The elite disciples of the Heavenly Dragon Gate, all members of the Hidden Dragon Hall and full of themselves, had actually lost a wheel battle to a six-year-old girl.
Their strongest fighter was a twenty-two-year-old Soul Emperor with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul!
The six-year-old girl hadn't even used a Soul Skill. She'd only used a seemingly ordinary palm technique.
When the news spread, it shocked the entire Heavenly Dragon Gate.
By comparison, Nan Qiuqiu's dazzling record of defeating Yu Tianlong in one move and fighting seven Hidden Dragon Hall elites in a row was overshadowed.
Heavenly Dragon Gate Master Yu Tingyu glanced at Xue Yuheng but didn't immediately refuse. With his perception as a Super Douluo, he could sense that Xue Yuheng's aura was quite mixed.
This Crown Prince of Douling had a trump card.
The Heavenly Dragon Gate Master, Yu Tingyu, glanced again at the six-year-old girl beside Xue Yuheng. There was something familiar about her face.
Had I met her mother?
Remembering his own romantic escapades when he was young, Yu Tingyu spoke solemnly in front of all the disciples. "Since Prince Gan has spoken, come with me."
Heavenly Dragon Gate, Clan Residence
Xue Yuheng had Xiao Xiao and Nan Qiuqiu rest in a side hall, then followed Yu Tingyu into the inner hall with Xue Qingwu.
"Gate Master Yu, from what I've seen today, the continent's former number-one Beast Martial Soul is nothing special after all." Xue Yuheng sat beside Yu Tingyu and spoke calmly.
Yu Tingyu wasn't angry. The Hidden Dragon Hall had indeed disgraced the Heavenly Dragon Gate today. He took a sip of the fragrant tea unique to the Dragon Suppressing Mountain Range and smiled. "Prince Gan, there's no need to beat around the bush with a rough fellow like me.
"I'm afraid I can't give you the Thunder Dragon Pill I promised earlier.
"After what happened, I'll have a hard time explaining it to the elders."
"Yu Tingyu... I think I remember you..." Xue Qingwu sat beside Xue Yuheng and spoke coldly.
Even with Yu Tingyu's good temper, he was still Xue Yuheng's elder. Seeing a six-year-old girl show such disrespect and address him by name, he flew into a rage.
"Little girl, weren't you taught any manners? Your parents—"
Before Yu Tingyu could finish, Xue Qingwu suddenly sprang up and struck at him with her palm.
Daring to say that the Snow Empress had no manners—Yu Tingyu was the first person on the continent to do such a thing.
Clang—
Yu Tingyu caught the palm with ease, but his expression immediately changed. He cried out, "Your Martial Soul is the Heavenly Snow Woman?"
Xue Qingwu staggered back several steps. A Super Douluo's physical strength was formidable.
Yu Tingyu's palm, thrown using only his physical strength, made Xue Qingwu feel her Soul Power reverse and her breathing turn ragged for the first time.
But that was all.
Xue Qingwu's expression remained calm. "Yu Tingyu, that embarrassing time when you and that little turtle went exploring in the Far North..."
Yu Tingyu's expression shifted again and again.
No way. This was absolutely impossible!
Who was the little turtle? Yu Tingyu's good friend, Xu Xuanbei, the Sect Master of the Xuanming Sect.
Back then, the two of them had ventured deep into the Far North to hunt Soul Beasts for Soul Rings, spending more than half a year on the snowy plains.
During that time, they had encountered the Soul Beast that left them with a lifelong psychological shadow...
The Snow Empress, one of the Three Heavenly Kings of the Far North!
The only reason Yu Tingyu and Xu Xuanbei had survived their encounter with the Snow Empress was that they'd resorted to a little trickery.
Given the Snow Empress's standing, she would never break her word.
They hadn't seen a single hair of a Soul Beast before Yu Tingyu and Xu Xuanbei had slunk back, and they'd never told anyone about the incident.
Heaven and earth knew, and besides the two of them, only the Snow Empress herself knew.
"Are you the Snow Empress? Did you survive the 700,000-year life-and-death tribulation? No... How did you take human form and start cultivating anew?" Yu Tingyu's teeth chattered. Even though more than fifty years had passed and he had become a sect master, the trauma from back then was simply too terrifying.
But the strength the Snow Empress was displaying now was clearly strange.
It wasn't too high or too low. She didn't seem like a Soul Beast who had just taken human form, but neither did she seem to be in her true Soul Beast form.
And there was Xue Yuheng. The Crown Prince of Douling's trump card was probably no weaker than his own. No wonder he was the only son of the Douling Royal Family.
Wait... Yu Tingyu suddenly realized something. Since the Snow Empress and Xue Yuheng had come together...
Xue Qingwu spoke calmly. "Heh. Heavenly Dragon Gate Master, what an impressive show of authority."
