Douluo: Unlocking the Great Secrets of the Human Body, Becoming a Heavenly Demon

"At last, someone with at least average intelligence got it right! God King Tang San's son—Tang Wulin!"

Gu Yue's expression changed drastically, her composure on the verge of collapsing as she seemed unwilling to admit it. "The God King's son? How is that possible?! You're making wild guesses!!!"

Bai Xu also dropped his relaxed demeanor. His right hand still held a handful of earth as he said seriously, "That's all I'll say. Whether we cooperate is up to the Silver Dragon King. Otherwise, we part ways and leave each other alone."

Bai Xu had never let down his guard. The handful of earth in his right hand was his safeguard for activating Earth Escape. If anything truly went wrong, a single thought could take him anywhere with earth within three hundred kilometers. After all, the Soul Contract was merely a restraint imposed by the Spirit of the Plane; it was not secure enough.

The soul beasts fell into a long silence. Gu Yue looked grim, while the fierce soul beasts could only smile bitterly. They believed much more of Bai Xu's words now. It turned out that all their efforts had been under someone else's calculations. How ridiculous.

Bai Xu sat down on the ground and said, "You must give me an answer tonight. Once the sun rises tomorrow, the offer of cooperation expires."

He was forcing Gu Yue to state her position.

Gu Yue's heaving chest showed that her heart was far from calm. Her purple eyes flickered uncertainly, and even her breathing had become hurried. All this time, she had believed that she controlled everything. She had grasped the Golden Dragon King's return, and her plan to infiltrate human society was proceeding steadily. Though a portion of her origin had split away, things were generally improving.

But Bai Xu had shattered all of it. She was the clown performing beneath the gaze of the gods.

Now, Bai Xu possessed a strange cultivation method and seemed to know even more about the God Realm. He knew the secrets of the Silver Dragon and Golden Dragon as well. Then what about the Dragon God?

Gu Yue said, "Just answer one more question. If it is true, then we shall cooperate happily. If it is not, we will leave each other alone."

"Please ask."

"Do you know where the Dragon God Core is now?"

"Dragon Valley. A small world."

Gu Yue's pupils constricted as turbulent waves surged in her heart. She said in shock, "You really do know!"

"Fine. We'll cooperate. You'll help the soul beasts secure a place to live. What do you need us to do for you? Cooperation is an exchange of benefits."

"Give me some resources—spirit fruits, spirit springs, and the like—to aid my cultivation. That's all."

"Wouldn't that mean we're gaining a tremendous advantage? Are you really so confident in your cultivation method? Once mastered, can it contend with a God King?" Gu Yue asked doubtfully as she took out half a Human Body Secret Manual from her Soul Tool—the copied half of Leng Jiuming's manual.

"I need to rise quickly. Besides, the difference in our paths of evolution gives me great confidence. It is still too early to say more. You'll understand in the future."

Gu Yue rose, and Bai Xu stood as well. Both wore solemn expressions. In the other's eyes, one seemed omniscient, knowing even the precise location of the Dragon God Core—worthy of being called someone who saw through the past, present, and future. The other needed resources to rise rapidly. They stared into each other's eyes as they slowly approached and clasped hands with one hand.

"Happy cooperation!"

In truth, the Spirit of the Plane's words still needed verification. The hazy fate shrouding Bai Xu was the Spirit of the Plane's method of keeping Tang Hao from discovering him. If it vanished, Bai Xu would be in trouble as well.

The truth of those words still needed to be proven, but Bai Xu had no time to verify them. Developing the potential of his body was indeed far faster than cultivating Soul Power, and the Spirit of the Plane said it could barely keep him concealed any longer. Bai Xu did not dare gamble with his own safety, so he could only seek help.

The opportunities offered by the Spirit Pagoda alone were far from enough! That was why this deal had come about.

Bai Xu departed, and everything remained as usual. The soul beasts continued to lie low, secretly infiltrating the Spirit Pagoda according to Gu Yue's previous plan as they waited for her, their future Pagoda Master.

However, Bai Xu left behind a few words before he went.

"As the leader of the soul beasts, the first thing you must do is stand firm in your own position.

"Suppress the impulses deep within your Silver Dragon bloodline. Whether humans or soul beasts, if you keep wavering between both sides, and as a leader cannot even understand your own position, then only extinction awaits them."

