Tang Hao Makes His Move

The awards ceremony.

At the Heaven Dou Imperial Arena, all the competing teams stood in ranks at the center of the ring.

Bibi Dong descended from the highest viewing platform, scepter in hand, with two cardinals following behind her. She personally presented the Soul Bones, the champions' prize.

Bibi Dong stopped before the Shrek team, her gaze sweeping over all seven of them. When she reached Xiao Wu, her steps faltered.

Xiao Wu kept her head down, her hand tightening unconsciously around the Lovesick Heartbreak Red at her waist.

Bibi Dong looked down at the flower, her gaze sharpening.

The Lovesick Heartbreak Red suddenly trembled violently. Its petals fell one by one, drifting to the ground.

Bibi Dong sneered. "A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soft Bone Rabbit. You hid yourself well."

The arena erupted.

Ning Fengzhi shot to his feet in the VIP section. Sword Douluo rose beside him, a hand on his sword hilt.

Flender's face went deathly pale. "What? Xiao Wu is..."

Grandmaster clenched his fists, his lips trembling. "A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast in human form..."

Bibi Dong raised a hand. "Chrysanthemum Douluo, Ghost Douluo. Seize her."

Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo stepped out from either side, unleashing the full pressure of Titled Douluo. The air throughout the arena seemed to freeze. Lower-level Soul Masters dropped to their knees, struggling even to breathe.

Tang San reacted first. Blue Silver Grass surged up beneath his feet and formed a barrier in front of Xiao Wu.

"If you want to touch her, you'll have to get past me first!"

Dai Mubai summoned his Martial Soul Possession and activated White Tiger Vajra Transformation, taking his place to Tang San's left.

Zhu Zhuqing appeared soundlessly on his right, possessed by the Hell Spirit Cat, her claws gleaming coldly. Oscar and Ning Rongrong guarded the outer flank.

Flender and Grandmaster rushed forward, but before two Titled Douluo, they could not even get close.

Chrysanthemum Douluo raised a hand. A Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum bloomed in his palm, and golden petals flew out like blades, whistling through the air.

Halfway there, the petals suddenly stopped.

Chrysanthemum Douluo frowned and looked down. Fishing line. Hundreds of strands crisscrossed into a net before the petals, tangling them in midair. They could neither advance nor retreat.

"What is this?" Chrysanthemum Douluo turned toward the competitors' seats.

Lin Yuan stood at the highest point of the competitors' section, his fishing rod planted beside his feet. Ten fishing lines were wound around each hand. Twenty strands extended from his fingertips, connected to the stone pillars, railings, and ground around the ring.

He had laid the formation before the awards ceremony.

Ghost Douluo snorted. "You think a bit of line can stop a Titled Douluo?"

Lin Yuan said nothing. With a flick of his wrists, all twenty lines snapped taut at once, dislodging debris from the pillars and railings. Dust rose and obscured their view.

Chrysanthemum Douluo severed the lines before him with a palm strike, but fresh strands came winding through the dust.

Lin Yuan pulled out a handful of Boilie Rice and scattered it. The grains stuck to the lines, and with Soul Power flowing through them, the lines grew tougher.

"That brat's stalling!" Ghost Douluo charged.

Lin Yuan's feet slid. Using the Loach Movement Technique, he skimmed three zhang along the ground while reeling in his lines. They caught Ghost Douluo's ankle and yanked. Ghost Douluo stumbled and nearly fell.

The dignity of a Titled Douluo shattered all over the ground.

Bibi Dong's face darkened. "Useless."

Tang San seized the chance, wrapping Blue Silver Grass around Xiao Wu and pulling her back.

Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing covered their retreat. Oscar stuffed a Flying Mushroom Sausage into each person's mouth.

Chrysanthemum Douluo broke free of the lines, and a second wave of petals flew toward them. Lin Yuan pulled both hands back. Every fishing line snapped at once, sending debris swirling through the air until their view was completely blocked.

Just then, the massive phantom of a Clear Sky Hammer descended from the sky.

The hammer's shadow struck toward Pope's Palace with a force that seemed capable of destroying heaven and earth. Bibi Dong's expression changed. Forced to turn back and defend, she raised her scepter high and spread a barrier of Soul Power.

Boom!

A huge hole was smashed through the roof of Pope's Palace.

Tang Hao had arrived. He descended from the sky and landed in the ring, grabbing Tang San with one hand and Xiao Wu with the other.

Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo had no choice but to leave Lin Yuan and rush back to defend Pope's Palace.

Tang Hao glanced back at Lin Yuan.

"Kid, who taught you that Line Formation?"

Lin Yuan panted, more than a dozen bloody cuts across his hands from the fishing lines. "I taught myself."

Tang Hao was silent for a second.

