The next day, dawn broke after a night of silence.
Shi Mo, Shi Mo, Yu Feng, Osler, and Ye Lingling returned to school on time as usual. After they entered Heaven Dou Royal Academy, everything continued as normal.
Meanwhile.
In an upper room of a high-end inn in Heaven Dou City, the head of the Shi Family, the head of the Nine Heart Begonia Ye Family, and the current heads of Yu Feng's and Osler's families gathered together.
The head of the Shi Family lifted his cup of tea and took a sip.
"Since we've gathered here because of our children, let's get straight to the point."
His gaze swept over the other three as he spoke gravely:
"The information my Shi Family uncovered is that Feng Xiaotian revealed his twin martial souls at Blazing Fire Academy a week ago. What about you?"
At this, the other three nodded, saying they had uncovered the same information.
Then the head of the Shi Family continued:
"Then Skywater and Blazing Fire left the city the next day, claiming they were going out for training. I'm sure everyone knows that was nothing but a smokescreen. Their true destination should have been that place of opportunity."
The Nine Heart Begonia patriarch beside him added:
"According to what I've learned, he returned brimming with vigor. There can be no mistake. That opportunity must be real!"
But just then, the Ghost Leopard patriarch frowned slightly and voiced his greatest concern.
"But they haven't left Heaven Dou City since that day. Does that mean the opportunity there... is already gone?"
At these words, the room fell deathly silent.
Only after a moment did the patriarch of the Yunling Clan, Yu Feng's father, who had remained silent all this time, finally speak:
"Gentlemen, have you decided whether to go?"
All three turned their eyes toward him.
The Ghost Leopard patriarch leaned forward slightly and asked in return, "Then, Head of the Yunling Clan, have you made your own decision?"
The head of the Yunling Clan nodded. "Of course."
"My Yunling Clan has always been held down by the Speed Clan under the Clear Sky Sect. An opportunity like this is rare. We absolutely cannot miss it."
His words rang out with weight, thoroughly awakening everyone present.
Every family had its shackles, and every clan had its shortcomings.
If they missed this chance, they might never have another day to turn their fortunes around!
The other three patriarchs exchanged glances. All hesitation faded from their eyes as they made up their minds.
"Since the Yunling Clan has decided to go, my Shi Family will go too!"
"My Nine Heart Begonia Family will follow!"
"The Ghost Leopard Family will head to Soto with you!"
The four clans reached a consensus in an instant.
But to avoid attracting the attention of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family and the major sects, they immediately settled on a plan.
All the core members making the journey would disguise themselves, slip out of the city, and then regroup before setting off together.
And so, the sizeable party traveled in fits and starts, finally reaching their destination at dusk.
But standing outside the shop, none of them could have connected it at first sight with a heaven-defying opportunity capable of changing a Soul Master's fate.
With unease, anticipation, and a sliver of hope, the four patriarchs held their breath and were just about to approach the shop.
Yet the instant before they stepped forward, everyone abruptly stopped, instinctively freezing in place.
Through the spotless transparent glass door, the scene inside the shop came clearly into view.
At the center of the shop stood a slender young woman. It was Zhu Zhuqing.
She gently raised her delicate hand. As soul power flowed, the space before her trembled slightly.
A mysterious doorway covered in strange runes and shimmering all over appeared.
"A door-type martial soul? I've never seen or heard of such a martial soul."
"How extraordinary. The aura of its spatial attribute is actually so strong. I'd like to see how this young lady uses that martial soul in battle."
The head of the Shi Family murmured to himself, full of astonishment and doubt.
The other three patriarchs remained silent. No one answered. Everyone's gaze fixed on the glowing doorway, and even their breathing unconsciously grew quieter.
The next second.
Just as they had imagined, a foot stepped out of the glowing doorway.
Then a golden dragon-headed staff, covered all over in dragon-scale patterns, emerged. With the next step, its wielder passed through the doorway.
"Dragon Duke... It's actually him."
A flicker passed through the eyes of the Nine Heart Begonia Family's head, and the same was true of the other three.
As his words fell, a second and third figure stepped out in succession.
They were Snake Granny Chao Tianxiang and the couple's granddaughter, Meng Yiran.
Almost everyone on the continent knew the fame of the Peerless Dragon Snake. Their joint Dragon-Snake Combined Strike in particular rivaled the power of an ordinary Titled Douluo, placing them firmly among the strongest of the top Soul Douluos.
But that alone was not enough to scare them off.
At this moment, the four clans were still fully confident and determined to claim the prize.
But just when they thought that was all.
Two more figures slowly stepped out.
