Qian Jue walked out of Liu Erlong's room, but instead of heading straight toward the dorms to check on Tang San and Xiao Wu as he had said, he strolled slowly across the training field, lost in thought, beginning to reflect on what he had done recently.
It wasn't for anything else—only because the earlier discussion between Grandmaster and Flender about moving to Heaven Dou City had scared him half to death.
'If they really went… the story would change too much from the original!'
At this moment, Tang San was only around level 18 or 19. He hadn't even obtained his second spirit ring yet, let alone the external spirit bone, the Eight Spider Lances, which he was supposed to acquire when hunting the Human-Faced Demon Spider for his third ring. That spirit bone was crucial to Tang San's combat strength in the early stages. If it were lost, Qian Jue truly didn't know whether Tang San would still be able to lead Shrek to victory in the Continental Spirit Master Tournament.
Thinking of this, Qian Jue let out a long sigh.
Although Flender had stubbornly insisted on staying in Soto City, preserving Tang San's chance to obtain the Eight Spider Lances, another opportunity might have been lost—the immortal herbs at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well in Sunset Forest.
In the original timeline, Tang San had reached the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well because the Shrek group tried to join Heaven Dou Royal Academy, only to encounter Poison Douluo Dugu Bo. After being forced out by him, they turned toward Blue Tyrant Academy. It was after that encounter that Tang San was secretly abducted by Dugu Bo and taken to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
But now, with Grandmaster having directly called Liu Erlong, and Liu Erlong herself proposing to merge her Blue Tyrant Academy with Shrek Academy, things were different. If they never attempted to join Heaven Dou Royal Academy, they would never clash with Dugu Bo. And without that conflict, Tang San would never be captured and brought to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Which meant—no immortal herbs!
'Damn it!'
Qian Jue squatted down on the academy's training ground, drawing circles on the ground with his finger. When Liu Erlong had first arrived, he hadn't thought so far ahead; otherwise, he probably wouldn't have been in the mood to help her reconcile with Grandmaster at all.
"This damned Dai Mubai," Qian Jue muttered, cursing under his breath. "He just had to go chasing after those Evil Spirit Masters. And now? Go ahead and chase—you chased our opportunities away! Without those immortal herbs, let's see how you catch up to your brother! Without those immortal herbs, let's see how you protect your queen type girlfriend!"
For the first time since arriving in this world, Qian Jue felt like things were slipping out of his control.
---
He stayed on the training field alone for a long while, until he finally managed to calm his frustration. Taking a deep breath, he tidied up his mood and returned to the dorms to cultivate.
'What else could I do? Sit here sulking forever? In the end, it all comes down to my strength not being enough. I just need to focus on cultivating. When we eventually head to Heaven Dou City, I'll improvise. If I can find a way for Tang San and Dugu Bo to meet, I believe as long as Tang San reveals his knowledge of poisons and shows he can treat the poison in Dugu Bo's body, Dugu Bo will definitely take an interest in him. Who knows—things might even go smoother than before.'
Comforting himself with this thought, Qian Jue walked back to the dormitory.
---
The next morning, the sound of rustling woke him. Qian Jue opened his eyes and turned his head to see Tang San getting dressed on the other bed.
"Morning, Xiao San."
"Morning, Jue-ge. Come on, get up, the sun's about to rise." Tang San's voice carried a natural habit. Back at Nuoding Academy, he would often wake Qian Jue, and the two of them would go to the rooftop together every morning—Tang San to cultivate Purple Demon Eye, Qian Jue to watch the sunrise. After years of this, Qian Jue had almost formed the habit himself.
"Mm."
Qian Jue responded, climbing out of bed. Last night he hadn't cultivated at all, instead giving himself a full night of rest. He had buried his fear of the story's changes deep in his heart, while also reorganizing the future events of Douluo in his mind—thinking carefully about how to ensure things stayed as close as possible to the original plot.
After all, familiarity with the story was his greatest advantage in this world. As long as the plot didn't derail too much, the situation would remain in his control.
For this Douluo world, Qian Jue didn't want to change anything. He just wanted to peacefully follow Tang San's side, ride the waves of danger without suffering real harm, and eventually reach the pinnacle of this world together—before living out the rest of his life carefree. That alone would satisfy him.
With that thought, he got dressed and followed Tang San to the rooftop.
Shrek Academy didn't have many tall buildings around it, so they could only make do with watching the sunrise from the roof. Come to think of it, it had already been more than ten days since they'd last watched one together.
