Nuoding City, Junior Soul Master Academy.
A middle-aged man in his forties escorted a healing-type Soul Master out of the academy. His name was Ma Te, and he was the dean of Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy.
Ma Te had received some help from Yu Xiaogang in the past.
Because of that friendship, Ma Te had taken Yu Xiaogang in when he was at his lowest, letting him eat and drink at the academy for free.
"Xiao Gang, just who caused that commotion the other day?"
Upon returning to Yu Xiaogang's residence, Ma Te immediately asked his friend what had happened that day.
Two days earlier, Yu Xiaogang had been knocked unconscious by Bibi Dong's nearly out-of-control Soul Power.
Fortunately, Bibi Dong had not struck to kill. Otherwise, that blow alone would have left Yu Xiaogang permanently disabled, if it did not kill him.
Afterward, Ma Te had sensed the disturbance in Soul Power and rushed to the hill behind the academy, where he found the unconscious Yu Xiaogang and treated him.
The spiritual pressure of Divine Slaughter's Domain was far beyond what Yu Xiaogang could withstand, so it had taken a full day and night for him to recover completely.
"Someone from Spirit Hall."
Yu Xiaogang did not hate Bibi Dong. On the contrary, he was extremely grateful to her.
Even though Bibi Dong had lost her temper at the end, she had merely been overcome by anger and injured him by accident.
Yu Xiaogang believed that once Bibi Dong's emotions settled, she would definitely come to see him again and apologize.
When that happens, I'll forgive her, considering she came all this way specifically to repair my Martial Soul.
Yu Xiaogang was already certain of Bibi Dong's affection for him. She must have had her own difficulties when she abandoned him back then.
Knowing that alone made Yu Xiaogang feel that his future was bright.
He would rekindle his old romance with Bibi Dong, and his cultivation talent had improved too. Everything was heading in the right direction.
Just you wait, all of you who mocked me.
Yu Xiaogang silently swore, I won't just become a Grandmaster of theory. I'll personally prove those theories too.
When that day came, who would dare look down on him and call him trash?
"Hiss..."
Ma Te knew nothing of Yu Xiaogang's entanglement with Spirit Hall. Worried, he asked, "Xiao Gang, did you offend someone from Spirit Hall?"
Ma Te might only have been a level 35 Soul Elder, but a Soul Power Level like that already placed him among the powerful in a little place like Nuoding City.
Yet a mere Soul Elder was nothing before a colossus like Spirit Hall.
Yu Xiaogang, however, did not explain much.
His Martial Soul's defect had been repaired. Now that he could cultivate, he no longer needed to stay in this remote little place.
As such, Ma Te was no longer useful to him.
Since he had already decided to leave, Yu Xiaogang felt there was no need to explain his relationship with Bibi Dong to Ma Te.
Yes, slaughtering the donkey once the grinding was done and repaying kindness with ingratitude were tricks Yu Xiaogang had always played expertly.
"Don't worry."
But Ma Te still had his uses for now. Yu Xiaogang would have to rely on him to hunt for Soul Rings next. "If Spirit Hall really wanted to attack me, they wouldn't have spared my life."
"That's true."
Hearing Yu Xiaogang say that, Ma Te felt somewhat reassured.
Then he remembered what Yu Xiaogang had said about his Martial Soul's defect being repaired.
"Has your Martial Soul really recovered, Xiao Gang?"
Ma Te was very curious. Anyone who became an academy dean, even at a junior academy, was bound to have a strong interest in knowledge of Martial Souls.
He knew how intelligent Yu Xiaogang was, but he had never imagined that he could even solve the problem of a defective Martial Soul.
Ma Te thought that Yu Xiaogang truly deserved to be called the foremost theoretical Grandmaster on the Douluo Continent. He was impressive indeed.
"Hahaha."
Yu Xiaogang had yet to summon Luo Sanpao.
But he knew his talent had changed. It had genuinely improved.
"Come out, Luo Sanpao!"
Without further hesitation, Yu Xiaogang, whose body had now recovered, began summoning his Martial Soul.
The next instant, purple Soul Power surged, and when it dispersed, Luo Sanpao appeared beside Yu Xiaogang.
"Hm?"
Unlike the original Luo Sanpao, who had possessed an independent consciousness and could run, jump, and act spoiled, the current Luo Sanpao floated quietly behind Yu Xiaogang, just like an ordinary Beast Martial Soul.
"Why does it feel a little different?"
Yu Xiaogang was somewhat puzzled, but considering that his Martial Soul's defect had been repaired, he took it as normal.
Yu Xiaogang called himself a theoretical Grandmaster, yet he had never considered what made a Martial Soul capable of independent action like Luo Sanpao special, much less uncovered any useful information about it.
Of course, this was mainly because Yu Xiaogang did not value Luo Sanpao.
In his view, the fact that he had failed to awaken the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon and could not even break past level 29 in Soul Power fully proved how low Luo Sanpao's quality was.
Aside from farting, Luo Sanpao was utterly useless.
What was there to research about a Martial Soul like that?
"Xiao Gang, your Martial Soul..."
