Hearing these words, Liu Erlong showed little reaction on her face, but deep in her eyes, a trace of icy contempt flashed.
Yu Luomian... Her own father had sold her out without a second thought!
Dugu Xuan's voice transmission continued:
"As long as you cooperate and help Ce'er resolve the danger of his snake venom backlash, and help his Martial Soul successfully evolve,
once it's done, I'll set you free. I give you my word."
Liu Erlong closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
After experiencing Yu Xiaogang's cowardice and selfishness, and then learning of her own father's betrayal, her heart had died of grief. She had completely resigned herself to her fate.
When she opened her eyes again, Liu Erlong silently nodded and agreed.
Seeing that Liu Erlong had accepted, Dugu Xuan turned to Dugu Ce and said gravely:
"Ce'er, regulate your breathing tonight. First thing tomorrow morning, Dean Erlong will help you activate the secret technique."
Liu Erlong gave a self-mocking smile and turned toward the depths of the academy:
"Follow me. There's a quiet room in the back hills. I'm usually the only one there, and no one dares disturb me."
Everyone followed Liu Erlong to the back hills, where ancient trees towered overhead and the surroundings were peaceful.
Golden Crocodile Douluo had worn a slight frown the whole time. Only after Liu Erlong had walked farther away did he speak quietly to Dugu Ce:
"Ce'er, the 'being' behind Tang San sits like a bone in my throat.
Are you truly confident you can receive divine revelation through that 'Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud'?"
Dugu Ce nodded, his expression calm:
"Rest assured, Teacher. The Sea God Godhood may be overseas, but the token is in the hands of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family.
As long as my Martial Soul evolves successfully, getting the token through Xue Qinghe won't be difficult."
Dugu Bo listened nearby, his heart pounding:
"A deity... Ce'er, your ambitions put this old grandfather to shame."
"Grandfather, without godhood, we're no more than ants."
Dugu Ce gazed at Liu Erlong's retreating figure and spoke evenly:
"Just like Dean Erlong here. Though she's a Soul Saint, before absolute power she's nothing but a sacrifice to her family and her lover."
Just then, Liu Erlong stopped and pointed to a simple wooden hut ahead:
"Here we are. Make yourselves at home.
Dugu Ce, stay behind. I have something to ask you."
Dugu Xuan and Golden Crocodile Douluo exchanged a glance but did not object. They went straight to the side rooms to rest.
Dugu Ce walked up to Liu Erlong and gave a slight bow:
"Please, Aunt Erlong."
Liu Erlong stared into Dugu Ce's deep eyes and asked coldly:
"What price did Yu Luomian demand for teaching you that secret technique?
He wouldn't sell the secrets of his clan for nothing."
"Aunt Erlong really is clever."
Dugu Ce didn't hide anything and answered frankly:
"The price is that once my Dugu Family controls the situation in Tiandou, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan will replace the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and become the foremost of the Upper Three Sects.
And Yu Luomian is to become its next sect master."
Yu Luomian wanted to use the power of the Dugu Family to seize control of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
He also wanted the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan—or rather, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect—to dominate the Upper Three Sects.
After all, with the Clear Sky Sect absent, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had only two Titled Douluo.
With the Dugu Family and Golden Crocodile Douluo backing them, surpassing the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would be easy.
"So he really is a vile old beast."
Liu Erlong closed her eyes, her voice heavy with exhaustion:
"Tomorrow, I'll do everything I can to help.
But I have one condition."
"Name it."
"Once I've helped you complete your evolution, I want you to kill him."
Liu Erlong opened her eyes, a flash of frenzied hatred in them.
"Kill Yu Luomian.
Since he treated me like a bargaining chip, he should be ready to pay with his life."
Dugu Ce's lips curled slightly as he held out his hand:
"Deal.
A selfish clan head has no value to me anyway."
The next morning, the sun rose.
The five of them stood ready to depart.
Liu Erlong walked in front, her cool silhouette radiating resolve.
"Dean Erlong, lead the way,"
Dugu Xuan said calmly.
Liu Erlong's mouth twisted in self-mockery:
"Come on. I want to see for myself, too,
what will become of that rotten place—where people claim to act for the clan's glory, yet can casually sacrifice their daughters—in your hands."
At that moment, Dugu Bo seemed to remember something. He stopped and looked at Dugu Ce.
"Ce'er, I want to stop by Heaven Dou Royal Academy first and bring Yan Yan along."
A glint of satisfaction flashed in Dugu Bo's eyes.
"Back then, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan relied on its power to humiliate my Dugu Family.
I want Yan Yan to watch them pay back every last one of those debts!"
Dugu Ce nodded in agreement:
"That works. Let Sister Yan witness this moment. It'll do her state of mind good, too."
Dugu Bo gave a cold laugh, his voice ominous:
"I remember there's a brat named Yu Tianheng on Yan Yan's Imperial Fighting Team. He's Yu Yuanzhen's own grandson, isn't he?"
"That's right,"
Dugu Ce replied.
"Hmph. We'll capture him while we're at it!"
Soul Power rippled faintly around Dugu Bo.
"Since we're going to watch, we might as well let the most outstanding younger generation of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan
see with their own eyes how the clan they're so proud of tumbles from its peak to rock bottom. Now that will be a sight!"
Golden Crocodile Douluo clasped his hands behind his back and smiled without taking a side:
"I have no objection.
Destroying someone's spirit is indeed more interesting than simply slaughtering them."
Listening to them, Liu Erlong showed not a trace of pity. Instead, her eyes held a vengeful thrill:
"Then let's hurry.
I can't wait to see Yu Yuanzhen's expression when his precious grandson becomes a prisoner."
In Liu Erlong's eyes, the reason she was now trapped in this situation
was Yu Yuanzhen, the true culprit.
When Dugu Ce's father had come to ask for Yu Yin's hand,
Yu Yuanzhen should have simply agreed. Marrying out didn't mean she would stop being part of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
Instead, he had to make things so difficult, damaging her life force and causing her to die young.
And after offending them, he still hadn't wiped out the Dugu Family.
Now that Golden Crocodile Douluo had taken Dugu Ce as his disciple,
the Dugu Family had risen against all odds.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's destruction was only what they deserved!
"Let's go!"
Dugu Bo leaped into the air and shot toward Heaven Dou Royal Academy in a streak of green light, with the others following close behind.
Yu Tianheng...
Dugu Ce narrowed his eyes.
In this world, the story had veered off course because one more person existed: his grandfather, Dugu Xuan.
With Dugu Xuan in the picture, and his son having become entangled with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan,
the Dugu Family had ended up with such a deep feud against the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect.
I wonder what kind of relationship Sister Yan and Yu Tianheng have...
Dugu Ce only knew that Dugu Yan was aware of the feud between the Dugu Family and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect.
But whether Yu Tianheng knew about it was another question.
And in this world,
although Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan were both at the Imperial Fighting Academy and on the same team,
one thing was certain: they weren't a couple like they were in the original story.
Before you continue