"Jue-ge, why did we have to come here early this time? Teacher didn't explain it clearly to me." While waiting for the sunrise, Tang San finally voiced the question he'd been holding inside.
"Hm."
Qian Jue hesitated for a moment, then decided to tell him the truth. After all, Tang San's mind was that of a grown man—knowing wouldn't hurt him, and who knew, maybe he'd even come up with some good insights.
"Evil Spirit Masters."
Tang San frowned. 'Slaughtering civilians, using their lives to cultivate… how is that any different from the demonic sects of my previous world?'
Back in his past life, the Tang Sect had been infamous for its hidden weapons and poisons, but it was unquestionably a righteous sect. Most of its members had upheld justice—they would never commit such acts that defied heaven's wrath. If he were to establish Tang Sect anew in this world, its founding rule must be: whenever encountering Evil Spirit Masters, they must be eradicated!
---
"By the way, Xiao San," Qian Jue suddenly asked, "if—just if—I introduced you to a senior who's very interested in poisons, do you think you'd get along well with him?"
"Someone who studies poison?"
Tang San's eyes lit up instantly. Since arriving in this world, he hadn't met anyone deeply versed in poisons. He didn't know how poisons here differed from those of his previous life, or whether the lethal ones he remembered could even be recreated here.
"If that senior truly loves to delve into the way of poison, then I think we'd definitely get along. Why? Jue-ge, do you actually know such a senior? I'd really love to exchange insights with someone in this field." Tang San spoke without the slightest hesitation, openly revealing his knowledge in poisons. After all, Qian Jue had seen enough of his unusual skills and never pried into where he learned them. He wasn't afraid of exposure—who could possibly guess that he was reborn from another world?
Seeing Tang San's excitement, Qian Jue nodded. "Yeah, I know someone. But he's still in Heaven Dou City right now. When we get the chance to go there, I'll try to introduce you. For now, our main focus should be strengthening our power."
"Alright!"
Tang San agreed readily. He felt the same way—the urgent task was improving his strength. After all, many poisons couldn't even be refined without enough cultivation power. Compared to Qian Jue, who could already exchange blows with Soul Ancestors, he himself hadn't even broken into the rank of Spirit Grandmaster yet. He was the one who most needed to grow stronger.
"Oh, right, Xiao San. Here—this is for you."
Suddenly recalling something, Qian Jue brushed his finger across his storage ring, and an item appeared in his hand. He tossed it casually toward Tang San.
Tang San hurriedly caught it with both hands.
It was a crystal the size of a human head, rough and uneven on the surface, semi-transparent with patches of dull yellow impurities inside. Just by the size, he could tell it wasn't light. The fact that Qian Jue had just flung it at him so casually had nearly made his heart leap.
But before he could complain, his eyes were already drawn to it.
"This is… hair crystal!!" Tang San exclaimed, shocked as he stared at Qian Jue. After only a dozen days apart, Qian Jue had brought him such a precious gift? And more importantly—how did Qian Jue even know he would need something like this? Could it be… he knew?
Tang San's thoughts raced. He had always felt Qian Jue was mysterious—not only was his martial spirit strange, but his knowledge was vast, as though there was nothing he didn't recognize.
"What are you staring at? Don't like it? If you don't, give it back." Qian Jue reached out as if to take the crystal back.
"No!"
Tang San turned immediately, clutching the crystal to his chest.
"Once you give someone a gift, you can't take it back!"
There was no way he'd return such a treasure. Besides, Qian Jue wouldn't even use it himself. Thinking it through, Tang San realized—what secret could be bigger than his own, being a reincarnated soul from another world? Qian Jue had never questioned his hidden weapons or cultivation methods. As long as he knew one thing—that Qian Jue would never harm him—then that was enough.
Qian Jue rolled his eyes.
This crystal, of course, was the ore containing Dragon Beard Needles, which he had taken from Flender. Ranked eighth among the Tang Sect's Hundred Hidden Weapons, the Dragon Beard Needle was something Tang San had adored in the original story. For Qian Jue, it was the perfect chance to earn some goodwill.
"Thanks, Jue-ge!" Tang San said earnestly, carefully storing the spar crystal away. Extracting the Dragon Beard Needles would require a sealed room, so for now, he set it aside and turned his focus to cultivating Purple Demon Eye.
"Mm, enough talk. The sun's about to rise—start cultivating." Qian Jue nodded, gesturing for him to begin.
Tang San looked eastward and saw a streak of golden light already breaking the horizon—the sun really was about to rise. Without another word, he sat down cross-legged, devoting himself wholly to the practice of Purple Demon Eye.
---