(This book was first published on QQ Reading. After the trial period ends, it can go premium once it reaches fifty thousand words, so it will go premium relatively early.)
"Good! Well said!"
"Now that's a disciple worthy of me, Du Busi!"
Du Busi burst into unrestrained laughter, paying no heed to Xuan Zi and Dai Hao's livid faces.
Xuan Zi's face was ashen as he cursed inwardly, This Huo Yuhao really is an ungrateful little bastard.
Instead of choosing Shrek, the number one academy on the continent, he chose that lousy Body Sect.
At that moment, Heaven Dou's emperor, Xue Mingshan, also grew more assertive.
He had noticed the golden light in Huo Yuhao's eyes.
That was the hallmark of a Gold-Rank Second Awakening.
An Innate Gold-Rank Second Awakening.
With his precious daughter Vina in the imperial family, and with her mother possessing a Body Martial Soul, Xue Mingshan naturally understood the significance of an Innate Gold-Rank Second Awakening better than Dai Hao, Xuan Zi, or Xu Jiawei, both as an emperor and as a father.
Xue Mingshan stood and came to Huo Yuhao's side to see that justice was done for them. "Your Majesty Taotie, White Tiger Duke, Old Xu, since the child has made his identity clear, please don't make things difficult for him."
"Our main purpose this time is to discuss the White Tiger Duke's Mansion being razed to the ground, not to fight over a recruit!"
Xuan Zi slumped back into his seat and started eating a chicken leg by himself.
Dai Hao and Xu Jiawei both calmed down and returned to their seats.
Du Busi, the Snow Empress, Huo Yuhao, and the others took their seats as well.
Xue Mingshan returned to the head seat and said, "Then, Dai Hao, let's hear from you first."
Dai Hao gave Huo Yuhao, who was sitting beside the Snow Empress, a long look and swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue.
Hopefully, letting this go will earn me a little goodwill.
He sighed. "I have nothing to say."
Xu Jiawei looked at Dai Hao suspiciously.
Brother, are you serious?
You were the one who got angry and stopped working.
You were also the one who demanded that I, the emperor, come here with you.
And you were the one who accused the Body Sect.
So why have you gone silent now that the Body Sect's people are here?
Are you playing with me, the emperor, like a spinning top?!
Clutching his chicken leg, Xuan Zi looked at Dai Hao with some surprise.
Interesting, interesting, interesting.
The White Tiger Duke's Mansion really is a mess.
Xue Mingshan frowned and looked at Dai Hao in confusion.
He then turned to Du Busi. "Old Poison, what about you..."
Du Busi rose and slammed both hands down on the wooden table in front of him. Looking at Dai Hao and Xuan Zi, he said, "I'm not asking for much."
"I want your White Tiger Duke's Mansion and Shrek to join hands and compensate Huo Yuhao for the mental trauma he suffered during his eleven years at the mansion and from Xuan Zi's threat just now, as well as his medical expenses."
Dai Hao's imposing brows furrowed.
He understood that Huo Yuhao had suffered a great deal at the White Tiger Duke's Mansion since birth.
But now the White Tiger Duke's Mansion had no savings left at all.
How could they pay?
Xuan Zi objected, saying stubbornly, "When did I ever threaten Huo Yuhao?!"
The Snow Empress spoke. "Just now, when you tried to take him."
"Would you like me to refresh your memory?"
Xuan Zi's defiance did not last long before the Snow Empress's presence frightened his legs into going weak.
At the thought of what he was about to say, Du Busi could barely contain his secret delight.
Du Busi said, "What I'm asking for isn't expensive either. Just a Dragon Core and the Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife."
The moment he said that, everyone except Huo Yuhao, the Snow Empress, and Du Busi froze.
The entire meeting room fell frighteningly silent.
Dai Hao, Xu Jiawei, Xue Mingshan, Jin Peng, and the others looked bewildered.
Dragon Core?
What is that?
Is it valuable?
"What did you say?" Xuan Zi's expression turned extremely ugly the moment he heard it.
As soon as the words fell, the chicken leg flew out of his hand.
Du Busi tilted his head slightly, and the chicken leg flew past his ear and smashed against the wall.
Xuan Zi leaped to his feet, pointed at Du Busi, and cursed furiously, "Preposterous! Absolutely preposterous!"
"Who gave your Body Sect the nerve to covet a Dragon Core?!"
"What kind of eleven years of mental trauma requires a Dragon Core as compensation?"
"Is that Dragon Core of yours made of gold? Even a wall would come faster than what you're asking for here!"
Dai Hao hurriedly lowered his voice and asked, "Elder Xuan, what is a Dragon Core?"
Xuan Zi explained through gritted teeth, "A Dragon Core is a kind of energy core formed over long years after a giant dragon reaches adulthood. It contains the source of the dragon's bloodline and power, and it's a supreme treasure that dragons use specifically to temper their spiritual consciousness."
"To obtain a Dragon Core, you have to hunt down a true dragon."
"To put it simply, it's like the Soul Core of us Titled Douluo, and a Dragon Core is even more important than a Soul Core!"
Dai Hao and the others' expressions changed at once.
A giant dragon's life in exchange for the mental trauma Huo Yuhao had suffered during eleven years at the White Tiger Duke's Mansion-wasn't that a bit like a lion opening its jaws wide, taking advantage of someone in a vulnerable position?
Du Busi let out a cold laugh. "What, now you think it's too expensive?"
Xue Mingshan understood that Du Busi wanted everyone to know that the Body Sect's people were not to be bullied at will!
He could also see clearly that Du Busi treated the members of his sect very well.
That being the case, he could entrust Vina to the Body Sect without worry.
What was more, another exceptionally powerful Titled Douluo had joined the Body Sect.
Their strength had climbed another level.
"I admit to intimidating Huo Yuhao. I can provide that Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife, but I won't accept responsibility for the White Tiger Duke's Mansion's share!"
Faced with the pressure of the Level 99 Limit Douluo Snow Empress and Du Busi, a Level 98 Super Douluo, Xuan Zi chose to yield a step.
Judging by their attitude, if he did not give Huo Yuhao some compensation, they would not let him leave.
If this can be endured, what cannot? I, Xuan Zi, will endure it!
As the saying went, take a step back and the sea and sky open wide; take a step back again and it's up a mountain of blades and down into a sea of fire.
As long as he, Xuan Zi, walked out that door and returned to Shrek, he would firmly deny everything he had agreed to here today!
Only a fool would give resources to an enemy's heavenly genius.
"What about you?" Du Busi looked at Dai Hao and Xu Jiawei.
Dai Hao and Xu Jiawei's faces were as black as the bottom of a pot.
Xu Jiawei in particular raised a hand and rubbed the space between his brows, feeling as though he had aged several years in that moment.
Now that Xuan Zi had admitted defeat, what else could he say?
Xu Jiawei sighed. "Dai Hao, the one who tied the bell must untie it."
Dai Hao stiffened and stared at Xu Jiawei in disbelief. "Your Majesty... you!"
Xu Jiawei had already turned his head away, making it clear that he would not interfere any further.
Dai Hao could only look to Xuan Zi, but Xuan Zi kept his head down and continued gnawing on his chicken leg, showing no intention of taking a side.
For a moment, a sense of helplessness welled up in Dai Hao's heart, as though the whole world had abandoned him.
A Dragon Core...
That was something even more precious than a Soul Core.
How could the penniless White Tiger Duke's Mansion possibly produce one?
Suddenly, Dai Hao seemed to realize something.
Huh?!
Wait, that's not right.
Could Du Busi have meant from the beginning for Xuan Zi to produce the Dragon Core and for us to produce the Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife?!