Word Count: 2,888 Words
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"Powerful, wealthy, generous, and desperate for Spirit Guidance Masters… It sounds like you're fishing for a gullible fool to shower with resources.
Let's put joining the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan aside for now. First, tell me how you discovered my identity."
Ling Bai was genuinely puzzled. Countless Titled Douluo remained in the dark, so it made little sense that a mere Class 8 Spirit Guidance Master had managed to see through his disguise.
Lin Jiaran raised two slender fingers and pointed to her own elegant face. "I created the Thousand Illusion Charming Appearance.
I have a bad habit. Every Spirit Guidance Device I personally craft bears my unique mark, and my Martial Spirit can sense each of those marks."
As she spoke, powerful spiritual energy rippled outward. Fine purple dragon scales instantly covered her cheeks while her eyes shifted into the vertical pupils of dragonkind.
"A Terrifying Demon Dragon, I see…"
Ling Bai removed the Thousand Illusion Charming Appearance and, sure enough, found a sparkling L-shaped mark on the inner surface. The entire sequence of events clicked into place.
The Terrifying Demon Dragon was an earth dragon subspecies, a rather mediocre bloodline within the dragon hierarchy, yet it possessed the rare spiritual attribute.
He remembered that day when he had forced his way into Illustrious Virtue Hall. Lin Jiaran had been in the underground space helping block the Body Sect's experts. She must have sensed the mark on the Thousand Illusion Charming Appearance and, from there, confirmed the link between the Seraphim and Death Abyss Douluo.
Her Martial Spirit vanished as quickly as it had appeared. Lin Jiaran's gaze burned with intensity. "I've shown you my sincerity. I have no interest in executing justice. On the contrary, I want to join the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan and collude with you in your villainy."
"What do you mean, 'collude in villainy'? Can't you put it more elegantly?" Black lines creased Ling Bai's forehead.
"Then let's call it a meeting of like minds."
Lin Jiaran readily adjusted her wording. She pushed her silver-rimmed glasses up her nose, exuding the poise of a highly educated intellectual. "You might not know me well, so allow me to formally introduce myself. Consider this my résumé and job application.
Lin Jiaran, age is a secret, Martial Spirit: Terrifying Demon Dragon, spirit power Rank 84, Class 8 Spirit Guidance Master, and second-seat researcher at Illustrious Virtue Hall.
My research focuses on both spiritual and warfare-type Spirit Guidance Devices.
The Thousand Illusion Charming Appearance has served you well, hasn't it? Transforming a damaged 100,000-year spirit bone that was impossible for humans to absorb into a peak Class 8 Spirit Guidance Device—that represents my highest achievement in the spiritual field to date.
I excel at creating various high-powered long-range Spirit Guidance Devices and Stationary Spirit Cannons, which has earned me the nickname 'Human Powder Keg.' In terms of pure destructive power, I am recognized as number one below Class 9 in all of Illustrious Virtue Hall. Once my spirit power breaks through Rank 90, even those long-established Class 9 Spirit Guidance Masters won't be able to compare."
Ling Bai nodded slightly. "Impressive credentials, especially for the second-seat researcher at the holy land of Spirit Guidance Masters. The original three nations of the Douluo Continent don't possess a single Class 9 Spirit Guidance Master. With you on board, the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan would undoubtedly undergo a qualitative transformation.
But Illustrious Virtue Hall hasn't treated you poorly. Why are you so determined to leave? 'Too many restrictions' and 'being tired of it' aren't real reasons. I want the truth."
Lin Jiaran's brows furrowed tightly before slowly relaxing, her gaze turning distant. "There's a Spirit Guidance Device I desperately want to perfect and create, but it requires a massive investment of resources. Illustrious Virtue Hall refused to support me, choosing instead to continue developing Humanoid Spirit Guidance Devices along the same tired, established lines.
Left with no choice, I had to find my own funding, so I established a secret network to smuggle Spirit Guidance Devices out of Illustrious Virtue Hall. Oh, and Linglong Pavilion is affiliated with the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, correct? The first time we met was at Linglong Pavilion. That day, I was negotiating smuggling quantities and prices with the Pavilion Master."
