He wanted to escape, but he couldn't.
Katori Chion wasn't trying to harm him; she just wanted to introduce him to two 'friends'.
In this situation, even if the Star Rock Federation knew, they wouldn't stand up for him; they might even strongly support it. After all, as a quasi-Heavenly King, could the friends Katori Chion introduced be just ordinary people? They had to be either powerful Beast Masters or equally talented young prodigies.
A door was casually pulled open in the void by Katori Chion.
Behind the door was an underground parking lot, but the overall color scheme was even darker, with an indescribably gloomy and terrifying feeling.
In stark contrast to this gloomy and terrifying atmosphere was a super cute Q-version ghost troupe-shaped car parked there.
When Lin Chuan's gaze fell on the car, the car's headlight eyes actually blinked, and its big eyeballs looked sideways at him.
Lin Chuan: …
His eyelids twitched wildly, and Lin Chuan had a strong premonition of something bad.
However, Lin Chuan was completely unable to resist at this moment, being pushed along from behind by the pure and elegant young girl Katori Chion, who was giggling mischievously.
He stepped through the void door, arrived at the underground parking lot, and was then dragged into the ghost troupe car.
It was only at this moment that Lin Chuan understood why he had such a strong uneasy premonition earlier.
He saw that the one sitting in the driver's seat was none other than the 6-year-old impish Katori Chion!
In the passenger seat sat the 4-year-old ghost doll Katori Chion.
The ghost doll Katori Chion was giggling happily, seemingly anticipating something.
And the impish Katori Chion was smirking.
She tugged at the fluffy ball by her earlobe, her rabbit ears twitched, and she turned back to grin at Lin Chuan.
"Scum, are you ready?"
"Katori Cuteie, is about to depart!"
"Heave-ho! I'm stepping on it!"
She said to get ready, but she gave him no chance at all. As soon as her words fell, the impish Katori Chion stomped hard on the accelerator.
Zero-frame start, instant acceleration.
The ghost troupe car transformed into a phantom, rushing out with an utterly elusive, flickering trajectory.
The car, like light turning into a shadow, actually passed directly through the spatial barrier of the small secret realm without going through the transmission entrance of the mountain tunnel, and arrived in the outside world.
This instant acceleration made Lin Chuan feel like his soul had been flung out; he gritted his teeth and held on.
This impish girl definitely didn't have a driver's license!
She didn't drive along the traffic lanes at all, just stomped on the accelerator, didn't turn the steering wheel, and just drove straight ahead, completely ignoring any obstacles.
Whether it was trees, houses, rivers, or oncoming dump trucks, she drove straight through them.
Suburbs, cities, bustling streets.
No pedestrians, no vehicles, could spot or block this ghost troupe car; it seemed to be in another dimension.
This was a special skill of the ghost attribute: Spirit World Stealth!
Five minutes later, the ghost troupe car stopped in front of a seemingly ordinary East Yang-style restaurant, 'Izakaya'.
The next second.
The ghost troupe car rapidly shrank, becoming a ghost troupe doll, held in the arms of the 4-year-old ghost doll Katori Chion.
And Lin Chuan was also passively forced out of the car.
As if he had drunk fake alcohol, Lin Chuan was completely dizzy at the moment and took half a minute to recover.
Is this what a Ghost-type mounted spirit beast is like?
Lin Chuan expressed that he had truly broadened his horizons.
However, the driver deserved a beating!
He saw the impish Katori Chion sticking out her tongue at him.
"Scum, scum, you even get carsick."
He hardened, Lin Chuan felt his fists harden again.
This impish girl!
Sooner or later, he had to beat her up!
At this moment, the horizontal door of the izakaya was pulled open from inside.
A 25-year-old woman with an elegant and intellectual style walked out, wearing a purple floral East Yang yukata, black-rimmed glasses, and a side fishtail braid hairstyle in a mature fashion.
Seeing her dark, pupil-less eyes, Lin Chuan knew that she was another Katori Chion!
He just didn't know if it was a clone or the main body.
"Come in, we've been waiting for you."
The yukata-clad Katori Chion said softly with a faint smile.