Ma Te had seen Yu Xiaogang's Martial Soul before and had once marveled at it.
Yet for some reason, Ma Te vaguely sensed something wrong. "It seems less lively than before."
"Strange. Why would that be?"
Yu Xiaogang could still control Luo Sanpao's movements.
But compared to its formerly solid state, the current Luo Sanpao seemed to have become an ordinary Beast Martial Soul entirely.
Yu Xiaogang tried touching Luo Sanpao, only to find that his hand passed straight through its body.
Soon, Yu Xiaogang confirmed his guess.
Luo Sanpao had become a Beast Martial Soul in energy form, and the way to use it had changed from summoning and commanding it to Martial Soul Possession.
At that thought, Yu Xiaogang hurriedly connected with his Martial Soul. Sure enough, he sensed a method of possession within it that felt almost instinctive.
"So that's it."
Looking as though he had suddenly understood everything, Yu Xiaogang said, "This is what's normal. Because it's been made whole, it's returned to being a normal Beast Martial Soul."
Martial Soul Possession was the proper way for Soul Masters with Beast Martial Souls to fight.
He, Yu Xiaogang, would finally become a true Soul Master!
"Then let's give it a try."
With that, Yu Xiaogang settled into a horse stance, then shouted, "Luo Sanpao, Martial Soul Possession!!"
"Haaah!!"
Soul Power surged. Two yellow Soul Rings appeared around Yu Xiaogang, while Luo Sanpao turned into purple Soul Power and merged with him.
The next instant, Yu Xiaogang's body began to change.
Purple markings kept appearing, his belly began to bulge, and a ring of white fat grew around his face. On top of his head, a particularly conspicuous pair of pig ears flapped repeatedly in the Soul Power storm, looking both comical and bizarre.
"Ah, this!"
Ma Te stared in shock at Yu Xiaogang's appearance after Martial Soul Possession and immediately felt physically ill. This is far too disgusting.
The result of Yu Xiaogang's Martial Soul Possession made him look like a fat pig standing upright. The flab that came with his nearly two-meter height even split his clothes open, exposing a body full of undulating folds.
"What's happened to me..."
Unable to see his own appearance, Yu Xiaogang formed a hand seal before Ma Te could speak. "First Soul Skill, Fart Like Thunder, Earth-Shattering Luo Sanpao!"
As Yu Xiaogang finished speaking, a thunderous rumbling erupted from his belly.
"Xiao Gang, don't-"
Suddenly, Ma Te's heart clenched, and he tried to stop him.
"Pffft!!"
Unfortunately, before Ma Te could finish, shit-yellow smoke gushed from between Yu Xiaogang's legs, accompanied by a suffocating stench.
In an instant, the shit-yellow smoke completely engulfed the entire house, along with Ma Te and the teachers and students living nearby.
"Urgh!"
"That smell, urgh!"
"Urgh, help, it's so disgusting, bleurgh!"
For a time, all kinds of retching rose and fell in succession.
Many people even rolled their eyes back and fainted, foaming at the mouth.
"Cough-urgh, cough, cough-urgh..."
Ma Te, who was closest to Yu Xiaogang, suffered especially badly. The acrid, shit-yellow smoke not only subjected him to an unprecedentedly foul stench, but nearly blinded him as well.
"No!"
"It can't be! How could this happen!"
Unable to accept the scene before him, Yu Xiaogang formed another hand seal and shouted in stubborn disbelief, "Second Soul Skill, Fart Like Mist-Hypnotic Slumber Luo Sanpao!"
"Stop! Xiao Gang, stop right now!"
Ma Te had never seen such a disgusting Soul Skill, nor had he ever imagined that such a nauseating Martial Soul could exist in this world.
Unfortunately, Yu Xiaogang's fart came far too fiercely.
"Pfft, pfft, pfft..."
An unprecedented feeling of relief rushed straight to his brain, making Yu Xiaogang shudder involuntarily. "That feels wonderful."
Little did he know that, with his second fart, the teachers and students who had been about to flee in panic fell to the ground one after another, sinking into a deep sleep amid the shit-yellow smoke.
Only Ma Te remained, desperately holding on.
Yet if he had a choice, Ma Te would have preferred to join the others.
For the first time, he regretted having cultivated his Soul Power so high. Someone save me!
"Ma Te? Ma Te, what's wrong?"
"And everyone else, you..."
With his Martial Soul possessing him, Yu Xiaogang, as the one using the Soul Skills, did not find the smell particularly foul.
But soon, Yu Xiaogang caught sight of himself in the mirror.
"How could this happen?!"
At that moment, even Yu Xiaogang, immersed in that wonderful fragrance, froze on the spot.
As reason returned, Yu Xiaogang immediately let out a thunderous roar. "Bibi Dong! You've ruined me!!!"
Leaving aside the fury of the stink-reeking Great Damp.
After the storm involving Bibi Dong and Qian Daoliu, Spirit City finally returned to its usual peace.
The Pope and the Great Enshrined stepped forward to clarify that no conflict had occurred between them.
They had faced each other in the air because Pope Bibi Dong had made a breakthrough in her cultivation and specifically invited the Great Enshrined to test her in a spar.
