Chapter 40 – Something's Wrong, Could This Not Be a Parallel World?
The Soul Crystal—also known as Ban Crystal—was a high-grade spar that concealed within it one of the Tang Sect's top ten hidden weapons: the Dragon Beard Needle.
As fine as a strand of hair, this needle could be activated by infusing it with soul power, turning it razor-sharp and deadly. Once the soul power was withdrawn, it would curl back up and become almost invisible.
Anyone unlucky enough to be struck by a Dragon Beard Needle would suffer horribly if they tried to remove it the wrong way—the flesh would tear apart with the needle.
Even more terrifyingly, this weapon could pierce defensive qi barriers. Not even someone as strong as Zhao Wuji, a Soul Saint, could withstand it unscathed.
Although Qi Tian didn't yet know the full Tang Sect techniques for launching hidden weapons, he didn't need to. Just owning this crystal meant he could use the Dragon Beard Needles in his own… creative ways.
More importantly, buying this crystal now meant that Tang San would lose one of his future hidden weapons—a small but satisfying victory.
"Boss, how much for this crystal?" Qi Tian asked, looking up.
Flender, lounging lazily on his recliner, glanced over at him. With just one look, he gauged both Qi Tian's soul power and, more importantly, his likely wealth level.
'Twelve ranks of soul power… probably just broke through to become a Soul Master. That means a monthly stipend of one gold coin from the Spirit Hall. Even if he's been saving for a year, that's barely twelve gold coins,' Flender mused inwardly.
Then, with a sly smile, he said aloud, "Twenty gold soul coins."
Qi Tian pretended to hesitate. He frowned, let out a small sigh, then slowly untied his coin pouch and poured its contents onto the counter—gold, silver, and copper coins alike—before counting them one by one.
Flender's sharp eyes immediately assessed the total. Twenty-three gold coins, maybe a little more.
"Poor brat," he cursed silently, though he didn't retract his offer. After all, that broken crystal was something he had literally picked up off the ground years ago—any price was pure profit.
"Boss, here are twenty gold coins. Count them," Qi Tian said, sliding the money over.
Flender narrowed his eyes. "You're short three gold coins."
"Huh? Didn't you just say twenty?" Qi Tian asked innocently.
Flender grinned like a fox. "I said twenty-three. Don't play dumb. Hand over the rest, kid."
Before Qi Tian could react, the man reached forward, snatching the coin pouch straight from his hand.
But then Flender froze mid-motion. His expression changed slightly as he suddenly grabbed Qi Tian's wrist, probing the bones of his hand with practiced precision.
"What are you doing?" Qi Tian exclaimed, feigning panic.
Of course, if he wanted to, he could've easily broken free—his True Dragon Physique made him far stronger than his age suggested.
"You're… only seven years old?" Flender blurted out, eyes wide with disbelief.
Qi Tian nodded seriously. "Why? Can't a seven-year-old buy something? Fine, give me my money back. I won't buy it anymore!"
Startled, Flender quickly released him and shoved the crystal into his arms. "No refunds! You paid, deal's done!"
"Boss, you can't just force a sale like that!" Qi Tian said, pretending to pout. But inside, he was quite pleased—he'd gotten what he came for.
As he turned to leave, Flender suddenly called out again.
"Hey, kid! You're a soul master, right? Ever thought about attending a higher-level academy?"
Qi Tian stopped and raised a brow.
Flender continued smoothly, "You've got decent talent for someone your age—over ten ranks already! I happen to know the deputy dean of a certain elite academy. I could put in a good word for you."
He gave a knowing smile. "The academy's called Shrek Academy. The admission bar's pretty high—only soul masters under twelve who've already reached the Grandmaster rank can enroll. You might qualify in a few years if you work hard."
Flender's tone was patient and persuasive, but with that sly, shoe-leather face of his, his words were about as trustworthy as a con artist's promises.
Qi Tian had already secured the crystal he wanted, and he wasn't in the mood to play along with Flender's sales pitch.
"Boss," he said dryly, "you're selling stuff, not dreams. And you expect me to believe in some no-name academy?"
