Yu Xiaogang, in his own humble opinion, had one major accomplishment to his name. And two future historic accomplishments that would allow his name to remain in favor for centuries to come.
His first major accomplishment was the condensation of all the knowledge of Spirit Hall, as well as the Blue Lightning Dragon Clan's library to form his Ten Core Theories that gave him the name of Grandmaster.
Those Ten Core Theories. His pride and joy however, were going to be rewritten by his two future-defining accomplishments. Training Tang Wutong, and Tian Long, who were both clearly destined to stand at the top of the Continent with their Twin Martial Spirits.
But there was two major problems that both of those children would face. Tang Wutong... She was a bastard of the Clear Sky Clan as she explained that her mother was left to die by her father.
So when she became a new Title Douluo and her name rang out with the power of the strongest tool martial spirit. The Clear Sky Sect WOULD come after her. Despite Tang Hao being his idol with his almost unmatched talent.
He knew from his own clan's reports on the Clear Sky Sect that, they looked down upon women, especially. And were a clan-based sect that looked down upon outsiders and even their own clan servants, whom they also abandoned when things became hostile with Spirit Hall.
Tian Long on the other hand... He had few ideas on how to exploit his mountain martial soul. And he had even sent a letter to Dong'er to ask if Spirit Hall had any records on Martial Spirits that took on the forms of Mountains and Rivers.
But there were no such records, supposedly. And he was inclined to believe in her.
He was thinking that training his Mountain Martial Soul as a defensive martial soul was at least a strong choice that woudn't have any issues. But besides that, Tian Long's offensive and defensive means weren't that great compared to Tang Wutong with her Goddess Butterfly and the Clear Sky Hammer.
But Tian Long's value... His value was far more than Tang Wutong, who was certain to become another strong Title Douluo. His alchemy was unprecedented and the moment they started showing off their spirit rings at the Spirit Arena. Everyone would be after him and Tang Wutong.
"Purple, purple, black... A configuration of spirit rings has never been seen before. Not even Dong'er had such spirit rings with the Pope's guidance. But such a tree is too tall for the winds of the Spirit Master world." Yu Xiaogang muttered to himself with a sigh.
He didn't WANT to let out the secret of whale gel. But if he didn't, then how could Tian Long and Tang Wutong expose their spirit ring ages? Besides, in reality, the whale gel at this point woudn't affect his grand plans in either case.
At Tian Long and Tang Wutong's ages. They could sweep through the next two International Spirit Master Competitions. The two of them and whatever team that Flender could scrounge up with his ramshackle 'academy' would sweep the two Empires and Spirit Hall itself for the next decade!
The sheer glory of being the mentor of the captain and vice captain of a team of spirit masters who would double sweep two generations of the biggest tournament in the world? That glory, as he stood beside his two disciples as they took the championship from Bibbi Dong, would feel even better than if he broke through rank thirty!
At the thought of breaking through level thirty... Rather than feeling the usual weight of despair. He actually smiled as Tian Long also shared how he could repair his martial soul.
He just needed to share a couple of special herbs that could help spirit masters and their cultivation with his father. And his father, the clan head of the Blue Silver Lightning Clan, would certainly help him collect a number of dragon hearts for his own son's martial soul evolution!
"I just hope that Tian Long isn't offended that I took the credit for sharing the secret of whale gel to the world... It is for the good of Spirit Masters of the world, and he is too young for such attention. Nor does he have the backing I do." Yu Xiaogang muttered to himself.
All the while, he watched from the highly ornate Spirit Hall-branded carriage he was riding back into Suotou City. Where his disciples would be waiting for him at Flender's academy.
-
"This... Utter fool. He could have traded this secret for direct protection. But he told the whole world about whale gel for nothing but glory!" A beautiful voice spat in disgust.
A woman was sitting at an ornate desk and reading a series of notes that filled her work table with an expression that was a mix of frustration and disgust.
"Not only did this fool steal an accomplishment from his disciple and his family, obviously. But despite a connection with... THAT woman, he didn't even share it with Spirit Hall secretly!"
Qian Renxue liked to consider herself a patient woman. It came with the territory of acting as a man for more than a decade and a half. After stealing the identity of the Tian Dou Empire's Crown Prince.
All that patience went out the window when a life-changing chance for her own faction's ability to dominate the world was tossed aside.
A heavy exhale left her before she snapped out in annoyance. "Uncle Ci Xue, where is Tian Long and that bastard of the Clear Sky Sect."
Her voice was filled with distaste at the mention of that sect for sure. And with an inhale, she watched as her two 'uncles' in the two Title Douluo who were assigned to protect and help her in this conquest came out of the shadows.
Ci Xue, the Porcupinefish Douluo, and the She Long the Snake Lance Douluo came out both with helpless expressions.
"My lady." Ci Xue spoke in a deep voice. "Tian Long has led Tang Wutong to Tian Dou City, and has been busy trying to ask around how to get into Tian Dou Royal Academy without having a Noble Title."
Then Snake Lance Douluo spoke the real reason they sounded so helpless. "The... Supreme Pontiff has also assigned someone to watch Tian Long in particular. Her Highness the Pope wishes for Tian Long to be absorbed into the Pontiff faction of Spirit Hall."
A snort rang out from Qian Renxue as she said flatly. "She wants the 'true' method of using whale gel to it's best ability. I can already see it in fact, that woman gave some of it to her disciple and the rest of that so-called Golden Generation, and although their bodies were strengthened to some level. It just made them suffer its so-called primary use."
