"Fine, then lead the way. If you dare deceive me once we get there, none of you will leave alive."
With that, Tang Hao turned and walked away, his steps steady and swift. He had no fear of the two playing tricks to escape.
Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan exchanged a glance and followed close behind. The three figures soon vanished into the twilight outside Heaven Dou City.
Meanwhile.
Inside the Imperial Study of the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace, the lamplight glowed softly and brightly.
Disguised as Xue Qinghe, Qian Renxue sat upright at the desk, dressed in a Crown Prince Python Robe, her bearing gentle and refined. No one could discern her true identity.
Beside her stood an elderly man with unfathomable presence and snow-white hair and beard. The soul power surrounding him was as profound as the sea. He was one of the Titled Douluos who had guarded her closely for years.
Snake Lance Douluo.
On the desk lay neatly stacked reports of the highest secrecy, compiled day and night by spies from various quarters over the past fortnight.
Qian Renxue's slender, pale fingers gently turned the pages as she read each report, her cool gaze growing darker.
The first report recorded the startling appearance of three Soul Masters with twin martial souls at Suotuo City's Great Soul Arena. After digging deep into their origins, the spies finally discovered that all three seemed to have obtained their twin martial souls from a mysterious shop outside a remote town by the Star Dou Great Forest.
The second report stated that Spirit Hall's Pope Bibi Dong, upon hearing of this, had personally set out to find the mysterious shop. For unknown reasons, she had clashed with its owner and fought him, only to suffer defeat and retreat empty-handed, failing to learn the secret of its twin martial souls.
The third report concerned flyers from that mysterious shop which had appeared in Heaven Dou City eight days earlier. After what seemed to have been a discussion among the Four Elements Academy, only Blazing Fire and Skywater had assembled their teams' core members the following day and headed to the mysterious shop, hoping to compete for this unknown opportunity and fortune.
The remaining reports concerned visits to the shop by the Dragon Duke and Snake Granny, Ning Fengzhi of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Dugu Bo, and others.
As she read, the doubt between Qian Renxue's brows deepened, and she unconsciously murmured:
"A mysterious shop... the creation of twin martial souls... and even that woman came back empty-handed after going there herself?"
Since time immemorial, martial souls had been fixed and talent ordained by heaven. No outside force had ever been able to rewrite a Soul Master's foundations at will.
Yet this shop's appearance had completely overturned the rules of cultivation that had endured on the Douluo Continent for ten thousand years. Whether it was a heaven-sent opportunity or a source of disaster that would overturn the continent remained unknown.
Standing silently beside her, Qian Jun Douluo also showed a trace of extreme wariness in his deep eyes as he said:
"Young mistress, to verify these reports, I once stood outside the shop and looked inside through its transparent glass door."
"Everyone who entered lay down inside a container that resembled an eggshell once its glass lid closed. When they emerged, they possessed a second martial soul."
Qian Renxue fell silent at his words.
Her fingertips tapped gently against the desk several times. After a long while, she raised her head, her gaze tinged with complexity and gravity.
"Uncle Snake Lance, does Grandfather know about this?"
Qian Jun Douluo nodded slightly and answered solemnly:
"Young mistress, I have already reported this to the Great Enshrined through a secret method of communication. His wishes are to leave the decision entirely to you."
"Whatever you decide, he will support you with all his strength."
Qian Renxue gently exhaled, lowering her gaze to the secret reports as she said quietly:
"Despite all this supporting intelligence, I still... find it rather hard to believe."
She fell silent for a moment, then rose. The hem of her python robe brushed the desk's edge, and her expression had already regained its usual composure and decisiveness.
"For the next few days, I will use a cold as an excuse to avoid court duties. Uncle Snake Lance, sorry for the trouble, but please inform Grandfather. We will visit that mysterious shop ourselves and get to the bottom of this."
"After all, this shop is far too strange. Even Bibi Dong returned in crushing defeat. If everything is true, even a top Titled Douluo like Grandfather would probably struggle to face it alone."
Qian Jun Douluo solemnly cupped his hands.
"I will go at once."
With that, his figure flickered, and he vanished silently into the darkness beyond the window.
Silence returned to the Imperial Study.
Qian Renxue remained where she stood, her gaze quiet for a moment before she spoke softly.
"Let's go, Uncle Pufferfish."
As her words fell, another figure slowly emerged from the shadows in a corner of the room.
Porcupinefish Douluo was of medium build and ordinary appearance, his presence restrained like that of a mundane old man. Without deliberately probing him, no one could sense that he was a Titled Douluo.
Without further words, Porcupinefish Douluo nodded and took Qian Renxue ahead to find the shop.
About half an hour later.
Outside the shop.
Tang Hao examined the storefront before him, his gaze sweeping over the glazed window.
"Are you certain this is the place?"
Dugu Bo stood with his hands behind his back, a faint smile on his lips as he said casually:
"Why not go inside and find out?"
After a pause, he added:
"Surely the Clear Sky Douluo isn't afraid to step through a door."
