The Little Shop Gradually Got on Track

"Enough."

Lin Yue let out a long breath, looking somewhat impatient. "Stop trying. Here, as long as I don't want you to summon your martial soul, you'll never summon it for the rest of your life."

Bibi Dong stared fixedly at him as countless possibilities flashed through her mind.

A domain-type soul skill? Some ancient seal? Or something else?

To test her suspicions, she abruptly turned and strode outside.

One step, two steps, ten steps...

When she reached roughly thirty paces beyond the shop's entrance, that severed connection was fully restored. The Death Spider Emperor martial soul shrieked madly within her, as though venting its long-suppressed fury.

Bibi Dong whipped her head around.

Her soul power surged to its peak without restraint, and her ninth soul ring blazed with a piercing scarlet light. That was the ultimate soul ring, one that only a hundred-thousand-year soul beast could produce!

"Your Holiness, don't!"

Yue Guan cried out involuntarily, his face deathly pale, but it was already too late.

Bibi Dong raised her hand, and a pitch-black pillar of light, bearing an aura of destruction, thundered toward the shop!

Gui Mei's body abruptly tensed in the shadows, while Chrysanthemum Douluo stumbled back several steps, his lips trembling.

Zhu Zhuqing was also jolted out of her cultivation by the terrifying fluctuations of soul power. Through the glass, she looked toward the attack powerful enough to crush a mountaintop, and her little face instantly drained of color.

Lin Yue merely yawned.

When the world-destroying pillar of black light was still some ten feet from the shop, it silently vanished.

There was no explosion, no shock wave, not even the faintest breeze. It simply disappeared without a trace.

Bibi Dong refused to believe it.

A second shot, a third, a fourth...

Attack after attack blasted forth, each powerful enough to reduce an ordinary Titled Douluo to ashes, and every one quietly dissipated at the same spot.

At last, she stopped.

Her face was as still as water, her fingertips trembling slightly.

"Go."

Lin Yue's languid voice reached Yue Guan and Gui Mei. "Invite your pope over here."

Yue Guan and Gui Mei exchanged a glance, each seeing the same shock and fear in the other's eyes.

The two cautiously approached Bibi Dong and spoke softly:

"Your Holiness... Boss Lin has asked us to invite you over..."

Bibi Dong remained silent for a long time.

Her nails dug deep into her palms, almost drawing blood.

But reason told her she could not afford to rupture relations with this shop completely yet.

Right now, she still needed those Game Pods that could mass-produce twin martial souls, along with everything else that could help her build up her strength!

Without sufficient strength, what could she use to destroy this world she hated so deeply?

She slowly unclenched her hands.

Following Yue Guan, she walked through that door again.

Behind the counter, Lin Yue held a cup of tea, calmly meeting her gaze.

"Bibi Dong."

He set down his teacup, his voice as light as though he were making small talk.

"Yu Xiaogang deceived you in love, but that was your own choice when you were young. Later, Qian Xunji imprisoned and violated you, and you brought all of that on yourself. So don't think of dragging me into any of that mess."

At those words, Bibi Dong's expression changed abruptly.

Deep within her phoenix eyes, something was brutally torn open, and rage and humiliation threatened to burst out of her.

Her lips trembled slightly, and her nails dug into her palms once more.

This time, they really drew blood.

"If you insist on making trouble."

Lin Yue raised his eyes. His gaze was calm and unruffled, yet it brought a sheen of cold sweat to the Level 98 Super Douluo's back.

"Or try anything behind my back, believe me, you won't be able to bear the consequences."

Those words were like the sharpest of knives, viciously piercing Bibi Dong's heart.

She stared fixedly at Lin Yue. Even the waves of pain from the wounds her nails had gouged into her palms could not suppress the killing intent churning in her chest.

He had actually dared to rip open the scars she had buried for decades, right in front of Gui Mei and Yue Guan.

The bone-deep hatred in her eyes was like a poisoned blade, carving across Lin Yue's face inch by inch.

After a long while, she finally forced a few words through clenched teeth:

"...This time, I was at fault. Boss Lin, I hope you can... forgive me."

Lin Yue gave a soft chuckle.

Of course he had done it deliberately. Not a trace of fear could be found anywhere in his expression.

"Good that you know you were wrong. Don't let it happen again."

Those few brief words fell lightly, yet they were like a vicious slap across Bibi Dong's face.

Her chest heaved violently. Unwilling to remain another second, she strode out of the shop and prepared to return to Spirit City.

On the way, when she reached a gathering place for soul beasts somewhere in Star Dou Great Forest, she finally lost control of the brutality surging in her chest.

