Chapter 101 – Mother and Daughter Talk
Chapter 101 – Mother and Daughter Talk
At the mention of "Brother Ting," Xiao Wu fumed even more, her eyes wide and sharp enough to kill.
"You still dare bring that up? I told you not to do it, but you insisted!"
In that instant, Xiao Wu recalled how she'd been completely exposed then; shame made her want to crawl into a crack in the ground.
And that damnable brat—he hadn't kept a single promise, yet still had the gall to demand she call him "brother." In his dreams!
Zhou Ting sighed in resignation. Fine—miscalculation on his part.
Watching the three of them back against a tree, still staring at him with burning eyes, Zhou Ting's heart stirred and a wicked smile curved his lips.
"Still not leaving—want to watch me change clothes?"
As he spoke he reached down as if to peel off his underwear… Right, who knew who'd done it; there wasn't a scratch below his waist, yet his pants had been stripped off!
"Ahh!"
Zhu Zhuqing's face flamed red. She clapped a hand over Xue'er's curious eyes and, swearing under her breath, dragged Xiao Wu with her into the wooden cabin behind the tree.
"That wretched Zhou Ting—he's getting worse every day…"
"If I'd known… I'd never have brought him back!"
Zhu Zhuqing gave her indignant best friend an odd look. Back then, who was it who'd cried as though tears cost nothing? Even while changing clothes Zhou Ting wouldn't shut up; after half a year with only a handful of breaks, he was bursting to talk.
"So—who stripped me?"
Just as Zhu Zhuqing was about to answer, Xiao Wu clapped a hand over her mouth and snapped back.
"Er Ming did it for you!"
A mountain-sized gorilla helping undress him—the image was too beautiful to imagine.
Zhou Ting's face darkened, but he instantly knew it was impossible. With fingers as thick as tree trunks, one casual squeeze from Er Ming would have turned his body to mush.
Once changed, the four sat in the cabin, no one sure what to say.
The hut was tiny: three simple wooden beds and no other furniture; their life was plain.
"What… do we do now?"
Xiao Wu spoke first. After a hundred thousand years of life and many more among humans, she still felt lost about the continent's changes.
Zhu Zhuqing couldn't make sense of it either.
She didn't even know whether to be happy or sad.
The Star Luo Imperial Family had virtually perished; Dai Mubai had ascended the throne, turning the once-brutal palace rules and bloody competition into empty words.
As for the Zhu family—Dai Mubai, for whatever reason, hadn't sought Zhu Zhuqing at all. Instead, he'd taken her elder sister Zhu Zhuyun into the harem as a voiceless empress.
Thus, Zhu Zhuqing was truly free!
With the immense pressure she'd been born under suddenly gone, Zhu Zhuqing drifted in a daze, cultivating from sheer habit.
For a moment, both Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu looked to Zhou Ting.
"For Spirit Masters, locking ourselves away won't work. We must return to human society; besides, Star Lake isn't safe. Leaving soon is the smart move."
After a pause he added what was really on his mind.
"And I want to find out why Spirit Hall—or rather, Qian Daoliu—wants me dead. What exactly has happened on the continent?"
The unknown changes left Zhou Ting deeply uneasy.
But he wasn't the only one.
Near the Star Dou Great Forest, in an ordinary little valley, Chrysanthemum Douluo led Qian Renxue to this deserted spot.
No matter how you looked, it was just a common village, nowhere befitting a Supreme Pontiff.
Qian Renxue could scarcely believe it.
"She… lives here?"
Chrysanthemum Douluo kept walking, explaining offhandedly.
"Even His Majesty… has a home."
A rickety wooden building, crumbling courtyard walls, weeds everywhere—barely a path visible.
"Why is the village abandoned?"
Qian Renxue wondered how a place that had produced a Titled Douluo—indeed, a Supreme Pontiff—could be deserted. Had everyone moved away?
Chrysanthemum Douluo gave a wry smile and shook his head, bringing her beneath a large tree and pointing to a treehouse overhead.
"We're here. You can go up and ask His Majesty yourself."
Qian Renxue stared up at the treehouse, her expression conflicted, feet feeling as heavy as lead.
Just then a weary voice called out.
"Come up. Today… we need to talk properly."
Qian Renxue drew a long breath, leapt up with an impassive face, and found herself in a tiny cabin of less than five square metres.
Could… this be her childhood home?
Unable to stop herself, Qian Renxue's eyes softened; she'd never imagined that woman's childhood had been so bleak.
The woman inside read her gaze and smiled faintly.
"My childhood wasn't bitter at all. I was happy: an orphan, yet the village never mistreated me. I ate a hundred families' rice, wore a hundred families' clothes…"
"That was one of the only two happy times in my life."
"Only two?"
Qian Renxue caught the key phrase. As the unrivalled Supreme Pontiff of Spirit Hall, wielding great power, shouldn't she be happy?
And giving birth to me… Right, abandoning me at birth—hardly joyful.
Suppressing her anger and sorrow… "The second was after becoming Supreme Pontiff?"
Her words dripped sarcasm, yet Bibi Dong didn't mind, as though watching a sulking child.
"That year, I'd been Holy Maiden of Spirit Hall for some time when I met someone who understood me…"
She isn't even defending herself?
Though she couldn't see Bibi Dong's face, Qian Renxue could hear the emotion in her voice—was that love?
Qian Renxue was puzzled, a bad premonition growing.
Her father was Qian Xunji, the previous Supreme Pontiff—he and Bibi Dong, the Holy Maiden, should have known each other long ago.
Master and disciple?
What of ethics?
An uneasiness swelled inside Qian Renxue!
Yet Bibi Dong continued, voice calm and detached, as though recounting someone else's story.
"I wanted to leave Spirit Hall with the one I loved and live our own life, but my Master found out and tried to dissuade me. I refused, so I was imprisoned…"
"And then… you were born."
Inside the cabin Bibi Dong's tone was serene; outside, Qian Renxue could no longer stay calm.
She doubted her own ears—what had she just heard?
The truth could never be like this!
Yet the words stuck in her throat.
At that moment Qian Renxue thought of her grandfather; every time she'd asked about this woman, he'd faltered, always saying she couldn't be blamed.
Yes—if this was the truth, everything made sense.
After such imprisonment and violation, how could Bibi Dong speak of it? And Qian Daoliu, father of the rapist, would hardly wish to voice a scandal that shamed the Qian family.
So everything was because of… Almost certain, Qian Renxue's face was full of bitterness.
She too was a woman. Though she had no beloved yet, and had never tasted love's sweetness, she knew that were it she… anything tied to that man would have to be erased!Chapter 102 – Escaping the Star Dou Great Forest Again
Chapter 102 – Escaping the Star Dou Great Forest Again
'I'm telling you this so you'll pity me; I don't need that. I only want you to know that I don't owe your Qian family anything!'
Qian Renxue understood perfectly what Bibi Dong meant: she had given birth to her and then abandoned her, so she owed her nothing.
For the first time she understood this woman she had always both loved and hated, and her heart felt lighter than it ever had.
Qian Renxue asked calmly, taking the initiative.
'You had Chrysanthemum Douluo bring me here… surely not just to tell me this story?'
'Of course not!'
Bibi Dong finally stepped out of the darkness and into the sunlight. Without the staff that symbolized the authority of the Supreme Pontiff, she still looked every inch the aristocrat.
True nobility has never depended on objects or power, but… on the heart!
Looking closely, Qian Renxue saw that Bibi Dong's eyes were bloodshot and her face… as pale as paper.
Qian Renxue's heart trembled and she couldn't help but take two steps forward.
'You're injured?'
A flicker of relief flashed through Bibi Dong's eyes. She sat down carelessly on the edge of the wooden board, just like when she was a child.
Her feet swung back and forth. At this moment, all her noble air vanished; she looked like an ordinary little girl.
She even reached out to invite Qian Renxue… her own daughter.
'Come sit.'
Bibi Dong's sudden change left Qian Renxue unsettled, and being so close to this woman felt… awkward.
Anticipation, nervousness, resistance—her feelings were a complicated tangle.
Yet her body sat down of its own accord, right beside Bibi Dong.
Her brain short-circuited and the words slipped out.
'Did Grandfather do this?'
Bibi Dong gazed at the distant forest, her eyes calm and serene, a smile still playing at the corner of her lips.
'Not entirely. In the battle half a year ago, your grandfather didn't gain the upper hand; we were evenly matched. I only gave up the papal staff and insignia because I didn't want to keep fighting him.'
Qian Renxue stared at the free-spirited woman beside her, puzzled.
'This isn't like you.'
Bibi Dong was startled, then smiled and asked in reply.
'In your eyes, am I just an overbearing, rude, heartless woman full of ambition?'
'Aren't you?'
Bibi Dong shook her head helplessly: No one can understand me!
'Since you insist, I'll give you one reason: the elders of Spirit Hall and all the top fighters would rather obey that old immortal of the Qian family!'
Qian Renxue nodded, accepting the explanation.
'What happened afterward?'
