Holy Light White Tiger Dai Mubai

"Why are you following us?"

The night air on the street was slightly cool. Three plainly dressed figures were heading out of the city when one of them noticed the footsteps following behind, turned around, and spoke with a hint of wariness.

Zhu Zhuqing stopped and got straight to the point.

"I want to go with you to see that little shop."

All three froze at her words and exchanged glances. A brief silence fell.

"All right. We're only at rank ten Soul Power anyway. I can feel that your Soul Power is much higher than ours. Even if we wanted to refuse, we couldn't beat you."

"In that case, let's go together."

Zhu Zhuqing nodded slightly and said nothing more.

She had expected the three of them to hire a carriage next, but instead, they set off straight down a dirt road to the northeast. They actually intended to walk all the way to their destination...

A faint ripple passed through Zhu Zhuqing's clear eyes at this, but she still chose to follow in silence.

From fleeing for her life when she left the Star Luo Empire to her grueling weighted training after entering Shrek, eating in the wind and sleeping beneath the sky had long been routine. The hardship of traveling on foot was nothing.

And so, she left Suotuo City with the three of them.

They headed northeast, passing through fields and villages along the Balak Kingdom's border, slowly following a secluded dirt road toward the continent's central region, in the direction between Spirit City and the Star Dou Great Forest.

They walked for two full days.

The dirt road grew increasingly remote, and signs of habitation became ever scarcer. They traveled by day and built fires beside the road to sleep under the open sky at night.

Although Zhu Zhuqing seldom spoke, the three chatted and laughed along the way, often bringing up that miraculous little shop, and she could never resist asking questions.

Not until dusk the following day did a building finally appear at the end of the road ahead, utterly out of place amid the surrounding desolation.

Delight instantly spread across the three young men's faces. They hurried forward, pushed open the door, and called out with easy familiarity, "Boss, we're back!"

Behind the counter, Lin Yue opened his eyes in his rocking chair and slowly sat up.

Seeing familiar faces, he nodded, a faint smile rising to his lips.

"Welcome. Did you three bring enough money this time?"

"We did, we did!"

"We came prepared this time!"

The young man at the front, whose Martial Soul was the Crimson Flame Demon Lion, grinned. He took half a pouch of Gold Soul Coins from inside his clothes, set it on the counter, and eagerly rushed toward the half-arc-shaped experience pods in the hall.

Then, with practiced ease, they grabbed the dark helmets, lay down in their respective pods, and put them on in one smooth sequence.

After counting the Gold Soul Coins, Lin Yue shook his head with a smile. Out of the corner of his eye, however, he noticed the figure lingering at the entrance.

He froze slightly and blurted out, "Zhu Zhu...qing?"

Hearing her name so suddenly, Zhu Zhuqing paused, then stepped inside.

"Boss, do you know me?"

Lin Yue fell silent for a moment, looking her over with a complicated gaze.

After all, as a young man from the twenty-first century, how could he not have read Douluo Continent? He had also read plenty of fan fiction based on it.

He simply had never expected to wake up one day in this world, bound to a system, running a shop dedicated to letting people play a game called "Douluo Continent: Heavily Modified Edition."

Judging by the situation, those three commoner Soul Masters must have shared what they had seen in his shop, drawing her here.

With that thought, Lin Yue spoke calmly.

"I suppose you could say I do."

"Not just you, of course. I've heard a little about many of the major figures in Shrek, Spirit Hall, and the two great empires."

He offered no further explanation.

Anyone who came was a customer. He only needed to serve them.

So he gathered his thoughts, composed himself, and returned to his earlier manner of receiving customers.

"I'm sure they told you plenty on the way, so I won't waste words. How long would you like to try it for?"

Without hesitation, Zhu Zhuqing took a Gold Soul Coin from her waist and gently placed it on the counter.

Lin Yue accepted the coin, tapped a crystal panel beneath the counter, and said:

"All right, your information has been registered. Pick any empty unit, lie down, and put on the dark helmet."

Following his directions, Zhu Zhuqing looked toward the row of half-arc-shaped units in the hall and saw the three figures lying quietly inside.

"Thank you, boss."

She withdrew her gaze, thanked him, and walked toward the unit beside the corner.

After lying down, Zhu Zhuqing took a deep breath and carefully put the dark helmet on her head.

At first, there was only pure darkness in her vision.

But just a few breaths later, light suddenly bloomed before her eyes.

She found herself suspended in a vast, boundless sea of cosmic stars. A pale blue, transparent panel floated in front of her.

On it were the Clear Sky Hammer, the Seven Kill Sword, Nine Heart Begonia, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon...

