The strength he could unleash certainly wouldn't be weak. If this system was going to give him rewards, surely Earth-grade Cultivation Techniques and Earth-grade Treasure Swords would be reasonable?
Yet it had only given him something of upper-grade profound rank? Did the system think his current self wasn't worthy?
Feeling aggrieved, Zhao Ling curled his lip and kept grumbling about how stingy the system was.
The moment the diary was uploaded, all three women saw Zhao Ling's Diary Copy appear before them, along with a golden exclamation mark announcing an update.
Neither Ah Yin nor Bibi Dong immediately opened Zhao Ling's Diary Copy with a thought. Instead, they watched the woman at the small square table opposite them out of the corners of their eyes.
They saw the woman's gaze grow focused and her expression turn somewhat serious. Clearly, she was reading something.
That raised the likelihood that she was the third lucky person able to see Zhao Ling's Diary Copy from eighty percent to ninety-nine percent.
A trace of apprehension rose in both women's hearts. They couldn't afford to underestimate this woman. If she stole their home base one day, things would get awkward.
Meanwhile, as Liu Erlong read the latest diary entry, her somewhat serious expression broke into a burst of laughter.
So this fellow, who called himself a Titled Douluo and wanted to give every beauty on the Douluo Continent a warm, shared family, was actually still a virgin.
He was already thirty-one, yet he hadn't even held a woman's hand. Having his arm linked and his cheek kissed had gotten him that excited.
H-how was this some mighty Titled Douluo? He was clearly a pure-hearted old X man. He probably had even less romantic experience than she did.
Huh... wait... thirty-one? A Titled Douluo? Liu Erlong, who had just burst out laughing, sucked in a breath. A thirty-one-year-old Titled Douluo? Was he sure he wasn't joking?
And the diary said he had originally lived in another world for sixteen years. Only after transmigrating bodily into the Douluo World had he officially begun cultivating.
In other words, in fifteen years, this fellow had cultivated from nothing all the way to Titled Douluo! W-what breed of freak was he?
She immediately raised her head and fixed a burning gaze on Zhao Ling, looking as though she wanted to see right through him. That aggressive gaze made Bibi Dong and Ah Yin quite unhappy.
What exactly was going on? What had Zhao Ling complained about in his diary to make that woman called Liu Erlong look at him with such burning aggression?
The two women promptly opened Zhao Ling's Diary Copy with their thoughts. At first, its contents nearly made them burst out laughing too.
But what came afterward made both women suck in a cold breath. They exchanged a look and saw undisguised shock in each other's eyes.
A freak. This fellow was definitely a freak. If Zhao Ling hadn't been born in his original world but on the Douluo Continent, awakening his Martial Soul at six like most children here...
Then he would probably have become a Titled Douluo at twenty-one! A twenty-one-year-old Titled Douluo! That was absolutely unheard of!
Chapter 60: Wasn't This Breaking the Rules?
Zhao Ling looked puzzled at the two women, who seemed shocked enough to last an entire year, and found it rather funny. What was wrong with these two girls?
Their eyes were as round as brass bells, and their mouths hung wide enough to fit a goose egg. Had these two girls been possessed?
"Hey, Dong'er, Ah Yin, are you two all right?" Seeing that neither woman had come back to her senses, Zhao Ling wickedly began taking liberties with his wandering hands.
These two girls had made the first move, after all. Not only had they linked arms with him, but Ah Yin had even kissed him. Surely it was reasonable for him to take a few liberties now?
Zhao Ling's frenzied groping finally forced both women back to their senses. They rolled their eyes at him in annoyance, though neither showed much resistance.
After a moment's contemplation, Bibi Dong raised her head and planted a loud, firm kiss on Zhao Ling's right cheek.
She felt that a man like Zhao Ling was not only quite handsome and monstrously talented, but also worked so hard.
If she didn't keep a firm grip on him, there might no longer be a place for her at his side in the future.
Admittedly, she was beautiful, and her talent was quite good. Even if she wasn't as monstrous as Zhao Ling, she should still count as a phoenix feather or qilin horn on the Douluo Continent-a rare existence.