"Not bad."

He vanished into the sky with Tang San and Xiao Wu.

Chaos swept the arena. Spirit Hall's Soul Masters searched everywhere, while spectators fled in all directions.

Lin Yuan put away his fishing rod, wiped his still-bleeding hands on his clothes, and headed out among the crowd.

At some point, Xiao Ruoxue appeared beside him.

"When did you set up those twenty lines?"

"Before the awards ceremony. I went in early."

"The guards didn't stop you?"

"I carried in a bucket of fish and said it was for the judges."

Xiao Ruoxue looked at him, her expression complicated. "You knew from the start something would happen?"

Lin Yuan glanced at her. "A fisherman's instinct."

Xiao Ruoxue walked a few steps in silence, then asked, "Don't your hands hurt?"

"They do."

"Then why are you smiling?"

Lin Yuan looked down at the bloody cuts across his palms. He really was smiling.

"I hooked a big fish. Of course I'm smiling."

Xiao Ruoxue did not understand. "What big fish?"

"Tang Hao." Lin Yuan slipped his hands into his pockets. "I wasn't fishing for Chrysanthemum Douluo or Ghost Douluo. I was fishing for Tang Hao. Bibi Dong wanted to kill Xiao Wu, so Tang Hao was bound to come. All I had to do was hold off those two Titled Douluo until he arrived."

Xiao Ruoxue froze. "You even predicted Tang Hao would come?"

"No." Lin Yuan turned into a narrow alley. "But I had backup plans. If Tang Hao hadn't come, I still had three options."

Xiao Ruoxue followed him. "What options?"

"First, take Xiao Wu out through the underground passage. Second, use a Boilie Rice formation to set the entire arena on fire. Third..."

"What was the third?"

Lin Yuan stopped and turned to look at her.

"Third, stand in front of Xiao Wu and make Bibi Dong kill me first."

Xiao Ruoxue's expression changed. "Are you insane?"

"Insane or not, I didn't have to use it." Lin Yuan kept walking. "Tang Hao came, so my gamble paid off. A fisherman's most essential skill is knowing when a fish will bite."

A system notification sounded:

[Ding! Xiao Wu is out of danger. Host reputation +500. Spirit Hall's wanted list has been updated. Host name: not listed. Assessment: Bibi Dong considers you little threat.]

Lin Yuan's mouth twitched. "Thanks."

[Notice: Host's hands are injured. Prompt treatment advised. Current Soul Power: Level 28. Illustrated Compendium progress +15%.]

Xiao Ruoxue caught his wrist and turned his palm up. More than a dozen cuts crossed it, some shallow, some deep. The deepest exposed bone.

Xiao Ruoxue frowned. "You call this holding them off? You nearly ruined your hands."

"Worth it." Lin Yuan pulled his hand back. "Xiao Wu's fine, Tang San's fine, and Tang Hao even praised me. I'd call that a win."

Xiao Ruoxue stared at him for a long time.

"Lin Yuan."

"Yeah?"

"Next time you plan to hook a big fish, tell me in advance."

"Why?"

Xiao Ruoxue turned and walked ahead. Her voice floated back to him. "So I can have medicine ready."

Lin Yuan stood there, watching her retreating figure, and suddenly smiled.

"System."

"Yes?"

"Has this fish taken the bait?"

The system fell silent for two seconds.

[Answer: Xiao Ruoxue's affection +50. Current relationship: more than friends, not yet lovers.]

Lin Yuan slung the fishing rod over his shoulder and followed her.

"Come on. Let's find somewhere to bandage my hands."

"So you do know they hurt?"

"They hurt, but there are still fish to catch."

Xiao Ruoxue turned and glared at him, but she slowed her pace.

The two disappeared into the night.

Back at the arena, Bibi Dong stood before the damaged Pope's Palace, staring expressionlessly at the sky where Tang Hao had vanished.

Chrysanthemum Douluo knelt on one knee. "I failed you."

Bibi Dong ignored him and turned to Ghost Douluo. "That fisherman. What's his name?"

"Lin Yuan. He's from Shrek Academy. His Martial Soul is a Bamboo Rod. He isn't Level Six at all—his Soul Power is Level Twenty-Eight."

Bibi Dong was silent for a long time.

"His true strength is Level Twenty-Eight, not Level Six, and he held off two Titled Douluo with twenty fishing lines."

Chrysanthemum Douluo lowered his head, not daring to speak.

Bibi Dong turned and walked into Pope's Palace, leaving one order behind.

"Investigate him. Find out everything about three generations of his family."

"Yes."

"And..." Bibi Dong stopped. "Next time you see him, don't attack. Bring him back."

Chrysanthemum Douluo froze. "Bring him back?"

"He's more useful than a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast."