Black World, Shrek Academy
As the heavenly projection showed Yu Xiaogang pretending to faint, everyone's gaze unconsciously shifted toward the real Yu Xiaogang standing among them.
Flender, Zhao Wuji, and the others looked at him with expressions that were difficult to describe.
"He doesn't actually think that pretending to faint would fool the people there… does he?"
Ning Rongrong finally voiced the thought that had formed in everyone's mind.
If an ordinary six-year-old from a common family pretended to faint, they might have been able to get away with it.
But this was the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's Martial Soul Awakening Ceremony.
Powerhouses from every major faction across the Douluo Continent had been invited. Several Titled Douluo were present, and Spirit Douluo and Spirit Sages were everywhere.
A six-year-old pretending to faint in front of such people?
He would be exposed instantly—and the ridicule directed at the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan would only grow more vicious.
More importantly, the one who truly lost face was Yu Xiaogang's father, Yu Yuanzhen.
Across the Douluo Continent, malignant mutations during Martial Soul Awakening were extremely common, and cases where the Innate Spirit Power test showed almost no spirit power happened more than ninety-nine percent of the time.
Many powerhouses failed to pass on their talent simply because their descendants didn't inherit it.
That, in itself, wasn't shameful.
Even if people mocked Yu Xiaogang as a "tiger father with a dog son," the laughter would fade after a while.
After all, Yu Yuanzhen was still a Titled Douluo—a supreme expert standing at the very peak of the continent. No matter how disappointing his son was, no one could deny Yu Yuanzhen himself.
But Yu Xiaogang's act of pretending to faint—burying his head in the sand as if that could make everything disappear—
That was different.
It showed none of the composure expected of a great clan's heir, let alone the bearing of a Titled Douluo's son.
Originally, because Yu Xiaogang's talent was poor, most mockery would have been directed at him alone, with rival factions taking the chance to sneer at Yu Yuanzhen by association.
But now?
What people would ridicule was the entire Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
Even a pampered young miss like Ning Rongrong understood that her actions represented her sect.
She could be arrogant. She could look down on others.
But she would never do something that disgraced the reputation of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.
"Huff… hiss… huff…"
Hearing Ning Rongrong's words and seeing the looks from Flender and the others, Yu Xiaogang clenched his fists and breathed heavily.
Perhaps back then he hadn't understood this logic.
But now, he understood it perfectly.
So what?
Could the face he had already lost ever be recovered?
"Damned heavenly projection… why does it have to replay all of this? These are things people should've forgotten long ago!"
Yu Xiaogang ground his teeth, his eyes bloodshot.
If he could, he would tear the sky apart and shatter that projection.
But he couldn't.
All he could do was stand there and let it expose his ugliest past to everyone.
---
[The projection continues…]
Yu Xiaogang's fake faint fooled no one present.
Perhaps the newly awakened children might have been startled, but the others saw through it instantly.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan member overseeing the Awakening glanced at Yu Xiaogang lying on the ground, a deep sense of disgust rising in his heart.
This ceremony had been held to display the clan's prestige to all factions of the Douluo Continent.
To show those coveting the clan's position among the Upper Three Sects that the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan not only possessed terrifying strength, but also an abundance of future geniuses.
Disappointment, grief, even crying—
All of that was understandable. Martial Soul Awakening was cruel by nature.
But pretending to faint in front of everyone?
That was avoidance.
That was refusing to face reality.
And such a cowardly, pitiful person was their Young Sect Master?
It was nothing short of a complete disgrace to the clan.
Unsure how to handle the situation, the elder in charge turned his gaze toward Yu Yuanzhen.
At this moment, Yu Yuanzhen stared at his son's motionless figure on the ground, his expression rigid.
He couldn't understand why Yu Xiaogang would do something like this.
Didn't he know that every action he took represented the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan?
"Hahaha! Brother Yu, what a pity. Your esteemed son failed to awaken a suitable Martial Soul. Still, this way, he can live a relaxed and carefree life."
"It's just that this manner of conduct… needs much refinement."
A Spirit Hall Titled Douluo mocked him openly.
In response, Yu Yuanzhen's eyes turned bloodshot.
"Alright, alright, Brother Yu. Your young master must have been overwhelmed by grief from the Awakening and fainted as a result. You should comfort him properly."
Seeing that Yu Yuanzhen was on the verge of exploding, the Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan quickly stepped in to smooth things over.
Yu Yuanzhen stared at the Spirit Hall Titled Douluo for a long time before finally letting out a cold snort.
He glanced once more at Yu Xiaogang—still pretending to be unconscious—then flicked his sleeves and left.
A grand Awakening Ceremony ended in utter humiliation.
---
Afterward, the still-"unconscious" Yu Xiaogang was carried back to his room.
He shut the door tightly and refused to come out.
Once Yu Yuanzhen had calmed down somewhat, he saw that Yu Xiaogang was curled up in his room, neither eating nor drinking. He ordered servants to deliver food, then turned and went to confront the clan elders.
"You all saw the scene at the beginning of Xiaogang's Awakening. That was unmistakably the manifestation of a top-tier Martial Soul. The dragon's roar alone proves it."
"Furthermore, a Martial Soul existing independently from the Spirit Master's body is unprecedented."
"Therefore, I believe Xiaogang's Martial Soul is not bad. It's simply limited by his Innate Spirit Power. If we cultivate him, there may be unexpected results."
Yu Yuanzhen looked at the gathered elders, his meaning clear.
Even if Yu Xiaogang's talent was poor, he still intended to cultivate him.
And that cultivation would naturally rely on resources—forcefully piling them up.
"I disagree. He caused the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan to lose so much face, and he still wants to use the clan's resources? Impossible!"
"I also disagree. With only half a rank of Innate Spirit Power, how many resources would it take to raise him? Wouldn't it be better to invest those resources in the talented children from this year?"
"Sect Master, even if your son's Martial Soul is strange, it's not enough to justify supporting him."
One voice after another rose in opposition.
Some elders were angered by Yu Xiaogang's behavior that day; others simply believed it wasn't worth the cost.
"…Then I'll use my own cultivation resources."
Yu Yuanzhen paused, then gritted his teeth and spoke.
"You should have nothing to say about that, right?"
This time, though the elders were still dissatisfied, they could no longer find a reason to object.
With the matter settled, Yu Yuanzhen returned to Yu Xiaogang's door and informed him of the decision.
What answered him, however, was Yu Xiaogang's hysterical screaming—
"AAAAAH! I'm not listening! I'm not listening! Get out! Get out!!"