Chapter 112: The Role of Yu Xiaogang
Bibi Dong was still chasing down the Slaughter King. Qi Tian kept part of his consciousness focused on her, ensuring that she wouldn't encounter any accidents.
Qi Tian had also reserved a portion of his soul power. If anything happened to Bibi Dong, he could use his divine artifact to take her away instantly, guaranteeing her safety.
He had already demonstrated this ability before. He didn't care if revealing it again exposed a bit of his secret.
Over an hour later, Qi Tian followed the lingering scent trail and caught up to Yu Xiaogang.
"Why is it Yu Xiaogang?" Qi Tian thought to himself.
He had been hoping to catch up to Tang San—not Yu Xiaogang—so he could capture him and force him to reveal his cultivation methods.
The Purple Demon Eye could cultivate spiritual power, and Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track was a movement technique. In this world, both were extremely valuable techniques.
But Yu Xiaogang had no such value. His so-called Martial Soul theories all came from reading materials in the Spirit Hall.
And he wasn't valued by his clan. If he were, Qi Tian could have captured him and used him to threaten Yu Yuanzhen.
Since that wasn't the case, Qi Tian had no intention of capturing him. It was better to let him continue misleading Tang San's cultivation!
Letting Yu Xiaogang's hopes slowly crumble—that was the most fitting end for him.
Still, not capturing him didn't mean he couldn't suffer a bit.
For example, letting the Spirit Hall list him and Tang San as wanted criminals—forcing them to run for their lives while losing access to Spirit Hall's soul master stipends.
Qi Tian despised this kind of behavior—eating from the same bowl while cursing the one who filled it. They took Spirit Hall's money, yet constantly worked against the Spirit Hall.
"Let's trick Yu Xiaogang into going to find Tang San first."
Qi Tian pondered for a moment. Then, using his first soul skill: Disguise, he transformed into Tang Hao's appearance.
And since Qi Tian possessed Tang Hao's soul bones, he could even replicate Tang Hao's strong stench of alcohol and the aura of a fallen, desolate man.
Yu Xiaogang had let Luo Sanpao carry him as they fled for over an hour. His soul power had long been drained, and now he could only run on his own, utterly exhausted and miserable.
At that moment, he saw a gray-robed figure standing not far away.
The gray-robed man's hair was messy, and his right arm and left leg were severed.
His complexion looked deathly pale, his lips were dry and cracked, and his eyes were lifeless—like a man on the brink of death.
"Your Majesty, Clear Sky? Is that you?"
"Mm." Qi Tian nodded.
Seeing "Tang Hao" nod, Yu Xiaogang finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He had been terrified that the person catching up was from the Spirit Hall. As long as it was Tang Hao, he was safe for now.
"Your Majesty, where are the Spirit Hall's Pope and the Guardian Elders?" Yu Xiaogang asked.
Qi Tian sighed softly. "Bibi Dong was held back by the Slaughter King. Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo were repelled by me."
"Then… are we safe now?" Yu Xiaogang asked nervously.
Qi Tian shook his head. "No. They will be coming back soon. And I have completely exhausted my strength. I'm no longer their opponent."
"Your Majesty, you…?" Yu Xiaogang's voice trembled with worry.
Tang Hao was his lifelong idol. Seeing his idol reduced to such a state—how could Yu Xiaogang possibly accept it?
"No more words. My time is running out. I'll speak, and you will listen." Qi Tian raised his left hand solemnly.
Yu Xiaogang forcefully suppressed the sorrow in his heart. "Your Majesty, go ahead. I am listening."
"My right arm and left leg bore the inherited soul bones of the Clear Sky Sect. That is why I entrusted them to Xiao San."
"By forcibly separating the soul bones, my lifespan has reached its end. From here on, Xiao San will depend on you."
Yu Xiaogang suddenly understood—so it was inherited soul bones.
A trace of envy rose in his heart. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect also possessed inherited soul bones, and only the successors of the sect master had the chance to absorb them.
If he could obtain one himself, maybe—just maybe—he would finally have a chance to break through rank thirty.
