Lin Chen's hand hovered in mid-air, as if he was about to grab Ning Rongrong's wrist.
This completely shattered the psychological defenses of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's little princess.
Ning Rongrong trembled with fear, her eyes instantly turning as red as waterlogged cherries. Her nose twitched, and tears were about to fall. Where was the arrogance and domineering attitude from before? She scrambled back half a step, frantically reaching for the storage soul tool at her waist, her fingertips trembling.
"No, don't do it! Here's the money, all the money is yours!"
She frantically pulled several jet-black cards with gold trim from her soul tool and shoved them into Lin Chen's hand. Her voice trembled with tears as she pleaded incoherently, "These... these are the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's exclusive black gold cards. They're valid at all Spirit Hall branches and major merchant guilds across the continent, with no disguise restrictions! There are a total of 500,000 gold soul coins inside, it's all yours! Please... please let me go!"
Ning Rongrong had no hesitation whatsoever. This was all the wealth she could muster. But faced with Lin Chen's undeniable aura, she didn't even have the courage to refuse. She only hoped to quickly spend her money to avert disaster and send this jinx away.
Lin Chen held several heavy black and gold cards in his hand, feeling their cool touch against his fingertips. He glanced at them, a smile flashing in his eyes—as expected of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, even the gold cards were so exquisitely made.
He didn't really intend to make things difficult for Ning Rongrong. Firstly, the girl was just spoiled, not inherently wicked; secondly, Soto City was, after all, within the sphere of influence of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, and there might be Soul Saint-level guards arranged by Sword Douluo or Bone Douluo nearby. If he really pushed her too far and attracted the attention of Title Douluo, he would be in trouble as well.
Lin Chen casually stuffed the black card into his pocket, withdrew his hand, and his tone returned to its previous calmness, but with an undeniable admonition: "You're smart to know what's good for you."
"Remember, next time you go out, never reveal your identity so easily. The name of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School is a deterrent to ordinary people, but to desperate criminals, it's like a fat sheep delivered to their door."
He paused, his gaze falling on Ning Rongrong's delicate figure, and added, "Also, a support-type Soul Master like you should at least have a Battle Soul Master as your personal bodyguard when you go out. Otherwise, if you encounter something like this again, you might not be as easy to talk to as I am."
Ning Rongrong nodded repeatedly, tears still clinging to her eyelashes, but dared not cry anymore, only timidly replying, "I...I understand...thank you..."
Lin Chen didn't say anything more and turned to leave.
His blue hair fluttered gently in the wind, a flash of purple-gold lightning, and he disappeared into the crowd of people in Soto City.
Ning Rongrong's tense body only relaxed when Lin Chen's figure completely disappeared into the crowd and could no longer be seen.
She leaned against the cold wall, slowly slid down to the floor, and her shoulders began to tremble uncontrollably.
"Wow--"
A suppressed sob finally broke through her throat, and tears fell like broken beads, splashing onto her skirt and leaving a wet patch.
The pride and fear she had just been forcing herself to maintain vanished the moment the danger was over, turning into grievance.
She had never suffered such humiliation in her life. She was cornered and threatened, forced to hand over all her savings, and almost assaulted...
Ning Rongrong cried and pounded the ground in frustration, cursing herself a thousand times in her heart:
Why did I have to sneak out? Why did I reveal my identity to avoid trouble? Why did I run off without any guards...?
The tears flowed more and more fiercely, soaking the hem of her pinkish-purple dress and ruining her once exquisite makeup.
Soto City remained prosperous, but in Ning Rongrong's eyes, all that remained was endless grievance and lingering fear.
She secretly vowed that she would never dare to sneak out of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School again!
Lin Chen hurried along, completely ignoring the three sleazy guys lying unconscious on the ground.
Lin Chen ran frantically through several streets, turned into a secluded alley, and only after confirming that there was no trace of anyone following him did he lean against the mottled brick wall, bend over, and gasp for breath.
Cold sweat had already soaked through the fabric of his clothes, trickling down his spine. The coldness and composure he had forced in front of Ning Rongrong had completely crumbled, leaving only a heart full of fear and lingering dread. He could even feel his heart pounding wildly in his chest, as if it were about to shatter his ribs.
A moment later, he steadied his breathing, rushed back to the inn as fast as he could, locked the door, pulled the window shut, and slid down against the door, his mind racing, growing increasingly panicked.
Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School...
He actually acted impulsively and extorted 500,000 gold soul coins from the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School!
That's the top of the three upper sects, a super power that boasts two titled Douluo, Sword Douluo Chen Xin and Bone Douluo Gu Rong!
Sword Douluo is a level 96 offensive titled Douluo with unparalleled attack power on the continent; a single sword strike can change the very fabric of the world. Bone Douluo is a level 95 defensive and spatial titled Douluo, appearing and disappearing unpredictably with unmatched defense. Add to that Ning Fengzhi, the number one support on the entire continent, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's amplification can directly double the combat power of these two Douluos!