'Afterward… there was another great battle inside the Star Dou Great Forest…'
'Actually, the main cause of my injury… was myself. Truly, twin spirits brought me success, and twin spirits brought me failure!'
Bibi Dong suddenly lost interest in continuing and ended the story abruptly.
Then she looked at the somewhat unfamiliar daughter beside her and showed a sincere smile.
'Don't worry, it's nothing serious; I just need to rest for a while.'
'Who's worried about you!'
Qian Renxue felt a rush of shame and annoyance.
Bibi Dong merely smiled and said nothing.
Qian Renxue's face flushed red; she quickly changed the subject.
'Why would Grandfather do such a thing?'
That was the greatest puzzle in her heart!
Standing at a high vantage point, Bibi Dong naturally knew many things she did not.
'Because… your grandfather has lost contact with the Angel God. All godly trials in the entire World have vanished; the path of God Position Legacies has been severed…'
…Two days later, Zhou Ting, wearing his mask again, walked out of the Star Dou Great Forest, holding little Xue'er by the hand.
'Sigh, these two really don't know how to behave…'
Watching the two streaks of light colliding in the distance, Zhou Ting felt a bigger headache than when he had become a 'dead man'.
'Hehe, Sister Xiao Wu and Sister Zhuqing run so fast!'
Xue'er's eyes sparkled; she admired them greatly.
Unfortunately, her body… still hadn't met the requirements for Spirit Awakening.
Honestly, after learning of the little girl's condition, the first thing that popped into Zhou Ting's mind was… the Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger, a mutated Spirit Beast.
It came into being when the Evil God possessed a White Tiger and mutated.
The Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger possesses six attributes—evil, time, space, lightning, wind, and power—and is extremely powerful.
Moreover, it has high intelligence, no less than that of a human.
Because of the Evil God's possession, it also gained the god's unpredictable abilities and can devour other Spirit Beasts to increase its cultivation.
Thus, many Spirit Beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest have been swallowed by it.
Yet… its strength is so great that at only fifty thousand years of cultivation it can withstand the combined assault of the hundred-thousand-year Titan Giant Ape and Sky Azure Bull Python; it is the undisputed bully of the Star Dou Great Forest.
Most importantly, the Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger has an utterly Heaven-Defying ability… the Life-and-Death Duel Field, which drags the enemy into a special pocket dimension where both sides revert to age six.
At six years old, humans have not yet undergone Spirit Awakening and are merely weak little children—how could they fight a beast that has lived six long years?
Unfortunately, it later met the cheater king Tang San, who at six already possessed superb martial skills and carried Hidden Weapons, and was finally defeated and killed… Xue'er's condition is similar to being trapped in that life-and-death arena, except she can never leave.
Yet Zhou Ting was certain that Xue'er was real—a living, flesh-and-blood person.
Thus, her bizarre situation left him completely baffled.
There was another matter… for some unknown reason, Xue'er was extremely attached to him; ever since he had recovered, she stuck to him like glue, which drove the two 'old' mothers who had looked after her for half a year to the brink of madness!
Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing even took turns interrogating Zhou Ting to force out the reason.
But Zhou Ting felt utterly innocent.
He didn't even know Xue'er, for heaven's sake!
He knew absolutely nothing about what had happened after his death.
He didn't even know how his own corpse had traveled hundreds or thousands of li to reach the Star Dou Great Forest.
After all, corpses… don't run by themselves!
Who on earth pulled off such a stunt?
And… what was the battlefield next to Xue'er about?
Everything was a complete mystery!
However, according to Xiao Wu, the battlefield was not far from the Immortal Herb Garden.
Fine—now Xue'er's origin was even more bewildering.
Moreover, the Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger, the Immortal Herb Garden in the giant pit, and possibly even the Silver Dragon King beneath Star Lake—Zhou Ting couldn't afford to provoke any of them.
'Kid Zhou, hurry up, stop dawdling!'
Xiao Wu stopped in frustration; turning back, she saw Zhou Ting standing motionless and called out loudly.
'By the way, aren't you going home to take a look?'
Xue'er couldn't walk fast, so Zhou Ting carried her on his back.
'I'm already a dead man; if I go back, I'll only bring trouble to the village.'
'Things are fine as they are. Everyone thinks I'm dead; Saint Spirit Village and my family have become irrelevant, no one will care or target them.'
Even if that weren't so, Zhou Ting wouldn't dare go back for the time being.
The dangerous Tang Sect… is right there!Chapter 103: Tang San's Decision
Chapter 103: Tang San's Decision
"Looks like it!"
Xiao Wu scratched her head in frustration—thinking really was too tiring!
Fighting was so much easier. Remembering how Zhou Ting had only rested two days before angering her again, she itched to land a flying kick and send him soaring sky-high to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the sun.
Noticing Xiao Wu's malicious gaze, Zhou Ting instantly grew wary and added an extra layer of caution… Advanced Soul Master Tournament, Star Luo Empire selection finals, competitor lounge!
In stark contrast to the clamor outside, the lounge was silent… a pin drop could be heard.
Tang San hung his head like a child who'd done wrong, looking small and helpless.
Since arriving in this World, he'd never been in such a state.
Opposite him sat Tang Hao, eyes like a panda's, face haggard, bloodshot.
On the sofa beside them lay a gaunt middle-aged man, pale as a corpse.
Tang Hao gave his son a complicated glance, voice exhausted.
"Still don't want to talk?"
Tang San knew what his father wanted to ask; he'd expected the question long ago, yet for some reason Tang Hao had waited until now.
These past months Tang San had thought endlessly.
He didn't understand how Tang Sect could cross Worlds to find him, nor how he'd exposed himself!
From disbelief to gradual acceptance, then to relief—Tang San had slowly come to terms with it.
There's no wall without cracks; the day had finally come.
Head lowered, fists clenched, face unreadable.
"Actually… none of my self-created Spirit Abilities are truly mine."
Tang Hao had long suspected this; after all, how could a child who hadn't even awakened his Spirit create abilities?
Only when the first assassins shouted "Tang Sect traitor!" and "Stole Sect secrets!" did Tang Hao confirm it.
Moreover, the Hidden Weapons and abilities the killers used matched Little San's exactly.
But… Tang Sect?
A mysterious Sect he'd never heard of—utterly unreasonable.
And such a secret Sect should have nothing to do with Little San!
Tang Hao frowned, uneasy.
Born in the continent's top Sect—Clear Sky Sect—and its greatest Genius, he'd always been proud.
Yet his own son had stolen techniques… hard to accept.
He drew a deep breath and forced himself calm.
"So… when did you start stealing them?"
Tang San looked up, eyes bitter.
"Before I was born."
An answer he'd never imagined.
Tang Hao jolted; the explanation was absurd yet… logical.
Glancing sideways, he noticed the man on the sofa stir; startled, he released a wisp of spirit power that shaped a tiny hammer and tapped the man's head.
Tang San paled.
"Master?!"
Tang Hao waved him off, expression grave.
"Yu Xiaogang is fine; that blow just deepens his sleep—what follows isn't for his ears."
Tang San understood his father didn't want Master to know, yet… a teacher for a day, a father for life.
He hated hiding from the man who'd done everything for him—who now lay half-dead from saving him!
Seeing Tang San's reluctance, Tang Hao added,
"He's too weak."
Realization struck—among Spirit Masters, the weak had no will worth mentioning.
With Tang San puzzled, Tang Hao pulled from his waist-pouch a pot of Blue Silver Grass and cradled it gently.
Tang San's gaze locked onto it; something in his blood stirred—What is this?
No explanation came; Tang Hao only urged,
"Keep talking."
Jolted awake, Tang San revealed a World-shaking secret… he was a transmigrator!
Thunder rolled; clouds swallowed the sun, wind and rain—Heaven itself startled by the spoken secret!
Tang Hao's mind reeled, yet he quickly accepted news of other Worlds.
If gods existed, Douluo Continent couldn't be the only one.
Anxiously Tang San watched his father, heart tormented.
An orphan in his past life, he'd finally gained Family… what if his father disowned him now?
Yet relief also flooded him.
Since Tang Sect had appeared, he'd known exposure was only a matter of time.
Now everything was laid bare.
The constant torment… was ending.
Tang Hao stroked the Blue Silver Grass tenderly, voice gentle.
"Little San… meet your mother—Ah Yin."
Tang San jolted, then jolted again, face alight; remembering what his father had told of Xiao Wu, he accepted this truth.
"M… Mother!"
Tentative, he reached out; the Blue Silver Grass twined around his finger—blood calling to blood—pure joy.
Most important: both parents accepted him!
Their Family of three was finally reunited.
With most of his misgivings gone, only practical problems remained.
"Little San, what will you do about Tang Sect?"
Conflicted, Tang San hesitated—Tang Sect was the dream he'd longed to rebuild, yet now it had come!
From another World!
Bringing Sect rules, hatred, slaughter!
Glancing at his exhausted father, his mother reduced to grass, his Master gravely wounded by Tang Sect,
he had no time for entanglement.