Tang Hao snorted coldly. Without another word, he stepped forward and pushed open the door.
The evening breeze swept a hint of chill into the shop.
Hearing it, Zhu Zhuqing immediately stood, her expression mild as she spoke politely:
"Welcome."
Tang Hao strode inside, his tattered cloak concealing most of his face as his cloudy, piercing eyes quickly swept the entire shop.
A plain counter, empty shelves, and rows of devices neatly arranged along the wall.
He withdrew his gaze and looked at Zhu Zhuqing, his tone brooking no argument.
"Call your owner out."
Zhu Zhuqing paused slightly, then maintained her courteous manner.
"I'm sorry, sir. Our owner is resting and cannot receive visitors."
"I said, call your owner here immediately."
Tang Hao's tone suddenly turned harsh and grim, and the faint pressure of a Titled Douluo spilling from him spread outward.
Zhu Zhuqing's heart tightened, and she instantly grew wary.
Then, by chance, she caught sight of Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan behind him from the corner of her eye. Only after seeing them nod gently to her did she say:
"One moment."
With that, she turned and crossed the semi-open living area to the door along the inner corridor. She knocked gently and said quietly:
"Boss Lin, someone is causing trouble in the shop."
The door opened in response. Rubbing his sleepy eyes, Lin Yue gave a small yawn and slowly emerged, carrying a trace of the languid irritation of someone roused from sleep.
He walked straight to the counter and sat down casually. Looking up at the scruffy, burly figure in front of the Dugu grandfather and granddaughter, he recognized him at once.
"So it's you, Tang Hao."
"Well? What do you want?"
Tang Hao stiffened slightly, a flicker of astonishment crossing his eyes. Clearly, he had not expected this mysterious shop's owner to be such a young man, much less to recognize him immediately.
But his surprise passed in an instant. He sneered, looking down at Lin Yue.
"You're the owner of this shop?"
"Yes, I am."
Lin Yue nodded indifferently.
"Good."
Tang Hao took a step forward and spoke coldly, his tone utterly overbearing:
"Hand over the armor that little girl from your shop obtained! And hand over all the secret methods that gave her twin martial souls and raised her soul power by ten levels in such a short time!"
Lin Yue frowned slightly, seemingly still not fully awake and uncertain whether the man had truly come to cause trouble.
After all, there was something wrong with this man's head to begin with. Perhaps he was merely talking tough.
So, after considering it, he said:
"Do you have any money on you? See that device over there? Put gold coins into it, and if you're lucky, you can draw it."
Tang Hao sneered, his gaze suddenly turning cold.
"Your ears don't seem to work very well. I don't want to repeat myself."
Hearing this, Lin Yue sighed.
Fine, I overestimated this fellow. I actually thought he had come seeking an opportunity.
Being woken before he had slept enough was irritating enough already. Now his patience had run out, and he no longer bothered with courtesy.
"All right, all right, I know you're a beggar. Get lost before I change my mind."
"What did you say?! You're courting death!"
Tang Hao's eyes turned bloodshot as he roared in fury.
His burly body instantly swelled under the reinforcement of his soul power. His right hand clenched into a fist, carrying terrifying pressure as he struck straight at Lin Yue!
Yet Lin Yue did not even lift his eyelids. He merely uttered a single word:
"Stop."
An invisible power of rules descended. Tang Hao froze in place mid-punch, his soul power completely stagnant, unable to move.
He desperately urged the soul power within him to break free, only to discover that all his meridians seemed locked by an invisible, immense force. He could not mobilize even the slightest trace.
Even a Limit Titled Douluo could never achieve something like this!
Just what sort of terrifying power did this youth possess?!
Endless terror and disbelief grew wildly in his heart, completely shattering all his arrogance.
Propping his chin on one hand, Lin Yue languidly studied the immobilized Tang Hao and murmured to himself:
"What should I do with you?"
He considered it for a moment, his gaze falling upon Tang Hao's face, twisted with defiance and ferocity, before speaking indifferently:
"How about this? You seem rather proud of being a Titled Douluo. From now on, you will remain at level eighty-nine for the rest of your life, never again able to enter the titled realm."
Tang Hao's pupils trembled violently. He wanted to roar, wanted to break free, yet could not move a single finger.
He could only watch helplessly, sensing with utter clarity how the titled soul power he had cultivated through years of bitter effort rapidly dispersed and fell, the foundations of a top Titled Douluo stripped away layer by layer.
His vast soul power kept plummeting. Level ninety-three, level ninety...
At last, it settled firmly at the bottleneck of level eighty-nine, unable to advance another inch.
Reduced to a Soul Douluo!
Several breaths later, the restraining force slowly dispersed.
"Done."
Lin Yue spoke indifferently. "You can move now. If you refuse to accept it and still want to cause trouble, I'm ready whenever you are."
Tang Hao's body loosened, and he staggered before steadying himself. His face was as pale as paper, his eyes filled with extreme terror and venomous hatred as he stared fixedly at Lin Yue, yet he no longer dared harbor even the slightest thought of provocation.