But she lacked initiative. Ah Yin was far more proactive than she was, kissing and hugging Zhao Ling just now. This wouldn't do.
Whatever Ah Yin did, she had to do too. In fact, she had to be even more proactive. She wanted to become Zhao Ling's first woman.
So after planting that loud kiss on Zhao Ling's right cheek, Bibi Dong pressed her lips together, still feeling that it wasn't secure enough.
She stood, sat sideways on Zhao Ling's lap, and looked down at him before cupping his head in both hands and lowering her head to kiss him.
Zhao Ling's mind instantly went blank again, and his right arm instinctively pulled her a little tighter into his embrace.
He had never expected Bibi Dong to be so aggressive. Copying Ah Yin and kissing his cheek was one thing, but she was actually kissing his lips. Was being this aggressive really all right?
Ah Yin's eyes instantly widened too, and she reached out to pull Bibi Dong out of Zhao Ling's arms.
Was she kidding? She had only kissed Zhao Ling's cheek, yet this sneaky woman had gone straight for Brother Ling's lips.
Wasn't this breaking the rules? How could she be so shameless? She hadn't even tasted those lips herself! Did this woman understand the meaning of first come, first served? Damn it.
But Ah Yin was already weaker than Bibi Dong in her human form, and Zhao Ling had thoroughly sealed all her Soul Power and presence with the Soul-Sealing Seal. She couldn't budge her at all.
Even after struggling for half a minute, Ah Yin failed to pull Bibi Dong out of Zhao Ling's arms. All she could do was puff out her cheeks angrily.
The Spirit Hall personnel at their table erupted into an uproar too. What had possessed the young lady? She had actually taken the initiative to kiss Demon-Suppressing Douluo and looked intent on staying in his arms. This was absurd beyond all bounds...
Countless alpacas stampeded through Chrysanthemum Douluo's mind. His head felt as big as a bushel.
This was bad. Why did the young lady have so little self-respect? Taking the initiative to kiss a Titled Douluo was one thing, but she was even staying in his arms and refusing to leave.
If His Holiness the Pope learned of this, they would probably be stirring up a hornet's nest. He wondered whether His Holiness had read the message sent back by messenger pigeon yet.
They kissed for over a full minute before Bibi Dong reluctantly left Zhao Ling's embrace and returned to her seat.
But the moment she sat down, she noticed the strange looks Chrysanthemum Douluo and her other companions were giving her. Their stares felt like thorns in her back.
She instantly realized that she seemed to have caused trouble. She had actually kissed Zhao Ling for so long in public, and Elder Ju had witnessed it himself.
It was over. Completely over. As her beast of a teacher's most loyal lackey, Elder Ju was probably already planning to report this to him.
Would her beast of a teacher fly into a rage, trick her into returning to Spirit Hall, and imprison her in a secret chamber, just as the diary said...?
At that thought, Bibi Dong shuddered and instinctively pressed closer into Zhao Ling's arms.
Zhao Ling also noticed Yue Guan's shocked gaze nearby and realized what might happen in the future. He gently stroked Bibi Dong's head with his right hand and smiled at Yue Guan.
"Elder Ju, I'm terribly sorry. I accidentally managed to win over your Pope's prized disciple. But it's all right. When you return to Spirit Hall, I'll come along and meet your Pope.
"If possible, I'd be willing to form an alliance with Spirit Hall. What do you think, Chrysanthemum Douluo?"
Yue Guan pondered for a while, then could only nod.
He knew very well that His Holiness had trained his sole disciple with the aim of producing a deity who would lead Spirit Hall in establishing the Spirit Hall Empire and ultimately unify the entire Douluo Continent.
If Miss Dong'er had no one she liked and could wholeheartedly fulfill the dream of Spirit Hall's successive Popes, that would naturally be best. But if she did have someone she liked, it would depend on whether that person was worthy of her.
As things stood, Zhao Ling's status as a Titled Douluo probably wouldn't carry enough weight in His Holiness's eyes, even if he was stronger than His Holiness.
