A few days later, at the gates of Spirit City, a young man with a buzz cut arrived.
Stepping down from the carriage, he gazed up at the towering gates of the Spirit Hall.
Originally, Yu Xiaogang had planned to acquire the cultivation method for twin spirits from Bibi Dong, to teach Tang San and enhance his own martial spirit's competitiveness.
But Tang San's Clear Sky Hammer had been exposed too soon, making his identity complicated. This urgency drove Yu Xiaogang to Spirit Hall—he had to act before Bibi Dong learned of this information.
"Dong'er, I only hope you still remember our past." Yu Xiaogang murmured.
This time, unlike his last visit, Yu Xiaogang entered the Spirit Hall not as a prisoner, but posing as an old friend of the Supreme Pontiff. And surprisingly, things were going smoothly.
"Wait here for now," the receptionist instructed.
Yu Xiaogang nodded slightly, silent. Once the person left, he raised his flat-top head and scanned the grand, dazzling hall around him. Then, he found a seat, crossed his legs, poured himself some tea, and leisurely waited while sipping it.
At this point, the nervousness he had felt upon arrival had already vanished.
The fact that Bibi Dong had allowed him into the Pope's Hall to wait meant—she was still willing to see him.
Knowing this, Yu Xiaogang was confident that his plan to extract the twin martial spirit cultivation method and the soul ring over-limit theory from her had over a 50% chance of success. Perhaps, he might even be able to dig out further secrets of the Spirit Hall.
After a while, the door opened. Yu Xiaogang looked toward it, already having mentally rehearsed the grand entrance he would make when Bibi Dong arrived.
But when he saw who entered—He froze.
It was a woman, her face hidden behind a golden mask, with long platinum-colored hair and an imposing figure. Though he couldn't see her face clearly, Yu Xiaogang immediately realized:
This was not Bibi Dong.
And what truly unsettled him was the gilded token hanging from her ornate dress—a rank above the Pope's token.
It was the Angel Order—which meant this woman was not part of Bibi Dong's faction at all.
Yu Xiaogang's expression tightened.
"I already told them—I'm an old friend of the Pope. I came to see her. Who are you?"
"Yu Xiaogang!" the woman's voice was melodious and elegant.
"I am the Judgment Elder of the Spirit Hall. Since I'm here today, it means you won't be seeing the Supreme Pontiff. Now, speak. What is your purpose in coming to our Spirit Hall?"
Yu Xiaogang forced a calm expression.
"What I have to say involves classified matters. I'll only speak to the Supreme Pontiff herself. No one else."
"No need to say it—we already know," the woman said calmly.
"It's about Tang San. His identity as a beastkin has been exposed. You rushed here to see Her Holiness before she hears the news, hoping to extract the twin martial spirit cultivation method from her."
Yu Xiaogang's face darkened.
"Nonsense! That's not why I came at all!"
"You raised your disciple to become famous, hoping that through his reputation, you'd benefit as his teacher. Am I wrong?" she pressed.
Her words pierced him. Yu Xiaogang's expression wavered.
"No matter what people say about him, Tang San is my disciple. I have no children of my own—he's like my own son. Everything I do is for his sake. What's wrong with that?" he defended.
But the woman ignored his justification and continued coldly:
"But at the core of all this… it's about you. Your resentment. As the former heir to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, you awakened a trash martial soul.
You were doomed to remain a Soul Elder for life. So you've come to the Spirit Hall again and again, all in the hopes of changing your fate."
"In the end, you took Tang San as your disciple not out of benevolence, but because you had no other choice. You couldn't break the chains of talent—so you clung to a prodigious student to elevate your own name. Am I wrong?"
"I—!"
Yu Xiaogang was once again struck where it hurt most.
Just as he opened his mouth to retort, the woman cut him off.
"Save it. Denial does you no good now."
She gestured behind her. A servant stepped forward, holding a tray covered with an ornate cloth. The woman lifted the cloth—
Revealing a crystal vessel containing a single golden fruit, its surface faintly marked with the image of a dragon.
