Gangzi's Self-Esteem Took a Devastating Blow

"Chen Yumo?"

Tang San had just returned to Nuoding Academy when he ran straight into Chen Yumo, who was heading out to grab some food.

After being jostled about for most of the day, Tang San had finally managed to bring the seriously injured Yu Xiaogang back to Nuoding Academy. Yu Xiaogang had regained consciousness during the latter half of the journey, which had allowed them to travel a little faster.

Otherwise, they would not have made it back to the academy until evening at the earliest.

Tang San had originally had no time to pay attention to Chen Yumo. Although he had given Yu Xiaogang's injuries some basic treatment, proper recovery would still require finding a real physician.

Besides, he did not think much of Chen Yumo. Even though they had both come from the same village to study here, Tang San believed they were not people of the same world.

He was a soul from another world, with the precious legacy of the Tang Sect in his mind and Twin Martial Souls with Innate Full Soul Power. Chen Yumo, meanwhile, was merely an ordinary mountain village child whose parents had both died, with only Innate Level One Soul Power.

If his Innate Full Soul Power represented the highest innate talent on the Douluo Continent, then Chen Yumo's Innate Level One Soul Power was the absolute bottom-tier, gutter-grade talent.

Not to mention...

An Ice Silkworm?

It was not that Tang San was prejudiced against Chen Yumo, but he sincerely believed that such a bug, completely devoid of offensive power, was absurdly weak...

Normally, given Tang San's inner pride and disdain for Chen Yumo, he had no reason whatsoever to call out to him. Yet the movement of Chen Yumo's hand made him stop in spite of himself.

Yu Xiaogang, who was leaning against him and barely managing to keep himself from falling, looked over as well.

"Oh, Tang San!" Chen Yumo turned around naturally and waved at him with his free hand.

Hold it. I have to hold it in.

Chen Yumo went through every sad and miserable thing from both his lives before he finally forced down the corners of his mouth, which kept trying to rise.

He could not be blamed for wanting to laugh. Gangzi looked far too pathetic right now.

His eye bags sagged, his sockets were deeply sunken, and the dark circles beneath his eyes could rival a national treasure's. His face had already resembled that of a zombie, but now he looked more like someone who had been dead for a while.

Especially those bloodshot eyes of his. If he had been panting like a bull, Chen Yumo would have thought his Down syndrome had flared up.

Who could keep a straight face after seeing Gangzi looking like this?

Fortunately, Tang San and Yu Xiaogang had both been drawn to the Ice Silkworm eating Mulberry Leaf in his hand and did not notice his twitching mouth. Chen Yumo hurriedly changed the subject.

"You went out hunting soul beasts and just got back? Nothing serious, right?" Chen Yumo asked in a concerned tone.

Tang San had not expected this weakly talented villager to actually express concern for him. Out of politeness, he nodded. "Yes, we just got back to the academy. There was a small accident, and I need to take my teacher to find a healing-type Spirit Master."

"Injured? Then you can't delay this. Hurry and go!" Chen Yumo said, making as if to leave.

"Wait!" Tang San stopped him and pointed at the Ice Silkworm in his hand. "Are you feeding your Martial Soul?"

Chen Yumo did not hide it, merely polishing up the story a little. "Yes. Isn't the person beside you the Master? After arriving at the academy, I heard some information saying that the Master's Martial Soul is somewhat similar to mine. Both can leave the Spirit Master's body independently, and the Master often feeds his Martial Soul white Radish. That gave me an idea."

"The Master's theories are impressive, so there must be a reason he feeds his Martial Soul. That's why I wanted to imitate him and feed my Martial Soul some leaves."

"After all..." Chen Yumo showed Tang San the Ice Silkworm still gnawing on a Cold Mulberry Leaf in his palm and said helplessly, "you can see it yourself. My Martial Soul isn't even as big as my little finger, and I only have Innate Level One Soul Power. It's really too weak. I only fed it Mulberry Leaf in the hope that it might grow a little bigger."

"I see." Tang San nodded thoughtfully.

That explanation did sound reasonable.

Tang San was considering the feasibility of Chen Yumo's words and failed to notice that Yu Xiaogang's face had already turned as dark as the bottom of a pot.

An External Beast Martial Soul?

Feeding Luo Sanpao food?

There had to be a reason for feeding it white Radish?

More importantly, Innate Level One?

Yu Xiaogang felt as if every word Chen Yumo said had slapped him viciously across the face.

What reason could there be for feeding Luo Sanpao white Radish? Wasn't it because white Radish made him fart? The more white Radish it ate, the bigger and stinkier Luo Sanpao's farts became when he unleashed a soul skill, and the more powerful that soul skill became.

As for Chen Yumo's External Martial Soul, the Ice Silkworm, it did not make Yu Xiaogang feel any kinship.

Through Chen Yumo, he saw only his former self, who had also just awakened his Martial Soul. As the son of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's patriarch, he had awakened his Martial Soul beneath countless expectant eyes. In the end, not only had he failed to awaken the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, he had instead awakened a pig that was worse than a dog.

Innate Half-Level Soul Power.

Yu Xiaogang would never forget the looks that had changed from respect to mockery after he awakened his Martial Soul, nor the rumors that had deeply stabbed at his self-esteem.

They both had External Beast Martial Souls. Chen Yumo's utterly worthless Ice Silkworm Martial Soul still had Level One Soul Power, while he had only half a level. Wasn't that plainly saying he was not even as good as an Ice Silkworm, that he was even more useless than Chen Yumo?

How could he accept that?

Especially when Chen Yumo's sunny, cheerful personality was the complete opposite of who he had been back then.

We both awakened useless Martial Souls. Why did I have to be condemned by everyone? Why did I have to endure everyone's ridicule and rumors? Why could you be sunny and cheerful, get along harmoniously with others, and even possess a positive, hardworking heart?

Ordinarily, Yu Xiaogang could still suppress his dark side and maintain the lofty bearing expected of a Master before outsiders.

But now, he could no longer control himself.

The Mandala Snake's venom already had a slight hallucinogenic effect, and he had forcibly endured an entire night of its continuous assault in order to protect Tang San.

Afterward, instead of receiving treatment immediately, he had been jolted all the way back to Nuoding Academy.

He was now at his weakest and most vulnerable.

The injuries on his body throbbed faintly, while the lingering poison that had yet to be purged left his mind hazy.

To Yu Xiaogang in his current state, Chen Yumo's smile was unbearably glaring. It made him feel as though his true self, hidden deep in his heart, had been exposed beneath the sunlight. It also made him feel as though he could once again sense countless sharp, mocking gazes fixed upon him from all around.

"Yu Xiaogang?"

"Just a clown!"

Shut up, shut up...!!!

"Absurd!!!" Yu Xiaogang roared, his bloodshot eyes locked onto Chen Yumo's face. "You are twisting my theory! You are doing something completely unnecessary!"

"Learning from me by feeding your Martial Soul? Do you think you're the director of a pig farm?!"

"Just seeing you pisses me off!"