In the room,
Long Xiaoyao's mood soared when he heard what Li Chen said.
"Little bro, thanks for this one. Whether I manage to win Ye Zhaolu over or not, from now on, in Mingdu-no, in the entire Sun Moon Federation-I've got your back!"
"All right, Brother Long, get some sleep. You've still got a match tomorrow. Rise up, Brother Long!"
Long Xiaoyao laughed heartily. "Rise up!"
After ending the call,
Li Chen's lips curved upward.
This had been a good deal. Not only had his strength increased, but he had also grown closer to Long Xiaoyao's reincarnation.
As a new War God of the War God Temple, Long Xiaoyao would definitely be a major asset if Li Chen could bring him over to his father's side.
Li Chen stood up and opened the window.
From the VIP building, he could look down over all of Shrek Academy.
Under the night sky, Shrek Academy blazed with lights. Though called an academy, it covered an area larger than a small city.
Shrek City itself was a supercity comparable to Mingdu, standing alongside it as the only two megacities on the Douluo Continent.
But!
Shrek City, with its population of ten million, actually paid no fucking taxes!
What an enormous amount of tax revenue that was. And not only that, Shrek Academy even demanded funding subsidies from the Federation!
No wonder his chairman father had a headache.
Shrek City was a bottomless pit. Previous chairmen had muddled through with evasions and excuses, and his father had effectively inherited a complete mess upon taking office.
Four years until Qiangu Dongfeng bombs Shrek... I need to hurry and build myself up before then.
Li Chen thought to himself.
At this point in the timeline, Tang Wulin had been at Shrek for less than six months. According to the original plot, four years later, Qiangu Dongfeng would collude with the Holy Spirit Cult, and those two rank-12 Fixed Soul Cannon Shells would fall on Shrek!
This might seem to have nothing to do with Li Chen, but in reality, it had everything to do with him!
Given Shrek's transcendent status on the Douluo Continent, it would be bombed overnight using destruction-class weapons controlled by the Federation military.
When that happened, Li Chen's father, the chairman, would be implicated and forced to resign in disgrace!
And who knew how many students Shrek had taught over the years?
As the saying went, a hundred-legged insect did not fall even in death.
Li Chen could already imagine how crazily Shrek's people would retaliate against him and his father then!
In other words,
Li Chen had to gain enough strength to protect himself within these four years!
Just as Li Chen sighed, his Tree of Sorrow Martial Soul activated on its own.
A panel appeared before Li Chen.
[Marriage Fate Shop] [You have helped Ye Xishui and Long Xiaoyao achieve Reincarnation and Renewal of Fate, furthering their marriage fate. Your current Marriage Fate Coins: 10.] [Marriage fate items:] [1. Dream Memory Hammer, made from the firewood Nüwa used to mend the heavens. Can awaken the past-life memories of those undergoing Reincarnation and Renewal of Fate. Price: 20 Marriage Fate Coins!] [2. Nine-Tail Memory Manifestation Radar, can manifest projections of memories! Price: 100 Marriage Fate Coins!] [3. ...]
"Holy shit!"
Li Chen was utterly stunned.
"There's even a fucking Marriage Fate Shop? Tree of Sorrow, you're not a system, are you?"
Li Chen asked suspiciously, but after he called out "System" a couple of times, the Tree of Sorrow gave no response.
It seemed this was an innate function of the Tree of Sorrow Martial Soul, but wasn't this way too overpowered?
Li Chen browsed the shop and discovered, to his surprise, that there really were a fucking lot of marriage fate items!
"Insulation Claw, even Void Tears? There's also Golden Morning Dawn, the Heaven and Earth Manifestation Technique, the Dream Wandering Immortal Technique, Pure Yang Flame, the Wangquan Sword..."
"Holy crap, this... this goes beyond the scope of a Red Thread Immortal, doesn't it? Did it bring over the entire Fox Spirit item collection?"
After his surprise, wild joy surged through Li Chen.
These items were all top-tier treasures from Fox Spirit, and they had even been adapted to the Douluo world.
Take Pure Yang Flame, for example.
