The Moral High Ground

The smile and warm response Yu Xiaogang had anticipated did not come.

Bibi Dong lifted her eyes, her purple-black pupils sweeping over him only once before she gave a slight nod of her chin as a response.

The smile on Yu Xiaogang's face froze instantly.

His heart sank; an inexplicable sense of panic and indignation surged within him, clogging his chest with a stifling pressure.

He panicked because Bibi Dong was so cold, which made him realize there was no opportunity to advance their relationship.

He was angry because he had taken the initiative to show goodwill, only to be met with such a face-losing display.

Yet, he was helpless; he could only seethe in silence, then seethe again.

Yu Xiaogang noticed the direction Bibi Dong was heading was toward the stairs leading to the top floor of the Library Pavilion, and a light ignited in his eyes:

"Bibi Dong, are you heading to the top floor? Haha, I have been researching martial soul mutation theory lately and happen to have a few difficulties that require reference to the books on the top floor. Could you... allow me to accompany you up?"

Bibi Dong frowned, deep in thought, when Su Chen, who had been standing to the side, noticed that Yu Xiaogang was treating him like air and spoke up on his own initiative.

"The top floor of the Library Pavilion is a core restricted area of our Martial Soul Hall. It has always been the rule that those who are not high-ranking members of the Martial Soul Hall are not permitted to enter."

"If the Grandmaster insists on ascending to the top floor to consult the classics, it is actually quite simple: join our Martial Soul Hall, make contributions, and attain the status of a Purple-Robed Bishop or higher. Naturally, you would then be qualified to go up, and you could even borrow the books inside at will, letting you copy them to your heart's content."

Yu Xiaogang's expression darkened, anger and disdain surging in his heart as the pride in his bones was ignited.

He was the Young Sect Master of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan; he was a man of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan for life.

Even if he had been expelled, his bloodline would not change. How could he possibly throw his lot in with the Martial Soul Hall?

He still had to use the martial soul theories of the Martial Soul Hall to prove to his father and his clansmen that he, Yu Xiaogang, was no waste.

Yu Xiaogang suddenly let out a soft huff, taking the moral high ground as his tone rose a notch: "The whole world knows that the Martial Soul Hall possesses the most complete and top-tier martial soul theoretical system in the world. You hold the most precious cultivation knowledge on the continent in your hands, yet you hide it away in a pavilion, refusing to pass it on to the world, letting martial soul theory wither away."

"If you could make these theories public, allowing all soul masters in the world to gain the knowledge within, people would no longer blindly absorb Soul Ring, they would not waste their talents in vain, and it would not make you appear so selfish. Good things should be made public to benefit the continent."

Good grief, what a display of selflessness, what a heart for the world—I almost believed him.

Su Chen felt that Yu Xiaogang certainly had a silver tongue; no wonder he could fool two women.

Given the educational style of the Angel Family, they truly could not stand this kind of moral kidnapping.

Su Chen nodded: "Grandmaster's argument is indeed spoken with such high-sounding rhetoric that it leaves one unable to refute it."

The corners of Yu Xiaogang's mouth immediately curled into a smile, but Su Chen's next sentence made his face look ugly again.

"Since the Grandmaster has the world at heart, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan sits upon the top-tier heritage of the Upper Three Sects, with ten thousand hectares of fertile land and countless treasures, enjoying the continent's top resources for generations."

Su Chen stared straight at Yu Xiaogang: "Then why doesn't the Grandmaster take the lead and take all the assets of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, all the gold, silver, and fertile land, and distribute them across the impoverished areas of the continent to provide for the poor of the world so they have no worries about food and clothing, ensuring there is no more hunger or poverty on this continent?"

"Such salvation of the world, such boundless love and selflessness—surely, with the Grandmaster's breadth of mind, you would certainly not refuse."

Yu Xiaogang trembled all over, his face turning ashen.

His chest heaved violently, anger rushing straight to the top of his head, and his fingertips began to tremble slightly from the rage.

Is this brat speaking human language?

Asking us to give away all our family assets?

On what grounds?

"Grandmaster, are you unwilling, or is it that you have no qualifications to return to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, or perhaps you are afraid to go back because you are a waste and you are afraid of losing face?"

Su Chen looked at him with confusion in his eyes. Bibi Dong opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end, she remained silent.

Yu Xiaogang clenched his fists, the veins on his forehead bulging.

He had never imagined that a mere little brat would dare to refute him, let alone accuse him.

Yu Xiaogang felt he could no longer suppress the fire in his heart.

He adopted the condescending posture of an elder and scolded: "You are young and sharp-tongued; what do you know, that you dare to point fingers at me here?"

Su Chen's expression did not change: "In the world of soul masters, rank is never determined by age."

"Here, there are only peers, seniors, and juniors; there is no distinction between child and elder."

"Grandmaster might as well reveal your soul power cultivation. I, Su Chen, am at the Soul Grand Master realm. I wonder if the Grandmaster's cultivation is still stuck at the Soul Grand Master level?"

The anger on Yu Xiaogang's face froze instantly, replaced by extreme disbelief and shock.

He stared fixedly at the handsome youth before him.

Soul Grand Master?

He had actually already reached the Soul Grand Master realm?

One had to know that he, Yu Xiaogang, did not consider his own talent mediocre, yet due to his martial soul mutation and limited talent, it had taken him a full ten years of time to barely break through to the Soul Grand Master realm.

But he...

Yu Xiaogang clearly remembered that it had been less than two years since he awakened his martial soul.

He had actually caught up to the results of his own ten-plus years of bitter cultivation?

One year equal to ten?

Yu Xiaogang stood frozen on the spot, his heart already somewhat numb.

"Little Chen, let's go!"

Bibi Dong grabbed Su Chen's hand and headed toward the top floor.

When she looked at Yu Xiaogang, her expression was clearly filled with disappointment.

The Library Pavilion on the top floor was vast.

Yet, there were hardly any people to be seen.

Only one old man sat there in silence.

"Elder Li, I have brought Little Chen here to register his martial soul information."

"Very well, Your Highness the Saintess. His Holiness the Pope has already sent someone to inform this old man."

The old man rose slowly and produced a register he had prepared in advance.

"Su Chen, your martial soul is the first of its kind on this continent. Registering it in the Library Pavilion will allow your descendants to reference it, modify their Soul Rings, adjust their cultivation paths, and develop the power of this martial soul through generations."

"Su Chen, there is no need to hide anything from me. Tell this old man everything about your situation; I will not speak of it to anyone else."

"Master Li, my first Soul Skill is Summon Retainer. I can summon up to two at most, and the newly added Soul Ring is of the spider type."

Su Chen was no fool; he would not reveal everything.

As for his descendants, he could teach them himself.

Back on the second floor, Yu Xiaogang regained his senses only to see the two of them had already gone up.

He began to pant like an ox, feeling that Bibi Dong was far too selfish.

She had actually refused to take him with her.

Just as Yu Xiaogang was fuming with rage yet feeling utterly helpless, a hand slapped him on the buttocks.

"Yo, looking to head to the top floor?"

"Master, is it? I can help you with that."

Yu Xiaogang was about to explode in anger, wanting to know who dared to strike him.

He heard a delicate, soft voice.

Judging by the sound, he assumed the person was a beautiful and gentle woman.

When he turned around, Yu Xiaogang's expression froze; it was actually a tall, burly man with a scar on his face.