Two level 99 Limit Douluo were fighting over the same disciple. Everyone else was green with envy.
Chu Qing, meanwhile, thought, This is bad, this is bad.
First of all, he had to rule out Niu Tian. Ordinarily, having a master whose Martial Soul was similar to his own would have been a good thing, but Tang San stood behind Niu Tian.
He seethed inwardly. This plane's will was truly devious!
No wonder it had given him this Martial Soul. Wasn't it plainly trying to send him straight into Tang San's arms?
Of the two evils, he had to choose the lesser. For now, it seemed he could only choose Long Xiaoyao.
But he really didn't want to choose Long Xiaoyao either. Leaving aside the possibility that Long Xiaoyao might one day decide to follow Ye Xishui to death for love, there was his allegiance to the Sun Moon Empire. The others didn't know about it yet, but once it came to light, wouldn't everything Chu Qing had built in Dou Ling collapse overnight?
He didn't want either of them, and there was no going back to Xuan Zi.
He couldn't help looking up at Du Busi in the distance.
The Body Sect was the Heavenly Soul Empire's guardian sect, and he didn't have a Body Martial Soul, but all things considered, the Body Sect was rather good. Its members might act arrogantly, but they fiercely protected their own.
Yet he had serious reservations. Even if he wanted to bring Du Busi in to break the deadlock, playing clever little tricks on powerful people was no clever move.
Long Xiaoyao and Niu Tian naturally noticed his fleeting, hesitant glance and both shot displeased looks at Du Busi.
Under those two powerful gazes, Du Busi couldn't help feeling a little uneasy.
But he had also caught the fleeting look Chu Qing gave him, and he was rather pleased.
Even under pressure from two level 99 Limit Douluo, Chu Qing still wanted to choose him. Was this the power of his personal charm?
He thought that perhaps he and Chu Qing might get along, and couldn't help letting out a soft sigh.
Neither Limit Douluo was someone he could defeat.
He spoke up in the name of fairness:
"Gentlemen, I didn't come here to take a disciple. I only heard that Dou Ling had produced a genius rarely seen in the world, and I didn't believe it, so I brought my disciple Long Aotian, who has a little talent himself, to see what this genius was made of."
"So let me speak impartially and offer a few fair words without taking either side."
"You're both powerful level 99 Limit Douluo. It's rare enough for the two of you to meet at all."
"No matter how gifted Chu Qing is, he's only a teenager. How could he have ever seen a situation like this?"
"Stop putting pressure on him for now. No matter which of you he chooses, he'll effectively offend the other."
"In this situation, never mind him-even the ruler of a nation or the master of a sect wouldn't know how to choose."
"I'd say the fact that he can still carry himself with dignity is rare enough in this world."
"Rather than forcing him, I think the two of you should decide this yourselves."
Long Xiaoyao nodded in agreement.
"Just what I had in mind."
He looked down at Niu Tian.
"The winner takes the disciple; the loser eats dust."
Niu Tian wasn't afraid in the slightest. He looked up, and the moment their gazes met, it was as if blades had clashed.
"Agreed. Only the winner has the right to take him as a disciple."
Du Busi saw that things were going badly. How had he made it look as if he had deliberately set the two against each other? If the loser held a grudge against him afterward, wouldn't he have invited trouble for nothing?
He hurriedly stopped them.
"Wait, both of you."
"Let's not spoil the harmony."
"Since you want to take a disciple, you should be comparing your ability to teach one."
"Otherwise, no matter how strong you are yourselves, if you can't teach a disciple, wouldn't you be wasting a fine piece of uncarved jade like Chu Qing?"
Long Xiaoyao frowned slightly. He had a feeling Du Busi was taking a veiled jab at him for saying earlier that neither of them was fit to teach Chu Qing.
Niu Tian stopped, feeling a little uneasy. All these years, apart from raising Tang Wutong like a little princess, what other experience did he have teaching disciples?
Seeing an opening, Du Busi immediately said with a straight face:
"My disciple Long Aotian is no great talent, but he does have some modest aptitude. He has four rings now."
"How about this? Each of you teaches one of them a move over the course of a month. After a month, they'll use those moves to compete. Once the winner is decided, it'll be clear whose teaching ability is greater."
Xuan Zi gave a cold snort. Du Busi certainly knew how to take advantage of a situation.
Chu Qing was stunned. He had already prepared to choose Long Xiaoyao, but now everything was uncertain again. He panicked. If he ended up in Niu Tian's hands, wouldn't he be doomed? Yet he couldn't very well say anything.
Both sides were silent for a while before Long Xiaoyao spoke slowly:
"One round leaves too much to chance. Best two out of three."
He had never known someone like Niu Tian existed before this, and knew nothing of his abilities. He didn't want to lose Chu Qing through carelessness.
Niu Tian was happy to agree.
"But who will teach Chu Qing, and who will teach Long Aotian?"
Tang Wutong, standing nearby, said with a giggle:
"Eldest Dad, that old grandpa was the one who suggested it. Why don't we have him fight the old grandpa beside him, and then we can each guess who'll win?"
"After all, if we lose the wager, we shouldn't teach his disciple for nothing."
Seeing Long Xiaoyao and Niu Tian look over, Xuan Zi burned with anger. The heat in his face had only just faded after the fight, but now it flared red again.
He was the dignified deputy pavilion master of the Sea God Pavilion, a man of incomparable status. Was he a cricket for others to toy with as they pleased?
It was utterly humiliating.
Du Busi, however, bore a blood feud against Shrek for his brother's death and was clearly delighted to make a move. He sent a fist smashing viciously toward Xuan Zi, as if it would shatter the very air.
"Xuan Zi, why are you backing down? Don't dare fight me? Trying to run?"
Long Xiaoyao said:
"I'm betting on Du Busi."
Niu Tian followed right after him:
"I choose Du Busi too."
Both men had razor-sharp eyes, and neither wanted to give up the slightest advantage.
Du Busi stopped, utterly delighted, and burst out laughing.
"Xuan Zi, look at this. How embarrassing!"
"But luckily, with your abilities, you can dig a hole and crawl straight into it."
Xuan Zi's beard and hair bristled with rage, and the hand he pointed at Du Busi shook uncontrollably.
"Du Busi, just you wait!"
With that, he flew off toward the horizon in a flash.
The fight hadn't happened, and neither Long Xiaoyao nor Niu Tian would give the other an inch. Du Busi was in an excellent mood as he said:
"In that case, why don't each of you teach Chu Qing once for the first two rounds?"
"If it ends in a draw because my disciple's aptitude is too poor, then for the third round, you might as well compete to see who can find Chu Qing a better Soul Beast for his fifth Soul Ring."
Niu Tian readily agreed.
"Let's do that."
"Since your esteemed disciple also bears the surname Long, he has a connection with the Dragon Emperor Douluo. I'll teach Chu Qing first, then."
Long Xiaoyao gave a cold snort.
"Fine, I'll teach him."
"But we'll have to change the contest for the third round."
"Waiting until Chu Qing has five rings would take too long. Let's make it Soul Bones instead and see who can provide one with a greater age."
Niu Tian's Martial Soul came from the same lineage as Chu Qing's, so he was bound to have more experience choosing Soul Rings. Long Xiaoyao naturally couldn't accept that disadvantage.
Niu Tian had already gained an advantage, so he didn't object.
"Very well. We'll see who comes out on top then."
Chu Qing bowed to the three men in turn. Seeing Du Busi's smile, he returned it with a grateful one, though Du Busi didn't understand the bitterness in his heart.