With such a lineup, let alone a Soul Master like him, even an ordinary Limit Douluo would have to give way!
Relying on the ultimate power of the Thor's inheritance, he could still put up a fight against a poison-type Title Douluo like Dugu Bo, but what about a Sword Douluo? He could be crushed with a single finger!
"I'm going crazy, I'm really going crazy!" Lin Chen slapped his forehead hard, filled with regret.
But he had no choice. He had left his storage ring in the Star Dou Great Forest and dared not retrieve it. He was penniless, and could not even afford the travel expenses to go to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well to steal the immortal herb. For Xiao Wu's Acacia Heartbreak Red, and for the plan to rebel against the Tang Dynasty, he had no choice but to take the risk.
But regret is useless; the most important thing now is to escape.
Ning Fengzhi is a notorious doting father. If he knew his precious granddaughter had been blackmailed or wronged, he would definitely bring the Sword Bone Douluo to Soto City and search the place to find her. At that point, she wouldn't even have a chance to escape!
As long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood to burn!
Run! We must run immediately!
Where can we run to?
Lin Chen's pupils suddenly contracted, and a crazy thought surged into his mind—
Sunset Forest, the Eye of Ice and Fire, find Dugu Bo!
Poison Douluo Dugu Bo, a titled Douluo, is a reclusive individual who lives alone in Sunset Forest. He has no connection with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School and is even at odds with the Spirit Hall. More importantly, no matter how potent his Azure Phosphorous Purple Poison is, it cannot withstand the restraint of the Ultimate Lightning! The power of the Thunder God is the ultimate counter to all poisons; if it really came down to a fight, Dugu Bo would be no match for him.
Hiding with Dugu Bo would allow them to directly plot against the Lovesick Heartbreak Red of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well and achieve their core objective. Secondly, even if the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School were arrogant, it wouldn't dare to rashly intrude into Poison Douluo's territory—Dugu Bo's poison was so potent that even Title Douluos were wary of it, and Sword Bone Douluo didn't want to provoke this mad Douluo for no reason!
The hustle and bustle of Soto City was left far behind, and Lin Chen had only one thought in his mind:
Before Ning Fengzhi and his men could come looking for them, they hid in Sunset Forest and found Dugu Bo!
As long as he obtains the Acacia Heartbreak Red and escapes this calamity under the protection of the Poison Douluo, his plan can continue!
Lin Chen sat cross-legged on the bed in the inn, his fingertips gently touching his brow. He took several long, deep breaths, and his wildly beating heart finally calmed down. The panic in his eyes was completely suppressed by his calm calculations.
He looked out the window at the deep night, and mentally reviewed all the possible escape routes and their pros and cons. In the end, he completely abandoned the idea of fleeing Soto that very night.
"We can't go directly to Dugu Bo."
Lin Chen muttered to himself, a hint of certainty flashing in his eyes.
He wasn't afraid to fight Dugu Bo. Extreme Lightning was the nemesis of poison, and although he might not be able to win completely in a fight, he could definitely escape unscathed. However, once the two Soul Masters clashed in Sunset Forest, with the destructive power of a Title Douluo, the spiritual land where the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well nurtured immortal herbs would definitely be completely destroyed by the aftershocks of the battle.
The core objective of his trip was to obtain the Acacia Heartbreak Red. If the sacred land was destroyed and the immortal herb was annihilated, then everything would become meaningless.
Even if he could forcibly drive Dugu Bo away, without the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Eye guarded by Poison Douluo, it would attract countless greedy Soul Masters to covet it. He would have no way to peacefully cultivate here, let alone safely take the immortal herb.
He would never do something so counterproductive.
Thinking of this, Lin Chen had already made a decision—to stay in Soto City and, according to the original plan, contact Dugu Bo through Dugu Yan.
As for the threat posed by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, he had already thought it through.
Sword Douluo Chen Xin and Bone Douluo Gu Rong are both top-tier Title Douluos renowned throughout the world, and Ning Fengzhi is a pivotal figure in the Heaven Dou Empire. Such powerful individuals are naturally proud and self-possessed. At most, if Ning Rongrong suffered an injustice, the sect would send someone to reprimand him; they would never personally kill a mere Soul Venerable for a trivial financial dispute.
If he were truly driven to the brink, he would still have one last trump card—the primal power of Thor's Ring.
Even if the worst outcome is the shattering of the divine ring and the loss of an ultimate trump card, as long as one's life is preserved, there is always a chance to turn the tide.
"Where there's life, there's hope. One divine trump card is enough to exchange for the Yin-Yang Well of Ice and Fire."
