The heavy stone door of the secret chamber slowly swung open,
The instant Bibi Dong heard the sound, the venomous ambition in her eyes receded like the tide,
Replaced by a timid, obedient expression, touched with the delight and adoration of a girl who had just broken through.
Ning Zhen and the young Ning Fengzhi walked in, both beaming.
"Dong'er, how are you feeling? Did absorbing your First Soul Ring go smoothly?"
Ning Zhen hurried to the formation, his eyes full of concern.
Bibi Dong immediately stood up and trotted over naturally, calling out in a soft, sweet voice:
"Uncle Ning, Dong'er succeeded. Thank you for finding a Spirit Ring for me. I've never felt this much strength in my body before."
Seeing the little girl looking at him with such trust and gratitude, Ning Zhen laughed heartily and patted her head, pleased.
"Good, good girl! As long as you succeeded, that's all that matters.
"Remember, from now on, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is your home. We have more spirit herbs than you could ever eat and more resources than you could ever use.
"As long as you're willing to work hard, Uncle Ning promises to make you the brightest star on this continent!"
"Mm! Dong'er will definitely work hard at cultivating. When I grow up, I'll protect Uncle Ning, Brother Fengzhi, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."
Bibi Dong nodded emphatically. Her earnest, innocent expression practically had the word "loyalty" carved into her forehead.
Ning Fengzhi stood nearby with a warm smile as well. The more he looked at this sister, whose potential was limitless, the more pleased he became.
The father and son exchanged a glance, each seeing the amusement in the other's eyes.
That idiot Qian Xunji had just handed the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect a huge windfall!
Meanwhile, several hundred li from Heaven Dou City, at the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
In a room, a thin young man of eleven or twelve, with deep-set eyes, sat slumped at his desk, his gaze vacant.
He held a battered copy of Preliminary Study of Mutated Martial Souls, but his eyes were empty and unfocused.
At his feet, a strange creature that looked like a cross between a pig and a dog, covered in short, pale purple fur, lay snoring away.
It was Yu Xiaogang in his youth, along with his mutated Trash Martial Soul—Luo Sanpao.
"Sigh..."
Yu Xiaogang set down the book and let out a long, deeply melancholy sigh.
The senior disciples in the clan all mocked him. Even the servants looked at him with pity.
"Am I, Yu Xiaogang, the dignified son of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's Sect Master, destined to be a good-for-nothing my whole life?"
Yu Xiaogang painfully clutched at his hair, plunged into profound self-doubt and depression.
"Bang!"
Just then, the courtyard gate was kicked open by a violent force of thunder.
"Xiao Gang! Xiao Gang, get your ass out here!"
Yu Yuanzhen charged into the room in a flurry, like an old lion. He had just returned to the clan from Spirit City and hadn't even had a sip of water before heading straight for the courtyard of the useless son he normally couldn't stand to look at.
"Father?" Yu Xiaogang jumped in fright and hurried to his feet, instinctively shielding Luo Sanpao behind him. "W-what brings you here?"
Yu Yuanzhen grabbed Yu Xiaogang by the shoulders, trembling with excitement. Blue arcs of electricity crackled over his body, zapping Yu Xiaogang until he grimaced in pain.
"Xiao Gang, there's hope! Your Martial Soul can be saved!"
Yu Yuanzhen's eyes were bloodshot, and his voice boomed like thunder.
"Though I didn't manage to snatch up that Twin Martial Souls genius when I went to Spirit City, that old fox Qian Xunji personally told me a tremendous secret."
"The Pope of Spirit Hall? Qian Xunji?" Yu Xiaogang froze. What could the Pope possibly have to do with him?
"That's right, him!"
Yu Yuanzhen took a deep breath and repeated Qian Xunji's exact words, slowly and deliberately:
"His Holiness the Pope personally confirmed that your Martial Soul isn't a Trash Martial Soul at all. It's an extremely rare 'beneficial mutation.'