Tang San reached his decision.
"Father, I want to find Tang Sect and speak with the Elders; if talks fail…"
Killing Intent flashed in his eyes.
Tang Hao understood instantly and nodded in satisfaction.
Aside from stealing techniques and that suicide attempt, this bargain son pleased him in every way.
"Good."
The finals ended without suspense; Tang San's Clear Sky team claimed victory and the slot to compete in Spirit City.
Watching Tang Hao and his son leave, Flender turned to the weakened Yu Xiaogang, words stuck in his throat.
"Cough… cough-cough…"
Before he could speak, seeing Yu Xiaogang grimace in pain, Flender steadied him, worry written on his face.
"Xiaogang, are you alright? Let's head back and rest."
Yu Xiaogang waved him off, stubborn.
"The wounds are healed; I just lost too much blood—nothing serious."
Flender hesitated, then spoke with sudden resolve.
"They say Heaven Dou Royal Academy has a Nine Heart Begonia Spirit—remarkable healing. Let's go back."
Go back?
Yu Xiaogang's heart stirred; meeting his old friend's eyes, he realized Flender had long harbored other plans.
And not just now!
Right—Flender wasn't from Star Luo Empire!
Unlike himself, who after leaving his Family and Spirit City had only one dream: to prove his theories… to prove himself!
Yu Xiaogang sighed, lonely.
"You've wanted to return for a long time, haven't you?"
Flender was silent, then finally nodded in admission.
However flawed Heaven Dou Empire was, it was their homeland! Yet here they were, competing for Star Luo and soon facing Heaven Dou… he couldn't bear it.
Yu Xiaogang looked around; his heart chilled.
The Shrek Academy members' eyes all showed reluctance.
"Morale's gone; the team's falling apart."Chapter 104: 104. Yu Xiaogang Plucks the Yearning Heartbroken Red
Chapter 104: 104. Yu Xiaogang Plucks the Yearning Heartbroken Red
"Cough, cough, cough..."
As soon as Yu Xiaogang got emotional, he started coughing non-stop. This time it was even worse; he couldn't even stand straight and was half-crouching on the ground.
Flender supported his old friend with one hand and gently patted his back with the other, helping him regulate his Qi.
"Xiaogang, don't get excited. Come, do as I do. Inhale... exhale..."
Isn't this just like coaxing a child!
Yu Xiaogang could no longer remain calm. He pushed away his unseemly old friend and said irritably,
"Stay away from me!"
Surprisingly, although Flender's method was childish, it actually worked. Yu Xiaogang immediately stopped coughing.
This was probably... the effect of distraction!
Flender helped Yu Xiaogang stand up, a wry smile on his face.
"Xiaogang, we're not like you. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan is inherently located in the Star Luo Empire, and now, they've also reached a cooperation with... Dai Mubai!"
"If it were before, although the two Empires occasionally had conflicts, in the larger scheme... they still cooperated to resist Spirit Hall!"
"But now, it's different!"
"No matter how bad Heaven Dou is, it's still our homeland!"
Regarding national disputes, in the face of such major issues of right and wrong, Yu Xiaogang clearly knew that anything he said would be pale and powerless. Hadn't the relationship between Shrek and Dai Mubai already become as indifferent as water!
This wasn't just because Dai Mubai had changed into a different person.
Yu Xiaogang sighed with a look of disappointment.
"If only there hadn't been that upheaval half a year ago!"
Flender thought the same and immediately agreed.
"Yes, if the Immortal Herb hadn't appeared, and everything was still the same as before... and also, if Zhou Ting hadn't existed, how wonderful that would be."
Without Zhou Ting, Dai Mubai wouldn't have been blinded by hatred, wouldn't have been deluded by the fake Immortal Herb, and wouldn't have become like this. The continental situation would still be a three-way standoff.
At the very least, a superficial balance could be maintained!
"You're going back even though you might not be valued by Heaven Dou?"
Flender nodded solemnly.
"Although I don't care much about many things, I don't want... my students to be scorned later!"
"Heaven Dou... has done nothing to wrong us!"
Everyone nodded in unison. They all thought the same way and had to act accordingly.
Yu Xiaogang's expression was somewhat dejected, and his voice became low.
"Since you've made up your minds, I won't try to persuade you anymore... have a safe journey!"
Flender's face showed no joy, only solemnity.
"Xiaogang... I hope we don't meet on the battlefield!"
Yu Xiaogang's face was resolute.
"No, absolutely not!"
With a wave of their hands, the two sides formally bade farewell and strode towards two different paths!
"Tap... tap-tap..."
Unfamiliar footsteps approached from behind. Yu Xiaogang, immersed in sadness, immediately became alert and turned to stare at the forest behind him.
"Who's there?"
"Me!"
"Tap!"
A figure, both familiar and unfamiliar, appeared before Yu Xiaogang. He widened his eyes in disbelief, filled with surprise... and relief.
"Bibi Dong, you're not dead?!!!"
Bibi Dong stared fixedly at Yu Xiaogang, but her heart skipped a beat. His gaze... wasn't pure!
Bibi Dong wondered, was her judgment poor before and she didn't realize it, or had Xiaogang... changed after all these years?
With a delicate face, a gentle and noble demeanor, she smiled sweetly, her vermilion lips parting slightly, her breath like orchids.
At this moment, she displayed the most beautiful aspect of herself as a woman.
"What... were you hoping I was dead?"
"No... no, no... I wasn't hoping that!"
Yu Xiaogang was somewhat flustered, his words not flowing smoothly.
Indeed, facing a deeply etched first love, probably few could remain calm.
"I only hope you live well!"
These words were sincere... but Bibi Dong was not happy. Despite the supposed deep affection... she could no longer feel the fervent love of the past. It wasn't that he was hiding it, but rather... it had faded, faded too much!
"You are the Supreme Pontiff, why were you missing for half a year?"
Bibi Dong seemed to recall something, and a hint of pity appeared in her eyes as she looked at Yu Xiaogang.
"Knowing too much is not good; it will only bring you more pain!"
Yu Xiaogang wanted to ask, but he knew that the reason they had gotten together in the first place was that they were both the same kind of people... outwardly gentle but inwardly strong.
They were both equally stubborn people.
If she wasn't willing to say something, no amount of coercion would help.
"Then... why did you come to find me?"
He shouldn't have reacted like this! Bibi Dong's heart ached, and the happiness on her face visibly disappeared, replaced only by a polite, fake smile. This was something she had cultivated during her time as Supreme Pontiff, enough to... deceive anyone.
"You should know that I possess an Immortal Herb!"
Actually, it could have been more than one. That day, she was among the second group to enter after Zhou Ting, and she had the opportunity to obtain more Immortal Herbs.
However, she wasted too much time at the Yearning Heartbroken Red, allowing Tang Hao and others to break in, losing that opportunity.
Or perhaps... she did it on purpose?
Bibi Dong extended her hand, and a streak of light flew from the gem ring on her index finger, landing on her jade-like palm.
"Yearning Heartbroken Red!"
Yu Xiaogang recognized it, his eyes burning with intense heat, and he roughly guessed Bibi Dong's intention. His heart pounded violently.
Bibi Dong gracefully walked up to her former first love, extending the Immortal Herb in her hand.
"You try it. If you can pluck it, you can be reborn and break free from your limitations!"
It was indeed so!
Yu Xiaogang trembled slightly with excitement; this was his chance to change his fate!
Yu Xiaogang immediately forced out a drop of heart blood, thinking of the woman he loved most in his mind... Was it this first love before him?
Or... her?
"Pfft!"
As the heart blood was expelled, his eyes suddenly became dazed. The heart blood slipped from the petals... He reached out his hand, but couldn't pluck the flower!
Disappointment!
Extreme disappointment!
Not just Yu Xiaogang, but Bibi Dong too.
Hmm, actually, there was also a hint of relief in her heart: so I'm not the only one who has changed!
The sense of guilt suddenly lightened too much... too much!
The opportunity to change his fate was right at hand, yet he failed. Yu Xiaogang was unwilling.
"No, I have to try again!"
Bibi Dong suddenly retracted her hand, and the Yearning Heartbroken Red was smoothly re-absorbed into the gem ring on her hand.
"You!"
Yu Xiaogang seemed possessed, his eyes bloodshot, and his face showed a hint of ferocity.
Seeing Yu Xiaogang like this, Bibi Dong suddenly... didn't care anymore.
"Once... is enough!"
Yu Xiaogang slumped to the ground, not only from the blow of reality but also from his increasingly weakened body!
Bibi Dong felt a sudden, inexplicable sense of pity. She took a deep look at the dejected Yu Xiaogang, and before leaving, offered a final piece of advice: "Be careful of Dai Mubai and the others, and... Tang Chen!"
"Whoosh!"
Yu Xiaogang looked up, but Bibi Dong was nowhere to be seen. He curled into a ball, his mind filled with Bibi Dong's deeply disappointed eyes, etched into his memory, unable to dissipate for a long time!
