Three Conditions (3)

"Kid, what are you trying to do?"

Dugu Bo's face darkened.

He certainly would not believe Ye Qingcang's one-sided claims.

But he had to believe the results of his own test.

The results showed that he truly could not use his soul skills.

At this point, there was no point in dwelling on whether his soul skills had been sealed. As long as he could not use them, whether it was called sealing or not was merely a matter of terminology. Change the name, and the result remained the same.

However, Dugu Bo was, after all, a Titled Douluo.

In his youth, he had fought countless battles and was ruthless and cunning.

He had managed to escape Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo's pursuit. Even if he was the weakest among all Titled Douluos, that so-called weakness depended on who he was compared to.

He let out a derisive snort.

He put on an expression of utter confidence.

He continued staring at Ye Qingcang with an imperious gaze.

Then, using the lofty tone of a senior instructing a junior, he commented, "A domain is indeed the foundation of your arrogance, but don't forget that even without soul skills, a Titled Douluo's physical strength and total Soul Power are still enough to teach any Soul Saint a lesson barehanded. Judging by your age, you're only fifteen or sixteen. Even if I give your Soul Power level some leeway, you can't be above level fifty. This old man may not understand what Soul Tool Masters and martial artists are, but soul masters are the mainstream of this world. If your so-called Soul Tool Masters and martial artists could allow a soul master below level fifty to defeat a Titled Douluo who had lost all his soul skills, why would they remain confined to this little corner? They would have eliminated the soul master system long ago!"

Clap, clap, clap!

Just as the Shrek group was listening with rapt attention, Ye Qingcang calmly began applauding. The smile on his face remained unchanged, yet anyone who saw it could sense its indescribable mystery—as well as the confidence he displayed openly.

"A very brilliant argument..." Ye Qingcang leisurely rolled the prayer beads in his hand. "But have you ever considered this? A common man is innocent, but possessing jade becomes his crime."

"Nothing but sophistry!" Dugu Bo sneered. "Kid, if you think you can shake this old man's resolve, your tricks are still far too crude!"

Ye Qingcang rolled the prayer beads with one hand.

From Qiu Niu to Ya Zi, then to Chao Feng and beyond.

Again and again, following a mysterious rhythm.

His feet never stopped as he slowly walked toward Dugu Bo.

He did not rush to attack, nor did he remain silent.

As he walked, he spoke. His words carried such powerful conviction that anyone listening would unconsciously focus, contemplate, then suddenly snap awake from their daze with lingering fear.

"Military strategy says: when capable, feign incapability; when employing, feign disuse; when near, make it appear distant; when distant, make it appear near. Show weakness to lure the enemy in, and only then can victory be achieved. The reverse is also true."

"In plain terms, applied to this moment: the stronger and more confident you appear, the more it proves you are putting up a fierce front while being weak within—the more it proves you are bluffing."

"A domain is not the foundation of my arrogance."

"It is merely ornamentation, decorating my path."

"A Titled Douluo's physical qualities are indeed not weak, but compared to a Stellar Martial Artist who has repeatedly tempered their body, they still fall far short."

"The first seven chapters of Stellar Martial Arts can be cultivated regardless of Soul Power level. Take me, for instance. I began cultivating before awakening my Martial Soul. By the age of six, I had mastered the first seven chapters. With a swing of one arm, I could exert eighteen thousand kilograms of force; I could run at thirty-six meters per second; blades, spears, axes, and halberds could not leave even a pale mark on me; I could move freely through water and fire. I was no weaker than an ordinary Attack Type Soul Emperor."

"After reaching level ten and obtaining my first soul ring, the first thing I did was not create Magnetic Field Martial Arts, but recultivate the first seven chapters. A swing of one arm could produce thirty-six thousand kilograms of force, my speed could reach seventy-two meters per second, divine weapons and sharp artifacts could scarcely harm me, and walking through the air was no difficult task. I was comparable to an Attack Type Soul Saint who had activated their Martial Soul Avatar."

"At level twenty, I match a Soul Douluo."

"At level thirty, I match a Titled Douluo."