The man in front wore a blue-green robe, his face aloof and cold. It was Poison Douluo Dugu Bo.
Beside him, Dugu Yan followed obediently.
The instant they recognized the pair, all the composure and confidence on the faces of the four clans vanished!
A Titled Douluo!
A genuine top-tier powerhouse had come here in person!
The four patriarchs' hearts tightened. They quickly exchanged glances, their thoughts quietly shifting.
Perhaps they should try speaking with this Poison Douluo. Sharing the opportunity might not be out of the question.
Yet the light within the doorway did not subside at all. People continued to emerge.
The gifted young talents of Skywater Academy, Blazing Fire Academy, Godwind Academy, and Thunder Academy, along with the four academies' four deans, filed through the doorway one after another.
Each young person radiated vigor and looked refreshed, clearly already very familiar with this place.
The head of the Yunling Clan's Adam's apple bobbed, his voice dry and bitter:
"So that's how it is... No wonder they never went out again after returning to Heaven Dou City."
The hearts of everyone from the four clans sank deeper and deeper, their expressions growing increasingly grave.
But the shocks were far from over.
First came a lively, adorable young girl, followed by the gentle, refined Ning Fengzhi, Sword Douluo, and Bone Douluo.
At that moment, the four patriarchs were utterly speechless.
But they still clung to a sliver of hope: surely no more powerhouses would emerge from that doorway!
However.
Qian Daoliu's arrival at the very end was like the final straw that broke the camel's back, plunging them into utter despair.
At first, they had been unafraid of the Dragon Snake pair and certain of success.
Then they had grown wary of Dugu Bo, planning to settle for second best and seek half the opportunity.
Then the four great academies and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had entered the game.
And now, at this moment, Qian Daoliu had appeared.
Every shred of hope, every calculation, every expectation in their hearts was crushed to dust.
With a Limit Douluo presiding here, this heaven-defying opportunity was all but destined to be completely monopolized by the continent's highest powers.
They had arrived too late. Never mind claiming a share of the spoils-they no longer even had the standing to approach and test the waters.
In this struggle for opportunity, the four clans... had no hope left at all...
The four patriarchs exchanged bitter smiles and let out heavy sighs one after another. Their hearts turned icy as they silently turned around, preparing to lead their clansmen away in dejection.
But just as they lifted their feet to leave, the light and shadows within the shop receded.
Zhu Zhuqing gently raised her hand and withdrew her spatial door martial soul. With light steps, she walked straight to the shop entrance and called:
"Wait."
The four stopped at her voice and looked back in surprise.
Her calm gaze swept over the disguised strangers as she spoke softly:
"Please stay, everyone. Are you customers who saw the contents of the flyer and came specifically to try things out?"
The head of the Nine Heart Begonia Family paused slightly. Recalling the scattered reports his clan's scouts had sent back, he remembered that they had indeed mentioned flyers.
He shook his head with a bitter smile and answered honestly:
"We do know about the flyers, but we've never seen exactly what was written on them."
"With things here as they are now, I'm afraid we've long since lost our chance..."
His tone was filled with desolation.
The other three patriarchs also looked dispirited, having completely abandoned hope.
Yet Zhu Zhuqing smiled faintly. "That's all right."
"Since you're customers here to try out the shop, come inside with me."
The four looked at one another, their exchanged glances full of surprise and doubt. In the end, the head of the Yunling Clan took the first step, and the other three followed closely, leading the rest of their families after them.
They entered the shop.
The four were tense, not daring to show the slightest discourtesy. Apart from the younger generation, they greeted everyone in the shop with a nod.
Finally, they stopped in front of the counter.
Standing beside the counter, Zhu Zhuqing looked at the four men, whose expressions still held some restraint, and spoke gently:
"You seem unfamiliar with our shop, so let me give you a brief introduction."
With that, she raised her hand, directing their attention toward the neatly arranged Game Pods to one side.
"These devices are our shop's Game Pods. Simply lie down inside, and you can choose your second martial soul and experience another world."
"Of course, if you don't want to continue experiencing the other world, you can simply exit."
After explaining, she turned sideways and looked at the shimmering Prize Machine nearby.
"This is the Prize Machine. One draw costs a hundred Gold Soul Coins, while ten draws cost only nine hundred Gold Soul Coins. As for what you can get, that depends entirely on your luck."
Pausing, Zhu Zhuqing watched them study the devices in the shop and the other people.
She gave a small smile and said in closing:
"Then, enjoy yourselves. If you need anything, you can call me anytime."
With that, Zhu Zhuqing turned and walked to a corner of the shop, where she sat cross-legged.
Only then did the four patriarchs let out long breaths. Their taut shoulders slowly relaxed, and they exchanged relieved smiles.
