That was the target of Bai Chen's trip.
For some reason, the moment Xue E saw the silver-haired girl, that thought surfaced instinctively in his heart.
And reality soon confirmed it.
After a brief pause, Bai Chen walked straight over, crouched in front of the girl, and asked gently,
"What's your name?"
The girl lifted her head and met his gaze for a few seconds before softly replying,
"Na'er."
"Na'er… where are your parents?"
Bai Chen asked, though he already knew the answer.
Na'er lowered her head in silence and slowly shook it.
Suppressing the excitement surging in his chest, Bai Chen turned to Xue E.
"Uncle Xue, could you please check with the city government? If her parents can't be found… let me take her home."
"…?"
Hearing this, Na'er looked up at him in surprise. When he returned her look with a warm smile, she quickly lowered her head again, hiding her expression.
Xue E looked troubled.
"Young Master, we need the Master's permission for that."
Bringing Bai Chen to Aolai City was one thing. Xue E indulged him easily in such matters.
But bringing home an unknown child?
That was a different issue.
"Please," Bai Chen said firmly. "I'll convince Father."
After holding his serious gaze for a few moments, Xue E finally sighed.
"…Alright."
He had lost.
They went to the city office to investigate.
As expected, there was no record of Na'er. No missing child reports. No registered information.
Nothing.
With no other choice, Xue E honored his word and brought both Bai Chen and Na'er back toward Skysea City.
On the way, Na'er, perhaps truly exhausted, began nodding off like a pecking chick.
"If you're sleepy, just sleep," Bai Chen said softly.
Na'er startled awake and shook her head stubbornly, as if to insist she wasn't tired.
But soon enough, sleep claimed her. Her small body tilted sideways, collapsing gently against him.
Bai Chen adjusted his posture slightly, letting her rest more comfortably on his shoulder.
Then he closed his eyes.
But unlike Na'er, he did not sleep.
He began to meditate.
In the Douluo I timeline, the Spirit Hall member had told him cultivation methods would only be taught after reaching Spirit City.
So for now, he used the most basic cultivation technique passed down by the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
At this moment, the three versions of him in three different timelines began cultivating simultaneously.
Very quickly, he sensed the differences.
Douluo I
This was the fastest.
The moment he calmed his mind, he entered meditation almost instantly.
Perhaps due to the immense spiritual attribute of the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, his thoughts became unprecedentedly clear. It was as though he could sense everything.
The clarity was almost magical.
Douluo II
It took about two minutes to enter meditation.
Compared to Douluo I, his perception here was noticeably weaker.
Even at only level ten, the gap in spiritual power was already showing.
Bai Chen felt a bit helpless.
Douluo III
After an entire hour of effort—
He opened his eyes.
The worst-case scenario had happened.
In this timeline, he could barely cultivate normally at all.
It seemed he had perfectly inherited the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's trait: only able to advance through devouring life.
Or perhaps… this was part of the Evil God's design.
That raised an even bigger question.
What exactly was going on with this divine trial?
The Evil God position should currently belong to Ji Dong. So who was administering his trial?
The former Evil God?
Or the current one—Ji Dong?
Questions piled up like mountains, giving Bai Chen a headache.
Boom—
A sudden explosion rang in his ears, making him jolt upright.
But he quickly realized—
The sound did not come from this timeline.
It came from Douluo I.
Douluo I Timeline
At the thunderous roar, Bai Chen's body trembled. He leapt from his bed instantly.
Through the window, he saw golden flames raging outside. Villagers' screams pierced the air.
His expression turned grim.
Don't tell me…
A terrible guess formed in his mind.
He threw open the door and rushed outside.
"What are you doing out here?! Get back inside and hide! A soul beast has appeared!"
The Spirit Hall member who had awakened his martial soul shouted urgently.
After Bai Chen agreed to join Spirit Hall, they hadn't immediately left the village. The village chief had insisted on holding a celebration for the birth of a new Soul Master.
Free food and drink? Why refuse?
Unfortunately, the celebration had not even ended when disaster struck.
Before them stood a massive golden soul beast.
It resembled a lion—but its body was covered in scales. Its claws were draconic. Its eyes gleamed gold.
Most striking of all—
On its forehead was a crimson third eye.
Golden flames coiled around its body, radiating terrifying pressure.
When it saw Bai Chen, its golden eyes brightened.
But the next moment, they darkened—
Because the Spirit Hall member stepped in front of Bai Chen protectively.
The man did not dare look away from the beast even for a second.
"I told you to hide! Are you deaf?! Get lost! Don't get in the way!"
Bai Chen glanced at the three soul rings around him—one white, two yellow.
He sighed softly.
Then—
He stepped out from behind the man.
And walked toward the beast.
"What are you doing?! You disobedient child!"
The Spirit Hall member panicked and reached to grab him—
But Bai Chen sidestepped effortlessly.
"?!"
The man froze.
In all his years awakening martial souls, he had never seen a six-year-old who could dodge him like that.
Bai Chen stopped directly before the three-eyed soul beast.
He looked into its eyes calmly and said,
"I know you understand me. I know your target is me."
"I'll go with you."
"My only request—"
"Don't drag innocent people into this."