Afterward, to prove the truth of this official denial, Bibi Dong deliberately displayed her level 97 Soul Power before Spirit Hall's senior ranks.
For a time, the red-robed and platinum bishops, along with the Titled Douluo of the Elder Hall, were all so shocked by Bibi Dong's outrageously terrifying cultivation speed that they began questioning their lives.
After all, just three days earlier, Bibi Dong had still been a level 90 prospective Titled Douluo.
How little time had passed, and she had already broken through to level 97?
Seven levels in three days, including levels 96 and 97.
Never mind elders like Porcupinefish Douluo and Snake Lance Douluo-even the worships wanted to say, Bibi Dong, your cheats are way too outrageous!
She was practically pinning their decades, even close to a century, of bitter cultivation to the ground and grinding it into the dirt!
Xiao Chen really is His Holiness the Pope's benefactor.
Only Chrysanthemum Ghost Douluo remained relatively calm, because they knew whose achievement this was.
At the same time, Luo Chen's Sun Disc Martial Soul once again redefined their understanding of the absurd. Can a God-Level Martial Soul really do whatever it wants?
Fortunately, Chrysanthemum Ghost Douluo had seen what Luo Chen was like as a person.
Thus, both believed that as long as they performed well, Luo Chen would grant them an opportunity for Ascension in the future too.
"Big Brother."
Elsewhere, inside the Worship Hall, the six great worships saw Qian Daoliu return and gathered around him once more.
"Xiao Xue, go get some rest first."
"All right, Grandpa."
Qian Renxue needed to plan carefully, making sure she won Luo Chen over in one fell swoop.
"Big Brother, just what's that boy's background, for Bibi Dong to protect him like that?"
"And Xiao Xue'er-was that woman Bibi Dong bullying her again?"
Judging by Qian Renxue's demeanor, she had clearly had a good cry.
The worships knew about the conflict between mother and daughter, so they were not surprised at all.
The problem was that Qian Renxue was now in rather high spirits, nothing like a pitiful little girl abandoned by her mother.
"If he were with me, I'd do the same as Bibi Dong."
After realizing how frightening Luo Chen's Martial Soul was, Qian Daoliu expressed his understanding of Bibi Dong.
A God-Level Martial Soul capable of making Martial Souls evolve-with such a treasure in Spirit Hall's hands, how could they not spare every effort to protect him?
Just as now, for the sake of secrecy, Qian Daoliu had not revealed much useful information even to the six worships, who were utterly loyal to Spirit Hall.
"The child Bibi Dong brought back awakened an extremely powerful Martial Soul."
Qian Daoliu could only say, "Whether our Spirit Hall can unite the Douluo Continent in the future may depend on this child."
"What?!"
Golden Crocodile Douluo found it hard to believe. "Big Brother, isn't that going too far?"
The Second Worship was unswervingly loyal to Spirit Hall. If it meant seeing Spirit Hall reach its pinnacle, Golden Crocodile Douluo would not even frown if asked to die on the spot.
"In any case, just remember what I said."
"Also," Qian Daoliu added, "when you meet that child in the future, treat him as you would Xue'er. You must not let him suffer the slightest grievance."
"!!!"
For a moment, the six great worships exchanged looks, utterly stunned by Qian Daoliu's words.
Qian Renxue had innate soul power at rank 20 and the potential to become a god. She was also Spirit Hall's young master and Qian Daoliu's own granddaughter.
The privileges and status she enjoyed in Spirit Hall were beyond even what Bibi Dong had once enjoyed, or what Qian Xunji had possessed back when he was still the Holy Son.
Now, with Luo Chen added to the mix, the enshrined elders could not help questioning his origins once again.
"Boss, he couldn't really be Bibi Dong's illegitimate son, could he?"
Light Feather Douluo, who looked like a young boy, teased playfully, "We won't ask what his Martial Soul is."
"But about him being an illegitimate son, can you give us a straight answer, Boss? Is he or isn't he?"
"He isn't."
"But in the future, who can say?"
Those two sentences sent the enshrined elders' moods soaring and plunging like a roller coaster.
"Big Brother, do you mean you want that boy to become Xiao Xue's husband?"
Golden Crocodile Douluo truly lived up to his seniority as someone who had lived for over 150 years. He saw through Qian Daoliu's intentions at a glance.
"So that's it!"
"If he's a prospective husband for Xiao Xue'er, then this treatment is no surprise."
"But just how outstanding must this child be for you to value him so highly, Boss?"
The other enshrined elders all chimed in, finally understanding why Qian Daoliu treated Luo Chen so favorably.
Qian Renxue was Qian Daoliu's precious darling. That he was willing to offer even his own granddaughter showed Luo Chen's value.
If he was to be his grandson-in-law, then it was no surprise.
"Enough."
Qian Daoliu promptly ended the discussion. "Keep everything about that child to yourselves. Remember, you must not reveal it to anyone."
"Yes!"
The six enshrined elders had always followed Qian Daoliu's lead. They shared an excellent bond and would never do anything to betray Spirit Hall.
(End of chapter)