A piercing shriek tore through the sky. The Death Spider Emperor martial soul abruptly appeared, and countless pillars of black light, bearing world-destroying might, thundered down in every direction.

Towering ancient trees fell in swathes, rocks shattered, and beasts scattered in terror. An area several miles across was razed to the ground in an instant.

Only after venting for half an incense stick's time did she slowly stop.

A mountain breeze swept over the ruined woodland, stirring up broken leaves and dust.

Bibi Dong stood there panting for a moment, then her expression regained its usual coldness and indifference, as though that bout of madness had nothing to do with her.

Then she glanced back in the direction of the shop and snorted coldly. With a flicker, she became a streak of light and continued speeding toward Spirit City.

Elsewhere.

Inside the little shop, with Bibi Dong finally gone.

Yue Guan and Gui Mei both let out a deep breath of relief, their backs already soaked in cold sweat.

A mighty Level 98 Super Douluo, the supreme pope of Spirit Hall, had suffered one setback after another in this tiny shop today, swallowing humiliation before finally leaving in disgrace with her fury forcibly restrained.

Both looked toward Lin Yue at the counter, their expressions growing even more respectful.

"What? You had your supremely exalted pope come here personally to test my strength. Now that the storm has passed, have the two of you still not decided whether to join me?"

Lin Yue looked at them with a faint smile, his tone relaxed and casual, yet he laid bare their scheme on this occasion.

At his words, Yue Guan and Gui Mei shuddered. They hastily bowed and shook their heads in alarm:

"Forgive us, Boss Lin!"

Fine sweat beaded on Yue Guan's forehead as he explained:

"We were concerned about how ruthless His Holiness the Pope can be. If we told her to her face that we were leaving Spirit Hall and she attacked us outright, we would have no power to resist."

"That was why we resorted to this poor plan. Please be understanding, Boss Lin!"

Gui Mei lowered his head as well, repeatedly voicing his agreement.

Seeing this, Lin Yue, who had only intended to frighten them anyway, waved a hand.

"All right. I don't blame you."

With that, he willed three scrolls out of the system inventory and handed them to Zhu Zhuqing, Yue Guan, and Gui Mei in turn.

"Martial Soul... Limit-Breaking Scroll?"

Taking the scroll, Gui Mei's gaze fell on the archaic characters written upon it, and he read them aloud in puzzlement.

Beside him, Zhu Zhuqing explained, "Seniors, this Martial Soul Limit-Breaking Scroll can break through the restriction on the number of martial souls, giving us the capacity to hold more martial souls."

"For example, each of us currently has two martial souls. After using it, we'll gain the capacity for a third. If you have more scrolls, you can continue gaining a fourth and a fifth martial soul."

Hearing this, Yue Guan and Gui Mei were shaken to their cores, their eyes filled with disbelief.

Lin Yue set down his teacup and added at the appropriate moment:

"It's very simple to use. Once you lie down in the Game Pod, the martial soul selection interface will open automatically."

"This time, Zhu Zhuqing, choose a door-type martial soul after you enter. As for the scroll you won in your own draw, use that however you like."

"As for Yue Guan and Gui Mei, decide for yourselves which of you will choose a pot and which will choose fire."

Zhu Zhuqing nodded lightly, without the slightest objection.

But Yue Guan and Gui Mei, who had just been overwhelmed by the prospect of having triple martial souls, were now being told to choose a pot and a flame as their martial souls. Bewilderment crossed their faces.

After hesitating for a moment, Yue Guan asked quietly:

"Boss Lin... you're asking us to choose a pot and fire. Could it be... that you want us to cook for the customers?"

Lin Yue snapped his fingers, smiling. "You guessed right."

Then, however, he tilted his head and regarded them with a faint, ambiguous smile:

"What, you don't want to?"

Both shuddered all over and hurriedly shook their heads vigorously, bowing to declare their willingness, not daring to show the slightest dissatisfaction.

"Don't worry. Here, there's no such thing as a trash martial soul."

Yue Guan and Gui Mei exchanged a glance, both tightening their grip on their Martial Soul Limit-Breaking Scrolls, a jumble of feelings filling their hearts.

They were mighty Titled Douluo, standing among those at the pinnacle of the continent, yet in future battles against their enemies, one of them would actually have to fight wielding a pot...

But looking at Lin Yue's composed demeanor.

The two gritted their teeth, steadied themselves, and fully accepted their fate.

Whether it was a pot or fire, as long as they could grow stronger, it would all be worth it!

Meanwhile, inside the Game Pods, Meng Shu, Chao Tianxiang, and their granddaughter Meng Yiran had already arrived at the foot of the Heavenly Evolution Tower.