"Compared with Soul Guidance Technology, Stellar Martial Arts are opposite in most respects. For example: Soul Guidance Technology is easy to begin with, while Stellar Martial Arts are difficult to begin with; Soul Guidance Technology quickly translates into combat power, while Stellar Martial Arts translate into combat power very slowly; talent and inspiration matter more than hard work in Soul Guidance Technology, while hard work matters more than talent and inspiration in Stellar Martial Arts. Therefore, the upper limit of Soul Guidance Technology is at most level nine, equivalent to a Titled Douluo, while Stellar Martial Arts do not stop at level nine. At the same realm, a Soul Tool Master will certainly lose to a martial artist who has completed the first seven chapters. But if that martial artist has not completed the first seven chapters—like ninety-nine point ninety-nine percent of Blue Tyrant Academy's students—a Soul Tool Master can defeat them head-on."

"So, you are wrong."

"A Titled Douluo is nothing remarkable."

"I am currently level forty and have yet to obtain a soul ring."

"Nor have I undergone my fourth ascension."

"But even the perfected result of my third ascension is enough for me to take your head without using the Slaughter Domain."

Ye Qingcang stepped into Dugu Bo's guard range, one step at a time. Watching Dugu Bo possess his Martial Soul, activate his Soul Power, and viciously reach for his head, Ye Qingcang's hand moved later yet arrived first. It was so fast that no one could react before it tapped Dugu Bo's wrist.

With a slight shake, force burst forth!

Before everyone's eyes, Dugu Bo's wrist dislocated and twisted grotesquely!

And the force that had entered Dugu Bo's body was only just beginning!

Starting from that dislocated wrist!

Forearm, elbow, upper arm, shoulder!

Like a string of firecrackers exploding, every inch of bone was shaken loose and dislocated. Bones bulged beneath his skin along all manner of twisted trajectories, forming hard, swollen lumps!

Then came the rest of his body!

The force coursed through him from head to toe!

Other than several fatal bones that had not been shaken loose, every other bone was dislocated by that single tremor, his body bulging in every direction!

The remaining force passed through Dugu Bo's hair. Under everyone's horrified gaze, his long hair shot straight upward as a violent gale erupted from him. Mixed with much of Dugu Bo's blood and vitality, the wind was tinged scarlet. Together with Dugu Bo, sprawled on the ground unable to rise, his jaw dislocated so badly he could not even speak, and Ye Qingcang, who had used only one hand while the other had been rolling prayer beads from beginning to end, exuding confidence beyond measure, it formed a bizarre tableau that left everyone dumbfounded!

"The reason I wasted so many words on you is because I am not in a very good mood."

"And the reason I dared to waste so many words on you is because of a strong man's confidence."

"Do you know why the first chapter of the first seven chapters is Coordinating Strength?"

"Because without Coordinating Strength, you are not even qualified to fight a martial artist!"

"Manifested, Hidden, Transforming, Dan, Aura."

"Five levels of strength, five kinds of force."

"When tendons and bones resonate, and a punch sounds like bursting beans, that is Manifested Strength."

"Yin and vicious, with one palm strike leaving the outside whole while damaging the inside—that is Hidden Strength."

"When yin and yang unite, and one shake scatters the tendons and bones, that is Transforming Strength."

"Dan Strength embraces the dan, seamless and without flaw."

"Aura Strength forms divine aura, shattering gold and breaking jade."

"So even with your Martial Soul possessed, you are still like a feeble snake. Grabbed by the tail and given a hard shake, every bone in your body comes apart. You cannot rise again, limp and helpless, at another's mercy."

Ye Qingcang released Dugu Bo's wrist.

He crouched down, looked at Dugu Bo, whose tears, snot, and saliva were pouring uncontrollably from his face, and sighed. His sorrowful, world-weary words sounded like a devil's whisper. "That is why I say: the ignorant boast that they know all things, while the knowledgeable understand that learning is endless. I gave you a chance, but you did not cherish it. You habitually regard others as ants, never realizing that in the eyes of many people, you are the ant. Standing too high and losing sight of yourself—that is the outcome. Your eyes are higher than your hands, you refuse to humble yourself, you fear power but do not respect virtue!"

