again.
Her gaze was resolute, without the slightest trace of confusion.
Now that she knew her own future and that of Spirit Hall, all Qian Renxue wanted was to return to the Douluo Continent and personally change that predetermined, tragic fate.
"Mr. Xiao, if I wanted to return to the Douluo Continent, would you have any way to help?"
At her question, Xiao Ran clapped his hands together.
"I don't even know how you got here, let alone how to send you back."
"Can you return to the Douluo Continent? When can you return? Only heaven knows!"
(Author: That's right. Only I know.)
Qian Renxue rose and paced before the enormous floor-to-ceiling window, her high heels clicking against the floor.
Suddenly!
Her steps stopped. Her thin lips pressed into a line, and her beautiful golden eyes seemed ready to spit fire.
"Since I can't go back for now, Mr. Xiao, do you know where that bastard author with such a sick fascination with me lives? I want to settle the score with him properly and make him explain exactly what he means by 'golden liquid.'"
"Tang Jia San Shao..." Xiao Ran thought for a moment.
"This is River City. All I know is that he's in the capital, more than 1,300 kilometers away. As for which residential complex he lives in, we'd have to get there first and ask around."
"More than 1,300 kilometers..." Qian Renxue murmured.
Then she looked at Xiao Ran with a burning gaze. "Mr. Xiao, sorry for the trouble, but please take me there. I would be eternally grateful!"
Xiao Ran fell silent for a moment. The biggest problem with taking Qian Renxue to the capital was identification.
Having crossed over from the Douluo Continent, Qian Renxue naturally had no identification. Food and clothing were manageable, but lodging and travel were another matter entirely.
He couldn't very well let her fly to the capital. Wouldn't aircraft and missiles shoot her down? Even a Soul Saint would be blasted to death.
In some other fantasy world, aircraft and missiles probably wouldn't be much use. Against the Douluo Continent, however, they were comparable to god-level attacks.
But if he missed the spectacle of Qian Renxue beating the living daylights out of Tang Jia San Shao over these issues, he wouldn't even be able to sleep soundly.
He made up his mind. He would help Qian Renxue.
He raised his head and looked straight into her eyes. "Qian Renxue, I can take you to find Tang Jia San Shao, but you'll have to agree to a few conditions."
Qian Renxue perked up.
"Please go ahead, sir."
Xiao Ran raised one finger. "Here on Blue Star, ordinary people have no supernatural abilities, but the nations possess all kinds of large-scale weapons with power that sweeps everything away like rotten wood, rivaling natural disasters."
"While you're on Blue Star, you mustn't summon your martial soul lightly. You have to pass as an ordinary person."
Then he raised a second finger. "Blue Star has extremely strict controls on personal information. I'll take you to apply for a temporary residence certificate in a bit. Just pretend you have amnesia and can't remember your former identity."
(PS: Let's not split hairs over a novel. She'll obtain a temporary residence certificate on the grounds of amnesia.)
Finally, he raised a third finger. "To travel a thousand kilometers away, we'll need to sort out food, clothing, lodging, and transportation. All of that takes money."
"Do you have any Gold Soul Coins on you? I'll help exchange them for this world's money. Your money, your business. You have no problem with that, right?"
Qian Renxue felt a deep respect for him. Not one of Xiao Ran's so-called conditions was for his own benefit.
At the same time, she gained a deeper understanding of Blue Star.
It was a world populated mainly by ordinary people, yet they wielded weapons comparable to natural disasters. Until she understood these things, she really should proceed cautiously-and all the more so avoid exposing her identity.
"Everything you've said is reasonable, Mr. Xiao. I agree to all of it."
As she spoke, Qian Renxue touched a Storage Soul Tool on one of her slender, delicate fingers and took out a bag of Gold Soul Coins.
"Mr. Xiao, there are about five hundred Gold Soul Coins in this bag. Will that be enough?"
An unusual light flickered in Qian Renxue's eyes.
She had discovered that she couldn't absorb Blue Star's energy. Every bit of soul power she used was a bit lost. Avoiding exposure was one consideration, but she also had to minimize her soul power usage to keep it from running dry.
