Time flew like an arrow, and another year passed.
In the little courtyard by the woodshed at the White Tiger Duke Mansion.
"Cultivation isn't for winning fights, nor is it for earning a girl's praise. It's about using cultivation to keep your body and mind healthy, and to make your life more fulfilling and meaningful."
"Becoming stronger isn't about defeating others, but about conquering yourself. If you lose yourself because of your own power or someone else's, you'll never mature, no matter how much time passes."
Little Yuhao blinked in apparent understanding as he sat on a small stool.
Baili Du smiled at him. "Are you wondering why I'm teaching you this stuff that seems so useless instead of teaching you how to cultivate?"
Little Yuhao hesitated for a moment, then silently nodded.
Over the past year, Baili Du hadn't taken him to obtain a Soul Ring. Instead, he'd taught him all kinds of knowledge, told him countless stories, taken him to several fun places, taught him a cultivation technique called the Spirit Ice Art, and then had him control his Soul Power and explore cultivation on his own each night.
To be honest, though listening to Baili Du's lessons wasn't all that boring, Little Huo Yuhao was still somewhat anxious because his Soul Power showed no signs of breaking through.
Obtaining a Soul Ring would mean that he could become a true Soul Master and gain powerful strength—strength that would let him get justice for himself and his mother!
"You must always remember one thing: cultivating the Dao begins with cultivating the heart," Baili Du said calmly. "If you don't have a proper understanding of your own power, then once you grow strong in the future, you'll only betray the strength you possess and bring disaster upon this world."
His words were heavy with earnest concern. It felt as if he wasn't just speaking to Huo Yuhao, but to his past self as well.
Huo Yuhao stared at his little hands in confusion. He didn't understand what those words meant.
To be honest, how many adults could grasp such principles, let alone a six-year-old child?
"It's fine if you can't understand yet. Just remember them for now. When the time comes, you'll understand naturally. Now, I'll tell you about the Spirit Hall and the Tang Sect in history, and, of course, the Rakshasa God and the Angel God."
Little Yuhao immediately sat up straight. He knew that Uncle Baili was incredibly knowledgeable, versed in everything from astronomy to geography, and well acquainted with both the past and the present.
Children loved listening to stories, after all.
"The Spirit Hall was established nearly twenty thousand years ago by the first Angel God. Its purpose was to..."
"As for the Tang Sect, it was founded by that Sea God, Tang San. I'm sure your mother has told you plenty of stories about him, so I won't say much more. The Tang Sect was founded to..."
When Baili Du finished telling the stories, Little Yuhao wore a thoughtful expression.
Looking at him, Baili Du's eyes held a trace of satisfaction. He could naturally tell that the little fellow had committed his words to memory.
"In your opinion, which had the greater impact on the entire continent and its common people—the Tang Sect or the Spirit Hall?"
Little Yuhao answered loudly without hesitation. "The Spirit Hall!"
"Why?"
"Because they awakened Martial Souls for commoners for free and provided subsidies to Soul Masters. But the Tang Sect sold Hidden Weapons to nobles and Soul Masters, which contributed nothing at all to humanity's development."
Baili Du nodded silently. "Then, in your opinion, why did both the Tang Sect and the Spirit Hall leave the stage of history?"
Huo Yuhao was stumped. For a moment, he didn't know how to answer.
Baili Du simply smiled. "Your talent is the same as that of the former Angel God, Qian Renxue. You were both born with twentieth-level Soul Power, but you've seen how things turned out for her."
"I'm not saying Qian Renxue was wrong. She simply lost. And because she lost, history on the Douluo Continent judged her to be in the wrong. The contributions the Spirit Hall made to humanity were also rejected wholesale along with her."
"Justice rests in the hearts of the people. If you treat the people well, their hearts will naturally be with you. What the Tang Sect did could hardly be called fair or righteous, and its development had little significance to society. Naturally, it was swallowed by the wheels of history."
Baili Du firmly believed that in this era, the Tang Sect could never rise again without Huo Yuhao!
It was just like the Shrek Academy and Tang Sect ten thousand years later. On the surface, they were destroyed by the Holy Spirit Cult's twelve-level Godslaying cannon shells, but in truth, the senior ranks of the Douluo Federation, the War God Temple, the Spirit Pagoda, and many other factions had joined forces, sparing no expense to wipe them out.
The Shrek Academy and the Tang Sect deserved to be swept from the stage of history.
Let Spirit Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao, hailed as the "Renaissance Master of the Tang Sect and Shrek," drive one last nail into their coffin!
Little Yuhao nodded thoughtfully. "Uncle Baili, are you telling me that there's no such thing as good or evil in this world, and that whoever loses is evil?"
Baili Du gave an approving nod. "Very good! As long as you understand that, you'll be able to look at all things in this world dialectically."
Just as expected of me! I can't help admiring my own cleverness.
Before Baili Du could continue explaining, an extremely unpleasant dog's bark came from the doorway.
"Bastards, are you blind? Don't you know the young master is back? Get out here and welcome him!"
The dilapidated woodshed door was kicked to pieces. Through the doorway, eight burly White Tiger Guards stood on either side of the passage, the White Tiger emblem embroidered on their chests. They looked every bit like the loyal lackeys they were.
Huo Yuhao looked toward the entrance. He'd almost forgotten: the Duke's Mansion required servants to kneel on one knee along the road and welcome masters like Dai Huabin or Dai Yueheng when they returned.
No matter where you went, people were divided into ranks...
Baili Du had been guiding him in his cultivation all day, so he'd naturally forgotten about it.
Of course, ever since meeting Baili Du, Huo Yuhao had never done such a thing again.
Baili Du had taught him that a person must not be arrogant, but must never lack pride; one had to live with self-respect and pride.
Those words had been etched into Little Huo Yuhao's mind.
A young man dressed in fine white robes embroidered with python patterns had just reached the woodshed entrance.
He was strikingly handsome, with double pupils and an air of lofty nobility. His gaze was cold and stern.
"Hm?" The young man in fine clothes stopped and glanced into the woodshed with distaste. "You don't know the slightest bit of etiquette... Beat him."
After saying this, he hurried away as if afraid the sight might dirty his eyes.
Four of the eight White Tiger Guards immediately charged into the woodshed, their faces vicious, as if they had some irreconcilable grudge against Huo Yuhao.
Baili Du smiled and shook his head, then patted Huo Yuhao on the shoulder. "Power isn't just for conquering yourself. More importantly, it's for protecting yourself."
"Go on, Yuhao. Show them your strength!"
Little Huo Yuhao hesitated for a moment, then immediately steeled his resolve and nodded firmly.
"...Come on!"
Rich Soul Power surged around him. Little Yuhao's small body grew a little taller, and both his hands transformed into sharp blue dragon claws. Four pairs—a total of eight—of deep-blue Dragon Wings unfurled from his back, while a thick, illusory dragon tail whipped behind him with a hint of savagery.
His eyes were especially striking, transformed into blue-gold vertical pupils that released an indescribably terrifying pressure.
Deep-blue waterlight and black-purple bolts of lightning coursed over his dragon claws. With a casual wave, purple light flashed through the air, carrying a scorched smell. The four White Tiger Guards who charged in suddenly felt numb and couldn't move from where they stood.
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