Martial Souls, some familiar and others unfamiliar, filled her vision in a dazzling array, too many to take in.

According to those three, choosing any one of them would mean that she, too, would possess Twin Martial Souls!

At that thought, the faintest trace of excitement crossed Zhu Zhuqing's cool eyes, and her heartbeat quickened.

But faced with such a glittering array of Martial Souls, she hesitated, unsure which to choose.

In a fleeting daze, memories of the Star Luo Empire, the Hell White Tiger, and the royal family's struggles flashed through her mind.

If this little shop could overturn the laws of Martial Souls and create Twin Martial Souls, then perhaps Martial Soul Fusion Skills and Martial Soul Evolution were not empty fantasies either!

After a moment's hesitation, Zhu Zhuqing's gaze steadied. She had made her decision.

Her eyes swept rapidly across the panel, locked precisely onto the White Tiger Martial Soul, and she tapped it with her fingertip.

The next instant, heaven and earth spun.

When she opened her eyes again, the world around her had changed.

She stood in an old, secluded bluestone alley. The air was fresh, and the faint sounds of city life drifted toward her.

Leaving the alley, she saw an unfamiliar cityscape that nevertheless carried a strange hint of familiarity.

In the middle of the street ahead stood a majestic stone sculpture of a white tiger. Its imposing bearing closely resembled the white tiger statue in the Star Luo Empire's main city, yet it was different, radiating a sense of sacred inviolability.

"Miss, are you interested in our Heavenly Radiance Empire's Holy Light White Tiger?"

A warm, clear male voice suddenly sounded behind her.

Zhu Zhuqing turned her head. At some point, a young man in white had come to stand beside her, looking at the white tiger statue with her.

She did not answer. In an unfamiliar place, she was accustomed to remaining wary of anyone who approached her uninvited.

The man seemed to have expected this and took no offense. Instead, he smiled gently.

"Since ancient times, our Heavenly Radiance royal family has revered the Holy Light White Tiger as the 'divine beast of the sun.' Its roar, empowered by Soul Power, is said to dispel every evil spirit and sinister force in the world."

He paused, his gaze resting briefly on Zhu Zhuqing.

"I can sense the presence of a white tiger within you. Our Heavenly Radiance royal family has always valued friendly relations, and we hold Soul Masters with white tiger-type Martial Souls in particular esteem."

"If you don't mind, might we become friends?"

From those few words, Zhu Zhuqing had roughly deduced his identity. He was very likely a member of the Heavenly Radiance Empire's royal family.

His refined speech and composed bearing did not seem feigned, either.

After a moment of silence, she nodded slightly and gave her name.

"Zhu Zhuqing."

"Lovely. Resilient and noble as bamboo, clear and pure as water. A fine name."

"Miss Zhu, please follow me."

With that, he took the lead and brought Zhu Zhuqing to the city's most famous establishment, the Heavenly Fragrance Tower.

Once they were seated, the young man gave a few instructions.

The dishes he ordered were all lightly sweet and refreshing delicacies suited to a woman's palate. His arrangements were considerate and appropriate, with just the right measure of restraint.

Once all the dishes had arrived, Zhu Zhuqing did not hurry to pick up her chopsticks. She merely raised her eyes toward him, waiting for him to continue.

Setting down his teacup, the young man seemed to know what she was thinking. He introduced himself warmly. "My name is Dai Mubai, third prince of the Heavenly Radiance Empire. My Martial Soul is the Holy Light White Tiger."

Zhu Zhuqing froze slightly at his words, unable to keep from frowning at that all-too-familiar name.

Seeing this, Dai Mubai's smile vanished, replaced by puzzlement.

"Why that reaction, Miss Zhu? Is there something wrong with my name?"

After hesitating briefly, Zhu Zhuqing finally asked for confirmation.

"May I ask, Young Master Dai, is your name written with the Dai that has the dagger-axe component, the Mu with the three-dot water component, and the Bai meaning black and white?"

"Oh?"

Dai Mubai snapped his folding fan shut, a trace of amusement and realization rising in his eyes.

"It seems you know someone else named Dai Mubai, Miss Zhu? How curious. The only difference between our names is that character, Mu."

"Do take care to distinguish us in future, Miss Zhu. My Mu is the one meaning longing."

Zhu Zhuqing's gaze shifted slightly. She merely gave a quiet "Mm," privately committing that subtle difference to memory.

Afterward, they ate their meal quietly without another word. Once they finished, Dai Mubai looked at Zhu Zhuqing with an intent gaze.

"Miss Zhu, forgive the presumption, but might I see your Martial Soul?"