Or perhaps, never to dissipate.
"You... why did you come? Why?!!!"
Yu Xiaogang's eyes were bloodshot, veiled by a layer of white mist. A man's tears do not fall easily...Chapter 105 The Tragic Grandmaster
Chapter 105 The Tragic Grandmaster
No one answered Yu Xiaogang's question. After her last words, Bibi Dong turned and left, flicking her sleeves without taking a single cloud with her.
Yesterday's experiences shape who I am today; do not dwell on them, and do not grieve.
Body and mind became clear, and even the injuries inside him that had not yet healed improved greatly. The smile at Bibi Dong's lips finally turned genuine.
Yu Xiaogang sat alone by the roadside, desolate and forlorn.
Yet soon, he rallied once more.
The mockery of the Family, the misunderstanding of the world—I endured them all. It's only an Immortal Herb…
When he said "only," the corner of Yu Xiaogang's mouth twitched. That was the king of Immortal Herbs, clearly within reach, yet… he had missed his chance.
"Grandmaster, if you want an Immortal Herb… I can give it to you!"
Yu Xiaogang turned his head and saw Dai Mubai step out from the other side, surprise filling his eyes. When did he get here?
Dai Mubai read Yu Xiaogang's thoughts and patiently explained.
"I was already here when Tang San and the others left!"
Impossible!
Yu Xiaogang was shaken; he had long heard that Dai Mubai had gained an Opportunity and his strength had soared.
But he had never imagined Dai Mubai could hide right under Bibi Dong's nose.
After all, Bibi Dong was no ordinary Titled Douluo—she possessed twin spirits; her spirit power, body, and even mental force stood at the pinnacle of the world.
Recalling Dai Mubai's transformation, the rumors spreading through Heaven Dou, and Bibi Dong's warning, Yu Xiaogang's body trembled slightly.
Dai Mubai smiled, charming and sinister.
"Grandmaster, it seems you've already guessed!"
Yu Xiaogang's expression turned grave, his voice stern.
"Mubai, Zhou Ting is dead—has been for half a year. If you keep going on like this… it isn't worth it!"
Too late for those words!
Besides, you're the one who deliberately stirred things up later!
Dai Mubai's expression turned odd; he shook his head helplessly.
"Grandmaster, you still don't understand. Tang Chen and I… are different."
Tang Chen was sometimes lucid, sometimes crazed, and spent most of his time locked in the Clear Sky Sect's secret chamber—one reason the sect compromised with him.
As for himself… he had always been clear-headed!
Only, not clear-headed as a human.
Yu Xiaogang understood the implication; his face paled further. Leaning weakly against a tree, he gave a bitter laugh.
"I'm just a useless man. What could you possibly gain from me?"
"No, no, no… how could the illustrious Grandmaster be considered useless?"
It should have been sincere praise—the very thing Yu Xiaogang had always pursued.
Yet in these circumstances, coming from the enigmatic Dai Mubai, he couldn't feel happy at all.
"Grandmaster… come with me to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well!"
Yu Xiaogang could already picture the scene: possessing unmatched power overnight, yet no longer being himself.
Such strength was meaningless.
"No!"
Refusal was invalid!
Dai Mubai beamed, and regardless of Yu Xiaogang's consent, grabbed his shoulder and shot toward the Star Dou Great Forest.
"Struggling is pointless; accept the gift of fate with joy…"
"Oh, right—Zhou Ting you mentioned… what a pity about that boy!"
"Half a year ago I set aside our past and wanted to work with him on a great endeavor, but luck wasn't on his side…"
Yu Xiaogang's face was icy, yet curiosity still stirred in his heart.
"So, who killed him, and where is the body?"
Dai Mubai shook his head.
"I don't know. I didn't—nor wanted to—kill him. I only saw his corpse outside Heaven Dou City, a clean hole through his chest. He looked… peaceful."
Yu Xiaogang was speechless. A gaping hole in the chest and you call that peaceful?!
"The kid had rotten luck. I'd already brought him right outside the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well when a bunch of people interfered…"
"His corpse… has probably long since been digested by the Spirit Beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest."
A pang of sorrow struck Yu Xiaogang; he hadn't expected a Genius like Zhou Ting to end that way.
"Alas!"
In the next instant he had no time to grieve for Zhou Ting—if he himself entered the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, his fate would be even worse!
Speaking of tragedy: first he took a blow for his disciple and was badly injured.
Then, before recovering, his disciple left and his old friend departed.
Next, his former first love arrived, bringing the king of Immortal Herbs.
He thought his luck had finally turned.
But he failed! He lost the Heaven-Defying chance to change his fate when it had been right before him.
His first love had just left when a monster appeared, intent on turning him into a monster too.
All the world's misfortunes seemed to visit him at once!
At these thoughts, Yu Xiaogang despaired.
While Yu Xiaogang was battered by fate, he never imagined that the "dead" Zhou Ting was living quite "comfortably"—far better than he.
With beauties at his side, "hugging left and right," and a cute child clinging to him, they were a happy Family of four!
Xiao Wu stretched out her arms to lift the clingy Xue'er from Zhou Ting's embrace, but… Xue'er neatly twisted her little head and buried it against Zhou Ting's shoulder, pretending not to see.
Zhu Zhuqing couldn't hold back a laugh.
Xiao Wu's face reddened; she jabbed her finger at Xue'er's little head.
"You ungrateful little imp! Sister Zhuqing and I looked after you for half a year—what has this guy done? Nothing!"
"Tell me, tell me—why do you insist on clinging to him?"
Seeing she couldn't hide, Xue'er turned, tilted her head in thought, then wrapped her arms around Zhou Ting's neck, took a deep breath, and said.
"Big brother's scent… smells so nice!"
Scent?
Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing exchanged glances, bewildered.
The two girls leaned in, circling Zhou Ting and sniffing, making him extremely uncomfortable.
"What are you two doing? I don't smell of anything—if I do it's just the forest on me."
Zhu Zhuqing stood in front of him, stopped, and looked puzzled.
"There really isn't any special scent."
Xiao Wu, however, looked thoughtful and murmured.
"A scent of nature."
The moment the words left her mouth, the other three stared. Zhu Zhuqing sniffed again but still detected nothing.
Xiao Wu stood motionless, lost in memory.
"Back then, when I first saw you in the Seventh Dorm, I smelled nature on you, as if I'd returned to the Star Dou Great Forest. And…"
"…big brother Tang San carried a fresh Blue Silver Grass scent, though slightly different. Over the years I've met many people, but you two are the most special."
"I thought only I could smell it…"
She cupped Xue'er's little face, eyes wide with wonder.
"…I never imagined you could smell it too. Could you… also be a Spirit Beast in human form?!"
Forehead to forehead, the big girl and the little one pressed together like children at play.
But that wasn't all—Xiao Wu's mental force slipped into Xue'er's Sea of Consciousness to investigate. A moment later she let go, disappointed.
"You're not."
Xue'er stared at the three of them, not understanding Xiao Wu's words, yet—
"Don't be unhappy, Sister Xiao Wu. I'll remember everything someday!"
Xiao Wu burst into laughter.
"Haha, Xue'er is so sweet! As long as you're here, Sister Xiao Wu will never be unhappyChapter 106: The Special Pendant
Chapter 106: The Special Pendant
Camping outdoors was commonplace for Spirit Masters, especially since they possessed storage spirit tools. Living in the wild was not much worse than living in a city.
In some aspects—such as peace and quiet—it was even better than the city.
Nighttime, beside the bonfire.
"What about Xue'er? She's just an ordinary person; it will be very dangerous for her to follow us!"
Although she was reluctant, Zhuqing clearly knew that this issue had to be addressed. What if something happened to the adorable Xue'er? Zhou Ting knew this too.
It was just that he always felt that Xue'er, whom he had only known for a few days, was not simple.
Her origins were a mystery, she always stayed six years old, and she was particularly clingy to him... In short, Xue'er was definitely not an ordinary person.
With a thought, Zhou Ting took out a pitifully small spoon, which contained only a single drop of clear water—a drop of clear water without any scent.
"Xue'er, come, drink this drop!"
If it were usual circumstances, Xiao Wu and Zhuqing would definitely be condemning Zhou Ting for mistreating their beloved daughter.
But now, not only did they not condemn him, but their wide eyes were filled with desire and envy.
They wanted to drink it too!
Xue'er didn't understand why a single drop of water caused such a massive reaction, but she obediently opened her mouth wide.
"Awuu!"
"So sweet, so fragrant!"
Xue'er's eyes curved into crescents; she was delighted with the taste.
Zhou Ting's mental force had been covering the girl, but... her body seemed locked, showing no reaction whatsoever.
Except that she was slightly more energetic!
"This is not normal!"
Although he didn't say it explicitly, Xiao Wu understood that Zhou Ting's attempt had failed.
"Maybe one drop isn't enough?"
Zhou Ting gave her an exasperated look and patted Xue'er's little head again.
"If one drop can't do it, more won't work either!"
