Simultaneous Transmigration: From Douluo Continent to the Pinnacle

Tianya City.

A major town at the border of the Northwest and Central Plains, with tall and thick city walls, and bustling with people and caravans at its city gates.

As a hub city connecting the Northwest to the Central Plains, its prosperity far surpasses that of any city in the Black Corner Region.

Shops lined both sides of the street, selling all sorts of rare goods from Zhongzhou, and the air was filled with a scent that blended spices, herbs, and exotic animals.

However, what's most intriguing are the people entering and leaving the city—most of them possess cultivation levels of Dou Wang or even Dou Huang, and occasionally one can sense the aura of a few Dou Zong powerhouses. These powerful individuals, who would be capable of establishing sects in the Northwest Continent, are as common as ordinary passersby in Tianya City.

"Zhongzhou is indeed Zhongzhou." Lin Yao looked around at the street scene and sighed inwardly.

The Luo family mansion was located in the most prosperous area of ​​Tianya City, occupying an entire half street. The vermilion gate was tall and imposing, with two fierce stone lions standing in front of it, exuding an aura that kept strangers at bay. Lin Yao and the Old Ghost Zhaixing stopped in front of the gate, and after a short while, a middle-aged man hurriedly came out to greet them.

"Lord Zhaixing!" The middle-aged man clearly recognized Old Ghost Zhaixing. Upon seeing him, he immediately bowed and greeted him with a fawning smile. "I was unaware of your arrival, sir. I apologize for not welcoming you properly. The Ancestor is currently in seclusion in the back hall. I will go and inform him immediately. Please come in and have some tea, sir."

"No need." Old Ghost Zhaixing waved his hand. "This is Lord Lin Yao, my honored guest. We need to use the spatial wormhole in the city to travel to the Northern Region of Central State. Please make the arrangements."

"Yes, yes, yes, I'll arrange it right away." The middle-aged man responded repeatedly, but his gaze involuntarily drifted to Lin Yao beside him. The young man appeared to be only around twenty years old, dressed in a white robe, his face unbelievably youthful, his gaze calm and relaxed, like a junior accompanying him. However, with the middle-aged man's years of experience in Tianya City, he had a feeling that this young man was far from simple—who was this Old Ghost Zhaixing? A Dou Zun powerhouse from the Soul Palace, he was always arrogant and disdainful, even towards the patriarch. When had he ever used the term "distinguished guest" to anyone?

In that instant, countless thoughts raced through the middle-aged man's mind. But he remained outwardly calm, courteously leading the two to the main hall in the backyard, serving them fragrant tea and snacks, and then, under the pretext of informing the patriarch, quickly withdrew.

Only Lin Yao and Old Ghost Zhaixing remained in the main hall. Lin Yao took a leisurely sip of his tea, his gaze sweeping over the furnishings in the hall. Suddenly, he smiled and said, "The Luo family is living quite well. Much richer than I imagined."

Old Ghost Zhaixing was taken aback upon hearing this. Following Lin Yao's gaze, he saw that the walls of the hall were covered with calligraphy and paintings by famous artists, and the shelves were filled with various rare antiques. Even the tea set on the table was exquisitely carved from the finest white jade, exuding an air of wealth everywhere. He smiled and said, "The Luo family controls the passage through the spatial wormhole, and every year they extract an immeasurable amount of money from the merchants who travel there. In this small area of ​​Tianya City, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the Luo family is as rich as a country."

"Really?" Lin Yao lowered his head and blew on the few leaves floating on the teacup, his tone as casual as if he were discussing the weather. "That's perfect. I'm a little short on cash lately and was just thinking of borrowing some."

Old Ghost Zhaixing paused slightly in his tea-serving hand. He looked up at Lin Yao, only to see that the other's expression was normal, even carrying a gentle smile, as if he had just made a casual joke. But who was Old Ghost Zhaixing? He had spent most of his life in the Soul Palace, and his ability to read people was already superb. How could he not hear the undisguised meaning in Lin Yao's words?

He remained silent for a long while, ultimately choosing to stay silent. Although the Luo family paid tribute to the Soul Hall every year, they were essentially nothing more than a dispensable watchdog for the Soul Hall; whether they lived or died, the Soul Hall wouldn't truly care. Since Lin Yao wanted to use the Luo family as a scapegoat, he had no reason to stop him, nor did he want to.

Half an hour later, an elderly man in a brocade robe, with gray hair and a ruddy complexion, strode in. It was none other than Luo Hou, the patriarch of the Luo family. From afar, Luo Hou cupped his hands in greeting and said with a warm smile, "Old Ghost Zhaixing, what brings you to my Tianya City? I'm so sorry for not welcoming you properly!"

