Gu Rong, one of the sect's two guardian elders, inherited the top-tier beast martial soul, the Bone Dragon. Renowned for his uncanny spatial abilities, bone defenses, and lethal ambushes, he possessed profound spatial attributes unmatched across the continent and supreme all-round capabilities that united offense and defense. Hailed as both the Douluo with "the world's greatest defense" and "the world's most uncanny" Douluo, he was a level 95 Super Douluo specializing in both agility attacks and defense, with the title Bone. His soul ring configuration was two yellow, two purple, and five black, and he was the most outstanding wielder of the Bone Dragon martial soul in ten thousand years.
Although his martial soul's bloodline still fell within the lesser dragon category, its exceptionally unusual spatial attributes put it far above a host of true dragon martial souls. Cultivating both spatial and defensive abilities, he could flash through space, turn bones into blades, and form armor to ward off enemies, his methods appearing and vanishing like ghosts. He could attack when advancing and defend when retreating, uncanny and untraceable. In the Martial Soul Avatar state of his seventh soul skill, he could activate his exclusive "Avatar Armor," covering his entire body in dense, ink-black bone battle armor. His hands became sharp bone claws capable of tearing through space, and his Bone Dragon martial soul could leave his body to launch independent lethal attacks. Its overall might far surpassed that of a Bone Dragon martial soul at the same level in the Anime World.
He had a refined, handsome appearance, but was decisive in killing and difficult to fathom. Yet his conduct was upright, and his loyalty and courage toward the sect were unmatched. He laid his heart bare to those he acknowledged, gave Sect Master Ning Fengzhi his full support, and doted on the young sect master, Ning Rongrong, to the utmost. He and Chen Xin bickered and undermined each other all day, trading barbs and arguing, yet they were friends through life and death who could entrust their backs to one another.
Chen Xin was sharp, while Gu Rong was uncanny. After decades of sparring, victory between them remained undecided. Even with his astonishing attainments in the sword and a level one higher than Gu Rong's, Chen Xin could never do anything about his elusive opponent. Together, they were known as the Seven Treasures' "Sword and Bone Duo"... bah, the "Peerless Sword and Bone"!
Ning Fengzhi, the sect master, inherited the top-tier support-type tool martial soul, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. Commanding comprehensive amplification across seven attributes, he was hailed as "the world's greatest support" Soul Master. A level 79 Soul Saint with two yellow, two purple, and three black soul rings, he was the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's most visionary and capable leader in nearly two hundred years.
His martial soul had been passed down for ten thousand years and was paired with the sect's secret technique, "Heart Separation Control," which had five realms: the Three-Aperture Heart of Command, Four-Aperture Constant Heart, Five-Aperture Scattered Heart, Six-Aperture Wishful Heart, and Seven-Aperture Exquisite Heart.
In his hands, it had long since reached perfection, attaining the realm of "dividing the mind to command the many, uniting the seven treasures as one." Alone, he could precisely amplify large numbers of Soul Masters simultaneously, multiplying their strength. Paired with Chen Xin's cloud-piercing swordsmanship and Gu Rong's spatial Bone Dragon, their combined might far surpassed that of the trio in the Anime World.
His conduct and vision revealed even more of his nature as a formidable leader. Outwardly gentle, refined, and graceful, he treated others with humility and propriety, fully displaying the dignified bearing of an eminent sect master. In truth, his heart held mountains and valleys, his calculations left nothing unaccounted for, and his ruthless decisiveness remained concealed. Throughout his life, he held the sect's survival and rise as his highest principle.
Ning Rongrong, the sect master's daughter and young sect master, inherited the top-tier support-type tool martial soul, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. Her talent was unmatched since the sect's founding. By consuming the immortal herb "Aromatic Silk Beauty," she had now broken through her martial soul's shackles and attained the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. She had also cultivated "Heart Separation Control" to its highest realm early on.
Her temperament was entirely different from that of her counterpart in the Anime World. Although born into privilege and raised in the palms of Chen Xin's and Gu Rong's doting hands, she had been resolute and tenacious since childhood. She was the unquestionable hope of the sect's future, and her future achievements knew no bounds!
The moment the Manga World's information finished appearing,
the Sky Screen immediately presented the results of this round:
[The second round of comparison, "Core Members' Combat Strength and Conduct," has concluded!] [Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect (Manga World), wins!] [Score:] [Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect (Anime World), 0 points!] [Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect (Manga World), 2 points!] [Coming shortly: the third and final round of comparison, "the Original Future's Most Glorious Moment"!]
Before the gilded scores suspended in the heavens had completely faded,
an uproar sweeping both worlds had already surged into the sky:
"Two generations of the Seven Kill Sword lineage reached level 98?!"
"And they challenged Tang Chen and Qian Daoliu respectively? They were actually that powerful?!"
"Chen Xin, who now holds the title of the world's greatest attacking Douluo, was actually the weakest of three generations!"