A cough left the two Title Douluo as being older men, even if they never would use the stuff. They knew that Whale Gel for countless years had been known as a powerful aphrodisiac.
After a moment, Qian Renxue took a deep breath before she asked more bluntly. "Who did she send? Did she send a couple of Spirit Saints or a Soul Douluo to watch Tian Long?"
The two Title Douluo shared a helpless chuckle before her Uncle She said. "Neither. She directly sent the Spirit Kite Douluo to watch Tian Long. She is one of the Supreme Pontiff's own Title Douluo, as you well know."
Qian Renxue's face went dark at the thought that a Title Douluo was watching that younger boy... And for a brief moment, she considered snuffing his life out just to spite THAT woman's goals.
But that thought was quickly pushed aside as a heavy ambition instead burned within her chest.
What if... She instead drew Tian Long to serve under her instead? The true heir to Spirit Hall and not that witch who sat on her father's throne.
She then gave her two Title Douluo a heavy look before she said slowly. "Find out where Tian Long and Tang Wutong are currently... If she wants to use a Title Douluo as a watchdog for some reason. Tian Long's value can't be understated then. So I will make sure that he is used for Spirit Hall's myself!"
Ci Xue, in his deeper voice, asked quietly. "And what do we do about the Spirit Kite Douluo?"
To which Qian Renxue smiled coldly as she said blandly. "Tell her that Tian Dou isn't where the Supreme Pontiff's hand can reach. Tell her to go home and actually cultivate to become a Title Douluo of value."
As all three in the room was familiar with all the Title Douluo of Spirit Hall. And Spirit Kite... She was just the lesser version of the Third Worshipper the Azure Luan Douluo, who also had a fire-attributed bird Martial Soul. But his was so much stronger.
And it was rumored that the only reason she became a Title Douluo at all was that Bibbi Dong needed aid and fed her three ten-thousand-year Spirit Bones. This allowed her to break through to Title Douluo.
Sure was stronger than the 'weakest' Title Douluo in Dugu Bo. But could she beat the heads of even the Lower four sects, who were peak Soul Douluo in most cases?
Qian Renxue was rather doubtful, actually.
-
"This is... Rather frustrating." I admitted with a sigh as I brushed a strand of my hair behind my head before I leaned back onto the bed of the hotel room that Tang Wutong and I got.
Tang Wutong, on the other hand, let out a soft chuckle as she said pointedly. "Trying to find a backway into Tian Dou Royal Academy isn't going to work Tian Long. They only let noble wastrels who confirm their identity of. Into the back door."
I looked up to see her resting her fair chin on her hand as she sat cross-legged on the edge of her own bed, as she continued. "We don't have noble identities, so we need to show off our talents before we will get any benefits."
I had little doubt that we weren't being watched... Hell, I could see Tang Wutong at times holding flinches as more heavy. Very unfucking subtle gazes poured over us at points.
But I didn't want our arrival to become common knowledge.
'The whole living in the light of audacity really doesn't work for cultivation worlds though. The idiom of- The tallest tree gets the harshest wind and gets knocked down- Is an established fact for a reason.'
I then looked to Tang Wutong and said bluntly. "I thought you would be the last person to want to go to the Academy and make a major fuss?"
To which Tang Wutong raised an eyebrow and said pointedly. "I don't particularly care about the Academy; we go to Tian Long so long as our freedom isn't too restricted. You are the one who wants to go to Tian Dou Royal Academy."
I exhaled in annoyance as it's like I WANTED to go to Tian Dou Academy so much. It was simply that going to the academy and getting close to Dugu Yan and then her grandfather was the best path for our future.
Then again... We could just literally stroll up to Dugu Bo's mansion and bypass the academy in general.
I was silent for a good moment before I took a breath and said flatly. "You know what. You are right. I am taking too many round a bout moves when in reality playing these games is just wasting our time."
I was still locked at level thirty without a Spirit Ring at this point. It's not like the two of us could safely hunt a preferred 10,000-year spirit beast right now, either.
"Tang Wutong, you ready to stare down a Title Douluo and either have an easy path to Title Douluo and beyond. Or, if it goes poorly, we die horribly?"
Tang Wutong was silent for a long moment before she took a breath and said quietly. "Explain. I will decide afterwards."
And so I explained. How Dugu Bo's Martial Soul was mutated, and his physical body was storing the venom that his martial soul produced. Which had cut his lifespan short, killed all his descendants but his granddaughter. And that he 'obviously' was relying on a treasure land to keep his life and the toxins suppressed.
Tang Wutong was silent for a long moment before she asked curiously. "So you plan to take the treasure land for yourself? Fine, but how do you plan to cure him?"
I smiled and said easily. "That is actually the easy part... I have several methods in fact. First, I help evolve his martial soul so that it will properly store the venom. Second, I preform surgery on him so that he can host an actual poison sac to store his venom."
Then I shrugged and said blandly. "Last option is the easiest for us anyway. I just tell him to get a spirit bone and start storing his poison in it. If he could get an External Spirit Bone for Dugu Yan, it would be even better."
Depending on how Dugu Bo treated me, I would decide how well I would treat him in turn. With his talent with poison and already being a Title Douluo. I could push him to become a god easily if Asura and Poseidon were playing things in the background.
Because if that lazy fatass Ma Hongjun could be dragged up to the divine realm. I could for sure drag Dugu Bo up there as well. And Dugu Bo would be far more useful than Ma Hongjun even if they were the same level.
After my explanation, Tang Wutong considered it for a long moment before she chuckled and said. "Fine, Tian Long. I will bet with you. Let's go poke the snake in his burrow then."