The pinnacle of mastery

Meanwhile, in Heaven Dou Imperial City, Qian Renxue was also watching the Pride of Heaven Ranking with nervous anticipation. This was her first encounter with someone more gifted than herself. "I really wonder who this prodigy with greater talent than mine is. Come to think of it, he could be considered the greatest prodigy under heaven."

The two Douluos, She Long and Ci Xue, nodded in silence.

Their movements had been too violent just now, and they might have twisted their backs. Dignified Titled Douluos had actually injured themselves-who could they take that grievance to?

At the same time, the first-place entry on the Pride of Heaven Ranking gradually appeared.

[First place: Martial Dao Grandmaster, Wang Qiye.]

The people of the continent found this name entirely unfamiliar. And what exactly did his title, Martial Dao Grandmaster, mean?

At Spirit Hall in Spirit City, Bibi Dong also looked utterly puzzled. "Does anyone know what Martial Dao Grandmaster actually means?"

The people present exchanged glances.

Only Zhao Wuji spoke up timidly. "I might know."

Bibi Dong said, "Tell us."

"As you all know, although everyone on the Douluo Continent can awaken a Martial Soul, very few possess innate Soul Power. Often, not even one child out of dozens or hundreds has it."

"When those ordinary people fight, they usually clash with weapons made by blacksmiths. Some of them have compiled methods of fighting, which developed into skills called martial arts. Once those martial artists become sufficiently proficient, people respectfully call them grandmasters."

"Are you saying the person ranked first on the Pride of Heaven Ranking is an ordinary person without Soul Power?"

Seeing Bibi Dong's look, which seemed to say, "Are you kidding me?", Zhao Wuji immediately shook his head. "I only meant that the title Martial Dao Grandmaster sounds similar to what those ordinary people call grandmasters."

"Indeed." Chrysanthemum Yue Guan had also had contact with those circles. Or rather, people with tool Martial Souls had all had some contact with those circles. The fighting techniques those ordinary people had developed did have some value as references.

"Could the Heaven Ranking mean that he's a prodigy with exceptional martial skill? But aren't prodigies judged by their own potential?"

Meanwhile, within the Clear Sky Sect's secluded mountain gates, Tang Xiao looked at the contents displayed on the Pride of Heaven Ranking with uncertainty and surprise. "Does this Martial Dao Grandmaster have anything to do with those grandmasters we supported?"

The second elder shook his head. "We can't be sure."

The Clear Sky Sect had hardly spent all those years since its founding doing nothing.

The development and evolution of those so-called martial skills used by ordinary people owed a great deal to the Clear Sky Sect's subtle encouragement.

After all, blacksmiths could barely earn anything making pots, bowls, ladles, and basins. Only by forging weapons that readily sold for dozens or hundreds of taels apiece could they hope to make a fortune.

Under the Clear Sky Sect's subtle encouragement, even ordinary people now carried a suitable weapon whenever they traveled far from home.

If you didn't even carry a weapon, did you no longer want your life?

Everyone else carried weapons, so didn't you need one of better quality?

They had fine weapons forged from ordinary steel, superior weapons made through Hundred Refinement, and supreme weapons forged through Thousand Refinement and ten-thousandfold refinement. As long as customers could afford them, they even had divine-grade weapons made from rare and precious ores.

However, the Clear Sky Sect's smithies never told those ordinary people that those supposedly rare and precious stones were nothing more than scraps left over when Soul Masters forged equipment.

Tang Xiao said, "If this Martial Dao Grandmaster really is connected to those so-called grandmasters we supported, then we must keep him firmly in our grasp."

The elders all nodded.

Since the entire martial arts undertaking had been spread by the Clear Sky Sect, they were extremely familiar with talents drawn to martial arts. Naturally, they knew what appealed most to such talents.

Tang Xiao was just about to continue when new content appeared on the Pride of Heaven Ranking.

[Reason for inclusion: born in a remote village. In his childhood, an Evil Soul Master ravaged the village, but fortunately, he was saved by the master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.]

[Awakened at six, created his own martial dao at ten, and became a Titled Douluo at fifteen.]

[At twenty, his Soul Power cultivation had reached its limit, with no further room for advancement. Living at leisure in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, he took in disciples far and wide, spreading martial arts throughout the world.]

[The magnitude of his ambition, the strength of his power, and the heights of his talent have rarely been seen since the Douluo Continent came into existence. He deserves to be called the greatest person in the Douluo Continent's entire history.]

[Evaluation: throughout heaven and earth, I alone reign supreme.]

The Clear Sky Sect's second elder stammered, "S-sect Master, this Martial Dao Grandmaster, d-didn't we just meet him?"