But if Zhao Ling had a more powerful force behind him that could help Miss Dong'er lead Spirit Hall to unify the entire Douluo Continent, that would be different.
Alternatively, if Zhao Ling possessed extraordinary talent comparable to Miss Dong'er's and was willing to join Spirit Hall, it could allow Spirit Hall to produce multiple deities in the future.
If that were truly the case, His Holiness presumably wouldn't stop the two from being together. But how the talks would actually turn out would depend on Zhao Ling's own negotiating skills.
Seeing that Zhao Ling had finished speaking with Chrysanthemum Douluo, the disgruntled Ah Yin also tried to stand and sit on Zhao Ling's lap, intending to copy Bibi Dong and kiss his lips.
Zhao Ling hurriedly tightened his arm around her slender waist and lowered his head to whisper in her ear. "Be good. No more kissing. Even if you want to kiss me, let's not get all lovey-dovey in front of so many people. Wait until tonight. Come to my room..."
Ah Yin had been somewhat angry that Zhao Ling was holding her back from kissing him, but his words finally made her look around the restaurant. Seeing dozens of pairs of eyes fixed on the three of them, she blushed and hurriedly nestled into Zhao Ling's arms.
Zhao Ling freed a hand to wipe the nonexistent sweat from his forehead, unable to understand what was going on with Ah Yin and Bibi Dong.
Why did they like competing against each other so much? Fighting to link arms with him and kiss his cheeks was one thing.
But why did they even have to compete over kissing him on the lips? That kiss of over a minute had nearly left Zhao Ling breathless. If Ah Yin kissed him for another few minutes and he couldn't catch his breath, what if he croaked?
Chapter 61: Surely It Couldn't Be That Coincidental?
After dinner, Zhao Ling and the others left the restaurant and saw many people hurrying through the streets, their eyes constantly sweeping around like radar.
Clearly, they were all hoping to find Yu Xiaogang and earn the hundred-Gold Soul Coin bounty.
Who knew where Yu Xiaogang was hiding now? With the whole city searching for him, it shouldn't take long to find him.
Quite a few people had seen Yu Xiaogang at the Great Soul Arena. After all, the fellow was so bizarre that he had left a deep impression on many people.
Neither Zhao Ling nor the Spirit Hall group lacked money, and they had no interest in searching for Yu Xiaogang.
So they planned to return to their hotel and rest properly, replenishing their strength.
Watching the group leave, Liu Erlong couldn't help feeling torn. Should she follow them or find a hotel of her own?
After thinking it over, Liu Erlong decided to follow Zhao Ling and the others so she wouldn't lose track of them.
What she hadn't expected was that after following them to their hotel and telling the front desk she wanted a room, she was informed that the hotel was full.
Liu Erlong felt rather depressed. It seemed she couldn't stay in the same hotel as them. She could only find another hotel or inn nearby.
Thus, Liu Erlong checked into a lower-end hotel next door. After completing the check-in formalities, a staff member led her to Room 312 on the third floor.
Just as she was about to enter, she saw a strange man opening the door next door. His head was wrapped in clothing, one hand supported his lower back, and the other braced against the wall as he kept groaning, "Ow, ow."
Seemingly sensing her gaze, the strange man guiltily tightened the clothing wrapped around his head, hurried into his room, and shut the door.
Liu Erlong tilted her head in puzzlement. What a strange man. Why was he wrapping his head in clothing?
Was he too ugly to show his face? Or had he committed some crime and was now wanted throughout the city?
Thinking of someone wanted throughout the city reminded Liu Erlong of her nominal older cousin, whom everyone was searching for. Huh... her delicate brows furrowed slightly. Surely it couldn't be that coincidental?
She shook her head, casting the thought beyond the ninth heaven. She was certain it couldn't be that coincidental.
Someone nobody could find despite searching everywhere, staying right next door to her? How could the world contain so many coincidences?
She opened the door and entered her room, planning to rest for an hour before taking a good look around Suotuo City. After all, it wasn't easy to make a trip here.
