Chapter 2: Chapter 2: Time Passes in a Flash
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Soul City, Papal Hall.
Qian Xunjie listened to Bibidong's report on the recent operation to eliminate the Evil Soul Master Yu Xiaogang, his expression calm.
After Bibidong finished speaking, Qian Xunjie suddenly asked, "Dong'er, what do you think of Ling Yi?"
"Master Ling?" Bibidong was taken aback, her beautiful face showing a hint of confusion.
Bibidong, who was about to turn thirty, was still the revered and beloved Holy Maiden of the Soul Temple. Having never experienced darkness or been to the City of Slaughter, she retained a certain innocence and purity despite her years of hunting evil soul masters, especially in the presence of her respected teacher, Qian Xunjie.
After a moment of silence, Bibidong spoke to the towering figure of Qian Xunjie, "Master Ling, though of humble origins and with once questionable talent, has now achieved the strength of a Soul Douluo before the age of forty. His cultivation speed is on par with Tang Hao of the Heavenly Sky Sect, and his research in the theory of soul beasts is unparalleled in ten thousand years!"
"Moreover, Master Ling excels in civil affairs and economics, transforming a desolate town into one of the foremost cities on the Douluo Continent, rivaling the likes of Tian Dou City and Star Luo City!"
As she spoke, Bibidong's star-like eyes sparkled with admiration.
Qian Xunjie, usually stern and cold, did not show anger at Bibidong's words.
Suddenly, Qian Xunjie asked, "If we were to invite him to join our Soul Temple, do you think he would accept?"
"Ah?" Bibidong raised her delicate hand to cover her mouth, looking at Qian Xunjie with surprise.
"Hmm, let's not rush it," Qian Xunjie shook his head, then continued thoughtfully, "I plan to choose a new site to rebuild Soul City. Once the new city is built, you can invite him to the inauguration ceremony, and we can discuss it then..."
...
In the Star Luo Empire, the Heavenly Sky Sect.
"Father, Big Brother, I'm back—" Tang Hao, with a ribbon tied around his head and short hair fluttering, strode into the main hall of the sect, nodding to his father, the Heaven-Shaking Douluo Tang Zhen, and his elder brother, the Sky-Roaring Douluo Tang Xiao.
"Cough, cough—"
Tang Zhen coughed a few times before nodding to Tang Hao and asked, "How did it go? Was Yu Xiaogang successfully eliminated?"
"Father—" Tang Hao respectfully replied, "Yu Xiaogang has been killed on a solitary mountain outside the Mizong Grand Canyon."
"Hmm~" Tang Zhen's nasal tone carried a hint of mysteriousness, "That old fox Yu Yuanzhen will have a tough time this time~"
Pausing, Tang Zhen continued, "From now on, focus on your cultivation within the sect and strive to reach the ninetieth level. When the time comes, your big brother and I will accompany you to the Mizong Grand Canyon to hunt a ten-thousand-year-old soul beast for you!"
"Hao'er~" Tang Zhen looked at Tang Hao with a keen gaze, "Your grandfather named you 'Hao' in the hope that you would inherit the title of 'Heavenly Sky Douluo.' Don't disappoint me or your grandfather—cough, cough, cough—!"
Perhaps the emotion in his words was too intense, Tang Zhen suddenly began to cough violently.
"Father!"
"Father—!"
Tang Xiao and Tang Hao rushed to Tang Zhen's side, their faces filled with concern.
"Pant, pant—"
His chest heaving like a bellows, Tang Zhen slowly regained his composure. He took out a jade bottle from his storage soul conductor and swallowed two brown pills emitting a strange fragrance, then closed his eyes to rest.
A moment later, Tang Zhen reopened his eyes, and the flush from his violent coughing had faded.
Seeing this, Tang Xiao let out a sigh of relief and then said with concern, "Father, should we go to Lingyun City again and ask Master Ling to treat you?"
"Yes, Father—" Tang Hao chimed in, "The effects of the pills made by the Yang family seem to be waning. We should go to Lingyun City and see Master Ling..."
"Two years ago, after Master Ling treated you, he said that your condition is due to old injuries. Unless he breaks through to the Feng Hao Douluo level, he can only maintain your condition with periodic treatments."
"No rush~"
Listening to his sons' advice, Tang Zhen shook his head and said, "That boy is good in every way, but he's too soft!"
"With his control over the unique environment of Lingyun City, everything is under his watchful eye."
"But his place is like a sieve, with all sorts of people coming and going. If I visit too frequently, my condition will soon be known by all the major forces on the continent..."
"Unfortunately, only the environment Master Ling has created in Lingyun City can provide the necessary treatment for you, Father," Tang Xiao said helplessly, "Otherwise, it would be better to bring Master Ling to the Heavenly Sky Sect and have him treat you here..."
"Forget it~" Tang Zhen waved his hand dismissively, "As long as you two can uphold the name of the Heavenly Sky Sect and give your grandfather a satisfactory answer, whether or not I am treated is not important..."
...
Lingyun City, situated at the edge of a spur of the Tian Ling Mountains.
The small mountain range, over a thousand meters high and nearly twenty miles long, lies between the Tian Dou Empire, the Star Luo Empire, and the Star Luo Great Forest.
In the backyard of the city lord's residence, inside a small house woven entirely from countless strands of Blue Silver Grass.
Gently pushing aside the soft, white arms and legs draped over him, Ling Yi got out of bed, wrapped in a robe, and stepped out of the small house.
With a few leaps, he reached the edge of the cliff behind the city lord's residence. Facing the crosswind blowing from the distant mountains, his long hair and robes danced, giving him a transcendent feel.
'Almost forty years—'
Ling Yi looked up at the faint morning star, a sense of melancholy suddenly welling up in his heart.
Normally, such useless emotions would be immediately suppressed by Ling Yi. But now, he allowed his thoughts to wander freely.
Because, in this Douluo Continent, where his actions have disrupted the original storyline, his fortieth birthday was approaching.
The birthday itself was not the key; the key was that this birthday falls in the year 2631 of the Douluo Calendar.
'I wonder if he will still be born, or if he will disappear from the current timeline like Qian Renshuo?'
Ling Yi turned to look at the small house within the city lord's residence, his gaze seeming to penetrate the walls to see the figure with blue-silver hair lying inside.
Turning back, Ling Yi watched the rising sun in the eastern sky and whispered, "Almost forty years—"
As the words fell, he closed his eyes, and a faint blue ripple spread from his body.
Around him, countless Blue Silver Grass leaves swayed in response.
In an instant, everything within a radius of dozens of miles was reflected in Ling Yi's mind.
Dozens of miles were not the limit; the frequency of the ripple continued to expand.
A hundred miles... a thousand miles... ten thousand miles... a hundred thousand miles—!!
Finally, the earth beneath his feet transformed into a sphere, appearing in Ling Yi's mind.
In the endless dark, cold, and chaotic void, Ling Yi gazed down at the sphere, two-thirds of which emitted a radiant blue glow. His will became the will of heaven:
'Whether you come or not, this world will be different because of me.'
"In today's Douluo Continent, I, Ling Yi, am the one who decides—!"
(End of Chapter)