Tang Hao had been able to absorb an inherited soul bone at a young age, so why couldn't he?
Thinking this far, Yu Xiaogang let out a sigh. They were both from the Upper Three Sects, yet their fates were completely different. His life truly was too difficult.
What Yu Xiaogang didn't know was that this was merely Qi Tian's speculation. After seeing Tang Hao's severed right arm and left leg, Qi Tian simply guessed that the soul bones had been given to Tang San.
Now, judging from Yu Xiaogang's reaction, Qi Tian realized his guess had been correct, so he continued feeding him lies.
"Grandmaster, please find Xiao San and continue guiding him as his teacher, teaching him how to cultivate."
"Back then, I killed the Pope, causing the Spirit Hall to massacre the Clear Sky Sect. The entire sect must resent me! Otherwise…"
"Then why did Your Majesty still let Xiao San return to the Clear Sky Sect?" Yu Xiaogang asked.
So Tang San really did return to the Clear Sky Sect? Qi Tian thought. He was drawing more information out of Yu Xiaogang.
"Grandmaster, only by returning to the Clear Sky Sect can Xiao San learn the true cultivation method of the Clear Sky Hammer. I had no choice."
"He may not be welcomed smoothly when he returns, so I want you to tell Xiao San to absorb the soul bones immediately and increase his strength first."
"Only when Xiao San becomes strong enough will he be valued by the Clear Sky Sect—and only then will they accept him," Qi Tian said.
"That makes sense." Yu Xiaogang nodded. "I'll catch up to him as soon as possible!"
He recalled that Tang Hao had previously told Tang San to return the severed limbs to Tang Xiao. Now that he knew they were soul bones, Yu Xiaogang felt that such a thing was completely unacceptable.
If clansmen were truly trustworthy, then why had Yu Xiaogang been kicked out of his own sect?
Thus, he decided the Clear Sky Sect couldn't be relied upon. The soul bones should be absorbed by Tang San himself!
Only if Tang San possessed enough strength could he prove his worth—and prove that Yu Xiaogang wasn't a useless waste!
Qi Tian continued, "If you still can't find a solution for the drawbacks of twin martial souls, then let Xiao San switch to cultivating the Clear Sky Hammer martial soul first!"
"If he switches to the Clear Sky Hammer martial soul now, his first soul ring for the Clear Sky Hammer can at least be a thousand-year soul ring. It won't be wasted."
"If his first soul ring is a thousand-year one, then at the very least… he'll be stronger than me!"
Yu Xiaogang said firmly, "Your Majesty, rest assured. I will definitely find a way to solve the drawback of twin martial souls for Xiao San."
"Since Bibi Dong can do it, then I can do it too."
But he wasn't completely confident, so he added, "If I really cannot solve it, then I'll follow Your Majesty's words and let him focus on cultivating the Clear Sky Hammer martial soul first."
"Grandmaster, then I leave Xiao San in your care. I'm about to die. Xiao San is your disciple—take good care of him!"
"What?" Yu Xiaogang's pupils shrank. The former Clear Sky Douluo was going to die just like this—silently, without glory?
Could it be the side effects of forcibly removing the soul bones?
Before he could ask more questions, he saw "Tang Hao" hop away, disappearing from his line of sight.
Yu Xiaogang didn't dare stay any longer, afraid that Spirit Hall's pursuers might arrive. He immediately changed direction and fled toward Heaven Dou City in the northeast.
Originally, he had planned to first go to Suo Tuo City to find his former bootlicking lackey, Flender.
But now that "Tang Hao" had entrusted him with a mission, he naturally had to prioritize this task related to Tang San's cultivation.
Qi Tian reverted to his true form and returned to observe Yu Xiaogang from a distance.
"He's heading toward Heaven Dou City. So Tang San really is returning to the Clear Sky Sect?" Qi Tian mused.
He didn't concern himself too much with it. If this "discarded chess piece" could influence events, that was a profit. If not, it didn't matter.
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End of Chapter