In the Chat Group, apart from the sisters Zhu Zhuqing and Zhu Zhuyun, who temporarily could not leave the Star Luo Empire, and Liu Erlong, who did not dare go to Spirit City for certain reasons.
All the other members who were not in Spirit City set out with their elders early the following morning.
The Heaven Dou Empire was extremely far from Spirit City. At the speed of the most ordinary Titled Douluo (Dugu Bo), abbreviated as "one Bo of speed," it would take about a day to arrive even without stopping to rest.
And the group members had rather special identities. They were either these Titled Douluo's close blood relatives or noble members of the imperial family, so they also needed to eat and even sleep and rest.
This doubled the length of the journey.
At first, watching mountains, rivers, plains, and the earth race past beneath their feet felt quite interesting, but after watching for a long time, they realized that was all there was to it~
So, feeling bored, the group members simply relaxed their bodies and minds one by one, devoting almost all their attention to some high-intensity group-chat spamming.
[Ning Rongrong: Sisters, we're off!]
[Qian Renxue: Flying on a sword.jpg. I never imagined there was a way to travel like this. The Seven Kill Sword really deserves its place among the Douluo Continent's strongest tool Martial Souls!]
[Dugu Yan: So cool! Grandpa flying me along.jpg]
Because the group members had offered plenty of valuable suggestions earlier when she was explaining the source of the poison core method, Dugu Yan's trust in everyone had soared, and she had taken the opportunity to register under her real name.
Her cover would be blown once she reached Spirit City anyway, so she might as well do it sooner~
After casually snapping a picture of her grandfather flying with her in his arms, Dugu Yan did not forget to tag Xiao Wu.
[Dugu Yan: @Xiao Wu, what about you? Isn't Ghost Douluo known as the owner of the Douluo Continent's strangest Martial Soul? His way of traveling must be really special, right?]
[Xiao Wu: ...]
In response to Dugu Yan's curiosity, Xiao Wu uploaded a picture to the group chat a moment later.
[Xiao Wu: Lu Chen being flown along.jpg]
At the sight of Xiao Wu's picture, the group first fell into an odd silence for a moment, then abruptly erupted into a flood of messages.
[Ning Rongrong: Hahaha!]
[Qian Renxue: Hahaha!]
[Netherworld: o(^▽^)o]
[Spirit Cat: o(^▽^)o]
[Little Fox: Lu Chen is so cute (｡･ω･｡)~]
[...]
They could hardly be blamed for being so amused. Lu Chen simply looked far too comical right now.
In the picture, Ghost Douluo, black mist drifting all around him, held Lu Chen in one hand. Lu Chen's arms and legs dangled freely, his face a portrait of having nothing left to live for.
People did not share the same joys and sorrows, and even ways of traveling had their own pecking order.
Dugu Yan, who had been so envious of Ning Rongrong and the others getting to fly on a sword, finally found some consolation in Lu Chen.
[Dugu Yan: Sisters, I know it's hard not to laugh, but we have to hold it in!]
[Dugu Yan: Hahahahaha... who could possibly hold it in? He looks like a little chick being carried by the scruff of its neck by a farmer ̋(๑˃́ꇴ˂̀๑)~]
Lu Chen: ...
Guys, does anyone understand? I took a moment to check the Chat Group, only to find a whole bunch of people laughing at me.
Dugu Yan!
You're the one laughing the damn hardest!
Qian Renxue's failed palace coup can wait. You're going first in the spoiler segment at the investiture ceremony!
Because Lu Yun had reached an agreement with Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo, Lu Chen needed to make a quiet trip to Spirit Hall before everyone met Pope Bibi Dong.
In short, the whole thing had a very furtive feel to it, and they needed to proceed carefully.
Bibi Dong's response was a scoff. When the time comes, I'll just watch you all put on your little performance~
As a result, what had originally been a fairly generous amount of time now seemed somewhat insufficient. Thus, Lu Chen's party had practically no proper time to eat or rest on the journey.
And since he could do nothing while being carried by Ghost Douluo, Lu Chen simply began studying the items he had bought from the System Shop not long ago.
