Yu Xiaogang and Bibi Dong did not linger by the lake for long before parting ways. They would be leaving tomorrow, and absolutely could not draw attention today.
A brief separation was precisely for the sake of long-term togetherness. Once they reached the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, they would be able to spend their entire lives together.
At the thought of marrying a peerless beauty like Bibi Dong, of sharing a bed with her as husband and wife, Yu Xiaogang felt his heart overflowing with joy and anticipation, his blood practically boiling.
Yet that joy and excitement quickly froze.
He stopped in his tracks, staring in confusion at the burly youth blocking his path.
"I've seen you before."
Thinking back, Yu Xiaogang remembered encountering this person several times in the library. He looked familiar.
"You've seen me, but I've been watching you this whole time. Ever since you arrived in Spirit City, I've recorded everything you've done—including using Spirit Hall's materials to put together your so-called 'Ten Core Competencies of Spirits,' and how you deceived and seduced our Saintess. And these past few days, you've even been leading our Saintess into eloping with you."
Tian Hao's smile was icy.
In his previous life's original story, Yu Xiaogang had stood on the protagonist's side and was considered a 'righteous' figure. But Tian Hao's reborn family had served under Spirit Hall for several generations. He could only stand on Spirit Hall's side.
And in that case, Yu Xiaogang was an absolute enemy.
"Who are you? What do you want?" Yu Xiaogang's expression changed slightly as he realized trouble had arrived.
He had thought that his love with Bibi Dong was known to no one. Who would have imagined someone had been watching them all along? The only question was which side this person belonged to.
He had considered pretending ignorance, but with the word "elopement" already spoken outright, there was no point in playing dumb. He might as well speak plainly.
If the other party was simply seeking something, he didn't mind paying a price to temporarily placate them, then going to Bibi Dong and having her deal with it. Their elopement plan absolutely could not be affected.
"Who I am isn't important. What matters is that you must leave the Saintess. Otherwise, even if you are the son of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan Master, you won't be able to protect your life.
"After all, you aren't valued within the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan anyway. Even if you died outside, the sect would likely be too lazy to investigate.
"Moreover, your father has only been in his position for a few years and hasn't yet built sufficient prestige within the sect. There's a high chance he wouldn't start a war with Spirit Hall over you."
Tian Hao offered the warning with apparent goodwill. If Yu Xiaogang knew what was good for him, Tian Hao didn't want to make things too ugly. If he cooperated afterward, the matter would be much easier to resolve.
But if he refused to take the hint…
"Dong'er and I truly love each other. No one can stop us—and no one will."
Yu Xiaogang rejected him outright, already preparing to summon his spirit.
No matter what identity the other party had, today would likely not end peacefully. He would subdue him first and interrogate him. If things weren't too bad, he'd find Dong'er and leave early—run as far as possible.
As long as they met up with the people his father had sent to receive them, they would be safe. His father and the sect would surely be happy to gain another top-tier twin-spirit possessor.
Moreover, the major clans, sects, and even the two great empires on the continent had long been wary of Spirit Hall. With some maneuvering, it should be possible to withstand Spirit Hall's pressure.
"The Saintess truly loves you—otherwise she wouldn't abandon everything to elope with you. She really is that naïve and soft-hearted.
"But whether you, Yu Xiaogang, truly love her—that's something I can't see at all.
"So answer me a few questions first.
"You know your own aptitude. In this lifetime, you'll never cross the threshold of Rank 30. Decades from now, you'll be nothing more than a pile of dry bones.
"But the Saintess's talent is peerless. Becoming a Titled Douluo would be effortless for her, granting her a long lifespan. When that time comes, she'll be forced to watch you age little by little until you die.
"Are you willing to see the Saintess heartbroken over your death—perhaps even driven to take her own life for you?"
Tian Hao posed the question and then quietly waited for Yu Xiaogang's answer.
Hidden within the roadside bushes, Ling Yuan held a recording Soul Tool, discreetly capturing everything while also feeling curious about how Yu Xiaogang would respond.