"I wouldn't dare. Lady Snow Empress, I was out of line." Yu Tingyu lowered his stance. "May I ask why you've honored us with your presence? If there's anything the Heavenly Dragon Gate can do, we'll do our best."
After weighing the pros and cons, Yu Tingyu abandoned the idea of keeping the Snow Empress at the Heavenly Dragon Gate.
What were Soul Rings and Soul Bones compared to one's life?
First, could they even keep her there? And if they did, would the Far North unleash a beast tide and wipe out Dragon City?
Yu Tingyu wasn't even ten percent confident. If he'd had a chance, he would've been willing to take it.
After all, they were the Soul Ring and Soul Bone of a 700,000-year Soul Beast!
Once absorbed, one might not become a god on the spot, but becoming a Limit Douluo was a certainty.
For any Soul Master, that was the ultimate temptation.
Xue Yuheng had brought Xue Qingwu along partly to establish his authority. He had seen the Snow Empress's memories, after all.
Seeing that the time was right, Xue Yuheng spoke. "The continent's number-one Beast Martial Soul really is no longer worthy of its reputation.
"Just among the ones I know, there's the Sun Golden Crow of the Golden Crow Clan, the Dragon of Annihilation of the Earth Dragon Gate, and, oh, the Qingtian Xuanwu of the Xuanming Sect."
Yu Tingyu's heart jolted. The Heavenly Dragon Gate had been around for more than ten thousand years, yet none of these Beast Martial Souls had ever appeared in the continent's records!
Xiao Xiao's and Xue Qingwu's Martial Souls had already reached God Level, so there was no longer any distinction between Beast Martial Souls and Tool Martial Souls. Xue Yuheng had no intention of mentioning that.
"Why are you telling me this, Prince Gan?" Yu Tingyu asked, puzzled.
He naturally didn't doubt Xue Yuheng's words. There was no need—he could simply look into the matter himself.
Xue Yuheng wasn't some insignificant figure from a backwater. He was the Crown Prince of Douling. If he lied to Yu Tingyu, he could flee, but could the Douling Royal Family?
That was why the major powers instinctively trusted Xue Yuheng.
What Yu Tingyu hadn't expected was that his good friend Xu Xuanbei had been hiding something.
Qingtian Xuanwu. Just from the name, it had to be stronger than the Xuanwu that the Xuanming Turtle aimed to evolve into, right?
"All their Martial Souls evolved through my ancient method," Xue Yuheng said with a smile.
Xue Qingwu raised an eyebrow, watching Yu Tingyu's expression with interest.
His face went through a remarkable series of changes.
Yu Tingyu thought for a long while, then gave a bitter smile. "Prince Gan, could we speak in private?"
Xue Qingwu gave Yu Tingyu a cool glance. That one look put enormous psychological pressure on the man in his seventies, and then she drifted away.
Only Yu Tingyu and Xue Yuheng remained in the hall.
Yu Tingyu sighed. "Your Highness, do you know what you're doing? You're acting as a tiger's accomplice, and bargaining with a tiger!
"The Snow Empress is a Soul Beast! Since you know who she is, you should..."
Xue Yuheng waved a hand. "That's my private business.
"I'll ask you one thing: does the Heavenly Dragon Gate want to use my ancient method?
"It can help your Heavenly Dragon Gate... produce a Limit Douluo."
A Limit Douluo.
Yu Tingyu snorted. "The Heavenly Dragon Gate is a human power. We'll never collude with Soul Beasts. Your Highness, you should leave."
Xue Yuheng glanced at Yu Tingyu. This old man was just putting on a show of virtue.
"Why don't you try saying that in front of the Snow Empress?"
"Gate Master Yu, in no more than twenty years, a new generation of young Limit Douluos will emerge on the continent.
"Cultivating Limit Douluos will undoubtedly consume enormous resources.
"One day in the future, will the Heavenly Dragon Gate, with only you—a lone Super Douluo—holding the fort, truly be able to protect this treasure trove in the Dragon Suppressing Mountain Range?"
Xue Yuheng's words were an outright threat.
Yu Tingyu gritted his teeth. "That has nothing to do with you, Your Highness! See him out!"
"Alas, I wonder what the Heavenly Dragon Gate's elders will think when they learn of Gate Master Yu's decision." Xue Yuheng sighed regretfully. Without the slightest hesitation, he turned and walked toward the door.
The Heavenly Dragon Gate was no Earth Dragon Gate. It wasn't united as one; it was riddled with factions. If the elders learned that Yu Tingyu had rejected the chance to become a Limit Douluo...
Damn it, those crazy old men would tear the sect apart.
Just before Xue Yuheng crossed the threshold, an unwilling voice sounded behind him.
"Wait...
"Let's... talk..."
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