Douluo Continent — Spirit Hall — Hall of the Pope
Under persistent pressure from Bibi Dong, Qian Xuanji finally agreed to let Yu Xiaogang join Spirit Hall.
In the grand Hall of the Pope, Qian Xuanji sat high upon the throne, with Bibi Dong standing beside him. Flanking them were two elderly elders—Golden Bell and Silver Hammer, guardians of the Hall of the Pope.
The hall was lined with Spirit Hall guards on both sides.
"Summon Yu Xiaogang!"
The grand doors opened, and a man with a flat top haircut stepped into the center.
Yu Xiaogang had hoped to make an impression of calm confidence, but as he took in the solemn, majestic atmosphere, he immediately lost his nerve.
He approached cautiously, legs trembling, then knelt. "Yu Xiaogang greets Your Holiness."
At this point, he had not yet begun his relationship with Bibi Dong, nor did he have the status to wield her Pope's decree and run rampant through Spirit Hall as he would later.
Qian Xuanji nodded. "You are the son of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's patriarch. Are you sure you want to join Spirit Hall?"
"I am," Yu Xiaogang replied.
"Very well. Since you are a talent recommended by Dong'er, I have no reason to refuse. Now swear your loyalty."
Yu Xiaogang hesitated. He recalled the oath's words, unwilling to say them. After all, he had only come to Spirit Hall to find a way to fix his mutated spirit—not to truly betray his clan. If he swore now, he would be branded a traitor.
He looked at Bibi Dong, who said nothing. Gritting his teeth, he clenched his fist over his chest and recited:
"I hereby swear: I fully and completely renounce and sever all ties of loyalty to any former sect, monarch, or family power. I shall support and safeguard all interests of Spirit Hall and oppose all enemies of Spirit Hall. I will serve faithfully and loyally; when required by the Pope's decree, I shall use my spirit on behalf of Spirit Hall. When required, I will perform non-combat services in Spirit Hall's soul master troops. When required, I will undertake important duties under clerical direction. I take this oath freely, without reservation or intent to evade. May the Supreme Angel God aid me."
Finishing the oath, Yu Xiaogang felt a burden lift from his shoulders. It's just an oath, he thought. Someday, when I succeed, I'll just leave Spirit Hall and return to my clan to wash away my shame.
"Very well. From now on, you are a member of Spirit Hall. Dong'er, you may leave," said Qian Xuanji.
"Yes, teacher." Bibi Dong withdrew.
Qian Xuanji then dismissed everyone else, leaving only Yu Xiaogang, himself, Golden Bell, and Silver Hammer.
"You came to Spirit Hall via Dong'er in hopes of accessing our ancient archives to find a way to evolve your mutated spirit. Am I right, Yu Xiaogang?" Qian Xuanji cut straight to the point.
Yu Xiaogang faltered. "I…"
"No need to be nervous. Just nod if I'm right."
Yu Xiaogang nodded.
"Good," Qian Xuanji said. "But if you want something from Spirit Hall, you must offer something in return."
"But I already swore loyalty to Spirit Hall…" Yu Xiaogang protested.
"In all these years, many have sworn loyalty, only to betray us later," said Elder Golden Bell. "That oath doesn't bind people. You need to provide a pledge of allegiance."
"A pledge?" Yu Xiaogang feigned confusion.
Elder Silver Hammer said, "You are the son of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's patriarch. Surely you know what's most valuable about you—your clan's secrets. Tell us everything you know."
"But… those are my clan's secrets," Yu Xiaogang said.
"And yet you are now one of Spirit Hall," Golden Bell growled. "What? Still keeping an escape route? Planning to return to your clan someday?"
"N-No, that's not what I meant." After a moment of hesitation, Yu Xiaogang decided to spill everything he knew about the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. After all, his plan had always been to use this knowledge to gain access to Spirit Hall's library.
To evolve his spirit and redeem his reputation, Yu Xiaogang shamelessly betrayed his clan. When he was done, he thought to himself: Don't blame me, Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan—you wronged me first.
Golden Bell reviewed the secrets Yu Xiaogang revealed, then suddenly bellowed, unleashing the pressure of a Title Douluo: "Brat, where's the Dragon Transformation Secret Art?"
Crushed by the immense aura, Yu Xiaogang nearly collapsed. Sweating profusely, he said with difficulty, "That secret art is only passed on to those who awaken the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon spirit. I don't have it." If I had that, why would I even be here?! he cursed inwardly.