"Birth, aging, sickness, and death are unavoidable for everyone," Yu Xiaogang replied coldly. "When the time comes, I'll persuade Dong'er properly. That's none of your concern."
As he spoke, he continued to speculate about the other man's identity. Only by figuring that out could he make proper arrangements.
He also didn't know the other party's Spirit Power level. If he were just an ordinary person, it would be fine—but if he was a Spirit Master, with Yu Xiaogang's own level and Luo Sanpao, victory wasn't guaranteed.
He would have to rely on Sanpao's special Spirit Ability effect and catch him off guard.
Tian Hao wasn't surprised by the answer. His expression remained calm.
"In the end, it's just about love. There's no need to resolve it through something as extreme as elopement.
"If you want to be with the Saintess, it's not impossible. As long as you marry into Spirit Hall, I believe His Holiness would be more than happy to use this opportunity to form an alliance with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan—"
Before Tian Hao could finish, Yu Xiaogang rejected him decisively.
"Impossible. I will never marry into Spirit Hall, and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan will never form an alliance with Spirit Hall."
He was well aware that Spirit Hall had long been feared by the two great empires and all major powers. After all, it was a superpower that possessed the largest number of Titled Douluo—nearly half of the continent's known Titled Douluo were within Spirit Hall. How could it not inspire fear?
If the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan allied with Spirit Hall, it would inevitably be jointly ostracized or even suppressed by all other powers. As the sect master's son, he naturally couldn't bring such trouble upon his sect.
More importantly, he had already preliminarily perfected the theory of the Ten Core Competencies of Spirits. That glory belonged solely to Yu Xiaogang and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. If he joined Spirit Hall, people would only credit Spirit Hall—and that was absolutely unacceptable to him.
As if marrying into Spirit Hall would be a slight against you. Don't you have any idea what kind of trash you are?
Ling Yuan, hidden nearby, complained inwardly, her opinion of Yu Xiaogang dropping even further.
"So what you're saying is, stealing away our Saintess isn't enough—you also want the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan to become hostile toward Spirit Hall?
"Is that really how a person should act?"
Tian Hao felt a headache coming on, utterly speechless at Yu Xiaogang's emotional intelligence. No wonder he came up with that so-called Ten Core Competencies theory.
In truth, the predecessors of all major powers had long explored those ideas. Yu Xiaogang himself had merely organized and summarized some of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's and Spirit Hall's materials.
Take, for example, his so-called Spirit Ring absorption age-limit theory, which he claimed was based on extensive research into Spirit Masters' successes and failures.
Those precise, single-digit figures were not something Yu Xiaogang could have gathered on his own. Similar data existed within Spirit Hall, with the highest recorded value being exactly 423 years.
And researching failures? How did he research those? Failing to absorb a Spirit Ring had only one outcome—having one's body torn apart by rampaging Spirit Power, with almost no chance of survival.
Only major powers like Spirit Hall would conduct such in-depth research. Moreover, the absorption limits of Spirit Rings were a key research focus for all major powers. Every Spirit Master wanted the strongest Spirit Rings possible—it wasn't something only Yu Xiaogang had realized.
The difference was that all major powers kept such findings secret. No one was a saint, willing to hand over hard-earned research results to strengthen others—especially potential enemies.
By publishing that theory, the only beneficiaries were the vast number of civilian Spirit Masters, something no Spirit Master clan or sect could tolerate.
After all, resources in the Spirit Master world were limited. Take Spirit Beasts and Spirit Rings—Spirit Beast populations had already been hunted to the point where artificial breeding was required, which spoke volumes.
High-quality Spirit Beast Spirit Rings were especially scarce. Every major clan and sect wanted those high-level rings for themselves. If civilian Spirit Masters grew stronger, their terrifying numbers alone would form a massive impact.
Most likely, all the major clans and sects already harbored deep resentment toward Yu Xiaogang and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. The sect itself probably hadn't been having an easy time lately either.
