"True enough."
"Until you actually fight them, you never realize what pushovers the people of the Douluo Continent are."
Lin Xiao nodded. "Go rest off to the side. I'll get back to opening jars."
"Yes."
With his sword on his back, Soderos stood to one side.
His hair and beard were already white, making him look ancient.
Yet his back was ramrod straight, like a javelin.
"Surely I'll get a Level-Up Ticket this time?"
With that thought, Lin Xiao swung the Lucky Magic Hammer at the eleventh jar.
Crack!
The jar shattered, and purple light flashed once again.
But this time, the item inside left Lin Xiao speechless.
He cursed inwardly. The inventory detection feature is back on, huh?
Item: [Instant Teleportation Potion] Grade: [Rare] Type: [Untradeable] Description: [With this, you can go anywhere.] Effect: [After use, you can designate any destination to teleport to.]
Normally, this would have counted as a pretty good treasure.
An essential for murder, arson, and fleeing for your life.
But to Lin Xiao, its appearance had simply wasted a chance to get a Level-Up Ticket.
He opened another, and it was still an Instant Teleportation Potion...
After nine Instant Teleportation Potions in a row, Lin Xiao felt numb.
"Fuck."
"You damned system, you've really got it in for me. I refuse to believe this last jar's doubled drops won't give me one!"
That was the allure of opening jars.
Even when you were seething with anger, you still couldn't stop yourself from opening more.
How did that saying go again?
The jars torment me a thousand times, yet I love them like my first love...
Crack!
The last jar still flashed with purple light.
And at last, Lin Xiao saw something that suited his wishes. "Two Level-Up Tickets!"
"After all those trials and tribulations, they finally dropped."
Lin Xiao eagerly picked up the Level-Up Tickets and tore them to use them.
But then.
Something unexpected happened.
Only one tore successfully. The other remained completely intact...
"So I have to hunt down a Soul Ring before I can break through, too?"
With a thought, Lin Xiao understood the crux of the matter. He couldn't help sighing. "What a shame. I thought I could just use ninety-nine Level-Up Tickets to reach level one hundred and become a god..."
"Looks like I might as well wash up and go to bed. Once the shop closes tomorrow, I'll find somewhere to hunt for a Soul Ring..."
"Perfect, those Instant Teleportation Potions will finally have a use. With Old Suo carrying me along, there shouldn't be any danger."
Dawn broke, ushering in a new day.
Lin Xiao opened the shop door, and warm morning sunlight washed over his face.
Embracing the morning light, Lin Xiao said without thinking, "Today is another day full of hope..."
"Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and the others should have told Spirit Hall's higher-ups about what happened yesterday,
right?
Something so miraculous ought to have caused quite a stir. I wonder how Spirit Hall will respond today, and who will come. Chrysanthemum Douluo, Ghost Douluo, or Pope Bibi Dong?
I'm really looking forward to it."
As a novel enthusiast, Lin Xiao very much wanted to see these characters from the original story.
Besides, they had money and strength, making them excellent prospects for opening jars.
"It's open! It's open!"
"This is the little shop where someone got a Soul Bone yesterday. They even got a potion that sold for tens of thousands of Gold Soul Coins."
"What? A potion sold for tens of thousands of Gold Soul Coins? How much did he spend?"
"A hundred thousand... Hiss, doesn't that mean he took a loss?"
Seeing the shop open, quite a few people gathered around and began discussing it.
"Are you here to open jars? If so, please come in."
Lin Xiao addressed the crowd outside.
"Well, we're just here to watch..."
The people outside looked a little embarrassed.
Truth be told, they wanted to open jars, too.
Unfortunately, their purses were thin. A price of a hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins was beyond what ordinary people could afford.
Tap, tap, tap.
Just then, footsteps rang out, and a figure clad in armor stepped into view.
His powerful presence inspired dread, making people instinctively want to keep their distance.
Some recognized the figure and couldn't help exclaiming:
"It's Snake Lance Douluo!"
"Greetings, Your Eminence..."
"Has this little shop become so famous already? A Titled Douluo has come in person!"
Everyone was stunned.
Meanwhile, Snake Lance Douluo walked through the crowd with a solemn expression.
In truth, he was excited as well.
After learning about the Lucky Jar Shop yesterday, Snake Lance Douluo had made arrangements overnight. He had even asked Ghost Leopard Douluo to cover his post.
The Jar Little Shop really is as unremarkable as Hu Liena and Xie Yue said.
With that thought, Snake Lance Douluo entered the shop.
It was small. A counter, a rocking chair, and shelves made up all its furnishings.
Behind the counter, a young man was looking at him with a smile.
That had to be the mysterious Boss Lin.
Not far from Boss Lin stood an odd fellow with several swords on his back.
"Heh, how interesting. You don't just sell jars, you sell swords, too?"
At the sight, he couldn't resist making a teasing remark.
However.
The moment his words fell.
A terrifying murderous intent erupted from that scrawny old man.
Instantly, Snake Lance Douluo felt as though he had plunged into an ice cavern.
Thump, thump, thump.
Under that terrifying pressure, Snake Lance staggered back several steps before steadying himself.
What terrifying sword intent!
He's actually a powerful expert!
Snake Lance Douluo was utterly shocked.
The moment an expert made a move, their mettle became clear.
In an instant, Snake Lance Douluo was certain that this strange, scrawny old man was stronger than he was.
More frightening still was that razor-sharp edge, which instinctively reminded him of Sword Douluo, the equally formidable expert of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
But he had met Sword Douluo, and this old man clearly wasn't him.
Was there really someone so terrifying in this world besides Sword Douluo?
"My... friend, please don't misunderstand. I meant no offense."
Snake Lance Douluo spoke in a strained voice.
"Old Suo, don't be so fierce. You'll frighten the customers."
At that moment, Lin Xiao stepped in with a smile to smooth things over.
"Soderos obeys."
At his words, Soderos abruptly withdrew his aura, once again becoming an ordinary little old man.
However.
At the sight, Snake Lance Douluo's jaw nearly dropped.
Such a terrifying expert actually called this young man his master?
Just what was his background?
In truth, this was because Hu Liena and the others had forgotten to relay Bibi Dong's instructions to Snake Lance Douluo yesterday. Otherwise, even ten times the courage wouldn't have made him act so rashly.
After all, he had no reason to look down on someone whom even His Holiness the Pope had instructed them to treat with caution.
Even so, at that moment, Snake Lance Douluo put aside every trace of disdain.
A measure of reverence entered his gaze as he looked at Lin Xiao. Forcing down his shock, he said, "Boss, I'm here to open jars."
"But I'd like to know whether the jars contain anything that can strengthen a martial soul."
"Of course they do."
Lin Xiao answered without hesitation.
Setting everything else aside, he had gotten an Awakening Ticket just yesterday.
That item could directly evolve a martial soul, perfectly meeting Snake Lance Douluo's needs.
Lin Xiao also understood the reason behind Snake Lance Douluo's request.
Despite being a Level 92 Titled Douluo, Snake Lance wasn't particularly powerful.
In fact, later in the original story, he had been defeated by Yang Wudi of the Breaking Clan, who was only a Soul Douluo.
He had practically set a new low for a Titled Douluo's combat strength.
A genuine disgrace to the title.
He had come to the shop to defy heaven and change his fate.
Before you continue