Qian Xuanji, seeing his response appeared sincere, said, "Very well. From now on, you may access the outer areas of Spirit Hall's library."
Yu Xiaogang seethed inside: I gave up my clan's core secrets, and all I got was access to the outer section? But he still squeezed out a respectful smile. "Thank you, Your Holiness."
"You may go," Qian Xuanji waved him off.
After Yu Xiaogang left, Elder Silver Hammer sneered, "So he really told us everything. And it's just this?"
Golden Bell grunted, "Fits that trash. He didn't even awaken the clan's core spirit."
"The deployment maps and minor secrets don't interest us. The real prize was the Dragon Transformation Secret Art," said Qian Xuanji with waning interest. "Forget it. We never expected much from that waste anyway."
Outside the Pope's Hall, Yu Xiaogang couldn't help but envy Qian Xuanji—his strength, his authority. If only I had that power, who would dare call me trash?
"What did Master want with you?" Bibi Dong appeared suddenly.
Yu Xiaogang's thoughts were interrupted. "He asked me to provide a pledge to prove my sincerity."
"A pledge?" Bibi Dong frowned. "He never mentioned that to me…"
Unable to figure it out, she let it go.
The Next Day
Having gained access to the outer section of the Spirit Hall Library, Yu Xiaogang eagerly immersed himself in the texts, seeking a way to evolve his spirit.
What he didn't know was that news of his joining Spirit Hall had already reached the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan
"I can't believe that useless…" Elder Yu Luo nearly slipped, but seeing Patriarch Yu Yuanzhen, he corrected himself, "Yu Xiaogang actually joined Spirit Hall?"
"Only high-level soul masters live in Spirit City. For Yu Xiaogang to get in, he must've sold out the clan," Yu Luoguan said.
"There's no evidence, but it's highly likely," another elder added.
"How much did he know?" asked Yu Luohuang.
"Unclear. But definitely not the Dragon Transformation Secret Art," came the reply.
Yu Luo breathed a sigh of relief. "That's our clan's foundation."
The elders spoke one after another, almost directly calling Yu Xiaogang a traitorous disgrace.
Patriarch Yu Yuanzhen sat in silence, his face dark, fists clenched. At last, he slammed the table. "That bastard! As clan leader, I hereby declare: Yu Xiaogang is expelled from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan!"
Spirit Hall — Worship Hall
Qian Renxue stood by the window, gazing down at the Pope's Hall.
"You say Yu Xiaogang will do great harm to Spirit Hall in the future. Why let him into the library?" asked Tian'e, standing beside her.
"He can only access knowledge already known among high-ranking soul masters. Nothing of true value," Qian Renxue said. "Before he came, I had Grandfather remove everything important."
"But he could still learn things from the Saintess," Tian'e said.
"Yes, but what she knows is our outdated foundation. Those secrets are no longer critical," Qian Renxue added silently, Tang Hao is a reborn one—he likely knows as much as Yu Xiaogang could ever learn.
In the outer section of the Spirit Hall Library, Yu Xiaogang dove into spirit beast encyclopedias and basic soul master knowledge, desperately searching for a way to evolve his spirit.
After a year, despite reading almost everything, he found nothing.
Yet during that time, he discovered something else—Bibi Dong, though her spirit was dark, had a pure, kind heart. She was naive and truly wanted to help him.
Was he touched? A little. But her innocence gave him a bolder idea: to grow close to her and use her status as the Saintess to access deeper secrets.
He charmed her bit by bit—sharing knowledge from the library to appear wise, coaxing information from her, and frequently "coincidentally" appearing in her life, taking her on outings, like to the Lantern Festival in Yelin City.
Their bond grew, until one day Bibi Dong asked:
"Xiaogang, did you find a way to fix your mutated spirit in the library?"
Yu Xiaogang was thrilled—she had finally asked.
He feigned a disappointed sigh. "Sigh… Dong'er, I've searched the outer library, but found nothing on spirit mutation."
Bibi Dong, naive and sincere, replied, "Then why not go to the inner library?"
Yu Xiaogang's face grew troubled. "Your teacher only gave me outer access. If I even set foot in the inner…"
"Dong'er humbly requests that teacher grant Xiao Gang access to the core archives," Bibi Dong pleaded.
Qian Xuanji looked at her kindly and said, "Give your teacher a convincing reason, and I shall agree."
