Douluo Dalu 1: The Tang Family Rebel

"You're not buying it anymore?"

Hearing the young girl unexpectedly back down, Yun Chuan was slightly surprised. Based on what he knew, the eldest young lady of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan wasn't supposed to be so easygoing at this point in time. Could he have mistaken her identity? Was this girl not Ning Rongrong?

"What? Surprised that I took the initiative to step back?" Ning Rongrong noticed the boy's astonished expression and couldn't help but chuckle softly.

"Indeed, very surprised," Yun Chuan admitted honestly, then leaned in with a curious look. As he moved closer, he asked, "May I know the young lady's name?"

Their faces were now so close that they could feel each other's breath.

Looking at the boy's unremarkable face and those particularly clear, beautiful black eyes, Ning Rongrong should have been angry at someone getting so close. Yet, staring into his pure, innocent gaze, she felt her heart race inexplicably. Her cheeks even seemed to grow warm.

This unfamiliar and unprecedented sensation left Ning Rongrong flustered and uneasy. She quickly turned away. As she walked toward the door, she said, "…My name is Ning Rongrong."

"Ning Rongrong… So she really is the bratty little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan." Watching her graceful figure disappear, Yun Chuan murmured to himself, "It seems the original novel painted too simplistic a picture. A person's character can't be summed up in just a few sentences. Seeing is believing."

After seeing the girl off, Yun Chuan turned back, holding a small bag of gold coins in his hand. "Since she doesn't want to bid, this crystal should go to me, right?"

Seeing the "big spender" leave, Flender couldn't help but pout. He lazily slumped back into his reclining chair, closed his eyes, and drawled, "That's not enough money."

Yun Chuan frowned. "This is one hundred gold soul coins. That's the price we agreed on earlier."

Flender didn't even open his eyes. In a faint, deliberately unclear voice, he said, "That was the price earlier. Now, the crystal costs two hundred gold soul coins."

Yun Chuan's frown deepened.

At this point, he recalled more details from the original story. He knew this man had a habit of squeezing every bit of money from anyone he could. Two hundred gold coins were likely not even the final price.

"Two hundred gold coins—are you sure you won't change it again?" Yun Chuan's voice turned cold as he tried to gauge just how greedy this swindler could be.

Flender, sensing an opportunity, was secretly ecstatic. But outwardly, he maintained his lazy demeanor, still not opening his eyes. "Fine, five hundred gold soul coins. Pay up, and the crystal is yours. Otherwise, please leave."

Yun Chuan's eyes narrowed slightly, though he didn't lose his temper. Instead, he put away the small pouch and pulled out a larger bag containing precisely five hundred gold soul coins. If Flender could restrain his greed, Yun Chuan would let it slide. But if the man proved insatiable…

"Here's five hundred gold soul coins. I'll take the crystal now." He placed the bag of money on the table and turned to pick up the crystal.

But just as he was about to take it, Flender, unable to contain his greed, spoke up again.

"You must've misheard. This crystal now costs two thousand gold soul coins!"

The price had tripled in an instant!

Yun Chuan stopped in his tracks. He turned around and glared coldly at Flender. "They say all merchants are sly, but shouldn't business at least have some basic integrity? Repeatedly changing the price—don't you think you're crossing the line?"

"The price is the price. Take it or leave it," Flender sneered, confident that Yun Chuan's limit was around two thousand gold soul coins. His attitude was cocky, unbothered by the possibility of losing the sale.

"Heh."

Yun Chuan couldn't help but laugh.

Reading the novel hadn't given him such a visceral sense of how infuriating this man could be. Experiencing it firsthand made Flender's behavior even more intolerable.

With a look of disdain, Yun Chuan walked straight to the crystal, picked it up, and stored it in his soul guide without hesitation. Then, he strode toward the door.

"Huh? You didn't pay! Are you trying to run off with it?!" Flender, who had been secretly watching Yun Chuan, sprang from his chair. With his fingers curled like claws, he lunged toward Yun Chuan.

But Yun Chuan, sensing the gust of wind from behind, shifted his steps slightly and dodged the attack with ease.

"You think being a soul master means you can escape that easily?" Flender's mustache twitched as he sneered wickedly.

"Swish!"

With a resounding burst of energy, a pair of massive brown-yellow wings unfolded from Flender's back, covered in metallic, iron-like feathers. Simultaneously, seven soul rings—two yellow, two purple, and three black—rose from beneath his feet, radiating a dazzling brilliance.