The Mental Trainer could draw the soul inside for training. Not only was it absolutely safe, but it could also provide quite a substantial improvement until mental power reached 500 points-the peak of the Spirit Connection Realm. It was something Lu Chen very much needed at this stage.
Unfortunately, this clearly was not the right occasion to use the Mental Trainer. Otherwise, he really would have liked to try it.
Ghost Douluo: Performing an out-of-body experience right in front of me? Interesting!
Left with no other choice, Lu Chen could only turn his attention to another item that could likewise improve his strength: the Simulation Battle Device.
Unlike using the Mental Trainer, which involved even losing one's soul, the Simulation Battle Device allowed its user to freely split off part of their consciousness to construct a consciousness space, where they could project or even outright invent opponents below the Soul Elder realm.
And because these were merely projections fabricated within a consciousness space, neither injury nor death there would cause Lu Chen any actual harm. Apart from pain being fully simulated, at most he would feel a little mentally fatigued.
Virtual diving?
I'm familiar with this!
"System Sis, use the Simulation Battle Device!"
[Understood. Simulation Battle Device successfully activated (`･ω･´)ゞ!] [Link Start]
Ding~
Countless brightly colored rays appeared in his vision. Lu Chen felt as though his entire body were hurtling forward in a state of weightlessness. Finally, after a soft chime, he stood with his feet firmly on the ground in an empty, peculiar space.
Beneath his feet was a broad plaza made of white stone bricks. Looking up, he saw a high, distant sky with thin, gray mist drifting through it.
As Lu Chen observed his surroundings, an ethereal voice rang out throughout the space-
[Welcome to the Simulation Battle Space] [You may choose: split-screen mode-allocates 50% of your consciousness to stabilizing the Simulation Battle Space, with 50% remaining in reality. The pro's choice. Immersive mode-allocates 100% of your consciousness to stabilizing the Simulation Battle Space for a full dive. After selecting this mode, your ability to respond to external stimuli will be 0. Viewing mode-allocates 25% of your consciousness to stabilizing the Simulation Battle Space, with 75% remaining in reality. Primarily used to watch recordings of past battles for review. Custom mode-you may freely allocate the proportions of your consciousness. What suits you is best.]
He first tried "pro mode." Having two images appear before his eyes at once felt awkward no matter how he looked at it.
Immersive mode and viewing mode were ruled out immediately.
In the end, Lu Chen chose custom mode. After experimenting with System Sis's help, he allocated roughly seventy percent of his consciousness to the battle space.
In this state, he could respond to simple external stimuli and appeared perfectly normal, but he could not think through more complicated questions.
That was enough.
[Please select your opponent: projection/fabrication] [You have selected projection. Target locked. Opponent information follows.] [Name: Tang San Level: level 39 (Control/Power Attack System) Battle Soul Elder Martial Souls: Blue Silver Grass (yellow, yellow, purple), Clear Sky Hammer (no Soul Rings) Techniques: Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record-Mysterious Heaven Skill, Purple Demon Eye, Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon, Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, Mysterious Jade Hand, Hundred Solutions to Hidden Weapons; Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer Soul Bones: External Soul Bone, Eight Spider Lances Special attributes: poison, fire immunity, ice immunity Items: numerous hidden weapons, such as Bone-Piercing Needles, Dragon Whisker Needles, Mother-Child Soul-Chasing Life-Taking Orbs, Godly Zhuge Crossbows...] [Beginning projection]
A wisp split off from the hazy mist drifting through the sky and descended to the ground.
As the mist churned, a human figure rapidly took shape within it.
[Projection successful]
With a flash of dark green light, the figure finally solidified completely. A youth with a tall, straight bearing swept the mist aside and appeared before Lu Chen.
The youth had fair skin and a composed, reserved expression. His medium-length blue-black hair hung loose, barely reaching his shoulders, and his deep black eyes looked calm but were actually filled with a faint, cold gleam.
However much he disliked the other party, Lu Chen had to admit that the young Tang God King truly did have the air of a powerhouse.
Provided, of course, that one ignored his shit-green school uniform, so distinctly characteristic of postmodern abstract art...
Simulation Battle Device, you sure know how to pick a skin!
Before you continue