Old Ghost Zhaixing rose and returned the greeting, then pointed to Lin Yao beside him: "Elder Luo, you're too kind. This is young friend Lin Yao, an important person to me. He's here today to discuss some matters with Elder Luo."

Luo Hou's gaze finally settled on Lin Yao. He narrowed his eyes and scrutinized him for a moment, secretly taken aback—he couldn't see through this young man's aura at all, like a deep pool, calm on the surface, yet concealing something astonishing beneath. Luo Hou had roamed Tianya City for hundreds of years and seen countless powerful figures, but this was the first time he had encountered a young man so unfathomable.

"Young friend Lin Yao?" Luo Hou suppressed his surprise and put on a smile. "May I ask what brings you to my humble abode?"

Lin Yao put down his teacup, his tone gentle: "Elder Luo, you're too kind. I've come here for two reasons. First, to borrow your esteemed residence's spatial wormhole to travel to Zhongzhou. Second…" He paused, his gaze settling calmly on Luo Hou's face, and smiled slightly, "I've heard that the Luo family is very wealthy, with many fine treasures stored in their storerooms. I happen to need a batch of medicinal herbs and magic cores, and I'd like to ask Elder Luo for some. What do you say?"

The smile on Luo Hou's face froze.

He never expected Lin Yao to ask so bluntly, especially with Old Ghost Zhaixing present. His eyes flickered as he looked at Old Ghost Zhaixing, only to see the man sipping tea, seemingly oblivious to everything. Luo Hou's heart sank—Old Ghost Zhaixing was clearly condoning this brat's insolence!

"Hehe, young friend, you jest." Luo Hou forced a smile. "Although the Luo family has some savings, they are all low-class things, hardly worthy of your attention. If you need some travel expenses, I can offer some as a token of goodwill."

Lin Yao didn't answer, but simply stared at Luo Hou without moving. His eyes released no pressure, no killing intent, only a calm gaze, like someone patiently awaiting an answer. Yet it was precisely this calmness that made Luo Hou feel an invisible pressure.

The air grew quiet.

Luo Hou's mind raced. The old ghost Zhaixing's attitude was strange; he was both accompanying him and not interfering; it seemed he had preordained Lin Yao's actions, yet also that he was setting a trap. Either way, it indicated this young man was no ordinary person, capable of having the Soul Hall support him. But the Luo family had been established in Tianya City for centuries. If they were frightened into handing over their treasure trove by a mere youth's words, what would become of their reputation?

Luo Hou smiled broadly: "How could I possibly neglect such an honored guest? How about this, I'll have someone prepare a generous gift, a selection of top-quality medicinal herbs, and deliver them to your residence, young master, as a token of my appreciation..."

"Elder Luo," Lin Yao interrupted him, his tone indifferent, even somewhat lazy, "I have no interest in bargaining. Your Luo family might be considered a watchdog in the Soul Palace; but here with me, regarding you and your family's wealth, I can give you two choices. First, open the treasure vault voluntarily, I'll select a batch of medicinal herbs, and the rest will be yours; second, I'll go and retrieve them myself, and how much will be left in the vault will depend on your Luo family's luck."

Luo Hou's expression changed drastically, and a surge of anger rushed to his head. He, Luo Hou, had been in charge of the Luo family for hundreds of years, and had never been so humiliated in front of others! Just as he was about to lash out, he suddenly sensed that the young man's aura in front of him had loosened slightly—just a slight movement, but it was like a crack appearing in the abyss, revealing the boundless darkness below.

That aura made Luo Hou's soul tremble. In that instant, he finally understood that the seemingly gentle young man in front of him was actually an ancient ferocious beast, wearing a human skin, seemingly harmless, but in reality, he could easily crush the Luo family into dust at any time.

Sweat streamed down Rahu's back.

He knew the people of the Soul Palace were cold-blooded and ruthless, but at least they would offer him a glimpse of reality. This young man, however, had no interest in even that; he simply bared his fangs.

"...Alright." Luo Hou took a deep breath, closed his eyes briefly, and finally revealed a bitter smile. "Since young friend takes a liking to these things from the Luo family, it is an honor for the Luo family. I will now take you to see the storeroom."

The old ghost, Zhaixing, watched the scene unfold silently, teacup in hand. He inwardly sighed: This Lin Yao is truly no pushover. He leveraged the power of the Soul Palace and used his own strength as a trump card, managing to get the Luo family to obediently open their treasure vault with just a few words. This combination of soft and hard tactics, each step meticulously planned, was something even seasoned veterans of the Central Plains might not have been able to execute more cleanly.

