Douluo Continent
Shrek City.
Spirit Pagoda Headquarters.
The headquarters of the Spirit Pagoda was situated at the outskirts of the Shrek City. Its founder, Huo Yuhao made it that way as the Shrek City was divided equally among the two forces: Tang Sect and Shrek Academy.
(There were more reasons but let's leave it at that.)
But even then, they both looked quite lackluster in front of the Spirit Pagoda Headquarters.
The Spirit Pagoda Headquarter was the highest building in the whole of Douluo Federation.
At the highest floor of the Spirit Pagoda Headquarters was the office of the President of the Spirit Pagoda.
He was a middle-aged handsome man that went by the name of Qiangu Donfeng. He was the current head of the Spirit Pagoda and also a powerhouse in the Limit Douluo Rank.
Qiangu Donfeng looked at the reports in his table. The reports mentioned a small boy and how he orchestrated one of the biggest slaughter and was currently living a normal life.
That boy was Fan Lin.
Two years ago, a trusted aide of Qiangu Donfeng found a suspicious person who was trying to list out the various corrupted and rich individuals through the data of the Spirit Pagoda.
The aide took actions and found a man who went by the name of Shi Yuan or his alias, Shi Hun.
Shi Yuan was a typical 'I can bring revolution to the world' type of person and was planning on overthrowing the corrupt and evil forces of the world so that it could be a better place.
"Laughable."
Qiangu Donfeng got to know about him and he showed Shi Yuan the actual truth of the world and what it was hiding from the everyone.
After that, Shi Yuan broke down a little. He seemed to accepted his foolishness and naive thinking. He, without any surprises, joined Qiangu Donfeng.
But that wasn't the surprise or major concern for him since Qiangu Donfeng has lots of people joining him. It was the information about a certain someone that interested him to no ends. Emphasis on interested.
It was just that Qiangu Donfeng still had no actual proof of the words of Shi Yuan except for him claiming that he was working with the Child killer and Fan Lin was the child killer.
Qiangu Donfeng ran a few spies of his own and nothing was out of norm. Fan Lin was an introverted kid with a business and little knowledge on 'herbal medicine' but it was nowhere as close as what Shi Yuan described.
So Qiangu Donfeng has put aside the matter of Fan Lin and killed Shi Yuan and his other cronies for wasting his time.
"He could have told a better lie to gain my trust. What's the point of blaming everything on a child who hasn't even grown a single hair on his body?"
He scoffed while burning the paper with the information of Fan Lin. He, his spies and his team had checked everything on Fan Lin and he was just an eccentric and introverted genius that the Shrek Academy was quite fond of.
Since Fan Lin had close relations to Shrek, Qiangu Donfeng has put the thoughts of coercing Fan Lin to his side aside since it could cause the attention of the Shrek Academy to be on him and he wanted to avoid it. At least in the present he doesn't have the luxury to be the centre of the attention of Shrek Academy, or possibly Tang Sect as well.
Hence Fan Lin wasn't worth much to him or Spirit Pagoda.
On the other hand...
"This could be helpful."
Qiangu Donfeng whispered while looking at the Spirit Times which had the headline : The mysterious deaths continue to happen.
'The mysterious death' that's what the public were calling it.
It suddenly started around a year ago and once every few months, some people, raking around thousands, starts dying one by one.
A year later and more than 66600 people have died. At the beginning, many thought that it was the work of the child killer but it was thoroughly denied by the Federation. The media later supported the Federation's claim and showed proof of the difference in the death patterns and victims of the deaths.
Unlike the child killer who killed using various means and killed mostly people who had a bad reputation and were rich and took heavy ransoms.
The mysterious death happened to anyone from from poor or rich, and there were no demand for money. After an official meeting, it was declared that it was the work of an Evil Soul Master who might have been killing people and raising his cultivation.
The death patterns match that of an Evil Soul Masters, the attacks were done in small town that were in the countryside. There was a pause after each attack and the deaths were random.