Cold sweat immediately streamed down Tang Xiao's body.

Once the Pride of Heaven Ranking finished its announcement, his image appeared as well. Only then did Tang Xiao realize that this man was the mysterious Titled Douluo who had crushed them on the mountaintop of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Back then, he had addressed him as "Senior" at every turn, never imagining that the man was only twenty.

What Tang Xiao did not know, however, was that the Pride of Heaven Ranking had only said Wang Qiye's Soul Power had reached its limit at twenty. His actual age was somewhat greater.

"Then are we still going to win him over?" the third elder asked blankly.

Without a word, Tang Xiao swept his sleeve and left. The third elder was still asking foolishly, "So are we going to win him over or not?"

The second elder rolled his eyes.

Meanwhile, in Heaven Dou City, Qian Renxue looked stunned. "A Titled Douluo at fifteen, and he founded his own lineage. But why have I never heard of him?"

She Long and Ci Xue gave bitter laughs.

"It's not just you, Young Mistress. We've never heard of him either. Twenty years is simply too short. For us Titled Douluos, twenty years can pass with just a stint of secluded cultivation or a mission."

At Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, the group was also deeply shocked.

Dugu Bo rose straight from his stool. "There really is someone this extraordinary in the world-a Level 99 Limit Douluo at twenty, who even created his own martial dao."

"What's so impressive about creating his own martial dao? As long as our Yanzi works hard, she can create her own path in the future too."

Even Dugu Yan flushed scarlet at those words and gave Yu Tianheng a hard smack. "Idiot, what nonsense are you spouting?"

Ye Lingling was also profoundly shaken. "That person's talent is far too terrifying."

In the Supreme Pontiff's Hall in Spirit City, the cup in Bibi Dong's hand fell to the floor with a crash, but none of those present noticed. They stared blankly at the first-place entry on the Pride of Heaven Ranking, each with a mouth open wide enough to fit an egg.

For a long, long time, no one spoke.

At the summit of Spirit City, Qian Daoliu chuckled inside the Worship Hall. "Another Limit Douluo has appeared in this world, and one who wants to attain godhood through faith, at that."

On Sea God Island, High Priestess Bo Saixi gazed up at the sky and prayed silently. "Lord Sea God, an extraordinary prodigy has appeared in our lower realm."

Yet this prayer was no different from her previous prayers. The god seemed to have received it, but gave no reply.

In Slaughter City, a trace of clarity returned to the blood-red eyes of Tang Chen, who sat upon his throne, only to turn murky again a moment later.

"Throughout heaven and earth, I alone reign supreme! Hahahahahaha! Throughout heaven and earth, I alone reign supreme! No one in this world is stronger than me! Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill!"

At the center of the Star Dou Great Forest, Tang Hao was training furiously with Tang San and Xiao Wu.

"San, I believe in you. Once we replenish your body's deficiencies and find a way to cleanse the Soul Ring attributes from your Blue Silver Grass, you'll definitely be no worse than anyone else on the Pride of Heaven Ranking. Even if they cultivate faster than you, once your combat strength fully develops, you'll definitely be the strongest. I neglected you too much before. From now on, I'll devote myself wholeheartedly to treating you well."

Tang San sneered inwardly, then put on an eager expression. "Thank you, Father. I'll work hard and fulfill your wish."

"Good boy, good boy. I wronged you before."

While the two performed this grand drama of a harmonious father-and-son reunion, Yu Xiaogang squirmed his limbs on a nearby tree, desperately devouring the fruit that fell in front of him, grunting as he ate without stopping.

His current appearance was almost indistinguishable from a pig's. His limbs had long since been broken, and a sturdy collar woven from vines encircled his neck.

He silently swore to himself, I am Yu Xiaogang, the theoretical Grandmaster of the Soul Master world. I must survive. Once Flender and the others make contact with Spirit Hall, they'll surely find a way to get word of me to Bibi Dong. Then I'll have hope of being rescued.

Then I'll properly teach those peerless prodigies on the Pride of Heaven Ranking. Soon, the coming age will belong to me, Yu Xiaogang. I'll be the one who personally taught the leading figures of the age.

Meanwhile, in that place everyone had forgotten, in the grove beside Shrek Academy's former grounds, an arm suddenly thrust out from beneath a mound of earth. Then a bedraggled figure covered in dirt crawled out of the ground.

Scarlet eyes scanned the surroundings, but there was nothing there.

"Tang Hao, Tang San, Yu Xiaogang, and everyone at Shrek Academy, I'm coming."

In the grove, two shadows appeared, two pairs of eyes as red as blood.

With a shudder, the figures vanished, leaving only what seemed to be faint meowing from the darkness.