Li Chang'an's family ran a hotel business— not just any hotel, but the largest and most prestigious one in the entire spirit City. It was a proper, upstanding establishment.
"Dad, Mom, I'm home!"
The moment he stepped through the door, Li Chang'an shouted loudly and casually flopped onto the hotel's plush sofa, crossing one leg over the other.
His parents were at the front desk reconciling accounts. Hearing their son's voice, Li's mother couldn't help but smile dotingly. Her son had always been this carefree, and she was more than used to it by now.
"Chang'an, you're back. Are you hungry?"
Li Chang'an shook his head, signaling that he wasn't. His eyes casually roamed over the young waitresses in the hotel—he was still young, so no one would think too much about it.
Suddenly, his father looked up and asked, "How did your Martial Soul Awakening go?"
Truth be told, his parents never really supported his decision to become a soul master. It was just too dangerous compared to the safety and stability of inheriting the family business.
Plus, there had never been any particularly powerful martial souls in their family lineage, so Li's father had no expectations at all. In fact, he had already prepared some comforting words for when his son came back disappointed, hoping to steer him toward a more grounded future.
Just as Li Chang'an was about to brag about his results, the hotel's front door was pushed open.
A man wearing the distinctive uniform of the Martial Soul Hall Academy walked in, holding a large tray in his hands. On the tray was a set of the academy's signature dark red uniform, a school emblem, an admissions handbook, and Li Chang'an's student identification.
"Excuse me, is this the residence of Li Chang'an?"
Li Chang'an got up from the sofa and nodded. "That's me."
Upon confirming his identity, the man's demeanor immediately turned respectful. After all, he had been specifically instructed before coming—this young man was already a personal disciple of Her Holiness the Pope. That status spoke volumes.
"Greetings. I've been entrusted by His Excellency Ghost Douluo to deliver your uniform and enrollment materials."
Li Chang'an nodded and casually thanked the man, who then turned and left.
When he turned back around, he saw his parents staring at him in stunned silence—along with several wide-eyed young ladies standing in the hotel lobby.
A representative from the Martial Soul Hall had come in person to deliver his admission items—and had been so respectful too!
But the most shocking thing was that Li Chang'an had actually been accepted into the Martial Soul Hall Academy!
The Martial Soul Hall Academy—the premier soul master academy on the entire continent! And their son, with his so-so talent, had actually been admitted?
Li Chang'an's eyes curved into crescent moons as he proudly raised his little head.
"Ahem! I now officially announce—"
"I, Li Chang'an, have not only been accepted into the Martial Soul Hall Academy… but I've also been accepted as a personal disciple of Her Holiness the Pope!"
He didn't say much, but each sentence landed like a bombshell. His parents and those young ladies looked as if they'd been struck by lightning—completely stunned.
A personal disciple of the Pope herself? That mythical, unreachable status—how could it belong to this kid?
But then Li's father's eyes softened, a look of deep satisfaction replacing the earlier shock. If his son was truly a disciple of the Pope, there would be a lot of benefits—both for his son's future and for the family's business.
———
After spending a good while outside bragging and basking in admiration from his parents and the hotel staff, Li Chang'an finally headed upstairs to the sixth floor, his back straight with pride. That floor was where his personal suite was located—the best room in the entire hotel.
Flopping down onto the soft, luxurious bed, Li Chang'an finally had a moment to properly inspect his system.
[System Overview: Strongest Public Show-Off System.
As long as you show off in front of others and succeed, you will be rewarded with points. Points can be used to redeem items from the exchange tab.
Note: Public power displays are categorized into regular displays and mission-based displays. Completing mission-based displays grants additional task rewards.]
After reading the introduction, Li Chang'an had a general idea of how it worked.
In simple terms: the more you show off, the stronger you get.
But showing off was definitely a technical skill in and of itself.
For example, if he relied solely on his current soul power, there was no way he could brag in front of a Spirit Elder. But if he showed off his twin martial souls in front of said spirit Elder, he'd definitely succeed in gaining admiration.
Turns out... showing off is hard work too. He used to think only playing certain "games" was exhausting...
Li Chang'an then opened the points tab—he had already accumulated 1,347 points, all from today's successful showing off when he revealed his twin martial souls.
In the exchange tab, he found the following items available:
[Soul Power Fruit (Basic): Increases soul power by 100 points. Cost: 100 points. (Unlimited usage)
Soul Ring Fruit (Basic): Increases the age of a soul ring by 100 years. Cost: 1,000 points. (Unlimited usage)
More items coming soon...]
Li Chang'an: "…"
Even though there were only two items available, he was already extremely satisfied.
Both of these fruits were straight-up game-breaking.
Take the Soul Power Fruit, for example—one fruit gave 100 soul power points. According to his character panel, to advance to level 11, he needed one soul ring and—coincidentally—100 more soul power points.
In other words, as long as he had enough points and soul rings, he could become a Title Douluo in a single day—without even needing to train!
Of course, that was just a fantasy for now. The soul power needed to reach Title Douluo was likely in the billions, and he doubted he'd ever accumulate that many points.
Besides, he'd also need to spend points to get the Soul Ring Fruits to upgrade the soul rings themselves.
Speaking of which, the Soul Ring Fruit was ridiculously expensive—just a 100-year boost cost 1,000 points. Still, it broke through the traditional limitations of soul ring growth. That alone was monumental.
Next up: time to figure out when to go get his first soul ring!
Li Chang'an pumped his little fist excitedly from the bed. According to his system, the upper limit of his first soul ring was now 900 years, based on his current body strength.
And in the future, as his body and points grew stronger, it might even be possible to push that first soul ring to 100,000 years!
After finishing his system inspection, Li Chang'an lay back on the bed, hands behind his head, and couldn't help but think of Bibi Dong.
He had known before transmigrating that she was a great beauty, but now that he had seen her in person… he realized words weren't enough to describe her allure.
'Mm, I love my teacher!'
Thinking this, he suddenly sprang out of bed and ran downstairs to the hotel kitchen.
"Uncle Wang! How's that cookie recipe I asked you to work on three months ago coming along?"
"Reporting to Young Master, the taste and texture are both perfect now," replied Chef Wang respectfully.
"Great. Then today, you'll guide me while I make them myself. I want to bake a batch of cookies to give to my teacher!" Li Chang'an nodded earnestly.
"Young Master, if you're gifting them, I can just make a batch for you. No need to trouble yourself." Uncle Wang was clearly puzzled.
Li Chang'an shook his head with a smile. "Uncle Wang, you don't understand. Only something I've made with my own hands can truly express my deep love for my teacher."