"Young man, since you're willing to pay five hundred gold soul coins for this seemingly ordinary crystal, its true value must far exceed two thousand gold soul coins. Charging you two thousand shouldn't be unreasonable, right?" Flender, now fully transformed through his martial spirit, smiled amiably, but his words carried a sharp edge. Judging from his fluent, practiced tone, it was clear this was far from his first time pulling such a stunt.

"Even if this matter were brought before the Soto City Court or the Spirit Hall, you wouldn't gain any advantage. Be a good boy and pay up. After all, you're not really at a loss."

In the Barak Kingdom—or indeed, across the entire Douluo Continent—the law always favored high-ranking spirit masters and nobles.

Looking at Yun Chuan's youthful appearance, Flender was confident he was at most a Spirit Elder, perhaps, at best, a Spirit Ancestor. But as a Spirit Sage, Flender knew that if this issue went to the authorities, his higher rank would give him the upper hand. After all, strength equated to justice in this world. Those with power dictated what was right.

However, as Flender displayed his soul rings and issued his thinly veiled threat, Yun Chuan remained unperturbed. Instead, he wore an expression of growing irritation and deep contempt.

"You could have just set the price at two thousand from the start. But repeatedly reneging and raising the price like a shameless swindler—this is the first time I've encountered someone so despicable. And you call yourself a Spirit Sage? You're a disgrace to all Spirit Sages!"

As soon as Yun Chuan finished speaking:

"Boom!!"

Suddenly, dark, ominous soul rings began to emerge one after another around Yun Chuan. Ultimately, seven pitch-black, ten-thousand-year soul rings rose into the air, exuding an overwhelming and domineering aura. The entire shop seemed to tremble under the sheer pressure, with items on the walls shaking violently. Even the damaged soul tools in the store began emitting bursts of multicolored light.

Yun Chuan's spirit power had reached an astonishing level of seventy-nine, and all his soul rings were ten-thousand-year rings. This made his spirit power density comparable to that of a Titled Douluo.

As soon as the soul rings appeared, the immense, suffocating pressure nearly rendered Flender speechless.

Staring at the seven black soul rings surrounding Yun Chuan and feeling the terrifying, invisible force emanating from him, Flender felt as though a bucket of cold water had been dumped over him. His whole body shivered.

"Seven ten-thousand-year soul rings?! What kind of monster is this?!"

Flender looked at the soul rings hovering around Yun Chuan and felt the oppressive force that almost made it hard to breathe. His heart filled with regret. This time, he had well and truly overplayed his hand.

At that moment, all traces of arrogance and cunning vanished from Flender's face. He looked deeply embarrassed, hastily forcing a smile. "Misunderstanding! It's all a misunderstanding! I had no idea you were also a Spirit Sage, little brother. This was all a mistake on my part. Please forgive me. You can take the crystal—take anything in the store. It's all free, my way of apologizing!"

"If apologies and reparations could solve everything, why would courts exist?" Yun Chuan sneered, watching Flender grovel.

"Then… what does little brother want?" Flender cautiously asked.

"Simple…"

Electric arcs began crackling around Yun Chuan's body, accompanied by the sound of snapping sparks. Soon, his entire body was enveloped in dazzling blue lightning, transforming him into a glowing figure of pure energy—a Lightning Form.

"I just want to beat you up!"

Boom!

The entire shop shook violently.

From outside, flashes of lightning could be seen flickering inside the shop. A raspy middle-aged voice crying for mercy could be heard, interspersed with the sound of furniture and objects shattering.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The trembling of the shopfront continued for quite some time.

Eventually, a young man dressed in white with flowing black hair emerged from the store. His previously ordinary face now radiated satisfaction, as if he had just enjoyed a relaxing massage.

Inside the shop, however, was a different story.

The furniture had been reduced to splinters, soul tools were scattered everywhere, and the walls bore numerous cracks. The floor tiles were utterly pulverized, leaving behind a massive crater in the center. Lying within the pit was a man whose hair stood on end, his face blackened as if charred, his features bruised and swollen, and his clothes reduced to ashes. He looked more like a roasted pig than a human.

Despite his anger, Yun Chuan hadn't killed Flender. Having read the original story, Yun Chuan actually had a certain fondness for this character. There was no reason to take his life—beating him up was punishment enough.

Yun Chuan wasn't a bloodthirsty person.

Besides, he had obtained the crystal, which might hold the key to furthering his strength. In his good mood, he saw no need for further conflict.

"Now, the priority is finding a hotel and figuring out what this crystal can do." Being new to the area and without a place to stay, Yun Chuan decided to find accommodations first. Then, he could take his time exploring the crystal's mysteries.

(End of Chapter)