What overturned everyone's understanding even more was Gu Rong's Bone Dragon martial soul.
"Cultivating both space and defense? And he could even unite offense and defense?"
"Wasn't martial soul cultivation supposed to remain pure and unmixed? How did cultivating two paths instead make him stronger?!"
Earlier, when the Sky Screen pointed out that the Anime World's Gu Rong had taken the wrong direction,
the vast majority had assumed that mixing in spatial soul rings had hampered his defensive attainments.
Yet the Manga World's Gu Rong had actually cultivated both paths, bringing the Bone Dragon martial soul to its utmost potential!
The Anime World in particular was now a hundred times more shocked than the Manga World.
"What the hell is this Martial Soul Avatar Armor? I've never even heard of it!"
"And why are the Manga World's Chen Xin and Gu Rong so young?!"
"Compared with our world's Chen Xin and Gu Rong, they look more than just a few decades younger!"
"The Manga World... just how much is it hiding that we don't know about?!"
Anime World.
Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Ning Fengzhi and the other two gazed at the Sky Screen, speechless for a long time.
Towering waves churned in Chen Xin's usually cold eyes.
He had thought he would surely surpass his counterpart in the other world.
He had never expected the other man to possess deeper attainments in the sword, much less two level 98 ancestors!
Beside him, Gu Rong lost his composure even more than he did.
Astonishment first crossed his face, then thick regret covered it.
"So... I really did take the wrong direction. I shouldn't have focused on defense..."
It turned out that the spatial path he had neglected and looked down on was the very core of the Bone Dragon!
"Ah..."
Seeing that they had lost both rounds, Ning Fengzhi let out a heavy sigh.
But as the sect master, he quickly suppressed his emotions and offered reassurance:
"Uncle Jian, Uncle Gu, isn't glimpsing another path for your martial souls through the Sky Screen an opportunity in itself?!"
"Besides, there's still the third and final round. There may yet be a turnaround!"
Meanwhile.
Spirit City, Papal Palace.
As Bibi Dong read the Sky Screen's contents, clear uncertainty appeared in her eyes for the first time.
"Cultivating two paths? The Bone Dragon could actually become so powerful by cultivating spatial abilities?!"
"How could that be... how could that be? Why is it different from Xiaogang's theory?!"
Martial soul cultivation had to focus on a single attribute, and grasping for too much meant losing out-this was the most basic of fundamentals.
Yet the Manga World's Gu Rong had done it, and his strength far surpassed their Anime World's Bone Douluo!
This was tantamount to denying Xiaogang's theory before both worlds!
"No! Impossible!"
Bibi Dong abruptly came back to herself, her gaze turning cold and firm again:
"Xiaogang can't be wrong! It must... it must just be good luck!"
If ordinary Soul Masters dared cultivate two paths like this, they would have long since suffered cultivation deviation and lost all their cultivation!
Nearby, Yue Guan and Gui Mei quietly exchanged a glance.
Both saw helplessness in the other's eyes, but neither dared say more.
They merely lowered their heads in silence and looked at the Sky Screen, with only one thought remaining:
Hopefully, there will be a chance to expose Yu Xiaogang's true face later, so Her Holiness the Pope can come to her senses soon!
Suotuo City.
Shrek Academy.
A deathly silence filled the grounds.
As those few lines about the Bone Dragon cultivating two paths and the power of its spatial abilities appeared,
everyone present immediately turned their eyes toward Yu Xiaogang.
"Grandmaster Yu."
Zhu Zhuqing stepped forward then, her cool voice firm:
"My earlier view was that the Bone Dragon's spatial attribute wasn't a useless attribute, and that cultivating its spatial abilities would make it stronger. Now the Sky Screen has confirmed it."
Ning Rongrong immediately stepped forward after her, raising her chin as she mocked:
"Oh? Didn't you just say my Grandpa Bone's Bone Dragon martial soul had to follow pure defense? What about now?!"
"How has the illustrious 'world's greatest Theoretical Grandmaster of martial souls' made another mistake? Your status as a Grandmaster is fake, isn't it!"
After hearing this, the way everyone looked at Yu Xiaogang gradually changed again.
Not knowing once that the Seven Treasures could evolve was one thing, but now he had once again failed to understand the Bone Dragon martial soul's path.
Was Yu Xiaogang really a Grandmaster...?
"I... you..."
Yu Xiaogang froze in place, his lips trembling, unable to speak.
His old face was slapped with resounding smacks, just like his Luo Sanpao.
His mind went blank. How could this happen?!
How could the martial soul theories he had plagiarized... bah, painstakingly researched with his heart's blood, be wrong?!
Yet before he could offer any sophistry,
the comparison Sky Screen overhead gave everyone little time to digest it.
Brilliant golden light shone again, the words rearranged themselves, and a new comparison arrived!
[The comparison continues!] [Third round of comparison-the Original Future's Most Glorious Moment!]
Before you continue