It all pointed at Evil Soul Masters as they often killed a lot and then wait for sometime and digest the benefits of the killings and then kill again.
However, Qiangu Donfeng knew the truth due to his spies. The Federation also asked for the help of the Spirit Pagoda in this matter as well.
It turned out that the Federation didn't even have an actual truth or evidence on the matter and just blame the basic cause of such disasters: the Evil Soul Masters.
There was just one point.
[Flashback]
- Whoever the person is, they aren't a part of us. -
[Flashback ends]
"Some rogue organisation or a newly awakened evil soul master. Whatever it is, it would be better if it's on our side."
Qiangu Donfeng changed the page and silently read the paper.
"Didn't the Vice President's student join Shrek this year? I wonder if she could be useful."
.....
Shrek Academy
Working students dormitory.
Fan Lin opened the door of his dorm and it had become full of dust again.
"I just cleaned it last month."
He flatly whispered and put the new town list in a box under his bed.
"Another town list finished." He looked at the stack of paper in the box and whispered.
He glanced at his dusty room one more time and got out of his room while closing the door.
On his way out of the forest and towards the plaza, he met another of the protagonist group, Xie Xie.
"Aren't you the one who paid Wulin's food bill in the Dining Hall? What are you doing here?"
"On my way to the Boundless training area." [Fan Lin]
Fan Lin stopped to answer.
"Err, are you a working student as well? I mean, you came from the direction of the working students dormitory."
Xie Xie asked. Fan Lin nodded his head and told Xie Xie that he stayed in the room of Yuanen Yehui and silently left.
He didn't want to tell him his own room.
Fan Lin trained at the Boundless training area till night then changed his place to the forest and resumed his deep meditation.
His life at Shrek was becoming lackluster as it progresses. Fan Lin was even growing bored of killing people, be it in reality or the Spirit Ascension plane.
I wonder if this is the reason that people change to the dark side?
....
A week has passed since the start of the new grade and Fan Lin was stalking Gu Yue.
Why?
Because he got to know that Gu Yue was the disciple of the Vice President of the Spirit Pagoda.
'As expected of the member of the protagonist group.'
Fan Lin had an enmity filled relation to one of the member of the Spirit Pagoda, that is, the current President.
He also got to know about the past of the Spirit Pagoda; the main reason behind the near extinction of the Spirit Beasts and Star Duo forest.
He didn't like them and wanted to wipe them out. But he couldn't.
No matter if he liked it or not but the same Spirit Pagoda that was the cause of the extinction of the soul beasts in the past were also the main reason for the protection of the soul beasts in the present.
If Fan Lin were to remove the Spirit Pagoda completely. The last of the Spirit beasts might cease to exist in the coming years. Or humanity as a whole will cease to exist because Fan Lin couldn't bear them harming the last hope of his.
At that time, he might have to end the human civilization and cover the whole Douluo Planet with enough of his special toxins and D-S that would sustain the world of soul beasts creating a brand new beginning.
'That is one of the last resorts though.'
Fan Lin had enmity with Spirit Pagoda but more than that, he hated the current President Qiangu Donfeng for the things that he was involved in.
Fan Lin didn't want to involve himself with the Spirit Pagoda... but he wanted to know what's happening inside it and use it to his own benefits.
Fan Lin hence chose Gu Yue as she was the perfect target. If Fan Lin was able to influence her well, she could be his eyes and hands, doing his bidding in the Spirit Pagoda.
The current him was weak but if he got even a single weakness of Qiangu Donfeng, he had his ways of tearing him apart.
Just a single weakness.
Fan Lin looked at Gu Yue. He overhead the statement of Elder Cai when she was talking to herself while facing towards the Spirit Pagoda and got to know of Gu Yue's status.
But Fan Lin didn't know something. He didn't overhead Elder Cai. Neither did Elder Cai said it on a whim.
The Previous Headmaster of the Outer Court asked Elder Cai the reason for wanting to be the Headmaster of the Outer Court.