His words carried deeper meaning. Only Gu Yue lowered her head in thought. She could not calm down for a long time.

The next day

A knock on the door woke Bai Xu. When he opened it, he found Gu Yue standing outside!

She walked into the boys' dormitory as if nothing were wrong, looking around Bai Xu's room without the slightest concern for his astonished expression.

"How did you get in? This is the boys' dormitory."

Gu Yue replied softly, "Space Element."

Fine, being able to teleport really was impressive!

She continued, "I want to observe your cultivation. I'm very interested in that method of developing the body's potential."

Bai Xu questioned her, "You want to secretly learn it? Do you think that's possible, even with your talent? My method isn't suitable for soul masters, much less soul beasts!"

But Gu Yue directly took out a water-attributed immortal herb and said, "This is Sea Essence Grass. It contains abundant Water Element. Consuming it can make a water-element soul master's Soul Power purer, and may even trigger Martial Soul Evolution."

She tossed it to Bai Xu. "This is our sincerity. If you need anything in the future, as long as we can do it, you may ask."

Bai Xu looked at the spirit herb in his hand and could not help giving her a thumbs-up. "As expected of the Silver Dragon King. You're truly generous. Fine, observe all you want."

Bai Xu had intended to pause his secret art cultivation for a while and focus solely on cultivating Soul Power. But since Gu Yue now requested it, he could show her the Human Body Gateways.

Thus, he sat cross-legged on the bed. The three organs corresponding to Metal, Earth, and Water glowed faintly. Using the generation and restraint of the Five Elements, he stirred Heart Fire and Liver Wood, forming a diagram of the Five Elements' generation and restraint across his body for her to observe.

Gu Yue's black eyes stared fixedly at Bai Xu's body. Multicolored light surged within them, yet her expression grew increasingly ugly. She truly could not see through the connections within it. To her, it was merely five elements that generated and restrained one another. Nothing remarkable.

But when manifested upon the physical body, Bai Xu's current strength allowed him to clash head-on with Tang Wulin while Tang Wulin had his Golden Dragon Claw activated, yet Bai Xu's blood and vitality were nowhere near as surging as Tang Wulin's.

Bai Xu cultivated his entire body—his life itself. Tang Wulin walked the path of bloodline. Their paths were different.

"Metal is sharp, Earth grants perception, and Water... belongs to the Kidneys. The kidneys are the foundation of one's innate constitution, the root of life. They store true yin and contain primordial yang, making them the organ of water and fire." Bai Xu even took the initiative to explain it to her.

Gu Yue even tried sitting cross-legged to cultivate. She had the five viscera and Six Fu as well, but according to the half-manual, she could not sense the body's true essence at all, much less her own essence, qi, and spirit.

Even by noon, she had gained nothing and could only abandon the idea.

"I told you it wouldn't work, didn't I? Otherwise, Teacher Leng would have taught it long ago." Bai Xu's eyes curved with amusement. It was exactly as he had expected, and he smiled as he spoke.

Gu Yue frowned and glared at Bai Xu, somewhat displeased. She changed the subject. "Whether what you said last night is true still needs to be examined. I want to send someone to probe Tang Wulin, to see whether someone tampered with the Golden Dragon King's seal, or whether a god truly is protecting him."

Hearing this, Bai Xu said helplessly, "Who do you want to send to their death?"

"Send them to their death? I only want to test it."

Bai Xu held his forehead and sighed. "I thought you had become smarter. I didn't expect you to still be so... If what I said is true, then both the Lord of the Plane, Tang Hao, and God King Tang San left something behind. Who under your command can withstand a God King's strike? Even a spiritual imprint would be at the God King level!"

Gu Yue felt displeased. It was as if none of her ideas meant anything in Bai Xu's eyes, as if they held no value.

"If we don't do this to prove your truthfulness, I'm worried the soul beasts will be deceived by you and that you'll go back on your word," Gu Yue complained softly, though she lacked conviction.

Bai Xu: "..."

You're still guarding against me?

Why aren't you this wary of Tang Wulin?

"For now, just stay still. They will reveal their flaws eventually. But remember, never underestimate human emotions. In this game, whoever develops genuine feelings first loses."