Flender just chuckled, eyes gleaming. "No-name? You're wrong, kid. Shrek Academy doesn't need fame—it's an elite institution that only accepts monsters."
He leaned forward, voice dripping with pride.
"In the fifteen years since its founding, Shrek has only ever accepted thirty-six students. Nineteen graduated. Strict entrance, stricter exit. But every single graduate has become one of the continent's true elites."
"The best graduate of Shrek Academy," Flender said proudly, "is now an Elder of the Spirit Hall! So? Interested now?"
It was the same old sales pitch he always used—one that might fool someone like Dai Mubai, but not Qi Tian.
"An Elder of the Spirit Hall?" Qi Tian raised a brow. "What's his name? Don't tell me it's Qin Ming?"
Flender frowned. "Qin Ming? Never heard of anyone by that name from Shrek Academy."
Qi Tian froze for a moment. Not Qin Ming?
Wasn't Qin Ming supposed to be one of Shrek Academy's earliest students?
His mind flashed back to when he'd secretly influenced Bibi Dong to "recruit" Qin Ming into the Spirit Hall earlier than planned. Could it be… that Qin Ming really was in the Spirit Hall now?
A sudden thought struck him like lightning.
'Wait—what if I didn't transmigrate into a parallel world… but actually went back in time?'
As that possibility surfaced, Qi Tian lost all interest in Flender's rambling. He decided to expose the man's nonsense outright.
"Boss," he said calmly, "I've heard that every Elder of the Spirit Hall is at least a Titled Douluo."
"Even a guest elder, one holding the Pope's Decree, would have to be a Soul Saint at minimum—someone like the Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan."
"By your logic, Shrek Academy's graduates have already reached the Titled Douluo level?"
He gave a wry smile. "Shrek's been around for fifteen years. That means the first batch of students would only be twenty-seven years old by now."
"A twenty-seven-year-old Titled Douluo… Truly impressive! Shrek Academy must be heaven itself."
Flender's smile froze midair.
He hadn't actually joined the Spirit Hall before; how was he supposed to know what rank its elders held? And the way this kid spoke—his knowledge, his composure—it was clear he wasn't just some random street brat.
Flender's eyes narrowed slightly. Just who is this boy?
"Kid, are you sure you don't want to reconsider?" he asked, standing up from his recliner.
In an instant, his Martial Soul flared to life. Seven soul rings rose beneath his feet, glowing in sequence—clearly marking him as a Soul Saint.
"If you join Shrek Academy, I'll personally train you myself!" Flender declared with a confident smile.
He had recently recruited Ma Hongjun, and now he was eyeing Qi Tian as his next "talent."
Normally, this trick worked like a charm—showing off his Soul Saint strength always frightened or impressed parents and young geniuses alike. It was how he had lured many into joining over the years.
But Qi Tian wasn't like them. He had borrowed Bibi Dong's body before. He had stood before Titled Douluo—true apex existences.
How could he possibly be intimidated by a mere Soul Saint?
"There's no need, Boss," Qi Tian said flatly. "I already have my own cultivation plans."
He turned and walked away, completely unfazed by Flender's oppressive soul power.
He wasn't worried about retaliation either. Flender might be greedy and sly, but he was still a man of ideals—someone who dreamed of nurturing monsters, not harming them. When he failed to persuade someone, he didn't resort to force.
Sure enough, after Qi Tian left the shop, Flender withdrew his Martial Soul and sighed as he watched the boy's back disappear down the street.
"What a little monster… He actually shrugged off a trace of my soul pressure and just walked away?"
Shaking his head, he muttered, "Too bad such monsters are the hardest to fool. I'll have to refine my sales pitch again."
Then, rubbing his chin, he mused aloud, "So… the Spirit Hall's elders are all Titled Douluo, huh? Looks like I can't use that example anymore. From now on, I'll downgrade the story—say the top graduates became bishops instead."
Qi Tian had no idea that his few casual words had just helped Flender upgrade his con artist rhetoric to the next level.
But he didn't care.
Right now, one question dominated his thoughts:
'Did my soul really cross into a parallel world… or have I actually traveled back in time?'
—
End of Chapter