Douluo: Infinite Lottery System

Late at night, in the dense forest outside Nuoding City, Xiao Tianyang leaned casually against a tree. He pointed at the bundle of cloth wrapped in tattered rags and said, "Dig the hole bigger and deeper. Can't you see how many bodies there are?"

Bubu crouched nearby, his mouth opening and closing like a dog's, silent and trembling. Whether he was muttering complaints or curses under his breath, even he wasn't sure. He dared not make a sound, terrified that one wrong word might earn him a brutal beating.

Not far from where Xiao Tianyang stood, a gruesome mountain of corpses loomed in the moonlight. Two bodies, in particular, stood out from the rest, handpicked by Xiao Tianyang himself and laid deliberately on the blood-soaked ground.

One was Zhang Liang—of course, it had to be him. The other was the middle-aged man who had begged for his life in vain before meeting his end.

The memory of that final confrontation was still vivid, the danger palpable. After delivering the killing blow to the burly man, Xiao Tianyang faced Zhang Liang's desperate, final counterattack. To tell the truth, he had thought his time was up. Death had felt so close, breathing down his neck.

But luck had been on his side. At the critical moment, Bubu had taken the knife for him, allowing Xiao Tianyang to cling to life.

As for the mass of bodies surrounding him, did Xiao Tianyang feel guilt for the slaughter? Not exactly. Guilt wasn't the right word. It wasn't remorse that stirred in his chest—it was something stranger, something he couldn't quite put into words.

After three months of reflection and adjustment, Xiao Tianyang had come to a clear realization: no matter how low-key he tried to be, enemies would inevitably appear.

Conflict was inevitable. Unless he chose to live as an unremarkable nobody—a "salted fish," as some would say—the stronger he became, the more trouble would find its way to him, even if he didn't seek it out.

It was with this understanding that Xiao Tianyang made a firm decision: 'I can kill, and I can be killed. If I'm weaker than my enemy, I have no one to blame but myself.'

This resolute mindset was what had driven him to leave Holy Spirit Village. Of course, his methods were calculated and thorough—he didn't want to leave any loose ends, like the novel plots he had read before. To him, the only way to avoid future trouble was simple: cut the grass along with its roots.

Before all this, however, he had also pieced together why Bubu had regretted killing the middle-aged man's son. Although the explanation process had been clumsy and convoluted—Bubu gesturing wildly in frustration—Xiao Tianyang had managed to piece together the story.

It went something like this: the middle-aged man's son had fallen in love with a girl from a family on the same street where Bubu lived. The girl's parents had firmly rejected the son's advances, and when words failed, the son attempted to take the girl by force.

Bubu, being someone who acted on impulse and with a strong sense of justice, had intervened. He drove the son away with his fists. But when Bubu returned from wandering the streets, he was horrified to find the girl's entire family had been slaughtered in retaliation.

In anger, Bubu killed the son of that middle-aged man. That tragedy was what led to the middle-aged man storming toward Xiao Tianyang, blinded by rage.

Xiao Tianyang, however, had no interest in untangling the moral complexities of the situation. He saw no point in sifting through the twists and turns to determine who was right or wrong. It wasn't worth his energy.

What Xiao Tianyang did know was that, despite Bubu's knack for attracting trouble and his occasional awkwardness, he was not inherently malicious. Bubu might tease or frustrate others, but he would never intentionally harm anyone, let alone kill.

If someone bullied Bubu, his retaliation would usually be limited to mischief or minor pranks. 

Even if they resorted to beatings or harsh words, their actions were nothing more than petty tricks—shallow attempts to manipulate and provoke without ever causing real harm.

But when someone crossed the line, when they touched on something truly intolerable, Bubu's patience would snap.

For all his simple, everyday logic, there was a breaking point even for him. And once that line was breached, the gentleness of an ordinary dog was replaced by something far more primal.

A ferocious beast—wild, untamed, and unforgiving. What could you possibly expect from a cornered beast, if not savagery? His name as the sky-tearing evil dog wasn't just for show.

But to Xiao Tianyang, none of that mattered. From the moment he had looked into Bubu's eyes and decided to trust him, his allegiance was sealed. Whatever the world might say about Bubu's actions, Xiao Tianyang had already made his choice. The middle-aged man stood firmly on the other side of that line—an enemy, and nothing more.

In the end, there were only two paths forward. Either the middle-aged man would fall, or Xiao Tianyang and Bubu would. No middle ground, no compromise—just one inevitable outcome.

