Barely Becoming a Titled Douluo, and the Counterattack System Arrives

Half a year later.

On the top floor of Moon Pavilion, Lin Fan sat before Tang Yuehua, gracefully playing the harp.

A serene, composed, and noble aura radiated from him.

If one were to sense the room by aura alone without looking, it would feel as though there wasn't a single person present—Lin Fan's aura had merged entirely with the melody.

As the elegant, flowing tune came to an end, Tang Yuehua slowly opened her eyes, filled with heartfelt admiration.

"Fan-ge, I didn't expect that after only half a year, you've already surpassed students I've taught for over a year. I honestly don't even know what to say." Her gaze held nothing but praise.

Lin Fan gently put down the harp and stood up, smiling. "It's all thanks to your excellent teaching, Madam. So, have I passed your test?"

"I hereby declare that you've passed my most rigorous assessments, and you've graduated with absolute perfection." Tang Yuehua said seriously, before teasingly adding, "As expected of my man—you are different from everyone else."

Lin Fan stepped forward, pulling her into an embrace as he sincerely said, "Yuehua, thank you. Thank you for your tireless teaching these past six months."

Tang Yuehua's eyes softened with affection. "Fan-ge, we don't need to be so formal with each other. Besides, during these months, you've also taught me a great deal about soul master knowledge. Haven't I been learning from you, too?"

During the past six months of studying by Tang Yuehua's side at Moon Pavilion—

Finally, after so long, Lin Fan heard the familiar yet cold system prompt once more—emotionless and mechanical.

He had almost forgotten that he still had this glitchy so-called "Counterattack System."

Naturally, it was a notification telling him the task was complete.

[Congratulations to the host for completing six months of rigorous training, perfectly merging emotional control and aura. Your heart has been cleansed, and your state of mind has improved. Task completed.]

[Task rewards: Fourth soul ring of Blue Shadow Sword upgraded by 5,000 years; rewarded with a 50,000-year wisdom-type head soul bone; and a mysterious secret realm map fragment.]

With the rewards granted, Lin Fan's fourth soul ring successfully advanced from a thousand-year ring to a ten-thousand-year ring.

At the same time, he absorbed the wisdom-type head soul bone the night before, gaining a new soul bone skill—Pierce Illusions.

Pierce Illusions: Upon activation, boosts spiritual power by 50% and allows the user to see through all disguises and illusions.

As for the mysterious map fragment, Lin Fan had studied it the entire night—it was merely a torn corner.

The piece of map he received showed nothing but barren wasteland, not a single blade of grass in sight.

"System, you call this a map? There's barren land all over the place—there's not even a single landmark! Are you messing with me?"

After staring at it all night, Lin Fan concluded he had likely been tricked again—perhaps the system glitched and gave him the wrong map piece.

Originally, Lin Fan had hoped to use the map to locate the secret realm ahead of time by comparing it to the Douluo Continent's maps.

But this map fragment had no reference points at all—there was simply no way to track it.

What was worse, the system gave no response at all—neither new tasks nor any other updates.

This left Lin Fan utterly speechless.

"Fan-ge, now that your aura and emotions are so well-controlled, are you planning to leave again?" Tang Yuehua asked softly.

"I will leave eventually, but not just yet." Lin Fan replied truthfully.

Tang Yuehua pushed him away slightly with a look of complaint. "Can't you just stay here with me? Or perhaps we could return to the Clear Sky Sect together. You're already a Titled Douluo now—you don't need to train so relentlessly anymore."

Lin Fan smiled and gently held her hand, comforting her. "Don't worry, Yuehua. Even if I leave Heaven Dou City, I won't disappear for years like before. Besides, I don't plan to leave anytime soon."

"But now that I've graduated, I can't keep living at Moon Pavilion and disrupting your classes, can I?"

"Besides, at 94th-rank Titled Douluo, I'm far from strong enough. There are at least twenty Titled Douluo stronger than me on this continent."

Tang Yuehua sighed, her tone tinged with a hint of grievance. "Hmph, I just knew that an old woman like me wouldn't be able to keep you."

Lin Fan chuckled. "If you're an old woman, wouldn't that make me an old grandpa?"

More seriously, he added, "Now that I won't be staying at Moon Pavilion, I'll need a new place to live. I can't stay in inns every day."

"I should buy a house nearby. After all, Moon Pavilion technically belongs to the royal family—it wouldn't be appropriate for me to stay here forever. Plus, I'll be able to quietly cultivate."

"And you also know my identity. During the past six months here, some people have likely begun investigating me. If I keep staying here, it could cause trouble for both you and the Heaven Dou royal family. I need to leave Moon Pavilion." Lin Fan explained solemnly.

Tang Yuehua eventually relented. "Fine, I'll ask Steward Aude to help find you a suitable house tomorrow."

"That won't do. A place to live must be chosen personally to see if it's comfortable." Lin Fan shook his head firmly.

"That's true. Then tomorrow, I'll accompany you myself. You've been at Moon Pavilion for months now—you've barely had the chance to explore Heaven Dou City." Tang Yuehua offered with a soft smile.

"No need, Yuehua. Don't forget, your students' annual graduation ceremony is coming soon. You can't just leave your duties right now. Besides… hasn't the Crown Prince been sticking close to me for half a year now? I'll have him accompany me instead." Lin Fan chuckled.

Tang Yuehua smiled helplessly. "Alright then."

—

Meanwhile, inside the Crown Prince's residence, Snake Spear and Porcupine Fish Douluo were standing guard outside Qian Renxue's chambers.

Suddenly, a surge of spirit power burst from within.

The two Douluo quickly exchanged glances, silently erecting barriers to contain the fluctuations.

Soon, the wave of spirit power dissipated as quickly as it came.

"You may enter," Qian Renxue's voice rang out.

Inside, Snake Spear's face lit up. "Young Mistress, you've broken through to Rank 60?"

Porcupine Fish looked shocked. "To think the Young Mistress rose two ranks in just six months! How is this even possible?"

Qian Renxue's expression was calm but tinged with reflection. "At first, I only approached Lin Fan to test him…"

"But I never expected that after studying etiquette and music with him and Lady Yuehua for these months, I'd slowly start to calm down."

"As I reviewed the events of the past few years, I realized how mentally exhausted I'd become."

"Surprisingly, during this time of peace, without actively cultivating, my soul power has risen much faster than before."

She spoke with rare honesty, her voice filled with complicated emotions.

Snake Spear nodded in understanding. "Perhaps this is what they call balancing tension and relaxation—cultivation should bring joy."

Porcupine Fish, however, still looked suspicious. "Could that Lin Fan be so capable? Young Mistress, after so long, do you know his true strength?"

Qian Renxue's eyes grew serious. "I don't know. Sometimes, I can't even sense his aura at all—his control over his emotions and spirit is flawless."

"But I'm certain… his strength is far beyond what we imagined. I suspect he's already reached Titled Douluo."

"Titled Douluo? Impossible!" Porcupine Fish blurted out. "His innate spirit power was only rank six. How could he possibly reach Titled Douluo at just forty-something?"

"I know it sounds ridiculous," Qian Renxue replied. "But Lin Fan… we can't judge him by common sense. Even I've improved so much after this half-year—I refuse to believe he hasn't."

Her voice was firm, and her conviction only grew stronger.