As she spoke, she picked up the 4-year-old ghost doll Katori Chion with one hand and took the 6-year-old impish Katori Chion's hand, entering the izakaya first. It felt as if a mother was bringing her two daughters.
The 20-year-old pure young girl Katori Chion next to him poked Lin Chuan with her elbow, signaling him to follow.
Lin Chuan didn't follow immediately; instead, he released his personal secretary, Wan Wan.
It wasn't suitable to chat with Katori Chion before, but now, in this obviously multi-person gathering, it should be fine. With Wan Wan present, she might be able to record something special.
As for his personal bodyguard, Sakura, there was no need for her to come out.
With so many Katori Chions around, what danger could there be?
If there was real danger, a hundred Sakuras couldn't save him.
As soon as Wan Wan appeared, she looked around in confusion. Lin Chuan quickly used telepathy through their contract to tell Wan Wan the current situation. Wan Wan's expression immediately became serious and earnest. A 'friend' introduced by a quasi-Heavenly King to her Master, no matter who it was, she, Wan Wan, must perform well and not weaken her Master's prestige!
Wan Wan secretly clenched her fists, cheering herself on, admonishing herself to suppress her shyness and inner natural personality, especially not to be stage fright, and to appear smart and capable, to be a perfect all-around little secretary.
Lin Chuan stepped into the izakaya.
Following the yukata-clad Katori Chion who was leading the way, Lin Chuan passed through a small corridor and arrived at the inner room of the izakaya.
This was a private dining room.
Besides the 4-year-old, 6-year-old, 25-year-old, plus the 20-year-old one beside him, making a total of four Katori Chions of different age groups, there were two other people here. Presumably, they were the 'friends' Katori Chion wanted to introduce him to.
Lin Chuan looked over immediately; they were two young people roughly his age.
One of them.
With picturesque eyebrows, he looked very heroic, so heroic that it was difficult to determine his gender from his appearance.
His clothing style was even more striking and unconventional: he, or perhaps she, had black hair tied into a neat, skyward single ponytail, a beige jacket shirt, cargo pants, sports shoes, and a mechanical sci-fi style over-ear headset from which passionate rock music could faintly be heard. There was also a flame tattoo from his jaw to the left side of his neck, giving off a cyberpunk vibe.
On his shoulder stood a bird-type spirit beast with plump red feathers like a small fat chick. Although its body was plump and round, its tail feathers were very long and magnificent.
The other young man, whose gender could be clearly determined from his appearance, was male.
He had neat, short, messy hair, calm, unruffled eyes, a slightly smiling, benevolent expression, and modern casual clothing.
He seemed no different from an ordinary passerby, but if one observed carefully, many subtle details revealed his unusualness: he wore a jade pendant at his waist, and the patterns on the edges of his clothes were very ancient and exquisite.
Especially! His sitting posture.
It wasn't just a simple straight back, head held high, that could be faked; it was a composed uprightness that came from his very bones.
He must have received very strict etiquette education from a young age, and his identity and background must have been noble to naturally develop such an aura.
An extremely rare spirit-containing spirit beast floated around him.
It was a palm-sized golden small sword, with a light shadow appearing on it. Unlike Wan Wan, it didn't manifest a real human form; it was merely a light shadow. The light shadow had a pair of light red eyes, blinking and curiously observing Lin Chuan and Wan Wan.
The moment Lin Chuan entered the room, as Lin Chuan observed them.
The two young people also looked up simultaneously, observing Lin Chuan and Wan Wan beside him.
For a moment, the three fell silent.
"Feng Yingge, Holy Heaven Ancient Kingdom, Princess Mansion, Sequence Number 1957, Little Princess."
The neutral-looking young person with a cyberpunk style spoke.
Listening to the voice and the name, he finally determined the gender: it was a young girl.
"Zhou Tianque, Tianlong Empire, Sword Sect."
The other young man spoke.
Lin Chuan could understand what they said without Wan Wan translating.
Because both of them spoke Star Rock language, which was the common language of all human nations. This was thanks to Qilin Emperor; his personal prestige was too high. No matter which human nation, whether righteous or evil, there was no shortage of people who admired him.