If Yu Xiaogang weren't the sect master's son, he would likely have been beaten to death long ago.
After venting inwardly, Tian Hao continued, "Fine. If you won't marry in, that's acceptable. The Saintess is a rare twin-spirit possessor, and both of her spirits are top-tier. In the future, reaching Rank 99 Limit Douluo will be no problem—she might even challenge the legendary Rank 100 godhood.
"If you want to marry the Saintess, you'll need to put up an appropriate bride price. I won't name a number—use your judgment. Just don't be too stingy, or you'll be insulting her."
Tian Hao lowered his demands once more. If he wanted that naïve woman, Bibi Dong, to see Yu Xiaogang's true nature clearly, he had to let it reveal itself bit by bit.
"Don't use such things to insult the feelings between Dong'er and me."
Yu Xiaogang's expression turned even colder. He was now basically certain that this man was deliberately looking for trouble. Yet he couldn't think of a foolproof response—especially since he still didn't know the man's Spirit Power level.
If he were just an ordinary person, that would be fine. But the odds of that were slim—this was Spirit City, after all.
He really hoped Dong'er would appear right now.
"So I've got it straight—you, Yu Xiaogang, want to give nothing at all and just take everything for free, is that it?"
Tian Hao had also lost his patience. Anyone would feel like kicking someone like this.
If he were Bibi Dong's parents, he'd have taken a knife to him already.
"Since you're not willing to show even a shred of sincerity, then come with me. His Holiness the Pope will give you a fair and just judg—"
Tian Hao's expression turned solemn as he prepared to handle things officially. Since kindness had been rejected, there was no reason to continue offering it.
What was the sentence for acting as a spy within Spirit Hall and seducing the Saintess, anyway?
Would the Pope take this opportunity to send people to shake down the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, just like in the original story when they sent people to question the Clear Sky Clan?
That actually sounded like a pretty good idea—he should suggest it to the Pope tomorrow.
Upon hearing that he was to be taken away for judgment by Qian Xunji, Yu Xiaogang didn't wait for Tian Hao to finish speaking. He pulled a dagger from his storage Soul Tool and stabbed forward.
The attack was abrupt and swift—clearly something he had practiced often.
He knew his spirit and Spirit Abilities activated slowly, a major flaw, so he had trained other methods for self-defense.
Combined with Spirit Power enhancing his physical explosiveness, his close-combat ability was not weak.
Seeing Yu Xiaogang dare to violently resist arrest and attempt to assassinate a Spirit Hall official, Tian Hao bared his teeth in a savage grin and swiftly drew his sword in a horizontal slash.
Clang!
Clang!
The two sounds rang out almost simultaneously. Yu Xiaogang felt his palm jolt as the dagger was forcibly knocked away. The tremendous force sent him stumbling, nearly falling to the ground.
"There's no Spirit Power suppression—your Spirit Power level is lower than mine!"
The expected Spirit Power suppression did not appear, and Yu Xiaogang was overjoyed.
After the great upheaval of heaven and earth eighteen years ago, Spirit Masters' strength had greatly increased. The gap between each rank grew wider and wider, and higher-level Spirit Power could suppress lower-level Spirit Power, weakening or even freezing its circulation.
The moment the other party made a move, Yu Xiaogang sensed the Spirit Power fluctuation—and felt no suppression at all. Clearly, the man's level was lower than his.
Suppressing his joy, Yu Xiaogang reacted swiftly, crossing his hands before his chest to summon his spirit.
As long as his spirit emerged, his Spirit Power would fully bloom and suppress the opponent in turn.
"Come forth, Luo—"
Before he could finish, a thick-soled leather boot—size forty-five—smashed brutally into his stomach, sending him flying backward and rolling two or three meters away.
"What the—Luo?!"
No time to react, Tian Hao followed with a series of brutal kicks.
Ling Yuan: Does anyone know who I am?