He stood silently for a moment, his heart filled with humiliation and dread. In the end, he dared say nothing more, turning and striding away before vanishing wretchedly into the night.
Seeing this, Dugu Bo, whose expression held a hint of satisfaction, immediately stepped forward and smiled.
"Boss Lin, thank you for helping us today."
He then briefly explained that Tang Hao had wanted to seize Dugu Yan's opportunities, and that he had told Tang Hao the shop's location and led him here, hoping Lin Yue could deal with him.
After hearing him out, Lin Yue nodded slightly and praised him:
"It's fine. At your level, defeating Tang Hao would be difficult. This was indeed the safest way to handle it."
"But if something like this happens again, just tell me directly once you reach the shop, so we don't waste time."
Dugu Bo repeatedly voiced his agreement. After this experience, his reverence for Lin Yue only deepened.
With the trouble caused by Tang Hao resolved, peace returned to the shop.
Dugu Bo immediately headed enthusiastically toward an empty Game Pod by the wall, while Dugu Yan entered the Arena alone with practiced familiarity to fight the Random AI.
Before long, however, four more people arrived outside.
The man leading them appeared to be only thirty or forty years old. He had handsome features, long golden hair falling neatly down his back, a plain gray robe, and a tall but not burly frame.
He was none other than Spirit Hall's Great Enshrined, the level ninety-nine Peerless Douluo, Qian Daoliu.
Beside him, Qian Renxue had already shed her disguise as Xue Qinghe. Bathed in holy golden radiance, her exquisite beauty was fully revealed.
Snake Lance Douluo and Porcupinefish Douluo stood behind them on either side, their expressions tense, their soul power ready at all times as they warily surveyed the shop's interior.
Then Qian Daoliu stepped inside and came to a stop. His gaze swept the rows of devices along the wall before finally settling on the languid-looking Lin Yue behind the counter.
"I am Qian Daoliu. Having long heard of your shop, I have come to pay a visit tonight."
Lin Yue raised his eyes and looked at the handsome man, apparently in his thirties or forties, with his golden hair and gray robe.
As one of the only three surviving Peerless Douluos on the Douluo Continent, Qian Daoliu's features were far too distinctive. Even if he gave a false name, with Qian Renxue beside him, practically any transmigrator would recognize him at a glance.
"As long as you aren't here to cause trouble, everyone is welcome."
Hearing this, Qian Daoliu dispensed with pleasantries and asked directly, "Forgive my presumptuous question, but how exactly do these strange objects resembling iron eggs help Soul Masters acquire twin martial souls?"
Lin Yue did not understand why he asked when he knew he would receive no answer, but replied nonetheless:
"Well, that is naturally a secret of the shop, not something I can share."
Qian Daoliu retained his serene smile at these words. After a slight nod, he spoke calmly.
"In that case, I will ask no further."
"However, although I have heard about the things in your shop, I do not know their precise uses. Please explain them to us, young friend."
Lin Yue nodded and looked toward the Game Pods.
"This is called a Game Pod. Lying inside allows you to obtain twin martial souls and experience another world."
Then he looked toward the Prize Machine.
"That is a Prize Machine. One draw costs one hundred Gold Soul Coins, and ten consecutive draws cost nine hundred."
"The one beside it lets you deposit your prizes into the other world inside the Game Pod. It can also retrieve items obtained in that world for use in the present world."
The four followed his gaze to examine each device, their eyes filled with astonishment.
"Truly marvelous beyond compare."
After offering this heartfelt praise, Qian Daoliu paused, then changed the subject, his gaze settling meaningfully on Lin Yue.
"At the moment, however, I am more interested in your strength, young friend. Might you be willing to spar with me?"
"Sure."
At these words, Snake Lance Douluo and Porcupinefish Douluo's expressions changed slightly behind him. Qian Renxue also frowned, not expecting her grandfather to suddenly make such a request.
Even more unexpected, however, was how readily Lin Yue agreed.
The next moment, Qian Daoliu laughed heartily.
"What boldness!"
"Then come outside the shop with me and fight with all your strength, lest we damage the furnishings in your shop!"
With that, he turned and headed for the door, but he had barely taken a few steps when Lin Yue's voice came from behind him.
"Wait, no need to go outside. Just give me one Gold Soul Coin."
Qian Daoliu stopped and turned back, a hint of puzzlement in his eyes. Still, he asked no further questions, taking out a Gold Soul Coin and handing it over.
Lin Yue took it and casually hefted it in his hand.
"All right, just lie down in the Game Pod."
"When the time comes, all you need to say is 'Accept challenge.'"
With only a hazy understanding, Qian Daoliu looked at the Game Pod, but he did not hesitate and nodded.
"All right."
With that, he and Lin Yue lay down in adjacent Game Pods.
[Thanks to reader Tako for another gift of 9 recommendation votes. Nothing else to say-you're my dad!]
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