Let Them Sneer-I'll Go Down the Mountain and Train!

A moment later, the Soul Power within Li Qingshan continued to climb. It soon broke through level sixty, and the Passionate Sword's Sixth Soul Ring condensed around it.

[Passionate Sword Sixth Soul Ring unlocked!]

[Sixth Soul Skill: Delusion.]

[Weave an illusion from threads of emotion, magnifying the target's deepest desires and obsessions. It can conjure the person they love or the things they dream of. Anyone struck will sink into a beautiful dream, unable to distinguish reality from illusion. Their body will stand frozen, and their Soul Power will stagnate.]

His Soul Power did not stop rising. Only when it reached level seventy did the power pouring into him gradually subside. At the same time, a seventh, black Soul Ring took shape.

[Passionate Sword Seventh Soul Ring unlocked!]

[Seventh Soul Skill: Passionate Sword · Martial Soul Avatar.]

[Once activated, the Passionate Sword transforms into the enormous Giant Sword of Emotion, and the host merges with his Martial Soul. The power of all emotion-based Soul Skills doubles, Spiritual Power increases greatly, and thousands of threads of emotion can be released to bind an enemy's soul.]

Information about the Soul Skills flooded Li Qingshan's mind. He clenched his hand, unable to keep the corners of his mouth from rising.

"I went straight from level forty to level seventy—a full thirty levels! Now I'm a Soul Saint with a Martial Soul Avatar!"

Li Qingshan suppressed his delight and turned his gaze to another reward on the glowing screen: partial mastery of spatial power at the level of a Limit Douluo!

"System, what exactly can this short-range spatial travel do?"

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than several lines appeared before his eyes.

[Current maximum distance per traversal: one thousand meters.]

[The destination must be within the host's sight or spiritual perception and have enough room to accommodate him. This ability can be used at most three times every twelve double-hours and consumes the host's Soul Power.]

"One thousand meters, three times..."

After reading the notice, Li Qingshan looked toward a tree outside the courtyard. Following the understanding that had appeared in his mind, he channeled his Soul Power. A faint ripple spread through the air before him.

The next instant, he vanished from beside the wooden stool.

When he appeared again,

he was standing beneath the tree more than twenty meters away!

Li Qingshan glanced back at the thatched cottage, then down at his feet. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly. He had crossed the entire distance in one step!

[Uses remaining this cycle: two.]

"Great skill!"

Li Qingshan did not test it again. He turned and walked back toward the courtyard.

A thousand meters might not sound far, but in a fight, it would be immensely useful whether he used it to close in suddenly or evade an attack.

Besides, this was only partial mastery of spatial power at the level of a Limit Douluo. As the progress toward making it real continued to rise, he might gain a more complete ability.

At the thought, he looked forward to taking Yu Xiaogang out to train even more.

The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.

In a courtyard,

Yu Yuanzhen withdrew his gaze from the mountain below and turned to his son standing before him.

"Xiaogang, since the Love Sword Titled Douluo is willing to take you out to train, go with him and set your mind at ease."

Yu Xiaogang hurriedly nodded.

"Father, I'll work hard at my cultivation."

Yu Yuanzhen patted him on the shoulder. His voice was much gentler than usual.

"The change in your Martial Soul is the result of your teacher's careful guidance. Be respectful when you're with him, and take whatever tasks he gives you seriously."

"When there's something you don't understand, ask humbly. Don't let a little progress make you think you've learned enough."

"I understand."

Yu Xiaogang answered earnestly.

As Yu Yuanzhen looked at him, a smile gradually entered his eyes. All these years, nothing had worried him more than his son's future.

Now someone had found a path of cultivation for Yu Xiaogang—and that person was an expert whose abilities far surpassed his own. The stone that had weighed on his heart for years finally lightened a little.

"And take care of yourself out there. If you need anything, send a letter home."

As soon as he finished, Yu Luomian smiled and added, "Your father's right. Xiaogang, just focus on your cultivation. The clan will look after everything else."

Another elder nodded.

"The Love Sword Titled Douluo's regard for you shows that you have something exceptional about you. Study hard from now on. Don't squander this opportunity."