"So you're the mastermind behind the smuggling network…" Ling Bai sighed.
Lin Jiaran's tone remained calm. "My older brother, Lin Jiayi, is the teaching director at the Sun Moon Imperial Academy and Jing Hongchen's most trusted subordinate. With his protection, taking some Class 7 and Class 8 Spirit Guidance Devices required no effort at all.
Smuggling earned me a substantial amount of money, but my cultivation talent is not exceptional. I need secret medicines to break through my spirit power bottleneck, and I need to purchase rare metals to complete my creations.
Medicines effective for a Spirit Douluo are prohibitively expensive, and the cost of rare metals is astronomical. The profits from smuggling were merely a drop in the bucket.
After careful consideration, I decided to leave the Sun Moon Imperial Academy.
The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's wealth rivals that of Illustrious Virtue Hall, and with you—Death Abyss Douluo—stationed there, its safety is assured. Moreover, the clan desperately lacks high-level Spirit Guidance Masters, so I would certainly become the Chief Spirit Guidance Master upon arrival. With the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's backing, I can finally realize my dream."
Ling Bai's curiosity was piqued. "What exactly is this Spirit Guidance Device that would drive a Class 8 Spirit Guidance Master to abandon her home and pledge allegiance to another nation?"
"My ancestors were from the Heavenly Soul Empire and only migrated to the Sun Moon Empire a thousand years ago. This is a return home after completing my studies, not an abandonment of my homeland."
Lin Jiaran corrected seriously. "The device is called Crimson Dawn, and I have tremendous expectations for it. It possesses the destructive power to alter the course of an entire war.
Anyone with eyes can see that a new war is looming between the original three nations and the Sun Moon Empire. I will prove to those old fossils in Illustrious Virtue Hall that one can only afford to leisurely research Humanoid Spirit Guidance Devices in times of peace. In war, it's all about killing and destruction—only by exchanging blood for dawn can peace be won for generations."
"When you put it that way, I'm actually looking forward to the debut of Crimson Dawn." Ling Bai applauded lightly.
"Does that mean you agree?"
Lin Jiaran relaxed and held out her fair palm. "I've hit a bottleneck in my cultivation and need to buy some rare metals. Start me off with twenty million. If it's not enough, I'll ask for more."
Ling Bai's expression turned odd. This woman was like a gold-devouring beast, asking for money the moment she opened her mouth.
Two gold cards spun through the air and into Lin Jiaran's hands, accompanied by a soul contract. Ling Bai's clear voice followed:
"My money isn't so easily taken. Sign your name."
Lin Jiaran examined the soul contract. It wasn't a slave contract. It simply had one sentence written on it. For five years, she must not reveal Death Abyss Douluo's true identity to anyone by any means; violation would result in her soul collapsing and her death.
She signed her name with a flourish. The soul contract fragmented into motes of light that drifted into her Spiritual Sea. Understanding his caution, she was unfazed and even offered proactively:
"Is five years enough? Would you like to make it a lifetime?"
"In five years, whoever I say is Death Abyss Douluo will be Death Abyss Douluo."
A palpable, imposing aura radiated from him, and Lin Jiaran's delicate body trembled. She suddenly recalled everything she knew about the young man before her. Not yet sixteen, yet already a Spirit Saint with a God-level Martial Spirit, combat power that rivaled a Titled Douluo, and command over a Rank 96 Ultimate Death bone dragon.
He was wary of his identity being exposed now, but in five years? A Titled Douluo Seraphim and the Death Abyss Bone Dragon—one holy and one evil—would sweep across the world. If he pointed at a deer and called it a horse, who would dare to disagree!
"If you truly become that powerful, won't my Crimson Dawn be rendered useless?" She seemed to be joking, yet her words carried deeper meaning.
Ling Bai merely smiled noncommittally. He tossed the Thousand Illusion Charming Appearance up and down in his hand, then said, "Since you're its creator, I'll be blunt. As my spiritual power has grown, the second skill Spiritual Wall has become nearly useless. Can you upgrade it?"
