Heavenly Fiend Takes a Disciple, the Tang Sect Keeps Its Distance

"Little Yuhao, would you become this old man's disciple?"

Deep in the Star Dou Great Forest, Huang Jinxu tasted Huo Yuhao's legendary grilled fish, then smiled at the busy boy.

He tried to make his smile look gentler, hoping to improve his chances of taking on a disciple.

Nearby, Tang Ya had been preparing to recruit Huo Yuhao into the Tang Sect. At Huang Jinxu's words, she shuddered as though she had seen something filthy and carefully edged as far away from him as she could.

She had long since thrown the idea of recruiting Huo Yuhao into the Tang Sect beyond the nine heavens.

She couldn't help it. She was genuinely afraid.

Two great taboos circulated through Shrek Academy.

Never go Soul Hunting with Taotie Douluo Xuan Zi, and never form a connection with Heavenly Fiend Douluo Huang Jinxu.

The former carried an eighty percent death rate.

With the latter, the death rate soared to ninety-nine percent.

Some had refused to believe it and touched those two taboos anyway. Every one of them had paid a bitter price.

When accidents happened on Soul Hunting trips with Taotie Douluo, they were usually caused by his unreliability.

But those who formed a connection with Heavenly Fiend Douluo died for reasons no one could explain.

What kind of person was Heavenly Fiend Douluo Huang Jinxu?

In one word: good!

In two words: very good!

In three words: exceptionally good!

At the academy, whether you were an outer-court student, an inner-court student, or an outsider who admired Shrek Academy, you could ask Heavenly Fiend Douluo about cultivation whenever you met him. He would patiently explain it.

What was more, if a student's family was too poor to hire a Soul Hunting team, Heavenly Fiend Douluo would ungrudgingly take time out of his own schedule to lead them on a hunt.

From any angle, he was a good man no one could find fault with.

And yet everyone avoided this good man.

Tang Ya remembered when she had first entered Shrek Academy. A teacher had told her there were two school rules she must never break.

Never go Soul Hunting with Taotie Douluo, and never attach yourself to Heavenly Fiend Douluo.

At first, Tang Ya had thought little of it.

She had seen Heavenly Fiend Douluo standing all alone, with everyone avoiding him like a venomous snake. Having just suffered the massacre of her entire family, she had felt a moment of kinship and approached him to ask about cultivation.

She had to admit that Heavenly Fiend Douluo deserved his reputation as the most knowledgeable person in the academy. In just a few words, he had shown her a way to increase her strength quickly.

Right then, Tang Ya had conceived the idea of recruiting Heavenly Fiend Douluo into the Tang Sect.

But before she could act on it, she had fallen out of bed that very night.

The bed was not particularly high, yet she had somehow broken her leg.

It had taken a full two or three months to heal.

From then on, Tang Ya had never dared form any connection with Heavenly Fiend Douluo again.

It was simply too frightening.

She had not even acted, merely thought about it, and disaster had struck out of nowhere. She could not imagine what might happen if she truly formed a connection with him and became his disciple.

Bei Bei found Tang Ya's frightened yet faintly sympathetic behavior adorable and could not help laughing.

He had heard the story of Heavenly Fiend Douluo from his great-great-grandfather.

Because of his Martial Soul, Huang Jinxu did indeed have some traits of a lone star of calamity, but he was nowhere near as terrifying as the stories claimed.

As long as someone was not his family, forming a connection with him would at worst bring a little bad luck.

Most people would not be affected at all.

As for Little Ya back then, she had simply been unlucky.

In truth, Heavenly Fiend Douluo was a pitiable man.

His mother was said to have died when he was born. After his ill-fated nature began to show, his family abandoned him at five. He wandered to Shrek City, where Shrek Academy discovered that he had awakened his Martial Soul on his own before turning six and possessed Innate Full Soul Power. The academy took him in and trained him.

He was a good man: respectful to his elders, friendly to his peers, and caring toward those younger than himself. He wanted to grow close to others, yet feared he would hurt them, so he always kept his distance with great care. Sometimes, he even seemed terribly awkward.

Someone so kind should not have had to endure all that.

This was the first time Bei Bei had heard of Heavenly Fiend Douluo taking the initiative to seek a disciple. He immediately grew interested in Huo Yuhao, whom he had met only by chance.

But no matter how he looked, he could see nothing unusual about the skinny little boy.

"M-me?"

Huo Yuhao froze over the fish he was grilling when he heard someone wanted to take him as a disciple. He could hardly believe it.

He was about to speak, but then he remembered his own talent, and his spirits sank.

"Young man, don't hang your head. Be happy. Smile more."

"I see in you the same fate I suffered: no family to turn to, alone in this world."

"By taking you as my disciple, I'm also helping the helpless person I once was."

"You needn't feel burdened. No matter how fierce the storm, your teacher will weather it for you."

Huang Jinxu slowly rose. An instant later, a powerful aura erupted from his body.

The black mark on his forehead flickered, and behind him, a star appeared faintly, brightening and dimming.

Nine Soul Rings emerged beneath him, one after another.

Yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, red, red!

A thousand-year Second Soul Ring, a ten-thousand-year fourth Soul Ring, and a hundred-thousand-year Eighth Soul Ring.

On this continent, such a configuration ranked among the very best.

"I'm a level ninety-seven Super Douluo. I wouldn't fear an ordinary level ninety-eight Super Douluo. Become my disciple, and however great the burdens you carry, I can bear them for you."

As Huang Jinxu spoke, a thread of soul-deep awe ran through his words, striking Huo Yuhao's heart again and again.

"C-can I really?"

Hearing those words and facing such an overwhelming sight, Huo Yuhao felt dazed, as though he were dreaming.

Under the influence of Huang Jinxu's spiritual power, a little confidence gradually took root in his sensitive, insecure heart.

"Of course you can, because you, Huo Yuhao, are the disciple of Heavenly Fiend Douluo Huang Jinxu!"

"From now on, you need never lower your head before anyone. You can stand tall, and whatever trouble comes, your teacher will shield you from it."

As he spoke, Huang Jinxu walked up to Huo Yuhao and gently stroked his head.

Soul Power flowed quietly, nourishing the boy's body.

The unprecedented comfort left Huo Yuhao dazed. It felt as if he had returned to his childhood, to his mother's embrace.

So warm. So comforting.

"Mom..." Huo Yuhao murmured without realizing it.