Team member Xiao Wu, were you thinking straight?
In the group, Dugu Yan and the others, who were still trying to comfort Ah Yin, were stunned.
Xiao Wu, did you want to take a look at what you were saying?
What did she mean, she and Lu Chen were going to save her? Did they know where Ah Yin was... wait, Lu Chen really did seem to know!
Wasn't the very reason Lu Chen had initially written those events from the original worldline in the Notebook that reincarnation had consumed too much of his power, leaving his memories of the scenes he had seen in the river of time fragmented?
So it seemed perfectly normal for him to know Ah Yin's current location, but wasn't this timing a little too coincidental?
[Angel: Ah Yin just tried to kill herself, and now Lu Chen is going to look for her?]
"Xue Beng, kneel properly!"
The furious shout came from Qian Renxue's mouth as she posed as Xue Qinghe. Seeing the crown prince, who normally treated everyone gently, in such a rage, both the senior Heaven Dou imperial clansmen responsible for maintaining the imperial ancestral hall and the trusted courtiers accompanying him kept their heads lowered, not uttering a word.
Reprimanded by Xue Qinghe, Xue Beng, who had still been somewhat flippant, immediately straightened his kneeling posture. Damn it, he really seemed different this time. What was wrong with those eunuchs sent to deliver the message? Why hadn't Uncle Xue Ye come yet?!
Seeing Xue Beng kneel properly, Qian Renxue cast him a sidelong glance and said nothing more. Xue Beng was waiting for reinforcements, but wasn't he also waiting for Emperor Xue Ye's decree? Severely punishing Xue Beng was impossible without Emperor Xue Ye's orders.
As she turned her attention back to the Chat Group, Qian Renxue's question prompted the other members to offer their own opinions.
[Yanzi: Yeah, I think it's a little too coincidental too. Do you think there's a possibility...]
[Little Princess: You mean he actually knows everything and is just deliberately playing us?]
[Yanzi: Oh, I'm only saying it's possible~]
[Netherworld: I don't think so. If he really knew everything, there'd be no need to deliberately hide it from us. Wouldn't simply coming clean save him more trouble?]
[Spirit Cat: Although we haven't revealed our identities yet, everyone here probably has considerable status and influence, right? Wouldn't Lu Chen easily gain our trust by telling each of us one or two things that have already happened or will happen?]
[Little Fox: That makes sense!]
[Xiao Wu: You really are overthinking things this time. Lu Chen is especially sensitive to powerful Soul Beasts because his bloodline power is special. That's how he discovered my companion last night.]
[Angel: So that's how it is. Sorry, I misjudged things.]
Seeing a potential identity-reveal crisis in the Chat Group dissolve through the girls' own "overinterpretation," Lu Chen couldn't help feeling amused as he traveled with Xiao Wu to meet Da Ming.
You think I don't want to come clean and live off you? Who wouldn't want to play a winning game?
It's you incredible specimens who forced me into this!
Bibi Dong and Liu Erlong were super-high-school-level Love-Struck Fools and diehard Gangzi fans, the kind who would go berserk and fight to the death over a single bad word about him.
Qian Renxue was currently as incompatible with Bibi Dong as fire and water.
Hu Liena was completely kept down by Bibi Dong and Qian Renxue.
The Zhu Family sisters could barely protect themselves; otherwise, that "epic" farce of a pursuit in the Star Dou Great Forest would never have happened later.
Dugu Yan, Xiao Wu, and the Little Princess were somewhat easier to handle, but one had insufficient backing-Dugu Bo was the weakest Titled Douluo.
One was a transformed Soul Beast-if he revealed his identity, who knew who might end up being attacked by everyone?
And the last was utterly unreliable-Ning Fengzhi was indecisive, Sword Douluo was rigid, and Bone Douluo was brainless, constantly thinking, "This boy must not be allowed to live." Although Ning Rongrong was the apple of their eye, she actually had very little say.
Under these circumstances, would Lu Chen dare recklessly reveal his identity?
Unless their affection for him and his own strength reached a certain level, he really wouldn't dare pull such an outrageously reckless stunt.
Lu Chen and Xiao Wu both possessed Soul Power now, and their traveling speed far exceeded that of ordinary people. After ten-odd minutes on the move, they reached the hill where Er Ming was.
Xiao Wu motioned for Lu Chen to stop. Her lips slightly parted as she panted in small breaths. "Let's stop here. Er Ming is nearby. He'll find us very soon."
Lu Chen nodded and asked at the appropriate moment, "Do you have some special means of contacting each other?"
"Hehe, not really." Xiao Wu shook her head, her scorpion braid swaying behind her. Combined with her recent strenuous exercise, it gave her an indescribably lively charm. "Er Ming just has a good nose. He can smell the scent of the Star Dou Great Forest on me and use it to find us."