Watching Dugu Bo, like a dead dog, get patted on the head and lectured by Ye Qingcang, Ning Rongrong silently reached out and pinched her own thigh.

Only when pain came did she unwillingly lower her hand.

Sure enough, all gaps became clear through comparison.

She had thought Ye Qingcang's surrender was him going easy on them. Who would have thought he had gone easy by an ocean? The moment he activated his domain, a Titled Douluo was beaten into a drooling dead dog lying on the ground, tears and snot flowing into his mouth. It was an indescribable humiliation, enough to make those who heard of it grieve and those who saw it weep. What she wanted to know now was exactly how much Ye Qingcang had held back in that palm strike that had shattered Tang San's Clear Sky Hammer.

But!

But!

But!

Important things had to be said three times!

But Yu Xiaogang still could not take it!

Ye Qingcang's surrender was so stifling that even she, an outsider, felt suffocated watching it. Although, as one who benefited from it, she should have been happy right now, she would rather not have this privilege. She would rather not take the back door through Xue Qinghe, her senior brother, than accept such a laughable victory!

She, Ning Rongrong, dared to act and dared to take responsibility!

A loss was a loss. There was nothing she did not dare admit!

This kind of victory was humiliation—humiliation to one's dignity!

That was what Ning Rongrong thought.

Flender and the others thought the same.

"So this is the first on the Heaven Ranking..." Qin Ming muttered with a bitter smile. "The first on the Heaven Ranking who could make a peerless genius capable of crushing the Royal Fight Team within thirty seconds become his maid. The first on the Heaven Ranking recognized by Blue Tyrant Academy's students as the Child of God. The first on the Heaven Ranking who defeated a Titled Douluo in a single strike..."

Liu Erlong felt her face burning with shame.

For the sake of a former lover, she had come to question her adopted son.

Most laughably, that former lover had viewed Blue Tyrant Academy with that kind of mentality, trampled on the fruits of her labor, and treated Blue Tyrant Academy as a shield. Yet her adopted son had silently handled everything, dissecting the filthiest, most complicated, and brightest aspects of the entire affair with complete clarity. He had practically brought the bowl to her mouth and spoon-fed her!

And she... she... she had done what?

And that was precisely what Ye Qingcang wanted to see!

Belittle Tang San and Yu Xiaogang?

Suppress Tang San and Yu Xiaogang?

What kind of outdated tactics were those?

The times had changed!

Comparison was what was popular now!

Everyone had eyes. Everyone could see clearly!

The methods might be despicable, the intentions might be sinister, the temperament might be arrogant, and the thoughts might be utterly rebellious. But as long as the opponent behaved even worse than I did, then I, this rebellious devil, would be a Buddha!

Just like this twisted world.

As long as there were enough Evil Spirit Masters, then a soul master greedy for wealth and lustful for women was a good soul master.

That was why Ye Qingcang had not mocked his mother, Liu Erlong. Just as Qian Renxue had said, if it had been Qian Daoliu rather than Liu Erlong who had found him, he would have been more outstanding, more exceptional, and stronger than he was now. He would not have needed to dig traps here for Tang San and Yu Xiaogang in order to save Liu Erlong. However, he had had no choice. Back then, he had had no choice. Abandoned by an unknown person in the Star Dou Great Forest, let alone Liu Erlong, whoever could have saved him then, whoever could have raised him then, would have been no different from his biological father and mother. That was the grace of raising him. Even now, he had no choice. Liu Erlong had devoted herself to caring for him over the years and fulfilled her duties without fail. Family was something that came and went, and gradually it became something impossible to sever. Calling it repaying kindness was too shallow. He simply did not want to watch his adoptive mother jump into a pit of fire. It was that simple.

He grabbed Dugu Bo by the back of his collar.

Dragging Dugu Bo along, he walked over to Flender, Yu Xiaogang, and his adoptive mother.

That violent method, along with Dugu Bo's bloody body scraped raw by the gravel on the ground, made not only Flender's eyelids twitch, but also Ning Rongrong, Dai Mubai, Xiao Wu, and the others. They felt as though their worldview was about to collapse.