Lin Jiaran fell silent, considering his request. After a moment, she replied cautiously, "The core of the Thousand Illusion Charming Appearance is a damaged 100,000-year Thousand Illusion Charming Fox skull spirit bone. Upgrading it requires repairing that spirit bone first.
My craftsmanship has improved over the years, so I have some confidence I can elevate the Thousand Illusion Charming Appearance into the Class 9 ranks.
Find me a spiritual-attribute skull spirit bone of at least fifty thousand years, plus a 10,000-year secret method skull bone to act as a binding agent. You cover the cost of the rare metals, and I'll handle procurement. The upgrade should take about a week."
Ling Bai's heart bled, but he had no choice but to agree. He produced the 70,000-year Evileye Tyrant skull bone dropped by the Ancient Demon Douluo, along with a ten-million-gold-coin card.
"Here is the spiritual-attribute spirit bone and the money. I will have the secret method skull bone delivered tomorrow."
Secret method spirit bones were the easiest type to obtain. In Mingdu, the most prosperous of the four great empires, spending a bit more would do the trick.
"The academy exchange program has over a year left. Settle your affairs during that time. I'll send a recommendation letter to the Clan Head in advance. When the time comes, you can resign and officially assume your post at the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan," Ling Bai said.
"No problem."
For Lin Jiaran, it mattered little where she conducted her research.
"Good. There's one more thing."
Ling Bai waved his hand. Two plump Abominations huffed and puffed as they carried over a massive metal humanoid. Two Liches followed, respectfully presenting the God Sealing Altar and a stack of blueprints to Lin Jiaran.
Her pupils contracted sharply the moment she saw the metal humanoid. As Illustrious Virtue Hall's second-seat researcher, she immediately recognized the Humanoid Spirit Guidance Device.
With a sense of foreboding, she accepted the blueprints and confirmed they were indeed the twenty-one stolen Class 9 Spirit Guidance Device designs. The craftsmanship of the God Sealing Altar was also familiar; it was clearly the work of Xu Cong, Illustrious Virtue Hall's former chief researcher.
Ling Bai spoke nonchalantly, "The twenty million I gave you is your salary. I will have the Clan Head send you medicine to help you reach Titled Douluo as quickly as possible. These blueprints and the device would be useless to anyone else. They wouldn't understand them anyway, so study them all you want.
We will provide the medicine and rare metals. Name your price; the Clan Head and I care only about results.
I hope we can create our own Class 9 Spirit Guidance Device in the shortest time possible."
The aura of a wealthy patron hit her full in the face. Lin Jiaran almost failed to maintain her serious, teacher-like demeanor and murmured:
"I came to the right place… I really came to the right place!"
...
Ten days later, Qingse Hotel in Mingdu.
The Qingse Hotel was one of the Duskwater Alliance's key strongholds, located less than two kilometers from the Sun Moon Empire's imperial palace in an absolutely prime location.
The hotel's decor was lustrous, filled with white porcelain accents occasionally punctuated by crimson touches that resembled blood on pristine white.
"Useless! All of you are useless!"
Nangong Wan, leader of the Duskwater Alliance, sat at the head of the conference hall, his aura surging as he glared at his Evil Spirit Master subordinates. "Two months, and you haven't found a single hair of Death Abyss Douluo! What use are any of you!"
One of the Evil Spirit Masters looked like he wanted to cry but had no tears. "Alliance Leader, Death Abyss Douluo is a Super Evil Douluo. If he is determined to hide, how could we possibly find him?"
Nangong Wan lashed out with his palm, instantly reducing the speaker to a bloody mist. The remaining Evil Spirit Masters lowered their heads and trembled, appearing more docile than quails.
"This Alliance Leader has already promised the Cult Leader that I will invite Death Abyss Douluo to join the Holy Cult."
Nangong Wan's tone was chillingly cold. "I'll give you a final seven days. I don't care what methods you use—dig three feet into the earth, kowtow and burn incense—bring Death Abyss Douluo to me!"
"There's no need for them to invite me. This seat has come uninvited."
