By the time he finished his meal, the small inn had become considerably busier than it had been when he first entered.
The quiet atmosphere of dawn had disappeared, replaced by the ordinary sounds of a town beginning its daily routine. Merchants were already arguing over prices outside, customers were moving between tables, and the innkeeper was constantly moving between the kitchen and dining area.
He remained seated near the window, watching the street while slowly finishing herbal tea.
It had been a surprisingly peaceful morning.
After everything that had happened in the Star Dou Forest, he had almost forgotten what ordinary life felt like. For six months, his world had consisted of spirit beasts, cultivation, hunting, sleeping beneath trees, and occasionally wondering whether some particularly powerful creature had decided that he looked like breakfast.
Now, he was sitting in a normal inn, surrounded by ordinary people, with an actual bed waiting upstairs.
Honestly, this was already an improvement.
He leaned back in his chair and stretched his arms above his head. "That was good."
He had eaten considerably more than an ordinary person should have been able to manage, but his cultivation had always given him an appetite that could become ridiculous after extended periods of fighting and cultivation.
The innkeeper had certainly noticed. The man had looked increasingly confused every time another empty plate appeared. Fortunately, the gold coin he had paid earlier had been more than enough to cover the food.
He glanced down at his clothes again.
His expression slowly changed.
"Right."
He looked at the torn sleeve. Then at the dried blood along the lower part of his robe. Then at another tear near his waist.
"...I still look terrible."
The thought of walking around Heaven Dou Empire dressed like this was suddenly less appealing.
He had spent the last six months in the Star Dou Forest, where clothing quality had been approximately as important as table manners at a spirit beast banquet.
Nobody cared whether his robes were torn when his opponent was a ten-thousand-year spirit beast trying to eat him.
People in towns were different. He could already imagine the looks.
A suspicious stranger covered in dirt and blood entering a clothing shop was probably not going to receive the warmest welcome.
He sighed and stood.
"Helios."
[Yes, Host.]
"Do I have anything in my inventory that can help with this?"
[The Host's Inventory is currently empty.]
"Great."
He paused.
"I was hoping you'd suddenly develop a sense of generosity."
[The System does not possess such a function.]
"Cold."
[The System is incapable of feeling cold.]
He stared at the panel for a moment.
"...You know what? Never mind."
The cyan interface disappeared.
He walked toward the stairs leading upstairs, collected the key to his room from the innkeeper, and headed toward the second floor.
The room was exactly what he expected from a small-town inn.
A wooden cot, a clean old bed on top with white sheets, a small table, a chair, a washbasin, and a window overlooking the street below.
Simply perfect.
He closed the door behind himself and immediately collapsed onto the bed. The mattress was not particularly soft, but after spending countless nights sleeping on the ground, against tree trunks, or on rocky terrain, it felt almost heavenly.
He closed his eyes. He shifted slightly, becoming more comfortable.
"Finally. I should have put a bed in my spirit tool before leaving." He smiled.
"Well, I know that now."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
He opened his eyes again.
He looked out the window. The sky was golden orange. He could see the sun setting behind distant hills.
"How long did I sleep? Must have slept at least 12 hours."
[The Host has slept for 11 hours, 56 minutes and 29 seconds]
"Yes, Helios, thanks for the info."
The system had already made one thing very clear. Eventually, there would be something called a God Trial. And apparently, it would begin when he reached the God King Realm.
Fortunately, that was an extremely distant problem.
He was currently only Level 92.
The distance between Titled Douluo and God King was so enormous that worrying about it now would be like worrying about retirement while still learning how to walk.
He sat up.
"Future me can deal with that."
That settled it. He stood and walked toward the washbasin.
After cleaning himself thoroughly, he changed nothing because he had nothing to change into.
He looked into the small bronze mirror hanging against the wall. His reflection stared back. Long, slightly messy black hair. Sharp but relaxed eyes.
A face that looked considerably cleaner without six months of forest dust covering it.
He ran a hand through his hair.
"Not bad."
He paused.
"Except for the clothes."
There was no escaping that problem.
He needed new clothes.
Immediately.
He left the room and descended the stairs.
