Three Conditions (3)

Three Conditions (3)

"Kid, what are you trying to do?"

Dugu Bo's expression darkened.

He certainly would not believe Ye Qingcang's side of the story alone.

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 dwelling on whether his soul skills had been sealed. As long as he could not use them, whether it was called sealing or something else made little difference.

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

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

He had escaped Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo's pursuit. Even if he was the weakest among all Titled Douluo, that weakness depended on whom he was compared to.

He sneered.

Feigning an air of absolute confidence.

He continued staring down at Ye Qingcang with a domineering gaze.

Then, in the lofty tone of an elder instructing a junior, he commented, "A domain is indeed what allows you to run rampant, but don't forget that even without soul skills, a Titled Douluo's physical strength and total Soul Power are enough to teach any Soul Saint a lesson barehanded. You look no older than fifteen or sixteen. Even if I overestimate your Soul Power Level, it cannot be above level fifty. I don't know what Soul Engineers and martial artists are, but soul masters are the mainstream of this world. If your so-called Soul Engineers and martial artists could let a soul master below level fifty defeat a Titled Douluo stripped of all soul skills, why would they be confined to this tiny corner? They would have eliminated the soul master system long ago!"

Clap, clap, clap!

Just as the Shrek group became engrossed in his words, 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 displayed openly upon it.

"A splendid argument..." Ye Qingcang leisurely rolled the prayer beads in his hand. "But have you considered this: Calamity of Possessing a Treasure?"

"Nothing but sophistry!" Dugu Bo sneered. "Kid, if you think you can shake my resolve, your methods are still too immature!"

Ye Qingcang rolled the beads with one hand.

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

Again and again, following an inscrutable rhythm.

Without stopping, he slowly walked toward Dugu Bo.

He neither rushed to attack nor remained silent.

As he walked, he spoke. His words carried such compelling conviction that anyone listening would unconsciously listen and think, only to suddenly awaken from their daze with lingering fear.

"As the Art of War says: When capable, feign incapability; when active, feign inactivity; when near, make the enemy believe you are far; when far, make the enemy believe you are near. Show weakness to lure the enemy in, and only then can victory be achieved. The principle works in reverse as well."

"To put that in plain language and apply it to the present: the stronger and more confident you appear, the more you are putting up a fierce front while weak within, the more you are bluffing."

"A domain is not what allows me to run rampant."

"It is merely an embellishment upon my path."

"A Titled Douluo's physique is indeed not weak, but compared to a Stellar Martial Path practitioner who has repeatedly tempered his body, it still falls far short."

"The Seven Preliminary Chapters of the Stellar Martial Path can be cultivated regardless of one's Soul Power Level. Take me, for instance. I began cultivating before awakening my martial soul. By the age of six, I had mastered the Seven Preliminary Chapters. A casual swing of one arm carried eighteen thousand kilograms of force, my speed could reach thirty-six meters per second, blades, spears, axes, and halberds could not leave even a pale mark on me, and I could move freely through fire and water. I was no weaker than an ordinary assault-type Soul Emperor."

"After reaching level ten and obtaining my first soul ring, the first thing I did was not create Magnetic Field Martial Path, but recultivate the Seven Preliminary Chapters. A swing of one arm carried 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 feat. I was equivalent to an assault-type Soul Saint who had activated Martial Soul Avatar."

"Level twenty matched a Soul Douluo."

"Level thirty matched a Titled Douluo."

"Compared to Soul Guidance Technology, Stellar Martial Path is the opposite in most respects. For example: Soul Guidance Technology is easy to begin learning, while Stellar Martial Path is difficult to enter; Soul Guidance Technology quickly translates into combat power, while Stellar Martial Path translates into combat power very slowly; Soul Guidance Technology relies more on talent and inspiration than hard work, while Stellar Martial Path values hard work more than talent and inspiration. Therefore, the upper limit of Soul Guidance Technology is at most level nine, equivalent to a Titled Douluo, whereas Stellar Martial Path has no such limit. At the same realm, a Soul Engineer certainly cannot defeat a martial artist who has completed the Seven Preliminary Chapters. But if the martial artist has not completed the Seven Preliminary Chapters, like 99.99 percent of Blue Tyrant Academy's students, then a Soul Engineer can defeat a martial artist of the same level."

"So, what you said is wrong."

"A Titled Douluo is nothing remarkable."

"I am currently level forty and have not obtained a soul ring."

"Nor have I undergone my fourth sublimation."

"Yet merely the perfected state after this third sublimation is enough for me to take your head without using the Slaughter Domain."

Step by step, Ye Qingcang entered Dugu Bo's alert range. Watching Dugu Bo undergo Martial Soul Possession, mobilize his Soul Power, and viciously reach for his head with one hand, Ye Qingcang struck later yet arrived first. He moved so quickly that no one could react, tapping Dugu Bo's wrist with his palm.

