Bang! Bang!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
One explosion after another rang out at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
"What are you developing?"
Xiao Wu stood far away.
The last time Gu Ping'an's clones had turned into firecrackers had been a year ago, when he was developing a cultivation method.
Back then, he had even said her breathing was interfering with him.
Gu Ping'an looked thoroughly irritated and ignored Xiao Wu's question.
He had no foundational knowledge of Body Tempering cultivation methods and could only develop one based on his own guesses.
Which meridians could handle the circulation, and which could not?
How should energy flow through flesh and bone?
How should energy cycle between the internal organs?
He had to test every single thing, bit by bit.
He had begun experimenting as soon as he returned from the Star Dou Great Forest.
Meanwhile, in Spirit City.
Qian Renxue and Ci Xue had finally made it back after hurrying the entire way.
Inside the Worship Hall.
"Xiao Xue, why have you come back? Did you run into some trouble in Heaven Dou City?"
The moment Qian Daoliu saw Qian Renxue, his first concern was whether Xiao Xue had encountered difficulties away from home.
Qian Renxue shook her head slightly. "Grandfather, my return this time has nothing to do with Heaven Dou City."
"Grandfather, do you remember the genius the Breaking Clan put a bounty on a year ago?"
"Oh? Does this have something to do with him? Has he appeared again?" Amusement glimmered in Qian Daoliu's eyes as he chatted with Qian Renxue.
Indeed, to him, the time spent chatting with Qian Renxue mattered more than what they discussed.
He had heard something about the genius wanted by the Breaking Clan, but none of that mattered.
"Yes! Grandfather, I met him in the Star Dou Great Forest while obtaining my fifth Soul Ring."
"He told me something."
Recalling Gu Ping'an's words, Qian Renxue's expression grew solemn.
"When my father led a team to capture the Blue Silver Emperor back then, someone intervened in secret. That was why my father returned severely injured."
"What? Xiao Xue, you're saying someone intervened in secret?" Qian Daoliu's expression abruptly turned ice-cold.
Back then, Qian Xunji had taken two Titled Douluos to capture the Blue Silver Emperor. Tang Hao had only just become a Titled Douluo, so how could he have left one of the three dead and the other two severely injured?
"Xiao Xue, tell Grandfather exactly what he told you," Qian Daoliu said seriously.
Qian Renxue lowered her head in a slight nod and began recounting the information Gu Ping'an had given her.
Yet the more Qian Daoliu heard, the colder the aura around him became, until his face finally turned pale and bloodless.
The boy knew that all three of them were Limit Douluos, yet still said that even if he joined forces with Bo Saixi and Tang Chen, they would be no match.
Who could defeat the three of them working together?
A god!
Without a doubt, only a god could defeat the three of them together.
With that, everything made sense.
Why had three Titled Douluos suffered one death and two severe injuries against Tang Hao, who had only just entered their ranks?
Why had he always fallen just short when he personally pursued Tang Hao back then?
How could a Limit Douluo fail to hunt down a junior who had only just become a Titled Douluo?
Rumors claimed he had deliberately held back out of respect for Tang Chen.
If he had intended to hold back out of respect for Tang Chen, he would never have pursued Tang Hao himself.
Personally taking action, only to deliberately spare him?
Was that not a joke?
If a god had intervened back then, everything made sense.
Only a god could have saved Tang Hao without him noticing.
All these years, he had thought he simply was not strong enough, that his luck was poor. In truth, a god had been scheming behind the scenes.
Wait! Xiao Xue just said the one behind all this was backing Tang San.
So a god has chosen Tang San.
Saving Tang Hao was merely a way to select a guardian for Tang San.
Qian Daoliu's thoughts raced, and he soon pieced together most of the logic.
And that genius wanted by the Breaking Clan knows so much. He may also be a god's successor.
The fact that he sent someone to infiltrate Tang San's circle means the god behind him is deeply wary of the god behind Tang San.
Furthermore, the god behind Tang San intends to use the Spirit Hall as a stepping stone to pave Tang San's way.
Qian Daoliu turned to gaze at the statue of the Angel God above the Worship Hall.
Would a god know that they carried on the Angel God's legacy?
Of course.
Then what about Xiao Xue?
Qian Daoliu looked at Qian Renxue again, profound sorrow hidden in his eyes.
Although he did not want to believe it, once he connected every clue, reason told him it was true.
A god had chosen the Spirit Hall as a stepping stone for his successor.
Then his granddaughter, who had the potential to become a god, would surely be included in those schemes.
Would an existing god fail when scheming against his granddaughter, who was still only a Soul Master?
He knew the answer without even thinking.
Suddenly, the contemplative Qian Daoliu whipped his head toward Qian Renxue.
"Xiao Xue, you said you lost She Long to that boy?"
"Good! Well lost!"
"Good! Well lost!"