"So it seems all our earlier worries were nothing but us overthinking things. Hahaha."
The head of the Yunling Clan chuckled. The head of the Shi Family stroked his beard and asked:
"Gentlemen, have you decided? Are you planning to try the Game Pods first, or give the Prize Machine a go?"
Each of the four had his own plans and thoughts.
After a brief discussion, they split up.
The head of the Shi Family, the head of the Yunling Clan, and their companions headed toward the Game Pods, while the head of the Ghost Leopard Family, the head of the Nine Heart Begonia Family, and their companions went toward the Prize Machine.
For a time, the atmosphere in the shop grew even livelier.
Just then, the door at the end of the kitchen corridor was gently pushed open.
Rubbing his sleepy eyes, Lin Yue walked behind the counter and sat down. His gaze casually swept over the many unfamiliar faces that had appeared in the shop, and he understood.
It was these people's arrival just now that had triggered the system's new content notification, waking him from his sleep.
He yawned, put away his lazy, languid expression, and raised his hand to open the system panel before him.
Two brand-new system tasks appeared clearly before his eyes.
Task one: Come up with a more efficient customer acquisition plan than handing out flyers. Task two: Snack and beverage sales are now available.
Looking at the two new tasks, Lin Yue fell into thought.
Attracting customers with flyers was ultimately a low-end method, and its efficiency was indeed limited. Although the story of Douluo Continent I had never mentioned the existence of another continent.
In the system's plans, however, the people there were customers too.
After thinking for a moment, he turned toward the kitchen area and called out.
Yue Guan and Gui Mei, who were honing their cooking skills and familiarizing themselves with ingredients in the kitchen, immediately stopped what they were doing at his voice and came over.
"Boss Lin, what are your instructions?"
Lin Yue wasted no words. With a thought.
An enormous variety of snacks instantly poured out of the system space, piling up on the counter.
Golden, crispy potato chips, glossy, flavorful spicy strips, smooth, rich chocolate-there was every kind of novel food that had never appeared on Douluo Continent.
"Arrange all these snacks neatly on the empty shelves beside us."
Lin Yue instructed casually:
"There are electronic displays below the shelves. The product prices will be generated and displayed automatically. If you get a craving, just help yourselves."
"Yes, Boss Lin!"
Yue Guan and Gui Mei answered, then used their soul power to lift the snacks into the air and carry them over to the shelves, where they began arranging them.
As they carefully stocked these strange foods they had never seen before, neither could resist opening a bag of spicy strips and a bag of potato chips to try.
The instant the snacks entered their mouths, savory fragrance and numbing heat, along with the unique crispness and sweet aftertaste that came with chewing, swept across their taste buds. Their eyes instantly filled with amazement, and they could not help marveling inwardly that such delicious food existed in the world.
While the pair were immersed in the delicious novelty of the snacks, Dugu Yan and Meng Yiran, who had been exchanging their experiences in the Arena, noticed what was happening.
Seeing the pair acting strangely, as though enjoying food all by themselves, they came over curiously.
"Senior Yue Guan, Senior Gui Mei, what are you doing?"
Two clear, lively girlish voices suddenly rang out beside them, startling Yue Guan and Gui Mei so badly that the snacks in their hands nearly fell to the floor.
With a light cough, they turned and saw who had come. Yue Guan put on a stern expression and said:
"You two little girls walk so quietly, you nearly scared us into dropping everything in our hands. Don't do that again."
Faced with the two elders' admonishments, Dugu Yan and Meng Yiran stuck out their tongues, not the least bit reserved. Their eyes stayed fixed on what the two men held, their noses sniffing constantly.
Wisps of a savory aroma they had never smelled before drifted into their nostrils, utterly tempting and stirring intense curiosity in both of them.
"Senior Yue Guan, Senior Gui Mei, what are you holding? It smells so good!"
Meng Yiran blinked her big eyes and swallowed the saliva gathering in her mouth.
Seeing this, Yue Guan smiled helplessly. Without keeping the treats to himself, he simply handed over the spicy strips and potato chips.
"These are new snacks from this shop. Just try them."
Both girls' eyes lit up at his words, and they hurriedly reached out to take them.
They carefully tore off a little of the spicy strips and put it into their mouths. In an instant, a rich, fragrant spiciness burst across their tongues, mellow rather than harsh, growing more fragrant with every chew.
"So tasty!"
"This is far too delicious! It's a hundred times better than any candied fruit or pastry!"
[Thanks to reader Tako for the nine recommendation votes, and to 202103017401363026 for one recommendation vote. Thank you for your support.]
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