Zhu Zhuqing did not refuse. She nodded slightly, and with a thought, the phantom of a white tiger appeared behind her, its entire body gleaming white, its eyes half-closed and its bearing imposing.

Dai Mubai's smiling expression stiffened slightly. He studied the white tiger phantom ever more closely, the smile in his eyes gradually fading into surprise.

"...I never would have imagined."

He spoke softly, a note of deep feeling in his voice.

"According to our records, the Heavenly Radiance royal family has no collateral bloodline living outside the family. When we first met, although I sensed that our Martial Souls seemed to share an origin, I thought it was merely resonance between ordinary tiger-type Martial Souls."

"Only now have I finally confirmed it. Your White Tiger Martial Soul is actually the white tiger form our Heavenly Radiance Empire's founding ancestor possessed before evolving his Martial Soul into the Holy Light White Tiger!"

As the White Tiger Martial Soul's phantom dispersed and returned to her body, Dai Mubai's gaze shifted back to Zhu Zhuqing, his expression growing increasingly solemn.

"Our ancestor rose from humble beginnings, carving out territory with his White Tiger Martial Soul. Only after it evolved into the Holy Light White Tiger and his combat strength multiplied severalfold did he establish the foundation upon which our Heavenly Radiance Empire has stood for centuries."

"Every member of our Heavenly Radiance royal family knows this history by heart."

He paused, then changed tack with a soft sigh.

"But ultimately, those were merely accounts in ancient records."

"By my grandfather's generation, some had begun to harbor doubts, questioning whether our inherited Holy Light White Tiger Martial Soul had truly evolved from our ancestor's white tiger."

"And so a wish took root. If, one day, one of our descendants awakened a regressed, original white tiger, we could witness for ourselves whether that step our ancestor took was real."

"Unfortunately, for nearly a century, every member of the Heavenly Radiance royal family has awakened the Holy Light White Tiger. As time passed, that wish has now become an obsession."

At this point, Dai Mubai turned and looked at Zhu Zhuqing with burning intensity.

"Miss Zhu, although I do not know why you awakened the White Tiger Martial Soul our ancestor possessed, or why you have never cultivated despite reaching this age..."

"I am willing to give you the Sunlight Sacred Art, created by our ancestor and passed down through the Heavenly Radiance Empire to this day-a cultivation method that guides the power of holy light to fuse deeply with tiger-type Martial Souls, greatly enhancing offense, defense, and self-healing-along with the Soul Ring configuration our ancestor used. If this allows me to witness that miraculous scene once more, this gift will certainly have been worthwhile."

"I wonder, Miss Zhu, what do you think?"

Such a supreme opportunity, practically a gift, seemed within easy reach, but in truth, it was offered in pursuit of his obsession with verifying his ancestor's miracle.

So, after a little consideration, Zhu Zhuqing calmly nodded in acceptance.

"Thank you, Young Master Dai. Should that day come, I will not fail your trust."

Joy appeared on Dai Mubai's face at her words. He immediately summoned a personal guard and gave him a few quiet instructions.

Soon, in no more time than it took to drink a cup of tea.

The guard hurried back, carrying a dark gold wooden box with an ancient pattern in both hands, and respectfully presented it to Zhu Zhuqing.

"They delivered it so quickly. It seems Father is even more impatient than I am."

After that teasing remark, Dai Mubai looked out the window at the sky. Night had almost enveloped the entire city, and he took the opportunity to ask:

"Miss Zhu, do you have somewhere to stay?"

"If not, I'll have someone take you to a secluded courtyard in the eastern part of the city. It isn't far from here, and the surroundings are quiet and suitable for rest."

Without declining, Zhu Zhuqing followed an attendant to a small courtyard with gray walls and blue-gray roof tiles.

The courtyard was clean and elegant, with several clumps of slender bamboo standing beside the wall. Moonlight slanted down, like a layer of pale frost settling over the paving tiles.

"Miss, if you need anything, simply call for me."

The attendant bowed and withdrew, closing the courtyard gate behind him.

Standing in the courtyard, Zhu Zhuqing surveyed her surroundings and confirmed that no unusual presence lingered nearby.

Only then did she open the door and enter the room, taking the Sunlight Sacred Art out of the dark gold wooden box and placing it on her knees.

She took a deep breath and was just preparing to focus on reading when a light suddenly flashed before her eyes.

The familiar pale blue, transparent panel appeared before her without warning.

[Detected that the player is attempting to cultivate the "Sunlight Sacred Art." Enable idle mode?]

Zhu Zhuqing frowned slightly. After a moment's hesitation, she tapped "Yes."

The next instant, her vision abruptly darkened.

The sensations from all around her told her that she was lying on her back, wearing that helmet.

She was back.