The moment Yu Xiaogang laid eyes on it—
He was stunned. Then drunk with desire.Tears welled up uncontrollably.
He stared at the fruit in a trance, his body moving involuntarily toward it.
It was the Golden Dragon-Nurturing Fruit.
He had finally seen it again.
The last time he saw it was twenty or thirty years ago—the closest he'd ever been to turning his fate around.
Back then, he could've consumed the fruit, transformed his martial soul, and stepped onto the path of a true powerhouse.
But instead, it was stolen by that bastard Yu Xiaomen.
And now?
Yu Xiaomen—after stealing the fruit—stood atop the entire continent as the revered Holy Dragon Douluo.
Wherever he went, people respectfully addressed him as "Your Grace Xiaomen."
And what about Yu Xiaogang?
Still stuck at Rank 29, unable to break through, desperately relying on his student's future success to boost his own fame.
Every time he thought of Yu Xiaomen, he was filled with resentment and regret.
That damn fruit... that life... should have been mine.
If only I had eaten that fruit then—today the world would call me "Your Grace Xiaogang!"
Now, the Golden Dragon-Nurturing Fruit appeared before him once again.
How could he not be moved?
His hands trembled. His feet inched forward. Deep in his martial soul, a craving surged like a tidal wave.
And then—
BOOM!
An overwhelming pressure descended on him.
Yu Xiaogang, at his measly Rank 29, could not bear it at all.
The pressure came from just a Soul King standing behind the masked woman—a palace guard.
"Yu Xiaogang, you've offended the Judgment Elder."
Under the crushing spiritual force, Yu Xiaogang finally awoke from his trance.
Yes… he had seen the fruit. But so what?
It belonged to the Spirit Hall. Not to him.
But then, determination returned to his eyes.
Now that I've seen it again... I can't miss this chance.
No matter what it takes... I must claim it.
Yu Xiaogang's mind worked furiously, the small walnut-sized brain under his flat-top haircut spinning at full capacity.
"Back then, I was imprisoned by the Spirit Hall—yet released within a month.
That must've been Dong'er's doing.
She must still care for me."
Then, he made his offer, one he thought would tempt the Spirit Hall:
"Give me the Golden Dragon-Nurturing Fruit, and I promise—
I will never see Bibi Dong again. I'll sever all ties with her completely."
"Otherwise, as long as Yu Xiaogang is alive, Bibi Dong's heart will never belong to your Spirit Hall. Sure, you can kill me... but she will avenge me."
Yu Xiaogang was not only using Bibi Dong as a bargaining chip in his negotiation—he was also using her as a threat to pressure the Judication Elder of the Elder Hall into handing over the Golden Dragon-Nourishing Fruit.
Yes, Yu Xiaogang was that confident.
He understood perfectly well what possessing a fake Pope's Decree meant. But the fact that he had been released after only one month in the Spirit Hall prison told him everything he needed to know—he still had a place in Dong'er's heart.
That was exactly why the Elder Hall despised him so much, yet dared not lay a hand on him.
Yu Xiaogang speculated that the Elder Hall wanted Bibi Dong to settle down and wholeheartedly serve as Pope of the Spirit Hall.
So from Yu Xiaogang's perspective, his asking price was actually very generous.
I've promised not to disturb Dong'er again, allowing her to focus on being Pope and securing a twin martial soul genius for your Spirit Hall. Isn't that a good enough deal? The least you could do is show some appreciation—say, with that Golden Dragon-Nourishing Fruit.
Of course, Yu Xiaogang had no intention of truly giving up Bibi Dong.
Even if he got the fruit, he planned to continue secretly contacting her, plotting ways to refine her twin martial soul training method, and using her to learn more secrets of the Spirit Hall—so he could further develop his soul master theories.
"Heh…" The masked woman let out a soft laugh.
"Yu Xiaogang, you really know how to joke. You think that by simply promising not to contact the Pope, you can trade for this divine fruit from me?"
"One Golden Dragon-Nourishing Fruit in exchange for a completely loyal Pope—does that not seem like a fair trade to you?" Yu Xiaogang retorted, holding his ground.