The innkeeper looked up as he approached.
"Leaving already, young master?"
"Not yet. I'm going to buy some clothes."
The innkeeper glanced at his robes and immediately understood.
"There is a clothing shop two streets down. Turn left after the grain store, then continue until you see a building with a blue sign."
"Thanks."
He tossed another silver coin onto the counter.
The innkeeper looked surprised.
"You already paid enough."
"Consider it payment for the information."
The man hesitated before accepting it with a smile.
He stepped outside.
The evening sunlight illuminated the town streets, and the number of people moving around had increased considerably. He walked through the crowd casually.
Nobody paid particular attention to him. That was exactly how he liked it.
He did not want people recognizing him.
And he certainly did not want anyone discovering that the apparently ordinary traveler walking through their town was actually a Level 92 Titled Douluo.
Being unnoticed was peaceful. Peace was valuable.
He intended to keep it that way.
As he walked, he looked around. The sights were mesmerizing. He had long forgotten how it was to walk among ordinary townsfolk. He saw children playing on the street. Carts moved here and there with wares and people. He saw shopkeepers shouting their wares and customers haggling over prices.
It was simply perfect.
[The System notes that the Host is feeling peaceful.]
"Yeah... Its been so long since I saw all this."
After walking for several minutes, he found the clothing shop.
The building was larger than he had expected, with several mannequins positioned near the entrance displaying various styles of clothing.
He stepped inside.
A middle-aged woman behind the counter looked up.
"Welcome. Looking for something specific?"
"Several sets of clothes."
She glanced at him. Then at his robes.
Her expression became sympathetic. "Judging by those clothes, you've had quite a journey."
"You could say that."
"Traveling?"
"Something like that."
She smiled politely. "What kind?"
He considered the question.
"Mostly the kind where things try to kill me."
The woman stared at him. "Soul Master?"
"Right."
She pointed toward another section.
"We have several styles over there that would be more suitable."
He followed her.
The selection was surprisingly decent. There were simple robes, formal clothing, traveling outfits, lighter combat garments, all designed specifically for Soul Masters.
"These."
He picked up one set.
The material was light but durable, allowing easy movement without sacrificing appearance.
"How much?"
"50 silver coins for the formal suits. 85 for the combat garments." The woman gave him the price.
He nodded.
"I'll take 4 formal suits and 5 combat garments."
She looked surprised. " Seems like you visit the Spirit Arena a lot."
He didn't respond. He just smiled as he continued looking through the racks.
"Different colors."
"Of course."
He selected several sets, choosing mostly light colors, though the combat garments were dark, as they helped hide blood and stains better.
He eventually found a white robe with blue undertones.
He held it against himself.
"Hmm."
He looked toward the mirror.
"Helios."
[Yes, Host.]
"Be honest."
[The System is incapable of lying.]
"Does this look good?"
There was a pause.
[The Host's appearance is satisfactory.]
He stared at the panel.
"...Satisfactory?"
[Would the Host prefer an alternative assessment?]
"Forget it."
The shopkeeper had been watching him with increasing confusion.
"Is something wrong?"
"No."
He put the robe down.
"I was talking to myself."
She smiled awkwardly. "Of course."
The shopkeeper packed everything carefully. He set down a bag of gold coins. The amount was trivial to him.
For someone who had spent years cultivating and hunting spirit beasts, ordinary money had never been particularly difficult to acquire.
The shopkeeper looked at the bag, then at him, and again at the bag.
"This is way more than what you bought. You can basically buy the whole store for this money. I can't take it."
Wang Luan simply sighed, "Consider it a tip."
Before she could respond, he took the package and stepped outside.
For the first time in months, he had clean clothes. It was a surprisingly satisfying feeling.
He found a quiet alley nearby and stored the package inside his system inventory.
The cyan panel appeared.
[Inventory:
1. Clothing Set ×9]
He smiled.
"Much better."
He started walking again. Then stopped.
"Wait."
He looked at the panel.
"Inventory can store physical objects?"
[Affirmative.]
"So I don't actually have to carry anything."
[Correct.]
"That's incredibly useful."