"That's right. By the next time you come back, Sanpao might have changed again."

They gathered around him, talking and laughing, their words full of concern.

Yu Xiaogang listened and answered each of them.

Of course he knew these uncles and elders.

In the past, whenever his cultivation came up, they could barely say a few words before shaking their heads and sighing. Sometimes, when they met him on the road, they would ask a casual question and hurry off.

It was rare for them to gather around him as they did today, asking what he planned to bring and whether he needed anything for the journey.

Yu Xiaogang understood why. He said nothing of it and simply thanked the elders respectfully.

After a few more reminders, Yu Yuanzhen withdrew his hand. "All right. Go pack your things. Don't keep your teacher waiting at the foot of the mountain."

With that, he left the courtyard with Yu Luomian and the elders.

Yu Xiaogang watched his father walk away before returning to his room.

He did not have much to bring.

A few changes of clothes, some paper and brushes, and several books he often read. Once packed, it all fit into a single bundle.

He checked the booklet recording Luo Sanpao's changes especially carefully before placing it in the cloth bag he carried with him.

"Luo, luo!"

Luo Sanpao was crouching by the door. Seeing Yu Xiaogang shoulder his bundle, he immediately stood up.

Yu Xiaogang looked down and smiled.

"Come on, Sanpao. Let's find Teacher."

The man and beast walked along the corridor. They had not gone far when several lowered voices came from ahead.

"Did you hear? Yu Xiaogang took a Titled Douluo as his teacher."

"Of course I heard. The elders were gathered around him just now, smiling as they spoke."

"They've never been that polite to us."

At the corner of the corridor, several clan youths around Yu Xiaogang's age were gathered together. As one spoke, he could not help glancing toward Yu Xiaogang's room.

Another boy curled his lip.

"What good will it do? His Innate Soul Power was only half a level, and it took him nine years to reach level ten. So what if a Titled Douluo becomes his teacher?"

"Will changing teachers turn that Luo Sanpao into a Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon?"

Someone beside him could not help laughing.

"How many good things has the clan leader spent on him over the years? And look how he turned out. If we'd had those resources, we'd have long since..."

Mid-sentence, the speaker spotted Yu Xiaogang approaching and fell silent.

The others turned too. Their gazes landed on the bundle on his back, and envy soured the face of the boy who had spoken first.

They were all clan children, and their talents were clearly far better than Yu Xiaogang's. Yet the one accepted as a Titled Douluo's disciple was this good-for-nothing whose Innate Soul Power had been only half a level.

The more the boy thought about it, the less he could accept it. He deliberately raised his voice.

"A Trash Martial Soul is a Trash Martial Soul, no matter who teaches its owner."

"A waste is a waste."

All their eyes fell on Yu Xiaogang's face. To their surprise, his expression did not change in the slightest.

Yu Xiaogang neither stopped to argue nor showed the embarrassment they wanted to see. With his bundle on his back, he simply continued down the corridor.

He had heard such words too many times.

They had said the same thing before Luo Sanpao grew scales. Now that he had scales and was beginning to evolve toward a true dragon, they still said it.

If Yu Xiaogang stopped to settle every insult, he would never have time to do anything else.

He glanced down at Luo Sanpao beside him. The little creature kept pace on four short legs, the golden scales across his shoulders and back glinting faintly in the sunlight.

I've never believed my Martial Soul was a Trash Martial Soul. He's my companion, the one who stands beside me—even if he never evolves!

Yu Xiaogang knew full well whether his Martial Soul had changed and whether his cultivation had improved.

His teacher was willing to teach him, so he would study hard.

What anyone else said did not matter...

Seeing no reaction from him, the youths found that their prepared taunts had nowhere to land.

Yu Xiaogang had already left the corridor. The sneers behind him grew fainter until he could no longer make them out. His heart was calm. What harm can insults do me? Let them laugh if they want. So what?

The narrow-minded grew angry at curses and delighted in praise, but those were merely other people's opinions of them.

Anyone who lived by the opinions of others was bound to be miserable!!!