Didn't they say that quantitative change leads to qualitative change? Xiao Wu couldn't understand Zhou Ting's logic.
However, this did not stop her greed from rising.
"Brother... Brother Ting, I've been Cultivating much slower recently, don't you think?"
"Hiss, who did you learn that from? That's way too sickeningly sweet!"
Zhou Ting's hairs stood on end, and he shivered.
"Can you speak properly?"
Xiao Wu secretly rolled her eyes, thinking: I've done this much, and this boy still won't comply. How annoying!
But since she was asking a favor, she naturally couldn't be forceful. Xiao Wu immediately adjusted her expression, revealing a slightly flattering smile.
"Look... isn't that right?"
Zhou Ting shook his head helplessly and firmly refused.
"No! This special royal jelly is extremely rare in production. The Jade Emperor Bee Queen can only brew one drop per month. We must use it sparingly!"
Thinking of that peerless delicacy, Xiao Wu was unwilling to give up.
"But my progress really has slowed down recently!"
Xiao Wu's wronged expression didn't seem fake, but Zhou Ting still shook his head.
"I've given this royal jelly a name: Breaking Limit!"
Xiao Wu bit her lower lip and immediately changed the name.
"I think Breaking Realm sounds much better!"
Zhou Ting didn't mind and looked at Xiao Wu with the gaze one reserves for a child.
"It seems you haven't realized the true function of Breaking Limit!"
Xiao Wu was not fond of that look, but she couldn't flare up.
After all, she was asking for a favor.
"Then tell me what its true function is?"
"The reason I call it Breaking Limit is that it can break through limitations—not just cultivation Realms, but also limitations related to the physical body, mental force, and so on!"
Zhuqing suddenly remembered her good friend Ning Rongrong and exclaimed.
"Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda?!!"
Zhou Ting shook his head.
"The Spirit is very special... it involves certain rules. The thousand-year royal jelly is far from enough! Perhaps ten-thousand-year royal jelly... might be able to do it!"
"Although it cannot perfect the Spirit, allowing the owner of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda to Cultivate to Titled Douluo is not a problem, though the consumption is significant."
Zhuqing's expression was complex. Recalling the events from half a year ago, perhaps Ning Rongrong was unaware, but Feng Zhi, that old fox, definitely had something to do with it.
"Brother Ting, Rongrong, is she...?"
"Ning Fengzhi and I have no enmity, just an ordinary relationship. And all of this has nothing to do with Rongrong."
"Oh."
Zhuqing's expression immediately relaxed considerably.
Zhou Ting knew very well that Ning Fengzhi had, at most, tacitly approved of Spirit Hall's actions. They... maintained neutrality.
But after what happened, the uncle-nephew relationship they once shared had vanished like smoke.
Although Ning Fengzhi and the others brought Zhou Ting into the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, Zhou Ting also brought Ning Rongrong first into the Immortal Herb Garden, obtained the qiluo tulip, and helped Ning Rongrong restore her Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.
Therefore, Zhou Ting owed nothing to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, and even less to Ning Fengzhi.
As for Spirit Hall, this grudge must be avenged!
"Gold Crocodile Douluo, Qian Daoliu!"
One was the murderer, the other the mastermind. They must pay a price in blood!
Zhou Ting's eyes were red, but he had not lost his composure.
They... one was a Level 98 Super Douluo, and the other a Level 99 Limit Douluo. Neither was someone Zhou Ting, a small fry below Level 50, could currently hope to match.
Xiao Wu patted Zhou Ting's shoulder and comforted him.
"Don't worry. Sister Xiao Wu said she will definitely protect you. Sister Xiao Wu will certainly help you avenge this grudge!"
Zhuqing nodded solemnly.
"And me too!"
The three exchanged a knowing smile, everything understood without words.
Xue'er was unwilling to be left behind, raising her little hands as if afraid she would be forgotten.
"Me too, me too!"
Xiao Wu scraped Xue'er's nose, her face full of doting affection.
"Yes, and Xue'er too!"
"Hehe..."
Then, the three—two adults and one child—happily played childish games, their laughter incessant.
Zhou Ting finally made a decision.
"I've decided to bring Xue'er along."
If he didn't bring her, Xiao Wu and Zhuqing couldn't bear it; if he did, it wasn't safe. It truly was a dilemma!
"Xue'er's situation is quite unusual. Perhaps she isn't as fragile as we imagine. Also, I've prepared an amulet for her!"
Zhou Ting pulled out a bamboo pendant shaped like a snowflake. At the same time, a "Fireball Technique" card appeared in his hand. With a gentle tap, the card transformed into a stream of light and merged into the white bamboo piece.
A red light flashed, and the white bamboo piece... became like white jade, possessing a faint red glow.
Xiao Wu couldn't help but hold up the "Young Xiao Wu" pendant hanging on her chest, her face full of surprise.
"Was my pendant made this way too?"
"Yes!"
Zhou Ting placed the snowflake pendant around Xue'er's neck, settling it close to her body.
"Wow, it's warm and so comfortable! Thank you, Brother!"
"Smooch!"
Zhou Ting couldn't help but show a fatherly smile, his mood immensely joyful.
However, he noticed a fleeting look of disappointment in Zhuqing's eyes.
Zhou Ting naturally hadn't forgotten her. He took out another piece... a "Young Zhu Zhuqing."
Zhuqing recognized herself immediately. It was their first meeting, and although less than a year had passed, she felt as if ages had gone by.
Zhuqing felt a little excited inside.
"This is?"
Zhou Ting took out another "Fireball Technique" card and slapped it onto the pendant.
"Alright, finished! I'll put it on you!"
Zhuqing glanced at Xiao Wu, lowered her head with slightly flushed cheeks, and tacitly agreed.
"Hmph, Xue'er, your brother doesn't want us anymore, let's go play by ourselves."
Xiao Wu was truly perceptive!
Parting her soft black hair, Zhou Ting's movements were extremely gentle, his eyes and heart focused on that breathtakingly delicate snow-white skin... After fastening the pendant, Zhou Ting did not move away, but whispered softly into her ear.
"This pendant can protect you... *cough, cough*. Anyway, that's not its main function. You can actively trigger a Fireball Technique, equivalent to the full-strength blow of a Spirit Emperor!"
"What?"
The romantic atmosphere instantly dissipated. Zhuqing held the warm, jade-like pendant, her face filled with disbelief.
"Inject some mental force, and you'll see!"Chapter 107
107. Luring the Tiger Away from the Mountain
Zhou Ting wanted to find out why Qian Daoliu wanted him dead, yet he couldn't confront Gold Crocodile Douluo, the assassin, let alone the mastermind Qian Daoliu himself.
After all, Zhou Ting had no intention of walking straight into the tiger's den.
So he could only look for one person—someone likely to know the truth yet comparatively weak.
That day, a family of four in hooded cloaks strolled unhurriedly into Heaven Dou City.
"Ting… little brother, weren't you going to investigate? Why come to Heaven Dou City?"
Before Zhou Ting could reply, Zhu Zhuqing studied him thoughtfully and murmured,
"To kill someone you first need accurate movements, so… you want to start with the bishops here in Heaven Dou City?"
Xiao Wu suddenly saw the light.
Zhou Ting shook his head without explaining.
"Tonight… we slip into the palace."
"The palace?!!"
"What does the palace have to do with anything?"
"I'm going to meet… Xue Qinghe!"
Qian Renxue was the Breakthrough he needed!
Yet Zhou Ting didn't know Qian Renxue had long since left; the current "Xue Qinghe" was no longer her.
The night was deep and quiet, but the palace guard was tighter than ever.
From a rooftop near the palace gate, Zhou Ting, having finished his reconnaissance, frowned deeply.
"These guards… something's wrong."
Zhu Zhuqing, eyeing the extraordinary sentries, was equally shocked.
"Indeed. I've seen the palace guard several times—mostly ordinary soldiers, very few Spirit Masters. Now, though…"
The mission started badly; Zhou Ting's face darkened.
"And there are far more hidden sentries nearby. Getting in just got a lot harder."
Unlike Zhou Ting and Zhu Zhuqing, Xiao Wu was here for the first time and knew no better.
Her greatly expanded mental force, however, sensed many figures hidden in the dark, each far from weak.
"I thought Heaven Dou and Star Luo were on the brink of war. Isn't this Xue Qinghe awfully afraid of death, hiring so many experts to guard the palace? What about the border?"
A thought flashed through Zhou Ting's mind: Right, Heaven Dou's strongest should be facing Star Luo at the frontier. Then the Spirit Masters here… could they be from Spirit Hall?
Recalling Xue Qinghe's identity, Zhou Ting was certain—yes, and not a few.
But that did nothing to help his infiltration.
The next instant, though, he hit on a good plan.
"Xiao Wu, you—"
Xiao Wu cut in fiercely, "Call me big sister!"
Though a little-sister romance had its charms, Zhou Ting would never oblige.
"A-hem, I want you and Zhuqing to help me with something."
