Yu Xiaogang was feeling deeply melancholy today because he had a feeling he might be about to die.
Perhaps, in Heaven's eyes, he was never meant to have a brilliant life.
He was a direct descendant of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, and his father was the current clan head, a level ninety-five Power Attack System Super Douluo.
That status was enough to make ninety-nine percent of the people on the continent envious.
Of course, when he was young, he had often been proud of it.
Until he turned six. At the clan's awakening ceremony, under everyone's watchful eyes, he awakened a Martial Soul unlike any other on the continent: one that could leave his body and possess a consciousness of its own.
Everyone was astonished. Some members of minor clans even congratulated him on the spot.
After all, this kind of Martial Soul had broken new ground. Many people present believed his future was limitless, and that he might even forge a new path for Soul Masters.
His father had kept a calm expression throughout, but Yu Xiaogang had seen the flicker of joy deep in his eyes.
In that moment, he secretly vowed that one day he would become his father's pride.
He remembered that vow clearly. He had never been able to forget it.
Because the Innate Soul Power reading that came next smashed his freshly made vow to pieces.
Innate Soul Power of zero point five. That, too, was a rarity unseen in the world.
In an instant, everyone fell silent. The air grew so still it was frightening—you could truly hear a pin drop.
He saw the fear in the eyes of the person who had helped him awaken his Martial Soul, the awkwardness in the eyes of the minor clan members, the amusement in the eyes of a few uncles, and the calm in his father's eyes.
Looking back now, from the moment he awakened his Martial Soul, he had basically had no future to speak of.
But back then, he refused to accept it. He wanted to find another way, to make up for the gap in his Innate Soul Power through his own hard work.
He still held on to a sliver of hope that he could become his father's pride.
He clung to that hope until he was a young man. At last, he gave in.
He left a letter behind, then quietly slipped away from the clan on an ordinary night. He decided to travel the continent and see if he could find a way to make up for his lack of Innate Soul Power.
As expected, he found nothing. But the good news was that he fell in love with a beautiful, gentle girl. Then one day, for no apparent reason, she abandoned him. At last, he learned her identity: Bibi Dong, the current Saintess of Spirit Hall.
He was heartbroken, but he knew his place. He knew his talent was nowhere near good enough for Spirit Hall's Saintess.
So he left, carrying his heartbreak with him as he continued to travel the continent, still trying to find a way to make up for his lack of Innate Soul Power.
Of course, he still found nothing. But the good news was that during his travels, he made a good brother and met another beautiful girl who was tremendously powerful.
Well, he fell in love with this girl, too.
He had truly been happy during that time. He had even believed, for a while, that all the suffering he had endured had been paving the way for the wonderful life he was living now.
But he had barely had time to enjoy himself when disaster struck.
The girl's family came looking for her. And he knew those people: they were all members of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
At last, he learned the girl's true identity. She was his own little sister, of all things...
Damn Heaven, you really knew how to pick one person and keep messing with him. The dizzying ups and downs of life had played out on him to perfection.
Once again, he ran off alone, tail between his legs. He fled to Nuoding City, took on the title of Grandmaster, and became a good-for-nothing everyone had mocked for more than a decade.
He had thought that was all there was to his life: to live out his days in shame and die just as shamefully in this obscure little place.
Then, four days ago, he took on a disciple. And a glimmer of light appeared in his future, which had remained dark until then.
Perhaps he could cultivate a powerful disciple and prove to the entire continent that he wasn't a good-for-nothing. Perhaps he could prove to his father that he really could be his pride.
What a pity. Just like the vow he had made as a child, that hope had barely risen before it was snuffed out in the blink of an eye.
He glanced at the Datura Snake drawing closer, then looked at the disciple he had just taken on.
His own life was basically ruined. His was a worthless life; if he died, so be it.
But his disciple was still young, talented, and had a bright future ahead of him. He absolutely could not let him die here.
Grandmaster gritted his teeth and came to an abrupt stop. "Xiao San, go on ahead! I'll hold it off!"
"Teacher!" Tang San cried in alarm.
"Enough talk! Go, now! If you don't, neither of us will make it out!" Grandmaster barked. Two Soul Rings rose beneath his feet. "Sanpao, show this beast our last attack!"
"Fart Like Smoke, Put Them to Sleep, Luo Sanpao!"
As the words fell, the yellow, dog-like creature leaped into the air and aimed its rear end.
With a "pfft," a huge cloud of thick white smoke burst out, instantly engulfing the Datura Snake as it charged toward them.
Datura Snake: ?????
"Let's hope it works. Go to sleep..."
Grandmaster stared at the shadow that flickered in and out of the smoke and prayed silently.
But prayer was no use against the rule that smoke attacks never hurt anyone.
"Hiss!"
A furious roar rang out, then a pair of scarlet eyes appeared in the mist. This so-called sleep-inducing effect had barely affected the Datura Snake at all.
Why "barely"? Because the fart had managed to enrage it.
In all its life, no creature had ever dared to blast it with a fart. But today, this meal had not only done it once—it had done it twice. Unforgivable!
In the next instant, a gaping maw burst from the mist and appeared right in front of Grandmaster.
At the sight of it, Grandmaster felt ice run through his body. Only one thought flashed through his mind:
It's over...
Just as Grandmaster thought he was about to die in the beast's jaws, Luo Sanpao charged over from not far away, trying to knock the Datura Snake aside and avert disaster.
But something was faster.
From where Grandmaster stood, the ground suddenly split open for some reason. Then several vines, each as thick as two fingers, shot out and bound the Datura Snake in place just as it reached him.
Before he could think any further, a childish voice rang out from afar: "First, kill it!"
The moment the words fell, a blur flashed by, followed by an unwilling hiss.
Grandmaster instinctively looked over and saw that the Datura Snake, which had left him with nothing to do but wait helplessly for death, was pinned to the ground by a steel spike as thick as an infant's forearm. It was already beginning to condense a Soul Ring.
"Teacher..."
Tang San ran over and steadied Grandmaster, who was still staggering a little after narrowly escaping death.
"I'm fine, Xiao San."
Grandmaster patted Tang San's arm, then hurried to the Datura Snake's corpse. He reached out and stroked the vines binding it, his eyes lighting up with a joy he had never felt before.
Blue Silver Grass. This was definitely Blue Silver Grass!
The world was indeed full of extraordinary talents, like fish swimming upstream. He had never imagined someone could cultivate Blue Silver Grass to this level.
If he could befriend this person, then perhaps Xiao San wouldn't have to feel his way across the river by touching stones when it came to his Blue Silver Grass...