NOVEL WEB Chapter 178: Chapter 178
**Chapter 178: The System is Investing a Lot of Money**
Two days later, Zhao Ling lay in bed, holding the soundly sleeping Bo Saixi close. Quietly, he summoned the diary panel and began his habitual venting.
[I never imagined that while escorting Xi'er back to Poseidon Island, I'd actually run into Poseidon himself. What are the odds?]
[It's ridiculous—absolutely outrageous. Honestly, when I first saw him, I was nervous.]
[Right now, my combat strength is roughly equivalent to that of a level 98 or 99 Extreme Douluo. If I had to fight Poseidon, I'd probably get beaten like a dog.]
[But I didn't expect Poseidon to instantly assess my bone age, soul power level, and twin martial souls. He even spotted my golden blood, something even I hadn't realized.]
[Well, that's Poseidon for you. A first-class god's sharp eye is no joke.]
[But here's the funny part—he actually mistook me for the direct descendant of some god! Not only was he polite, but he also tried to pry into my 'parentage.']
Zhao Ling smirked, shaking his head as he silently raised his middle finger toward the ceiling of the Temple of Poseidon. "Take that, you nosy god."
The gesture lasted only a second before he hastily retracted his hand. "If he catches me flipping him off, even his mistaken belief about my divine heritage won't save me from a thrashing."
After cooling down, Zhao Ling returned to his diary.
[In hindsight, though, this misunderstanding worked out. Originally, I'd planned to wait until I was strong enough to rival Poseidon before heading to the Douluo God Realm to secure Xi'er's chance to inherit the Sea God's throne.]
[But Poseidon was more impatient than I expected. Upon discovering Xi'er's improved physique, he upgraded her from the top eight trials to the Sea God's Nine Trials.]
[That takes a huge burden off my shoulders. Once Xi'er passes the Nine Trials, she'll become the new Sea God and gain an infinite lifespan. Fantastic.]
[Better still, this ensures that even if Tang San reappears on the Douluo Continent, he'll lose access to the Sea God's inheritance, greatly weakening his potential strength.]
Zhao Ling's thoughts turned more strategic.
[That said, Tang San still has the Asura God's legacy, currently held by Tang Chen. I'll need to figure out how to strip that legacy from Tang Chen to prevent it from falling into Tang San's hands later.]
[But then, who should inherit the Asura God's throne? Not me, obviously.]
A grin spread across his face.
[Why not Dong'er? She'd be a better fit for the Asura God's throne than the Rakshasa God's. Unlike in the original story, she doesn't have that black widow vibe anymore.]
[It's settled. As for Xiao Wu, who was supposed to become the scabbard for the Shura Sword in the original tale, I'll find her a proper godhood instead. After all, being a scabbard is hardly glamorous.]
Zhao Ling chuckled, recalling his previous trip to the Star Dou Forest.
[I didn't encounter Xiao Wu or her mother, Ah Rou, the last time I visited the Star Dou Forest. At the time, I avoided the 100,000-year soul beast area to prevent unnecessary conflict with Da Ming and Er Ming.]
[But now that I'm stronger, I should return to the forest after leaving Sea God Island. It'd be ideal if I could find Xiao Wu and Ah Rou and bring them out of there.]
His thoughts grew somber as he reflected on the original story.
[According to canon, Ah Rou ventures into a dangerous area in search of her deceased spouse and ultimately dies tragically. That leaves Xiao Wu, who's only recently transformed, as an orphan.]
[As a proper LSP, how can I let that happen? It goes against my principles to ignore a beautiful girl in distress.]
Zhao Ling's mischievous grin returned.
[Of course, I also need to verify something: On Blue Planet, it's said that rabbits mature in just six months. A female rabbit can have 6–8 litters a year, with 6–8 offspring per litter. As 100,000-year-old ancestor rabbits, how many children have Xiao Wu and Ah Rou birthed? Heh, squinting-smile JPG.]
After venting his thoughts, Zhao Ling uploaded the diary entry and was immediately rewarded with an S-rank. The system gifted him two designated soul bones, upgraded to the 100,000-year level.
"What the...?" Zhao Ling's eyes widened. "The system's being super generous this time!"
The implications hit him immediately. Upgraded soul bones not only gain new skills but are also exponentially more powerful than their 10,000-year counterparts.
After some consideration, Zhao Ling chose to upgrade the Iron-Armed Demon Ape's left arm bone and the Plate-Armored Giant Rhino's torso bone.
Both bones were early acquisitions—one at 16,000 years and the other at 37,000 years. Compared to his current strength, they were outdated. The upgrade was a no-brainer.
Golden streams of light poured from the diary panel, merging into Zhao Ling's left arm and torso. His body radiated golden light for ten seconds before dimming.
The Iron-Armed Demon Ape's left arm bone gained a new skill: Gravity Field. The field's radius and intensity could be adjusted, with a maximum range of 500 meters and a maximum gravity ten times the target's weight.
Zhao Ling was thrilled. "A second domain skill, and from a soul bone, no less! This combined with my Heavenly Net Domain will crush any enemy stupid enough to step into my range."
The Plate-Armored Giant Rhino's torso bone also gained a new skill: Iron Wall Guard, which instantly boosted defense sixfold, made him immune to defense-weakening effects, and reflected 60% of all damage.
Zhao Ling scratched his head. "It's not bad, but with my damage transfer skill, I rarely take direct hits. Still, this might come in handy."
Grinning at the upgrades, Zhao Ling felt that the system's generosity had truly paid off this time.
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(End of Chapter)