With past experience in mind, Xiao Wu eyed him suspiciously.
"You… planning to send us away again?"
Zhu Zhuqing said nothing, but her stubborn little eyes conveyed the same message.
She didn't want a repeat of last time, leaving alone.
Zhou Ting hastily explained,
"You've got it wrong. I want you two to draw the palace guards away."
Adventure—she loved it. Xiao Wu brightened instantly.
"Are we storming the palace head-on?"
Zhou Ting's forehead knotted with black lines. Storm the palace? Where did she get that idea? Three Spirit Ancestors barely over rank forty daring to assault the palace?
"I don't want to die again."
Xiao Wu curled her lip, disdainful of Zhou Ting's timidity.
He stopped wasting words and laid out his plan.
"Xiao Wu, I want you to raid Spirit Hall's branch temple and create chaos. With Teleportation and Paragon Golden Body, you can still escape."
"Zhuqing, go back her up."
Though the branch in Heaven Dou City wasn't weak, its defenses were usually lax; the plan could work.
But… Xiao Wu cast a skeptical look at Zhou Ting.
"How do you know those guards will rush to save the branch temple?"
"I'll explain tomorrow."
Unwilling to let it go, Xiao Wu started to press further, but Zhu Zhuqing already pulled her away.
"No telling how many Titled Douluo are inside the palace…"
Because of her long infiltration mission, Qian Renxue's Cultivation had fallen behind; her strength wasn't top-tier. At least in Zhou Ting's eyes, a surprise attack could definitely subdue her.
The problem was, at least one Titled Douluo always guarded her. Even during that assassination, though no Titled Douluo had shown himself, Zhou Ting was sure one had steered events from the shadows to keep Qian Renxue alive.
So "meeting" her this time would be anything but easy.
Zhou Ting sighed; the move was extremely risky, yet he couldn't bear it any longer—he had to know the truth.
Between life and death lies ultimate terror.
Were it not for six years of idiocy that tempered his Heart-Nature, the agony of watching his life ebb away while powerless to stop it would have broken him.
"Even if I can't take revenge right away, I'll expose your plot and wreck your plans."
"Fire!"
"Assassins!"
"Bishop Salas is wounded—"
"Someone, quick!"
Countless people were roused; quiet Heaven Dou City jolted awake.
Looking eastward, flames lit the sky like a beacon in the night, drawing every eye.
The corner of Zhou Ting's mouth curled into a smile.
"Nice—not only carried out the mission perfectly, but an unexpected bonus too…"
Salas, one of Spirit Hall's four Platinum Bishops, a power under the Supreme Pontiff himself, ran the branch temple and held immense status.
He was also a Spirit Douluo of rank 87.
Zhou Ting hadn't expected Xiao Wu to injure such an important figure; the uproar was huge.
His face suddenly tensed. He realized that while the girls had surpassed their goal, the backlash would be fierce—pursuers would come in force.
"No time to worry about exposure."
"Summon! Swarms of Jade Emperor Bees, swarms of Soul Passing Worms…"
Zhou Ting immediately sent part of them to aid Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing, then turned to the now-restive palace.
"From here on, I'm on my own."
Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—
Spirit Masters became blurs, racing toward the branch temple. Zhou Ting's plan had worked.
Moments later, the heavily guarded palace fell eerily quiet, though on the surface the number of sentries hadn't changed.
"Summon, Violent Rabbit!"
A muscle-bound rabbit taller than Zhou Ting appeared—Xiao Wu's "littlest" brother.
Actually… it was the smallest still alive.
A few even smaller had succumbed, which Xiao Wu had failed to protect.
"Go."
Space rippled faintly, unnoticed under cover of night.
Moreover, the attack on the branch temple drew every gaze.
Once inside the palace, Zhou Ting dismissed Violent Rabbit—it was far too conspicuous.
Following old memories, he quickly located the Emperor's bedchamber, a palace near the secret room where Emperor Xue Ye practiced his forbidden art.
From a distance Zhou Ting studied the brightly lit residence, not daring to approach rashly.
"Down you go."
Buzz—buzz—buzz—
Jade Emperor Bees dropped height, sweeping every corner around the hall into view.
"What was that?"
An alert Spirit Master heard the hum and looked skyward—nothing.
His companion listened but heard nothing, patting his shoulder.
"Probably noise from the Spirit Hall branch."
"Maybe."
The two lowered their heads and kept watchChapter 108: 108 Spores
Chapter 108: 108. Spore
Perhaps they were hidden too deep, as no traces of a Titled Douluo were found in the vicinity, yet the defensive forces near the bedchamber were not weak!
Through the eyes of the Jade Emperor Bee, Zhou Ting unexpectedly discovered that the palace where the secret chamber was located was devoid of light and completely empty, like an anomaly.
With a thought, Zhou Ting summoned the Violent Rabbit once more and used Teleportation to enter the palace directly.
The palace had no lights on, but with the light from outside, it wasn't completely dark; the tables, chairs, and decorations were exactly as he had seen them a year ago.
"This palace... hasn't changed?"
Zhou Ting frowned and touched the glass on the palace door, his finger immediately coming away with a thick layer of dust.
"How long has it been since anyone came to clean this place?"
"Why is it like this?"
Recalling the scene where Emperor Xue Ye took Prince Xue Xing to perform a Secret Technique together, Zhou Ting suddenly thought of something.
"Could it be... they..."
"Is this Secret Technique... really that ruthless?"
Zhou Ting walked quickly to the door of the secret chamber and twisted the lampstand on the wall.
Silently, the door to the secret chamber opened. A Spirit Master's power is indeed better than mechanical mechanisms; it didn't make a sound when opening.
Zhou Ting looked down, and what met his eyes were stairs covered in dust.
One look and it was clear that no one had come down to check for a long time.
Speaking of which, the brothers in misfortune, Xue Ye and Xue Xing, really suffered a tragic fate!
Xue Xing lost his life for a fake nephew; tragedy doesn't even begin to describe it.
Emperor Xue Ye was even more miserable. Out of his four sons, the real Xue Qinghe was first killed and replaced, his two older sons were poisoned to death, and he himself gave his life for the fake Crown Prince.
His last son, Xue Beng, had turned into a monster!
Emperor Xue Ye had truly ended his bloodline in every sense!
After a brief moment of lamentation, Zhou Ting felt a gust of eerie wind blowing up from below, gloomy and bone-chilling.
Zhou Ting's expression turned strange as he murmured to himself.
"This World has Ghost-type Spirits; could there... really be ghosts?"
A sealed Cold Palace, a pitch-black underground secret chamber, and a cold, eerie wind—it perfectly matched the setting of a horror movie.
Zhou Ting's teeth were even chattering a little.
"Fourth Spirit Ability, summon... Spore!"
Countless fungal Spores, invisible to the naked eye, flew from Zhou Ting's palm, traveling against the wind with unstoppable force.
*Puff...*
On the stairs, a small mushroom grew out from the dust, emitting two faint points of red light.
Zhou Ting stepped into the secret chamber. To be safe, he endured his discomfort and closed the chamber door.
*Puff, puff, puff...*
Like bamboo shoots after a rain, countless small mushrooms with white stalks and black caps covered the entire secret chamber, with specks of red light on the stairs.
Seeing this, Zhou Ting's lip twitched, and a rare look of regret appeared on his face.
"I was too careless!"
This red light seemed... even creepier.
Summoning his courage, Zhou Ting strode down. Turning a corner, a glimmer of deep blue was particularly eye-catching amidst the red light.
A pyramid-shaped sapphire lay quietly on a stone bed, waiting for its master.
"Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud? How is that possible?"
The Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud, also known as the Sea God's Heart, was the key to opening the Sea God's trials.
Now, it lay abandoned in this desolate secret chamber, neglected by all.
Actually, nothing was impossible. That day, the Secret Technique had failed.
Qian Renxue completely looked down on this so-called supreme treasure, and combined with that trace of guilt in her heart... in short, this secret chamber had not been opened for nearly a year.
Zhou Ting walked cautiously toward the Sea God's Heart, as if afraid it would grow legs and run away.
It wasn't impossible; after all, hadn't the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well grown legs and run away itself?
He slowly reached out toward the Sea God's Heart, and surprisingly... he grasped it!
Zhou Ting looked incredulous but didn't overthink it. After all, the Sea God's Heart had been owned by many in the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, so it wasn't strange that he could pick it up.
It felt cold, with a texture like water.
Holding the Sea God's Heart in his hand, Zhou Ting suddenly frowned and weighed it.
"Why does it feel a bit... hollow!"
He weighed it again and even gave it a shake, but Zhou Ting still couldn't figure anything out.
With a casual toss, the Sea God's Heart fell into the Ninth Level of the Black Tower.
Zhou Ting remembered that the energy emitted by the Sea God's Heart that day had a stimulating effect on the spirit beast eggs.
"Let's give it a try!"
The Little Sprites sleeping in the spring water all flew out, circling around the Sea God's Heart.
Suddenly, one of the Little Sprites pounced on it without warning, taking a "chomp" out of it... "Ah, you guys..."