"If that's truly what you believe…" the masked woman said coldly,
"then Yu Xiaogang, this fruit is not for you. You will not be seeing Her Holiness today either. Now, escort him out—"
The armored guards behind her moved forward to drive him out.
Yu Xiaogang immediately dropped his pretense of composure and shouted,
"Wait! I have something to say—"
The masked woman waved her hand, and the guards halted.
Yu Xiaogang stared hungrily at the Golden Dragon-Nourishing Fruit.
This fruit was his shot at a comeback—his ticket to finally rid himself of the stain of failure.
How could he let this chance slip away?
He took a deep breath and said:
"You know how important this fruit is to me. You didn't bring it out here just to show me, right?"
"You're right," the masked woman replied.
"I brought it out for you to see. Now that you've seen it, you can leave."
Yu Xiaogang grew more anxious.
"I need that fruit. Please—give it to me."
"Is that how someone begs the Elder for a divine treasure?" one of the armored guards sneered.
Without another word, and without any prompting, Yu Xiaogang dropped to his knees.
With a face full of humility, he pleaded:
"Please, Your Eminence, I beg you to grant me that Golden Dragon-Nourishing Fruit. I will do anything within my ability to repay you."
As he spoke, he kowtowed three times toward the Judication Elder.
Now, keep in mind—Yu Xiaogang was a deeply proud man, someone who cared immensely about his dignity.
Despite his groveling appearance, he felt utter humiliation deep down.
And along with that shame came an even greater hatred toward the Spirit Hall.
You damned Spirit Hall! Couldn't you just give me the fruit? Why must you make me grovel like this?
Fine. Just wait. Once I have that fruit and finish training my disciple Tang San to greatness—your Spirit Hall will fall.
"Anything at all?" the masked woman asked.
Yu Xiaogang hesitated for a moment—but still nodded.
"What I want from you is quite simple."
The masked woman took out a book titled:
"The Ten Core Competencies of Martial Souls"
Then she said:
"We want you to participate in a public theoretical conference for the soul master world. We will conduct a thorough review of your book. And all you need to do… is admit that you plagiarized it."
Yu Xiaogang fell silent.
In that moment, he felt a profound malice pressing down on him.
This title of "theory master" was his only remaining source of legitimacy.
Even though the mainstream soul master world no longer acknowledged his status, in his own mind, he still believed himself to be a wise, scholarly genius.
But now, Spirit Hall wanted him to publicly discredit himself.
If he admitted to plagiarism, then his reputation as a theory master would be beyond saving.
(Though to be fair, it was already foul-smelling to begin with.)
Yu Xiaogang's face turned red as he protested:
"Isn't this going too far? That book is the result of years of effort! It contains the essence of my life's work! What right do you have to call it plagiarism? And then demand I admit it?"
The masked woman gave no verbal reply.
Instead, she ordered someone to bring out several memory-recording stones.
When the footage began playing, Yu Xiaogang's face turned green.
The images showed the process of Yu Xiaogang "writing" The Ten Core Competencies of Martial Souls.
In the footage, a short-haired man sat in a study, flipping through books.
He came across a theory he liked, and without hesitation, he copied it into his manuscript.
"You wrote that entire book inside our Spirit Hall," the masked woman said calmly.
"So we've recorded the whole process on these memory stones. Whether you admit to plagiarism or not no longer really matters."
Yu Xiaogang wanted to scream: "It's fake!"
But the footage matched his memory exactly.
It was like looking into a mirror—only to discover the reflection was an ugly fraud, not the esteemed master he believed himself to be.
Yu Xiaogang choked out bitterly:
"If you already have the recordings… why do you still need me to…"
"Our Judication Elder wishes to give closure to the great minds you stole from," the guard explained.
"So we want you to publicly admit you're a plagiarist."
The masked woman added coldly:
"You have two options:
One—admit that you're a shameless plagiarist, and you get the Golden Dragon-Nourishing Fruit.
Two—walk out of here, and forever lose your chance at that fruit.
The choice is yours."