"Woof!"

The bark broke the silence as Bubu twisted his dirt-covered body and trotted over to Xiao Tianyang, nudging his head against him like a loyal companion.

"I get it. Leave the rest to me, all right?" Xiao Tianyang said, standing up.

With practiced efficiency, he tossed the corpses into the pit, covered them with soil, and stomped down several times to flatten the ground.

Dusting his hands off, he turned to Bubu. "The place where you used to live isn't safe anymore. For tonight, we'll rest here. Tomorrow, we'll head to town and figure things out."

"Woof!" Bubu agreed enthusiastically, but then shook himself vigorously, sending dirt flying everywhere. His discomfort was obvious.

"Heh, I didn't take you for someone who likes to stay clean," Xiao Tianyang teased, smirking. He pointed off to the left. "There's a lake nearby. I saw it on the way here. Let's wash up, and I'll take care of that wound."

With that, the man and his dog headed toward the lake.

After they'd cleaned up, Xiao Tianyang lit a fire, hanging their clothes nearby to dry. His gaze fell on Bubu's injury, and he raised his right hand.

A small flame flickered to life in his palm, radiating an almost tangible vitality.

"So, this is what it's for," he mused, a faint smile touching his lips. "I never understood the use of this martial spirit until now. Looks like I've finally found a purpose for it."

Bubu watched him suspiciously, tensing as the flame neared his wound. His instincts screamed for him to run, but Xiao Tianyang held him firmly in place.

The burning pain Bubu had braced for never came. Instead, a strange sensation spread through his body—numbness and an odd itching at the wound. Slowly, the discomfort faded, replaced by relief.

As Xiao Tianyang exhausted his soul power, his face grew pale, and he collapsed back onto the ground. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the flame.

Bubu, meanwhile, inspected his wound with comical curiosity, spinning in circles as if testing the results. His mischievous personality shone through, but Xiao Tianyang was too drained to scold him.

"My soul power is strong, but my physical strength isn't enough to keep up," Xiao Tianyang muttered, shaking his head. "That's a flaw I can't ignore."

He sighed, staring into the flames. "I need to get my first soul ring—and soon. Three days at most, or I'm just wasting time. But without the proper knowledge, it's going to be tough."

Frowning, Xiao Tianyang considered his options. "Looks like I'll have to trouble Yu Xiaogang sooner than I'd hoped."

Resolving himself, he grabbed the Zhangtian bottle sitting nearby, uncorked it, and carefully poured out two drops of green liquid.

The moment they touched his tongue, a surge of pure energy exploded through his body. He closed his eyes and began to cultivate, letting the liquid restore his depleted strength.

Gradually, the fatigue in his muscles and bones faded, replaced by a renewed vitality.

Bubu, noticing Xiao Tianyang's focus, stopped his playful antics and sat beside him. His ears perked up, his expression alert and serious—a stark contrast to the foolish demeanor he'd had moments earlier.

Time passed in silence. When Xiao Tianyang finally opened his eyes, he

exhaled deeply and stretched his muscles, feeling stronger than before.

Host: Xiao Tianyang

Physique: Pseudo-Pure Body (Killing bears no karmic consequences; all things are in harmony with it.), Three Thousand Star Constitution (Undying Physique)

Strength Level: Level 10 [Spirit Scholar]

Soul Skills: None

Soul Bones: None

Martial Spirit:

Scythe of Judgment (Symbol of life, destination of the dead)

Red Lotus karmic Flame (Burning cause and effect, washing away sins)

Flame of Creation (Fire of life, the spirit of all things)

Three Thousand Flames

Draw Value: 213

Thanks to his previous efforts and the heads he'd claimed afterward, Xiao Tianyang had accumulated enough points for two draws. It was no small feat.

To put things into perspective, it had taken him three grueling months of hard work in the forest near Holy Spirit Village to earn just three draws.

Yet here in Nuoding City, after a single day, he had already gained enough for two. How could he not feel elated at such progress?

Taking a deep, steadying breath, Xiao Tianyang made his way to the lake. He knelt by the water, splashing his face and washing his hands clean.

After putting on his clothes, he clasped his hands together, closed his eyes for three seconds, and whispered a brief prayer.

"System, I want to draw a lottery!" he declared, his voice calm but resolute.

As soon as he spoke, the familiar glowing interface appeared before his eyes. 

...

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