*Crack!*
The crisp sound of shattering interrupted Zhou Ting's attempt to stop them.
The indestructible Sea God's Heart had been bitten!
Zhou Ting was shocked: What a set of teeth!
Without Zhou Ting's interference, all the Little Sprites pounced on it. One bite here, one bite there... in less than a minute, the Sea God's Heart... was gone!
Enduring a phantom toothache, his mental force carefully scanned every corner of the Ninth Level of the Black Tower, but he couldn't see even a trace of divine force!
"The Sea God's Heart... was already useless!"
Zhou Ting reached an unbelievable conclusion. At the same time, he recalled the scene he had witnessed outside the Immortal Herb Garden.
In the rain, two Peerless Powerhouses known as invincible faced off.
Furthermore, during these past six months, he had heard from Spirit Masters in the Star Dou Great Forest that the Angel Temple of Spirit Hall had been destroyed.
And there were reports of sudden chaos at sea... Could it be that Sea God Island had also run into trouble!
Was the Sea God Priestess Bo Saixi also about to appear in the World?
At this moment, connecting all the dots, Zhou Ting finally had a terrifying thought: the gods... have vanished!
Becoming a god... just got harder!
The next moment, Zhou Ting suddenly reacted, and a look of joy appeared on his face.
However, it might not necessarily be a bad thing!
"I'm not like the Shrek Seven Devils, and even less like Qian Renxue or Bibi Dong, who have a God Position to inherit. Now that everyone is at the same starting line and the gap has narrowed further, I should be celebrating!"
The next moment, Zhou Ting fell back into confusion.
"But what does this have to do with killing me?"
Zhou Ting had never been able to understand Qian Daoliu's goal.
After all, on the surface, Zhou Ting was of commoner origin and had a connection with Qian Renxue; their relationship... was decent enough.
He was clearly someone who could be recruited, yet Qian Daoliu was targeting him.
Moreover, as if afraid of failing to kill Zhou Ting, he had dispatched the Level 98 Gold Crocodile Douluo to specifically keep an eye on him.
Wasn't this like using an anti-aircraft gun to hit a mosquito, a total waste of talent!
Just as Zhou Ting was struggling to figure it out, in the Ninth Level of the Black Tower, a yellow light suddenly erupted from the Little Sprites... "Hundred-year!"
Zhou Ting didn't show much joy; compared to the real Sea God's Heart, this small gain was insignificant!
"Now, it's time to get down to business!"
"Qian Renxue, I'm coming to see you!"
Zhou Ting glanced at the three particularly lush patches of mushrooms, summoned the Violent Rabbit, and vanished instantly.
Beneath the light, there are always dark corners.
"Burst!"
Zhou Ting's cold voice rang out, and the mushrooms in the secret chamber all began to swell, instantly filling the entire room!
Finally, with a loud "boom," the palace above the secret chamber was blown sky-high.
The surrounding palaces were also affected, suffering collateral damage, and even most of the Emperor's bedchamber collapsed from the blast.
"Oh dear, how clumsy of me. No experience for the first time... I used too many!"Chapter 109: Unexpected Gains
Chapter 109: 109. Unexpected Gains
Amidst the massive explosion, ruins and debris were everywhere, and wails of grief filled the air. Whether they were Spirit Masters or ordinary people, everyone fell into a temporary state of deafness and blindness.
Even though Zhou Ting was prepared, he was dazed for a moment. When he regained his senses, he saw that there was not a single person standing near the Emperor's bedchamber.
He scanned with his mental force, but the Titled Douluo he had expected did not appear at all.
Looking at Xue Qinghe, Zhou Ting's expression changed.
"How did he turn into a man?"
Things had changed; today's goal probably wouldn't be achieved!
Continue or leave?
Zhou Ting hesitated for only a fraction of a second before he used Teleportation to enter the collapsed bedchamber. Without any difficulty, he picked up the unconscious Xue Qinghe and took him away.
Soon, Zhou Ting found an empty palace and ruthlessly slammed Xue Qinghe onto the floor without a shred of pity.
At the same time, his powerful mental force continued to lock the spirit power within the man's body, preventing him from using it.
An ordinary, common face appeared before Zhou Ting's eyes. This was a stranger he did not recognize.
Zhou Ting's face turned ashen. He... had miscalculated.
After a bucket of ice water was poured over him, the fake Xue Qinghe immediately trembled and opened his eyes.
"Who are you?"
At this moment, Xue Qinghe no longer possessed a trace of noble temperament. Drenched and shivering, he was in a wretched state.
Zhou Ting wore a hood and a mask on his face, so Xue Qinghe couldn't see his face at all.
"I should be the one asking you that. You are not Xue Qinghe!"
Xue Qinghe's body jolted, but his expression didn't change.
"Hmph, bold thief, to trespass into the imperial palace and kidnap this Emperor. Aren't you afraid of my Heaven Dou's numerous experts..."
"Enough! You imposter! Look at your own hair!"
The fake Xue Qinghe grabbed a lock of long hair... it was black! His whole body shook.
Zhou Ting had no patience for his nonsense and went straight to the point.
"Speak, where is Qian Renxue?"
The fake Xue Qinghe's eyes widened, but he quickly adjusted and spoke angrily.
"I don't understand what you're talking about!"
"Hmph, you should have asked who Qian Renxue is instead!"
The fake Xue Qinghe was dumbfounded. Realizing that the more he said, the more mistakes he'd make, he decided to stop talking.
Looking at the resolutely uncooperative fake Xue Qinghe, Zhou Ting felt a massive headache.
If Qian Renxue were here, Zhou Ting was confident he could make her talk.
But now, with this man disguised as Xue Qinghe, it was difficult!
After all, even if he did speak, the most likely answer would be... 'I don't know!'
Zhou Ting slowly raised his palm, spirit power condensing in his palm. At this moment, his palm felt as heavy as a mountain, descending inch by inch like a massive peak.
It was getting closer and closer!
"He's going to kill me!"
This was the fake Xue Qinghe's only thought, and it grew heavier and heavier!
Seeing death gradually approaching, the fake Xue Qinghe's eyes nearly split from strain. He was drenched in sweat, weakly using his elbows to crawl backward on the floor.
He wanted to scream for help, but the Aura emanating from his captor made him feel as if something was stuck in his throat, preventing him from speaking loudly.
The mountain gradually pressed down, about to hit the top of his head. In the face of death, the fake Xue Qinghe's face turned deathly pale, and his whole body trembled.
"Stop, don't kill me! Qian Renxue has already been sent back to Spirit City!"
His voice wasn't loud, and it certainly didn't carry outside.
Once the first word is spoken, the rest follows. As long as he opened his mouth, it was fine!
Zhou Ting pulled over a chair and sat down, looking down at the terrified man before him.
"Who are you?"
"Wan Xiang, my name is Wan Xiang!"
"Your identity!"
From then on, Wan Xiang was incredibly cooperative, answering every one of Zhou Ting's questions without holding anything back.
As for whether he truly told everything... the soaked carpet could probably testify to his fear.
Zhou Ting directly used spirit power to block the smell with a look of disgust, while simultaneously feeling very disappointed in his heart.
According to Wan Xiang, he was just an ordinary Spirit Master from Spirit Hall. His strength wasn't great, but his Spirit was very special—it was a mask.
Combined with targeted training, the four spirit rings he had obtained were all from Spirit Beasts with abilities like disguise, body doubling, and camouflage. Thus, he was extremely skilled in Transformation Techniques.
Starting from half a year ago, his superior had arranged for him to enter the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace to be by Xue Qinghe's side. He was ordered to learn every word and action of Xue Qinghe, eventually to take his place.
Because his Spirit Ability was miraculous and his technique superb, no one had discovered anything unusual.
As for anything more, he didn't know.
There was very little useful intelligence, except for one piece that caught Zhou Ting's attention.
Qian Renxue's Spirit Bone had been forcibly removed!
She was his only biological granddaughter; how could Qian Daoliu bear to do that?
However, this question wasn't important, and Zhou Ting didn't want to investigate further.
The real point was that Zhou Ting had realized something.
Although the target of this operation wasn't completed and his goal wasn't reached, he had an unexpected gain: Qian Daoliu wanted to become a god himself!
As the High Priest of the Angel God, Qian Daoliu's cultivation was restricted to Rank 99.
But now, the gods had vanished, which meant he no longer had those restrictions.
At Rank 99, even without the Angel God's help, as long as he could absorb the full set of 99,999-year Angel God Raiment, there was great hope for him to reach Rank 100 and become a god!
He had to be stopped!
Otherwise, the hope for revenge would become even more slim.
Thinking of this, Zhou Ting lowered his head, a murderous glint flashing in his eyes.
"Don't kill me, I'm still useful..."
"Hehe..."
Looking at the suddenly pleading Wan Xiang, Zhou Ting couldn't help but smile, as if a spring breeze was melting the rain.