That was a Titled Douluo!

A Titled Douluo the Xingluo Royal Family did not even possess!

Would you believe it? If this Titled Douluo were willing to join the Xingluo Royal Family, the Star Luo Empire's emperor would select a suitable woman from among his sisters overnight and personally visit this brother-in-law?

Or perhaps this brother-in-law would be his sister's husband?

This guy was the stabilizing pillar of any empire!

Wait!

Why were they starting to call him "this guy" too?

He was clearly a noble Titled Douluo!

How could a Titled Douluo be described as "this guy"?

The Shrek group stared strangely at Dugu Bo, who could not even commit suicide, and all silently condemned their own disrespectful thoughts. But thoughts were thoughts. Those who understood, understood—they were not something one could suppress simply by wishing to. At most, they could refrain from saying them aloud.

"Headmaster Flender."

The moment Ye Qingcang spoke, Flender jolted.

He instinctively lowered his head and bent slightly at the waist. "I'm here..."

Only after the words left his mouth did he realize something was wrong.

He was over forty years old, yet he had been frightened like this by a youth only one-third his age. It was utterly humiliating!

But after glancing at Dugu Bo from the corner of his eye, Flender still obediently lowered his brows and waited for Ye Qingcang to continue.

He could not afford to provoke him!

If Ye Qingcang dared to attack a Titled Douluo, he naturally dared to attack him!

Besides, Ye Qingcang was straightforward by nature!

That was a strength, but it was also a weakness.

If Ye Qingcang beat him up, he would not even have anywhere to cry.

However, Ye Qingcang was not insane, nor did he need to prove anything by beating Flender. More accurately, if he wanted to prove something, reasoning with Flender instead of beating him was the better method. A frenzied strong man could only gain the fear of others; only a strong man who balanced favor and authority could earn their awe—the kind of awe that contained both respect and fear.

"You are a decent headmaster."

"You did not treat Blue Tyrant Academy as a shield."

"Although things have reached this point, and we have all given up on changing matters for certain reasons, taking the back door is still taking the back door. I have my own conditions."

"First: I helped Xiao Wu deal with her trouble. Although that complied with Blue Tyrant Academy's tenth school rule, matters like taking the back door are never pursued unless someone raises them. They can never be discussed openly. I hope you understand. As the price—the price for treating this matter as though it never happened—I require that you never use the name Shrek Academy again under any circumstances. In other words, Blue Tyrant Academy can only be Blue Tyrant Academy. It will never become Shrek Academy."

"Second: according to the school rules, Tang San trying to kill me should mean going to the Life-and-Death Arena. The Life-and-Death Arena is where Blue Tyrant Academy allows all students to settle their grudges. Given the gap between Tang San and me, if we went there, only he would die. I can pretend this never happened. As the price, none of you original Shrek members may cultivate Stellar Martial Arts in any form, nor may you come into contact with Soul Guidance Technology in any form, unless you receive my personal permission."

"Third: Blue Tyrant Academy's school rules are iron laws. I made an exception for you once because I did not want my mother to make an exception for you. If my mother made that exception, people would inevitably say that the headmaster bent the law for personal reasons. But if I, the first on the Heaven Ranking, make the exception, no one would dare object. Therefore, as the price, you must represent all of your Shrek people and guarantee that you will never violate any school rule. Other students each receive three chances to correct minor offenses, misconduct, and major offenses. As for you, I can give you only one chance. Whether it is a major or minor offense, violate the rules and you will be expelled immediately."

"Ning Rongrong does not count."

"Oscar does not count."

"Ma Hongjun does not count."

"This applies only to the other four who came in through the back door."

"Headmaster Flender, I am finished. Are you willing to accept my conditions?"

"If you are unwilling, that is fine as well."

"But I can guarantee that these four students who came in through the back door will not have a single uninjured day in Blue Tyrant Academy."

"The one hundred and fifty students on the Heaven, Earth, and Human Rankings all possess the right to forcibly challenge other students, and the only bottom line is that they cannot take lives."

"A hundred days to recover from injured tendons and bones—that is the truth."

"Three conditions for peace and stability. What do you say?"