Qian Renxue stared blankly at her grandfather as he patted her shoulder and praised her for losing.
She wondered whether the information had been so shocking that it had driven her grandfather mad.
"Grandfather, are you all right?"
"I'm fine." Qian Daoliu waved a hand.
There was indeed little he could do about a god scheming against the Spirit Hall.
But what if someone was also scheming against that god's successor?
Combining the two might just provide a way out.
"Golden Crocodile, gather everyone in the Worship Hall. We're going to kill Tang Hao!"
Qian Daoliu refused to believe Tang Hao could escape with his life this time.
Golden Crocodile Douluo, who had just come in from outside and knew nothing of what had happened, stared at Qian Daoliu's murderous aura and inwardly marveled.
It seemed Qian Daoliu intended to take everyone in the Worship Hall to kill Tang Hao.
Did Tang Hao really warrant such a grand reception?
At the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
"Ping'an, Xiao Wu, I'm back!"
Dugu Yan's call suddenly came from the edge of the poison miasma.
Gu Ping'an looked toward the voice and saw Dugu Bo arriving inside the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well with Dugu Yan.
He used his Soul Skill to create several more clones, then stood and walked toward them.
"Why are you here so soon this time?"
Dugu Yan still had classes at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy and generally visited about once every two weeks.
This time, she was five or six days earlier than usual.
"Ugh! You have no idea. Some little shadow has shown up at the academy, going on and on about courting me. I already turned him down, but he still clings to me like his life depends on it."
"You're not doing anything about someone chasing your granddaughter?"
Gu Ping'an turned an inquiring gaze toward Dugu Bo.
Dugu Bo's brows bristled.
"Gu brat, why are you looking at me?
"I'm a Titled Douluo, after all. Am I supposed to bully a junior?
"Why don't you go to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy and fend him off for Yanyan?"
"That's right! Ping'an, come to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy with me!" Dugu Yan tugged at Gu Ping'an's arm as she urged him.
Go to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy?
What would I do there?
Gu Ping'an could not help frowning.
Slow down my cultivation?
Or gain actual combat experience?
Thinking of actual combat brought Qian Renxue to Gu Ping'an's mind.
He might have defeated Qian Renxue, but that meant little.
They shared the same problem: far too little actual combat experience.
Just look at how poorly Qian Renxue had performed in the original story after inheriting the Angel God's position.
Compared to Bibi Dong, the difference was like heaven and earth.
He did not want to become a god only to perform as poorly as Qian Renxue.
Having thought it through, Gu Ping'an slowly shook his head.
"I won't go, but I can send a clone."
"A clone?" Dugu Bo frowned.
He knew Gu Ping'an's clones were extraordinary. They could simulate the circulation through human meridians, and after disappearing, they could synchronize their memories with the original.
The question was, how long could a clone last?
"Gu brat, your clone won't suddenly disappear, will it?"
"No!"
"Ping'an, how long can your clone last?" Dugu Yan asked.
Getting Gu Ping'an to leave the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was too difficult. Having a clone keep her company would be nice, too.
"In theory, it won't disappear until its soul power runs out."
"Until its soul power runs out?"
Dugu Yan pursed her lips, looking rather unhappy.
"All right!"
Dugu Yan nodded helplessly. Having a clone around was still better than nothing.
Gu Ping'an then created a separate clone. As soon as it appeared, it extended a strand of blue silver grass into the Red Pool.
His clones could use all his abilities. Creating a clone divided his soul power between it and his original body, but the clone could replenish its soul power through devouring.
"Is that... replenishing its soul power?" Dugu Bo stared in shock at the clone devouring the Red Pool's energy.
He had seen soul power being replenished before, but that had been Gu Ping'an's original body drawing on the energy of the red and blue pools.
He had never seen a clone replenish its soul power.
Just then, a bang rang out nearby.
A few more explosions followed shortly afterward.
"Is developing a Body Tempering cultivation method really this difficult?"
Gu Ping'an frowned and set aside his plan to develop a Body Tempering cultivation method for now.
He turned back to Dugu Bo.
"Get ready. The Spirit Hall will probably move against Tang Hao soon."
A trace of confusion appeared in Dugu Bo's eyes.
"What does the Spirit Hall going after Tang Hao have to do with us?"
Gu Ping'an pondered briefly, then said, "Tang Hao has a complete set of Soul Bones. We can wait until he finishes fighting the Spirit Hall."
"There are most likely two outcomes: Tang Hao dies at the Spirit Hall's hands, or he fights desperately to escape.
"If Tang Hao manages to escape but is in terrible shape..."
He left the sentence unfinished, but the meaning was clear.
They would make the trip. With good luck, they would gain a few Soul Bones; with bad luck, it would merely be a wasted journey.
"Besides, aren't you short on Soul Bones?"
Before you continue