Xiao Ran took the bag, opened it, and pulled out a Gold Soul Coin. He examined it from every angle, then even held it to his lips and blew on it, listening to the dull "puff, puff" sound.
This Gold Soul Coin should be real gold, right?
Selling it should provide enough travel money to reach the capital!
"It'll definitely be enough. Let me pack a few things, and we'll head out. I happen to have nothing to do over summer break anyway."
Xiao Ran dug out a backpack and neatly packed the bag of Gold Soul Coins, his phone, charger, ID card... and a whole assortment of other personal belongings inside.
He checked the water, electricity, and gas in the apartment. Once he was sure he hadn't missed anything, he beckoned to Qian Renxue.
"All right, let's go."
Qian Renxue followed close behind, looking around curiously the entire way.
Once they entered the corridor, she took in everything at a glance and voiced her heartfelt admiration.
"Mr. Xiao, the palace you live in really is luxurious. Not only do the rooms have ceramic floor tiles, spotless white walls, and entire panes of glass for windows... even outside the rooms, the floors are tiled. These patterns are beautiful."
"If you can live in a palace like this, you certainly can't be an ordinary person."
The corners of Xiao Ran's mouth lifted, a trace of pride rising within him. "This isn't a palace. It's just an ordinary apartment building. Here on Blue Star, ordinary people can live in buildings like this too."
Qian Renxue's beautiful eyes widened in astonishment.
Calling this a palace wouldn't be an exaggeration, yet it was really just a building where ordinary people lived. What sort of heavenly lives did the ordinary people of Blue Star lead?
She recalled how ordinary people on the Douluo Continent toiled all day for nothing more than a full meal and shelter from the wind and rain. They didn't even dare dream of eating well or living somewhere warm. The gulf between the two was truly like that between clouds and mud.
When they reached the elevator, Xiao Ran pressed a button. With a ding, the elevator arrived at their floor. Xiao Ran stepped inside first, and after a moment's hesitation, Qian Renxue followed.
Everything Qian Renxue saw felt new to her.
"Mr. Xiao, what is this?"
Xiao Ran pressed the button for the first floor. "An elevator. It's a tool powered by electricity that makes it convenient to go up and down floors. Just think of it as a Soul Tool powered by soul power."
Qian Renxue was astonished again. On the Douluo Continent, only Soul Masters could use Soul Tools. The divide between ordinary people and Soul Masters was as vast as heaven and earth.
Yet here on Blue Star, ordinary people could use electrically powered tools too. If electricity was similar to soul power, and ordinary people had harnessed it merely to make going up and down floors easier, then the people of Blue Star possessed even greater wisdom than she had imagined.
The elevator descended all the way to the first floor, and its doors opened again.
Xiao Ran and Qian Renxue stepped out of the elevator, one after the other.
By the time they walked through the building's entrance, Xiao Ran's expression remained perfectly normal, while Qian Renxue stared dazedly at the rows of buildings in the residential complex, her eyes filled with shock.
Looking down from a floor-to-ceiling window and standing at the foot of a building looking up were two completely different experiences.
Even the imperial palaces of the Douluo Continent couldn't be built this tall. Perhaps only the Divine Realm in the heavens could possess such lofty, imposing structures.
Qian Renxue froze on the spot.
After walking some distance, Xiao Ran noticed that no one was beside him. He turned and saw Qian Renxue still standing where he had left her.
He walked back and took her hand. Her skin was smooth and delicate, her hand soft as though it had no bones. "Take your time looking. I'll hold your hand and lead you. There are far too many things on Blue Star that'll amaze you."
"Mr. Xiao, isn't this a little improper?"
With her hand held in his, a trace of bashfulness appeared on Qian Renxue's face.
Despite her words, Xiao Ran continued holding her hand without letting go.
"Don't call me sir. Just call me Xiao Ran."
"This is your first time here. I have to take responsibility for you."
Seeing that she couldn't sway him, Qian Renxue went along with Xiao Ran. "Xiao Ran..."
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