In Fox Spirit, it was the divine demon-slaying flame that countered all demons within the circle, but here it had directly become especially effective against Evil Soul Masters and could even purify evil thoughts!
Who said being a Red Thread Immortal was bad?
Being a Red Thread Immortal was wonderful!
Granted, the further down he went, the more Marriage Fate Coins rare items such as Void Tears required. Pure Yang Flame, for instance, cost a full 1,000 Marriage Fate Coins.
But!
At least this gave Li Chen a chance to become stronger, didn't it?
"Mm, I'll work at it first and try to exchange for the Dream Memory Hammer. With that, I can awaken the past-life memories of those renewing their fate, making it much easier to earn Marriage Fate Coins."
Li Chen smiled.
With the Tree of Sorrow, his strength would advance by leaps and bounds!
After washing up, Li Chen climbed into bed and enjoyed a good sleep.
Late at night, at the Sea God Pavilion.
Cai Yue'er sat alone by Sea God Lake, drowning her sorrows in alcohol.
She was seething with anger.
"In the end, Zhuang Zhou dreamed of the butterfly; all my marriage fate brings is tribulation!"
"Why! Why does no one I, Cai Yue'er, fall in love with ever love me back? Is this really my fate?"
"I hate it!"
Cai Yue'er crushed the wine bottle in her hand.
Just then, an old woman in plain cloth clothes walked over.
It was Long Yeyue, deputy pavilion master of the Sea God Pavilion.
Long Yeyue frowned and said,
"Cai Yue'er, you're a teacher. What kind of conduct is this? Get up at once, and stop disgracing Shrek."
Seeing Long Yeyue, Cai Yue'er hurriedly stood up.
"Elder Long."
"Mm. What's gotten into you? It's been years since I last saw you like this."
Cai Yue'er sighed and recounted what had happened with Long Xiaoyao.
"So that's what happened."
After hearing her out, sympathy appeared in Long Yeyue's eyes as she looked at Cai Yue'er.
Long Yeyue understood the pain of losing the person one loved all too well.
That was how things were between her and Chen Xinjie.
"This Long Xiaoyao really doesn't know what's good for him!"
Long Yeyue narrowed her eyes as she spoke.
Long Xiaoyao was a Super Douluo with the Dark Holy Dragon Martial Soul. Back when he had broken through to Titled Douluo, Long Yeyue had tried to recruit him in the Sea God Pavilion's name.
After all,
Long Yeyue was the Black and White Twin Holy Dragons. In her view, having her personally guide Long Xiaoyao was the best option.
Besides,
For such a young Titled Douluo, joining Shrek was only natural.
Yet Long Xiaoyao had flatly refused.
Long Yeyue had remembered that to this day.
Cai Yue'er gritted her teeth. "Elder Long, I helped arrange his match with His Holiness Scarlet Dragon, and then he turned around and kicked me aside! I really can't swallow this insult!"
Long Yeyue nodded.
"I understand. How about this? I'll have Zhuo Shi teach him a proper lesson tomorrow. People like Long Xiaoyao are very similar in temperament to Chen Xinjie and Yun Ming in their younger days."
"In their eyes, the desire for strength far outweighs their desire for women. Only after they've improved their strength will they consider matters involving women."
"I'll tell Zhuo Shi how to deal with the Dark Holy Dragon Martial Soul shortly. When it comes to understanding the Dark Holy Dragon, I dare say Long Xiaoyao won't catch up to me for decades!"
Cai Yue'er blinked in delighted surprise.
"That's wonderful, Elder Long! That would be perfect. Have Zhuo Shi teach him a harsh lesson, so he'll realize that coming to our Shrek is the only right choice!"
A cold, sinister gleam flashed through Cai Yue'er's eyes.
"Thank you, Elder Long. You treat me best. Tell His Holiness Scarlet Dragon to be ruthless and utterly shatter Long Xiaoyao's pride. I want him begging me to let him into Shrek!"
Long Yeyue smiled and nodded. "Don't worry."
Long Yeyue sneered inwardly. With her guidance and Zhuo Shi's combat strength, Long Xiaoyao would soon learn who the true Dark Holy Dragon was!