"Do you understand now?"
As Yue Guan spoke, nine dazzling Soul Rings rose beneath his feet, showing the child what a Titled Douluo was.
So he really was Chrysanthemum Flower Douluo, Chrysanthemum Guan.
Wang Xiaoming cupped his fists and bowed to Yue Guan. "So you're His Majesty Chrysanthemum Douluo. Wang Xiaoming greets Your Majesty. Your Majesty's great name has reached my ears like thunder, but now that I see you in person, you're rather different from the rumors."
More sinister than the rumors say...
Yue Guan covered his mouth and chuckled twice. His voice was so high-pitched and thin that Wang Xiaoming's back teeth ached, as though he had drunk a bottle of vintage '82 vinegar.
"You little rascal, with such a sweet tongue, how many young ladies will you fool when you grow up?"
He bent down and picked another somewhat withered rose, brought it to his nose for a sniff, and said, "But you just said that even the mistress of Moonlight Pavilion wasn't as elegant as me...
I like the sound of that. That useless woman from the Clear Sky Sect puts on such a lofty air. Is she worthy of comparing herself to me?"
The corner of Wang Xiaoming's mouth twitched.
He had never even met Tang Yuehua. He had only used her reputation for elegance to flatter Yue Guan, yet Yue Guan had actually taken him seriously?
As Yue Guan spoke, he casually tucked the rose behind his ear. The pink and white petals against his gold-and-silver armor gave him a strangely bewitching beauty.
Wang Xiaoming's eyelid twitched, but he put on a broad smile. "Naturally. But... Your Majesty, to what do I owe the honor of your visit?"
As he spoke, he quietly took half a step back.
The ground beneath his feet was perfectly still. He was ready to dive into the Dimensional Wall and flee at any moment, to avoid hearing Yue Guan say anything shocking.
Yue Guan turned around, his long, narrow eyes narrowing slightly with the playful interest of someone sizing up prey.
"What am I here for?
Kid, don't play dumb. I came in person. Do you think I made a special trip just to invite you to the Pope's palace for tea? Even if you have Innate Full Soul Power, don't get too arrogant."
The corner of Wang Xiaoming's mouth twitched. For a moment, he didn't know what to say.
Of course he knew Yue Guan had come to get him to join Spirit Hall.
But joining was out of the question.
He was already planning to lure away two support teammates: a top-tier healer and a top-tier support.
Spirit Hall really has far too few teammates worth offering... If possible, please have your Xie Yue leave his team and join ours.
"Kid Wang, could it be that you've already joined the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?"
In Yue Guan's eyes, Wang Xiaoming's hesitation had already said it all.
The look he gave Wang Xiaoming grew increasingly dangerous.
Under his gaze, Wang Xiaoming felt a chill on his back.
"Your Majesty Chrysanthemum Douluo, you're overthinking it. At present, I still belong to the empire and have no plans to join any faction for the time being.
But... someday in the future, I might join Spirit Hall for better resources and power."
He silently added a sentence in his heart.
If that day really comes, Spirit Hall will be mine.
Yue Guan smiled at that.
A child was still a child. He knew how to say pretty things, but he wasn't very shrewd in handling matters like this.
"Kid Wang, do you know that you just made a decision that was both clever and not so clever?
Stringing people along like this will only leave you with no future.
You should be glad I was the one who came today. If it had been someone else, they wouldn't have been so easy to talk to."
Hearing that, Wang Xiaoming bowed to Yue Guan.
"Thank you for your understanding, Your Majesty Chrysanthemum Douluo."
"Forget it. You're still young and can't tell which is better and which is worse, so it's understandable. You're a genius too, kid. I look forward to seeing you in Spirit Hall someday. If you come to Spirit Hall in the future, I can personally take you as my disciple. Whatever you do, don't choose the wrong side..."
Yue Guan's soft, sinister voice gradually faded from the courtyard, as though he had never appeared at all.
Wang Xiaoming had understood what he meant at the end.
He was just warning him not to join the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
These people all spoke like that, beating around the bush.
If Yue Guan had been a little more forceful just now, Wang Xiaoming would have had to pack up and flee.
He could only say that Spirit Hall in Nuoding City was far too unwilling to make progress.
Tang San and Xiao Wu, two people with Innate Full Soul Power, were right there, and they hadn't even reported them!
Look at him: those fellows had taken turns threatening and tempting him!
Wang Xiaoming thought for a moment, then returned to his room.
The most pressing matter was still to prioritize strengthening himself.
First, he needed to test the Dimensional Wall's ability to travel through time.
He couldn't go to the present Spirit Hall, but he could go and see Spirit Hall in the past!
He could also see whether he could travel through this world or to a parallel world.
He placed an hourglass on the table and turned it over.
Then he gently snapped his fingers.
The next moment, a grayish-white curtain appeared directly in front of him. He stepped through, and his entire body vanished from this world.
But just after Wang Xiaoming disappeared, a dark figure appeared in his room.
"Strange, why did that kid's presence suddenly disappear?"
In a forest, the Dimensional Wall unfolded without a sound, and Wang Xiaoming stepped out.
"Where did this take me? I remember wanting to go to Spirit City."
He looked around and found himself in a forest. It was pitch-dark all around, but there was light in the distance... and a faint smell of burning.
Wang Xiaoming frowned.
Who was setting the mountain on fire in the middle of the night?
He hurried toward the firelight, hoping to find someone alive to ask for directions.
But when he arrived, he found that the place where flames soared into the sky was a village!
By now, there were no more screams, only a burst of wild laughter.
"Brothers, we made a killing today! When we get back, let's order a few more girls!!"
"Boss, you're mighty!!"
Several men stood in the village with their Martial Souls Possessed, swinging money pouches in their hands.
"Evil Soul Masters?!"
Standing in the woods, Wang Xiaoming saw the people lying all over the ground and the burned houses. A nameless fire rose in his heart.
Facing dozens of three-ring Evil Soul Masters in the village, he wasn't arrogant enough to confront them head-on. He drew the Zecter card, which had already returned, from the Ride Booker, inserted it into his belt, and gave it a hard push.
A mechanical voice rang out at once.
[Kamen Ride--] [Kabuto King!!]
The next moment, Wang Xiaoming's entire body transformed into an armored form clad in bright red armor, with a single horn on his head.
Immediately afterward, he drew two more cards and inserted them into the belt in one go.
One was the weapon card that came with it-[Kunai Sword].
The other was the one that had appeared with the first ring-[Clock Up!!!].
As the cards were inserted, the world in Wang Xiaoming's eyes instantly became still.