"Are you all happy now?"
Gu You clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white as he stared at the top headline flashing across his soul tool phone. His jaw tightened as he forced himself to read the bold, exaggerated title:
"New Era Youth Model: Outsmarting and Battling Evil Soul Masters!"
What a joke. What a load of garbage.
Gu You groaned in frustration, slumping into a chair as he scrolled down. He felt his cheeks heat up in embarrassment. This was supposed to be recognition? The way the article was written — it was a complete mess! Not only had they exaggerated half the facts, they'd managed to twist the entire story into some heroic youth fairytale. And that photo — what the hell was with that photo? Couldn't they have taken a few more shots and picked a decent one? No, they had to use the one where his expression was the absolute worst — wide-eyed, mouth half-open, looking like a confused fool.
Gu You felt like screaming into a pillow.
He sighed heavily, pulling out the commemorative banner from his soul tool ring. His fingers hovered over it, tempted to rip it to shreds right then and there. After all, what was the point of keeping it? Every time he went out in public now, people would point at him and laugh: "Look, there's that awkward-looking hero kid from the news!"
But after a long pause, Gu You's hands loosened, and he carefully placed the banner back inside the ring. No matter how humiliating it felt, this was still officially recognized military merit by the Federation. That mattered. If he ever decided to enlist in the army, having this record could open doors for him, maybe even help him rise faster through the ranks. It wasn't something to throw away lightly.
Trying to shake off the bitterness, Gu You opened the comment section and started scrolling. He was looking at the official page for Tianhai City — his next destination after leaving Tiandou.
As he skimmed through the posts, his lips twitched at the ridiculous arguments breaking out among netizens.
"What's the big deal? If I went up there, I could've done it too." — Netizen: Supreme Douluo.
"Six! Hey, upstairs, what's your cultivation level that you dare talk so big?"
"Afraid to tell you — I'm a Titled Douluo!!"
"…You drunk, bro? I've met over ten thousand Limit Douluo online already. Come on, dare to drop your address? Let's fight." (Attached: a photo of someone with three soul rings.)
Gu You snorted. Below the post, the so-called Supreme Douluo had gone completely silent, not replying again. Meanwhile, the thread had exploded with people mocking him for not daring to back up his words.
'What a circus,' Gu You thought with mild amusement.
The Federation's network had deeply woven itself into people's daily lives. Over ninety percent of the population had some level of internet access. It gave Gu You a strange sense of comfort — no matter what world you were in, as long as there was a certain level of technological development, online trolling and bragging were always the same. The internet, it seemed, was humanity's most universal time-waster.
Before he realized it, over an hour had passed as he absentmindedly scrolled. Then, on the Sun Moon Federation's official website, Gu You stumbled across a particularly absurd comment thread.
Star Luo Empire Embassy to the Sun Moon Federation (official account): "Our empire could really use talents like this."
Douluo Federation official account: "You can keep dreaming." (Accompanied by a smirking emoji.)
Huh?
Gu You's eyes widened in disbelief. The comments section had completely exploded — thousands of likes, countless replies, people joking, arguing, and piling on. The entire thread had gone international.
Gu You quickly shut off the browser, his heart pounding slightly. Good lord — it wasn't just fame inside the Federation now. His name was making waves across borders.
For a moment, he slumped back in his chair, staring blankly at the ceiling. Then, slowly, a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. Maybe… this wasn't such a bad thing after all.
His eyes flicked back to the screen, and he began pulling up data on the Federation's gaming market, its entertainment industries, the booming film market, the rising demand for VR experiences… Ideas began swirling in his head, one after another, faster and faster. His heart stirred with excitement. A dream was quietly, steadily forming — a dream of business, opportunity, and carving out a name for himself beyond just battles and combat.
'Yeah,' Gu You thought, 'there's more than one way to shape a future.'
…
On the shimmering waters of Sea God Lake, Na'er sat cross-legged on the deck of a small yacht, a light breeze brushing her silver hair back from her delicate face. She flipped through the newspaper with slow, graceful fingers, her eyes dancing with amusement as she read about Gu You's legendary exploits splashed across the pages.
A faint, soft laugh escaped her lips — barely more than a whisper, but carrying a strange mixture of fondness and mockery.
Suddenly, the air around her rippled unnaturally, as if the very fabric of space had been disturbed. A powerful aura spread outward, washing over the entire area. In an instant, everything around her stilled. The water ceased to ripple. The breeze stopped mid-stroke. Even the ambient soul power in the air froze, locked in place as if time itself had been momentarily suspended.
"Miss."
A figure materialized silently on the yacht's deck. A long black cloak draped over their shoulders, etched with strange patterns resembling soul beasts, glimmering faintly with purple light. The figure's voice was impossible to place — neither male nor female, soft yet heavy, like a presence that didn't quite belong in this world.
"Is there something you need?" Na'er asked coldly, her expression shifting in an instant. The gentle amusement vanished from her eyes, replaced by an icy sharpness.
"Don't forget the wager. Your emotional fluctuations have been unusually strong lately."
Na'er's eyes flickered, surprise breaking through her cool mask for a split second. Emotional fluctuations? Hers? She hadn't even noticed. Had she really let her feelings stir so openly?
"I won't forget the wager. After all, it decides my life," Na'er said quietly, folding up the newspaper with slow, precise movements. Her gaze hardened as she lifted her head, staring off into the distant horizon. Her eyes, normally soft and ethereal, now radiated a piercing cold light, as if nothing in the world could touch her heart.
But deep inside, Na'er knew — she had let herself care, even if just for a moment. And that, more than anything, was dangerous.
(End of Chapter)
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