When it came to anything that could help him resolve the malignant mutation of his martial soul and shed the disgraceful title of "waste," Yu Xiaogang's mind was sharper than ever.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had failed to help him solve the issue of his mutated martial soul, and to make matters worse, they had the audacity to cast him aside, intending to demote him to the status of a lowly menial disciple. This left Yu Xiaogang deeply disillusioned and led to his departure from the clan. However, across the vast continent, there were precious few powers capable of helping him solve this problem.
If there was any place on the continent that might hold the key to resolving the malignant mutation of his martial soul, Yu Xiaogang was almost certain—it would be in the Spirit Hall.
The exact origins of the Spirit Hall had long since been lost to history. It had stood for tens of thousands of years and possessed the most comprehensive repository of martial soul knowledge on the continent. Among its vast troves of information, Yu Xiaogang believed there had to be a way to evolve his mutated martial soul, Luo Sanpao, into the Golden Sacred Dragon.
Thus, the Spirit Hall became his top choice.
Originally, with the clan token in hand, Yu Xiaogang had planned to come to the Spirit Hall and trade some of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's secrets in exchange for access to the core archives. With that access, he hoped to uncover a way to transform his martial soul. Once Luo Sanpao had evolved into the Golden Sacred Dragon, he would leverage the support of the Spirit Hall to gradually rise to the rank of Titled Douluo. At that point, he could leave the Spirit Hall with dignity, return to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, and reclaim everything that was rightfully his.
But things didn't go according to plan. His clan token had been taken from him. He didn't even get the chance to meet the Pope; he was stopped by the palace guards at the gates of the Pope's Hall and wasn't allowed to enter.
Unexpectedly, he encountered the Pope's disciple—a once-in-a-generation genius with twin martial souls. Heaven was truly on his side.
So, Yu Xiaogang began plotting to use this Saintess of the Pope's Hall as a way to join the Spirit Hall.
Over the next few days, Yu Xiaogang secretly observed Bibi Dong.
Bibi Dong was in rare high spirits.
Since joining the Spirit Hall at the age of six, she had trained continuously in the Pope's Hall. Her master treated her well, but had always confined her within its walls. This only deepened her longing to see the outside world.
Thus, every soul hunting trip was a rare chance for her to relax.
On their journey to the Star Dou Forest after leaving Spirit City, she managed to persuade Elder Jin Zhong to let her stay a few extra days in Coconut Grove City before heading off to hunt spirits.
Unfortunately, the outside world didn't offer much excitement either. Just like the youths in Spirit City, once they recognized her identity as the Saintess of the Pope's Hall, they either behaved with excessive reverence or resorted to flattery. Not one of them genuinely wanted to be her friend.
Because of her identity, there was an invisible barrier between her and everyone else.
"Saintess, it's time for us to depart," Elder Jin Zhong said.
"Elder, just one last day, I promise. This will be the final day. Tomorrow we'll go to the Star Dou Forest, okay?" Bibi Dong said, clinging to Jin Zhong's arm in a spoiled, pleading tone.
"Alright, alright," Elder Jin Zhong relented, waving his hand. "One last day, that's it. If we're late, the Pope will hold us accountable."
Delighted, Bibi Dong ran off. On this final day, she planned to go boating on Coconut Grove Lake.
As she cheerfully approached the edge of the lake, ready to enjoy a carefree day on the water, her eyes fell on a striking figure.
Standing by the lakeside was a young man with a crew cut.
He was dressed in a long black scholar's robe, exuding a scholarly air. His hands were clasped behind his back, and he gazed up at the sky.
A gentle breeze stirred the willow branches, and his robe fluttered with the wind.
His face was etched with hardship, full of untold stories.
Curious, Bibi Dong gave him a second glance. Just as she was about to leave, she saw the young man lower his head, look at the calm surface of the lake, sigh deeply, and take a few steps forward.
Bibi Dong's pupils shrank—she instantly realized what he intended to do. Before he could jump in, she rushed forward and grabbed him. She may have looked like a delicate girl, but she was already a level-50 quasi-Soul King. She easily restrained the suicidal young man.
"What's wrong with you? Why would you want to jump into the lake for no reason?" she demanded.
The young man tilted his head at her question and sighed again, saying nothing.
Bibi Dong sighed softly. "There's a story in your eyes. Why not tell it? Maybe I can help. No hardship is insurmountable. Life is precious—there's no need to end it."
"You really want to hear my story?" the young man asked.
"Of course, if you're willing to share it, I'll be your listener," Bibi Dong said.
"Thank you," the young man replied, his voice hoarse as he began his tale.
"I was born into a great clan. From a young age, the entire sect had high expectations for me. But when I awakened my martial soul, it mutated malignantly. I was supposed to have a powerful martial soul, but instead, it reversed into a feeble one. My innate soul power was a pitiful 0.5."
"From that moment, everything changed. My father became indifferent, the elders scorned me, and the other disciples mocked and bullied me."
"So," Bibi Dong murmured, "you chose to end your life because of this?"
The crew-cut young man shook his head. His gaze burned with intensity as he suddenly stood up, speaking with determination:
"No. I will never bow to fate. So what if my martial soul mutated? So what if I only have 0.5 innate soul power? So what if I've been ridiculed and abused by my own kin? I firmly believe there are no useless martial souls—only useless soul masters! I won't give up. I'll train harder than anyone else. If one hundred times the effort isn't enough, I'll put in two hundred times! One day, I'll prove to my cold-hearted father and that indifferent sect that even with a so-called trash martial soul, I can still rise above them all!"
As he spoke with passion, his body trembled, and the terrifying pressure of a level-29 Grand Soul Master burst forth.
Only then did Bibi Dong realize with a jolt—this young man had reached level 29, even with a mere 0.5 innate soul power. Across the entire continent, that was nearly unheard of.
Even more astonishing—when she had stopped him from jumping into the lake, she had sensed his bone age. He was actually a year younger than her! And yet, bearing the heavy burden of such a poor starting point, he had fought his way to level 29.
Bibi Dong recalled what he had said earlier:
If talent isn't enough, I'll work harder than anyone else. If a hundred times the effort isn't enough, I'll give two hundred.
He meant every word.
Imagining the blood, sweat, and determination it took to achieve what he had, Bibi Dong couldn't help but feel a wave of guilt as she compared herself to him.
(End of Chapter)
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