Elder Cai being who she was, told him the reason fearlessly. At that time, something seemed to click in the head of the previous Headmaster of the Outer Court as he suggested the idea of making Fan Lin interested in Gu Yue.
"Are you sick?"
Those were the words Elder Cai said to the previous Headmaster of the Outer Court. Elder Cai knew about Fan Lin. Not just her but literally all the higher ranking Title Douluo's knew about Fan Lin.
She would not send a little girl into the mouth of a demon who was apathetic towards humans.
But the Previous Headmaster was able to use a lot of reasoning and explanation to reel her in his plan.
They knew that Fan Lin didn't have that many good feelings for the Spirit Pagoda, more so when he had already finished two-thirds of the soul beasts history books in the library. He would have finished all of them if the Previous Headmaster didn't hide them in fear.
They didn't even need to think with their knees to know that despite the fact that Fan Lin didn't like Spirit Pagoda, he still has to rely on it for his spirit souls.
Their plan was simple. Introduce the status of Gu Yue as the disciple of the Voice President of the Spirit Pagoda and also the chief of the tower attack.
Then the headmaster will act like he was mad about Fan Lin's previous behaviour and will not give Fan Lin the token for the tower attack.
They understood that Fan Lin seriously wanted to do the tower attack, his past year's actions were the bare proof of it.
So when Fan Lin was denied his tower attack chance and when he realises that there is a student who can help him get it. He will have no choice but the befriend Gu Yue.
Elder Cai had met with Gu Yue and in that short meeting, she thoroughly understood Gu Yue. Gu Yue was stubborn and she won't back down if she didn't like something, lastly she didn't associate with anyone except Tang Wulin.
So how he would convince her to allow him a tower attack would solely depend on Fan Lin.
"That brat has no chance."
Elder Cai once again said.
"That's the plan."
Fan Lin needed to know his place and by someone who was weaker than him. The Headmaster wanted to cut off all paths of Fan Lin and then act as a messiah at the last moment.
"And if he was somehow able to make her accept his demand, then... I don't know. Even I can't think of a way he could succeed with his nature."
The unconfident voice of the previous Headmaster was met with the stare of Elder Cai.
"Just know that Fan Lin has the capability to become a three word Battle Armor under 15. Heck he could become one in less than a week. Don't know why he hasn't completed his set though. He should have quite a lot of money now."
"But the girl you are interested in will get a once in a millennia genius. She is a genius. Geniuses stimulate each other. It should be good."
The previous Headmaster said and disappeared. Elder Cai blankly looked at the empty room and thought a lot before meeting the previous Headmaster again and planning their actions.
There was just one problem.
"Why is he stalking her?"
Elder Cai asked the Headmaster while looking at the stalking Fan Lin from high above.
"Why is he stalking her now? Didn't you say he would pay attention to her after we deny the tower attack token to him? You denied it already?"
She continued. The Previous Headmaster looked at the situation while thinking of the various answers.
"Well, Fan Lin is a smart lad. Maybe he realised that his previous attitude might have made it difficult for him to get the tower attack token from us. So he is preparing for a backup before asking for the token. He doesn't waste time. Maybe."
Elder Cai stared at the previous Headmaster after his answer.
"You better pray, you are right."
Both of them followed the figure of Fan Lin as he was following Gu Yue.
...
Fan Lin was stalking Gu Yue.
Gu Yue knew that. Why was he stalking her? She didn't know.
In the past, she was the one who did the stalking and at that time, Fan Lin was the one who kept disregarding her.
Now he was following her and Gu Yue wanted to disregard him, not because of the previous actions of his when he dragged her on the grass and used her as a meatshield but because she was with Wulin and her two classmates.
What if Wulin got the wrong impression if she were to meet Fan Lin alone?
What if?
So even if Gu Yue really wanted to know exactly why was Fan Lin following her, she had to put that thought aside.
Meanwhile Fan Lin was creepily following behind them.
