Yu Xiaogang, however, was indifferent to this. His theoretical knowledge was unmatched, and if others were always asking him questions about theory,
they would effectively be wasting his time. In the long run, it would instead hinder his Martial Soul cultivation.
Now, in this relatively quiet environment, Yu Xiaogang had found an extremely convenient path of cultivation: Martial Soul dietary therapy.
Although he had fed Luo Sanpao food back in the clan, and it had produced some results, his approach had still been incomplete.
After all, the Soul Beast meat the clan provided had been limited, and feeding it to Luo Sanpao was far too extravagant and not cost-effective.
His recent research, however, had revealed that ordinary food could also serve as a substitute for Soul Beast meat. Taking Luo Sanpao as an example,
by considering the characteristics of his first Soul Ring, he had discovered that white radishes, an ordinary food, were highly effective at inducing farts. Feeding them to Luo Sanpao could not only reduce the Soul Power consumed while his Martial Soul was outside his body, but also allow Luo Sanpao to keep accumulating stinking farts, increasing the power of his first Soul Skill.
Thus, according to the results of his theoretical research, his predecessors still had considerable room for improvement in the direction of their Soul Ring research. This was also the direction he, Yu Xiaogang, would strive toward in the future.
Amid his delight, Yu Xiaogang inevitably thought of Yu Xiaolie, who remained in the clan, showered with every affection.
"Alas, Father has already advanced to Titled Douluo, and Yu Xiaolie's Martial Soul Awakening is today, yet I'm only..."
Driven by his inferiority complex, Yu Xiaogang desperately hoped that Yu Xiaolie would also awaken a Luo Sanpao Martial Soul, giving him an excuse to return to the clan.
If that happened, he could also fulfill his duty as a good elder brother and teach him how to cultivate an external Martial Soul.
However, without comparison, there was no hurt. He once again thought of Long Qianming.
"Yu Qianming, if you'd agreed to my suggestion back then, you would surely be an external Martial Soul Master by now!
"What a pity. An illegitimate son, yet you still insist on putting on airs of lofty purity. Don't dream of surpassing me in this lifetime. You're only fit to be an utter waste."
However, while Yu Xiaogang was on his way to the cafeteria to buy some Soul Beast meat, the discussion of two senior students suddenly caught his attention.
"What are you talking about? How did Yu Xiaolie's Martial Soul Awakening go?"
Yu Xiaogang had been too caught up in his ideas for further theoretical work to hear any details, so he asked anxiously.
The two senior students wanted to slip away the moment they saw Yu Xiaogang. In particular, the faint stench of farts wafting from him made them feel sick.
Even though Yu Xiaogang bathed every day, he could hardly conceal the smell. It was like a natural bodily fragrance.
Unfortunately, Yu Xiaogang followed them closely, almost pressing right up against them. One of the older senior students hurriedly said,
"We just received word. An hour ago, the young clan master of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, Yu Xiaolie-that is, your younger brother, Yu Xiaogang-"
When he reached the latter half of the sentence, the senior student deliberately slowed his speech and stressed his words, seemingly mocking him indirectly.
"Your younger brother, Yu Xiaolie, awakened the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul, and his innate Soul Power reached an astonishing rank seven."
At this, Yu Xiaogang froze on the spot, while the senior students seized the opportunity to hurry away from him.
At that moment, Yu Xiaogang felt as though five bolts of thunder had struck his head. With a thud, he collapsed heavily to the ground, laughing bitterly.
"My dear little brother, my dear little brother with rank-seven innate Soul Power. Why don't I have your good fortune?"
With this, his standing in the entire clan could be said to have fallen to freezing point. His younger brother would inevitably replace him as young clan master, and from now on, no one in the clan apart from his parents would pay him any attention.
If he went back, he would inevitably face endless humiliation.
Yu Xiaogang slowly rose, his head drooping, and walked toward the cafeteria like a walking corpse, his eyes utterly hollow. He seemed to have lost his goal in life, not knowing what path to take in the future.
However, when Yu Xiaogang saw the Storage Soul Tool in his hand, his lofty ambitions were ignited once more.
"That's right! I still have my theories by my side. As long as I don't die, sooner or later, I will perfect them. Once my theories are published, they will surely shake the entire world."
"And through my theories, my name will eventually be remembered by all Soul Masters once again. I am the one who will enlighten all Soul Masters."
Yu Xiaogang's immense self-confidence would not allow him to give up on himself, and his thirst for theoretical knowledge reached new heights.
"I already know all the books in the clan and Thunder Academy by heart, but these theories still aren't enough. It seems it's time to leave the academy and venture out into the world."
For the first time, Yu Xiaogang thought of traveling the continent. Only this way could he truly encounter all manner of strange Soul Masters, as well as Martial Souls and Soul Beasts that had never appeared in books.
However, he was only a One-Ring Soul Master. Traveling the continent alone was bound to lead to trouble. He had to break through to rank twenty as soon as possible and obtain his own second Soul Ring. Only with the strength of a Soul Grandmaster would he be qualified to venture across the continent.
At this thought, Yu Xiaogang's gaze became utterly resolute. After buying one or two portions of high-quality Soul Beast meat, he returned to his dormitory to continue meditating and cultivating, as well as carrying out his daily running regimen to strengthen his body.
As for those theory classes, with his current vast reserves of theoretical knowledge, he could attend if he wanted to and skip them if he did not. Whether he attended or not, first place in the final theory examination would always belong to him, Yu Xiaogang.
Meanwhile, after half a month of uninterrupted travel, Long Qianming and Lou Gao finally returned to Gengxin City. As a condition for receiving help, Long Qianming officially began his forging journey.
To keep his plans from being disrupted, Long Qianming could only schedule his forging lessons in the morning, while continuing to run his shop in the afternoon.
At night, he spent two or three hours obtaining dark-attribute and fire-attribute Soul Beast meat, then used the remaining time to meditate and cultivate until dawn, when another round of the same routine began.
Half a month later, Gengxin City welcomed its annual Stone Appraisal Conference, and merchants and travelers from all over gathered there.
A noble-looking woman, one meter sixty-seven tall, with orange-red hair and a purple robe edged in gold, walked down the street. Her every movement and smile retained the poise of a lady from a distinguished household.
"I've already reached rank thirty-nine. I'll make Gengxin City the last stop of my first journey across the continent."
Bibi Dong walked toward the Blacksmith Association with calm composure. She wanted to see just how stones were appraised at the Stone Appraisal Conference.
As she walked through the city streets, although a thin veil covered her face, her graceful figure and the nobility she exuded made her extremely eye-catching.
"When did a beauty of this caliber come to our Gengxin City? Say, if I went up and asked for her contact information, would she reject me outright?"
"Forget about it. One look tells you she comes from some noble family or clan. Blacksmiths like us had better avoid provoking her, lest we draw fire upon ourselves and harm both others and ourselves."
"Do you think Mai Ruimi will send someone to invite this beautiful woman into the Martial Soul Sub-Hall to become his next concubine once he hears about her?"
Many blacksmiths who had never seen a woman, along with those lecherous men, were filled with endless fantasies at the sight of Bibi Dong walking down the street.