"It got stuck halfway through the mutation because it lacked an enormous supply of energy. As long as you find the right natural treasures and theoretical support, your Sanpao can become a dragon!"
Boom—
To Yu Xiaogang, those few words were like a hundred-thousand-year lightning tribulation striking him right on the crown of his head!
A beneficial mutation?
A lack of energy?
Yu Xiaogang's dull, lifeless pupils contracted violently. His body shook uncontrollably as if he'd been electrocuted.
He lowered his gaze to Luo Sanpao, who was trembling in fright at his feet. In an instant, his eyes turned red, and tears as big as beans spilled out without warning.
"A beneficial mutation... So that's it. That's what it was!"
"I knew it! How could I, Yu Xiaogang, be a good-for-nothing?
"My theories weren't wrong. There are no useless Martial Souls, only useless Soul Masters! I simply hadn't found the right method yet!"
If Qian Xunji were here, he'd be laughing his ass off. Yu Xiaogang was useless, but Luo Sanpao wasn't necessarily.
Yu Xiaogang's mind was in a state of extreme excitement. During this darkest period of his life, when everyone looked down on him, the Pope's words of affirmation had pulled him straight out of the depths of hell and into heaven!
That was the Pope, the most powerful man on the continent, with access to more secrets than anyone else.
Even he said Yu Xiaogang had a beneficial mutation. Even he affirmed his potential.
"A kindred spirit... His Holiness the Pope is truly the greatest kindred spirit I've ever known!"
Yu Xiaogang's eyes brimmed with tears. In his heart, he had unilaterally made the white-haired man he had never met his spiritual mentor.
At that moment, Qian Xunji's lofty image in his eyes was practically greater than his own father's.
Yu Yuanzhen watched his son come back to life, even growing a little manic. It made him cringe, but he was also relieved.
"Xiao Gang, calm down! Qian Xunji said that to make up for the flaws in your Martial Soul, you'll need an immense amount of resources and the most advanced theories on Martial Soul mutations. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is the foremost authority in that field!"
Yu Yuanzhen made the decision then and there:
"Get ready. In a few days, I'll swallow my pride, take you to thank the Pope, then personally bring you to Seven Treasure City to work with that old Ning Zhen!"
To Yu Yuanzhen's surprise, Yu Xiaogang took a deep breath and forced down his excitement. His gaze grew profound and wise.
He straightened his faded collar, clasped his hands behind his back, and struck the signature "Grandmaster" pose he would become known for in the future—chin slightly raised, gaze tilted forty-five degrees toward the sky.
"Father, wait."
Yu Xiaogang's voice turned low and resonant, as if he'd transformed in an instant from a depressed young man into a theoretical master who had seen through life's vicissitudes.
"Though my Soul Power is low, I absolutely cannot bring shame upon the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan in front of Sect Master Ning. Nor can I betray... His Holiness the Pope's high hopes for me!"
Yu Xiaogang turned and fixed his blazing gaze on the roomful of battered books.
"Before that, I'm going into seclusion. I'm going to master every ancient text and theory about Martial Soul mutations in our clan's Library Pavilion!
"I'll take the most complete theoretical knowledge with me when I meet the Pope and knock on the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's door. I'll show them whether I, Yu Xiaogang, am truly an unparalleled genius!"
Yu Yuanzhen stared at his son, who had suddenly become as excited as if he'd been injected with chicken blood, as though he'd been possessed by a savior. After a long moment, all he managed to say was:
"Good! That's the spirit. The Library Pavilion is open to you. Read for as long as you want!"
Yu Yuanzhen left, satisfied.
In the room, Yu Xiaogang watched the sunset on the horizon and curled his lips into an utterly confident smile. Even Luo Sanpao at his feet gave a couple of spirited yelps.
"Just you wait, world."
"The name of Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang will one day resound throughout the entire Douluo Continent!"
Before you continue