With a light shake, force erupted!

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

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

Starting from the dislocated wrist!

Forearm, elbow, upper arm, shoulder!

Like a string of firecrackers exploding, every inch of bone was jolted apart and dislocated. Under his skin, they formed hard, swollen protrusions in the shapes of bones, jutting out at every angle!

Then came his entire body!

The force penetrated from head to toe!

Aside from several vital bones that were left untouched, every other bone was shaken loose by that single motion. His body bulged in all directions!

The remaining force surged through Dugu Bo's hair. Before everyone's horrified eyes, his long hair stood straight up as a violent gale burst forth. Because it carried a considerable amount of Dugu Bo's blood and qi, the wind was stained faintly crimson. Together with Dugu Bo, who lay helplessly on the ground with even his jaw dislocated and unable to speak, and Ye Qingcang, who had used only one hand while the other had continuously rolled his prayer beads, radiating an indescribable confidence, it formed a bizarre tableau that left everyone dumbstruck!

"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 the confidence of the strong."

"Do you know why the first chapter of the Seven Preliminary Chapters is Whole Strength?"

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

"Ming Strength, Anjin, Huajin, Danjin, Gangjin."

"Five layers of force, five kinds of power."

"When tendons and bones resonate, and the sound of a punch is like exploding beans, that is Ming Strength."

"Yin, soft, and vicious—one palm strike leaving the outside intact while destroying the inside—that is Anjin."

"When yin and yang merge, and a single shake scatters the tendons and bones, that is Huajin."

"Danjin holds the inner elixir, flawless and without leakage."

"Gangjin is divine force, shattering gold and breaking jade."

"So even with Martial Soul Possession, you are still like a weak snake. If someone grabs your tail and gives it a hard shake, every bone in your body will dislocate. You will be unable to 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 flowing uncontrollably, and sighed. In a sorrowful, compassionate tone that resembled a devil's whisper, he said, "That is why I said that the ignorant boast of knowing all things, while the learned know that knowledge 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, you are the ant. Standing too high makes you unable to see yourself clearly. This is the result: aiming high but lacking ability, unwilling to humble yourself, fearing power but harboring no virtue!"

Seeing Dugu Bo being lectured by Ye Qingcang like a dead dog, with Ye Qingcang even patting his head, Ning Rongrong silently reached down and pinched her thigh.

Only when pain shot through her did she reluctantly lower her hand.

As expected, gaps only became clear through comparison.

She had thought Ye Qingcang's surrender meant he was going easy on them. Who would have thought he had gone easy to an absurd degree? Once his domain opened, a Titled Douluo was beaten into a drooling dead dog sprawled on the ground, tears and snot flowing into his mouth. The humiliation needed no words to describe it—those who heard it would grieve, those who saw it would weep. All she wanted to know now was how much Ye Qingcang had held back in the palm strike that had crushed Tang San's Clear Sky Hammer.

But!

But!

But!

Important things had to be said three times!

But Yu Xiaogang still could not accept defeat!

Ye Qingcang's surrender was so humiliating that even she, an outsider, felt suffocated by it. Though she ought to be happy as one of the beneficiaries, she would rather refuse this privilege—even refuse to pull strings through her senior brother Xue Qinghe—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 dared not admit!

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

That was what Ning Rongrong thought.

Flender and the others thought the same.

"So this is the number one on the Heavenly Ranking..." Qin Ming muttered with a bitter smile. "The number one on the Heavenly Ranking who could make an unparalleled genius capable of crushing the Royal Fight Team within thirty seconds serve as his maid. The number one on the Heavenly Ranking acknowledged by Blue Tyrant Academy's students as the Child of God. The number one on the Heavenly Ranking who defeated a Titled Douluo in a single strike..."

Liu Erlong felt as if her face were burning.

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

Most laughably, her former lover had viewed Blue Tyrant Academy with that sort of mindset, trampling upon the work of her life and using Blue Tyrant Academy as a shield. Yet her adopted son had quietly handled everything, dissecting every filthy, complicated, and righteous part of the matter with crystal clarity. It was as though he had practically spoon-fed her the answer!

And she... she... she had done what, exactly?

And that was precisely what Ye Qingcang wanted to see!

Belittling Tang San and Yu Xiaogang?

Suppressing Tang San and Yu Xiaogang?

What outdated methods were those?

Times had changed!

What was popular now was comparison!

Everyone had eyes. Everyone could see clearly!

His methods might be despicable, his thoughts might be sinister, his personality might be arrogant, and his ideals might be utterly rebellious. But as long as his opponents behaved even more disgracefully than he did, then this rebellious demon would be a Buddha!