His mouth twitched, and Lin Chuan felt he should cooperate with the atmosphere.
"Lin Chuan, Star Rock Federation, Sixth Academy."
Feng Yingge looked at Lin Chuan, then at Zhou Tianque, and then burst out laughing.
"I didn't expect, it's really all here."
"It seems, this procedure, has to be followed."
As she spoke, Feng Yingge looked at Zhou Tianque, her eyes filled with provocation and fighting spirit.
Zhou Tianque nodded slightly, his expression calm. However, a strong fighting spirit also surged deep within his eyes.
If it were just traveling Beast Masters from the Tianlong Empire and the Holy Heaven Ancient Kingdom meeting.
Perhaps they would spar, or perhaps not, entirely depending on their mood.
But if there was a traveling Beast Master from the Star Rock Federation present.
Then, like triggering a pre-set program, the Dragon and Phoenix would definitely fight. This was already an unwritten rule.
Of course, this 'Dragon-Phoenix Struggle, Qilin Mediation' unwritten rule wasn't just counted by any few Beast Masters from the Three Great Nations.
It had to be those direct descendants of the Three Great Nations to count.
One could say, this was a legitimate excuse and reason for the direct descendants of the Three Great Nations to interact and spar.
They couldn't just start with 'What are you looking at? What's it to you?' right?
They couldn't mediate with 'Stop it, you two, don't fight anymore.' right?
That would somewhat lower their status and prestige.
An unwritten rule was much more reasonable.
Lin Chuan's mouth twitched slightly, and he silently glanced at the Katori Chions who were huddled together, whispering and gossiping.
Good heavens, as soon as he arrived, they introduced him to traveling Beast Masters from the other two great nations, and they were all direct descendants.
One from the Sword Sect, one from the Princess Mansion.
And they wanted to fight as soon as they arrived.
"I'm still hungry, how about letting me eat first?"
"If you can't wait, you can start fighting first, and I'll watch while eating."
Lin Chuan said, forcefully breaking the atmosphere.
Feng Yingge: …
Zhou Tianque: …
Wan Wan: …
Wan Wan was currently gathering all her courage, suppressing her introverted and shy nature, and was glaring at Feng Yingge's little fat chick spirit beast and Zhou Tianque's sword spirit.
Upon hearing Lin Chuan's words, Wan Wan instantly deflated.
Your subject wishes to fight to the death, why does Your Majesty surrender first?
Master, how could you drop the ball at this moment!
Where was her usually reliable and handsome Master?
Wan Wan felt extremely wronged.
...
Hearing Lin Chuan's words.
The Katori Chions, who were whispering and preparing to watch the show, all burst into laughter.
Especially the impish one, her whole body even trembled.
When she was chatting with Lin Chuan earlier, through the emotional fluctuations Lin Chuan emitted, plus the changes in his facial expressions and details, she could perform a certain degree of mind-reading. This was a deep development of Ghost-type abilities. At that time, Katori Chion had already felt that, despite Lin Chuan's outwardly sunny appearance, he was actually a very reserved and interesting person.
Indeed, it was exactly as she had predicted.
Bringing Lin Chuan here would make things very interesting. See, both people from the Tianlong Empire and the Holy Heaven Ancient Kingdom were awkward now.
Giggling softly, Katori Chion looked at the three young prodigies from the Three Great Nations before her.
A deeper, darker light flashed in her dark, pupil-less eyes.
When the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin meet by chance.
Besides the inevitable 'Dragon-Phoenix Struggle, Qilin Mediation' procedure.
There was actually another saying.
A very small possibility.
The Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin were the three pillars of Human Beast Taming Civilization, embodying the human race's fortune.
The direct descendants of the Three Great Nations, more or less, carried the blessings and enhancements of corresponding auspicious fortune.
When the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin encounter each other, it is also a time when fortune converges.
Also known as, the convergence of destiny.
Then, at that point of destiny's convergence.
Perhaps, one or more events of great significance to that location, that nation, or even the entire human civilization, would occur.
Katori Chion remained silent, but her smile was inexplicably bright, inexplicably happy and expectant.