Bibi Dong's face lit up with joy. "Xiao Gang has already joined the Spirit Hall. He is one of us now. If our Spirit Hall can help him resolve his martial soul's malignant mutation and evolve it into the Golden Holy Dragon, we will gain another Titled Douluo. Moreover, his martial soul's mutation is widely known among the upper echelons of the Soul Master world. If our Spirit Hall resolves this issue when even the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan could not, our prestige will rise immensely."
Qian Xuanji looked at Bibi Dong with indulgence. "Very well. Since Dong'er asks for it, I will allow that Yu Xiaogang access to the core archives of Spirit Hall."
"Thank you, teacher," Bibi Dong quickly bowed and then rushed to deliver the good news to Yu Xiaogang.
When Yu Xiaogang received the news, he was dumbfounded.
What? Qian Xuanji actually agreed?
Soon after, his heart swelled with joy. This proved just how important Bibi Dong was to Qian Xuanji. In the future, as long as he held onto Bibi Dong, he could use her to get more benefits from the Pope.
Yu Xiaogang redoubled his efforts to win Bibi Dong over, while he roamed the core archives of Spirit Hall freely.
Because of Bibi Dong's status as the Holy Maiden, others in Spirit Hall either feared or avoided her. Under Yu Xiaogang's manipulative persuasion (PUA tactics), Bibi Dong believed they shunned her because of her hideous martial soul. Only Yu Xiaogang did not despise her transformation and was willing to be her friend.
Thus, a strange scene emerged in Spirit Hall: the proud Bibi Dong, surrounded by nobles and elites, had only one person who would talk to her—a mere Rank 29 Grandmaster.
Half a year later
Yu Xiaogang cursed as he put down the last book from the core archives.
"This is what they call a foundation with ten thousand years of heritage? After all this time, not even a method to fix my mutated martial soul?! And you dare call yourselves the sacred land of soul masters?!"
He was sorely disappointed in Spirit Hall.
Despair followed. His frail body collapsed weakly onto the floor, as if his bones had been drained.
"I betrayed the secrets of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan to join Spirit Hall, and was cast out for it. And this is all I got in return?"
"Not even Spirit Hall has a way to fix my martial soul's mutation. Where else can I go? Am I destined to be a lifelong cripple who can't even reach Rank 30? No! Never! I, Yu Xiaogang, will not be a failure. There must be a way to break through. Right—"
Suddenly, inspiration struck him.
He thought of Bibi Dong.
In the past, Yu Yuanzhen had helped him cultivate until he reached Rank 29. His father claimed he had hit his natural limit. But Yu Xiaogang didn't believe that. He thought his father was just stingy with his spirit power and used that as an excuse.
So if he could find someone else willing to transfer power to him, he would easily break through Rank 30. Once he obtained a suitable soul ring, he could awaken Luo Sanpao's bloodline and evolve into the Golden Holy Dragon.
And wasn't Bibi Dong the perfect candidate? She had twin martial souls, innate full spirit power, and talent far beyond his father's. She was destined to become a Titled Douluo.
All Yu Xiaogang had to do was guide her toward that achievement, then let her repay him with her soul power. With her talent and energy supporting him, he could break through Rank 30, then 40, 50… even becoming a Titled Douluo was within reach!
The more he thought about it, the more excited he became.
But then came a cold realization—she was the Holy Maiden of Spirit Hall. Once she became a Titled Douluo, how could Spirit Hall ever allow her to help him cultivate?
That thought poured cold water over his enthusiasm.
He sat down and fell into deep thought, eyes gleaming with a flash of cunning.
If that's the case… then I'll just make Dong'er mine, exclusively mine.
Qian Xuanji spoiled her and never gave her proper guidance. She was as innocent as a blank sheet of paper. And who better to color it than me, Yu Xiaogang?
I'll make her fall for me, form a relationship, and when she's strong enough, I'll convince her to flee Spirit Hall with me. We'll hide away and cultivate in peace. Once we've reached the peak of power, we'll return—her as a twin-martial-soul genius, me as a Golden Holy Dragon Titled Douluo. Even if Spirit Hall resents us, they'll have no choice but to swallow their pride.
Just as Yu Xiaogang was scheming his next move, Bibi Dong entered.
"Xiao Gang, you haven't found a solution yet?"
Yu Xiaogang instantly switched personas, sighing with a tragic expression. "Sigh… Dong'er, it seems I am fated to never surpass Rank 30."
He bowed his head, clenching his fists as if refusing to bow to fate, then let them fall weakly open—a perfect image of a man crushed by destiny.