Bai Xu watched Gu Yue leave. Was he not the same?

If Gu Yue is still like she was in the original story, then sorry—I won't feel the slightest psychological burden about betraying her after fulfilling the contract.

He could even say some heartfelt things to Gu Yue from behind her back.

It would surely be very moving!

Jokes aside, anyone could talk big. The key was to put it into action.

Winter break was short, and Bai Xu had no interest in celebrating the New Year. He entered seclusion to meditate and cultivate Soul Power, reaching level 32 by the start of the new school year.

The Spirit Transfer Academy was bustling in the new semester. Parents came to see their children off. Everyone knew one another, all longtime Spirit Pagoda employees, so they gathered to chat about daily life and discuss talented youngsters.

Interestingly, Zhang Wa was there too. He even came over and called Bai Xu Senior Brother. It seemed Leng Jiuming had already accepted him as a student, making him the junior brother of Bai Xu, the founding senior disciple.

However, the two did not interact much. Both cultivated on their own.

A peaceful life occasionally had its ripples—Xu Xiaoyu's visits, Gu Yue coming to his door—but the more turbulent event was the approaching Sky Sea Alliance Competition.

The Sky Sea Alliance Competition was jointly held by five first-tier cities along the eastern coast, with several second- and third-tier cities participating as well.

Leng Jiuming had already explained it to Bai Xu. He hoped Bai Xu would participate in the Individual Competition and win the championship. From Leng Jiuming's perspective, Bai Xu had at least a seventy percent chance of taking first place.

"This time, you need to at least place in the top five. Then I can use my connections to send you to Shrek Outer Court for a few years of training, to add some polish to your background. After that, you can return to the Spirit Pagoda and take up a position. By then, you'll at least become a young Spirit Messenger at headquarters."

Though Qian Gu Dongfeng looked down on Shrek, those who came out of Shrek truly had skill. That experience could become the key that opened doors in your life.

Bai Xu agreed. For someone without any sense of belonging, it was the same no matter which faction he joined. Making a living wasn't easy!

With the start of the new semester, Eastsea Academy, which had been quiet for a month, became lively once more.

Students streamed endlessly into the academy, and everything appeared full of vitality. This was the second half of the term. After this semester, they would advance to the next grade. At the same time, the pressure of advancement exams descended upon every student.

For the Class Zero students, the more novel development was the arrival of a Transfer Student named Xu Xiaoyan.

Because of Teacher Wu's strictness, everyone worried whether Xu Xiaoyan could pass the one-month probation period. Fortunately, she was quite talented. As a support and control-system soul master, she possessed excellent observation and battlefield control abilities, and she was especially skilled at cooperating with her teammates. Wu Changkong ultimately decided to let her stay and join Class Zero.

But over the past month, Tang Wulin had developed a worry. He would occasionally look toward Gu Yue, then nervously shift his gaze away.

Ever since school began, Gu Yue had seemed somewhat different. Her former unique possessiveness toward Tang Wulin appeared to have vanished, replaced by a cool and distant Gu Yue.

Her smiles were no longer reserved solely for Tang Wulin. Around Xie Xie and Xu Xiaoyan, Gu Yue sometimes smiled as well. Though she still smiled at Tang Wulin too, those smiles no longer carried the meaning they once had.

Though the childlike Tang Wulin occasionally felt disappointed, he did not think too much about it and continued treating everyone as usual.

Xie Xie often teased the two of them about this, but they always just laughed it off.

Gu Yue truly had changed. She tried to put herself in Bai Xu's position and experience everything from an observer's perspective—rational yet sincere. She maintained a basic distance from the others, able to play with them without becoming overly immersed.

That was the feeling Bai Xu had given Gu Yue, and she was trying to learn from it.

"You're amazing, Gu Yue. Xie Xie and I couldn't get close to you at all." Tang Wulin climbed up from the ground, marveling at how overpowered Gu Yue's soul skills had been during their spar.

Six Element Control. If Gu Yue had just a little more Soul Power, she would truly be invincible.

"You and Xie Xie worked well together too. You nearly broke through the blockade of Xu Xiaoyan's and my soul skills." Gu Yue replied as she pulled Xu Xiaoyan, whose Soul Power had been exhausted, up from the ground.