Once she shut her door, the strange man next door, who had been listening carefully with his ear pressed against his door and his head wrapped in clothing, secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Supporting his lower back with his left hand and bracing against the wall with his right, he made his way to the bed with great difficulty. He wanted to lie down, but the pain throughout his body made him bare his teeth and grimace.
Although the Great Soul Arena had arranged treatment for his smashed thoracic vertebra and kicked kidney that day, they hadn't been completely healed.
The heart-rending pain made it impossible for him to flee far. He could only find this nearby hotel and stay here.
He knew this hotel would be searched sooner or later, but injured as he was, he had no choice but to rely on luck and remain here for a few hours.
Once night fell, a carriage driver he had made arrangements with would take him out of Suotuo City to a nearby village to recover.
Yu Xiaogang refused to believe that his older brother would remain in Suotuo City forever if he couldn't find him.
Once his older brother left, he could return to Suotuo City. Just thinking about it made him inexplicably excited.
That night, in Spirit City, a white pigeon flapped its wings and flew into the Papal Hall.
Ghost Douluo, his entire body shrouded in shadow, flashed forward and caught the pigeon. He removed the note tied to its leg and respectfully handed it to Qian Xunji, who sat upright on the Papal Throne.
Qian Xunji unfolded the note. As he read its contents, his brows drew tightly together, and an indescribable light shone in his sinister eyes.
Seeing Qian Xunji remain so silent, Ghost Douluo hurriedly asked tentatively, "Your Holiness, what's wrong? What did Yue Guan say in his letter?"
Qian Xunji remained silent for a while before handing the letter to Ghost Douluo and replying coldly.
"The letter says their group encountered a man titled Demon-Suppressing Douluo in Suotuo City. Dong'er also seems interested in him. Yue Guan says this man's strength is unfathomable and that we should try to win him over if possible.
"If we intend to stop them by force, we must send at least three more Titled Douluo to Suotuo City. Otherwise, if our first strike fails, we may bring a terrifying enemy upon the Holy Temple."
Reading the unfolded note, Ghost Douluo couldn't help looking stunned.
"Three? Including Yue Guan, who's already in Suotuo City, that would make four Titled Douluo. Could this previously unknown Demon-Suppressing Douluo really be that strong?"
"Yue Guan is fairly steady by nature. Since he says we need to send at least three more, he probably isn't firing arrows without a target. I'm afraid this Demon-Suppressing Douluo we've never heard of really is someone extraordinary."
Qian Xunji rose from the Papal Throne, his brows knitting ever tighter as he considered how to handle the matter.
For Spirit Hall, with its deep foundations, sending another three Titled Douluo to Suotuo City wasn't difficult. The difficulty was that he knew nothing about this man called Demon-Suppressing Douluo.
If four Titled Douluo not only failed to kill Demon-Suppressing Douluo but instead enraged him and were all slaughtered, things would be awkward. Such an outcome wasn't impossible.
After thinking it over, Qian Xunji decided he couldn't act rashly. It would be best to first lure this man called Demon-Suppressing Douluo to Spirit Hall and sound out his background.
If he had no significant backing but possessed great strength and terrifying talent, it would be best to recruit him into Spirit Hall.
If he had powerful backing, terrifying strength, and good talent, then it would be best to make him an ally of Spirit Hall. Still, Qian Xunji felt that this second possibility was vanishingly small.
After all, Spirit Hall was already the foremost power on the Douluo Continent. How could there possibly be an even more terrifying force anywhere on the continent?
At that thought, Qian Xunji instructed Ghost Douluo, "Ghost Elder, immediately draft a letter for me. Tell him not to act rashly for now. If possible, have him bring that Demon-Suppressing Douluo to the Holy Temple. I wish to meet him in person."
"As you command..." Ghost Douluo nodded firmly, then turned and left the Papal Hall.
After he left, Qian Xunji narrowed his eyes slightly and spoke in a voice only he could hear.
"Demon-Suppressing Douluo... you'd better pray that your performance satisfies me. Otherwise, I'll make you regret coming into this world. Not every stray cat or dog is worthy of my disciple..."
Before you continue