The main doors exploded with a thunderous boom. A devilishly handsome youth with black hair and black eyes strode into the hall, backlit by the light. Beneath him prowled a ghastly white, fearsome bone dragon, one claw still raised mid-swipe.
"Death Abyss Douluo!"
A suffocating, world-devouring pressure enveloped the entire hall. Nangong Wan was beside himself with unexpected joy.
"The Duskwater Alliance has been searching everywhere for me. What, are you in that much of a hurry to die?"
Ling Bai sneered. The Death Abyss Bone Dragon cooperatively released an earth-shaking dragon roar.
The name Death Abyss Douluo was thunderous. The dragon's roar instantly shattered the Evil Spirit Masters' courage, and they hurriedly knelt and kowtowed for mercy. Even Nangong Wan could not help but turn pale; his spirit power was only at Rank 93, and facing the Death Abyss Bone Dragon alone would put him at a severe disadvantage.
Nangong Wan swallowed hard and kicked each of his subordinates in the rear, snapping harshly, "You lot, get out! I have important matters to discuss with Death Abyss Douluo!"
The Evil Spirit Masters fled, nearly wetting themselves. Once they were gone, Nangong Wan's expression transformed into a beaming smile. "Brother Death Abyss, you misunderstand! I am Nangong Wan, titled Heavenly Centipede, leader of the Duskwater Alliance, and also Second Elder of the Holy Cult.
The Duskwater Alliance represents the Holy Cult. We've been searching for you because we have a heaven-sent fortune to offer!"
"Elaborate on this 'heaven-sent fortune.' If I'm not satisfied, you'll die just like that fool did."
'Truly worthy of being Death Abyss Douluo...'
Cold sweat streamed down Nangong Wan's forehead. Death Abyss Douluo's illustrious battle record put immense pressure on him. "The Holy Light shines upon the earth; the Holy Spirit descends to the mortal realm. Our organization is called the Holy Spirit Cult.
Brother Death Abyss, you have been unmatched on the Douluo Continent in recent years, but I must tell you, there are always heavens beyond heaven. You are not the continent's number one Evil Spirit Master.
Both the Cult Leader and Deputy Cult Leader have higher spirit power than you, and the Supreme Leader is a Limit Douluo-level Evil Spirit Master!"
"A Limit Douluo, now that's somewhat interesting. But it has nothing to do with me, nor does it sound like a 'heaven-sent fortune.'"
Ling Bai advanced slowly. The Death Abyss Bone Dragon followed his every move, its tension building as if ready to erupt at any moment. Nangong Wan's face was taut as he stepped forward in sync, and it seemed a battle might break out between them in the next second.
Suddenly, Nangong Wan produced a Storage Spirit Guidance Device with lightning-like speed and presented it with both hands.
Ling Bai accepted it and swept it with his spiritual power. It was filled with rare metals and a thick stack of gold cards.
He pocketed the bribe with practiced ease, then shook Nangong Wan's hand, his tone suddenly warm and friendly. "Second Elder is too kind. The Holy Cult truly offers no ordinary fortune…"
He shown just the right amount of interest in 'dining' at the Holy Spirit Cult's 'all-you-can-eat buffet.'
Hehe, Brother Death Abyss will surely become the Cult Leader's right-hand man. We'll all be colleagues soon enough, and the Duskwater Alliance will certainly need Brother Death Abyss's care in the future."
Nangong Wan's lips curved into a smile of smug satisfaction. Death Abyss Douluo's looting of Illustrious Virtue Hall had revealed his greedy nature. Evil Spirit Masters could never escape the three temptations of power, money, and lust. The Duskwater Alliance had ten thousand ways to satisfy Death Abyss Douluo's desires.
Ling Bai laughed heartily. "Brother Nangong, you truly are a timely rain in Mingdu! Meeting you today, I only regret we didn't cross paths sooner!"
Nangong Wan laughed even louder. "Brother Death Abyss graces our humble Duskwater Alliance with his noble presence!
With Brother Death Abyss joining our ranks, the Holy Cult will achieve unprecedented power and usher in a new era of glory!
I have prepared a banquet. Brother Death Abyss, if you please!"
"After you, Brother Nangong!"