Just like this twisted world.

As long as there were enough Evil Soul Masters, then a soul master greedy for wealth and lustful for beauty would be a good soul master.

That was why Ye Qingcang did not mock his mother, Liu Erlong. Just as Qian Renxue had said, if it had been Qian Daoliu rather than Liu Erlong who found him, he would have been more outstanding, more exceptional, and more powerful than he was now. He would not have needed to lay traps for Tang San and Yu Xiaogang here in order to save Liu Erlong. But he had no choice. Back then, he had no choice. Abandoned by some unknown person in the Star Dou Great Forest, it did not matter whether it was Liu Erlong or someone else—whoever could have saved him and raised him then was no different from his own father and mother. That was the debt of being raised. Even now, he had no choice. Liu Erlong had devoted herself to him over the years and fulfilled her responsibilities without fail. Family affection was something exchanged back and forth, 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.

Grabbing Dugu Bo by the back of his collar.

He dragged Dugu Bo over to Flender, Yu Xiaogang, and his adoptive mother.

That violent method, along with Dugu Bo's body being scraped bloody by the shattered stones on the ground, made Flender's eyelids twitch. Even Ning Rongrong, Dai Mubai, Xiao Wu, and the others felt their eyelids twitch, as though their entire worldview were about to shatter.

That was a Titled Douluo!

A Titled Douluo whom even the Star Luo Imperial Family did not possess!

Believe it or not, if this Titled Douluo were willing to join the Star Luo Imperial Family, the Star Luo Empire's emperor would select an eligible woman from among his sisters overnight and personally bring her to meet this brother-in-law.

Or perhaps this brother-in-law would be married to one of his elder sisters?

This was the stabilizing pillar of any empire!

Wait!

Why had they started calling him "this thing" too?

This was clearly a distinguished Titled Douluo!

How could they describe a Titled Douluo as "this thing"?

The Shrek group stared strangely at Dugu Bo, who could not even commit suicide, silently condemning their own disrespectful thoughts. But thoughts were thoughts. Those who understood, understood—they could not simply be suppressed because one wanted to suppress them. At most, they could refrain from saying them aloud.

"Dean Flender."

The moment Ye Qingcang spoke, Flender jolted in fright.

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 in his forties, yet he had been frightened into such a state by a youth only a third of his age. It was truly embarrassing!

But after casting a sidelong glance at Dugu Bo, Flender still obediently lowered his gaze and waited for Ye Qingcang to continue.

He could not afford to provoke him!

If Ye Qingcang dared to lay hands on a Titled Douluo, then naturally he dared to lay hands on Flender!

Besides, Ye Qingcang had always been straightforward by nature!

That was a strength, but also a weakness.

If the boy beat him up, he would have nowhere to cry about it.

However, Ye Qingcang was not a madman, 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 earn the fear of others, while a strong man who balanced grace and authority could earn their awe—the kind of awe that contained both respect and fear.

"You are a decent dean."

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

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

"First: I helped Xiao Wu deal with her trouble. Though that complied with Blue Tyrant Academy's tenth school rule, matters like pulling strings are only ignored when no one brings them up. They can never be discussed openly. I hope you understand. As the price—the price for treating this as though it never happened—I require that you never again use Shrek Academy's name under any circumstances. In other words, Blue Tyrant Academy can only be Blue Tyrant Academy. It will never become Shrek Academy."

"Second: Tang San wanted to kill me. According to school rules, that should be settled on the Life-and-Death Platform. The Life-and-Death Platform is where Blue Tyrant Academy allows all students to settle their grudges. Given the gap between Tang San and me, if we went to the Life-and-Death Platform, only he would die. I can treat this as though it never happened. As the price, none of Shrek's original members may cultivate Stellar Martial Path in any form, nor may they come into contact with Soul Guidance Technology in any form, unless they receive my personal permission."

"Third: Blue Tyrant Academy's school rules are iron laws. I am making an exception for you once because I do not want my mother to make an exception for you. If my mother made an exception, people would inevitably say that the dean was abusing her authority for personal gain. But if I, the number one on the Heavenly Ranking, make an exception, no one will dare object. Therefore, as the price, you must represent your Shrek group and guarantee that none of you will violate any school rule. Other students each have three chances to correct minor offenses, offenses, and major offenses. As for you, I can give you only one chance. Whether it is a minor offense or a major one, the moment you violate a rule, you will be expelled."

"Ning Rongrong does not count."

"Oscar does not count."

"Ma Hongjun does not count."

"This applies only to the other four students who entered through the back door."

"Dean Flender, I have finished. Are you willing to accept my conditions?"

"If not, that is fine too."

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

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

"Broken tendons and shattered bones take a hundred days to heal. That is the truth."

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