Soon they all reached the Blacksmith guild of Shrek and Fan Lin followed them until he was stopped by a big man.
"Look who's here? The youngest three word Battle Armorer, even though it's just two pieces."
Saint Blacksmith Feng Wuyu said to Fan Lin while grasping his shoulder. Fan Lin calmly looked at him without any change of emotions in his eyes.
"Can you show me your three word Battle Armor, brat?"
Feng Wuyu said with a wide smile.
"Hmm."
Fan willed his battle armor pieces to appear and his arms were covered with two arm guard like gauntlets.
"Amazing! Why aren't you getting the rest of your armour? I don't think you lack money."
Feng Wuyu said while stroking the three word Battle Armor of Fan Lin.
"The people who created this can't work with me now. Others won't be able to start after them."
Fan Lin nonchalantly said.
"That's true. It would take a lot of time and resources for the new group to continue when you already have two pieces made. You have the points, just hire the people of Shrek. I should be able to craft the alloys for you."
Feng Wuyu said without any hesitation.
"I was thinking of delaying it for now but your words reminded me of something."
Fan Lin was thinking about how there was no need for his battle armor when a thought came to him.
"Is it really true that the top 10 places in the tower attack holds the spirit souls of the strongest soul beasts to ever exist?"
Fan Lin asked the question that he was really interested in. Feng Wuyu looked at him for a moment before nodding.
"Yeah, someone who was once the head of the Seagod Pavillion had gained one of the top 10 Spirit Souls from the tower attack."
Feng Wuyu remarked. A small smile formed on Fan Lin's face.
"How much time would it take you to soul refine the rest of my remaining pieces?"
He added.
"How much time would it take to gather the necessary people?"
"Hahahahahahaha."
Feng Wuyu burst into a deep laughter at Fan Lin's words.
"If you are planning on hurrying then just know it will be harmful to you if we were to proceed rashly." [Feng Wuyu]
"So that's a yes, isn't it? Don't worry about me, just give me the best that you all can provide. I am special." [Fan Lin]
Fan Lin smile was gone as his face became emotionless.
"Are you sure?" [Feng Wuyu]
Feng Wuyu asked again. He casually said that since he was interested. He also knew the difficulty in continuing a creation that was leftover by someone else.
A Battle Armor wasn't a piece of furniture. Even if the design plans and materials are gone with the previous maker, a new one will still be able to salvage the situation, maybe even make it better.
A Battle Armor was different. If there was a single mistake then it could blow up or even destroy the martial soul of the user. Those were common problems when the first Battle Armors were created.
"How fast?" [Fan Lin]
Fan Lin just said two words as he gazed at Feng Wuyu. His green eyes were like two emerald peaking through the ground.
"It would take a week to gather the people. Since there are more than one pieces... and we have to understand the previous two pieces... I would say two months for the complete set." [Feng Wuyu]
Feng Wuyu said after some calculations.
"Good. Here's my number, inform me when you have get them ready."
Fan Lin gave his soul communicator number to Feng Wuyu and left the Blacksmith area.
"Why would I be the one to gather the rest?"
Feng Wuyu dialled Fan Lin's number and shouted in a loud voice.
"You are the one that knows them. Do it."
Fan Lin cut the call and returned to the Working students dormitory to wait for Gu Yue.
He thought he would be able to confirm if she really was a disciple of the vice president of the Spirit Pagoda when she was alone and hence had been following her after she, Wulin and a boy and the girl he knee'd left the grade 1 lecture theater together.
He couldn't find her alone at all so he was planning on waiting for her outside her door.
He sat down a little far from their room and started to cultivate.
"Today was a weird day. I just planned to get as high as I can in the tower attack and hopefully get my hands on the hundred thousand year old spirit soul at half the price but now that the ten strongest soul beasts spirit soul advertisement is true, I want that. It could help me a lot more than I can imagine."
"The western front could be a nice place to start. Will the Federation sell it to me?"
.....
I am happy