He looked at the package that had just disappeared. Then at his empty hands.
A grin appeared.
"I love this system."
[The System appreciates the Host's approval.]
"Don't get emotionally attached."
[The System is incapable of emotional attachment.]
"Good."
He continued walking. After wandering through the town for a while, he eventually found a quiet corner away from the main streets.
He changed into one of his new outfits.
The new clothes fit comfortably and allowed him to move freely. The fabric was light enough for combat while still looking presentable enough that he could walk into a respectable establishment without appearing as though he had just escaped from the wilderness.
He looked at his reflection in a shop window.
"...Now I look like a normal person."
He adjusted his collar.
"Mostly."
His appearance had changed more than he expected.
The clean clothing, combined with his naturally composed appearance and restrained aura, made him look considerably younger than the terrifying cultivator he actually was.
If he concealed his cultivation completely, most people would probably assume he was simply a talented young Soul Master.
That was exactly what he wanted. He began walking toward the edge of town. He had stayed long enough. There was no reason to remain here.
But before leaving, he remembered something.
"Helios."
[Yes, Host.]
"Show me the System Store again."
The cyan interface appeared.
[System Store]
The contents were far more extensive than he had examined earlier.
There were cultivation resources, weapons, techniques, medicinal items, special materials, spirit beast-related items, and various strange objects whose descriptions were difficult to understand.
He scrolled through them slowly. Some prices were reasonable. Others were absurd.
He found one medicinal resource that cost several hundred System Points. Another technique required thousands.
Then he saw something that made him stop.
[Random Martial Spirit Evolution Token]
[Price: 10,000 System Points]
He raised an eyebrow.
"Ten thousand?"
[Affirmative.]
"And I currently have..."
[Zero System Points.]
"Right."
He continued scrolling.
There were items capable of increasing cultivation, improving comprehension, strengthening physiques, and even temporarily enhancing certain abilities.
The possibilities were enormous. But there was one problem. He had no points.
"So the quests really are important."
[Correct.]
He closed the store.
"Fine."
He looked toward the road leading away from town.
"For now, I'll just cultivate normally."
A peaceful life. That was still the goal. He had no interest in chasing every opportunity the system presented.
If a quest appeared, he would consider it. If a reward was useful, he would accept it. But he wasn't going to become some obsessive quest hunter.
He had already spent enough of his life fighting. He wanted to live. Quietly. Preferably comfortably. Maybe with good food. Maybe with a nice house.
And—
His thoughts suddenly shifted. His expression softened. A familiar face appeared in his mind. A girl with long silver hair and a gentle smile.
Tang Yuehua.
He had not seen her for more than six months. They had been separated before, but this time felt different. He had disappeared into the Star Dou Forest as a Soul Douluo.
Now he was returning as a Level 92 Titled Douluo.
And there was no way she would simply ignore that.
He smiled faintly.
"She's probably going to ask where I've been."
He imagined her expression when she saw his new cultivation. Then he imagined her asking why he had disappeared for so long without properly informing her.
His smile slowly disappeared.
He sighed, "...I'm definitely sleeping on the couch."
"Still worth it."
The thought made him smile again. He stepped onto the road.
The Celestial Sword appeared beneath his feet. He glanced back at the town one last time. Nothing remarkable had happened there. And that was precisely why he liked it.
No battles. No powerful enemies. No unexpected disasters.
Just food, clothes, and a few hours of peace.
"Maybe I can make this kind of life work."
He stepped onto the sword and rose slowly into the sky.
The wind brushed against his face. His new robes fluttered behind him.
He smiled, "Next stop, Heaven Dou City."
The sword accelerated. His figure quickly became a distant silhouette against the evening sky before disappearing beyond the horizon.
Far away, the capital of the Heaven Dou Empire continued its ordinary morning. He had no idea what awaited him there. But for the first time since receiving the system, he wasn't particularly worried.
Whatever happened next could wait.
For now, he was going home.
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To all my readers out there.
I had paused on publishing because I had been hospitalized after I got diagnosed with Tuberculosis. I was told to rest and I couldn't get myself to start writing. But now I finally pulled through.
Thanks for the understanding and support.