"Sister Xiao Wu, you shouldn't tell a human these things."
As Xiao Wu finished speaking, a thunderous voice thick with wariness suddenly sounded overhead. Immediately afterward, the trees in the forest parted to either side, and a moving black "hill" appeared before them.
What a huge chimpanzee!
Lu Chen had been watching the Live Point Map the entire time, so naturally, he knew Er Ming was approaching. He played along by showing a little surprise, but seeing his expression change seemed to flip some switch in Xiao Wu.
"Er Ming, you big oaf, don't scare Lu Chen!"
"Uh... Sister Xiao Wu, you..."
With that one remark and glare from Xiao Wu, more than half the imposing presence Er Ming had built up collapsed, making him look even more thickheaded to Lu Chen.
"Although I appreciate you helping me out, Xiao Wu, now you've left my emotions hanging halfway too." Lu Chen smiled and shook his head, looking somewhat helpless.
He had only hoped to get Er Ming to appear through Xiao Wu. As for persuading Er Ming to help, of course he would do that himself!
Azure Dragon Possession!
Innate Domain-Dragon Soul, activate!
Bypassing Xiao Wu, all his abilities enveloped Er Ming alone. However, Lu Chen did not activate the Dragon Soul domain's most direct buffing and debuffing effects, merely revealing its presence. He wasn't planning to fight the king of the Star Dou Great Forest's gatekeepers here.
"What Martial Soul is that?!"
Although he suffered no debuffs, Er Ming could distinctly feel a powerful pressure from the tiny figure below, making even his enormous body involuntarily bow slightly, as though merely looking directly at the other party were an unforgivable sacrilege.
"Haha, big guy, your name is Er Ming, right?"
Smiling, Lu Chen patted Er Ming's forepaw where it rested on the ground. This somewhat intimate physical contact made Xiao Wu break into a cold sweat for him, afraid Er Ming might suddenly go berserk and slap him.
Surprisingly, however, Er Ming displayed none of the forest king's ferocity or majesty. Instead, he regarded Lu Chen with an inquisitive, intelligent gaze and nodded.
Confirmed. Xiao Wu really is the dumbest of the Three Fools of Star Dou. Well, that makes sense. The Sky Azure Bull Python barely counts as a dragon species, and the Titan Giant Ape is a monkey, after all. Wouldn't Xiao Wu, whose true form is a Soft Bone Rabbit, be the dumbest?
"As you can see, this is my Martial Soul, Azure Dragon. As for its rank... it's probably nobler than any dragon-type Soul Beast you know." As he spoke, Lu Chen waved a hand. "I'm not being arrogant. You should be able to feel it, shouldn't you?"
The Titan Giant Ape spoke in agreement. "Indeed. From your Martial Soul, I sense a power that makes even me feel ashamed of my own inferiority. Then, what do you need me to do, and what can you offer?"
Promote you and the Sky Azure Bull Python from gatekeepers of the Star Dou Great Forest to gatekeepers of the Divine Realm...
Lu Chen thought with mischievous humor, but what he actually offered was a more serious promise. "A Blue Silver Emperor who underwent a 100,000-Year Transformation is on the verge of death. We're planning to rescue her from danger."
"We may encounter an extremely powerful Titled Douluo along the way. Of course, we might not."
"I need you to hold him off if he really appears and ensure Xiao Wu and I can retreat safely."
"As payment, I can help your elder brother improve his bloodline quality once."
Hearing this, Er Ming looked at Xiao Wu, who nodded her little head vigorously, signaling him to agree quickly. Lu Chen had long known of Da Ming and Er Ming's existence, something Xiao Wu had already learned through the Notebook. Er Ming, however, assumed Xiao Wu had told him, and his trust in Lu Chen rose a little further:
"Agreed. Willing to lend a hand to a dying Soul Beast-you have a noble character."
"If that person really appears, to prevent your identities from being exposed and bringing trouble, I'll do my best to kill him on the spot."
Lu Chen was rather indifferent to Er Ming's final remark. Kill Tang Hao? Was this a try-not-to-laugh challenge?
You win.
In the early stages of the plot, Tang Hao really was an almost invincible existence.
With just the Titan Giant Ape? If he pushed Tang Hao too far, successfully escaping the Great Sumeru Hammer with Ring Detonation would count as a victory.
Thus, Lu Chen wasn't worried about Er Ming actually doing anything to Tang Hao and causing a worldline node to get stuck.
As for concealing his identity, Lu Chen had already made his own preparations.
"System Shop, activate!"
[The Shop Panel has been opened for you (｡･ω･｡)ﾉ♡]
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