Lin Chen clenched his fists, and the last trace of hesitation in his eyes vanished.
He had made up his mind to lie low in Soto City for the time being, continue to participate in the Soul Fighting Competition, wait for the arrival of the Heavenly Dou Royal Team, and find an opportunity to get close to Dugu Yan, gradually approaching Dugu Bo step by step according to the plan.
If things go smoothly, then proceed step by step to seize the immortal herb;
If the plan changes and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School really comes knocking, or if he waits for Dugu Yan for a long time without success, then he will no longer hesitate and will go directly to Sunset Forest to confront Dugu Bo.
The following morning, the Soto Arena was still bustling with noise, the clamor reaching the sky.
Lin Chen changed into a neat and tidy outfit, tied his blue hair back, concealed his aura, and casually stepped into the Soul Arena. He had planned to continue participating in the Soul Battle today, accumulating points while waiting for the Heaven Dou Royal Team to appear, and also earn some Soul Coins to subsidize his expenses.
As soon as he arrived at the registration area, a sharp-eyed staff member quickly came up to him. When his gaze fell on the faint purple-gold lightning surrounding Lin Chen and the outline of the thunder hammer that was vaguely visible in his soul tool, his expression instantly became extremely respectful.
"Mr. Thor, please wait a moment!"
Lin Chen paused, looked up at the other person, his face expressionless, but inside he was overjoyed.
Thor was the nickname given to him by the arena and the audience after he single-handedly swept through the Berserker Team seven times yesterday. He never expected that just one night later, his opponent would come knocking on his door so quickly, even faster than he anticipated.
"What is it?" Lin Chen's expression was calm, his tone distant, putting on the air of a cold and aloof soul master.
"Our supervisor specifically instructed that if he sees you, please wait a moment. He has something important to discuss with you!" The staff member bowed, his attitude extremely respectful, not daring to be negligent in the slightest. "Please wait here for a moment, I will go and fetch the supervisor right away!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the staff member jogged towards the backstage area.
Lin Chen stood with his hands behind his back, waiting quietly, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes. He had roughly guessed the other party's purpose. The Soto Grand Arena had taken the initiative to seek him out, most likely because they had encountered a troublesome team, which happened exactly in line with the original plot.
A moment later, a middle-aged man dressed in a black suit and with a capable demeanor strode over, a polite smile on his face. He first bowed to Lin Chen and introduced himself: "Hello, Mr. Thor, I am the manager of the Soto Grand Arena. I apologize for disturbing you."
Lin Chen nodded slightly in response: "What does the supervisor want with me?"
The manager didn't mince words, stating the reason directly with a hint of helplessness in his tone: "To be honest, our Soul Arena recently welcomed an extremely powerful team, whose strength far surpasses that of other Silver Soul Arena teams of the same level. Many nobles in the city have their eyes on them and are placing crazy bets. As a result, our Soul Arena's revenue has suffered serious losses, and now, no Silver Soul Arena team of the same level dares to take on their matches."
At this point, the supervisor looked at Lin Chen with anticipation: "We heard that yesterday, Mr. Thor single-handedly defeated the formidable Silver Soul Berserker Team in the Soul Arena, a feat that can only be described as heaven-defying! Therefore, the Soul Arena would like to earnestly request your assistance in fighting this team and helping us out of our current predicament."
Lin Chen was secretly delighted. He had guessed correctly; this was exactly the plot point from the original story.
However, he pretended to hesitate, his brows furrowed, and said in a deep voice, "The fact that so many nobles are flocking to this team means that the strength behind it must be extraordinary. If I make a move rashly, I'm afraid I'll get into unnecessary trouble."
The manager, a shrewd veteran of the underworld, immediately saw that Lin Chen wasn't unwilling to fight, but rather waiting for the right price. Without hesitation, he threw out a heavy bargaining chip: "Mr. Thor, rest assured, everyone will rely on their own abilities on the field, and there will be no off-field complications! As long as you are willing to fight, regardless of victory or defeat, our Soto Grand Soul Arena will offer you 200,000 gold soul coins as a reward! If you win the match, the reward can be negotiated further!"
Two hundred thousand gold soul coins!
Lin Chen's heart skipped a beat. This money was just what he needed in the first place. Besides, he had planned to use this competition to get in touch with the Heavenly Dou Royal Team and then find Dugu Yan.
The two exchanged a few more polite words, and Lin Chen, pretending to be persuaded, slowly nodded: "Since the supervisor is so kind to invite me, then I will accept."
He had already intended to make a move, and this invitation was exactly what he wanted.
The manager was overjoyed to see Lin Chen agree and thanked him repeatedly: "Thank you so much, Mr. Thor! We will arrange the competition as soon as possible and will notify you immediately!"
Lin Chen casually agreed, turned and walked towards the preparation area, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.
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