Wan Xiang didn't smile back; instead, the expression on his face became even more terrified, as if he had seen a Hundred Thousand Year Spirit Beast!
Zhou Ting gently patted his head with a look of regret.
"Sigh, you really have no situational awareness. You didn't even smile back!"
He turned around nonchalantly. With a flash of white light, Zhou Ting's figure vanished from the empty palace.
*Creak...*
"Ah, Your Majesty..."
"Quick, someone come! His Majesty is dead!"
Like a sudden thunderclap, the entire imperial palace erupted into chaos. The sky above turned slightly red, like the color of blood.
That night, the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace suffered an attack from the Star Luo Empire, resulting in countless casualties. The Emperor's bedchamber was destroyed, but fortunately, Emperor Qinghe was not in the bedchamber and thus escaped the disaster.
The next morning, Xue Qinghe personally denounced the Star Luo Empire at the imperial court session.
When Zhou Ting heard this news, he was eating breakfast, and the porridge in his mouth almost sprayed out!
Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing were the same.
The three of them had returned to the inn at dawn and had already briefed each other.
Wan Xiang should have already been killed by Zhou Ting, so how did another one pop up!
The three of them exchanged looks and went back to their room together.
"What's going on?"
Zhou Ting was absolutely certain that he had truly killed that fake Xue Qinghe, so... "Spirit Hall truly is the number one power on the continent. Their methods are... endless. I wonder if it's mental control, hypnosis, or if they used another replacement..."
Zhou Ting felt a strong sense of frustration. He had thought that once Xue Qinghe died without a successor, the Heaven Dou Empire would fall into chaos.
Qian Daoliu would be unable to completely control the Heaven Dou Empire, and his plans would inevitably be hindered.
"What a pity... I ultimately underestimated Spirit Hall!"Chapter 110: 110 Tang Sect Discussion
Chapter 110: 110. Tang Sect Discussion
"Go, let's leave now!"
"Although Heaven Dou City isn't under martial law, there are many more eyes in the city now. We shouldn't stay long!"
"Alright!"
After packing up a bit, Zhou Ting and the other three immediately left Heaven Dou City via Teleportation, without even passing through the city gates.
On the way out, Xiao Wu couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
"Spirit Hall is strong in some aspects but very weak in others! That Platinum Bishop I met last night had the cultivation of a Spirit Douluo, but his body was hollowed out by wine and women. Facing a sudden attack, his reactions were extremely sluggish..."
This was the truth behind how Xiao Wu was able to stab Platinum Bishop Salas.
As one of the Platinum Bishops, Salas held high status and power; he hadn't fought in years, and his strength had completely withered.
Power is such a beautiful thing, yet it is also a poison—a slow-acting one.
Some fail to resist and lose themselves, with Salas being a prime example, while others hold fast to themselves and forge ahead, like... Bibi Dong.
Everyone has their own destiny!
"Where to next?"
Zhou Ting calculated silently in his mind. He suddenly realized... he had overlooked something, something extremely important.
"Is the Tang Sect... reliable?"
The answer was certain: the Tang Sect was not reliable!
At its core, the Tang Sect was a Family-style Sect bound by Bloodline.
If Zhou Ting wanted to entrust the safety of his Family to such an extremely xenophobic Sect, it would be an incredibly foolish idea.
Once faced with an irresistible danger, the Tang Sect would never care about the life or death of the Saint Spirit Village, which shared no blood ties.
After all, not only did Saint Spirit Village not share the Tang Sect Bloodline, but they weren't even people from the same World.
The Tang Sect would have no psychological burden whatsoever in abandoning Saint Spirit Village!
If the two great Empires developed normally, everything would be fine. But now, Saint Spirit Village was located on the border, a border where swords were drawn... Tang Sect, Elder meeting.
The Grand Elder was still playing with that strangely shaped piece of iron in his hand, full of interest, as if he didn't care about anything else.
The remaining Nine Great Elders looked at each other in silence, their faces incredibly grim, as if their own fathers had just died.
Of course, given that the Nine Great Elders... were in their seventies or eighties, their fathers had long since passed away.
Although they could Cultivate the Mysterious Heaven Skill, in those cruel Martial Forest struggles, how many could live to be a hundred?
Even if their fathers hadn't died, the Inner Sect Disciples under the nine factions had suffered countless casualties.
In these few months, the Tang Sect had suffered massive losses, showing signs that they could barely hold on!
Seeing the atmosphere at a standstill, everyone couldn't help but turn their gaze toward the Second Elder. After all, it was the Second Elder who had proposed and led the execution of the operation to clean out the house.
Looking at those pairs of eyes... which appeared expectant on the surface but were actually coercive, the Second Elder felt nothing but bitterness.
He turned sideways to face the Grand Elder, with whom he had always been at odds, and said humbly.
"Sect Leader, the matter of Tang San..."
The Grand Elder finally looked up, as if waking from a dream, and asked back with a dazed expression.
"Wasn't Tang San's matter handed over to you with full authority? My lineage didn't participate, did it?"
Right, you didn't participate, so not a single member of your Family died; of course, you don't care.
The Second Elder felt even more bitter inside, but he didn't dare to flare up, remaining just as cautious.
"Everything was fine at first, but who knew... that he actually had the powerful Clear Sky Sect behind him, and a father who is a peerless powerhouse."
The Second Elder was very frustrated.
How could Tang San be so lucky to be born into such a good Family!
Actually, after gaining a preliminary understanding of the Douluo Continent, they also marveled at the wonders of Spirits and Spirit Abilities.
However, at the same time, they mocked the Spirit Masters' low-end Meditation Methods and shallow combat techniques, feeling contemptuous.
To tell the truth, in their arrogance, they looked down on the Spirit Masters of the Douluo Continent.
After all, Spirit Masters weren't like them, relying on themselves to diligently study martial arts and develop mechanical Hidden Weapons, poisons, and other divine skills.
In short, Spirit Masters were a bunch of... upstarts who had power but didn't know how to use it and had gained it without effort.
But when they actually encountered the continent's number one Sect, the Clear Sky Sect, everything changed.
They were a bunch of incredibly strong madmen who fought as if their lives didn't matter, swinging their hammers in a wild dance.
Yet, that immense power and simple, unadorned techniques could unleash unparalleled combat strength.
The Tang Sect's mechanical Hidden Weapons and poisons simply couldn't kill these madmen; they only invited even more frenzied hammers.
Especially Tang San's father... Tang Hao; in the final battle at Star Luo, he single-handedly wiped out eighteen elite Inner Sect Disciples.
"...The latest intelligence suggests that Tang San and his father are likely heading toward Saint Spirit Village!"
The Grand Elder glanced at the Second Elder, who had humbled himself greatly, and then at the other Elders, each looking like a child who had done something wrong.
"Now you know you were wrong?!!"
"It's too late!"
The Grand Elder sighed softly.
"It's not 'likely'; they are coming toward Saint Spirit Village, coming for us!"
"But... Tang Sect Disciples would never leak Sect intelligence!"
An Elder retorted.
Only then did the Grand Elder realize that some people were still thinking with their old mindsets.
They... are truly old!
They should have retired long ago; the Sect should belong to the youth, like... Tang San!
Unfortunately, it's already too late!
The Grand Elder was frustrated that they failed to meet his expectations.
"Haven't you realized it yet? This isn't the Martial Forest World anymore; it's the Spirit Master World. With all sorts of strange Spirits and magical Spirit Abilities with various effects, even if a Tang Sect Disciple's will is firm... what of it?"
The Nine Great Elders all fell silent. In their original World... they had spent too many days being high and mighty; they couldn't change all at once!
Must they now pay the price for their arrogance?
"Could it be... we have to retreat back?"
"No, only on the Douluo Continent can we provide Spirit Awakening for the children. We can't give up!"
"That's right. As long as the new generation can absorb the strengths of both Worlds and truly grow up, no matter which World it is, our Tang Sect will become the number one Sect. When that time comes..."
The Nine Great Elders immediately became lively, intoxicated by the beautiful future.
A look of disappointment flashed in the Grand Elder's eyes: Am I really managing the Sect with these fools?
Looking around, only... Old Second still remained calm.
*Thud, thud!*
Hearing the sound of the table being knocked, the eight Elders finally stopped.
The Grand Elder stood up directly, his old face tightening, even his wrinkles seeming to diminish.
"The problem now is how we should deal with Tang San and Tang Hao!"
"You know Tang San. He is proficient in every martial art, mechanical Hidden Weapons, and poison in the Sect's supreme manual, the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record. He is even much more formidable than us old fogies!"
Everyone was well aware of this.
They had all seen it with their own eyes. It was precisely because Tang San's threat was too great that they could not
tolerate him.
"Plus Tang Hao... the Clear Sky Douluo. If my estimate isn't wrong, his spirit power is equivalent to the ninth level of the Mysterious Heaven Skill. What do we old fogies have to stop him!"
The scene was pin-drop silent. The Grand Elder looked around, his expression resolute.
"A blood feud has been formed. Everyone... let us fight to the death!"