Lin Yao leisurely strolled through the Luo family's treasure vault, selecting about 30% of the medicinal herbs and magic cores to store in his storage ring. The quantity wasn't extremely large, but the quality was all top-notch. With this batch of herbs, his previously somewhat scarce high-level pill formula materials were greatly replenished, enough to refine several batches of high-grade eighth-rank pills.

He carefully put away the storage ring, turned around and looked at Luo Hou, who had been following behind him with an extremely unpleasant expression, and suddenly smiled slightly: "Elder Luo, there's no need to feel sorry for me. Since I've taken this batch of things from you, I'll give you something in return. Putting everything else aside, if any foolish person comes to cause trouble for the Luo family in the future, just send someone to Canaan Academy to deliver a message, and someone will naturally handle it for you."

Luo Hou was taken aback, his expression complex. He instinctively felt the young man was spouting nonsense, but the strength the man had just displayed made him hesitant to dismiss his words. He cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, his voice somewhat hoarse: "Then... thank you, young friend."

Lin Yao didn't say anything more. He understood that using the Soul Hall's name to intimidate the Luo family, then using his own strength as a foundation, plus a small promise—these three moves combined were enough to make the Luo family harbor resentment while also feeling fear and anticipation. That's how people are; when you can neither defeat someone nor avoid them, if they're still willing to give you a glimmer of hope, you'll unconsciously gravitate towards them.

This glimmer of hope was a pawn Lin Yao had planted. To establish himself in Zhongzhou, he needed a foothold and informants. Tianya City held a unique geographical position, a vital passage connecting the Northwest and Zhongzhou; anyone traveling this route would inevitably pass through Tianya City. By planting his pawn here, he was essentially placing a pair of eyes along the essential route from Zhongzhou to the Northwest.

This game has only just begun.

That night, Lin Yao stayed overnight in Tianya City, where the Luo family arranged the best guest room for him. The next morning, Lin Yao and the Old Ghost Zhaixing arrived at the central square of Tianya City. In the center of the square stood a massive spatial wormhole, its entrance glowing with a ghostly blue light, like a giant mirror suspended in mid-air. Spatial fluctuations slowly emanated from the entrance; even standing several dozen feet away, one could feel the dizzying sensation caused by the spatial distortion.

Space wormholes are a wondrous existence.

Inside, all around him were shimmering, iridescent spatial ripples, flowing like transparent ribbons. When Lin Yao first entered the wormhole, he could feel the powerful suction pulling him forward, but as time passed, the discomfort gradually subsided, replaced by a strange sense of belonging.

Lin Yao closed his eyes, his spiritual power extending in all directions like a spiderweb. His soul power touched the spatial ripples on the wormhole wall, sensing their flowing trajectory and regular fluctuations. This passage constructed of spatial power was actually a spatial fold torn and fixed by a powerful being, connecting two infinitely distant spatial points in a mysterious way. The spatial power that maintained the stability of the passage, seemingly chaotic, actually operated according to some profound rules.

Lin Yao's Five Elements Technique was based on comprehending the origin of heaven and earth. As his spiritual power continuously interacted with the spatial ripples, he vaguely captured a profound rhythm. That rhythm was like a silent melody, eternally playing between heaven and earth. He extended his soul power along that rhythm, allowing his spiritual power to permeate the surrounding ripples like a drop of water merging into the ocean.

The pulse of space suddenly became clear.

Lin Yao could feel as if he were in an invisible ocean. The spatial ripples were like waves in this ocean, seemingly independent, but in reality, they were part of the same seawater. His consciousness rose and fell with those waves, sensing the invisible yet omnipresent rhythm of the spatial power. Gradually, the battle qi within his body seemed to be drawn by something, spontaneously resonating with the spatial power outside.

Strands of spatial energy seeped into his body with each breath, merging into his meridians and converging in his dantian. This energy didn't repel his battle qi; instead, it flowed like living water into a deep pool, making his already formidable battle qi even more solid and powerful. Deep within his dantian, the vast energy derived from the Five Elements Technique was undergoing a profound transformation. The spatial energy that had merged into it acted as a catalyst, causing the already saturated power within his body to begin a new surge.

Nine Stars Dipper Venerable.

This realm, which was already at the pinnacle of the Dou Zun level, was achieved so inexplicably within the wormhole. Lin Yao opened his eyes, a deep light flashing within them. He raised his hand and made a grasping motion; a wisp of spatial power leaped and spun in his palm before dissipating. He felt that power, a satisfied smile appearing on his lips.

"Interesting. The rules of space are so profound and vast. Every encounter brings new insights." Lin Yao hadn't expected that a simple journey would allow him to take another big step forward in his cultivation. But Lin Yao didn't flaunt it. He suppressed the aura that naturally dissipated during his breakthrough and returned to his calm and reserved state.

This journey has yielded more rewards than I had imagined.

……