This pitiful sight deeply moved Bibi Dong. As the only friend she'd truly opened her heart to, she felt the need to comfort him.
"Xiao Gang, to cultivate from innate 0.5 rank spirit power to where you are now, shows great perseverance. Even if Spirit Hall can't help you, I believe you can still prove your worth. Perhaps you could focus on soul master theory. If you make achievements there, you could become a Grandmaster of theory—and that's valuable too."
A theory Grandmaster? Why would I settle for that when I could become a peerless powerhouse?! Yu Xiaogang scoffed at first—but quickly realized it didn't conflict with his plans.
Before he and Bibi Dong betrayed Spirit Hall, why not use its resources and connections to crown himself a theory Grandmaster? That could be his lasting legacy after he rose to prominence.
Bibi Dong led Yu Xiaogang to a secluded building beneath the Pope's Palace in Spirit City.
"What is this place?" he asked.
"This is the Soul Master Theory Society—our holy ground for academic research. Every year, theorists from across the continent gather here. They select one significant paper each year for publication. Whoever gets published earns the title of 'Grandmaster' and the admiration of all."
"So," Yu Xiaogang grinned confidently, "if I publish my paper here, everyone will call me Grandmaster Xiaogang, right?"
Bibi Dong nodded. "But the standards are incredibly high. Passing the selection is no easy feat."
Hands behind his back, Yu Xiaogang's eyes gleamed with false wisdom. "That's nothing. Publishing a paper here? Easy."
In that moment, Bibi Dong saw a glow of self-confidence around his buzzcut head. It made him stand out, despite all his flaws.
Yu Xiaogang did have one merit—his memory. He could recall exact pages and paragraphs of everything he read. That gave him an edge. But he also had a fatal flaw—no creativity. He could copy and parrot, but not innovate. His mind only lit up when scheming for personal gain.
He had thought becoming a theory Grandmaster would be easy, but once he started, he found it surprisingly difficult.
Night after night, he paced in frustration, scratching his buzzcut. "Damn… this is hard!"
Then, inspiration struck.
He realized there were common knowledge ideas that had never been published as official theories. If he published them under his name, he'd be credited as the discoverer.
In the future, no one could bypass these core ideas without referencing his work. Generations would revere him for "discovering" them.
"Hahaha…"
Yu Xiaogang laughed maniacally and began compiling his "great work":
Rule 1: Innate soul power is proportional to martial soul strength.
Rule 2: Martial souls are either Beast-type or Tool-type—no other kinds.
Rule 3: Tool-type souls mostly support; Beast-type souls mostly attack.
And so on…
Soon he had a draft, but he wasn't satisfied. He felt it lacked originality.
So he added two personal "insights":
"There are no useless martial souls, only useless soul masters."
"Plant-type martial souls can absorb soul rings from beast-type soul beasts."
The first was his lifelong mantra. The second came from his observation that most plant-type soul masters chose plant-type soul beasts—but why not beast-type ones too? He added it as if it were groundbreaking.
As dawn broke, he finished his "masterpiece."
Holding the draft up to the morning sun, he declared:
"In just half a month, I created a soul master theoretical magnum opus. Truly, I am a genius."
He named it: "The Ten Core Competitivenesses of Martial Souls."
"After this is published, every soul master awakening and soul ring pairing will be within the scope of my theory!"
A knock at the door interrupted him.
"Come in," he said, hiding the draft.
Bibi Dong entered with a steaming breakfast. "How's the research going?"
"Research?" Yu Xiaogang smirked. "Dong'er, you underestimate me."
He crossed his arms and said proudly, "I already have a draft. Once published, it'll shake the world."
Bibi Dong was amazed. "That fast? Let me see it?"
Yu Xiaogang hesitated.
"What's wrong?" she frowned. "Afraid I'll steal your ideas?"
He actually was worried she might.
"I'm going to be a powerful battle soul master like teacher, not a theorist. Forget it if you don't want to share." She turned to leave, annoyed.
"Wait—Dong'er, that's not what I meant!"
Her words reminded him that he still needed her help to publish.
He reluctantly handed her the draft.
She read the title: "The Ten Core Competitivenesses of Martial Souls."
As she read on:
"Twin martial soul hypothesis, soul ring configuration vs. mental strength formula, martial soul and mimicry theory framework, martial soul evolution essentials, bloodline and martial soul link…"
Bibi Dong was shocked. "You came up with all this in just half a month?"
"Of course," Yu Xiaogang said, basking in her amazement.
"You really are…"